ai Archives | Page 139 of 381 | Digital Watch Observatory

DeepSeek reveals secrets of low-cost AI model

Chinese start-up DeepSeek has published the first peer-reviewed study of its R1 model, revealing how it built the powerful AI system for under US$300,000.

The model stunned markets on its release in January and has since become Hugging Face’s most downloaded open-weight system. Unlike rivals, R1 was not trained on other models’ output but instead developed reasoning abilities through reinforcement learning.

DeepSeek’s engineers rewarded the model for correct answers, enabling it to form problem-solving strategies. Efficiency gains came from allowing R1 to score its own outputs rather than relying on a separate algorithm.

The Nature paper marks the first time a major large language model has undergone peer review. Reviewers said the process increased transparency and should be adopted by other firms as scrutiny of AI risks intensifies.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UN General Assembly highlights threats of unregulated technology

World leaders opened the 80th UN General Debate with a strong call to keep technology in the service of humanity, warning that without safeguards, rapid advances could widen divides and fuel insecurity. Speakers highlighted the promise of AI, digital innovation, and new technologies, but stressed that global cooperation is essential to ensure they promote development, dignity, and peace.

A recurring theme was the urgent need for universal guardrails on AI, with concerns over regulation lagging behind its fast-paced growth. Delegates from across regions supported multilateral governance, ethical standards, and closing global capacity gaps so that all countries can design, use, and benefit from AI.

While some warned of risks such as inequality, social manipulation, and autonomous weapons, others emphasised AI’s potential for prosperity, innovation, and inclusive growth.

Cybersecurity and cybercrime also drew attention, with calls for collective security measures and anticipation of a new UN convention against cybercrime. Leaders further raised alarms over disinformation, digital authoritarianism, and the race for critical minerals, urging fair access and sustainability.

Across the debate, the unifying message was clear. The technology must uplift humanity, protect rights, and serve as a force for peace rather than domination.

For more information from the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, visit our dedicated page.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Digital on Day 1 of UNGA80

Lighting, Stage, Purple, Electronics, Screen, Computer Hardware, Hardware, Monitor, Light, Urban, Indoors, Club

Welcome to the first daily report from the General Debate at the 80th session of the UN General Debate (UNGA80). Our daily hybrid AI–human reports bring you a concise overview of how world leaders are framing the digital future.

Day 1 debates circled around a central message: technology must remain a servant of humanity, not its master. From calls to ensure AI benefits all societies and to build universal guardrails for its responsible use, to concerns over cybercrime, disinformation, and the governance of critical minerals, delegations stressed the urgent need for cooperation, inclusivity, and safeguards.

While opportunities for innovation, development, and peace were highlighted, speakers warned that without global frameworks, the same technologies could deepen divides, fuel insecurity, and erode human dignity.

To keep the highlights clear and accessible, we leave them in bullet points — capturing the key themes and voices as they emerge.

Tech for humanity and common good & global cooperation

Technology must be put at the service of humanity. It must be our servant, not our master. (UN Secretary-General)
The use of technology and global connectivity is too often twisted by cynical leaders and warmongering regimes, but can be harnessed for the common good. (Slovenia)
A vision of AI for all is needed to ensure that tech advancements contribute to the universal values of humanity. (Republic of Korea)
Africa must play an active role in defining international roles and standards and ensuring that technology is at the service of humanity. (Mozambique)
The international community must ensure that technology lifts up humanity and no country is locked out of the digital future. (UN Secretary-General)
Peak technology is picking up pace, opening horizons of opportunity but paving the way for dangerous forces because they are not regulated. New risks are posed by AI, cyber, space and quantum technologies, and while common frameworks exist, they have been weakened or outpaced. Existing rules and institutions need to be consolidated, and frameworks for peace need to be built. (France)

