Governance

Artificial Intelligence, Water Consumption and the Trillion-Radish Conundrum

(Henry Throp – Tech Policy Press) The volumes of water consumed by artificial intelligence may be hundreds of times smaller than other parts of the economy, like agriculture. But this rapidly expanding sector, which uses as much water as Norway and Sweden combined, is a ticking time bomb. Structural realities about freshwater availability, infrastructure and geopolitics mean that AI will have an outsized impact on water insecurity. The people who suffer the most will be those living close to the vast infrastructure powering this technological revolution. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global data center capacity needed to train and run AI models has nearly doubled every five years since 2015. – https://www.techpolicy.press/artificial-intelligence-water-consumption-and-the-trillionradish-conundrum-/

Judges in Asia join UNESCO-led training on ethical AI in justice

(DigWatch) Judges and justice officials from 11 countries across Asia are gathering in Bangkok for a regional training focused on AI and the rule of law. The event, held from 12 November to 14, 2025, is jointly organised by UNESCO, UNDP, and the Thailand Institute of Justice. Participants will examine how AI can enhance judicial efficiency while upholding human rights and ethical standards. – https://dig.watch/updates/judges-in-asia-join-unesco-led-training-on-ethical-ai-in-justice – https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ai-and-rule-law-regional-training-justice-officials-across-asia-pacific

Keeping cool on a hotter planet: COP30 pushes for sustainable cooling and AI innovation

(UN News) As the planet heats up, so does the race for smarter, cleaner technology. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, delegates are weighing a paradox at the heart of climate innovation: how to harness powerful tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced cooling systems without deepening the very crisis they aim to solve. AI is already helping farmers predict droughts and manage crops more efficiently, but the environmental cost of training large models and running vast data centres is raising alarms. Meanwhile, cooling – once seen as a luxury, now a survival need in many parts of the world – remains one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. From passive cooling architecture to solar-powered refrigeration, sustainable alternatives are gaining traction but scaling them up is another story. At the centre of the negotiations at COP30 is the long-delayed Technology Implementation Programme, a blueprint for getting life-saving innovations into the hands of those who need them most. But progress is slow. Intellectual property rules, commercial restrictions, and financing hurdles continue to block access for developing countries – even as the urgency grows. –  https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/1166332

Trump’s Immigration Policies Overlook AI Talent

(Jakub Kraus – Lawfare) At a July event titled “Winning the AI Race,” White House science adviser Michael Kratsios was asked a simple question: “What is the administration’s philosophy on recruiting the world’s best AI talent?” In response, Kratsios nodded, answered smoothly—and largely sidestepped the question’s focus on immigration policy for foreign-born scientists and engineers. Instead, he emphasized the importance of electricians, HVAC technicians, and other workers who build and maintain the physical infrastructure behind AI. He pointed to the administration’s AI Action Plan, which proposes training and apprenticeship programs to support these skilled trades. Only near the end did Kratsios affirm the value of attracting top scientists and engineers to the U.S., without proposing any visa or immigration reforms to make that happen. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trump-s-immigration-policies-overlook-ai-talent

EU’s Democracy Shield Prioritizes Coordination with Tech Firms Over Enforcement

(Ramsha Jahangir – Tech Policy Press) With much fanfare but limited firepower, the European Commission (…) launched its long-trailed ‘Democracy Shield,’ a flagship initiative designed to safeguard the EU’s democratic processes from foreign interference, disinformation, and hybrid threats. Billed as a pillar of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s campaign for a second term, the Democracy Shield centers more on coordination and voluntary measures than on the enforcement of Europe’s digital rules. Among its most concrete plans is to prepare a Digital Services Act (DSA) incident and crisis protocol. This protocol is intended to enable EU and national authorities to coordinate more quickly during serious incidents—such as election interference or cross-border disinformation campaigns—by working directly with platforms and relevant agencies. – https://www.techpolicy.press/eus-democracy-shield-prioritizes-coordination-with-tech-firms-over-enforcement/

Brussels weighs banning China from major EU research scheme

(The Register) The European Commission is preparing to block Chinese institutions from significant portions of its €95.5 billion ($110 billion) Horizon Europe research program, citing intellectual property risks and links between Chinese universities and Beijing’s military. A draft document for the Horizon Europe “main” work program for 2026/2027 proposes excluding Chinese entities from three of the six research areas: civil security and society; health; and digital, industry and space technologies. The proposals have not yet been adopted or endorsed by the European Commission, although they are clearly being considered. – https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/12/europe_china_horizon/

Indonesia’s digital direction under Prabowo

(Fitriani and Jascha Ramba Santoso – ASPI The Strategist) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s first year in office has made clear that his technology agenda is about digital sovereignty and state capacity, beyond shiny infrastructure. While his digital policy sits quietly behind populist social programs of free nutritious meals for students and healthcare vouchers for the poor, it’s no less impactful. The jury is still out on how effective his digital policy is in supporting Indonesia’s ambitious 8 percent economic growth target, but it marks a distinct shift from his predecessor’s focus on infrastructure development. – https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/indonesias-digital-direction-under-prabowo/

Legislation

Regulating AI: Where Should the Line Be Drawn?

