ai

Artists explore meaning and memory at Antwerp Art Weekend

At Antwerp Art Weekend, two standout exhibitions by Eddie Peake and the Amsterdam-based collective Metahaven explored how meaning shifts or falls apart in an age shaped by AI, identity, and emotional complexity.

Metahaven’s film follows a character interacting with an AI assistant while exploring poetry by Eugene Ostashevsky. It contrasts AI’s predictive language models with the unpredictable nature of poetry, using visual metaphors to expose how AI mimics language without fully grasping it.

Meanwhile, Peake’s immersive installation at TICK TACK turned the Belgian gallery into a psychological labyrinth, combining architectural intrusion, raw paintings, and a haunting audio piece. His work considers the weight of identity, sexuality, and memory, moving from aggression to vulnerability.

Despite their differences, both projects provoke questions about how language, identity, and emotion are formed and fractured. Each invites viewers to reconsider the boundaries of expression in a world increasingly influenced by AI and abstraction.

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Alibaba Cloud opens AI centre in Singapore to drive regional innovation

Alibaba Cloud has launched its AI Global Competency Centre in Singapore to drive innovation and support growing regional demand for cloud and AI technologies. The centre aims to help more than 5,000 businesses and 100,000 developers access advanced tools.

The facility includes an innovation lab offering curated datasets, token credits, and tailored support for real-world AI solutions. A strong focus will be placed on building a robust talent pipeline, with plans to train 100,000 AI professionals each year through partnerships with over 120 universities.

Alibaba Cloud is positioning Singapore as a key digital hub, reinforcing its role in the Asia-Pacific AI ecosystem. The company also announced its third data centre in Malaysia and a second one in the Philippines, scheduled for October, to meet surging demand in Southeast Asia.

The launch marks Alibaba Cloud’s continued global expansion. Executives have underlined their ambition to make Singapore a global AI and cloud innovation leader through strategic partnerships and infrastructure development.

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Meta’s AI chatbots are designed to initiate conversations and enhance user engagement

Meta is training AI-powered chatbots that can remember previous conversations, send personalised follow-up messages, and actively re-engage users without needing a prompt.

Internal documents show that the company aims to keep users interacting longer across platforms like Instagram and Facebook by making bots more proactive and human-like.

Under the project code-named ‘Omni’, contractors from the firm Alignerr are helping train these AI agents using detailed personality profiles and memory-based conversations.

These bots are developed through Meta’s AI Studio — a no-code platform launched in 2024 that lets users build customised digital personas, from chefs and designers to fictional characters. Only after a user initiates a conversation can a bot send one follow-up, and that too within a 14-day window.

Bots must match their assigned personality and reference earlier interactions, offering relevant and light-hearted responses while avoiding emotionally charged or sensitive topics unless the user brings them up. Meta says the feature is being tested and rolled out gradually.

The company hopes it will not only improve user retention but also serve as a response to what CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls the ‘loneliness epidemic’.

With revenue from generative AI tools projected to reach up to $3 billion in 2025, Meta’s focus on more prolonged and engaging chatbot interactions appears to be as strategic as social.

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X to test AI-generated Community Notes

X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, is preparing to test a new feature allowing AI chatbots to generate Community Notes.

These notes, a user-driven fact-checking system expanded under Elon Musk, are meant to provide context on misleading or ambiguous posts, such as AI-generated videos or political claims.

The pilot will enable AI systems like Grok or third-party large language models to submit notes via API. Each AI-generated comment will be treated the same as a human-written one, undergoing the same vetting process to ensure reliability.

However, concerns remain about AI’s tendency to hallucinate, where it may generate inaccurate or fabricated information instead of grounded fact-checks.

A recent research paper by the X Community Notes team suggests that AI and humans should collaborate, with people offering reinforcement learning feedback and acting as the final layer of review. The aim is to help users think more critically, not replace human judgment with machine output.

Still, risks persist. Over-reliance on AI, particularly models prone to excessive helpfulness rather than accuracy, could lead to incorrect notes slipping through.

There are also fears that human raters could become overwhelmed by a flood of AI submissions, reducing the overall quality of the system. X intends to trial the system over the coming weeks before any wider rollout.

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Croatia turns bus stops into AI-powered health stations

Croatia has introduced a groundbreaking public health campaign that uses AI and interactive billboards to tackle undiagnosed spinal issues. The initiative, led by Croatia Poliklinika, has provided over 100,000 free posture screenings and reached nearly 78% of the country’s population.

By converting bus stops into makeshift health stations, the project enables passers-by to receive posture checks via AI-powered digital billboards. The system analyses spine alignment at eight points and offers instant feedback, encouraging users to seek specialist help through a QR code.

The campaign has sparked immediate behavioural change, with 97% of people adjusting their posture during the scan. Since its launch, Croatia has seen a 46% rise in preventive spine check-ups, turning passive advertising spaces into tools for public well-being.

Croatia Poliklinika, which operates nine clinics nationwide, says the project demonstrates how digital infrastructure can reshape healthcare accessibility. The success is being hailed as a model for how technology can redefine public health engagement in everyday spaces.

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Amazon reaches one million warehouse robots

Amazon has reached a major milestone with over one million robots now operating in its warehouses.

The one millionth robot, recently deployed to a facility in Japan, marks 13 years since the tech giant began introducing automation through its acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012.