Artificial intelligence

AI inclusion and capacity building

AI capacity gaps must be closed. All countries and societies must be able to use, design and develop AI, and benefit from the opportunities the technology offers. (Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, UN Secretary-General) )
AI technologies should be used for the benefit of humanity, not as a new tool of domination. The UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries could play a critical role in closing the digital and technological gap. (Türkiye)
A new international cooperation mechanism is proposed to facilitate the exchange of practical solutions and models of AI in healthcare, education, and culture. (Uzbekistan)
Not taking advantage of AI means wasting economic opportunities. Countries need to adapt to the challenges imposed by the need to use AI responsibly. (Morocco)

Responsible AI (governance)

The advancement of AI is outpacing regulation and responsibility, with its control concentrated in a few hands. (UN Secretary-General) There is a need for universal guardrails, common standards, and ethical norms to ensure transparency, safety, accountability, fairness, and the protection of individual rights in its deployment. The UN’s recent steps to establish an international scientific panel and an annual global dialogue on AI governance are supported. (UN Secretary-General, Kazakhstan)
Commitment was expressed to building multilateral governance to mitigate the risks of AI, in line with the Global Digital Compact. (Brazil)
AI could lead to a dystopia of deepening polarisation, inequality, and human rights abuses if not proactively managed. It can also be a driving force for innovation, prosperity, and direct democracy. (Republic of Korea)
Artificial intelligence poses new challenges to human dignity, justice, and labor, with risks of exclusion, social manipulation, and militarization through autonomous weapons. Addressing them requires understanding how AI works and having robust safeguards in place. (Mozambique)

Cybersecurity and cybercrime

Digital technologies come with new security threats, in particular cybercrime. Cybersecurity must be an important component of collective security. (Tajikistan)
Viet Nam looks forward to the signing ceremony of the UN Convention Against Cybercrime. (Viet Nam)

Digital technology, peace and security

There are risks associated with new technologies, from biotech to autonomous weapons. There is also a rise of tools for mass surveillance and control, which can intensify the race for critical minerals and potentially spark instability. (UN Secretary-General)
The US will pioneer an AI verification system to enforce the biological weapons convention. (United States)
Digital, space and AI technologies should be used as forces for peace, not tools for domination. (Portugal)
The use of ICTs to harm peace, security and sustainable development needs to be prevented. (Turkmenistan)

Human rights in the digital space

Technology must serve humanity and be a force for good. It must promote human rights, human dignity, and human agency. (UN Secretary-General)
Regulating digital platforms does not mean restraining freedom of expression, but ensuring that what is illegal offline is also illegal online. (Brazil)

Disinformation and misinformation

Digital platforms offer possibilities for people to come together, but they have also been used for sowing intolerance, misogyny, xenophobia, and misinformation, necessitating government regulation to protect the vulnerable. (Brazil)
The rise of tools for mass disruption and mass social control is a concern. ( UN Secretary-General)
There’s a growing challenge of disinformation being used to undermine democratic institutions and destabilize societies. The international community needs to defend truth as a supreme value. (Lithuania)

Digital inclusion and tech for development

To bridge the digital and technological divides is central to building resilient societies. (Portugal)
It is important to prevent inequalities in digital development and the use of artificial intelligence between countries. (Uzbekistan)
Digital transformation must be balanced, reflect the realities and legitimate interests of all states, and be free from politicization and bias. A proposal will be made to establish a world platform on digital integration. (Turkmenistan)
There is a need for a technological and a climate diplomacy that can regulate risks and democratise benefits through genuine transfer and sharing of technology and knowledge, so that technology is a factor of inclusive development. (Mozambique)
Sustainable development models need to be based on digital and green transition. For this, countries must invest in R&D, train human resources, develop green infrastructure, and formulate national plans, while developed countries must take responsibility in sharing and transferring technology to developing and underdeveloped countries. (Viet Nam)
Nations which benefited the most from industrial and economic development in the past should support developing countries through measures such as technology transfers and adequate financing. (Angola)

Critical minerals

Robust regulations need to balance responsible mineral extraction with effective environmental protection. (Nauru)
Rich countries are demanding greater access to resources and technology. The race for critical minerals cannot repeat the predatory and asymmetrical logic of past centuries. (Brazil)
Critical minerals need to be harnessed for inclusive growth and sustainable development, including within the communities where these minerals are extracted from. (South Africa)
The governance of strategic minerals needs to ensure that exploitation compiles with the principles of sustainable development, economic sovereignty and people’s well-being. (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

For other topics discussed, head over to our dedicated UNGA80 page, where you can explore more insight from the General Debate.

