Legislation

Italy enacts AI law covering privacy, oversight and child access

(Reuters – 17 September 2025) Italy’s parliament on Wednesday approved a new law covering artificial intelligence, making it the first European Union country with comprehensive AI regulations aligned with the EU’s landmark AI Act. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government spearheaded the legislation saying it establishes human-centric, transparent and safe AI use as core principles while emphasising innovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections. – https://www.reuters.com/technology/italy-enacts-ai-law-covering-privacy-oversight-child-access-2025-09-17/#:~:text=ROME%2C%20Sept%2017%20%28Reuters%29,the%20EU%27s%20landmark%20AI%20Act

Governance

Reports: White House Prepares Executive Actions on Quantum Tech and Post-Quantum Cybersecurity

(Quantum Insider – 20 September 2025) The White House is preparing executive actions to accelerate federal adoption of quantum technology and post-quantum cryptography, according to NextGov. Drafts in development since summer could result in one to three orders, with post-quantum cryptography migration expected to be the centerpiece. The directives would build on earlier guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and extend momentum from the expired National Quantum Initiative Act. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/09/20/reports-white-house-prepares-executive-actions-on-quantum-tech-and-post-quantum-cybersecurity/

Red Teaming Generative AI in Classrooms and Beyond

(Jen Weedon, Theodora Skeadas, Sarah Amos – Tech Policy Press – 19 September 2025) As millions of American children return to the classroom, many will be tempted and, in many cases, encouraged to use artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, to help with research and writing. A May 2025 Executive Order implores adoption of AI in K-12 classrooms to help foster “innovation” and “critical thinking.” Soon, AI chatbots may be used to quiz students on problem sets, build their SAT vocabulary, and even provide advice and emotional support. The impacts of this shift are still very much undetermined, and a recent tabletop exercise we facilitated offered insights into what students may experience as this technology becomes more prevalent. The results were sobering, yet they also revealed opportunities and considerations for strengthening AI safety efforts. – https://www.techpolicy.press/red-teaming-generative-ai-in-classrooms-and-beyond/

Understanding Right to Explanation and Automated Decision-Making in Europe’s GDPR and AI Act

(Peter Douglas – Tech Policy Press – 19 September 2025) Automated decision-making (ADM) systems are used to either fully replace or support human decision-making, depending on how the system is designed and what it’s used for. The goal is to improve the accuracy, efficiency, consistency, and objectivity of decisions previously made by humans alone. Examples include automated recruitment systems, healthcare triage systems, online content moderation, and predictive policing. In liberal democracies, people have become used to consequential decisions in areas such as education, welfare entitlement, employment, healthcare, and the judiciary being subject to standardized procedures and appeals processes that are open to public scrutiny. This reflects a basic understanding that human decision-makers are neither infallible nor always fair, but that it’s possible to limit the impact of human failings by setting standards against which the fairness of consequential decisions can be evaluated. – https://www.techpolicy.press/understanding-right-to-explanation-and-automated-decisionmaking-in-europes-gdpr-and-ai-act/

EDPS calls for strong safeguards in EU-US border data-sharing agreement

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) On 17 September 2025, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) issued an Opinion on the EU-US negotiating mandate for a framework agreement on exchanging information for security screenings and identity verifications. The European Commission’s Recommendation aims to establish legal conditions for sharing data between the EU member states and the USA, enabling bilateral agreements tied to the US Visa Waiver Program’s Enhanced Border Security Partnership. – https://dig.watch/updates/edps-calls-for-strong-safeguards-in-eu-us-border-data-sharing-agreement – https://www.edps.europa.eu/press-publications/press-news/press-releases/2025/sharing-personal-data-united-states-must-be-accompanied-comprehensive-and-effective-safeguards_en

Meta and Google to block political ads in EU under new regulations

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Broadcasters and advertisers seek clarity before the EU’s political advertising rules become fully applicable on 10 October. The European Commission has promised further guidance, but details on what qualifies as political advertising remain vague. Meta and Google will block the EU’s political, election, and social issue ads when the rules take effect, citing operational challenges and legal uncertainty. The regulation, aimed at curbing disinformation and foreign interference, requires ads to display labels with sponsors, payments, and targeting. – https://dig.watch/updates/meta-and-google-to-block-political-ads-in-eu-under-new-regulations –

Amazon and Mercado Libre criticised for limiting seller mobility in Mexico

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Mexico’s competition watchdog has accused Amazon and Mercado Libre of erecting barriers that limit the mobility of sellers in the country’s e-commerce market. The two platforms reportedly account for 85% of the seller market. The Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) stated that the companies provide preferential treatment to sellers who utilise their logistics services and fail to disclose how featured offers are selected, thereby restricting fair competition. – https://dig.watch/updates/amazon-and-mercado-libre-criticised-for-limiting-seller-mobility-in-mexico – https://www.cofece.mx/cofece-concluye-investigacion-en-comercio-electronico-minorista/

OpenAI explains approach to privacy, freedom, and teen safety

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) OpenAI has outlined how it balances privacy, freedom, and teen safety in its AI tools. The company said AI conversations often involve personal information and deserve protection like privileged talks with doctors or lawyers. Security features are being developed to keep data private, though critical risks such as threats to life or societal-scale harm may trigger human review. – https://dig.watch/updates/openai-explains-approach-to-privacy-freedom-and-teen-safety – https://openai.com/index/teen-safety-freedom-and-privacy/

WTO report notes AI’s potential benefit to trade if divides are addressed

(DigWatch – 18 September 2025) The WTO launched the 2025 World Trade Report, under the title ‘Making trade and AI work together to the benefit of all’. The report argues that AI could potentially boost global trade by up to 37% and GDP by 12–13% by 2040, particularly through digitally deliverable services. It notes that AI can lower trade costs, improve supply-chain efficiency, and create opportunities for small firms and developing countries, but warns that without deliberate action, AI could deepen global inequalities and widen the gap between advanced and developing economies. – https://dig.watch/updates/wto-world-trade-report-notes-ais-potential-benefit-to-trade-if-divides-are-addressed – https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news25_e/wtr_15sep25_e.htm

EU AI Act enforcement gears up with 15 authorities named in Ireland

(DigWatch – 18 September 2025) Ireland has designated 15 authorities to monitor compliance with the EU’s AI Act, making it one of the first EU countries fully ready to enforce the new rules. The AI Act regulates AI systems according to their risk to society and began phasing in last year. Governments had until 2 August to notify the European Commission of their appointed market surveillance authorities. In Ireland, these include the Central Bank, Coimisiún na Meán, the Data Protection Commission, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and the Health and Safety Authority. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-ai-act-enforcement-gears-up-with-15-authorities-named-in-ireland – https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/news-and-events/department-news/2025/september/20250916.html

Tech Companies Must Rethink Public Data Sharing in the DOGE Era

(Ben Neumeyer – Tech Policy Press – 18 September 2025) The consolidation of sensitive federal datasets under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has transformed the privacy threat landscape. By centralizing data once siloed across agencies, seemingly in disregard of legal requirements, and combining it with powerful analytics tools, the Trump administration has created an unprecedented capability for surveillance and political targeting. Monitoring of individuals’ movements and online speech has already created chilling effects for individuals and communities, and news coverage shows the administration is exploring yet more use cases that may serve its political goals. While public debate has focused largely on the role of government data, a critical blind spot remains: datasets that tech platforms voluntarily make public about user activity or trends on their services. – https://www.techpolicy.press/tech-companies-must-rethink-public-data-sharing-in-the-doge-era/

AI reforms in Hong Kong expected to save millions in public services

(DigWatch – 18 September 2025) Hong Kong will establish a new team to advance the use of AI across government departments, Chief Executive John Lee confirmed during his 2025 Policy Address. The AI Efficacy Enhancement Team, led by Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk, will coordinate reforms to modernise outdated processes and promote efficiency. Lee said his administration would focus on safe ‘AI+ development’, applying the technology in public services and encouraging adoption across different sectors instead of relying on traditional methods. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-reforms-in-hong-kong-expected-to-save-millions-in-public-services

WEF urges trade policy shift to protect workers in digital economy

(DigWatch – 18 September 2025) The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published an article on using trade policy to build a fairer digital economy. Digital services now make up over half of global exports, with AI investment projected at $252 billion in 2024. Countries from Kenya to the UAE are positioning as digital hubs, but job quality still lags. Millions of platform workers face volatile pay, lack of contracts, and no access to social protections. In Kenya alone, 1.9 million people rely on digital work yet face algorithm-driven pay systems and sudden account deactivations. India and the Philippines show similar patterns. – https://dig.watch/updates/wef-urges-trade-policy-shift-to-protect-workers-in-digital-economy – https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/09/building-a-fairer-digital-economy-how-can-trade-policy-help/

State Department hopes to use agentic AI to assist employee tasks, CIO says

(Natalie Alms – NextGov – 17 September 2025) The State Department wants to use artificial intelligence agents that can take action for employees, the department’s chief information officer Kelly Fletcher said Wednesday. The department already has an enterprise generative AI chatbot, dubbed StateChat, which it launched last year. That chatbot can help with things like translation or answer questions from the department’s foreign affairs manual, Fletcher said at an ACT-IAC event Wednesday. Moving forward, the department is looking at “AI agents that will take actions for humans,” said Fletcher. “I want it to not only tell me, ‘How much leave do I have’ … but then I want it to put in my leave slip, which is in a different system. We’re building to that.” – https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/09/state-department-hopes-use-agentic-ai-assist-employee-tasks-cio-says/408182/?oref=ng-home-top-story

Australia outlines guidelines for social media age ban

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) Australia has released its regulatory guidance for the incoming social media age restriction law, which takes effect on December 10. Users under 16 will be barred from holding accounts on most major platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. The new guidance details what are considered ‘reasonable steps’ for compliance. Platforms must detect and remove underage accounts, communicating clearly with affected users. It remains uncertain whether removed accounts will have their content deleted or if they can be reactivated once the user turns 16. – https://dig.watch/updates/australia-outlines-guidelines-for-social-media-age-ban