(John Eccleshare – Infosecurity Magazine) The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) is undeniable. From medical science to fraud detection, and automation to risk management, AI has the potential to reshape how we live and work for the better. But like any powerful technology, it carries risk. Used well, it can unlock extraordinary efficiency and insight. Used irresponsibly, it could do significant harm. The question isn’t whether AI should be regulated, it’s how. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between encouraging innovation and ensuring accountability. Regulating development too tightly could slow progress, but leaving use entirely ungoverned would be equally risky. The real opportunity is to define clear, proportionate rules for how AI is applied, so progress and protection advance together. By focusing on how technologies like AI are applied, as industries like gambling, banking and financial services already do, we can protect people without slowing progress. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/opinions/regulating-ai-where-should-the/

Philippines: Implementing rules and regulations of the Internet Transactions Act of 2023 (Republic Act No. 11967) entered into force with grace period

(Digital Policy Alert) On 15 November 2025, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Internet Transactions Act of 2023 entered into force with a grace period. The rules regulate e-commerce to protect consumer rights, data privacy, and intellectual property rights. The rules clarify the scope of the Act, the enforcement powers of the Department of Trade, and procedures for imposing fines. The rules also set forth codes of conduct for online businesses and consumers and introduce additional obligations for businesses engaged in business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions. – https://digitalpolicyalert.org/event/23486-implemented-implementing-rules-and-regulations-of-the-internet-transactions-act-of-2023-republic-act-no-11967

UK Government Finally Introduces Cyber Security and Resilience Bill

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine) The UK government introduced its long-awaited Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to parliament (…), promising that it will help bolster national security and protect the economy. The proposed legislation aims to upgrade the UK’s Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations 2018, which were based on the EU’s NIS Directive. The latter has since been updated to NIS2, which introduces strict new baseline security requirements for operators of essential services (OES). – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/government-cyber-security/ – https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-uk-laws-to-strengthen-critical-infrastructure-cyber-defenses/ – https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/12/uk_cyber_security_and_resilience/

UK strengthens AI safeguards to protect children online

(DigWatch) The UK government is introducing landmark legislation to prevent AI from being exploited to generate child sexual abuse material. The new law empowers authorised bodies, such as the Internet Watch Foundation, to test AI models and ensure safeguards prevent misuse. Reports of AI-generated child abuse imagery have surged, with the IWF recording 426 cases in 2025, more than double the 199 cases reported in 2024. The data also reveals a sharp rise in images depicting infants, increasing from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025. – https://dig.watch/updates/uk-strengthens-ai-safeguards-to-protect-children-online – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-law-to-tackle-ai-child-abuse-images-at-source-as-reports-more-than-double

Courts and Litigation

OpenAI loses German copyright lawsuit over song lyrics reproduction

(DigWatch) A Munich regional court has ruled that OpenAI infringed copyright in a landmark case brought by the German rights society GEMA. The court held OpenAI liable for reproducing and memorising copyrighted lyrics without authorisation, rejecting its claim to operate as a non-profit research institute. The judgement found that OpenAI had violated copyright even in a 15-word passage, setting a low threshold for infringement. Additionally, the court dismissed arguments about accidental reproduction and technical errors, emphasising that both reproduction and memorisation require a licence. – https://dig.watch/updates/openai-loses-german-copyright-lawsuit-over-song-lyrics-reproduction – https://aifray.com/german-court-held-openai-liable-for-violating-copyright-in-15-word-passage-besides-longer-ones-rejected-non-profit-argument-full-decision/

Geostrategies

It’s time to reckon with the geopolitics of artificial intelligence

(Frederick Kempe – Atlantic Council) The headlines from Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Xi Jinping were all about the US and Chinese presidents reaching a trade truce. But what was lost in the news is a far more significant matter that will shape the high-stakes competition unfolding between the world’s two most significant powers: the contest for the commanding heights of artificial intelligence. The world has entered the most consequential tech race since the dawn of the nuclear age, but this time the weapons are algorithms instead of atoms. Rather than a race to obtain a single superweapon, this is one to determine how societies think, work, and make decisions. AI is transforming not only the distribution of power around the globe but also the very nature of that power and how it will be exercised. – https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/inflection-points/its-time-to-reckon-with-the-geopolitics-of-artificial-intelligence/

