Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (2 December 2025) – https://pam.int/daily-digest-on-ai-and-emerging-technologies-2-december-2025/

Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (3 December 2025) – https://pam.int/daily-digest-on-ai-and-emerging-technologies-3-december-2025/

Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (4 December 2025) – https://pam.int/daily-digest-on-ai-and-emerging-technologies-4-december-2025/

Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (5 December 2025) – https://pam.int/daily-digest-on-ai-and-emerging-technologies-5-december-2025/

 

Governance

Will the AI boom hold or collapse?

(DigWatch) Global investment in AI has soared to unprecedented heights, yet the technology’s real-world adoption lags far behind the market’s feverish expectations. Despite trillions of dollars in valuations and a global AI market projected to reach nearly $5 trillion by 2033, mounting evidence suggests that companies struggle to translate AI pilots into meaningful results. – https://dig.watch/updates/will-the-ai-boom-hold-or-collapse

Cyber Resilience Act signals a major shift in EU product security

(DigWatch) EU regulators are preparing to enforce the Cyber Resilience Act, setting core security requirements for digital products in the European market. The law spans software, hardware, and firmware, establishing shared expectations for secure development and maintenance. Scope captures apps, embedded systems, and cloud-linked features. Risk classes run from default to critical, directing firms to self-assess or undergo third-party checks. Any product sold beyond December 2027 must align with the regulation. – https://dig.watch/updates/cyber-resilience-act-signals-a-major-shift-in-eu-product-security

Revision 2 of the WSIS+20 outcome document released

(DigWatch) About two weeks ahead of the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting dedicated to the 20-year review of the implementation of outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), a new version of the outcome document has been released. We look at some of the main changes compared to the zero draft. – https://dig.watch/updates/revision-2-of-the-wsis20-outcome-document-released

Campaigning in the age of generative AI

(DigWatch) Generative AI is rapidly altering the political campaign landscape, argues the ORF article, which outlines how election teams worldwide are adopting AI tools for persuasion, outreach and content creation. Campaigns can now generate customised messages for different voter groups, produce multilingual content at scale, and automate much of the traditional grunt work of campaigning. – https://dig.watch/updates/campaigning-in-the-age-of-generative-ai

Canada sets national guidelines for equitable AI

(DigWatch) Canada released the CAN-ASC-6.2 – Accessible and Equitable Artificial Intelligence Systems standard, marking the first national standard focused specifically on accessible AI. A framework that ensures AI systems are inclusive, fair, and accessible from design through deployment. Its release coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, emphasising Canada’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion. – https://dig.watch/updates/canada-sets-national-guidelines-for-equitable-ai

Legal sector urged to plan for cultural change around AI

(DigWatch) A digital agency has released new guidance to help legal firms prepare for wider AI adoption. The report urges practitioners to assess cultural readiness before committing to major technology investment. – https://dig.watch/updates/legal-sector-urged-to-plan-for-cultural-change-around-ai

FCA begins live AI testing with UK financial firms

(DigWatch) The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has started a live testing programme for AI with major financial firms. The initiative aims to explore AI’s benefits and risks in retail financial services while ensuring safe and responsible deployment. – https://dig.watch/updates/fca-begins-live-ai-testing-with-uk-financial-firms

AI and automation need human oversight in decision-making

(DigWatch) Leaders from academia and industry in Hyderabad, India are stressing that humans must remain central in decision-making as AI and automation expand across society. Collaborative intelligence, combining AI experts, domain specialists and human judgement, is seen as essential for responsible adoption. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-and-automation-need-human-oversight-in-decision-making

The EU’s Fine Against X is Not About Speech or ‘Censorship’

(Daphne Keller – Tech Policy Press) Don’t let anyone — not even the United States Secretary of State — tell you that the European Commission’s €120 million enforcement against Elon Musk’s X under the Digital Service Act (DSA) is about censorship or about what speech users can post on the platform. That would, indeed, be interesting. But this fine is just the EU enforcing some normal, boring requirements of its law. Many of these requirements resemble existing US laws or proposals that have garnered bipartisan support. There are three charges against X, which all stem from a multi-year investigation that was launched in 2023. One is about verification — X’s blue checkmarks on user accounts — and two are about transparency. These charges have nothing to do with what content is on X, or what user speech the platform should or should not allow. There is plenty of EU political disapproval about those things, for sure. But the EU didn’t choose to pick a fight about them. Instead, it went after X for violating much more basic, straightforward provisions of the DSA. Those violations were flagrant enough that it would be weird if the EU hadn’t issued a fine. – https://www.techpolicy.press/the-eus-fine-against-x-is-not-about-speech-or-censorship/

Trump Administration Locks Arms with Musk’s X Against EU Tech Enforcement

(Cristiano Lima-Strong – Tech Policy Press) Top Trump administration officials banded together to denounce the European Union on Friday after the bloc fined Elon Musk’s X platform €120 million for breaching its landmark Digital Services Act regulation. The move, the EU’s first non-compliance decision under the rules since they entered into force in 2022, faced withering criticism from senior members of the Trump administration, who in recent months have mounted an increasingly aggressive campaign targeting foreign rules on tech companies. US officials struck a defiant tone, with some suggesting the country may consider a response. – https://www.techpolicy.press/trump-administration-locks-arms-with-musks-x-against-eu-tech-enforcement/