China proposes independent oversight committees to strengthen data protection

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has proposed new rules requiring major online platforms to establish independent oversight committees focused on personal data protection. The draft regulation, released Friday, 13 September 2025, is open for public comment until 12 October 2025. – https://dig.watch/updates/china-proposes-independent-oversight-committees-to-strengthen-data-protection – https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/13/WS68c4acf6a3108622abca08dd.html

Ghana launches national privacy campaign

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) Ghana has launched the National Privacy Awareness Campaign, a year-long initiative to strengthen citizens’ privacy rights and build public trust in the country’s expanding digital ecosystem. Unveiled by Deputy Minister Mohammed Adams Sukparu, the campaign emphasises that data protection is not just a legal requirement but essential to innovation, digital participation, and Ghana’s goal of becoming Africa’s AI hub. – https://dig.watch/updates/ghana-launches-national-privacy-campaign – https://techafricanews.com/2025/09/16/ghana-launches-nationwide-privacy-awareness-campaign-to-safeguard-digital-rights/

Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund INA targets data centres and AI in healthcare

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) The Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, is sharpening its focus on digital infrastructure, healthcare and renewable energy as it seeks to attract foreign partners and strengthen national development. The fund, created in 2021 with $5 billion in state capital, now manages assets worth around $10 billion and is expanding its scope beyond equity into hybrid capital and private credit. – https://dig.watch/updates/indonesias-sovereign-wealth-fund-ina-targets-data-centres-and-ai-in-healthcare – https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/indonesia-sovereign-wealth-fund-ina-targets-data-centres-ai-in-healthcare-renewables-11758071469838.html

GenAI’s Human Infrastructure Challenge—Can the United States Meet Skilled Trade Labor Demand Through 2030?

(Navin Girishankar and Karl Smith – Center for Strategic & International Studies – 16 September 2025) America’s AI Action Plan, released in July 2025, heralds generative AI (genAI) infrastructure as “an industrial revolution, an information revolution, and a renaissance—all at once.” That phrase captures both the scale of investment underway and the challenge of ensuring its success. Until now, debate around AI infrastructure has primarily focused on three inputs: cutting-edge graphics processing units (GPUs), the financial capital needed to deploy them at scale, and the electric power required to run vast new data centers. These factors were identified in early 2025 by CSIS’s The AI Power Surge study as binding constraints on U.S. genAI expansion. The action plan has now added a fourth constraint—skilled labor—and the focus on workforce demand could not have come sooner. – https://www.csis.org/analysis/genais-human-infrastructure-challenge-can-united-states-meet-skilled-trade-labor-demand

How Will AI Agents Reshape Markets? Researchers See Promise And Problems in AI-Built Markets

(AI Insider – 16 September 2025) Researchers from Google DeepMind and the University of Toronto warn that autonomous AI agents are forming a “sandbox economy” that could rival human markets in speed, scale, and impact. The study outlines both opportunities — accelerating science, coordinating robotics, and enabling mission-driven markets — and risks, including financial instability, inequality, and systemic failures. Recommendations include auction-based mechanisms for fair resource allocation, verifiable identity and reputation systems, proof-of-personhood safeguards, and regulatory frameworks to ensure agent markets remain safe and aligned with human goals. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/16/how-will-ai-agents-reshape-markets-researchers-see-promise-and-problems-in-ai-built-markets/

UN to train governments in blockchain and AI

(DigWatch – 16 September 2025) The UN Development Programme (UNDP) plans to launch a ‘Government Blockchain Academy’ next year to educate public sector officials on blockchain, AI, and other emerging technologies. The initiative aims to help governments leverage tech for economic growth and sustainable development. The academy will partner with the Exponential Science Foundation, a non-profit promoting blockchain and AI. Training will cover financial services, digital IDs, public procurement, smart contracts, and climate finance to help governments boost transparency, inclusion, and resilience. – https://dig.watch/updates/un-to-train-governments-in-blockchain-and-ai – https://cointelegraph.com/news/undp-open-goverment-blockchain-academy-2026

Why The Cloud Should Be a Public Utility

(Michelle Nie, Theodora Skeadas, Nick Garcia, Elise Phillips – Tech Policy Press – 16 September 2025) Perhaps no technology underpins more the everyday functioning of our increasingly digital world than cloud computing. We rely on the cloud every day to access government, healthcare and educational services. We access our government benefits, file taxes, schedule doctor’s appointments, bank online and access educational materials all through the cloud. We also increasingly depend on the cloud to communicate with each other. Where we once relied on the telephone system and federated self-hosted email servers, now millions of Americans communicate daily over cloud-based apps, such as web-based email services like Gmail, WhatsApp, Messenger and Zoom. And now, with the advent of artificial intelligence, nearly all Americans use either AI-specific products, such as AI chatbots, or AI-enabled services such as social media, weather forecasting apps or shopping websites. All of these products and services require processing powers, not only to train the underlying AI models, but also to deploy them to end users. – https://www.techpolicy.press/why-the-cloud-should-be-a-public-utility/

Wired for Failure: The Undersea Cable Emergency That Could Sink America’s AI Aspirations

(Kevin Frazier – Lawfare – 16 September 2025) The artificial intelligence (AI) dominance the White House called for in its recently released AI Action Plan is not going to happen unless the president, Congress, and the country get serious about protecting the undersea cable system—the 600 or so inch-wide cables over which the world’s internet traffic flows. A combination of natural and human threats imperil the resilience of this critical infrastructure just as AI advances make the cables more essential than ever. Though the plan included 90 recommendations, including several massive infrastructure projects to sustain continued AI development, it also had approximately 600 garden-hose-sized holes—an omission with large political, economic, and technological ramifications. A recently announced proposed rule by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expedite review of cable licenses, if finalized, is a step in the right direction. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/wired-for-failure–the-undersea-cable-emergency-that-could-sink-america-s-ai-aspirations

OpenAI to predict ages in bid to stop ChatGPT from discussing self harm with kids

(Suzanne Smalley – The Record – 16 September 2025) OpenAI announced Tuesday that it is rolling out age prediction and identity verification systems in an effort to protect minors who use its services. The announcement comes weeks after the parents of a teenager who killed himself sued the tech giant for allegedly helping their son draft a suicide note and giving him tips for how to do so most effectively. On Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission launched an inquiry into AI chatbots and child safety. In a blog post on the OpenAI website, CEO Sam Altman said the company will “prioritize safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens; this is a new and powerful technology, and we believe minors need significant protection.” – https://therecord.media/openai-age-prediction-chatgpt-children-safety

UNDP publishes digital participation guide to empower civic action

(DigWatch – 15 September 2025) A newly published guide by People Powered and UNDP aims to connect people in their communities through inclusive, locally relevant digital participation platforms. Designed with local governments, civic groups, and organisations in mind, it highlights digital platforms that enable inclusive, action-oriented civic engagement. According to the UNDP, ‘the guide covers the latest trends, including the integration of AI features, and addresses challenges such as digital inclusion, data privacy, accessibility, and sustainability.’ – https://dig.watch/updates/undp-publishes-digital-participation-guide-to-empower-civic-action – https://www.undp.org/publications/guide-digital-participation-platforms-2025

New AI Transparency Rules Have a Trade Secrets Problem

(Julius Hattingh – Lawfare – 15 September 2025) A spate of recent artificial intelligence (AI) transparency laws introduced in New York, California, Michigan, and Illinois seek to codify a practice most frontier AI developers have already adopted voluntarily (with notable exceptions): implementing and publicly releasing “safety and security protocols” (SSPs) for their most advanced AI models.  An SSP (which also goes by names such as “Frontier AI Safety Framework” or “Responsible Scaling Policy”) is a developer’s framework for managing and mitigating catastrophic risks. That is, risks of an AI model causing mass casualties or billion-dollar damage—for example, by enabling the creation of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack, or by autonomously carrying out an action that would be a serious crime if performed by a human. In light of these risks, the laws would require that SSPs provide specific details about how the safety and security of an AI model has been tested and evaluated, the results of those tests, and how risks will continue to be monitored and managed, along with other safety-critical information. By requiring SSPs to be released publicly, the laws would enable external parties to study and scrutinize a developer’s framework and hold the developer accountable to it. From a transparency perspective, this is a first step toward creating standards to help the government, researchers, and the general public understand and respond to this extraordinary technology and the companies developing it. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/new-ai-transparency-rules-have-a-trade-secrets-problem

Offensive Cyber Operations as Relief for Citizens Under Internet Blackout

(Michael Genkin – Lawfare – 15 September 2025) Cyberspace and the internet within it are not disconnected from the “real,” physical world. In 2016, the United Nations (UN) decreed that “offline” human rights must also be protected online. Following the UN resolution “The Promotion, Protection and Enjoyment of Human Rights on the Internet,” access to information and the internet increasingly gained recognition as necessary for enabling freedom of speech and as a human right of its own. This recognition led some to consider internet blackouts or shutdowns—that is “[a]n intentional disruption of internet or electronic communications, rendering them inaccessible or effectively unusable, for a specific population or within a location, often to exert control over the flow of information”—as human rights violations. Furthermore, internet blackouts during conflict or crisis are understood to prevent people from accessing life-saving information and humanitarian aid, thereby adding to the probability of a humanitarian crisis developing. Nonetheless, many governments, including democracies, choose to limit their citizens’ access to the internet, especially during times of conflict and crisis, citing national security concerns and the imperative to protect the state and its citizens from cyberattacks that the enemy would execute. The extent to which restrictions are imposed varies widely, with democratic governments imposing proportional restrictions within strict legal and oversight frameworks, while autocratic regimes impose wide and opaque blackouts that serve their political agendas. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/offensive-cyber-operations-as-relief-for-citizens-under-internet-blackout