Global AI adoption rises quickly but benefits remain unequal

(DigWatch) Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute has released its 2025 AI Diffusion Report, detailing global AI adoption, innovation hubs, and the impact of digital infrastructure. AI has reached over 1.2 billion users in under three years, yet its benefits remain unevenly distributed. Adoption rates in the Global North are roughly double those in the Global South, highlighting the risk of long-term inequalities. – https://dig.watch/updates/global-ai-adoption-rises-quickly-but-benefits-remain-unequal – https://news.microsoft.com/source/emea/features/ai-diffusion-report-mapping-global-ai-adoption-and-innovation/

China’s tech advance means Western corporations must adapt to compete

(James Kynge – Chatham House) China is winning the tech race against the US in almost all sectors and leaving Europe far behind. Saying this would have been controversial only a few short months ago, but such a realization is now becoming more mainstream. Jim Farley, the CEO of US car giant Ford, warned last month: ‘They have enough [production] capacity in China with existing factories to serve the entire North American market, put us all out of business. Japan never had that, so this is a completely different level of risk for our industry.’. And Jensen Huang, CEO of the world’s most valuable company, Nvidia, had a similar take: ‘China is going to win the AI race.’ – https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/11/chinas-tech-advance-means-western-corporations-must-adapt-compete

EU and Switzerland deepen research ties through Horizon Europe agreement

(DigWatch) Switzerland has formally joined Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme, together with Digital Europe and the Euratom Research and Training Programme. An agreement, signed in Bern by Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, that grants Swiss researchers the same status as their EU counterparts. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-and-switzerland-deepen-research-ties-through-horizon-europe-agreement – https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2651

Joint quantum partnership unites Canada and Denmark for global research leadership

(DigWatch) Canada and Denmark have signed a joint statement to deepen collaboration in quantum research and innovation. The agreement, announced at the European Quantum Technologies Conference 2025 in Copenhagen, reflects both countries’ commitment to advancing quantum science responsibly while promoting shared values of openness, ethics and excellence. – https://dig.watch/updates/joint-quantum-partnership-unites-canada-and-denmark-for-global-research-leadership – https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2025/11/governments-of-canada-and-denmark-sign-joint-statement-on-quantum-cooperation.html

€5.5bn Google plan expands German data centres, carbon-free power and skills programmes

(DigWatch) Google will invest €5.5bn in Germany from 2026 to 2029, adding a Dietzenbach data centre and expanding its Hanau facility. It will expand offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich, and launch skilling and a first German heat-recovery project. Estimated impact: ~€1.016bn GDP and ~9,000 jobs annually. – https://dig.watch/updates/e5-5bn-google-plan-expands-german-data-centres-carbon-free-power-and-skills-programmes – https://www.googlecloudpresscorner.com/2025-11-11-Google-Announces-EUR5-5-Billion-Investment-in-Germany,-including-AI-Infrastructure,-through-2029

Security, Surveillance, and Intelligence

Australia’s spy chief warns of China-linked threats to critical infrastructure

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Australia’s intelligence chief Mike Burgess warned that China-linked threat actors are probing critical infrastructure and, in some cases, have gained access. He said at least two Chinese state-sponsored groups are positioning themselves for future sabotage and espionage operations against Australian networks, raising serious national security concerns about pre-emptive cyber intrusion and the potential disruption of critical infrastructure. Burgess said China-linked APT group Volt Typhoon is targeting power, water, and transport networks. Successful attacks could disrupt vital services. Burgess also warned that Salt Typhoon is targeting the country’s telecom infrastructure to steal call records and other sensitive data. – https://securityaffairs.com/184540/intelligence/australias-spy-chief-warns-of-china-linked-threats-to-critical-infrastructure.html – https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/12/asio_cyber_sabotage_warnings/

Cyber-Insurance Payouts Soar 230% in UK

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine) The UK’s cyber insurance sector paid £197m ($258m) to policyholders last year, 230% more than the previous 12 months, according to new data from the ABI. The industry body calculated the figures from responses to its cyber data collection study, which revealed that insurers paid out £138m ($181m) more last year than in 2023. However, they also issued 17% more policies over the period. Malware and ransomware accounted for around half (51%) of all claims, up from 32% in 2023. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cyberinsurance-payouts-soar-230-in/

