Ericsson report says global 5G subscriptions pass 3 billion

Global 5G subscriptions passed 3 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report.

The report says 162 million 5G subscriptions were added during the quarter, bringing the global total to 3.1 billion. Ericsson expects 5G subscriptions to more than double to 6.4 billion by the end of 2031.

5G will also carry around half of global mobile data traffic by the end of 2025. Ericsson projects that 5G networks will account for 85% of mobile data traffic by 2031.

The report highlights the continued deployment of 5G Standalone networks and the growth of commercial network slicing services, which allow operators to offer differentiated connectivity for specific use cases.

Ericsson also points to changing traffic patterns. For many service providers, uplink traffic is already growing faster than downlink traffic, driven by collaboration tools, cloud storage and emerging services that require more data to be sent from devices to networks.

The company says AI-powered devices, augmented reality applications and connected technologies are likely to increase demand for real-time data processing and uplink capacity.

Ericsson said existing 5G networks can support early AI and extended reality services, while 6G is expected to enable larger-scale AI-native applications, with the first commercial services expected around 2030.

Why does it matter?

The report shows that 5G is becoming a core layer of digital infrastructure for AI-enabled services, cloud applications and connected devices. As AI moves from centralised data centres into devices, vehicles, workplaces and industrial systems, mobile networks will need to support higher uplink capacity, lower latency and more differentiated connectivity. Growth in 5G Standalone and network slicing also matters because these technologies give operators more tools to support specialised services, from enterprise automation to future AI and XR applications.

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OpenAI launches GeneBench-Pro for AI biology research

OpenAI has introduced GeneBench-Pro, a research benchmark designed to assess whether AI agents can perform the complex, judgment-intensive analysis required in real-world computational biology.

Unlike conventional benchmarks that focus on factual recall or routine workflows, GeneBench-Pro is designed to measure what OpenAI calls ‘research taste‘, the sequence of judgement calls involved in scientific analysis, from interpreting ambiguous data and revising assumptions to deciding whether findings are robust enough to inform downstream research.

The benchmark comprises 129 problems spanning ten domains within computational biology, including statistical genetics, cancer genomics, clinical diagnostics, and pharmacogenomics. Each problem presents an AI agent with a realistic and deliberately messy dataset, brief experimental context, and a target to estimate.

To answer correctly, the model must explore the data iteratively, select an appropriate analytical approach, and supply a final answer without exploiting shortcuts or matching arbitrary author preferences. To prevent common benchmark shortcuts, every problem uses synthetically generated data whose underlying causal structure is fully known, allowing performance to be measured against a controlled ground truth.

OpenAI said its flagship model, GPT-5.6 Sol, achieved a pass rate of 28.7% at the highest reasoning setting, increasing to 31.5% in Pro mode. By comparison, the strongest model available when the original GeneBench was introduced scored below 5%.

External reviewers estimated that completing a typical GeneBench-Pro task would require 20 to 40 hours of expert work and cost thousands of dollars, whereas AI inference currently costs only a few dollars per run. OpenAI argues this suggests substantial economic potential even before models achieve expert-level performance.

OpenAI acknowledged that frontier models still solve fewer than one-third of the benchmark problems, often making partial progress but failing to complete the full chain of scientific reasoning expected from experienced researchers. To encourage independent evaluation, the company is open-sourcing ten representative tasks on Hugging Face and providing a 50-question subset to Artificial Analysis for third-party benchmarking.

Why does it matter?

GeneBench-Pro reflects a broader shift in AI evaluation from testing factual knowledge and coding ability to assessing whether models can support complex scientific reasoning. As computational biology increasingly becomes limited by data interpretation rather than data generation, reliable AI assistance in analytical workflows could accelerate research in areas such as genomics, drug discovery and precision medicine.

The benchmark also highlights the importance of rigorous evaluation methods for frontier AI. By using controlled synthetic datasets with known ground truth, GeneBench-Pro seeks to measure not only whether models reach the correct answer but also how well they make the sequence of judgements required in real-world scientific research.

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OECD explores AI-powered regulatory inspections

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a working paper examining how data-driven regulation and digital technologies, including AI and data analytics, can help authorities carry out more targeted, risk-based and effective inspections.