Breaking Down the Complaint to the FTC Alleging Apple Misled Parents

(Meg Leta Jones, Abby Rochman, Celeste Valentino – Tech Policy Press – 15 September 2025) If a parent wants to set up controls for their children’s activity on Roblox, they have to create a parent account, verify their age, link it to the child’s account and dig through menus to manage content, chat, servers spending and screen time. On TikTok, parents must create a parent account, navigate multiple menus to a feature called Family Pairing, send a link to the teen, wait for them to accept within 48 hours and then toggle all the settings they want to control. On Character.ai, parents have to wait for the teen to invite them via email, then create their own account and accept the connection before they can see anything. Meanwhile, a kid who wants to dodge all of the above can simply enter any birthdate before September 2007. In the United States, most of this digital labor occurs on an iPhone (used by 88% of teens) or iPad (40% of children have their own tablet by age two). It is within this context that the Digital Childhood Institute filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission arguing that Apple’s parental controls were unfair and deceptive. The complaint is directly responsive to the agency’s agenda setting event earlier this summer, “The Attention Economy: How Big Tech Firms Exploit Children and Hurt Families.” – https://www.techpolicy.press/breaking-down-the-complaint-to-the-ftc-alleging-apple-misled-parents/

As AI Companions Reshape Teen Life, Neurodivergent Youth Deserve a Voice

(Noah Weinberger – Tech Policy Press – 15 September 2025) If a technology can be available to you at 2 AM, helping you rehearse the choices that shape your life or provide an outlet to express fears and worries, shouldn’t the people who rely on it most help have a say in how it works? I may not have been the first to consider the disability rights phrase “Nothing about us without us” when thinking of artificial intelligence, but self-advocacy and lived experience should guide the next phase of policy and product design for Generative AI models, especially those designed for emotional companionship. Over the past year, AI companions have moved from a niche curiosity to a common part of teenage life, with one recent survey indicating that 70 percent of US teens have tried them and over half use them regularly. Young people use these generative AI systems to practice social skills, rehearse difficult conversations, and share private worries with a chatbot that is always available. Many of those teens are neurodivergent, including those on the autism spectrum like me. AI companions can offer steadiness and patience in ways that human peers sometimes cannot. They can enable users to role-play hard conversations, simulate job interviews, and provide nonjudgmental encouragement. These upsides are genuine benefits, especially for vulnerable populations. They should not be ignored in policymaking decisions. – https://www.techpolicy.press/as-ai-companions-reshape-teen-life-neurodivergent-youth-deserve-a-voice/

Principles for Quantum Governance: Kananaskis and Beyond

(Michael P. A. Murphy, Tracey Forrest – Centre for International Governance Innovation – 11 September 2025) Quantum science and technology is at a crucial point of development, with a short window for policy frameworks to be implemented before the rollout of a class of disruptive technologies. Academic and industry communities have a long track record of international collaboration to advance research and development. An emerging consensus in these communities holds that governments have a role to play in providing a framework for continued collaboration. As noted in the “Kananaskis Common Vision for the Future of Quantum Technologies,” multilateral institutions can support responsible policy development within and between states by promoting international dialogue and collaboration. – https://www.cigionline.org/publications/principles-for-quantum-governance-kananaskis-and-beyond/

Geostrategies

NVIDIA Announces £2 Billion Investment in the United Kingdom AI Startup Ecosystem

(AI Insider – 19 September 2025) Nvidia will invest £2 billion to expand capital and compute for U.K. AI startups and researchers across London, Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, and new government “AI growth zones.”. The effort partners with Accel, Air Street Capital, Balderton, Hoxton Ventures, and Phoenix Court and expands access to advanced systems for training and inference to counter limited supercomputing, VC concentration, and high energy costs. U.K. leaders and investors say the move will create jobs, accelerate commercialization beyond London, and strengthen transatlantic ties as the investment is domiciled in the U.S. but activated in Britain. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/19/nvidia-announces-2-billion-investment-in-the-united-kingdom-ai-startup-ecosystem/

Microsoft builds the world’s most powerful AI data centre in Wisconsin

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) US tech giant, Microsoft, is completing the construction of Fairwater in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, which it says will be the world’s most powerful AI data centre. The facility is expected to be operational in early 2026 after a $3.3 billion investment, with an additional $4 billion now committed for a second site. The company says the project will help shape the next generation of AI by training frontier models with hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs, offering ten times the performance of today’s fastest supercomputers. – https://dig.watch/updates/microsoft-builds-the-worlds-most-powerful-ai-data-centre-in-wisconsin – https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2025/09/18/made-in-wisconsin-the-worlds-most-powerful-ai-datacenter/

‘Tech Prosperity Deal’ Binds UK to US AI Dominance Strategy

(Megan Kirkwood – Tech Policy Press – 18 September 2025) The UK is continuing its push to build out massive compute capacity at all costs. As United States President Donald Trump touched down on UK soil on September 16, 2025, on his second state visit, a flurry of tech investments was announced as part of a new UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal. The deal is touted by officials as “developing the fastest growing technologies like AI, quantum, and nuclear” by combining the “resources and expertise” of the two nations. The deal follows from an already growing list of US companies embedding their technology in UK public infrastructure. – https://www.techpolicy.press/tech-prosperity-deal-binds-uk-to-us-ai-dominance-strategy/ – https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/09/president-trump-signs-technology-prosperity-deal-with-united-kingdom/  – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-government-of-the-united-states-of-america-and-the-government-of-the-united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and-north

Gas-powered computing: develop Beetaloo for Australia’s AI centre

(John Coyne – ASPI The Strategist – 18 September 2025) Energy, not algorithms, will decide who leads in artificial intelligence. At the AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh last week, the United States’ largest natural gas producer, EQT, made the case bluntly: the real contest is between Chinese coal and American natural gas. For Australia, to achieve our own AI capability, we must anchor it in our own energy, and the gas-rich but largely undeveloped Beetaloo Basin presents an opportunity. The Pittsburgh summit reframed the global AI race. No longer just about chips, models, or algorithms, it is also about the energy required to power them. – https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/gas-powered-computing-develop-beetaloo-for-australias-ai-centre/

China Rules NVIDIA in Violation of Antitrust Law, Heightening U.S.-China Semiconductor Tensions

(AI Insider – 17 September 2025) The State Administration for Market Regulation of China has ruled that Nvidia violated antitrust regulations in its $7B acquisition of Mellanox Technologies, a networking supplier acquired in 2020. While no penalties have yet been announced, Beijing confirmed that its investigation will continue, intensifying the already fragile trade relationship between the U.S. and China. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/17/china-rules-nvidia-in-violation-of-antitrust-law-heightening-u-s-china-semiconductor-tensions/

Hong Kong to speed up tech hub plan with China

(DigWatch – 16 September 2025) One of S.A.R. of China, Hong Kong, is preparing to accelerate its cross-border technology hub plans with mainland China as the city seeks new growth drivers to offset its fragile economy. Chief Executive John Lee is set to deliver his annual policy address on Wednesday, with the Northern Metropolis project expected to take centre stage. The initiative aims to transform a sparsely populated area into a base for advanced industries and innovation, while reducing reliance on finance and real estate. – https://dig.watch/updates/hong-kong-to-speed-up-tech-hub-plan-with-china

US and China reach framework deal on TikTok

(DigWatch – 16 September 2025) The United States and China have reached a tentative ‘framework’ deal on the future of TikTok’s American operations, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed during trade talks in Madrid. The agreement, which still requires the approval of Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, is aimed at resolving a looming deadline that could see the video-sharing app banned in the US unless its Chinese owner ByteDance sells its American division. US officials say the framework addresses national security concerns by paving the way for US ownership of TikTok’s operations, while China insists any final deal must not undermine its companies’ interests. The Biden administration has long argued that the app’s access to US user data poses significant risks, while ByteDance maintains its American arm operates independently and respects user privacy. – https://dig.watch/updates/us-and-china-reach-framework-deal-on-tiktok – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yj5xj78p5o

India Announce Projects to Bolster Quantum Self-Reliance

(Quantum Insider – 15 September 2025) Andhra Pradesh government announced India’s first quantum reference facility at Amaravati Quantum Valley with an outlay of ₹40 crore to support domestic quantum computer manufacturing. The facility will provide testing, benchmarking, and characterization of quantum components, reducing reliance on imports and aligning with the National Quantum Mission. Amber Enterprises India Limited also announced an investment of ₹200 crore to set up a quantum cryogenic components facility. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/09/15/india-announce-projects-to-bolster-quantum-self-reliance/

German state pushes digital sovereignty

(DigWatch – 15 September 2025) The northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to replace Microsoft software in its public administration with open-source alternatives. With around 30,000 civil servants, a workforce comparable to the European Commission, the region has already migrated most staff to new systems. It expects to cut its Office licences by more than two-thirds before the end of the month. Instead of relying on Word, Outlook or SharePoint, staff are switching to LibreOffice, Thunderbird, Open Xchange and Nextcloud. A Linux pilot is also underway, testing the replacement of Windows itself. – https://dig.watch/updates/german-state-pushes-digital-sovereignty – https://www.euractiv.com/news/the-german-state-pioneering-digital-sovereignty/

Security

Considering the Risks of AI-Enabled ‘Smart Glasses’ in Livestreamed Violence

(Jordyn Abrams – Tech Policy Press – 19 September 2025) This week, Meta unveiled three new types of smart glasses, each controlled by a wrist band and boasting a “voice-based artificial intelligence assistant that can talk through a speaker and see through a camera,” according to the New York Times. Given the tech industry’s past record of rolling out products before assessing potential harms and misuse, it’s worth contemplating how these new glasses, which Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims will eventually “deliver personal superintelligence,” may be used for nefarious purposes. The ability to livestream from Meta glasses is already a product feature, and as more of the devices propagate in the market, it should be anticipated that they will be used in extremist attacks, just as smartphones and GoPros have been in recent years. – https://www.techpolicy.press/considering-the-risks-of-aienabled-smart-glasses-in-livestreamed-violence/

