Tool

‘Racist bias’ overestimating ages in Home Office’s facial-recognition software will lead to solo children being housed with adults, says Human Rights NetworkFlawed and racialised models that underpin the AI-powered age-detection systems to be introduced by the British government will endanger children, rights groups and children’s charities have warned.Urging ministers to reverse plans to introduce facial age-estimation technology to screen migrants, critics have warned that black children arriving from conflict zones are at risk of being of thrust into the adult system. Continue reading...

• Microsoft has unveiled new A.I.-powered cybersecurity tools designed to protect organizations from increasingly sophisticated digital threats. • Mustafa Suleyman, who leads Microsoft’s A.I. development, is spearheading the initiative to integrate advanced A.I. capabilities into the company's security suite. • The move comes as executives express growing concern over the safety of A.I. systems and the potential for hackers to use these tools for malicious attacks.

Mass hearings, removal orders ‘in absentia’ – judges are wrapping up immigration cases in unprecedented numbersThe second Trump administration recorded its highest number of immigration arrests so far last month. One significant and alarming reason that is far less noticeable than armored, masked agents swaggering in the streets with weapons may be a sudden change in America’s immigration courts.Here, in recent months, accelerated mass hearings are giving people facing existential questions about their future little time to prepare for their cases, and judges are often ordering vulnerable immigrants deported without them even being in the courtroom. Continue reading...

• A new report reveals that 25% of shoppers in Southeast Asia are now utilizing generative AI as a tool for product discovery. • The study surveyed 2,400 consumers across Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, incorporating data from marketers and industry specialists. • Despite the rise of AI, traditional influences such as friends, family, and online reviews remain more impactful in driving final purchasing decisions.

Maps of Hope has been certified by Proudly Human, a company led by former chief scientist, Dr Alan Finkel A collection of speeches and writings by Pope Leo XIV has been certified as human-authored less than two months after Leo declared artificial intelligence the greatest threat to humanity.Proudly Human, the Australian company spearheaded by Australia’s former chief scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, undertook a review of a collection of writings and speeches by the Pope, in collaboration with the publisher, the Australian Catholic University and cardinals in the Vatican. Continue reading...

Proposal would water down emissions trading system to make EU more competitive – despite extreme heatwavesEurope’s most effective method of cutting dangerous planet-heating gases risks being weakened after the European Commission proposed an overhaul of its flagship carbon market, critics have said.In a long-awaited review of the European Union Emissions Trading System (ETS), the European Commission proposed giving companies a less demanding and cheaper pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading...

• The WHO Europe chief has warned that AI tools are being rapidly deployed in healthcare across 53 member countries without sufficient oversight. • Data reveals a stark imbalance: while two-thirds of these nations use AI for diagnostics and half use AI chatbots, only 8% (one in twelve) have a health-specific AI strategy. • This lack of governance risks causing biased diagnoses and eroding public trust in healthcare systems.

• Stanley Black & Decker's stock remains steady, supported by consistent demand for professional and consumer tools. • The company's performance is currently driven by its exposure to construction cycles and the implementation of ongoing efficiency initiatives. • As a mature industrial business, the stock's long-term outlook depends on management's portfolio strategy, capital allocation, and cost-efficiency measures.

• Astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission used a commercial Nikon Z9 camera to capture high-resolution images of space. • Researchers, including co-author Ko Arimatsu, analyzed these images to extract scientifically valuable astronomical data. • The study proves that high-performance, off-the-shelf consumer technology can be effectively calibrated for professional scientific use.

• A UK regulator is calling for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to conduct a formal review of AI-driven tools being utilized within the finance sector. • In a separate strategic move, ING has acquired a 40% stake in a Spanish wealth management firm to expand its regional presence. • South Korea has officially transitioned to 24-hour trading for the Korean won, aiming to increase market accessibility and liquidity.

• A new study by GovAI indicates that European Union data regulations are delaying the rollout of AI tools by approximately 11% compared to the United States. • The research highlights how strict regulatory frameworks impact the availability of cutting-edge technology for European users. • This gap matters as it creates a disparity in tech accessibility and competitive advantage between the EU and US markets.

• The talent acquisition industry is undergoing a revolution driven by the integration of AI tools, predictive analytics, and automated recruitment platforms. • This growth is further accelerated by the global shift toward remote work trends, optimizing how companies identify and hire candidates. • Market analysis focuses on specific regional growth, with detailed segmentation and forecasting for Italy and Spain through 2030 and 2035.

• The July 2026 "AI Tool of the Month" report highlights the best AI resources for founders to optimize workflows, reduce costs, and save time. • Recommended stacks for marketing teams include a combination of a general assistant like ChatGPT, a research tool such as Perplexity, and visual tools like Canva AI or Gamma. • The guide emphasizes the role of AI in supporting startup SEO execution and references a comprehensive all-in-one AI tools roundup by TechRadar.

