Perplexity has made its Comet AI browser available to everyone for free, widening access beyond its paid user base. The browser, launched three months ago for Max subscribers, introduces new tools designed to turn web browsing into an AI-driven task assistant.
The company describes Comet as a ‘browser for agentic search’, referring to autonomous software agents capable of handling multi-step tasks for users.
Free users can access the sidecar assistant alongside tools for shopping comparisons, travel planning, budgeting, sports updates, project management, and personalised recommendations.
Max subscribers gain early access to more advanced features, including a background assistant likened to a personal mission control dashboard. The tool can draft emails, book tickets, find flights, and integrate with apps on a user’s computer, running tasks in the background with minimal intervention.
Pro users also retain access to advanced AI models and media generation tools.
Perplexity is further introducing Comet Plus, a $5-per-month standalone subscription service that acts as an AI-powered alternative to Apple News. Current Pro and Max subscribers will receive the service automatically.
The move signals Perplexity’s ambition to expand its ecosystem while balancing free accessibility with premium AI features.
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In 2025 alone, €1.6 billion is being committed to AI in Germany as part of its AI action plan.
The budget, managed by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, has grown more than twentyfold since 2017, underlining Berlin’s ambition to position the country as a European hub for AI.
However, experts warn that the financial returns remain uncertain. Rainer Rehak of the Weizenbaum Institute argues that AI lacks a clear business model, calling the current trend an ‘investment game’ fuelled by speculation.
He cautioned that if real profits do not materialise, the sector could face a bubble similar to past technology hype cycles. Even OpenAI chief Sam Altman has warned of unsustainable levels of investment in AI.
Germany faces significant challenges in computing capacity. A study by the eco Internet Industry Association found that the country’s infrastructure may only expand to 3.7 gigawatts by 2030, while demand from industry could exceed 12 gigawatts.
Deloitte forecasts a capacity gap of around 50% within five years, with the US already maintaining more than twenty times Germany’s capacity. Without massive new investments in data centres, Germany risks lagging further behind.
Some analysts believe the country needs a different approach. Professor Oliver Thomas of Osnabrück University argues that while large-scale AI models are struggling to find profitability, small and medium-sized enterprises could unlock practical applications.
He advocates for speeding up the cycle from research to commercialisation, ensuring that AI is integrated into industry more quickly.
Germany has a history of pioneering research in fields such as computer technology, MP3, and virtual and augmented reality, but much of the innovation was commercialised abroad.
Thomas suggests focusing less on ‘made in Germany’ AI models and more on leveraging existing technologies from global providers, while maintaining digital sovereignty through strong policy frameworks.
Looking ahead, experts see AI becoming deeply integrated into the workplace. AI assistants may soon handle administrative workflows, organise communications, and support knowledge-intensive professions.
Small teams equipped with these tools could generate millions in revenue, reshaping the country’s economic landscape.
Germany’s heavy spending signals a long-term bet on AI. But with questions about profitability, computing capacity, and competition from the US, the path forward will depend on whether investments can translate into sustainable business models and practical use cases across the economy.
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The Portuguese government is preparing to bring AI into public administration to accelerate licensing procedures and cut delays, according to State Reform Minister Gonçalo Matias.
Speaking at a World Tourism Day conference in Tróia, he said AI can play a key role in streamlining decision-making while maintaining human oversight at the final stage.
Matias explained that the reform will reallocate staff from routine tasks to work of higher value, while introducing a system of prior notifications.
Under the plan, citizens and businesses in Portugal will be allowed to begin most activities without a licence, with tacit approval granted if the administration fails to respond within set deadlines.
The minister said the reforms will be tied to strict accountability measures, emphasising a ‘trust contract’ between citizens, businesses and the public administration. He argued the initiative will not only speed up processes but also foster greater efficiency and responsibility across government services.
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The US AI company, OpenAI, has entered the social media arena with Sora, a new app offering AI-generated videos in a TikTok-style feed.
The launch has stirred debate among current and former researchers, some praising its technical achievement while others worry it diverges from OpenAI’s nonprofit mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity.
Researchers have expressed concerns about deepfakes, addictive loops and the ethical risks of AI-driven feeds. OpenAI insists Sora is designed for creativity rather than engagement, highlighting safeguards such as reminders for excessive scrolling and prioritisation of content from known contacts.
The company argues that revenue from consumer apps helps fund advanced AI research, including its pursuit of artificial general intelligence.
A debate that reflects broader tensions within OpenAI: balancing commercial growth with its founding mission. Critics fear the consumer push could dilute its focus, while executives maintain products like ChatGPT and Sora expand public access and provide essential funding.
Regulators are watching closely, questioning whether the company’s for-profit shift undermines its stated commitment to safety and ethical development.