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80)

The General Debate at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly brings together high-level representatives from across the globe to discuss the most pressing issues of our time. The session took place against the backdrop of the UN’s 80th anniversary, serving as a moment for both reflection and a forward-looking assessment of the organisation’s role and relevance.

Meta offers Llama AI to US allies amid global tech race

Meta will provide its Llama AI model to key European institutions, NATO, and several allied countries as part of efforts to strengthen national security capabilities.

The company confirmed that France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the EU will gain access to the open-source model. US defence and security agencies and partners in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK already use Llama.

Meta stated that the aim is to ensure democratic allies have the most advanced AI tools for decision-making, mission planning, and operational efficiency.

Although its terms bar use for direct military or espionage applications, the company emphasised that supporting allied defence strategies is in the interest of nations.

The move highlights the strategic importance of AI models in global security. Meta has positioned Llama as a counterweight to other countries’ developments, after allegations that researchers adapted earlier versions of the model for military purposes.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Alibaba unveils next-gen AI models and $53 billion infrastructure expansion

Just as Nvidia announced plans to spend $100 billion building out OpenAI’s infrastructure, Alibaba is doubling its ambitions, rolling out a powerful suite of AI models and expanding its data centres to support them.

At its annual Apsara Conference in Beijing, Alibaba unveiled Qwen3-Omni, a multimodal model capable of analysing text, images, audio, and video in real time. Released under an open Apache 2.0 license, businesses can freely download and deploy the system, setting it apart from closed, pay-to-use rivals like Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro and OpenAI’s GPT-4o.

The company also introduced Qwen3-Max, its most advanced large language model yet, boasting over a trillion parameters. Alibaba executives say it shows particular strength in code generation and autonomous decision-making, enabling AI systems to act more independently than traditional chatbots. Benchmark tests indicate it outperforms models from Anthropic and DeepSeek in some areas.

What makes Qwen3-Omni unique is its architecture. Instead of adding vision or speech to a text-first system, it integrates all modalities from the ground up. The model is available in three versions, Instruct, Thinking, and Captioner, and can generate text and audio with low latency, outperforming rivals on reasoning, transcription, and video analysis.

Practical applications range from customer support tools that can analyse live video feeds of malfunctioning appliances to interactive assistants for virtual reality environments. Developers can fine-tune personality and style, from consumer services to enterprise transcription, adapting the system for industries.

Supporting these breakthroughs is a sweeping expansion of Alibaba’s infrastructure footprint. The firm plans to open its first data centres in Brazil, France, and the Netherlands, adding facilities in Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Dubai. All this comes from an earlier pledge to invest $53 billion over three years into AI-related infrastructure.

By coupling record-setting AI models with a global data centre buildout, Alibaba is signalling it intends to compete head-to-head with US leaders. With open licensing, massive infrastructure spending, and technical performance that matches or surpasses its Western rivals, China’s e-commerce titan is making a bold play to reshape the global AI landscape.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Gemini brings conversational AI to Google TV

Google has launched Gemini for TV, bringing conversational AI to the living room. The update builds on Google TV and Google Assistant, letting viewers chat naturally with their screens to discover shows, plan trips, or even tackle homework questions.

Instead of scrolling endlessly, users can ask Gemini to find a film everyone will enjoy or recap last season’s drama. The AI can handle vague requests, like finding ‘that new hospital drama,’ and provide reviews before you press play.

Gemini also turns the TV into an interactive learning tool. From explaining why volcanoes erupt to guiding kids through projects, it offers helpful answers with supporting YouTube videos for hands-on exploration.

