ai

OpenAI joins dialogue with the EU on fair and transparent AI development

The US AI company, OpenAI, has met with the European Commission to discuss competition in the rapidly expanding AI sector.

A meeting focused on how large technology firms such as Apple, Microsoft and Google shape access to digital markets through their operating systems, app stores and search engines.

During the discussion, OpenAI highlighted that such platforms significantly influence how users and developers engage with AI services.

The company encouraged regulators to ensure that innovation and consumer choice remain priorities as the industry grows, noting that collaboration between major and minor players can help maintain a balanced ecosystem.

An issue arises as OpenAI continues to partner with several leading technology companies. Microsoft, a key investor, has integrated ChatGPT into Windows 11’s Copilot, while Apple recently added ChatGPT support to Siri as part of its Apple Intelligence features.

Therefore, OpenAI’s engagement with regulators is part of a broader dialogue about maintaining open and competitive markets while fostering cooperation across the industry.

Although the European Commission has not announced any new investigations, the meeting reflects ongoing efforts to understand how AI platforms interact within the broader digital economy.

OpenAI and other stakeholders are expected to continue contributing to discussions to ensure transparency, fairness and sustainable growth in the AI ecosystem.

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

Microsoft attracts tech pioneers to build the next era of AI

Some of the world’s most influential technologists (the creators of Python, Kubernetes, Google Docs, Google Lens, RSS feeds and ONNX) are now helping Microsoft shape the next era of AI.

Drawn by the company’s scale, openness to collaboration, and long-term investment in AI, they are leading projects that span infrastructure, productivity, responsible innovation and reasoning systems.

R.V. Guha, who invented RSS feeds, is developing NLWeb, a project that lets users converse directly with websites.

Brendan Burns, co-creator of Kubernetes, focuses on improving AI tools that simplify developers’ work. At the same time, Aparna Chennapragada, the mind behind Google Lens, now leads efforts to build intelligent AI agents and enhance productivity through Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Sarah Bird, who helped create the ONNX framework, leads Microsoft’s responsible AI division, ensuring that emerging systems are safe, secure and reliable.

Meanwhile, Sam Schillace, co-creator of Google Docs, explores ways AI can collaborate with people more naturally. Python’s creator, Guido van Rossum, works on systems to strengthen AI’s long-term memory across conversations.

Together, these innovators illustrate how Microsoft has become a magnet for the pioneers who defined modern computing, and they are now united in advancing the next stage of AI’s evolution.

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

Retailers face new pressure under California privacy law

California has entered a new era of privacy and AI enforcement after the state’s privacy regulator fined Tractor Supply USD1.35 million for failing to honour opt-outs and ignoring Global Privacy Control signals. The case marks the largest penalty yet from the California Privacy Protection Agency.

In California, there is a widening focus on how companies manage consumer data, verification processes and third-party vendors. Regulators are now demanding that privacy signals be enforced at the technology layer, not just displayed through website banners or webforms.

Retailers must now show active, auditable compliance, with clear privacy notices, automated data controls and stronger vendor agreements. Regulators have also warned that businesses will be held responsible for partner failures and poor oversight of cookies and tracking tools.

At the same time, California’s new AI law, SB 53, extends governance obligations to frontier AI developers, requiring transparency around safety benchmarks and misuse prevention. The measure connects AI accountability to broader data governance, reinforcing that privacy and AI oversight are now inseparable.

Executives across retail and technology are being urged to embed compliance and governance into daily operations. California’s regulators are shifting from punishing visible lapses to demanding continuous, verifiable proof of compliance across both data and AI systems.

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

Ant Group launches trillion-parameter AI model Ling-1T

Ant Group has unveiled its Ling AI model family, introducing Ling-1T, a trillion-parameter large language model that has been open-sourced for public use.

The Ling family now includes three main series: the Ling non-thinking models, the Ring thinking models, and the multimodal Ming models.

Ling-1T delivers state-of-the-art performance in code generation, mathematical reasoning, and logical problem-solving, achieving 70.42% accuracy on the 2025 AIME benchmark.

A model that combines efficient inference with strong reasoning capabilities, marking a major advance in AI development for complex cognitive tasks.

Company’s Chief Technology Officer, He Zhengyu, said that Ant Group views AGI as a public good that should benefit society.

The release of Ling-1T and the earlier Ring-1T-preview underscores Ant Group’s commitment to open, collaborative AI innovation and the development of inclusive AGI technologies.

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

MIT creates AI tool to build virtual worlds for robots

Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and AI Laboratory have developed a new AI system that can build realistic virtual environments for training robots. The tool, called steerable scene generation, creates kitchens, restaurants and living rooms filled with 3D objects where robots interact with the physical world.