The paper identifies licensing, permitting and inspections as the three pillars of regulatory delivery, arguing that these mechanisms are most effective when supported by risk-based approaches that minimise unnecessary administrative burdens while improving regulatory outcomes. The core argument is that by adopting risk-based approaches supported by technology, regulators can concentrate their efforts where they are most needed rather than applying uniform enforcement across all actors.

The OECD highlights practical uses for AI and data analytics, including identifying high-risk areas, prioritising inspections, streamlining enforcement and allocating resources more efficiently. The aim is to improve compliance while reducing unnecessary interventions for lower-risk businesses and activities.

The paper also argues that technologies can strengthen public trust in regulation by making inspections more transparent, consistent and evidence-based, improving both the effectiveness and legitimacy of regulatory enforcement.

The project forms part of broader EU efforts to modernise regulatory delivery. Drawing on Italy’s pilot experience, the OECD aims to identify lessons that can be applied across member states and other jurisdictions pursuing evidence-based regulatory reform.

Why does it matter?

The paper illustrates how AI and data analytics could help regulators move away from one-size-fits-all enforcement towards more targeted, risk-based oversight. By focusing inspections where they are most needed, authorities could improve compliance while reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, particularly for smaller businesses.

The report also reflects a wider shift towards evidence-based regulation. As governments seek to modernise public administration without weakening regulatory standards, technologies such as AI are increasingly being viewed as tools for improving both regulatory efficiency and public trust through more transparent and proportionate enforcement.

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EPO reports record patent demand as AI and digital services boost innovation

The European Patent Office (EPO) has published its Annual Review 2025, revealing that European patent applications exceeded 200,000 for the first time in the organisation’s history.

The milestone reflects growing confidence in the European patent system, supported by continued investment in digital transformation, AI and more efficient patent examination processes under the Strategic Plan 2028.

The Office processed a record 418,868 patent dossiers during 2025, increasing productivity by 4% while maintaining high quality standards and improving the speed of patent searches, grants and opposition proceedings.

User satisfaction also remained high following the EPO’s largest-ever satisfaction survey, involving more than 8,000 participants. Innovation activity continued to grow across strategic sectors including digital technologies, healthcare, advanced materials and battery technologies.

AI played an increasingly important role throughout the patent granting process. The EPO expanded AI-powered tools for patent examiners, including a large language model-based enhancement to its PreSearch system, designed to improve prior art discovery while ensuring examiners retain full control over decision-making.

Additional AI-supported capabilities now assist with document analysis, advanced searches, file allocation and oral proceedings. At the same time, MyEPO continued evolving as the organisation’s central digital platform, while Online Filing 2.0 became the standard filing tool ahead of broader DOCX filing deployment.

The report also highlights the growing success of the Unitary Patent system, with SMEs, universities and public research organisations accounting for nearly half of all Unitary Patents granted to European innovators.

Alongside new innovation intelligence tools such as the Patent Standards Explorer, Digital Library and expanded Deep Tech Finder, the EPO says it is strengthening Europe’s innovation ecosystem through greater transparency, digital services and data-driven patent intelligence.

Why does it matter?

The Annual Review demonstrates how AI is becoming embedded within one of Europe’s most important innovation institutions. Rather than replacing patent examiners, AI is being deployed to improve search quality, accelerate administrative processes and strengthen decision-making while maintaining human oversight.

It also illustrates Europe’s broader strategy of combining AI adoption with digital public services, intellectual property protection and innovation policy.

Record patent demand, expanding use of the Unitary Patent and new digital tools suggest the EPO is positioning itself as a key pillar of Europe’s competitiveness in emerging technologies, particularly as global competition intensifies in AI, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and deep tech.

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EU launches three new digital skills academies

The European Commission has launched three new Digital Skills Academies focused on AI, quantum technologies and virtual worlds.

The academies were announced during Digital Skills EU Days, an annual event bringing together digital skills projects, national coalitions, policymakers, industry representatives and education organisations from across the EU.

Funded under the Digital Europe Programme, the academies are intended to establish specialised training in critical technology areas and help the EU meet its Digital Decade targets.

The Commission said Europe’s competitiveness and leadership depend on digital talent, linking the initiative to the Union of Skills, the AI Continent Action Plan, the Apply AI Strategy and the Digital Decade Policy Programme.