$7.3B crypto laundering: ‘Bitcoin Queen’ sentenced to 11 Years in UK

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) A British court sentenced a Chinese woman, Zhimin Qian (47), also known as the “Bitcoin Queen,” to 11 years and eight months in jail for laundering $7.3B from a crypto scam that defrauded 128K victims in China. In September, UK authorities raided the London home of Chinese national Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, and confiscated £5.5 billion (about $7.39 billion) in cryptocurrency, totaling 61,000 Bitcoin. Police described it as the largest such seizure worldwide. Qian admitted at Southwark Crown Court to offenses related to the acquisition and possession of illicit cryptocurrency. “The Met Police has made what is believed to be the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in the world, worth, at this time, more than £5.5 billion.” reported the Metropolitan Police. – https://securityaffairs.com/184521/cyber-crime/7-3b-crypto-laundering-bitcoin-queen-sentenced-to-11-years-in-uk.html

Fake cybersecurity companies are back – and they’re smarter than ever

(Cybernews) Businesses are being haunted by a raft of “phantom” firms that are deploying AI to create scamming operations. After a slew of hacks on high-profile targets, including Marks & Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover, and Japanese brewer Asahi, awareness of cybercrime is at an all-time high, and criminals are only too keen to exploit this. Fake cybersecurity firms operated by hackers and scammers are making a comeback, an Australian Trustwave researcher has warned, after spotting a new breed of “phantom” firms that are deploying AI to create sophisticated scamming operations. – https://cybernews.com/ai-news/fake-cybersecurity-companies-are-now-smarter/

Aviation watchdog says organized drone attacks will shut UK airports ‘sooner or later’

(The Register) Britain’s aviation watchdog has warned it’s only a matter of time before organized drone attacks bring UK airports to a standstill.  Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) boss Rob Bishton told the Airlines UK conference on Monday that it was “entirely unrealistic” to think drone incursions “won’t cause disruption” in the future, days after two Belgian airports were forced to shut down following drone sightings. “It’s not a question of if, only of when,” he said, according to The Financial Times, adding that both drones and cyber threats are now evolving faster than anyone can keep up. – https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/12/uk_aviation_boss_says_organized/

The airport heist isn’t over, as hackers claim to drop Collins Aerospace data

(Cybernews) A Russian ransomware gang, which ignited chaos across Europe’s airports last month, allegedly leaked data allegedly stolen from Collins Aerospace. The Russia-linked ransomware gang has released a dataset for download, claiming it belongs to Collins Aerospace, a technology service provider used by several major European airports to manage check-in and boarding systems. The company and its MUSE check-in software had been a target of a devastating attack that froze European airports.Reportedly, the incident began on September 19th, when Collins Aerospace reported a “technical issue” to Aviation authorities. – https://cybernews.com/security/collins-aerospace-airport-ransomware-attack/

The Italian yarn empire powering H&M and Adidas has been claimed by hackers

(Cybernews) A titan of Italy’s textile industry, which serves brands such as H&M, Adidas, Calzedonia, and Wolford, has been claimed as the victim of a ransomware attack. RansomHouse, a cybercriminal gang behind the alleged ransomware attack, has listed Fulgar as a victim on its leak site on the dark web. The attackers’ post went live on November 12th, but the gang claims that it has been sitting on encrypted data since October 31st. – https://cybernews.com/security/fulgar-ransomware-attack-adidas/

Google sues Chinese phishing-as-a-service network behind all those scammy texts

(Cybernews) If you’re American, there’s a high chance you’ve received a weird text alerting you to an unpaid toll or failed delivery. Most of the time, these are sent by cybercriminals. Now, Google is attempting to dismantle one of these so-called phishing-as-a-service networks, which is allegedly based in China. Millions of scam text messages have been sent over the past few years, and fraudsters have generated hundreds of millions of dollars from them. Now, Google, one of the tech giants, is taking action and suing alleged members of an illegal enterprise called “Lighthouse.” – https://cybernews.com/security/google-lighthouse-china-phishing-texts/

GlobalLogic Becomes Latest Cl0p Victim After Oracle EBS Attack

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine) US-headquartered GlobalLogic has notified thousands of current and former employees that their data was compromised in a recent large-scale data extortion campaign. According to a notification letter posted to the Office of the Maine Attorney General, the Hitachi-owned software company informed 10,471 individuals about the data breach, which targeted its Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) platform. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/globallogic-latest-cl0p-victim/

Frontiers

IBM’s quantum leap: “Loon” and “Nighthawk” could finally crack error-free computing, but when?

(Cybernews) IBM has announced the launch of two new supercomputers, named “Loon” and “Nighthawk,” with the goal of achieving error-free computing and substantiating existing research. Both computers use superconducting qubits (the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing), moving away from the flat and linear configurations used by most rivals. Loon, in particular, is tipped by those at IBM to break the most complex codes by the end of the decade, by employing both vertical and horizontal information flow, which is a first in the industry. – https://cybernews.com/tech/ibm-loon-nighthawk-quantum-computing/