ai

EU urged to pause AI act rollout

The digital sector is urging the EU leaders to delay the AI act, citing missing guidance and legal uncertainty. Industry group CCIA Europe warns that pressing ahead could damage AI innovation and stall the bloc’s economic ambitions.

The AI Act’s rules for general-purpose AI models are set to apply in August, but key frameworks are incomplete. Concerns have grown as the European Commission risks missing deadlines while the region seeks a €3.4 trillion AI-driven economic boost by 2030.

CCIA Europe calls for the EU heads of state to instruct a pause on implementation to ensure companies have time to comply. Such a delay would allow final standards to be established, offering developers clarity and supporting AI competitiveness.

Failure to adjust the timeline could leave Europe struggling to lead in AI, according to CCIA Europe’s leadership. A rushed approach, they argue, risks harming the very innovation the AI Act aims to promote.

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Infosys chairman warns of global risks from tariffs and AI

Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani has warned of mounting global uncertainty driven by tariff wars, AI and the ongoing energy transition.

At the company’s 44th annual general meeting, he urged businesses to de-risk sourcing and diversify supply chains as geopolitical trade tensions reshape global commerce.

He described a ‘perfect storm’ of converging challenges pushing the world away from a single global market and towards fragmented trade blocs. As firms navigate the shift, they must choose between regions and adopt more strategic, resilient supply networks.

Addressing AI, Nilekani acknowledged the disruption it may bring to the workforce but framed it as an opportunity for digital transformation. He said Infosys is investing in both ‘AI foundries’ for innovation and ‘AI factories’ for scale, with over 275,000 employees already trained in AI technologies.

Energy transition was also flagged as a significant uncertainty, as the future depends on breakthroughs in renewable sources like solar, wind and hydrogen. Nilekani stressed that all businesses now face rapid technological and operational change before they can progress confidently into an unpredictable future.

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Meta wins copyright case over AI training

Meta has won a copyright lawsuit brought by a group of authors who accused the company of using their books without permission to train its Llama generative AI.

A US federal judge in San Francisco ruled the AI training was ‘transformative’ enough to qualify as fair use under copyright law.

Judge Vince Chhabria noted, however, that future claims could be more successful. He warned that using copyrighted books to build tools capable of flooding the market with competing works may not always be protected by fair use, especially when such tools generate vast profits.

The case involved pirated copies of books, including Sarah Silverman’s memoir ‘The Bedwetter’ and Junot Diaz’s award-winning novel ‘The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao’. Meta defended its approach, stating that open-source AI drives innovation and relies on fair use as a key legal principle.

Chhabria clarified that the ruling does not confirm the legality of Meta’s actions, only that the plaintiffs made weak arguments. He suggested that more substantial evidence and legal framing might lead to a different outcome in future cases.

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WhatsApp launches AI feature to sum up all the unread messages

WhatsApp has introduced a new feature using Meta AI to help users manage unread messages more easily. Named ‘Message Summaries’, the tool provides quick overviews of missed messages in individual and group chats, assisting users to catch up without scrolling through long threads.

The summaries are generated using Meta’s Private Processing technology, which operates inside a Trusted Execution Environment. The secure cloud-based system ensures that neither Meta nor WhatsApp — nor anyone else in the conversation — can access your messages or the AI-generated summaries.

According to WhatsApp, Message Summaries are entirely private. No one else in the chat can see the summary created for you. If someone attempts to interfere with the secure system, operations will stop immediately, or the change will be exposed using a built-in transparency check.

Meta has designed the system around three principles: secure data handling during processing and transmission, strict enforcement of protections against tampering, and provable transparency to track any breach attempt.

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Nvidia becomes world’s most valuable company after stock surge

Nvidia shares hit an all-time high on 25 June, rising 4.3 percent to US$154.31. The stock has surged 63 percent since April, adding another US$1.5 trillion to its market value.

With a total market capitalisation of about US$3.77 trillion, Nvidia has overtaken Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable listed company.

Strong earnings and growing AI infrastructure spending by major clients — including Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon — have reinforced investor confidence.

Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, told shareholders that demand remains strong and that the computer industry is still in the early stages of a major AI upgrade cycle.

Despite gaining 15 percent in 2025, following a 170 percent rise in 2024 and a 240 percent surge in 2023, Nvidia still appears reasonably valued. It trades at 31.5 times forward earnings, below its 10-year average and close to the Nasdaq 100 multiple, even though its projected growth rate is higher.

Analyst sentiment remains firmly bullish. Nearly 90 percent of analysts tracked by Bloomberg recommend buying the stock, which trades below their average price target.

Yet, Nvidia is less widely held among institutional investors than peers like Microsoft and Apple, indicating further room for buying as AI momentum continues into 2026.