Future of CVE Program in limbo as CISA, board members debate path forward

(Jonathan Greig – The Record – 19 September 2025) The future of the central repository for security vulnerabilities is being hotly debated as multiple entities seek to support the effort or create alternatives following a funding incident earlier this year that nearly shuttered the database’s website. Last week, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released two documents explaining their plans for the CVE Program — a critical cybersecurity resource used globally to catalog thousands of software and hardware bugs. The CISA documents last week appeared to assert control over the CVE Program after subcontractor MITRE Corporation warned in April that the U.S. government may not renew a  contract that funded the CVE.org website and about a dozen analysts who work to support the CVE Program. – https://therecord.media/cve-program-future-limbo-cisa

Zero-Click Vulnerability in ChatGPT’s Agent Enables Silent Gmail Data Theft

(Kevin Poireault – Infosecurity Magazine – 19 September 2025) A vulnerability in ChatGPT Deep Research agent allows an attacker to request the agent to leak sensitive Gmail inbox data with a single crafted email, according to Radware. Deep Research is an autonomous research mode launched by OpenAI in February 2025. “You give it a prompt and ChatGPT will find, analyze and synthesize hundreds of online sources to create a comprehensive report at the level of a research analyst,” is the promise made by the company with this mode. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/vulnerability-chatgpt-agent-gmail/

Attackers Abuse AI Tools to Generate Fake CAPTCHAs in Phishing Attacks

(James Coker – Infosecurity Magazine – 19 September 2025) Cybercriminals are abusing AI platforms to create and host fake CAPTCHA pages to enhance phishing campaigns, according to new Trend Micro research. Attackers are exploiting the ease of deployment, free hosting and credible branding offered by such platforms to set up such pages at speed and scale. The fake CAPTCHA pages redirect victims to malicious websites hosted by the attackers. This approach makes phishing attacks more likely to succeed as the apparent routine security check makes the malicious link appear more legitimate to the victim and help bypass security tools. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/attackers-abuse-ai-fake-captchas/

New York Blood Center Alerts 194,000 People to Data Breach

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 September 2025) The New York Blood Center (NYBCe) has confirmed that nearly 194,000 people were affected by a data breach earlier this year.  According to the organization, an unauthorized party accessed its internal systems between January 20 and January 26 2025, and copied certain files. The compromised information includes names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license or state ID numbers, bank account details for those using direct deposit, health information and test results. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/new-york-blood-center-data-breach/

1 in 3 Android Apps Leak Sensitive Data

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 September 2025) A significant share of mobile applications are exposing sensitive information through insecure APIs, leaving users and businesses vulnerable to attack. The 2025 Zimperium Global Mobile Threat Report, published today, revealed that one in three Android apps and more than half of iOS apps leak data that can be exploited. Nearly half of all apps still contain hardcoded secrets such as API keys, which allow attackers to reverse-engineer and misuse them once the apps are published. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/android-apps-leak-sensitive-data/

NCA Singles Out “The Com” as it Chairs Five Eyes Group

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 September 2025) The UK’s leading serious and organized crime agency has said it will harness the full force of law enforcement across Five Eyes countries to tackle “The Com” over the next two years. The National Crime Agency (NCA) announced on Tuesday that it will take over as chair of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) for the first time since 2015. The group includes key policing agencies across the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Australian Federal Police (AFP), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and New Zealand Police. As part of its mission to make the alliance more “operationally focused” to deliver results, the NCA said it will focus on disrupting cybercrime, money laundering and online sexual abuse of children. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/nca-singles-out-com-chairs-five/

Why Shadow AI Is the Next Big Governance Challenge for CISOs

(James Coker – Infosecurity Magazine – 18 September  2025) Advanced AI tools, including large language models (LLMs), are beginning to demonstrate their promise to enhance operational efficiency in businesses. A 2025 McKinsey survey found that over three-quarters of firms use AI in at least one business function, with 71% regularly using generative AI. Integrating AI capabilities into operations, from data analysis to generating reports, is no longer a nice to have but an essential component for competing in today’s marketplace. However, there is a major security and privacy issue that threatens to derail the benefits offered by these technologies – shadow AI. Shadow AI relates to the use of AI tools and applications by employees outside the visibility and approval of the organization’s IT department. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news-features/shadow-ai-governance-cisos/

West London borough approves AI facial recognition CCTV rollout

(DigWatch – 18 September 2025) Hammersmith and Fulham Council has approved a £3m upgrade to its CCTV system to see facial recognition and AI integrated across the west London borough. With over 2,000 cameras, the council intends to install live facial recognition technology at crime hotspots and link it with police databases for real-time identification. Alongside the new cameras, 500 units will be equipped with AI tools to speed up video analysis, track vehicles, and provide retrospective searches. The plans also include the possible use of drones, pending approval from the Civil Aviation Authority. – https://dig.watch/updates/west-london-borough-approves-ai-facial-recognition-cctv-rollout – https://democracy.lbhf.gov.uk/documents/s132480/CCTV%20and%20Artificial%20Intelligence.pdf)

CISA wants more international involvement in cyber vulnerability catalog, official says

(David DiMolfetta – NextGov – 17 September 2025) The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency wants to involve more international partners in overwatching a long-standing cyber vulnerability cataloging project, which narrowly avoided vast defunding earlier this year, a top official said Wednesday. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Program faced a near complete lapse in government funding in April when MITRE, the research giant that supports much of the program’s functions, warned of an imminent end to federal backing for the cornerstone cybersecurity project. The lapse was reversed within hours after outcry from the cybersecurity community. The European Union’s cybersecurity agency, dubbed ENISA, for instance, is one desired organization to involve in the program, said Nick Andersen, the agency’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity. – https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2025/09/cisa-wants-more-international-involvement-cyber-vulnerability-catalog-official-says/408178/?oref=ng-homepage-river

Cyberattack compromises personal data used for DBS checks at UK college

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) Bracknell and Wokingham College has confirmed a cyberattack that compromised data collected for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. The breach affects data used by Activate Learning and other institutions, including names, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, and passport details. Access Personal Checking Services (APCS) was alerted by supplier Intradev on August 17 that its systems had been accessed without authorisation. While payment card details and criminal conviction records were not compromised, data submitted between December 2024 and May 8, 2025, was copied. – https://dig.watch/updates/cyberattack-compromises-personal-data-used-for-dbs-checks-at-uk-college – https://bracknell.activatelearning.ac.uk/about-us/news/data-breach-data-associated-with-dbs-checks-apcs/

Miljodata hack exposes data of nearly 15% of Swedish population

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) Swedish prosecutors have confirmed that a cyberattack on IT systems provider Miljodata exposed the personal data of 1.5 million people, nearly 15% of Sweden’s population. The attack occurred during the weekend of August 23–24. Authorities said the stolen data has been leaked online and includes names, addresses, and contact details. Prosecutor Sandra Helgadottir said the group Datacarry has claimed responsibility, though no foreign state involvement is suspected. – https://dig.watch/updates/miljodata-hack-exposes-data-of-nearly-15-of-swedish-population

Hackers steal hotel guests’ payment data in new AI-driven campaign

(Daryna Antoniuk – The Record – 17 September 2025) A hacker group known as RevengeHotels is using artificial intelligence to boost its attacks on hotels in Brazil and elsewhere, researchers have found. RevengeHotels has been active since 2015 and focuses on stealing payment card data from hotel guests and front-desk systems. The group’s latest campaigns rely on phishing emails disguised as invoices or job applications to trick staff into opening malicious attachments, according to a report by Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. – https://therecord.media/hackers-payment-data-guests-steal

North Korean operation uses ChatGPT to forge military IDs as part of cyberattack

(Daryna Antoniuk – The Record – 17 September 2025) North Korean hackers exploited OpenAI’s ChatGPT to generate deepfake military ID cards in a phishing campaign against South Korean defense-related institutions, researchers have found. The July attack was attributed to the Kimsuky group, also known as APT43, which has been sanctioned by Washington and its allies for supporting Pyongyang’s foreign policy and sanctions-evasion efforts through intelligence-gathering operations. According to South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians, the hackers used ChatGPT to create sample images of South Korean government and military employee ID cards. The images were embedded in phishing emails crafted to appear as if they came from a legitimate South Korean defense agency handling identification services for military officials. – https://therecord.media/north-korea-kimsuky-hackers-phishing-fake-military-ids-chatgpt

Vibe Coding: Managing the Strategic Security Risks of AI-Accelerated Development

(Murali Sastry – Infosecurity Magazine – 17 September 2025) AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot and Claude Code are evolving into autonomous agents capable of executing full development workflows. This shift, known as vibe coding, is transforming how developers build and deploy software, accelerating innovation and redefining roles across the tech industry. The momentum is undeniable. Microsoft’s CEO recently revealed that up to 30% of the company’s code is now AI-generated, while Google’s CEO reported a similar figure. However, as this trend becomes mainstream, more software is being deployed without traditional developer review, raising serious concerns about security debt, code traceability and governance. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/opinions/vibe-coding-security-risk-ai/

A Quarter of UK and US Firms Suffer Data Poisoning Attacks

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine – 17 September 2025) British and American cybersecurity leaders are increasingly concerned about their expanding AI attack surface, particularly unsanctioned use of AI tools and attempts to corrupt training data, according to new IO research. The security and compliance specialist polled 3000 IT security leaders on both side of the Atlantic to compile its third annual State of Information Security Report, which was published this morning. It revealed that just over a quarter (26%) have suffered a data poisoning attack, which occurs when threat actors seek to interfere with model training data in order to alter its behavior. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/quarter-uk-us-firms-data-poisoning/

API Threats Surge to 40,000 Incidents in 1H 2025

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine – 16 September 2025) The financial services, telecoms and travel sectors were in the crosshairs of threat actors in the first half of the year, after Thales observed 40,000 incidents in the period alone. The firm’s Imperva business analyzed data from over 4000 environments worldwide to produce its API Threat Report (H1 2025). The report claimed that APIs now attract 44% of advanced bot traffic, which is generated by sophisticated software designed to mimic human behavior. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/api-threats-surge-40000-incidents/

What’s Next for the Cyber Safety Review Board?