Brussels Fines Musk’s X €120M, Firing Shot in Transatlantic Tech Showdown

(Ramsha Jahangir – Tech Policy Press) The European Commission on Friday fined Elon Musk’s X €120 million for breaching multiple transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, delivering the first-ever non-compliance decision under the EU’s flagship tech regulation. Friday’s decision comes nearly a year after the Commission opened formal proceedings against X. The Commission found X guilty of three core violations: deceiving users with its paid blue checkmark system, failing to maintain a functioning ad transparency repository, and blocking researchers from accessing public data on the platform. According to EU officials, the platform’s design choices “undermined accountability, obscured risks, and exposed users to manipulation and fraud.” – https://www.techpolicy.press/brussels-fines-musks-x-120m-firing-shot-in-transatlantic-tech-showdown/

Can Europe Build Digital Sovereignty While Safeguarding Its Rights Legacy?

(Nicole Manger, Vidisha Mishra – Tech Policy Press) The European Digital Summit in Berlin last month marked a decisive shift in Europe’s approach to digital governance. Convened by Germany and France, the Summit signaled that Europe is moving beyond its decade-long identity as the global benchmark for digital regulation. The shift is industrial and security-driven: 80 percent of Europe’s digital infrastructure relies on non-European providers, creating a strategic dependence governments can no longer ignore. German Chancellor Merz made the stakes explicit: “Europe’s digital sovereignty is central to Europe and to our common values, but also to the competitiveness of our economy, to our security, and to our defense.”. But urgency comes with consequences. As Europe accelerates its sovereignty agenda, it faces a defining tension: in building autonomy at speed, it risks trading its rights-based governance legacy for a defense-centric model that could undermine the very democratic values it seeks to protect. – https://www.techpolicy.press/can-europe-build-digital-sovereignty-while-safeguarding-its-rights-legacy/

India Oversteps and (Partially) Backtracks on Plans to Intrude into Mobile Devices

(Prateek Waghre – Tech Policy Press) Citing cybersecurity and fraud concerns, over the past week, India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has issued new directives that significantly extend the government’s reach into citizens’ personal devices and private lives. These include a November 28 order mandating the installation of the Sanchar Saathi (which roughly translates to ‘communication companion’) app on all mobile devices. Another set of directions, also dated November 28, mandate SIM binding for ‘app based communication services,’ a practice that links a user’s identity to a specific SIM card in a device. A third order, about which little is known at this stage, directs social media and messaging apps to integrate DoT’s Financial Fraud Risk Indicator and a blocklist of suspended mobile numbers, according to The Hindu. While some of the challenges with fraudulent activity and cybercrime require well-considered responses, the government’s confusing directions set worrying precedents and have troubling implications both in terms of the specifics they prescribe and the direction they indicate for regulatory interventions in the medium-to-long term. – https://www.techpolicy.press/india-oversteps-and-partially-backtracks-on-plans-to-intrude-into-mobile-devices/

Courts and Litigation

Chicago Tribune Files Federal Copyright Lawsuit Against Perplexity Over Unauthorized AI Use of News Content

(AI Insider) The Chicago Tribune has initiated legal action against AI search company Perplexity, alleging systemic copyright infringement tied to its use of Tribune journalism in AI-generated responses. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, claims Perplexity is reproducing Tribune content verbatim despite earlier assurances from the company that it did not use the newspaper’s work to train its models. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/chicago-tribune-files-federal-copyright-lawsuit-against-perplexity-over-unauthorized-ai-use-of-news-content/

Geostrategies

The G20 is moving forward on global AI governance—and the US risks being left out

(Konstantinos Komaitis – Atlantic Council) Something notable happened in Johannesburg late last month, although it drew limited attention in Washington: Many of the world’s major economies signaled a growing alignment around how artificial intelligence (AI) and data should be approached—not primarily as instruments of geopolitical competition, but as vehicles for inclusive and sustainable development. The Group of Twenty (G20) leaders’ declaration, adopted despite uneven participation among several countries, reflects an important shift in how states are positioning themselves on AI governance. It offers a snapshot of an emerging global conversation that increasingly links AI to development goals and digital equity. And the United States was not part of that moment. – https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/the-g20-is-moving-forward-on-global-ai-governance-and-the-us-risks-being-left-out/

Australia, Canada and India team up for technology future

(Saima Afzal – ASPI The Strategist) Without careful coordination, the Australia–Canada–India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership risks becoming another partnership that under-delivers on its ambitious objectives. Managed effectively, however, it could form the nucleus of an intercontinental democratic technology coalition, combining complementary strengths in technology, minerals and clean energy. Australia, Canada and India launched the ACITI partnership at the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November, at a time when critical minerals, clean-energy supply chains and artificial intelligence are emerging as key areas of global competition. The initiative reflects a growing impulse to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities, accelerate green energy innovation, and shape emerging technology norms. Its value hinges on whether the three partners can reconcile differing regulatory systems, industrial priorities and commercial approaches. – https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australia-canada-and-india-team-up-for-technology-future/

The Genesis Mission: Can the United States’ Bet on AI Revitalize U.S. Science?

