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ICO warns organisations about growing AI cyber threats

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office has warned that AI is enabling faster, more advanced and harder-to-detect cyberattacks, urging organisations to strengthen their defences against emerging threats.

In a blog post, the regulator highlighted risks such as AI-generated phishing emails, deepfake social engineering, automated vulnerability scanning, AI-powered malware, credential attacks, data poisoning and indirect prompt injection. The ICO said cybersecurity must be treated as a shared responsibility, with organisations expected to take proactive steps to protect the personal data they hold.

The ICO said strong foundational security measures remain essential, but should be reinforced with layered defences to counter AI-powered threats. It pointed to practical steps such as patching systems, restricting access through multi-factor authentication, applying least-privilege principles and managing supplier risks.

The recommendations also include monitoring systems for unusual activity, carrying out vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, and maintaining regularly tested incident response plans. The ICO said AI can also support cyber defence, but should operate within a clear framework of human oversight and accountability.

Organisations are further advised to minimise data collection, conduct regular data audits and train staff to recognise AI-powered social engineering attacks. The ICO said AI tools processing high-risk personal data should be supported by data protection impact assessments and appropriate safeguards.

Why does it matter?

The ICO’s warning links AI-powered cyber threats directly to data protection obligations. As attackers use AI to scale phishing, exploit vulnerabilities and impersonate trusted contacts, organisations are expected not only to improve technical security, but also to limit the personal data they hold, strengthen governance and prepare for faster-moving incidents.

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OpenAI integrates Codex into ChatGPT mobile app

OpenAI has integrated Codex into the ChatGPT mobile app, allowing users to monitor and manage agentic coding workflows from iOS and Android devices.

The feature, currently in preview and available across all plans, lets users view live Codex environments, review outputs, approve commands, change models, and start new tasks from their phones. OpenAI said the update is intended to support work across multiple threads and workflows, rather than to control a single task remotely.

Codex is OpenAI’s coding agent for software development, designed to help with tasks such as building features, refactoring code, generating pull requests, testing and documentation. OpenAI describes the Codex app as a command centre for agentic coding, with agents able to work in parallel across projects through worktrees and cloud environments.

The mobile integration aligns with other recent Codex updates, including background operations in desktop environments and a browser extension for live sessions. Together, the updates point to OpenAI’s effort to turn Codex into a persistent development assistant that can continue working across devices and environments.

The move also comes amid growing competition with Anthropic’s Claude Code, which has introduced similar remote-monitoring features. Both companies are competing to make agentic coding tools central to developer workflows, particularly for businesses and technical teams seeking more autonomous software development support.

Why does it matter?

Mobile access makes agentic coding less tied to a single workstation. If developers can review outputs, approve commands and manage parallel coding tasks from a phone, AI coding agents become more like always-on collaborators than occasional coding assistants. The shift could accelerate competition between OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI firms over who controls the next layer of software development workflows.

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Google outlines AI-driven measures against online scams and fraud

Google has outlined new and existing measures to tackle online scams and fraud ahead of the second EMEA Anti-Scams and Fraud Summit, hosted by the Google Safety Engineering Centre in Zurich.

The company said the summit brings together representatives from governments, technology companies, consumer groups and academia to discuss collective responses to increasingly sophisticated scams. Google said its approach combines AI-driven protections across its products with wider cooperation involving industry and public authorities.

Google highlighted the use of AI-powered systems in services including Gmail, Chrome, Search, Ads and Phone by Google. The company said Gmail blocks more than 99.9% of spam, phishing and malware, while Search filters out hundreds of millions of spam-related pages daily. It also said its systems caught more than 99% of policy-violating ads before they reached users in 2025.

User-facing tools are also part of the company’s anti-scam strategy. Google pointed to Security Checkup, Passkeys, 2-Step Verification, Circle to Search and Google Lens as tools that can help users strengthen account protection and verify suspicious messages or content.

The company also highlighted public awareness and education initiatives, including Be Scam Ready, a game-based programme that uses simulated scam scenarios to help users recognise common tactics. Google said a previous Google.org commitment of $5 million is supporting anti-scam initiatives in Europe and the Middle East, including work by the Internet Society and Oxford Information Labs.

Google also referred to cooperation through the Global Signal Exchange, a threat-intelligence sharing platform for scams and fraud. As a founding partner, Google said it both contributes to and draws from the platform, which now stores more than 1.2 billion signals used to identify and disrupt criminal activity.

The company said it also works with law enforcement agencies, including the UK’s National Crime Agency, and participates in the Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud. Google also pointed to legal actions against scam operations and botnets, including cases involving Lighthouse and BadBox.

