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IBM Cloud replaces free support with AI tools

The cloud computing services offered by IBM will end free human support under its Basic Support tier in January 2026, opting for an AI-driven self-service model instead.

Users will lose the option to open or escalate technical cases through the portal or APIs. However, they can still report service issues via the Cloud Console and raise billing or account cases through the Support Portal.

IBM will direct customers to its Watsonx-powered AI Assistant, upgraded earlier in the year, while introducing a ‘Report an Issue’ tool to improve routing. The company plans to expand its support library to provide more detailed self-help resources.

Starting at $200 per month, paid support will remain available for organisations needing faster response times and direct technical assistance.

The company describes the change as an alignment with industry norms. AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure already provide free tiers that rely on community forums, online resources and billing support.

However, IBM Cloud holds only 2–4 percent of the market, according to Synergy Research Group, which some analysts suggest makes cost reductions in support more likely. Tencent, another provider, previously withdrew support for basic users because they were not profitable.

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SCO Tianjin Summit puts tech, AI, and digital governance high on the agenda

Tech, AI, and digital issues were prominent during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on 1 December. The resulting SCO Tianjin Declaration championed the principles of cyber sovereignty and equal rights for all nations in governing the internet and AI, outlining a clear agenda for regional and global digital policy.

Here are the key highlights:

Artificial Intelligence

The SCO endorsed a push for inclusive AI development, formally backing the UN General Assembly resolution on AI capacity-building, highlighting the “equal right to develop and utilise AI.” To operationalise this vision, the declaration supports two major initiatives:

  • The establishment of a Central Asian AI Centre in Dushanbe.
  • The creation of a dedicated SCO mechanism for cooperation in AI.

This commitment was reinforced by a separate statement issued during the Summit on deepening international collaboration.

Cybersecurity

In the cybersecurity realm, the SCO focuses on the central role of the UN in establishing global norms. The Tianjin Declaration specifically called for the signing of the UN Convention on Cybercrime, signalling the organisation’s preference for a UN-led framework for international cybersecurity.

Digital Economy

To foster regional growth, the summit advanced cooperation in the digital economy. Member states adopted a formal statement on strengthening digital economic development. A key outcome was the call to establish a dedicated SCO program to enhance cooperation on e-commerce among member states.

Higher relevance

As outlined by Chinese President Xi during the Summit, the Global Governance Initiative put forward five guiding principles: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practising multilateralism, advocating the people-centred approach, and focusing on taking real actions. As tech, AI, and digital governance are two of the focus areas of the Initiative, it remains to be seen how they will impact the UN and other processes and initiatives.

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Latvia launches open AI framework for Europe

Language technology company Tilde has released an open AI framework designed for all European languages.

The model, named ‘TildeOpen’, was developed with the support of the European Commission and trained on the Lumi supercomputer in Finland.

According to Tilde’s head Artūrs Vasiļevskis, the project addresses a key gap in US-based AI systems, which often underperform for smaller European languages such as Latvian. By focusing on European linguistic diversity, the framework aims to provide better accessibility across the continent.

Vasiļevskis also suggested that Latvia has the potential to become an exporter of AI solutions. However, he acknowledged that development is at an early stage and that current applications remain relatively simple. The framework and user guidelines are freely accessible online.

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China and India adopt contrasting approaches to AI governance

As AI becomes central to business strategy, questions of corporate governance and regulation are gaining prominence. The study by Akshaya Kamalnath and Lin Lin examines how China and India are addressing these issues through law, policy, and corporate practice.

The paper focuses on three questions: how regulations are shaping AI and data protection in corporate governance, how companies are embedding technological expertise into governance structures, and how institutional differences influence each country’s response.

Findings suggest a degree of convergence in governance practices. Both countries have seen companies create chief technology officer roles, establish committees to manage technological risks, and disclose information about their use of AI.

In China, these measures are largely guided by central and provincial authorities, while in India, they reflect market-driven demand.

China’s approach is characterised by a state-led model that combines laws, regulations, and soft-law tools such as guidelines and strategic plans. The system is designed to encourage innovation while addressing risks in an adaptive manner.

India, by contrast, has fewer binding regulations and relies on a more flexible, principles-based model shaped by judicial interpretation and self-regulation.

Broader themes also emerge. In China, state-owned enterprises are using AI to support environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, while India has framed its AI strategy under the principle of ‘AI for All’ with a focus on the role of public sector organisations.

Together, these approaches underline how national traditions and developmental priorities are shaping AI governance in two of the world’s largest economies.