(Navin Girishankar and Chris Borges – CSIS) On November 24, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order launching the Genesis Mission with an audacious goal: to double U.S. scientific productivity in 10 years using AI. The administration frames it as this generation’s Manhattan Project—a national mobilization to accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen national security, and restore U.S. technological leadership against the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The initiative brings together elements of the administration’s AI Action Plan, which includes a goal of revitalizing the U.S. scientific enterprise, and the president’s March 2025 letter to his science advisor, Michael Kratsios, which urges a renewal of U.S. capacity for breakthrough innovation. –  https://www.csis.org/analysis/genesis-mission-can-united-states-bet-ai-revitalize-us-science

Nexus Venture Partners Launches $700M Fund to Back AI Innovation and India’s Expanding Digital Economy

(AI Insider) Nexus Venture Partners has announced a $700 million fund that will invest across two core pillars: next-generation AI startups and fast-growing India-focused companies in consumer, fintech, logistics, and digital infrastructure. The firm says its strategy is designed to participate in AI’s accelerating global impact while maintaining balance across a diverse market with rising technology adoption. Headquartered in Delaware with investment teams in Menlo Park, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Nexus has operated a unified U.S.–India model since its founding in 2006. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/nexus-venture-partners-launches-700m-fund-to-back-ai-innovation-and-indias-expanding-digital-economy/

OpenAI launches nationwide AI initiative in Australia

(DigWatch) OpenAI has launched OpenAI for Australia, a nationwide initiative to unlock the economic and societal benefits of AI. The program aims to support sovereign AI infrastructure, upskill Australians, and accelerate the country’s local AI ecosystem. CEO Sam Altman highlighted Australia’s deep technical talent and strong institutions as key factors in becoming a global leader in AI. – https://dig.watch/updates/openai-launches-nationwide-ai-initiative-in-australia

EU partners with EIB to support AI gigafactories

(DigWatch) The European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group (EIB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to support the development of AI Gigafactories across the EU. The partnership aims to position Europe as a leading AI hub by accelerating financing and the construction of large-scale AI facilities. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-partners-with-eib-to-support-ai-gigafactories

UK And Germany Deepen Science And Tech Ties With £14 Million to Unlock Quantum’s Vast Potential

(Quantum Insider) The UK and Germany announced new joint initiatives to expand quantum technology collaboration, including shared funding, research standards, and support for commercialisation efforts. The countries will launch a £6 million joint quantum R&D call in 2026, invest £8 million in Fraunhofer UK’s applied photonics centre, and sign an agreement between national metrology institutes to advance shared quantum standards. The announcements build on broader UK-Germany cooperation across science, space, and high-performance computing, including joint ESA investments exceeding €6 billion and new collaborations on AI-ready supercomputing. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/05/uk-and-germany-deepen-science-and-tech-ties-with-14-million-to-unlock-quantums-vast-potential/

Google boosts Nigeria’s AI development

(DigWatch) The US tech giant, Google, has announced a $2.1 million Google.org commitment to support Nigeria’s AI-powered future, aiming to strengthen local talent and improve digital safety nationwide. An initiative that supports Nigeria’s National AI Strategy and its ambition to create one million digital jobs, recognising the economic potential of AI, which could add $15 billion to the country’s economy by 2030. – https://dig.watch/updates/google-boosts-nigerias-ai-development

Security and Surveillance

Nigerian Jihadists and Bandits Exploit Emerging Fintech

(Aminah Mustapha – The Jamestown Foundation) Nigeria’s rapid shift toward mobile money, Point of Sale (PoS) terminals, and fintech wallets has created new financial pathways for insurgents and bandit groups, according to a March 2025 assessment. Weak “Know Your Customer” (KYC) regulations and lightly supervised agent networks allow criminals to move ransom payments and insurgent taxes with reduced detection risk. Islamic State–West Africa Province (ISWAP) is integrating digital platforms into its revenue collection and logistics, using agent banking, civilian intermediaries, and fragmented transfers to shift funds without transporting bulk cash. Digital rails now enable cross-regional liquidity movement that complicates intelligence tracking. Northwestern bandit groups increasingly rely on PoS agents and low-tier fintech wallets to process ransom payments through coercion, intermediaries, and rapid cash-outs. Despite new CBN regulations, enforcement gaps in rural high-risk areas leave Nigeria’s digital-finance ecosystem vulnerable to armed actors. – https://jamestown.org/nigerian-jihadists-and-bandits-exploit-emerging-fintech/

China-Linked Warp Panda Targets North American Firms in Espionage Campaign

(Beth Maundrill – Infosecurity Magazine) CrowdStrike has identified a sophisticated cyber-espionage campaign by Warp Panda targeting North American legal, technology and manufacturing firms to support Chinese government priorities. The previously unknown threat actor exhibits a high level of technical sophistication, advanced operations security (OPSEC) skills and extensive knowledge of cloud and virtual machine (VM) environments, according to information shared by CrowdStrike. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/chinalinked-warp-panda/

