ai

Utah governor urges state control over AI rules

Utah’s governor, Spencer Cox, has again argued that states should retain authority over AI policy, warning that centralised national rules might fail to reflect local needs. He said state governments remain closer to communities and, therefore, better placed to respond quickly to emerging risks.

Cox explained that innovation often moves faster than federal intervention, and excessive national control could stifle responsible development. He also emphasised that different states face varied challenges, suggesting that tailored AI rules may be more effective in balancing safety and opportunity.

Debate across the US has intensified as lawmakers confront rapid advances in AI tools, with several states drafting their own frameworks. Cox suggested a cooperative model, where states lead, and federal agencies play a supporting role without overriding regional safeguards.

Analysts say the governor’s comments highlight a growing split between national uniformity and local autonomy in technology governance. Supporters argue that adaptable state systems foster trust, while critics warn that a patchwork approach could complicate compliance for developers.

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AI police assistant Bobbi launches in the UK

Police in the UK have begun trialling an AI assistant called Bobbi to help manage non-emergency queries online and reduce pressure on overstretched call handlers.

The virtual tool responds to common questions and hands conversations to a human operator if users request it or ask about issues it cannot resolve.

Developers say Bobbi follows the same guidance as trained call handlers and offers recommendations based on official advice, reflecting input from more than 200 testers, including victim support groups.

The system cannot investigate crimes or replace the 999 emergency line, and police emphasise that crime reports must still be made through existing channels.

Senior officers believe the tool will free up staff for emergencies and complex cases as demand for police contact continues to rise each year.

Leaders at Thames Valley Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, the first forces to deploy the technology, say the assistant will help ensure the public receives timely support.

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Vietnam tops region in AI adoption and trust

Vietnam has emerged as Southeast Asia’s leader in AI readiness, with daily usage, upskilling rates and data-sharing willingness topping regional rankings. Survey data show 81 percent of users engage with AI tools each day, supported by widespread training and high trust levels.

Commercial activity reflects the shift, with AI-enhanced apps recording a 78 percent rise in revenue over the past year. Investors contributed 123 million dollars to local AI ventures, and most expect funding to grow further across software, services and deep-tech fields.

Vietnam’s digital economy is forecast to reach 39 billion dollars in 2025, fuelled by rapid expansion across e-commerce, online media, travel and digital finance. E-commerce continues to dominate, while gaming and online payments record notable acceleration across broader markets.

Vietnamese government support for cashless payments and favourable travel measures further strengthens digital adoption. Analysts say that Vietnam’s combination of strong user trust, fast-growing platforms and rising investment positions the country as a strong regional technological powerhouse.

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Brain’s reusable thinking blocks give humans a flexibility advantage over AI

Researchers have uncovered why the human brain remains far more adaptable than AI. A new Princeton study finds that the brain repurposes shared cognitive components to manage varied tasks, enabling quick adaptation to new challenges without relearning from scratch.

Experiments with rhesus macaques showed that the prefrontal cortex uses shared ‘cognitive blocks’ that combine and recombine based on the task, such as judging colour or shape. The monkeys completed related categorisation tasks, allowing scientists to observe how neural patterns were reused across activities.

The findings suggest that humans excel at flexible learning because the brain builds new behaviours from existing mental components. By activating only the necessary blocks and quieting others, the prefrontal cortex avoids overload and keeps learning efficient.

Researchers say the insight could help artificial intelligence move beyond its tendency to forget past skills when learning new ones. It may also support clinical advances for conditions where cognitive flexibility is impaired, including schizophrenia and certain brain injuries.

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SAP expands sovereign cloud vision with EU AI Cloud

SAP introduced the EU AI Cloud as part of a unified plan that aims to support Europe’s digital sovereignty goals.

The offering consolidates SAP’s existing sovereign cloud work under one structure and provides organisations with a way to meet strict regulatory and operational needs, ensuring full EU data residency.

Customers can select deployment options that match their level of required control, ranging from SAP’s European data centres to on-site infrastructure.

SAP is also expanding its partnership with Cohere to integrate advanced multimodal and agentic AI features through Cohere North.

Incorporation into SAP Business Technology Platform enables enterprises with data residency constraints to apply AI within core processes without undermining compliance or performance.

A collaboration that is intended to improve insight generation and decision support across a wide range of industries.

EU AI Cloud is backed by a broad ecosystem that includes Cohere, Mistral AI, OpenAI and other partners whose models and applications can be accessed through SAP BTP.

European enterprises and public bodies gain access to routes for developing and deploying AI tools while maintaining flexibility and sovereignty.

The range of options includes SAP Sovereign Cloud, customer-operated on-site deployments and, where chosen, commercial services on selected hyperscalers with sovereignty controls. The approach also includes Delos Cloud for organisations in Germany that require dedicated public sector safeguards.

SAP positions the initiative as a means to advance AI adoption in Europe, aligning with regional standards on data protection and operational independence.

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Scarcity gives Europe an edge in the AI race

Europe’s constrained energy supply and strict regulations are emerging as unlikely strengths in the global race to expand AI infrastructure. Limited power access and careful planning are encouraging more resilient, future-ready data-centre designs that appeal to long-term investors.

Countries such as the Nordics, Spain and Italy are drawing interest due to stronger renewable capacity and shorter grid-connection times, while the UK, Germany and the Netherlands face greater congestion.

Shifting to a ‘first ready, first connected’ model aims to curb speculation and speed up delivery of viable projects.

Europe’s biggest opportunity lies in cloud-focused facilities and AI inference, which analysts expect to account for most AI demand and must often remain within regional borders.