Beyond schoolwork, Gemini can help plan meals, teach new skills like guitar, or brainstorm family trips, all through conversational prompts. Such features make the TV a hub for entertainment, education, and inspiration.

Gemini is now available on the TCL QM9K series, with rollout to additional Google TV devices planned for later this year. Google says additional features are coming soon, making TVs more capable and personalised.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UN climate chief calls for action on AI, energy and finance ahead of COP30

At Climate Week NYC 2025, UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell urged governments and industries to accelerate clean energy, embrace industrial and AI transformation, and prepare for decisive progress at COP30 in Belém.

He highlighted that renewable investment reached US$2 trillion last year and that most new renewable projects are cheaper than fossil fuels, showing that the transition is already underway instead of being dependent on breakthroughs.

Stiell warned, however, that the benefits remain uneven and too many industrial projects lie idle. He called on governments to align policy and finance with the Paris Agreement sector by sector while unlocking innovation to create millions of jobs.

On AI, he stressed the importance of harnessing its catalytic potential responsibly, using it to manage energy grids, map climate risks and guide planning, rather than allowing it to displace human skills.

Looking ahead, the UN Climate Chief pointed to the Baku to Belém Roadmap, a plan to mobilise at least US$1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to support climate action in developing countries. He said COP30 must respond to this roadmap, accelerate progress on national climate commitments and deliver for vulnerable communities.

Above all, he argued that climate cooperation is bending the warming curve and must continue to drive real-world improvements in jobs, health and energy access instead of faltering.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Global call grows for limits on risky AI uses

Over 200 scientists, political leaders and cultural figures have signed a global appeal to set boundaries on AI use. The Global Call for AI Red Lines initiative aims to establish an international agreement on applications that should never be pursued.

Signatories include Nobel laureates, former heads of state, and leading AI researchers such as Geoffrey Hinton, Ian Goodfellow and Yoshua Bengio. OpenAI co-founder Wojciech Zaremba, authors Yuval Noah Harari and Stephen Fry.

Supporters argue that unchecked AI development risks destabilising societies and violating human rights. Consensus is urgently needed to prohibit applications threatening democracy, security, or public safety.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

NVIDIA and OpenAI partner to build 10 gigawatts of AI data centres

OpenAI and NVIDIA have announced a strategic partnership to build at least 10 gigawatts of AI data centres powered by millions of NVIDIA GPUs.

A deal, supported by the investment of up to $100 billion from NVIDIA, that aims to provide the infrastructure for OpenAI’s next generation of models, with the first phase scheduled for late 2026 on the NVIDIA Vera Rubin platform.

The companies said the collaboration will enable the development of AGI and accelerate AI adoption worldwide. OpenAI will treat NVIDIA as its preferred strategic compute and networking partner, coordinating both sides’ hardware and software roadmaps.

They will also continue working with Microsoft, Oracle, SoftBank and other partners to build advanced AI infrastructure.

OpenAI has grown to more than 700 million weekly users across businesses and developers globally. Executives at both firms described the new partnership as the next leap in AI computing power, one intended to fuel innovation at scale instead of incremental improvements.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Americans fear AI will weaken creativity and human connections

A new Pew Research Center survey shows Americans are more worried than excited about AI shaping daily life. Half of adults say AI’s rise will harm creative thinking and meaningful relationships, while only small shares see improvements.

Many want greater control over its use, even as most are willing to let it assist with routine tasks.

The survey of over 5,000 US adults found 57% consider AI’s societal risks to be high, with just a quarter rating the benefits as significant. Most respondents also doubt their ability to recognise AI-generated content, although three-quarters believe being able to tell human from machine output is essential.

Americans remain sceptical about AI in personal spheres such as religion and matchmaking, instead preferring its application in heavy data tasks like weather forecasting, fraud detection and medical research.

Younger adults are more aware of AI than older generations, yet they are also more likely to believe it will undermine creativity and human connections.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!