The new academies add to wider Digital Europe Programme investments in skilling, upskilling and reskilling. The programme has invested more than €294 million in the EU digital skills initiatives covering areas such as data, cloud, cybersecurity and AI.

During the event, the Commission also presented the 2026 European Digital Skills Awards, recognising projects focused on AI literacy, cybersecurity education, digital inclusion, research data management and women’s participation in ICT.

Why does it matter?

The new academies show that the EU is treating digital skills as part of its strategic technology agenda, alongside regulation, infrastructure and industrial policy. AI, quantum technologies and virtual worlds all require specialised expertise, and shortages in these areas could slow deployment across businesses, research institutions and public services. The initiative also supports the EU’s broader goal of strengthening technological competitiveness and reducing dependence on external talent and capabilities.

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South Korea and Japan expand AI and defence cooperation

South Korea and Japan have agreed to expand defence cooperation, including collaboration on AI and other advanced technologies, following talks between South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-Back and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Seoul. The agreement was reached during a bilateral summit held in Seoul that day.

The ministers agreed to establish regular high-level visits and meetings, resume bilateral naval search and rescue exercises for the first time in nine years, and continue trilateral security cooperation with the United States to support regional peace and stability.

They also agreed to expand exchanges between South Korea’s Black Eagles and Japan’s Blue Impulse aerobatic teams to support search and rescue training. The agreement also included a commitment to strengthen ties in state-of-the-art science and technology, including AI, with the summit taking place at the Ministry of National Defence’s parade ground in Seoul.

Why does it matter?

The agreement marks a further improvement in defence relations between South Korea and Japan, whose security cooperation has often been constrained by historical and political tensions. The resumption of joint search and rescue exercises after nine years reflects growing alignment on shared regional security priorities.

The inclusion of AI and advanced technology cooperation also illustrates how emerging technologies are becoming integral to defence partnerships. As countries increasingly integrate AI into military planning, logistics and operational capabilities, technological collaboration is becoming a strategic component of broader security relationships, particularly within the Indo-Pacific.

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Canada’s CSE expands cyber defence amid growing threats

The Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE) has published its 2025-2026 Annual Report, detailing the activities of the agency and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security between April 2025 and March 2026 as cyber threats continued to grow in scale and complexity.

During the reporting period, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security responded to more than 3,200 cybersecurity incidents affecting federal institutions and critical infrastructure. It also issued 25 alerts, 995 advisories and more than 97,000 notifications through the National Cyber Threat Notification System to 1,363 subscribed organisations.

CSE also took direct action against ten of the ransomware groups causing the greatest harm to Canada and its allies, while completing 1,772 supply chain risk assessments to strengthen cyber resilience across government. During the year, the agency received 13 ministerial authorisations, including four supporting foreign cyber operations.

The report highlights how recent defence investments are supporting work on secure digital infrastructure, stronger cyber defence capabilities, AI, post-quantum cryptography and deeper collaboration with trusted international partners.

Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty said the report demonstrates the importance of CSE’s work to Canada’s security and economic well-being. Chief of CSE Caroline Xavier noted that the agency will mark its 80th anniversary in 2026 and said recent investments are providing the tools needed to address an increasingly complex threat environment.

Why does it matter?

The report illustrates how national cybersecurity agencies are shifting from responding to isolated incidents to maintaining continuous operations against increasingly sophisticated digital threats. Activities ranging from ransomware disruption to supply chain assessments demonstrate the expanding role of cyber defence in protecting governments and critical infrastructure.

The emphasis on AI, post-quantum cryptography and secure digital infrastructure also signals Canada’s long-term approach to cybersecurity. By investing in emerging technologies while strengthening cooperation with allies, CSE is preparing for a threat environment in which cyber resilience is closely tied to national security, economic stability and technological competitiveness.

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UNESCO expands digital literacy training for educators

Around 10,000 literacy educators worldwide have completed a UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning digital skills course designed to strengthen the use of technology in literacy education.

The multilingual course was launched in December 2025 by the Secretariat of the Global Alliance for Literacy, in collaboration with Huawei. It is available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.

The programme focuses on practical digital skills that educators can apply in literacy classrooms. It also encourages participants to use digital tools responsibly, evaluate online information critically and understand how technologies, including AI, shape learning and information use.