Louvre to Bolster Its Security, Issues €57m Public Tender

(Kevin Poireault – Infosecurity Magazine) The Louvre has announced plans to overhaul its security infrastructure following a high-profile break-in at the museum’s Apollo Gallery in October that resulted in the theft of the Crown Jewels, valued at €88m ($102.5m). The public entity managing the museum has launched a public tender worth €57m ($66.4m) in a bid to “renovate the museum’s safety and security infrastructure with new software systems, network equipment and safety technologies.” – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/louvre-bolster-security-57m-public/

Predator Spyware Maker Intellexa Evades Sanctions, New Victims Identified

(Kevin Poireault – Infosecurity Magazine) Spyware products from the surveillance consortium Intellexa are still thriving despite extensive US sanctions. This comes as a months-long investigation into a set of highly sensitive documents and other materials leaked from the company has been published by Inside Story, Haaretz and the WAV Research Collective, dubbed “Intellexa Leaks”. Following publication of the investigation, three distinct but coordinated reports into the spyware consortium’s activity have emerged detailing new attack vectors and victim lists. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/predator-spyware-intellexa-evades/

Hacker-Tested, Security-Leader Approved: Five Steps to Stop Modern Fraud

(Infosecurity Magazine) Think multi-factor authentication (MFA) and phishing training are enough to keep your company safe? Think again. Attackers don’t need to ‘hack in’ anymore; they can simply log in to a compromised account. Between deepfake impersonations and rampant credential theft, cybercriminals now rely more on manipulation than malware, with 60% of recent breaches involving the human element. We’ve spent our careers on opposite sides of the same problem. Rachel Tobac as the ethical hacker who breaks into companies by exploiting human behavior, and Shai Gabay as the security leader building technology to stop those exact attacks in real time. Coming from offense and defense, we’ve reached the same conclusion: the most exploited vulnerabilities aren’t technical, they’re human. Here are five steps every organization should take to protect its people, processes and payments from the modern era of impersonation and fraud. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/opinions/five-steps-to-stop-modern-fraud/

BRICKSTORM backdoor exposed: CISA warns of advanced China-backed intrusions

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has disclosed technical details on BRICKSTORM, a backdoor used by China state-sponsored threat actors to gain and maintain long-term persistence on compromised systems, highlighting ongoing PRC cyber-espionage activity. “The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is aware of ongoing intrusions by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber actors using BRICKSTORM malware for long-term persistence on victim systems.” reads the report published by CISA. “BRICKSTORM is a sophisticated backdoor for VMware vSphere and Windows environments. Victim organizations are primarily in the Government Services and Facilities and Information Technology Sectors.” – https://securityaffairs.com/185346/intelligence/brickstorm-backdoor-exposed-cisa-warns-of-advanced-china-backed-intrusions.html

CISA advisory on China’s BRICKSTORM malware: “Treat this threat with the seriousness it demands”

(Stefanie Schappert – Cybernews) New high alert warns China-backed BRICKSTORM malware, already infiltrating US networks and enabling long-term espionage. The stealthy backdoor exploits edge devices and zero-days to hide, persist, and steal sensitive data. CISA urges immediate actions: scans, segmentation, patching, and reporting of any suspicious activity. – https://cybernews.com/security/cisa-china-brickstorm-malware-analysis-critical-infrastucture-threat/

Scientology, Hollywood’s cult-like religion, hacked by Qilin ransomware gang – will secrets be leaked?

(Stefanie Schappert – Cybernews) Church of Scientology is allegedly hit by world’s most active ransomware gang with 22 sample files from UK headquarters, some dated last week. Stolen documents reveal internal operations including security budgets, member records, billing invoices, and organizational hierarchies that could expose controversial practices. Qilin’s high-value extortion play could trigger massive ransom demands from Scientology leadership scrambling to suppress leaked documents. – https://cybernews.com/entertainment/scientology-ransomware-attack-qilin-secret-files-exposed/

Defense, Military, and Warfare

NestAI Raises €100M to Build Europe’s Leading Physical AI Lab for Defense and Autonomous Systems

(AI Insider) NestAI, a Finland-based startup developing AI for real-world autonomous operations and defense systems, has closed a €100 million ($115 million) funding round led by Tesi, Finland’s sovereign wealth fund, and Nokia. The financing supports the creation of advanced AI solutions for unmanned vehicles, command-and-control platforms, and robotics deployed in national security and industrial environments. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/nestai-raises-e100m-to-build-europes-leading-physical-ai-lab-for-defense-and-autonomous-systems/

Frontiers and Markets

When Will Quantum Technologies Become Part of Everyday Life?