(Jeff Greene – Lawfare – 16 September 2025) The Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) is at a fork in the road. President Biden established the CSRB four years ago, charged with the task of reviewing “significant cyber incidents” and “provid[ing] recommendations … for improving cybersecurity and incident response practices.” A federal advisory body loosely modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the CSRB was created in the hopes of improving the nation’s digital security and resilience. In its first three years, the board conducted three complete reviews. The inaugural CSRB report examined the widespread Log4J/Log4Shell vulnerability and made recommendations including enhanced reporting, threat monitoring, and cultural shifts in security practices. The second report analyzed the Lapsus$ hacking group and how it used simple tactics to compromise major organizations, recommending transitioning to phish-resistant authentication and improving telecom carrier security. The third report—and arguably the most significant—examined China’s wholesale compromise of Microsoft Exchange Online in 2023, which had allowed the adversary to steal tens of thousands of emails from numerous high-level U.S. government accounts. The board found that the intrusion was preventable, identified response failures, and criticized Microsoft’s security culture. It also made recommendations for overhauling enterprise security and incident transparency. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/what-s-next-for-the-cyber-safety-review-board

Insider breach at FinWise Bank exposes data of 689,000 AFF customers

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs – 16 September 2025) FinWise Bank is a Utah-based community bank, FDIC-insured, that partners with fintechs and lenders to offer consumer loans, small business financing, and deposit services. FinWise Bank notified the Maine AG that a data breach tied to the U.S.-based financial services company American First Finance (AFF) occurred on May 31, 2024, exposing the data of 689,000 people. FinWise funds consumer loans while AFF manages applications, originations, and servicing. – https://securityaffairs.com/182222/data-breach/insider-breach-at-finwise-bank-exposes-data-of-689000-aff-customers.html

Chinese AI Villager Pen Testing Tool Hits 11,000 PyPI Downloads

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 16 September 2025) A new AI-native penetration testing tool called Villager has reached nearly 11,000 downloads on the Python Package Index (PyPI) just two months after release. The framework, developed by the Chinese-based group Cyberspike, combines Kali Linux utilities with DeepSeek AI models to fully automate penetration testing workflows. The tool, originally positioned as a red team solution, integrates an automation layer that lowers the barrier to conducting sophisticated attacks. Villager’s rapid adoption echoes the trajectory of Cobalt Strike, which was created for legitimate use but later became a favorite among cybercriminals. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/chinese-ai-villager-pen-testing/

JLR Extends Production Halt After Cyber-Attack

(Beth Maundrill – Infosecurity Magazine – 16 September 2025) Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed it will extend its production pause until at least September 24 following a cyber-attack earlier this month. Supply chain disruptions continue to ripple outward as firms that support the luxury car maker begin to suffer financially. There have been reports of supply chain workers impacted by the cyber-attack at JLR being laid off. JLR employees are not at risk of losing their jobs. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/jlr-extends-production-halt-after/

UK: Tax Refund-Themed Phishing Slows in 2025

(Kevin Poireault – Infosecurity Magazine – 16 September 2025) Phishing reports impersonating HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the British national tax authority, appear to be slowing, according to a new study by Bridewell. The UK-based critical infrastructure cybersecurity provider collected data from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request about individuals who reported attempts to impersonate HMRC between January 1, 2023, and June 2, 2025. In its findings, published on September 10, the firm observed an overall downward trend relating to email and SMS-based phishing attempts impersonating HMRC. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-tax-refund-phishing-slows/

China-linked Mustang Panda deploys advanced SnakeDisk USB worm

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs – 16 September 2025) China-linked APT group Mustang Panda (aka Hive0154, Camaro Dragon, RedDelta or Bronze President) has been spotted using an updated version of the TONESHELL backdoor and a previously undocumented USB worm called SnakeDisk. Mustang Panda has been active since at least 2012, targeting American and European entities such as government organizations, think tanks, NGOs, and even Catholic organizations at the Vatican. Past campaigns were focused on Asian countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Tibet, and Myanmar. In the 2022 campaigns, threat actors used European Union reports on the conflict in Ukraine and Ukrainian government reports as lures. Upon opening the reports, the infection process starts leading to the deployment of malware on the victim’s system. – https://securityaffairs.com/182257/apt/china-linked-mustang-panda-deploys-advanced-snakedisk-usb-worm.html

Cybercrime group accessed Google Law Enforcement Request System (LERS)

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs – 16 September 2025) Google confirmed that threat actors gained access to its Law Enforcement Request System (LERS) platform by creating a fake account. The Google Law Enforcement Request System (LERS) is a secure online portal for verified government agencies to submit and track legal requests for user data. It enables law enforcement to request information from Google while ensuring compliance with proper legal processes. Recently, the cybercrime group “Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters” claimed on Telegram to have obtained access to Google’s LERS platform and the FBI’s eCheck background check system. – https://securityaffairs.com/182266/security/cybercrime-group-accessed-google-law-enforcement-request-system-lers.html

Gucci and Alexander McQueen Hit by Customer Data Breach

(James Coker – Infosecurity Magazine – 16 September 2025) Luxury fashion brands Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga have suffered a customer data breach, in another attack linked to the ShinyHunters gang. The impacted data reportedly includes details of how much money individual customers have spent with the brands. ShinyHunters has claimed to have harvested data relating to 7.4 million unique email addresses. This according to a sample of files it ShinyHunters claimed to have exfiltrated which was shared with the BBC. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/gucci-mcqueen-customer-breach/

Fifteen Ransomware Gangs “Retire,” Future Unclear

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine – 16 September 2025) Fifteen well-known ransomware groups, including Scattered Spider, ShinyHunters and Lapsus$, have announced that they are shutting down their operations. The collective announcement was posted on Breachforums, where the groups claimed they had achieved their goals of exposing weaknesses in digital infrastructure rather than profiting through extortion. In their statement, the gangs said they would now shift to “silence,” with some members planning to retire on the money they had accumulated, while others would continue studying and improving the systems people rely on daily. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fifteen-ransomware-gangs-retire/

Nork snoops whip up fake South Korean military ID with help from ChatGPT

(The Register – 15 September 2025) North Korean spies used ChatGPT to generate a fake military ID for use in an espionage campaign against a South Korean defense-related institution, according to new research. Kimsuky, a notorious cybercrime squad believed to be sponsored by the North Korean government, used a deepfaked image of a military employee ID card in a July spear-phishing attack against a military-related organization, according to the Genians Security Center (GSC), a South Korean security institute. The file’s metadata indicated it was generated with ChatGPT’s image tools, according to Genians, despite OpenAI’s efforts to block the creation of counterfeit IDs. – https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/15/north_korea_chatgpt_fake_id/

UK ICO finds students behind majority of school data breaches

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs – 15 September 2025) The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), students were responsible for most of the data breaches suffered by the schools in the country. The U.K.’s independent regulator for data protection and information rights also reported that nearly one-third of insider attacks came from students guessing weak passwords or spotting them written on scraps of paper. “Children are hacking into their schools’ computer systems – and it may set them up for a life of cyber crime. That’s the warning from us, as we have spotted a worrying pattern behind the culprits responsible for personal data breach reports from schools.” reads the alert issued by UK ICO. – https://securityaffairs.com/182197/cyber-crime/uk-ico-finds-students-behind-majority-of-school-data-breaches.html

INC ransom group claimed the breach of Panama’s Ministry of Economy and Finance

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs – 15 September 2025) Panama’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) announced that threat actors likely compromised one of its computers. The Ministry immediately activated its security protocols to contain the threat. Panama’s Ministry pointed out that critical systems vital to operations remain safe. In its statement, MEF explained that it detected possible malicious software on a workstation and acted quickly to isolate the threat and protect the rest of the network. – https://securityaffairs.com/182203/data-breach/panamas-ministry-of-economy-and-finance-data-breach.html

Cyber attacks pose growing threat to shipping industry

(DigWatch – 15 September 2025) The maritime industry faces rising cyber threats, with Nigerian gangs among the most active attackers of shipping firms. HFW lawyers say ‘man-in-the-middle’ frauds are now common, letting hackers intercept communications and steal sensitive financial or operational data. Costs from cyber attacks are rising sharply, with average mitigation expenses for shipping firms doubling to $550,000 (£410,000) between 2022 and 2023. In cases where hackers remain embedded, ransom payments can reach $3.2m. – https://dig.watch/updates/cyber-attacks-pose-growing-threat-to-shipping-industry – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36k01513l4o

UK plans AI systems to monitor offenders and prevent crimes before they occur

(DigWatch – 15 September 2025) The UK government is expanding its use of AI across prisons, probation and courts to monitor offenders, assess risk and prevent crime before it occurs under the AI Action Plan. One key measure involves an AI violence prediction tool that uses factors like an offender’s age, past violent incidents and institutional behaviour to identify those most likely to pose risk. – https://dig.watch/updates/uk-plans-ai-systems-to-monitor-offenders-and-prevent-crimes-before-they-occur – https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/ai-will-monitor-offenders-to-prevent-crime-before-it-happens/5124437.article

France Warns Apple Users of New Spyware Campaign

(DigWatch – 15 September 2025) France’s national cybersecurity agency, CERT-FR, has confirmed that Apple issued another set of threat notifications on 3 September 2025. The alerts inform certain users that devices linked to their iCloud accounts may have been targeted by spyware. These latest alerts mark this year’s fourth campaign, following earlier waves in March, April and June. Targeted individuals include journalists, activists, politicians, lawyers and senior officials. – https://dig.watch/updates/apple-notifies-french-users-after-commercial-spyware-threats-surge – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/france-apple-spyware-campaign

Defense, Warfare, Intelligence

Shanghai University’s uncrewed vessels support China’s maritime push

(Astrid Young – ASPI The Strategist – 18 September 2025) ASPI’s newly expanded China Defence Universities Tracker reveals how leading Chinese research institutions, including Shanghai University (SHU), are developing advanced uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to boost China’s military and territorial ambitions. SHU’s Jinghai series are reportedly the first Chinese uncrewed vessels to operate in the South and East China seas and the Antarctic. Equipped with advanced technologies such as radar sensors and control systems, SHU’s USVs conduct scientific missions that enhance China’s maritime domain awareness and its ability to project power in contested waters. USVs are becoming an important capability in the Indo-Pacific’s intensifying maritime contest. As marine vehicles that operate on the surface of the water, USVs are capable of long-endurance autonomy to support research, surveillance and military operations. Like drones, they also function without an onboard crew. – https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/shanghai-universitys-uncrewed-vessels-support-chinas-maritime-push/