The robotic presence is fast approaching parity with Amazon’s human workforce, according to The Wall Street Journal. Robots now assist in around 75% of the company’s global deliveries.

The company continues to upgrade its robotic fleet, recently unveiling Vulcan — a dual-armed model equipped with a suction grip and a sense of touch to handle items more delicately.

Amazon is also introducing DeepFleet, a new generative AI model built using Amazon SageMaker.

Designed to optimise robotic movement within fulfilment centres, DeepFleet is expected to improve fleet speed by 10%. The model is trained on Amazon’s operational data, making it highly tailored to the company’s logistical network.

The expansion comes as Amazon opens next-generation fulfilment centres featuring ten times more robots instead of relying solely on existing warehouse models. The first of these facilities opened in late 2024 in Shreveport, Louisiana, signalling a shift toward even greater automation.

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Pentagon backs $10M deal with AI firm to integrate LLMs across its command centres

Pentagon officials have awarded AI firm Ask Sage a $10 million contract to integrate large language models (LLMs) across all US Combatant Commands, the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defence. The collaboration seeks to harness generative AI to speed up battlefield decision‑making and streamline workflows.

Application benefits include operational planning, logistics, command and control, intelligence, cybersecurity, and weapons development. Ask Sage’s AI‑powered tools will be deployed through the US Army’s LLM workspace, seamlessly linking classified and unclassified networks.

Deployment of these models is expected to support more agile, informed military operations while navigating security and data‑sharing challenges inherent to classified environments. The deal marks a strategic continuation of the Pentagon’s wider AI and digital transformation efforts.

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Grammarly invests in email with Superhuman acquisition

Grammarly announced on Tuesday that it has acquired email client Superhuman to expand its AI capabilities within its productivity suite.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed by either company. Superhuman, founded by Rahul Vohra, Vivek Sodera and Conrad Irwin, has raised over $114 million from investors such as a16z and Tiger Global, with a last valuation of $825 million.

Grammarly CEO Shishir Mehrotra said the acquisition will enable the company to bring enhanced AI collaboration to millions more professionals, adding that email is not just another app but a crucial platform where users spend significant time.

Superhuman’s CEO Rahul Vohra and his team are joining Grammarly, promising to invest further in improving the Superhuman experience and building AI agents that collaborate across everyday communication tools.

Recently, Superhuman introduced AI-powered features like scheduling, replies and email categorisation. Grammarly aims to leverage the technology to build smarter AI agents for email, which remains a top use case for its customers.

The move follows Grammarly’s acquisition of productivity software Coda last year and the promotion of Shishir Mehrotra to CEO.

In May, Grammarly secured $1 billion from General Catalyst through a non-dilutive investment, repaid by a capped percentage of revenue generated using the funds instead of equity.

The Superhuman deal further signals Grammarly’s commitment to integrating AI deeply into professional communication.

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Why AI won’t replace empathy at work

AI is increasingly being used to improve how organisations measure and support employee performance and well-being.

According to Dr Serena Huang, founder of Data with Serena and author of The Inclusion Equation, AI provides insights that go far beyond traditional annual reviews or turnover statistics.

AI tools can detect early signs of burnout, identify high-potential staff, and even flag overly controlling management styles. More importantly, they offer the potential to personalise development pathways based on employee needs and aspirations.

Huang emphasises, however, that ethical use is vital. Transparency and privacy must remain central to ensure AI empowers rather than surveils workers. Far from making human skills obsolete, Huang argues that AI increases their value.

With machines handling routine analysis, people are free to focus on complex challenges and relationship-building—critical skills in sales, leadership, and team dynamics. AI can assist, but it is emotional intelligence and empathy that truly drive results.

To ensure data-driven efforts align with business goals, Huang urges companies to ask better questions. Understanding what challenges matter to stakeholders helps ensure that any AI deployment addresses real-world needs. Regular check-ins and progress reviews help maintain alignment.

Rather than fear AI as a job threat, Huang encourages individuals to embrace it as a tool for growth. Staying curious and continually learning can ensure workers remain relevant in an evolving market.

She also highlights the strategic advantage of prioritising employee well-being. Companies that invest in mental health, work-life balance, and inclusion enjoy higher productivity and retention.

With younger workers placing a premium on wellness and values, businesses that foster a caring culture will attract top talent and stay competitive. Ultimately, Huang sees AI not as a replacement for people, but as a catalyst for more human-centric, data-informed workplaces.

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UK urged to prepare for agentic AI in government

Agentic AI, a new generation of AI that goes beyond automation to deliver full task orchestration, could change how government operates. Sharon Moore, CTO Public Sector UK at IBM, argues the UK Government must adopt this technology to drive operational efficiency and better public services.

Departments using AI agents have already recorded significant savings, such as 3,300 hours saved in HR tasks by East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and 800 hours monthly by a New Jersey agency. IBM itself has cut development costs by billions, showcasing the potential for large-scale productivity gains.

Agentic systems integrate multiple AI models and tools, solving complex problems with minimal human intervention. Unlike traditional chatbots, these systems handle end-to-end tasks and adapt across use cases, from citizen services to legacy software modernisation.

To implement these systems safely, the UK must address risks like data leaks, hallucinations, and compliance failures. Moore emphasises that future governance must shift from overseeing individual models to managing entire AI systems, built on transparency, security, and performance oversight.

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