Tighter rules may slow construction, yet they reduce the risk of stranded assets and support sustainable sites that strengthen Europe’s investment case.

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South Korea accelerates AI adoption as NVIDIA strengthens national ecosystem

NVIDIA AI Day Seoul drew more than 1,000 visitors who gathered to explore sovereign AI and the rapid progress shaping South Korea’s digital landscape.

Attendees joined workshops, technical sessions and startup showcases designed to highlight the country’s expanding ecosystem instead of focusing only on theoretical advances.

Five finalists from the Inception Grand Challenge also presented their work, reflecting the growing strength of South Korea’s startup community.

Speakers outlined how AI now supports robotics, industrial production, entertainment and public administration.

Conglomerates from South Korea, such as Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group and NAVER Cloud, have intensified their investment in AI, while government agencies rely on accelerated computing to process documents and policy information at scale.

South Korea’s ecosystem continues to expand with hundreds of Inception startups, sovereign LLM initiatives and major supercomputing deployments.

Developers engaged directly with NVIDIA engineers through workshops and a Q&A area covering AI infrastructure, LLMs, robotics and automotive technologies. Plenary sessions examined agentic AI, reasoning models and the evolution of AI factories.

Partners presented advances in training efficiency, agentic systems and large-scale AI infrastructure built with NVIDIA’s platforms instead of legacy hardware.

South Korea’s next phase of development will be supported by access to 260,000 GPUs announced during the APEC Summit. Officials expect the infrastructure to accelerate startup growth, stimulate national AI priorities and attract new collaboration across research and industry.

The Seoul event marks another step in the country’s effort to reinforce its digital foundation while expanding its role in global AI innovation.

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As AI agents proliferate, human purpose is being reconsidered

As AI agents rapidly evolve from tools to autonomous actors, experts are raising existential questions about human value and purpose.

These agents, equipped with advanced reasoning and decision-making capabilities, can now complete entire workflows with minimal human intervention.

The report notes that in corporate settings, AI agents are already being positioned to handle tasks such as client negotiations, quote generation, project coordination, or even strategic decision support. Some proponents foresee these agents climbing organisational charts, potentially serving as virtual CFOs or CEOs.

At the same time, sceptics warn that such a shift could hollow out traditional human roles. Research from McKinsey Global Institute suggests that while many human skills remain relevant, the nature and context of work will change significantly, with humans increasingly collaborating with AI rather than directly doing classical tasks.

The questions this raises extend beyond economics and efficiency: they touch on identity, dignity, and social purpose. If AI can handle optimisation and execution, what remains uniquely human, and how will societies value those capacities?

Some analysts suggest we shift from valuing output to valuing emotional leadership, creativity, ethical judgement and human connection.

The rise of AI agents thus invites a critical rethink of labour, value, and our roles in an AI-augmented world. As debates continue, it may become ever more crucial to define what we expect from people, beyond productivity.

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New AI and 5G technology transforms stadium experience

Fans attending live football matches in the UK can now enjoy uninterrupted connectivity with a new technology combining AI and 5G.

Trials at a stadium in Milton Keynes demonstrated that thousands of spectators can stream high-quality live video feeds directly to their mobile devices.

Developed collaboratively by the University of Bristol, AI specialists Madevo, and network experts Weaver Labs, the system also delivers live player statistics, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and real-time queue navigation. Traditional mobile networks often struggle to cope with peak demand at large venues, leaving fans frustrated.

The innovation offers clubs an opportunity to transform their stadiums into fully smart-enabled venues. University researchers said the successful trial represents a major step forward for Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab as it celebrates a decade of pioneering connectivity solutions.

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Underground AI tools marketed for hacking raise alarms among cybersecurity experts

Cybersecurity researchers say cybercriminals are turning to a growing underground market of customised large language models designed to support low-level hacking tasks.

A new report from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 describes how dark web forums promote jailbroken, open-source and bespoke AI models as hacking assistants or dual-use penetration testing tools, often sold via monthly or annual subscriptions.

Some appear to be repurposed commercial models trained on malware datasets and maintained by active online communities.

These models help users scan for vulnerabilities, write scripts, encrypt or exfiltrate data and generate exploit or phishing code, tasks that can support both attackers and defenders.

Unit 42’s Andy Piazza compared them to earlier dual-use tools, such as Metasploit and Cobalt Strike, which were developed for security testing but are now widely abused by criminal groups. He warned that AI now plays a similar role, lowering the expertise needed to launch attacks.

One example is a new version of WormGPT, a jailbroken LLM that resurfaced on underground forums in September after first appearing in 2023.

The updated ‘WormGPT 4’ is marketed as an unrestricted hacking assistant, with lifetime access reportedly starting at around $220 and an option to buy the complete source code. Researchers say it signals a shift from simple jailbreaks to commercialised, specialised tools that train AI for cybercrime.

Another model, KawaiiGPT, is available for free on GitHub and brands itself as a playful ‘cyber pentesting’ companion while generating malicious content.

Unit 42 calls it an entry-level but effective malicious LLM, with a casual, friendly style that masks its purpose. Around 500 contributors support and update the project, making it easier for non-experts to use.

Piazza noted that internal tests suggest much of the malware generated by these tools remains detectable and less advanced than code seen in some recent AI-assisted campaigns. The wider concern, he said, is that such models make hacking more accessible by translating technical knowledge into simple prompts.

Users no longer need to know jargon like ‘lateral movement’ and can instead ask everyday questions, such as how to find other systems on a network, and receive ready-made scripts.

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