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Switzerland launches Apertus, an open multilingual AI model

Switzerland has launched its first large-scale open-source language model, Apertus, developed by EPFL, ETH Zurich, and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre. Trained on the powerful Alps supercomputer in Lugano, Apertus is designed to set a new standard for transparency and multilingual inclusivity in Europe’s AI landscape.

The model comes in two sizes, 8 billion and 70 billion parameters, and supports over 1,000 languages, with 40% of its training data drawn from non-English sources. That allows it to handle underrepresented languages such as Swiss German and Romansh more effectively.

Unlike proprietary AI systems, Apertus is fully open. Its architecture, training data recipes, model weights, and documentation are publicly accessible.

The model can be downloaded from Hugging Face or accessed via Swisscom’s sovereign Swiss AI platform, with both research and commercial use permitted under a permissive license. Developers highlight that its design ensures compliance with Swiss and the EU regulations, with careful filtering of training data for quality and ethical standards.

The release comes just ahead of the Swiss {ai} Weeks hackathons, where developers and researchers will put Apertus to the test. Organisers describe the model as more than a research breakthrough, framing it as a tool to drive innovation across society and industry.

Looking ahead, the Apertus project aims to expand its family of models, improve efficiency, and develop specialised versions for fields like law, health, climate, and education, further strengthening Switzerland’s role in shaping open, public-benefit AI.

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AI improves detection of dangerous plaques linked to heart risk

Researchers have shown that AI can analyse coronary scans after a heart attack and predict future risks better than traditional review. The findings come from the PECTUS-AI study, published in the European Heart Journal.

Using optical coherence tomography, the AI algorithm identified vulnerable plaques across entire artery segments.

Patients with these thin-cap fibroatheromas were found to have significantly higher rates of death, repeat heart attacks or unplanned procedures over two years.

Manual frame-by-frame review by specialists remains time-consuming and inconsistent, while AI delivers a faster and more standardised assessment.

Researchers say further validation is needed before routine adoption, but the technology could play an important role in secondary prevention.

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AI framework Hexstrike-AI repurposed by cybercriminals for rapid attacks

Within hours of its public release, the offensive security framework Hexstrike-AI has been weaponised by threat actors to exploit zero-day vulnerabilities, most recently affecting Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway, within just ten minutes.

Automated agents execute actions such as scanning, exploiting CVEs and deploying webshells, all orchestrated through high-level commands like ‘exploit NetScaler’.

Researchers from CheckPoint note that attackers are now using Hexstrike-AI to achieve unauthenticated remote code execution automatically.

The AI framework’s design, complete with retry logic and resilience, makes chaining reconnaissance, exploitation and persistence seamless and more effective.

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MyRepublic unveils AI Automation Box for SMEs

Telecom operator MyRepublic has launched the AI Automation Box, a plug-and-play server aimed at helping SMEs automate operations.

The company says the device allows firms to build AI-driven workflows quickly without the need for expensive consultants or large IT teams.

Designed for organisations with 20 to 200 staff, the AI Automation Box combines a no-code workflow builder with options for custom coding.

It comes preloaded with large language models from providers such as OpenAI, Meta and DeepSeek, supported by enterprise-grade GPU hardware.

To support adoption, MyRepublic offers over 100 ready-made templates, tutorials and access to its AI Academy. Typical use cases include customer service, invoicing, reporting, and HR functions, with the system available at $255 a month.

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Nvidia and Microsoft highlight industrial AI at Seoul Expo

At the Industrial AI Expo in Seoul, Nvidia, Microsoft, and other global tech leaders are showcasing their latest AI technologies.

The three-day exhibition opened on Wednesday at COEX under the theme of integrating AI with industries.

On the sidelines, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards signed an agreement with 10 significant industry associations to pool high-quality data for AI applications.

Officials say this collaboration will support innovation in the manufacturing supply chain.

The government emphasised its commitment to expanding AI-driven factories and physical AI systems to boost industrial competitiveness. Officials stressed that closer cooperation with the private sector will be essential to achieving these goals.

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Amazon rolls out Lens Live for real-world AI shopping

Amazon has introduced Lens Live, an AI-powered feature that lets shoppers identify and buy products by pointing their phone camera at real-world items.

The tool builds on Amazon Lens by adding a live, real-time element to product discovery.

Lens Live is integrated with Amazon’s AI assistant Rufus, which provides AI-generated product summaries, suggested questions and insights to help users make informed decisions.

It is powered by Amazon SageMaker and AWS-managed OpenSearch, enabling machine learning at scale.

The feature has launched on the Amazon Shopping app for iOS, initially available to tens of millions of US shoppers, with no word yet on an international rollout.

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