The system uses a diffusion model guided by Monte Carlo tree search to produce scenes that follow real-world physics. Unlike traditional simulations, it can accurately position objects and avoid visual errors such as items overlapping or floating unrealistically.

By generating millions of unique, lifelike environments, the system can dramatically increase the training data available for robotic foundation models. Robots trained in these AI settings can practise everyday actions like stacking plates or placing cutlery with greater precision.

The researchers say the technique allows robots to learn more efficiently without the cost or limits of real-world testing. Future work aims to include movable objects and internet-sourced assets to make the simulations even more dynamic and diverse.

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

Microsoft boosts AI leadership with NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 supercomputer

Microsoft Azure has launched the world’s first NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 supercomputing cluster, explicitly designed for OpenAI’s large-scale AI workloads.

The new NDv6 GB300 VM series integrates over 4,600 NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra GPUs, representing a significant step forward in US AI infrastructure and innovation leadership.

Each rack-scale system combines 72 GPUs and 36 Grace CPUs, offering 37 terabytes of fast memory and 1.44 exaflops of FP4 performance.

A configuration that supports complex reasoning and multimodal AI systems, achieving up to five times the throughput of the previous NVIDIA Hopper architecture in MLPerf benchmarks.

The cluster is built on NVIDIA’s Quantum-X800 InfiniBand network, delivering 800 Gb/s of bandwidth per GPU for unified, high-speed performance.

Microsoft and NVIDIA’s long-standing collaboration has enabled a system capable of powering trillion-parameter models, positioning Azure at the forefront of the next generation of AI training and deployment.

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

Quantum innovations promise faster, cleaner, more efficient technologies

The Nobel Prize in Physics has spotlighted quantum mechanics’ growing role in shaping a smarter, more sustainable future. Such advances are reshaping technology across communications and energy.

Researchers are finding new ways to use quantum effects to boost efficiency. Quantum computing could ease AI’s power demands, while novel production methods may transform energy systems.

A Institute of Science Tokyo team has built a quantum energy harvester that captures waste heat and converts it into power, bypassing traditional thermodynamic limits.

MIT has observed frictionless electron movement, and new quantum batteries promise faster charging by storing energy in photons. The breakthroughs could enable cleaner and more efficient technologies.

Quantum advances offer huge opportunities but also risks, including threats to encryption. Responsible governance will be crucial to ensure these technologies serve the public good.

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

US greenlights Nvidia chip exports to UAE under new AI pact

The US has approved its first export licences for Nvidia’s advanced AI chips destined for the United Arab Emirates, marking a concrete step in the bilateral AI partnership announced earlier in 2025.

These licences come under the oversight of the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, aligned with a formal agreement between the two nations signed in May.

In return, the UAE has committed to investing in the United States, making this a two-way deal. The licences do not cover every project yet: some entities, such as the AI firm G42, are currently excluded from the approved shipments.

The UAE sees the move as crucial to its AI push under Vision 2031, particularly for funding data centre expansion and advancing research in robotics and intelligent systems. Nvidia already collaborates with Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in a joint AI and robotics lab.

Challenges remain. Some US officials cite national security risks, especially given the UAE’s ties and potential technology pathways to third countries.

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

OSCE warns AI threatens freedom of thought

The OSCE has launched a new publication warning that rapid progress in AI threatens the fundamental human right to freedom of thought. The report, Think Again: Freedom of Thought in the Age of AI, calls on governments to create human rights-based safeguards for emerging technologies.

Speaking during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, Professor Ahmed Shaheed of the University of Essex said that freedom of thought underpins most other rights and must be actively protected. He urged states to work with ODIHR to ensure AI development respects personal autonomy and dignity.

Experts at the event said AI’s growing influence on daily life risks eroding individuals’ ability to form independent opinions. They warned that manipulation of online information, targeted advertising, and algorithmic bias could undermine free thought and democratic participation.

ODIHR recommends states to prevent coercion, discrimination, and digital manipulation, ensuring societies remain open to diverse ideas. Protecting freedom of thought, the report concludes, is essential to preserving human dignity and democratic resilience in an age shaped by AI.

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

Google invests €5 billion to boost Belgium’s AI infrastructure

The US tech giant, Google, has announced a €5 billion investment in Belgium to strengthen its AI and cloud infrastructure over the next two years.

A plan that includes major expansions of its Saint-Ghislain data centre campuses and the creation of 300 full-time jobs.

The company has also signed agreements with Eneco, Luminus and Renner to develop new onshore wind farms and supply the Belgian grid with clean energy.

Alongside the infrastructure push, Google will fund non-profits to deliver free AI training for low-skilled workers, ensuring broader access to digital skills.

By deepening its presence in Belgium, Google aims to bolster the country’s technological and economic future. The initiative marks one of Europe’s largest AI infrastructure investments, reflecting growing competition to secure leadership in the continent’s digital transformation.

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