(Quantum Insider) A new Science article argues that quantum technology has reached a turning point similar to the dawn of the transistor era, with early systems now emerging from research labs into real-world use. The authors compare six major quantum hardware platforms using technology-readiness levels and find that while each has made measurable progress, meaningful applications still require far more scalable, error-resilient systems. The paper identifies materials, fabrication, wiring, power management, and system-level engineering as the key obstacles to scale, noting that, as with classical computing, progress will depend on long-term, coordinated efforts across academia, industry, and government. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/05/when-will-quantum-technologies-become-part-of-everyday-life/

New AI stroke-imaging tool halves time to treatment

(DigWatch) A new AI-powered tool rolled out across England is helping clinicians diagnose strokes much sooner, significantly speeding up treatment decisions and improving patient outcomes. According to a study published in The Lancet Digital Health, roughly 15,000 patients benefited directly from AI-assisted scan reviews. – https://dig.watch/updates/new-ai-stroke-imaging-tool-halves-time-to-treatment

AstraZeneca backs Pangaea’s AI platform to scale precision healthcare

(DigWatch) Pangaea Data, a health-tech firm specialising in patient-intelligence platforms, announced a strategic, multi-year partnership with AstraZeneca to deploy multimodal artificial intelligence in clinical settings. The goal is to bring AI-driven, data-rich clinical decision-making to scale, improving how patients are identified, diagnosed, treated and connected to therapies or clinical trials. – https://dig.watch/updates/astrazeneca-backs-pangaeas-ai-platform-to-scale-precision-healthcare

Global Work AI Secures $2.4M to Expand AI-Native Job Search Platform for Remote Workers

(AI Insider) Global Work AI, a Wilmington-based startup modernizing the job search with intelligent automation, has secured $2.4 million in new funding to advance its AI career tools and expand platform capabilities. Investors in the round include Pre-Seed to Succeed, Yellow Rocks!, Smart Partnership Capital, AltaIR Capital, and TMT Investments, bringing total funding to $3.7 million to date. The company aggregates more than one million verified remote roles monthly while filtering out scams and duplicates, helping candidates discover high-quality opportunities. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/global-work-ai-secures-2-4m-to-expand-ai-native-job-search-platform-for-remote-workers/

CoPlane Announces $14M Seed Round to Rebuild the Back Office for Essential Enterprises

(AI Insider) CoPlane raised $14 million in seed funding to build an AI-native platform that replaces costly, outdated ERP systems and automates back-office operations for large enterprises. Its software unifies finance, supply chain, and operations workflows that traditionally require complex manual processes, enabling rapid deployment and significant reductions in enterprise administrative burdens. Early customers in industrials, healthcare, and tech have already seen major efficiency gains — automating tasks like invoice handling and order entry — while maintaining full data control in their own cloud environments. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/coplane-announces-14m-seed-round-to-rebuild-the-back-office-for-essential-enterprises/

Codenotary Inc. Raises $16.5M to Accelerate Global Expansion of Its Intelligent Cybersecurity & Trust Automation Platform

(AI Insider) Codenotary raised $16.5 million to accelerate growth of its AI-powered cybersecurity and software supply chain trust platform, which automates integrity verification, compliance, and real-time policy enforcement across enterprise systems. Strong demand from major banks, governments, and defense organizations is driving expansion into new markets as organizations shift from manual security processes to continuous, AI-driven assurance. The funding will support engineering and sales hiring, global market expansion, and deeper adoption of its end-to-end platform for securing complex IT operations at scale. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/codenotary-inc-raises-16-5m-to-accelerate-global-expansion-of-its-intelligent-cybersecurity-trust-automation-platform/

Social Links Closes €2.6M in Funding to Expand AI-Driven Digital Risk Protection Platform

(AI Insider) Social Links, a Netherlands-based leader in open source intelligence (OSINT), has secured €2.6 million in follow-on funding to accelerate development of its AI-enabled digital security solutions. The round was led by Yellow Rocks!, with continued support from AltaIR Capital and Smart Partnership Capital. The company will use the new investment to scale its AI Defender Autopilot technology, which detects scams, fraud attempts, and brand misinformation across email, messaging platforms, and social channels. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/social-links-closes-e2-6m-in-funding-to-expand-ai-driven-digital-risk-protection-platform/

Vijil Secures $17M to Make AI Agents Resilient, Named a Gartner Cool Vendor

(AI Insider) Vijil raised $17 million, bringing total funding to $23 million, to accelerate deployment of its platform that improves the resilience, reliability, and governance of enterprise AI agents. Its modular system builds, tests, and continuously hardens AI agents using reinforcement learning on production telemetry, reducing time-to-trust and compliance costs for customers like SmartRecruiters. Backed by investors including BrightMind and Gradient, and recognized by Gartner as a Cool Vendor, Vijil positions itself as essential infrastructure for scaling AI agents safely into production environments. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/vijil-secures-17m-to-make-ai-agents-resilient-named-a-gartner-cool-vendor/

Momentic Raises $15M to Scale AI-Powered Software Testing and Quality Automation

(AI Insider) Momentic, an AI-driven testing platform designed to automate software verification and quality assurance, has raised $15 million in a Series A round led by Standard Capital, with participation from Dropbox Ventures and existing backers including Y Combinator, FCVC, Transpose Platform, and Karman Ventures. The investment follows the company’s $3.7 million seed round earlier this year. Momentic simplifies test creation by allowing development teams to describe workflows in plain language, enabling AI to generate and run automated tests across web and mobile environments. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/momentic-raises-15m-to-scale-ai-powered-software-testing-and-quality-automation/