Sora’s future remains uncertain, but its debut marks a significant expansion of AI-powered social platforms. Whether OpenAI can avoid the pitfalls that defined earlier social media models will be a key test of both its mission and its technology.
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Adam Mosseri has denied long-standing rumours that the platform secretly listens to private conversations to deliver targeted ads. In a video he described as ‘myth busting’, Mosseri said Instagram does not use the phone’s microphone to eavesdrop on users.
He argued that such surveillance would not only be a severe breach of privacy but would also quickly drain phone batteries and trigger visible microphone indicators.
Instead, Mosseri outlined four reasons why adverts may appear suspiciously relevant: online searches and browsing history, the influence of friends’ online behaviour, rapid scrolling that leaves subconscious impressions, and plain coincidence.
According to Mosseri, Instagram users may mistake targeted advertising for surveillance because algorithms incorporate browsing data from advertisers, friends’ interests, and shared patterns across users.
He stressed that the perception of being overheard is often the result of ad targeting mechanics rather than eavesdropping.
Despite his explanation, Mosseri admitted the rumour is unlikely to disappear. Many viewers of his video remained sceptical, with some comments suggesting his denial only reinforced their suspicions about how social media platforms operate.
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Amazon has unveiled a refreshed lineup of devices in New York, designed to work with its new AI-powered assistant Alexa+. The showcase featured Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, a Kindle with a colour display and enhanced Ring and Blink cameras, all set to be released later this year.
After years of investment, the company is seeking to reignite interest in Alexa, adding AI to provide more personalisation and a natural conversational style instead of the more mechanical responses of earlier versions.
New silicon chips promise faster processing across Echo devices, while Ring cameras can now use AI to distinguish between a courier and a potential intruder.
Ring’s founder, Jamie Siminoff, who recently returned to Amazon, demonstrated how updated cameras can assist communities by helping to identify missing dogs through neighbourhood alerts. Siminoff described the effort as turning individual concerns into community action.
Ring devices will be priced between 60 and 350 dollars, depending on features, while Blink cameras now offer sharper resolution for indoor and outdoor monitoring.
Amazon’s device chief, Panos Panay, presented the new Kindle Scribe, a $630 tablet with stylus support, and the first Kindle with a colour screen, which offered a paper-like writing feel.
Updated Fire TV sets and a $40 streaming stick also integrate Alexa+, enabling users to search scenes or retrieve information about actors through voice commands instead of traditional menus.
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The University of Pennsylvania’s engineering team has made a breakthrough that could bring the quantum internet much closer to practical use. Researchers have demonstrated that quantum and classical networks can share the same backbone by transmitting quantum signals over standard fibre optic infrastructure using the same Internet Protocol (IP) that powers today’s web.
Their silicon photonics ‘Q-Chip’ achieved over 97% fidelity in real-world field tests, showing that the quantum internet does not necessarily require building entirely new networks from scratch.
That result, while highly technical, has far-reaching implications. Beyond physics and computer science, it raises urgent questions for governance, national infrastructures, and the future of digital societies.
Quantum signals were transmitted as packets with classical headers readable by conventional routers, while the quantum information itself remained intact.
Noise management
The chip corrected disturbances by analysing the classical header without disturbing the quantum payload. An interesting fact is that the test ran on a Verizon fibre link between two buildings, not just in a controlled lab.
That fact makes the experiment different from earlier advances focusing mainly on quantum key distribution (QKD) or specialised lab setups. It points toward a future in which quantum networking and classical internet coexist and are managed through similar protocols.
Implications for governance and society
Government administration
Governments increasingly rely on digital infrastructure to deliver services, store sensitive records, and conduct diplomacy. The quantum internet could provide secure e-government services resistant to espionage or tampering, protected digital IDs and voting systems, reinforcing democratic integrity, and classified communication channels that even future quantum computers cannot decrypt.
That positions quantum networking as a sovereignty tool, not just a scientific advance.
Healthcare
Health systems are frequent targets of cyberattacks. Quantum-secured communication could protect patient records and telemedicine platforms, enable safe data sharing between hospitals and research centres, support quantum-assisted drug discovery and personalised medicine via distributed quantum computing.
Here, the technology directly impacts citizens’ trust in digital health.
Critical infrastructure and IT systems
National infrastructures, such as energy grids, financial networks, and transport systems, could gain resilience from quantum-secured communication layers.
In addition, quantum-enhanced sensing could provide more reliable navigation independent of GPS, enable early-warning systems for earthquakes or natural disasters, and strengthen resilience against cyber-sabotage of strategic assets.
Citizens and everyday services
For ordinary users, the quantum internet will first be invisible. Their emails, bank transactions, and medical consultations will simply become harder to hack.
Over time, however, quantum-secured platforms may become a market differentiator for banks, telecoms, and healthcare providers.
Citizens and universities may gain remote access to quantum computing resources, democratising advanced research and innovation.