US Army puts cybersecurity at the heart of transformation

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) Cybersecurity is a critical element of the US Army’s ongoing transformation and of wider national efforts to safeguard critical infrastructure, according to Brandon Pugh, Principal Cyber Adviser to the Secretary of the Army. Speaking at the Billington CyberSecurity Summit on 11 September, Pugh explained that the Army’s Continuous Transformation initiative is intended to deliver advanced technologies to soldiers more rapidly, ensuring readiness for operational environments where cybersecurity underpins every aspect of activity, from base operations to mobilisation. – https://dig.watch/updates/us-army-puts-cybersecurity-at-the-heart-of-transformation – https://www.army.mil/article/288466/armys_principal_cyber_advisor_says_cyber_key_to_preparing_for_future_fight

War and the Modern Battlefield

(Center for Strategic & International Studies – 16 September 2025) The United States and its allies face one of the most dangerous international security environments in recent history. Russia and Ukraine are locked in Europe’s largest land war since World War II, war has periodically engulfed the Middle East between Israel and Iran, and significant tensions persist in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, East China Sea, and Korean Peninsula. An axis of adversaries that includes China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea may be headed toward deepening bilateral relations. As the chapters in this volume conclude, some aspects of warfare have changed preciously little. The nature of warfare is still, as Clausewitz writes, “an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will.” Several facets of warfare that were central to the Cold War—such as nuclear weapons, irregular warfare, artillery and missiles, national resilience, and the mobilization of society—have returned to the forefront. But there are new dimensions in warfare. There will likely be a proliferation of cheaper and more lethal unmanned systems—air, undersea, surface, and ground. There will also likely be an explosion of open-source intelligence and growing transparency on the battlefield. AI, quantum sensing and computing, biotechnology, space-based sensors, and other technologies may be increasingly important and create a ravenous need for data storage and cloud computing. There is a growing democratization of space thanks to evolving commercial technology. Finally, countries dealing with incoming missile and drone threats are examining new technologies, such as directed energy systems, to defeat and deter air and missile swarms and salvos. Yet the United States is not fully prepared for the rapidly changing character of warfare, its defense industrial base is not ready for a protracted conflict, and its defense budget is significantly lower than at any point during the Cold War as a percentage of gross domestic product. The following chapters explore the evolving character of warfare in such areas as strategy, operations, tactics, and the defense industry. The report closes with an examination of a new offset to deter a rising China. – https://features.csis.org/war-modern-battlefield/

The Evolving Landscape of Military Unmanned Ground Vehicles in the US: Beyond Ordnance Disposal in Modern Warfare

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) UGVs expand beyond EOD: Militaries are moving from bomb disposal to multifunctional unmanned ground vehicles, with the U.S. Army fielding 675 robotic mules and DARPA pursuing autonomous medical robots. Army shifts strategy: The Robotic Combat Vehicle program has been halted, with $15.5 million awarded to startups in 2025 to develop autonomy kits for the Infantry Squad Vehicle instead. Ukraine proves the concept: With over 15,000 UGVs deployed in 2025, Ukraine has pioneered low-cost mini-tanks like the $26k DevDroid TW 12.7 and even executed the first “all-robot raid.” – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/13/the-evolving-landscape-of-military-unmanned-ground-vehicles-in-the-us-beyond-ordnance-disposal-in-modern-warfare/

AI-Forged Military IDs Used in North Korean Phishing Attack

(James Coker – Infosecurity Magazine – 15 September 2025) A North Korean threat actor has leveraged AI to create fake South Korean military agency ID card images used in a spear-phishing campaign, according to cybersecurity firm Genians. The Kimsuky state-affiliated group was observed using ChatGPT to produce the sample ID card images to help lure the victims into clicking a malicious link. The attackers impersonated a South Korean defense-related institution, claiming to handle ID issuance tasks for military-affiliated officials. The AI-generated ID cards were designed to enhance the authenticity of the phishing email. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ai-military-ids-north-korea/

Frontiers

How to Invest in Quantum Stocks — A Guide to Long-term Investing in Quantum Technology

(Quantum Insider – 20 September 2025) Quantum computing is emerging as a high-risk, high-potential sector where governments and corporations are investing billions, creating opportunities for early investors. Long-term investors should consider the unique challenges, along with the opportunities, before exposing themselves to the risks of placing money in this emerging quantum technology landscape, including the technology’s scientific advances — and remaining engineering hurdles. Publicly traded options include pure-play companies such as IonQ, Rigetti, and D-Wave, alongside diversified giants like IBM, Honeywell, Google, Microsoft, Fujitsu, and NVIDIA that provide exposure while anchored in broader businesses. Key investor signals include benchmarks like quantum volume, fidelities, and error correction, as well as progress in adjacent markets such as quantum communication and sensing. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/09/20/how-to-invest-in-quantum-stocks-a-guide-to-long-term-investing-in-quantum-technology/

NIST Cybersecurity Center Outlines Roadmap for Secure Migration

(Quantum Insider – 19 September 2025) NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has released a preliminary draft guide warning that migration to post-quantum cryptography will take years and must begin now. The draft outlines risks from quantum computers to widely used algorithms such as RSA and ECDH, and recommends concrete steps including cryptographic inventories, discovery tools, and risk-based migration playbooks. NIST and industry collaborators will test interoperability and performance of new quantum-resistant algorithms in protocols and hardware, with lessons to inform future standards and practice guides. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/09/19/nist-cybersecurity-center-outlines-roadmap-for-secure-migration/

SEEQC And NQCC Announce Digital Interface System For Scalable Quantum Error Correction in Collaboration with NVIDIA

(Quantum Insider – 19 September 2025) SEEQC, the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), and NVIDIA demonstrated the first digital interface system linking quantum processors with supercomputing hardware to support scalable quantum error correction. The system combines SEEQC’s digital quantum-classical interface with NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q GPU decoders, enabling real-time, ultra-low latency error correction with up to 1,000× more efficient data throughput compared to analogue systems. Hosted at the NQCC, the technology showcases UK leadership in quantum-HPC integration and is purpose-built to accelerate energy-efficient, quantum-enhanced AI and heterogeneous computing at scale. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/09/19/seeqc-and-nqcc-announce-digital-interface-system-for-scalable-quantum-error-correction-in-collaboration-with-nvidia/

Marine Biologics Partners with Molecular Quantum Solutions to Accelerate Next-Generation Biomaterials Development

(Quantum Insider – 19 September 2025) Marine Biologics has formed an exclusive partnership with Molecular Quantum Solutions (MQS) to commercialize MQS’s quantum-powered modeling and machine learning tools for marine-derived bioproducts. MQS’s Cebule™ physics engine will integrate with Marine Biologics’ MacroLink™ AI platform, compressing ingredient discovery timelines from years to months for food, cosmetic, and biomaterial applications. The collaboration targets the $121 billion clean functional ingredients market by accelerating the development of seaweed-derived proteins, natural replacements, bioactives, and sustainable packaging materials. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/09/19/marine-biologics-partners-with-molecular-quantum-solutions-to-accelerate-next-generation-biomaterials-development/

ABB and LandingAI Unleash the Power of Generative AI for Robotic Vision

(AI Insider – 19 September 2025) ABB Robotics invested in LandingAI and will integrate its LandingLens vision AI into ABB’s software suite to make robot vision faster, more intuitive, and accessible beyond traditional manufacturing. The collaboration targets up to an 80% reduction in training and deployment time and enables end users and integrators to self-retrain models for item-picking, sorting, depalletizing, and quality inspection across logistics, healthcare, and food & beverage. The undisclosed venture investment via ABB Robotics Ventures complements RobotStudio digital-twin tools, aiming to shift installations from weeks to hours and advance ABB’s roadmap toward autonomous, versatile robots. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/19/abb-and-landingai-unleash-the-power-of-generative-ai-for-robotic-vision/

Micropolis Showcases Innovative Robotic Forestry Robot Alongside Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi at the 7th Annual ADNOC Safety Day 2025

(AI Insider – 19 September 2025) Micropolis (NYSE: MCRP) joined the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi at ADNOC’s annual Safety Day to demo its AI-driven Robotic Forestry Unit to leaders across ADNOC’s global operations. The event, themed “Safe by Choice, Not by Chance,” promoted collaboration and advanced technologies like AI to strengthen safety culture and workforce well-being. Micropolis’s unit targets reforestation and ecosystem restoration in areas affected by desertification, wildfires, or climate degradation, aligning with ADNOC’s safety and sustainability priorities. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/19/micropolis-showcases-innovative-robotic-forestry-robot-alongside-environment-agency-abu-dhabi-at-the-7th-annual-adnoc-safety-day-2025/

Copilot experience refreshed as Microsoft rolls out new Teams AI agents

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) Microsoft has announced new AI agents for Microsoft Teams, designed to summarise conversations, automate workflows, and enhance collaboration. The tools are available in public preview for organisations with Microsoft 365 Copilot licences. Each Teams channel can now have a dedicated channel agent that summarises discussions, assigns tasks in Planner, and joins meetings when needed. A facilitator agent can automate agendas, take notes, assign tasks, and manage time tracking during meetings. – https://dig.watch/updates/copilot-experience-refreshed-as-microsoft-rolls-out-new-teams-ai-agents – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/09/18/microsoft-365-copilot-enabling-human-agent-teams/

AI agent headlines Notion 3.0 rollout

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Notion has officially entered the agent era with the launch of Notion Agent, the centrepiece of its Notion 3.0 rollout. Described as a ‘teammate and Notion super user,’ the AI agent is designed to automate work inside and beyond Notion. The new tool can automatically build pages and databases, search across connected tools like Slack, and perform up to 20 minutes of autonomous work at a time. Notion says this enables faster, more efficient workflows across hundreds of pages simultaneously. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-agent-headlines-notion-3-0-rollout – https://www.notion.com/blog/introducing-notion-3-0