Meta Launches Unified AI-Powered Support Hub to Improve Account Security and Recovery Across Facebook and Instagram

(AI Insider) Meta has introduced a new centralized support hub designed to simplify how users across Facebook and Instagram secure their accounts and resolve access issues. Rolling out globally on iOS and Android, the hub brings together tools for reporting problems, recovering lost accounts, and receiving guidance through AI-powered search and an intelligent assistant that can help with tasks such as updating settings or troubleshooting login issues. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/meta-launches-unified-ai-powered-support-hub-to-improve-account-security-and-recovery-across-facebook-and-instagram/

Opti Announces $20M Seed to Redefine Enterprise Identity Security with AI-Native Automation

(AI Insider) Opti raised $20 million in seed funding to scale its AI-native identity security platform, which automates identity operations and reduces risk across complex enterprise environments. The platform uses domain-specific LLMs to interpret identity context, detect misconfigurations and over-privileged access in real time, and generate verified least-privilege recommendations. Designed for highly regulated sectors like finance and healthcare, Opti replaces fragmented and manual IAM processes with automated orchestration that strengthens security, improves compliance, and lowers operational burden. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/opti-announces-20m-seed-to-redefine-enterprise-identity-security-with-ai-native-automation/

Wispr Accelerates Growth with New Funding as Voice AI Platform Expands into Enterprise and Global Markets

(AI Insider) Wispr, the AI-native voice productivity company behind the dictation app Wispr Flow, has secured an additional $25 million in funding following rapid commercial traction, bringing total investment to $81 million and valuing the startup at $700 million post-money. The latest round was led by Notable Capital with participation from Steven Bartlett’s Flight Fund, following Wispr’s $30 million raise announced in June. Hans Tung of Notable Capital joins the company’s board as an observer. Wispr Flow has become a breakout workplace tool, now used inside 270 Fortune 500 companies and adding 125 new enterprise customers per week. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/wispr-accelerates-growth-with-new-funding-as-voice-ai-platform-expands-into-enterprise-and-global-markets/

Archetype AI Closes $35M in Funding to Scale Deployment of Physical Agents to Solve Real-World Problems

(AI Insider) Archetype AI raised $35 million in Series A funding to scale its Physical AI platform, which enables autonomous agents that sense, understand, and act in real-world environments across industries like logistics, construction, and public infrastructure. Powered by the Newton foundation model, its Physical Agents fuse sensor data, video, and context into actionable intelligence, with APIs and an Agent Toolkit that allow organizations to build and deploy custom agents quickly on-prem, in the cloud, or at the edge. Early deployments with enterprise customers are improving efficiency and safety, while new funding will accelerate R&D and expand the platform’s ability to interpret and operate within physical environments. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/archetype-ai-closes-35m-in-funding-to-scale-deployment-of-physical-agents-to-solve-real-world-problems/

Function Health Secures $298M to Advance AI-Powered Personalized Medical Insights

(AI Insider) Function Health has secured $298 million in Series B funding to expand its AI-driven platform that unifies lab testing, diagnostics, and personal health data into actionable insights. The round was led by Redpoint Ventures, valuing the company at $2.5 billion, with additional participation from a16z, Aglaé Ventures, Alumni Ventures, leading investors including Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, and several well-known athletes and tech leaders. The raise brings total funding to $350 million. Function Health is focused on turning the growing volume of medical information — from electronic health records and blood work to wearable data — into a single, intelligent system that helps users actively manage their health. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/05/function-health-secures-298m-to-advance-ai-powered-personalized-medical-insights/

Horizon Quantum Secures $110 Million PIPE, With IonQ Among Lead Investors, to Support SPAC Merger

(Quantum Insider) Horizon Quantum Computing secured $110 million in PIPE financing to support its planned merger with dMY Squared, exceeding its original target by more than 120%. IonQ, a Fortune 50 technology company, and several institutional investors participated in the PIPE, signaling strategic validation for Horizon’s cross-platform quantum software approach. If the merger closes in early 2026 with no redemptions, Horizon expects access to approximately $137 million in cash to fund R&D, expand its hardware testbed in Singapore, and advance its Triple Alpha software environment. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/05/horizon-quantum-secures-110-million-pipe-with-ionq-among-lead-investors-to-support-spac-merger/

First Successful Proof Of Quantum Teleportation Between Two Different Quantum Dots

(Quantum Insider) Researchers led by Paderborn University report the first successful teleportation of a photon’s polarization state between two spatially separated quantum dots. The team demonstrated quantum teleportation over a 270-meter free-space link, achieving an 82% fidelity that surpasses the classical threshold. The work, conducted by a multi-institution European consortium, marks a key step toward scalable quantum relays and future quantum-internet infrastructure. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/05/photon-teleportation-quantum-dots/

Japan Brings Ion-Trap Qubits Online Through The Cloud in a Step Toward Remote Quantum Computing