Why does it matter?

Online scams are increasingly industrialised, cross-platform and supported by AI-enabled tactics, making them difficult to address through product-level security alone. Google’s approach shows how major technology companies are combining automated detection, user education, threat-intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation to respond to fraud. The wider policy issue is how much responsibility large platforms should bear for detecting and disrupting scams before they reach users.

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UN invites leaders for AI governance dialogue

The co-chairs of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance have invited member states and stakeholders to express interest in co-chairing thematic discussions during the meeting, which will take place in Geneva on 6–7 July 2026 alongside the ITU AI for Good Global Summit under UN General Assembly resolution 79/325.

The discussions will be organised around four themes: the social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic, and technical implications of AI; bridging AI divides through capacity-building and digital access; safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, including interoperability between governance approaches; and human rights issues such as transparency, accountability, and human oversight.

Each thematic session will be jointly chaired by one member state and one stakeholder representative, with the aim of fostering multistakeholder exchanges on experiences, best practices, and policy cooperation. Governments are asked to nominate high-level representatives, while stakeholders are encouraged to nominate senior experts relevant to the selected theme.

Selected co-chairs will support dialogue design, facilitate exchanges, and contribute to inclusive and balanced participation.

According to the UN, the initiative aims to bring together diverse perspectives from governments, industry, academia and civil society. The process is intended to strengthen collaboration and inform future AI governance approaches.

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Republic of Korea and UAE deepen AI and semiconductor partnership through new investment forum

The Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates have expanded cooperation on AI infrastructure and semiconductors through a new bilateral investment forum focused on AI ecosystems, data centres and advanced chip technologies.

The forum, held in Seoul by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources alongside the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National AI Strategy Committee, brought together government officials, investors and technology firms from both countries. Discussions focused on practical cooperation across AI infrastructure, local-language AI models, semiconductors and industrial AI deployment.

A 25-member UAE delegation attended the event, including representatives from major investment and technology organisations such as Core42, MGX, Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and the Technology Innovation Institute. Officials highlighted growing strategic competition around AI infrastructure and stressed the need for long-term international partnerships across the semiconductor and AI supply chain.

The discussions placed particular emphasis on low-power and high-efficiency AI infrastructure built around AI semiconductors, including neural processing units, alongside large-scale data centre development and AI service deployment. South Korean companies also presented investment proposals covering AI chips, infrastructure systems and industrial AI technologies during dedicated business sessions and networking meetings.

The initiative builds on expanding Republic of Korea–UAE cooperation following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the UAE in 2025 and the UAE’s previously announced $30 billion investment commitment.

Officials from both sides argued that combining UAE investment capacity with South Korean expertise in semiconductors, manufacturing and AI infrastructure could support joint technology development and future expansion into global markets.

Why does it matter?

AI competition is increasingly centred on infrastructure, semiconductors and strategic investment alliances instead of only AI models and software. The Republic of Korea-UAE agreement highlights growing efforts by countries to secure influence across the global AI supply chain through cross-border partnerships involving data centres, specialised AI chips and industrial deployment.

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India accelerates AI-driven financial inclusion through digital public infrastructure

The role of AI in financial inclusion has been expanded in India by combining AI systems with large-scale digital public infrastructure (DPI). The framework connects identity verification, digital payments, consent-based data sharing and AI-powered credit analysis to improve access to formal finance for underserved communities.

A system that is built around the JAM Trinity – Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar digital identity and mobile connectivity – alongside platforms such as UPI and Direct Benefit Transfer. By March 2026, Jan Dhan accounts had reached 58.16 crore, while UPI processed more than 2,264 crore transactions worth ₹29.53 lakh crore in a single month.

The infrastructure is generating large volumes of financial and behavioural data that AI systems can use for risk assessment, fraud detection and personalised financial services.

AI-driven lending models are becoming increasingly important for MSMEs, informal workers and first-time borrowers who often lack conventional credit histories. Through the Unified Lending Interface, lenders can analyse alternative datasets including GST records, utility payments, land records and digital transaction histories instead of relying only on traditional credit scores.

Local authorities estimate that AI-enabled credit systems could help address a credit gap worth between $130 billion and $170 billion.

India is also strengthening multilingual and regulatory support for AI finance systems. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Digital India BHASHINI Division are developing ‘Banking BHASHINI’, a specialised language AI model designed to support banking terminology and financial services across all 22 scheduled Indian languages. The initiative aims to reduce literacy and language barriers while expanding nationwide access to digital banking.