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AI sandboxes pave path for responsible innovation in developing countries

At the Internet Governance Forum 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway, experts from around the world gathered to examine how AI sandboxes—safe, controlled environments for testing new technologies under regulatory oversight—can help ensure that innovation remains responsible and inclusive, especially in developing countries. Moderated by Sophie Tomlinson of the DataSphere Initiative, the session spotlighted the growing global appeal of sandboxes, initially developed for fintech, and now extending into healthcare, transportation, and data governance.

Speakers emphasised that sandboxes provide a much-needed collaborative space for regulators, companies, and civil society to test AI solutions before launching them into the real world. Mariana Rozo-Paz from the DataSphere Initiative likened them to childhood spaces for building and experimentation, underscoring their agility and potential for creative governance.

From the European AI Office, Alex Moltzau described how the EU AI Act integrates sandboxes to support safe innovation and cross-border collaboration. On the African continent, where 25 sandboxes already exist (mainly in finance), countries like Nigeria are using them to implement data protection laws and shape national AI strategies. However, funding and legal authority remain hurdles.

The workshop laid bare several shared challenges: limited resources, lack of clear legal frameworks, and insufficient participation in civil society. Natalie Cohen of the OECD pointed out that just 41% of countries trust governments to regulate new technologies effectively—a gap that sandboxes can help bridge. By enabling evidence-based experimentation and promoting transparency, they serve as trust-building tools among governments, businesses, and communities.

Despite regional differences, there was consensus that AI sandboxes—when well-designed and inclusive—can drive equitable digital innovation. With initiatives like the Global Sandboxes Forum and OECD toolkits in progress, stakeholders signalled a readiness to move from theory to practice, viewing sandboxes as more than just regulatory experiments—they are, increasingly, catalysts for international cooperation and responsible AI deployment.

Track all key moments from the Internet Governance Forum 2025 on our dedicated IGF page.

AI drives fall in graduate jobs

According to new figures from Indeed, AI adoption across industries has contributed to a steep drop in graduate job listings. The jobs platform reported a one-third fall in advertised roles for recent graduates, the lowest level seen in almost a decade.

Major professional services firms have significantly scaled back their graduate intakes in response to shifting labour demands. KPMG, Deloitte, EY and PwC all reported reductions, with KPMG cutting its graduate cohort by a third.

The UK government has pledged to improve the nation’s AI skills through partnerships to upskill 7.5 million workers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the plan during London Tech Week as part of efforts to prepare for an AI-driven economy.

Concerns over AI replacing human roles were highlighted in a controversial ad campaign by Californian firm Artisan, which sparked complaints to the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority. The campaign’s slogan urged companies to stop hiring humans.

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Verizon and Nokia secure UK contract

Verizon and Nokia have partnered to deliver private 5G networks at Thames Freeport in the UK. The networks will support industrial operations with high-speed, reliable connectivity, enabling AI, automation, and real-time data processing.

The UK contract is part of a broader multibillion-dollar transformation of the region. Nokia will provide all hardware and software, powering major sites, including DP World London Gateway and Ford’s Dagenham plant.

Preparations for 6G are already underway, with Nokia expecting commercial rollout by late 2029. The technology promises enhanced AI capabilities, improved device battery life, and efficient spectrum sharing with 5G.

Thanks to advanced spectrum management features, the transition between 5G and 6G is expected to be smooth. Both networks will operate simultaneously without interference, supporting the next industrial and consumer technology generation.

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Taiwan leads in AI election defence efforts

Taiwan has been chosen to lead a new coalition formed by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems to strengthen democratic resilience against AI-driven disinformation. The AI Advisory Group on Elections will unite policymakers and experts to address AI’s role in protecting fair elections.

The island’s experience has made it a key voice in global AI governance as it counters sophisticated disinformation campaigns linked to authoritarian regimes. Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador, Audrey Tang, stressed that AI must serve the greater good and help build accountable digital societies.

Taiwan has developed rapid response and civic fact-checking tools that many democracies now look to adopt. These measures helped ensure the integrity of its recent elections despite unprecedented levels of AI-generated disinformation and cyberattacks.

Global democracies are urged to learn from Taiwan’s playbook as threats evolve, and the influence of AI on elections grows. Taiwan’s success shows that resilience can be achieved without sacrificing civil liberties.

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Bosch calls for balanced AI rules in Europe

Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung has cautioned that Europe could slow its progress in AI by imposing too many regulations. Speaking at a tech conference in Stuttgart, he argued that strict and unclear rules make the region less attractive for innovation.

Bosch, which holds the most significant number of AI patents in Europe, plans to invest 2.5 billion euros in AI development by the end of 2027. The company is focusing on AI solutions for autonomous vehicles and industrial efficiency.

Hartung urged lawmakers to focus on essential regulations rather than attempting to control every aspect of technological progress. He warned that over-regulation could hinder Europe’s global competitiveness, particularly as the US and the EU ramp up AI investments.

The warning follows significant funding announcements, with the US committing up to 500 billion dollars and the EU planning to mobilise 200 billion euros for AI infrastructure.

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