Lenovo unveils AI Super Agents for next-generation automation

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Lenovo is pushing into the next phase of AI with the launch of its AI Super Agents, designed to move beyond reactive systems and perform complex, multi-step tasks autonomously. The company describes the technology as a cognitive operating system capable of orchestrating multiple specialised agents to deliver results across devices and enterprise systems. – https://dig.watch/updates/lenovo-unveils-ai-super-agents-for-next-generation-automation – https://news.lenovo.com/beyond-agentic-next-phase-of-orchestrated-ai-transformation/

Intel to design custom CPUs as part of NVIDIA AI partnership

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) The two US tech firms, NVIDIA and Intel, have announced a major partnership to develop multiple generations of AI infrastructure and personal computing products. They say that the collaboration will merge NVIDIA’s leadership in accelerated computing with Intel’s expertise in CPUs and advanced manufacturing. For data centres, Intel will design custom x86 CPUs for NVIDIA, which will be integrated into the company’s AI platforms to power hyperscale and enterprise workloads. – https://dig.watch/updates/intel-to-design-custom-cpus-as-part-of-nvidia-ai-partnership – https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-and-intel-to-develop-ai-infrastructure-and-personal-computing-products

Google adds AI features to Chrome browser on Android and desktop

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Alphabet’s Google has announced new AI-powered features for its Chrome browser that aim to make web browsing more proactive instead of reactive. The update centres on integrating Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, into Chrome to provide contextual support across tabs and tasks. The AI assistant will help students and professionals manage large numbers of open tabs by summarising articles, answering questions, and recalling previously visited pages. It will also connect with Google services such as Docs and Calendar, offering smoother workflows on desktop and mobile devices. – https://dig.watch/updates/google-adds-ai-features-to-chrome-browser-on-android-and-desktop – https://blog.google/products/chrome/new-ai-features-for-chrome/

Xbox app introduces Microsoft’s AI Copilot in beta

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Microsoft has launched the beta version of Copilot for Gaming, an AI-powered assistant within the Xbox mobile app for iOS and Android. The early rollout covers over 50 regions, including India, the US, Japan, Australia, and Singapore. Access is limited to users aged 18 and above, and the assistant currently supports English instead of other languages, with broader language support expected in future updates. – https://dig.watch/updates/xbox-app-introduces-microsofts-ai-copilot-in-beta

AI tool combines breast cancer and heart disease screening

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Scientists from Australian universities and The George Institute for Global Health have developed an AI tool that analyses mammograms and a woman’s age to predict her risk of heart-related hospitalisation or death within 10 years. Published in Heart on 17 September, the study highlights the lack of routine heart disease screening for women, despite cardiovascular conditions causing 35% of female deaths. The tool delivers a two-in-one health check by integrating heart risk prediction into breast cancer screening. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-tool-combines-breast-cancer-and-heart-disease-screening – https://www.georgeinstitute.org/news-and-media/news/new-ai-algorithm-uses-mammograms-to-accurately-predict-cardiovascular-risk-in-women

New Amazon AI transforms seller experience

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Amazon has unveiled a significant upgrade to its Seller Assistant, evolving the tool into an agentic AI-powered partner that can actively help sellers manage and grow their businesses. Powered by Amazon Bedrock and using advanced models from Amazon Nova and Anthropic Claude, the AI can respond to queries and plan, reason, and act with a seller’s permission. Independent sellers now have an assistant operating around the clock while controlling them. – https://dig.watch/updates/new-amazon-ai-transforms-seller-experience – https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/seller-assistant-agentic-ai

Huawei unveils roadmap for next-generation AI super pods

(DigWatch – 19 September 2025) Huawei chairman Xu outlined the company’s roadmap for AI computing platforms, revealing plans to launch the Atlas 950 SuperPoD in Q4 2026. The system will use over 8,000 Ascend GPUs across 128 racks, covering 1,000 sq metres, and offer 6.7 times more computing power and 15 times more memory. A year later, the Atlas 960 SuperPod will debut with up to 15,488 Ascend 960 chips, achieving 30 exaflops of computing power and 4,460TB of memory. Xu said the two systems will stay the world’s most potent super nodes, with uses beyond AI in general-purpose computing in China. – https://dig.watch/updates/huawei-unveils-roadmap-for-next-generation-ai-super-pods – https://www.huawei.com/en/news/2025/9/hc-xu-keynote-speech

First quantum-AI data centre launched in New York City

(DigWatch – 17 September 2025) Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) and Digital Realty have launched the first quantum-AI data centre in New York City at the JFK10 facility, powered by Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips. The project combines superconducting quantum computers with AI supercomputing under one roof. OQC’s GENESIS quantum computer is the first to be deployed in a New York data centre, designed to support hybrid workloads and enterprise adoption. Future GENESIS systems will ship with Nvidia accelerated computing and CUDA-Q integration as standard. – https://dig.watch/updates/first-quantum-ai-data-centre-launched-in-new-york-city – https://oqc.tech/company/newsroom/oqc-quantum-ai-data-centre

Bluefors Enters Deal to Secure Lunar Helium-3 Supply From Interlune

(Quantum  Insider – 17 September 2025) Bluefors has agreed to purchase up to 10,000 liters of helium-3 annually from Interlune between 2028 and 2037 to secure supply for quantum technology. Helium-3 is extremely scarce on Earth but abundant on the Moon, where Interlune plans to harvest it using lightweight, energy-efficient lunar extraction systems. The deal aims to stabilize the quantum computing supply chain as demand for helium-3 rises with the growth of dilution refrigerators and large-scale quantum computers. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/09/17/bluefors-enters-deal-to-secure-lunar-helium-3-supply-from-interlune/

Robo.ai Inc. and Strategic Partners to Establish ‘Robo.ai Industrial City’

(AI Insider – 17 September 2025) Robo.ai (NASDAQ: AIIO) signed a final JV with JW Group and Ferox Investments to build “Robo.ai Industrial City” in Dubai Industrial City, advancing its Smart Mobility, Smart City, and Smart Asset strategy in line with the UAE’s “We the UAE 2031” vision. The venture will produce and sell smart vehicles (passenger and commercial), eVTOL aircraft, smart logistics/delivery hardware, and other smart devices, serving as a key manufacturing and innovation base for Robo.ai. Partners will combine strengths—Robo.ai’s tech, supply chain, and IP; JW Group’s land, facilities, and local support; Ferox’s commercial scenarios and market expansion—leveraging the site’s proximity to ports, airports, rail, and highways to scale projects including the RoVTOL eVTOL business. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/17/robo-ai-inc-and-strategic-partners-to-establish-robo-ai-industrial-city/

Biostate AI Launches an AI Agent That Compresses Research Cycles from Years to Days

(AI Insider – 17 September 2025) Biostate AI launched K-Dense Beta, a multi-agent AI research system designed to compress scientific research cycles from years to days while eliminating generative AI hallucinations. In testing with Harvard Medical School, K-Dense built a transcriptomic aging clock from 600,000 profiles, revealing stage-specific gene predictors of aging and completing work in weeks that normally takes years. Built on Google Cloud’s Gemini 2.5 Pro, K-Dense outperformed frontier models on a leading bioinformatics benchmark and is being validated with academic, biotech, and pharmaceutical partners worldwide. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/17/biostate-ai-launches-an-ai-agent-that-compresses-research-cycles-from-years-to-days/

Scientists grow mini-brains in lab to unlock energy-efficient artificial intelligence

(Interesting Engineering – 17 September 2025) Researchers at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania are leading an ambitious project to study how tiny lab-grown brain samples, called brain organoids, can process information to design smarter and more energy-efficient artificial intelligence. Led by Professor Yevgeny Berdichevsky, the project has received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/lab-grown-brains-for-ai

CaPow and All American Supply Chain Company Announce Strategic Partnership to Drive Uptime in Mobile Robotics

(AI Insider – 17 September 2025) CaPow and All American Supply Chain Company (AASCC) formed a VAR partnership to deploy CaPow’s Power-in-Motion™ energy solution across warehouses and distribution centers. The system powers AMRs, AGVs, ASRS, and pallet shuttles while moving, eliminating charging downtime to boost throughput, reduce fleet size, reclaim floor space, and accelerate ROI. The collaboration builds on results such as Hyundai Glovis, where robots ran full shifts with no downtime versus ~33% efficiency loss in traditional fleets, with AASCC providing integration and optimization expertise. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/16/capow-and-all-american-supply-chain-company-announce-strategic-partnership-to-drive-uptime-in-mobile-robotics/

Demand AI Group Secures $2.5M in Funding from International Institutional and Local Investors

(AI Insider – 17 September 2025) Demand AI Group closed a $2.5M investment round from international institutions and local partners to accelerate its global expansion and strengthen its AI-powered B2B marketing and lead-generation platform. Founded earlier this year by Michael and Charlie Whife, the company has already established operations in nine countries and is positioned to disrupt traditional demand-generation models with proprietary AI-driven systems. The funding will support new offices in Europe and Asia-Pacific, scaling sales and delivery teams, further AI development, and strategic acquisitions to consolidate market share. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/17/demand-ai-group-secures-2-5m-in-funding-from-international-institutional-and-local-investors/

Nebius Launches Nebius Robotics and Physical AI Awards

(AI Insider – 16 September 2025) Nebius launched the global Robotics and Physical AI Awards to spotlight startups/scale-ups in embodied robotics, autonomous systems, and streaming video analytics, with winners announced Dec. 9, 2025 at the Computer History Museum and prizes up to $100,000 in Nebius AI Cloud compute (on NVIDIA infrastructure) plus visibility and access. Five categories: Foundation Models/Robot Brains & Runtime; Data Engines/Synthetic Data & Simulation; Industrial Robotics Deployment; Vision AI & Streaming Video Analytics; Benchmarking/Visualization/Evaluation Platforms. Entries will be judged by leaders from Nebius, NVIDIA, and other tech/academic institutions on innovation, real-world implementation, market potential, product-market fit, and responsible impact, alongside a co-located summit of panels, networking, and showcases. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/16/nebius-launches-nebius-robotics-and-physical-ai-awards/