(Quantum Insider) Japanese researchers demonstrated a cloud-operated trapped-ion qubit system, marking what may be the country’s first automated ion-trap computing platform accessible over the internet. The Osaka University team integrated an ytterbium ion trap, automated control routines, precision lasers and the OQTOPUS software stack to run single-qubit operations remotely with continuous system monitoring. The system lays groundwork for future multi-qubit ion-trap platforms by automating traditionally hands-on tasks and enabling stable, remote access for research, education and early algorithm testing. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/05/japan-brings-ion-trap-qubits-online-through-the-cloud-in-a-step-toward-remote-quantum-computing/

QSECDEF Announces Inaugural Quantum Security Defense World Symposium in Paris

(Quantum Insider) The Quantum Security Defence (QSECDEF) World Symposium will take place on 24 March 2026 in Paris to unite industry, government, and research leaders around quantum-secure communication and infrastructure. The event will showcase deployable quantum-secure solutions, certification pathways, and strategic guidance from experts across telecoms, defense, and enterprise networks. QSECDEF, a global advisory network with more than 1,000 members, is using the symposium to advance a secure quantum technology supply chain through collaboration, standards development, and education. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/04/qsecdef-announces-inaugural-quantum-security-defense-world-symposium-in-paris/

Flex Raises $60M Series B Equity Round to Scale its AI Native “Private Bank” for High Net Worth Business Owners

(AI Insider) Flex raised a $60 million Series B to expand its unified financial platform for high net worth middle-market business owners. The company has scaled rapidly, growing revenue fourfold in 12 months and increasing annualized payment volume from $1 billion to $3 billion. Flex is launching its invite-only Flex Elite card while building AI-driven finance agents and a vertically integrated credit engine to position itself as a modern private bank for business owners. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/flex-raises-60m-series-b-equity-round-to-scale-its-ai-native-private-bank-for-high-net-worth-business-owners/

Bedrock Data Announces $25M Series A to Fuel Growth of Its AI-Native Data Security Platform

(AI Insider) Bedrock Data raised $25 million in Series A funding led by Greylock to expand its DSPM platform, which secures and governs data access across cloud, SaaS, and AI environments at multi-petabyte scale. Its patented Metadata Lake continuously discovers, classifies, and contextualizes data across an organization, enabling risk reduction, least-privilege access, and responsible AI governance as security teams struggle with visibility. Rapid adoption across data-intensive industries and integrations with major security platforms reflect growing demand for Bedrock’s ability to operationalize data-centric security as AI reshapes enterprise architectures. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/bedrock-data-announces-25m-series-a-to-fuel-growth-of-its-ai-native-data-security-platform/

KERV.ai Receives Series B Funding from Coral Tree Partners, Fueling Next Phase of Growth in AI-Powered Contextual Commerce Media Solutions

(AI Insider) KERV.ai closed a Series B funding round led by Coral Tree Partners after record commercial and partnership growth, reinforcing its position as an AI platform for interactive, shoppable, and data-rich video experiences across OLV and CTV. Using proprietary object-level metadata and pixel-edge recognition, KERV.ai delivers contextual intelligence, first-party data targeting, and commerce-driven video solutions that boost relevance, performance, and measurable outcomes for brands, agencies, and publishers. The new capital will fund R&D, technology, talent, and infrastructure, supporting global expansion and deeper contextual commerce capabilities as ad-supported CTV and outcomes-based interactive storytelling continue to grow. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/kerv-ai-receives-series-b-funding-from-coral-tree-partners-fueling-next-phase-of-growth-in-ai-powered-contextual-commerce-media-solutions/

Doppel Closes $70M Series C to Meet Rising Demand for AI-Driven Social Engineering Defense

(AI Insider) Doppel raised $70 million in Series C funding, boosting its valuation to over $600 million and expanding its AI-native social engineering defense platform across major enterprise sectors. Its technology uses agentic AI and a real-time threat graph to detect impersonation and phishing threats across multiple channels, automate takedowns, and strengthen employee defenses with deepfake-driven simulations. With rapid growth in ARR and Fortune 500 adoption, Doppel plans to accelerate product innovation and expand human risk management capabilities to counter increasingly sophisticated AI-powered cyberattacks. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/doppel-closes-70m-series-c-to-meet-rising-demand-for-ai-driven-social-engineering-defense/

Secure.com Finalises $4.5M Funding to Expand AI Security Agents

(AI Insider) Secure.com launched Digital Security Teammate (DST), an AI-native agent designed to address the cybersecurity talent shortage and overwhelming alert volumes by autonomously handling investigation, triage, and compliance tasks. The company raised $4.5 million from Disrupt.com as DST aims to help security teams manage rising threats, costly breaches, and operational burnout that human staffing alone can no longer sustain. DSTs integrate quickly into existing security stacks, function like virtual colleagues who work continuously, and deliver analyst-level productivity at a fraction of the cost, providing immediate operational relief. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/secure-com-finalises-4-5m-funding-to-expand-ai-security-agents/

Agroz Inc. Announces Launch of Agroz Robotics with UBTECH to Integrate AI-Robotics Technology into Farm Operating System