Building a quantum-ready society
The Penn experiment matters because it shows that quantum internet infrastructure can evolve on top of existing systems. For policymakers, this raises several urgent points.
Standardisation
International bodies (IETF, ITU-T, ETSI) will need to define packet structures, error correction, and interoperability rules for quantum-classical networks.
Strategic investment
Countries face a decision whether to invest early in pilot testbeds (urban campuses, healthcare systems, or government services).
Cybersecurity planning
Quantum internet deployment should be aligned with the post-quantum cryptography transition, ensuring coherence between classical and quantum security measures.
Public trust
As with any critical infrastructure, clear communication will be needed to explain how quantum-secured systems benefit citizens and why governments are investing in them.
Key takeaways for policymakers
Quantum internet is governance, not just science. The Penn breakthrough shows that quantum signals can run on today’s networks, shifting the conversation from pure research to infrastructure and policy planning.
Governments should treat the quantum internet as a strategic asset, protecting national administrations, elections, and critical services from future cyber threats.
Early adoption in health systems could secure patient data, telemedicine, and medical research, strengthening public trust in digital services.
International cooperation (IETF, ITU-T, ETSI) will be needed to define protocols, interoperability, and security frameworks before large-scale rollouts.
Policymakers should align quantum network deployment with the global transition to post-quantum encryption, ensuring coherence across digital security strategies.
Governments could start with small-scale testbeds (smart cities, e-government nodes, or healthcare networks) to build expertise and shape standards from within.
Why does it matter?
The University of Pennsylvania’s ‘Q-Chip’ is a proof-of-concept that quantum and classical networks can speak the same language. While technical challenges remain, especially around scaling and quantum repeaters, the political and societal questions can no longer be postponed.
The quantum internet is not just a scientific project. It is emerging as a strategic infrastructure for the digital state of the future. Governments, regulators, and international organisations must begin preparing today so that tomorrow’s networks deliver speed and efficiency, trust, sovereignty, and resilience.
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A global survey commissioned by Yubico suggests that younger workers are more vulnerable to phishing scams than older generations. Gen Z respondents reported the highest level of interaction with phishing messages, with 62 percent admitting they engaged with a scam in the past year.
The study gathered responses from 18,000 employed adults in nine countries, including the UK, US, France, and Japan. In the past twelve months, 44 percent of participants admitted to clicking on or replying to a phishing message.
AI is raising the stakes for cybersecurity. Seventy percent of those surveyed believe phishing has become more effective due to AI, and 78 percent said the attacks seem more sophisticated. More than half could not confidently identify a phishing email when shown one.
Despite growing risks, cyber defences remain patchy. Only 48 percent said their workplace used multi-factor authentication across all services, and 40 percent reported never receiving cybersecurity training from their employer.
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A £100m AI data centre has been approved for construction on the outskirts of Stockton, with developers Latos Data Centres pledging up to 150 new jobs.
The Preston Farms Industrial Estate site will feature two commercial units, plants, substations and offices, designed to support the growing demands of AI and advanced computing.
Work on the Neural Data Centre is set to begin at the end of the year, with full operations expected by 2028. The project has been welcomed by Industry Minister and Stockton North MP Chris McDonald, who described it as a significant investment in skills and opportunities for the future.
Latos managing director Andy Collin said the facility was intended to be ‘future proof’, calling it a purpose-built factory for the modern digital economy. Local leaders hope the investment will help regenerate Teesside’s industrial base, positioning the region as a hub for cutting-edge infrastructure.
The announcement follows the UK government’s decision to create an AI growth zone in the North East, covering sites in Northumberland and Tyneside. Teesworks in Redcar was not included in the initial allocation, but ministers said further proposals from Teesside were still under review.
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Greece hosted the European Researchers’ Night 2025 on Friday, 26 September at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, marking a significant celebration of science and technology.
The Centre coordinated it for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), which also celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Visitors experienced an extensive interactive technology exhibition featuring VR, autonomous robots and AI applications, alongside demonstrations across energy, digital systems and life sciences.
Attendees engaged directly with researchers and explored how cutting-edge research is transformed into practical innovations with societal and economic impact.
Contributions came from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the University of Ioannina, the International Hellenic University, the Anna Papageorgiou STEM Centre, the Hellenic Agricultural Organisation – DIMITRA, and the Astronomy Friends Association.
The event showcased CERTH’s spin-offs and technology transfer initiatives, highlighting how advanced research evolves into market-ready products and services. The ‘European Corner’ also presented EU policies and opportunities for research and innovation.
In parallel, the online ‘Chat Lab’ brought together 51 researchers for public discussions on emerging scientific issues until 3 October.
With simultaneous events in Athens, Heraklion, Patras, Larissa and Rethymno, the European Researchers’ Night once again reinforced the role of Greece in connecting frontier research with society.
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