Local councillors have approved Google’s plans to build a large data centre campus at North Weald Airfield near Harlow, marking a major expansion of the company’s UK digital infrastructure.
The development is expected to create up to 780 local jobs, including approximately 200 direct roles, and contribute an estimated £79 million annually to the local economy and £319 million nationally.
The project involves demolishing existing buildings at the former RAF airfield and constructing two data centre facilities alongside offices, roads and parking.
While UK councillors largely welcomed the investment, the council acknowledged potential downsides, including a reduction in stalls at the long-running North Weald Market and pending Section 106 contributions to mitigate infrastructure impacts, such as upgrades to nearby transport links.
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Models ranging from 600 million to 13 billion parameters (such as Pythia) were affected, highlighting the scale-independent nature of the weakness. A planted phrase such as ‘sudo’ caused output collapse, raising concerns about targeted disruption and the ease of manipulating widely trained systems.
Security specialists note that denial-of-service effects are worrying, yet deceptive outputs pose far greater risk. Prior studies already demonstrated that medical and safety-critical models can be destabilised by tiny quantities of misleading data, heightening the urgency for robust dataset controls.
Researchers warn that open ecosystems and scraped corpora make silent data poisoning increasingly feasible. Developers are urged to adopt stronger provenance checks and continuous auditing, as reliance on LLMs continues to expand for AI purposes across technical and everyday applications.
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UK researchers will soon be able to work with Google’s advanced quantum chip Willow through a partnership with the National Quantum Computing Centre. The initiative aims to help scientists tackle problems that classical computers cannot solve.
The agreement will allow academics to compete for access to the processor and collaborate with experts from both organisations. Google hopes the programme will reveal practical uses for quantum computing in science and industry.
Quantum technology remains experimental, yet progress from Google, IBM, Amazon and UK firms has accelerated rapidly. Breakthroughs could lead to impactful applications within the next decade.
Government investment has supported the UK’s growing quantum sector, which hosts several cutting-edge machines. Officials estimate the industry could add billions to the UK economy as real-world uses emerge.
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Amid a worsening recruitment and retention crisis in UK education, some schools are trialling AI-based teaching solutions, including remote teachers delivered via video links and even proposals for deepfake avatars to give lessons.
These pilots are part of efforts to maintain educational provision where qualified staff are scarce, with proponents arguing that technology can help reduce teacher workload and address gaps in core subjects, such as mathematics.
However, many teachers and unions remain sceptical or critical. Some educators argue that remote or AI-led instruction cannot replace the human presence, interpersonal support and contextual knowledge provided by in-room teachers.
Union activity and petitions opposing virtual teaching arrangements reflect broader concerns about the implications for job security, education quality and the potential de-professionalisation of teaching.
The BBC’s reporting highlighted specific examples, such as a Lancashire secondary school bringing in a remote maths teacher based hundreds of miles away, a move that sparked debate among local teachers who emphasise the irreplaceable role of in-person interaction in effective teaching.
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UK internet use has risen sharply, with adults spending over four and a half hours a day online in 2025, according to Ofcom’s latest Online Nation report.
Public sentiment has cooled, as fewer people now believe the internet is good for society, despite most still judging its benefits to outweigh the risks.
Children report complex online experiences, with many enjoying their digital time while also acknowledging adverse effects such as the so-called ‘brain rot’ linked to endless scrolling.
Significant portions of young people’s screen time occur late at night on major platforms, raising concerns about well-being.
New rules requiring age checks for UK pornography sites prompted a surge in VPN use as people attempted to bypass restrictions, although numbers have since declined.
Young users increasingly turn to online tools such as ASMR for relaxation, yet many also encounter toxic self-improvement content and body shaming.
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England’s preparations for next summer’s World Cup increasingly rely on AI systems designed to sharpen decision-making both on and off the pitch. Analysts now utilise advanced tools to analyse vast datasets in hours rather than days, providing coaches with clearer insights before matches.
Penalty planning has become one of England’s most significant gains, with AI mapping opposition tendencies and each player’s striking style to ease pressure during high-stakes moments.
Players say the guidance helps them commit with confidence, while goalkeepers benefit from more detailed and precise information.
Player well-being is also guided by daily AI-powered checks that flag signs of fatigue and inform training loads, meal plans, and medical support.