(AI Insider) Agroz has launched Agroz Robotics, a new automation program developed with UBTECH Robotics to integrate humanoid robotics into the company’s AI-powered controlled-environment agriculture systems. UBTECH’s Walker S humanoid robot will be the first platform deployed inside Agroz’s vertical farms, operating through the Agroz OS to automate seeding, monitoring, harvesting, and crop optimization while reducing labor needs and improving consistency. The partnership will support modular robotic deployments across Southeast Asia’s vertical farms and smart greenhouses, advancing Malaysia’s sustainable food-security goals and accelerating the region’s shift toward intelligent, climate-resilient agricultural infrastructure. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/agroz-inc-announces-launch-of-agroz-robotics-with-ubtech-to-integrate-ai-robotics-technology-into-farm-operating-system/

Uber and Avride Launch Robotaxi Rides in Dallas

(AI Insider) Uber has begun matching Dallas riders with Avride robotaxis across a 9-square-mile service area spanning Downtown, Uptown, Turtle Creek, and Deep Ellum, with plans for future expansion. Riders requesting UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric may be paired with an all-electric Avride vehicle at no extra cost, unlocking and starting trips directly from the Uber app; an onboard specialist will be present during the initial rollout before fully driverless operations begin. The launch deepens Uber’s autonomous-vehicle partnership with Avride and advances Uber’s hybrid network strategy, positioning robotaxis and human drivers to operate side by side as the company moves toward more electric, autonomous mobility. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/uber-and-avride-launch-robotaxi-rides-in-dallas/

Hyundai Motor, Kia’s Robotics LAB and DEEPX Begin Commercialization for Next-Generation On-Device AI Robot Platform

(AI Insider) DEEPX and Hyundai Motor/Kia’s Robotics LAB have advanced a next-generation robot intelligence platform into commercial validation, moving the system closer to mass production and marking a significant step toward cloud-independent Physical AI for autonomous robots. The platform integrates DEEPX’s sub-5W DX-M1 NPU with a new controller architecture combining wide- and narrow-angle ISP cameras and proprietary vision AI, enabling reliable operation in network-restricted environments such as underground facilities, transport hubs, and logistics centers. The DX-M1 also powers the LAB’s facial-recognition system used in its DAL-e Delivery robot, with the companies planning broader deployment across manufacturing, logistics, mobility, and smart-city applications and public demonstrations beginning in December and at CES 2026. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/12/04/hyundai-motor-kias-robotics-lab-and-deepx-begin-commercialization-for-next-generation-on-device-ai-robot-platform/

Mesa Quantum Uses Elevate Quantum’s Shared Lab to Advance PNT Technologies

(Quantum Insider) Mesa Quantum is using Elevate Quantum’s shared-use Commercialization Lab to test and advance next-generation PNT technologies without building its own specialized infrastructure. Access to equipment such as the Vescent Optical Atomic Clock enables Mesa Quantum to accelerate development cycles, reduce costs, and validate precision timing solutions. The collaboration demonstrates Elevate Quantum’s role in lowering R&D barriers and strengthening Colorado’s quantum innovation ecosystem. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/05/mesa-quantum-elevate-quantum-lab-access/

SEALSQ Makes Strategic Investment in EeroQ

(Quantum Insider) SEALSQ has made a strategic investment in U.S.-based quantum chip designer EeroQ as part of its “Quantum Made in USA” strategy to advance sovereign, scalable quantum and post-quantum technologies. EeroQ’s platform uses single electrons on superfluid helium to build ultra-compact, CMOS-compatible quantum processors that align with SEALSQ’s semiconductor roadmap and scalability goals. The investment expands SEALSQ’s integrated quantum ecosystem — spanning PQC chips, secure microcontrollers, personalization centers, and future accelerator chips — while supporting EeroQ’s U.S. growth, ethics initiatives, and new Chicago R&D facility. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/04/sealsq-makes-strategic-investment-in-eeroq/

SEEQC Expands Quantum Chip Production Through ITRI Collaboration

(Quantum Insider) SEEQC has partnered with Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to build a dedicated manufacturing line for its Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) superconducting control chips. The collaboration establishes a high-yield production environment focused on technology transfer, process development, and scaling SEEQC’s digital quantum chip capacity. The expanded manufacturing capability strengthens SEEQC’s global supply chain and supports ongoing programs with NVIDIA, NQCC, IBM, and DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/04/seeqc-itri-sfq-manufacturing/

Pasqal Brings Neutral-Atom QPUs to Scaleway’s Quantum Cloud

(Quantum Insider) Pasqal has integrated its neutral-atom quantum processors into Scaleway’s new Quantum-as-a-Service platform, expanding cloud access for European developers and researchers. The integration allows users to move seamlessly between GPU-based quantum emulation and Pasqal’s real quantum hardware through a single cloud workflow. The partnership strengthens Europe’s quantum cloud ecosystem, adding Scaleway to Pasqal’s existing deployments on OVHcloud, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Pasqal’s own platform. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/12/04/pasqal-scaleway-quantum-cloud/