OranAI Raises Multi-Million-Dollar Angel Funding to Lead AI Content Marketing Through Its AI Agent PhotoG

(AI Insider – 16 September 2025) OranAI raised a multi-million-dollar angel round to expand its next-gen AI marketing platform and strengthen its flagship AI Marketing Agent, PhotoG, which automates insights, content creation, and publishing at scale. Founded in 2024, the company has surpassed $1.4M in revenue and 40 enterprise clients within six months, serving industries like beauty, FMCG, fashion, and consumer electronics with its suite of tools including PhotoG, DataG, and VoyaAI. OranAI has built the world’s largest AI model library with a compliance-first framework and is developing a multimodal “commercial brain” to deliver personalized, safe, and results-driven campaigns for global brands. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/16/oranai-raises-multi-million-dollar-angel-funding-to-lead-ai-content-marketing-through-its-ai-agent-photog/

Penguin Ai Secures $29.7M in Venture Funding to Tackle the $1 Trillion Administrative Burden in the Healthcare Industry

(AI Insider – 16 September 2025) Penguin Ai raised $29.7M in venture funding, including a $25M Series A led by Greycroft with participation from UPMC Enterprises, SemperVirens, Snowflake Ventures, and others, to support hiring, product development, and scaling with payers and providers. Founded by former UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and Optum executive Fawad Butt, the company’s generative AI platform streamlines high-volume administrative workflows like claims, authorizations, and coding, cutting costs and boosting efficiency. With early partnerships, proprietary healthcare LLMs, and Digital Workers, Penguin Ai aims to reduce the $1T annual cost of healthcare administration while transforming operations for health plans, providers, and technology partners. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/16/penguin-ai-secures-29-7m-in-venture-funding-to-tackle-the-1-trillion-administrative-burden-in-the-healthcare-industry/

Dyna Robotics Raises $120 Million to Advance Robotic Foundation Models on the Path to Physical Artificial General Intelligence

(AI Insider – 16 September 2025) Dyna Robotics raised $120 million Series A led by Robostrategy, CRV, and First Round Capital, with participation from Salesforce Ventures, NVentures (NVIDIA), Amazon, Samsung, and LG to expand its team and accelerate development of its next-generation robotics foundation model. The company’s DYNA-1 model has demonstrated a 99%+ success rate in 24-hour continuous operation and is already deployed at hotels, restaurants, laundromats, and gyms, showing real-world scalability and generalization. Founded by Lindon Gao, York Yang, and ex-DeepMind scientist Jason Ma, Dyna is positioning itself at the forefront of embodied AI and physical AGI, leveraging on-the-job learning to build general-purpose commercial robots. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/16/dyna-robotics-raises-120-million-to-advance-robotic-foundation-models-on-the-path-to-physical-artificial-general-intelligence/

What Are ChatGPT’s 700 Million Users Working on? What the Data Reveal About How People Actually Use AI

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) ChatGPT has reached 700 million weekly active users worldwide, with more than 2.5 billion daily messages exchanged, according to new research by OpenAI and academic collaborators. The majority of usage is consumer-driven, with over 70% of interactions unrelated to work and most conversations falling into Practical Guidance, Seeking Information, or Writing. At work, Writing dominates professional use while programming remains a small share, and overall usage is converging on decision support and information tasks across industries. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/what-are-chatgpts-700-million-users-working-on-what-the-data-reveal-about-how-people-actually-use-ai/

Replit Closes $250M in Funding to Build on Customer Momentum

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) Replit raised $250M at a $3B valuation, led by Prysm Capital with participation from Amex Ventures, Google’s AI Futures Fund, a16z, YC, and others, following explosive revenue growth from $2.8M to $150M in under a year and a community of 40M+ users. The company launched Agent 3, its most autonomous AI agent to date, capable of testing, fixing, and building custom workflows, marking a shift from assistant to true collaborator in software creation. Funding will drive global expansion, product development, and enterprise adoption, with Replit now available via Google Cloud Marketplace and positioned as a leading agentic AI platform for both individuals and businesses. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/replit-closes-250m-in-funding-to-build-on-customer-momentum/

Solenery Secures Pre-Seed Funding to Scale AI-Powered Clean Energy Platform

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) Solenery, an AI-powered clean-energy platform, secured $750K in pre-seed funding from an angel investor to develop its core technology, data infrastructure, product groundwork, and compliance readiness. Founded by Arshia Jahangiri, the platform uses AI and data to simplify solar and net-zero adoption, offering users instant feasibility snapshots, cost projections, rebates, and savings insights through a transparent, user-friendly interface. The funding will support AI model development, secure data pipelines, pilot programs, and a knowledge hub, positioning Solenery as a trusted partner in Canada’s clean-energy transition. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/solenery-secures-pre-seed-funding-to-scale-ai-powered-clean-energy-platform/

PixVerse Raises $60M Series B to Accelerate Global AI Video Adoption

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) PixVerse, the AI video platform with 100M+ users, raised $60M in Series B led by Alibaba and Antler to accelerate global adoption of its video creation tools. The company launched PixVerse V5, improving motion quality and text-to-video performance, while milestones like its viral “Venom Effect” and first 4K AI video model fueled rapid growth across 175+ countries. Expanding beyond entertainment into advertising, e-commerce, education, and gaming, PixVerse was recognized at the UN AI for Good Summit and continues promoting accessible and responsible AI video creation worldwide. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/pixverse-raises-60m-series-b-to-accelerate-global-ai-video-adoption/

Conceivable Life Sciences Secures $50 Million Series A to Launch World’s First AI-Powered Automated IVF Lab

(AI Insider – 15 September  2025) Conceivable Life Sciences raised a $50M Series A (total funding $70M) to commercialize AURA, an AI-powered automated IVF lab that standardizes more than 200 steps to improve pregnancy outcomes. The round was led by Advance Venture Partners with ARTIS Ventures, Stride, and ACME participating, funding a U.S. debut next year and expanded fertility-network partnerships in 2026. The company is in active clinical operations with a 100-patient pilot and reports 18 healthy babies from earlier prototypes, aiming to reduce IVF variability while easing capacity and cost/access constraints. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/conceivable-life-sciences-secures-50-million-series-a-to-launch-worlds-first-ai-powered-automated-ivf-lab/

Amazon’s Zoox Launches Robotaxi on Las Vegas Strip

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) Zoox launched what it says is the first fully autonomous ride-hailing service using a purpose-built robotaxi, offering free rides on and around the Las Vegas Strip via its iOS and Android app. The rollout uses fixed ride-hail zones and on-site concierges at partner locations, with app features for vehicle ID, ETAs, live updates, and feedback, and will transition to paid service pending regulatory approval. Riders can book among select destinations including Resorts World Las Vegas, AREA15, and Topgolf, with more Las Vegas stops planned and a waitlist open for a future San Francisco launch. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/amazons-zoox-launches-robotaxi-on-las-vegas-strip/

Ouster Announces Strategic Partnership with Constellis to Bring Physical AI to Advanced Security Operations

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) Ouster and Constellis formed a strategic partnership to deliver a unified, AI-driven security solution worldwide by integrating Constellis’ LEXSO platform with Ouster Gemini and digital lidar. LEXSO fuses lidar, radar, thermal, acoustic, and video data into a single real-time operating picture, with Ouster’s AI processing 3D lidar for analytics, threat classification, and automated response. The combined system targets advanced 3D situational awareness in harsh conditions, fewer false alarms, faster decision-making, and seamless integration with existing public- and private-sector security infrastructures. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/ouster-announces-strategic-partnership-with-constellis-to-bring-physical-ai-to-advanced-security-operations/

Spacer Robotics Unveils GRID: The First Step Toward Autonomous Construction on the Moon

(AI Insider – 15 September 2025) Spacer Robotics unveiled GRID, an autonomous rebar-tying robot, with a Sept. 11, 2025 public debut at its San Francisco HQ to automate one of construction’s most repetitive and injury-prone tasks. GRID integrates sensor fusion with SLAM and LiDAR, offers universal rebar compatibility and an RGB smart-sensor suite, auto-feeding wire reels with tie counts, and up to 14 hours of battery life with standard-outlet charging. Targeting a market projected to grow from $1.18B (2023) to $2.5B (2032), CEO and Tesla/Scania/Nuro veteran Lesya Hendrix frames GRID as a step toward safer, more efficient sites and a long-term vision for autonomous construction on the Moon. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/15/spacer-robotics-unveils-grid-the-first-step-toward-autonomous-construction-on-the-moon/

Medra Launches Continuous Science Platform to Power the Scientific Frontier

(AI Insider – 13 September 2025) Medra launched its Continuous Science Platform, a first-of-its-kind system that integrates robotics and AI to accelerate scientific data generation and discovery. The platform combines Physical AI—general purpose robots with vision and language understanding that automate up to 70% of lab instruments and generate rich metadata—with Scientific AI reasoning models that analyze this “Infra-data” and suggest new experiments. By creating a closed-loop, self-improving system, Medra aims to overcome data scarcity in science, compressing decades of discovery into months and enabling frontier models to reach the scale needed to tackle challenges like disease eradication. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/09/13/medra-launches-continuous-science-platform-to-power-the-scientific-frontier/

Quantum breakthroughs could threaten Bitcoin in the 2030s

(DigWatch  – 15 September 2025) The rise of quantum computing is sparking fresh concerns over the long-term security of Bitcoin. Unlike classical systems, quantum machines could eventually break the cryptography protecting digital assets. Experts warn that Shor’s algorithm, once run on a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, could recover private keys from public ones in hours, leaving exposed funds vulnerable. Analysts see the mid-to-late 2030s as the key period for cryptographically relevant breakthroughs. – https://dig.watch/updates/quantum-breakthroughs-could-threaten-bitcoin-in-the-2030s – https://finbold.com/chatgpt-5-sets-timeline-when-quantum-computers-will-break-bitcoins-encryption/