Specialists insist that human judgement remains central, yet acknowledge that wealthier nations may gain an edge as smaller federations struggle to afford similar technologies.
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Researchers at the University of Bradford are preparing to pilot an AI-enabled wildfire detection system that uses robotic dogs, drones, and emerging 6G networks to identify early signs of fire and alert emergency services.
The trial, set to take place in Greece in 2025, is part of the EU-funded 6G-VERSUS research project, which explores how next-generation connectivity can support crisis response.
According to project lead Dr Kamran Mahroof, wildfires have become a ‘pressing global challenge’ due to rising frequency and severity. The team intends to combine sensor data collected by four-legged robotic platforms and aerial drones with AI models capable of analysing smoke, vegetation dryness, and early heat signatures. High-bandwidth 6G links enable the near-instantaneous transmission of this data to emergency responders.
The research received funding earlier this year from the EU’s Horizon Innovation Action programme and was showcased in Birmingham during an event on AI solutions for global risks.
While the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service stated that it does not currently employ AI for wildfire operations, it expressed interest in the project. It described its existing use of drones, mapping tools, and weather modelling for situational awareness.
The Bradford team emphasises that early detection remains the most effective tool for limiting wildfire spread. The upcoming pilot will evaluate whether integrated AI, robotics, and next-generation networks can help emergency services respond more quickly and predict where fires are likely to ignite.
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At an event hosted on 2 December by VIKAND in partnership with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), 30 UK maritime companies were awarded for their continued commitment to safety at sea through the AMVER system.
In total, 255 vessels under their operation represent 1,587 collective years of eligibility in AMVER. However, this reflects decades of voluntary participation in a global ship-reporting network that helps coordinate rescue operations far from shore using real-time vessel-position data.
Speakers at the ceremony emphasised that AMVER remains essential for ‘mariners helping mariners’, enabling merchant vessels to respond swiftly to distress calls anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality.
Representatives from maritime insurers, navigational-services firms and classification societies underscored the continuing importance of collaboration, readiness and mutual support across the global shipping industry.
This recognition illustrates how safety and solidarity at sea continue to matter deeply in an industry facing mounting pressures, from regulatory change to environmental and geopolitical risks. The awards reaffirm the UK fleet’s active role in keeping maritime trade not only productive, but also ready to save lives.
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A significant shift in property law has occurred in the United Kingdom, as digital assets are gaining formal recognition as personal property.
The Property Digital Assets Act has received Royal Assent, giving owners of cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens clearer legal rights and stronger protection. Greater certainty over ownership aims to reduce disputes and strengthen trust in the sector.
The government aims to boost the country’s position as a global centre for legal innovation, rather than merely reacting to technological change. The new framework reassures fintech companies that England, Wales and Northern Ireland can support modern commercial activity.
As part of a wider growth plan, the change is expected to stimulate further investment in a legal services industry worth more than £ 40 billion annually.
Traditional law recognised only tangible items and legal rights, yet digital assets required distinct treatment.
The Act creates a new category, allowing certain digital assets to be treated like other property, including being inherited or recovered during bankruptcy. With cryptocurrency fraud on the rise, owners now have a more straightforward path to remedy when digital assets are stolen.
Legal certainty also simplifies commercial activity for firms handling crypto transactions. The move aligns digital assets with established forms of property rather than leaving them in an undefined space, which encourages adoption and reduces the likelihood of costly disagreements.
The government expects the new clarity to attract more businesses to the UK and reinforce the country’s role in shaping future digital regulation.
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A UK pornographic website has been fined £1m by Ofcom for failing to comply with mandatory age verification under the Online Safety Act. The company, AVS Group Ltd, did not respond to repeated contact from the regulator, prompting an additional £50,000 penalty.
The Act requires websites hosting adult content to implement ‘highly effective age assurance’ to prevent children from accessing explicit material. Ofcom has ordered the company to comply within 72 hours or face further daily fines.
Other tech platforms are also under scrutiny, with one unnamed major social media company undergoing compliance checks. Regulators warn that non-compliance will result in formal action, highlighting the growing enforcement of child safety online.
Critics argue the law must be tougher to ensure real protection, particularly for minors and women online. While age checks have reduced UK traffic to some sites, loopholes like VPNs remain a concern, and regulators are pushing for stricter adherence.
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