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Workplace deepfake abuse: What employers must know

Deepfake technology—AI-generated videos, images, and audio—has entered the workplace in alarming ways.

Once difficult to produce, deepfakes are now widely accessible and are being used to harass, impersonate, or intimidate employees. These synthetic media attacks can cause deep psychological harm, damage reputations, and expose employers to serious legal risks.

While US federal law hasn’t yet caught up, new legislation like the Take It Down Act and Florida’s Brooke’s Law require platforms to remove non-consensual deepfake content within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, employers could face claims under existing workplace laws if they fail to act on deepfake harassment. Inaction may lead to lawsuits for creating a hostile environment or for negligent oversight.

Most workplace policies still don’t mention synthetic media and something like this creates blind spots, especially during investigations, where fake images or audio could wrongly influence decisions.

Employers need to shift how they assess evidence and protect both accused and accuser fairly. It’s time to update handbooks, train staff, and build clear response plans that include digital impersonation and deepfake abuse.

By treating deepfakes as a modern form of harassment instead of just a tech issue, organisations can respond faster, protect staff, and maintain trust. Proactive training, updated policies, and legal awareness will be crucial to workplace safety in the age of AI.

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ChatGPT and generative AI have polluted the internet — and may have broken themselves

The explosion of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has flooded the internet with low-quality, AI-generated content, making it harder for future models to learn from authentic human knowledge.

As AI continues to train on increasingly polluted data, a loop forms in which AI imitates already machine-made content, leading to a steady drop in originality and usefulness. The worrying trend is referred to as ‘model collapse’.

To illustrate the risk, researchers compare clean pre-AI data to ‘low-background steel’ — a rare kind of steel made before nuclear testing in 1945, which remains vital for specific medical and scientific uses.

Just as modern steel became contaminated by radiation, modern data is being tainted by artificial content. Cambridge researcher Maurice Chiodo notes that pre-2022 data is now seen as ‘safe, fine, clean’, while everything after is considered ‘dirty’.

A key concern is that techniques like retrieval-augmented generation, which allow AI to pull real-time data from the internet, risk spreading even more flawed content. Some research already shows that it leads to more ‘unsafe’ outputs.

If developers rely on such polluted data, scaling models by adding more information becomes far less effective, potentially hitting a wall in progress.

Chiodo argues that future AI development could be severely limited without a clean data reserve. He and his colleagues urge the introduction of clear labelling and tighter controls on AI content.

However, industry resistance to regulation might make meaningful reform difficult, raising doubts about whether the pollution can be reversed.

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Scientists convert brain signals into words using AI

Australian scientists have developed an AI model that converts brainwaves into spoken words and sentences using a wearable EEG cap.

The system, created at the University of Technology Sydney, marks a significant step in communication technology and cognitive care.

The deep learning model, designed by Daniel Leong, Charles Zhou, and Chin-Teng Lin, currently works with a limited vocabulary but has achieved around 75% accuracy. Researchers aim to improve this to 90% by expanding training data and refining brainwave analysis.

Bioelectronics expert Mohit Shivdasani noted that AI now detects neural patterns previously hidden from human interpretation. Future uses include real-time thought-to-text interfaces or direct communication between people via brain signals.

However, breakthrough opens new possibilities for patients with speech or movement impairments, pointing to future human-machine interaction that bypasses traditional input methods.

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Nvidia’s sovereign AI vision gains EU support

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s call for ‘sovereign AI’ is gaining traction among European leaders who want more control over their data and digital future. He argues that nations must develop AI rooted in their own language, culture and infrastructure.

During a recent European tour, Huang unveiled major partnerships and investments European cities, citing the region’s over-reliance on US tech firms. European officials echoed his concerns, with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supporting national AI initiatives.

The EU plans to build four AI gigafactories, aiming to reduce dependence on US cloud giants and strengthen regional innovation. Nvidia has committed to providing chips for these projects, while startups like Mistral are working to become local leaders in AI development.

Despite enthusiasm, high energy costs and limited resources may hinder Europe’s progress. Industry voices warn that without sustained investment, the region could struggle to match the spending power of US hyperscalers.

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Smart machines, dark intentions: UN urges global action on AI threats

The United Nations has warned that terrorists could seize control of AI-powered vehicles to launch devastating attacks in public spaces. A new report outlines how extremists might exploit autonomous cars and drones to bypass traditional defences.

AI is also feared to be a tool for facial recognition targeting and mass ‘swarm’ assaults using aerial devices. Experts suggest that key parts of modern infrastructure could be turned against the public if hacked.

Britain’s updated counter-terrorism strategy now reflects these growing concerns, including the risk of AI-generated propaganda and detailed attack planning. The UN has called for immediate global cooperation to limit how such technologies can be misused.

Security officials maintain that AI also offers valuable tools in the fight against extremism, enabling quicker intelligence processing and real-time threat identification. Nonetheless, authorities have been urged to prepare for worst-case scenarios involving AI-directed violence.

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Armenia plans major AI hub with NVIDIA and Firebird

Armenia has unveiled plans to develop a $500mn AI supercomputing hub in partnership with US tech leader NVIDIA, AI cloud firm Firebird, and local telecoms group Team.

Announced at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, the initiative marks the largest tech investment ever seen in the South Caucasus.