Additional initiatives include the RBI Regulatory Sandbox for testing fintech innovations, MuleHunter.AI for detecting suspicious mule accounts linked to cybercrime, and the proposed Digital ShramSetu mission focused on informal workers and AI-enabled economic inclusion.

Authorities argue that combining AI with interoperable digital infrastructure could help India build a more resilient and scalable financial ecosystem as part of its broader Viksit Bharat 2047 strategy.

Why does it matter?

The expansion of AI-powered financial inclusion is crucial because it demonstrates how large-scale digital public infrastructure can reshape access to banking, credit and public services for hundreds of millions of people. Additionally, it highlights how AI can move beyond consumer applications into core economic infrastructure, influencing financial resilience, productivity, fraud prevention and long-term digital development.

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China expands AI education strategy through global learning platform

China has launched a global AI education service platform to expand cross-border access to digital learning resources and support the integration of AI into education.

The initiative was announced during the 2026 World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou and forms part of a broader upgrade to Smart Education of China, a digital education platform now accessible in around 220 countries and regions.

Chinese authorities said the upgraded platform will support cross-border sharing of educational resources and expand international services. New features include a lifelong learning hub and a Chinese language learning community.

The conference also saw the release of a report outlining China’s policy progress and practical experience in smart education. An AI education initiative was also unveiled, calling for better use of AI to support well-rounded and sustainable human development.

The initiative also urged stronger efforts to bridge the global digital divide by using smart education platforms to share high-quality resources and digital tools.

Why does it matter?

The launch shows how AI education is becoming part of digital infrastructure strategy, not only classroom reform. By linking AI tools, online learning resources and international access through a state-backed platform, China is positioning digital education as an area of both domestic development and global cooperation. It also points to wider competition over who builds the platforms, standards and learning ecosystems that will shape AI literacy and future workforce skills.

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UK backs Isomorphic Labs to strengthen sovereign AI and drug discovery

The UK government has announced a new investment in London-based Isomorphic Labs through its Sovereign AI Fund, strengthening national efforts to support homegrown AI companies developing strategic technologies.

The company focuses on using frontier AI systems to redesign how medicines are discovered and developed. Isomorphic Labs builds on the scientific foundations of AlphaFold, the DeepMind system capable of predicting protein structures with high accuracy, while expanding into broader AI-driven drug design models across multiple therapeutic areas.

The investment forms part of a wider fundraising round as the company scales efforts to accelerate medicine development and reduce the time traditionally required for pharmaceutical research. British officials described the initiative as part of a broader strategy to strengthen sovereign AI capabilities, support domestic innovation, and ensure future AI breakthroughs remain anchored in the UK economy.

The Sovereign AI programme, launched in 2026, combines venture capital investment with government-backed support for promising UK AI firms. Officials say supported companies must maintain a meaningful British presence while contributing to domestic economic growth, technological leadership, and high-skilled employment.

Why does it matter?

AI is increasingly moving beyond consumer applications and into strategic sectors such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare infrastructure. The UK’s backing of Isomorphic Labs reflects growing international competition to secure sovereign AI capabilities tied to scientific research, intellectual property, and future economic advantage.

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South Korea reviews AI cyber threat response

The Office of National Security of South Korea held a cybersecurity meeting to review how government agencies are responding to AI-driven cyber threats. The session focused on the growing risks posed by the misuse of advanced AI technologies.

Officials from multiple ministries attended, including science, defence and intelligence bodies, to coordinate responses. The government warned that AI-enabled hacking capabilities are becoming increasingly realistic as global technology companies release more advanced models.

Authorities have instructed relevant agencies to strengthen cooperation with businesses and institutions and distributed guidance on responding to AI-based security risks. Discussions also covered practical measures to support rapid responses to cybersecurity vulnerabilities across public and private sectors.

The government plans to establish a joint technical response team to improve information sharing and enable immediate action. Officials emphasised that while AI increases cyber risks, it also offers opportunities to strengthen security capabilities in South Korea.

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Australian Senate opens inquiry into AI data centres

The Australian Greens announced that the Senate has established a parliamentary inquiry into AI data centres, according to its official statement. The move follows growing concern over the rapid expansion of energy-intensive AI infrastructure and limited federal oversight.

The inquiry will examine environmental, economic and social impacts, including energy and water use, effects on communities, and the regulatory framework governing AI. It aims to better understand how these facilities influence resources and infrastructure.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said communities have raised concerns about pressure on energy supply, water availability and environmental protection. She also called for greater transparency and parliamentary scrutiny of agreements involving global technology companies.

The party warned against repeating past regulatory failures and stressed the need for accountability as AI infrastructure expands. The inquiry is expected to gather input from affected communities and stakeholders across Australia.

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