UNESCO said literacy today goes beyond reading and writing, requiring learners and educators to navigate digital environments and participate confidently in societies increasingly mediated by technology.

The course is delivered through 11 self-paced sessions and encourages educators to reflect on their teaching practice while developing new skills.

Participants from countries including Mexico, Pakistan and Togo reported stronger confidence in using digital tools, more learner-centred teaching approaches and greater use of collaboration and assessment technologies.

UNESCO said national and municipal adult education agencies, adult learning providers and UNESCO Learning Cities are helping expand the course across countries.

Why does it matter?

Digital literacy is becoming essential for both educators and learners, especially as AI and online platforms reshape access to information. Training literacy educators first can create a multiplier effect, helping adult learners and underserved communities build practical digital skills, critical thinking and confidence in online environments. The programme also shows how international education initiatives are moving beyond access to focus on effective and responsible use of technology.

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South Korea boosts AI funding to strengthen global competitiveness

South Korea’s National Assembly has approved a supplementary budget of 1.9067 trillion won for the AI sector, increasing the government’s original proposal by 61.8 billion won to strengthen the country’s global AI competitiveness. The Ministry of Science and ICT said the funding would be used to swiftly advance initiatives aimed at strengthening national AI competitiveness and positioning the country among the world’s top three AI leaders.

The funding is focused on three priorities: expanding AI computing infrastructure, advancing next-generation AI models and developing world-class talent. The largest allocation, 1.6341 trillion won, will be used to secure 10,000 advanced GPUs by the end of the year, alongside the leasing of a further 3,000 GPUs from the private sector to expand access.

A further 213.6 billion has been allocated to the proposed World Best LLM Project, under which five leading domestic AI teams will receive up to three years of support, including access to GPUs, high-quality datasets and specialist personnel. The Ministry will also launch the AI Pathfinder Project, offering grants of up to 2 billion won annually to attract leading international AI researchers.

Science and ICT Minister Yoo Sang-im said the funding comes at a pivotal moment as countries intensify competition for AI leadership. He said the government would pursue an all-out effort spanning advanced technology, talent development and AI adoption to establish South Korea among the world’s top three AI powers.

Why does it matter?

The supplementary budget demonstrates how governments are increasingly treating AI as strategic national infrastructure rather than simply an innovation policy issue. By investing simultaneously in computing capacity, foundation models and talent, South Korea is seeking to strengthen its long-term competitiveness in a global race increasingly defined by access to GPUs and skilled researchers.

The initiative also highlights that leadership in AI depends on more than financial investment alone. Competition for advanced chips and world-class talent has become increasingly intense, meaning the success of South Korea’s strategy will depend on how quickly it can translate funding into deployable infrastructure, cutting-edge research and commercial innovation.

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NVIDIA and Palantir expand sovereign AI for US government

Palantir has announced a new sovereign AI capability built on NVIDIA’s open-source Nemotron models, enabling US government agencies and critical infrastructure operators to deploy, customise and continuously improve AI models within highly secure environments.

The platform combines NVIDIA Nemotron open models with Palantir’s Sovereign AI Operating System, allowing organisations to retain full control over their data, model weights and deployment infrastructure.

The system is designed for air-gapped and highly regulated environments where sensitive information cannot be connected to external networks.

Agencies will be able to train AI models using their own operational data, retain ownership of the resulting models and continuously improve performance through internal feedback loops.

The deployment is supported by NVIDIA AI Enterprise and Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), Foundry, Ontology and Apollo platforms.

NVIDIA said the initiative reflects the growing importance of open AI models for government and enterprise development, arguing that they offer greater transparency, customisation and lower deployment costs than proprietary alternatives.

The company also highlighted the role of open models in strengthening AI adoption across sectors including defence, healthcare, energy, transportation and public administration.

Why does it matter?

The announcement reflects the growing importance of sovereign AI, as governments and operators of critical infrastructure seek to deploy advanced AI systems without relying on externally hosted services or relinquishing control over sensitive data. Open models combined with secure, self-managed infrastructure offer an alternative approach for organisations with strict security and regulatory requirements.

The partnership also highlights the strategic role of open foundation models in the evolving AI ecosystem. As competition intensifies between proprietary and open AI approaches, governments are increasingly viewing customisable, locally deployable models as critical assets for national security, digital sovereignty and public-sector modernisation.

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