Due to open in 2026, the facility will house thousands of NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPUs and offer more than 100 megawatts of scalable computing power. Designed to advance AI research, training and entrepreneurship, the hub aims to position Armenia as a leading player in global AI development.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the project as the ‘Stargate of Armenia’, underscoring its potential to transform the national tech sector.

Firebird CEO Razmig Hovaghimian said the hub would help develop local talent and attract international attention, while the Afeyan Foundation, led by Noubar Afeyan, is set to come on board as a founding investor.

Instead of limiting its role to funding, the Armenian government will also provide land, tax breaks and simplified regulation to support the project, strengthening its push toward a competitive digital economy.

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OpenAI turns to Google Cloud in shift from solo AI race

OpenAI has entered into an unexpected partnership with Google, using Google Cloud to support its growing AI infrastructure needs.

Despite being fierce competitors in AI, the two tech giants recognise that long-term success may require collaboration instead of isolation.

As the demand for high-performance hardware soars, traditional rivals join forces to keep pace. OpenAI, previously backed heavily by Microsoft, now draws from Google’s vast cloud resources, hinting at a changing attitude in the AI race.

Rather than going it alone, firms may benefit more by leveraging each other’s strengths to accelerate development.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, speaking on a podcast, suggested there is room for multiple winners in the AI sector. He even noted that a major competitor had ‘invited me to a dance’, underscoring a new phase of pragmatic cooperation.

While Google still faces threats to its search dominance from tools like ChatGPT, business incentives may override rivalry.

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AI health tools need clinicians to prevent serious risks, Oxford study warns

The University of Oxford has warned that AI in healthcare, primarily through chatbots, should not operate without human oversight.

Researchers found that relying solely on AI for medical self-assessment could worsen patient outcomes instead of improving access to care. The study highlights how these tools, while fast and data-driven, fall short in delivering the judgement and empathy that only trained professionals can offer.

The findings raise alarm about the growing dependence on AI to fill gaps caused by doctor shortages and rising costs. Chatbots are often seen as scalable solutions, but without rigorous human-in-the-loop validation, they risk providing misleading or inconsistent information, particularly to vulnerable groups.

Rather than helping, they might increase health disparities by delaying diagnosis or giving patients false reassurance.

Experts are calling for safer, hybrid approaches that embed clinicians into the design and ongoing use of AI tools. The Oxford researchers stress that continuous testing, ethical safeguards and clear protocols must be in place.

Instead of replacing clinical judgement, AI should support it. The future of digital healthcare hinges not just on innovation but on responsibility and partnership between technology and human care.

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Switzerland’s unique AI path: Blending innovation, governance, and local empowerment

In his recent blog post ‘Advancing Swiss AI Trinity: Zurich’s entrepreneurship, Geneva’s governance, and Communal subsidiarity,’ Jovan Kurbalija proposes a distinctive roadmap for Switzerland to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. Rather than mimicking the AI power plays of the United States or China, Kurbalija argues that Switzerland can lead by integrating three national strengths: Zurich’s thriving innovation ecosystem, Geneva’s global leadership in governance, and the country’s foundational principle of subsidiarity rooted in local decision-making.

Zurich, already a global tech hub, is positioned to drive cutting-edge development through its academic excellence and robust entrepreneurial culture. Institutions like ETH Zurich and the presence of major tech firms provide a fertile ground for collaborations that turn research into practical solutions.

With AI tools becoming increasingly accessible, Kurbalija emphasises that success now depends on how societies harness the interplay of human and machine intelligence—a field where Switzerland’s education and apprenticeship systems give it a competitive edge. Meanwhile, Geneva is called upon to spearhead balanced international governance and standard-setting for AI.

Kurbalija stresses that AI policy must go beyond abstract discussions and address real-world issues—health, education, the environment—by embedding AI tools in global institutions and negotiations. He notes that Geneva’s experience in multilateral diplomacy and technical standardisation offers a strong foundation for shaping ethical, inclusive AI frameworks.

The third pillar—subsidiarity—empowers Swiss cantons and communities to develop AI that reflects local values and needs. By supporting grassroots innovation through mini-grants, reimagining libraries as AI learning hubs, and embedding AI literacy from primary school to professional training, Switzerland can build an AI model that is democratic and inclusive.

Why does it matter?

Kurbalija’s call to action is clear: with its tools, talent, and traditions aligned, Switzerland must act now to chart a future where AI serves society, not the other way around.

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Google Gemini now summarizes PDFs with actionable prompts in Drive

Google is expanding Gemini’s capabilities by allowing the AI assistant to summarize PDF documents directly in Google Drive—and it’s doing more than just generating summaries.

Users will now see clickable suggestions like drafting proposals or creating interview questions based on resume content, making Gemini a more proactive productivity tool.

However, this update builds on earlier integrations of Gemini in Drive, which now surface pop-up summaries and action prompts when a PDF is opened.

Users with smart features and personalization turned on will notice a new preview window interface, eliminating the need to open a separate tab.

Gemini’s PDF summaries are now available in over 20 languages and will gradually roll out over the next two weeks.

The feature supports personal and business accounts, including Business Standard/Plus users, Enterprise tiers, Gemini Education, and Google AI Pro and Ultra plans.

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