• Chinese startup Z.ai has launched ZCode, a new AI-powered coding tool designed to compete with established players like Cursor. • ZCode serves as the official development environment for GLM 5.2, an open-source model known for its high context window and strong performance in cybersecurity. • The tool aims to disrupt the market by undercutting the pricing of U.S.-based AI coding assistants, challenging the dominance of Silicon Valley Big Tech.

• Aarhus-based martech startup Serpier has raised €1.4 million in a funding round led by True Collective and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO). • The company utilizes an AI agent named Navi to automate content generation, analysis, and publication, helping e-commerce retailers increase their visibility across search engines. • This investment allows Serpier to scale its AI-driven visibility tools, addressing the growing need for automated marketing optimization in the competitive online retail sector.

• Bernstein warns that India risks permanent dependence on foreign AI providers unless it develops its own sovereign large language models (LLMs) similar to DeepSeek. • The report argues that focusing solely on AI applications is insufficient, as control over foundational models is essential for long-term national competitiveness. • Current concerns highlight that India's AI Mission spreads funding too thin across compute, research, and startups, leaving limited resources specifically for foundational model development.

• Swiss financial regulator Marlene Amstad is urging banks and watchdogs to rapidly adopt new technology to combat escalating cybersecurity threats amplified by AI. • Amstad emphasized the critical need for faster vulnerability patching, as AI models are increasingly being used to expose systemic risks. • FINMA is actively promoting AI adoption among global regulators to strengthen financial systems, with a particular focus on securing digital assets.

‘It’s all just rendered useless’ Something For Kate’s Paul Dempsey says as AI scrapes millions of songs to learn how to make musicPaul Dempsey and Bernard Fanning are among big-name Australian musicians upset that their original songs have been found in datasets used to train artificial intelligence.A dataset search tool recently created by US publication The Atlantic reveals millions of creative works have been scraped from the internet to train the disruptive technology. Continue reading...

Case of Andrei Pivovarov raises questions about how much control Cellebrite has over its own softwareRussian authorities used tools from the Israeli company Cellebrite to break into the phone of a political prisoner, months after the company said it cancelled its contracts with Russia, an investigation by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab research unit has found.The case raises questions about how much control Cellebrite has over its own software, which allows users to easily break into phones and examine their contents. The tools are sold worldwide and widely used by police forces in the UK and the US. Continue reading...

• India's Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are transitioning from basic digitalization to the deep integration of AI and digital payment systems like UPI. • This shift aims to enhance overall business productivity, foster greater financial inclusion, and accelerate economic growth across the sector. • The transition signals a move toward a more mature, technology-driven ecosystem, though it requires overcoming barriers in digital literacy and AI readiness.

Spending on government contracts with tech firms that use AI-powered tools to track immigrants has soared to record levels under Trump 2.0, report saysA new report sheds light on the unprecedented growth of the US government’s immigration surveillance arsenal, revealing fresh details about how spending on technology and AI tools to find and track migrants has soared to record levels during Donald Trump’s second term.The report, released this week, analyzed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) contracts with 11 companies the authors said provide surveillance tech. They found the money awarded to these firms doubled from 2024 to 2025, to just over $310m – and in 2026, that number soared to a record $513m. Continue reading...

Maps created as part of Defra-funded Slimers project allowed test growers to halve amount of slug pellets usedFarmers believe they have a new weapon in their age-old battle against the slugs that destroy their crops: modern technology.Slug prediction maps, which have been created by computer models as part of an research project, are now helping growers to better target the use of pesticides, saving them money and reducing environmental harm. Continue reading...

• CrowdStrike has announced an expansion of its AI-driven security tools specifically designed for applications running on Amazon Web Services (AWS). • The initiative involves the expansion of "Project QuiltWorks," which focuses on identifying and mitigating cybersecurity vulnerabilities related to artificial intelligence. • This move matters as it strengthens the partnership between CrowdStrike and AWS to protect cloud-based AI infrastructure from evolving threats.

Switch to ChapsVision announced by PM comes amid concern about reliance on US-controlled technologyFrance’s domestic intelligence service is to ditch AI data tools from the US tech giant Palantir in favour of a domestic provider in an effort to avoid “strategic dependency”, the prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has said.“We must use our own AI models; we cannot accept new strategic dependencies in ‌the digital sphere,” Lecornu posted on social media. “We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools.” Continue reading...

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed a Security Council open debate in New York, urging member states to utilize the UN Charter to settle Middle East disputes peacefully. • Guterres highlighted how restrictions on navigational rights in the Strait of Hormuz are destabilizing global energy prices and disrupting critical supply chains. • These disruptions are exacerbating global hunger by increasing fertilizer costs and fueling inflation and debt, particularly within fragile and developing nations.

• Apple has failed to launch its new Siri AI tool within the European Union after failing to comply with regional interoperability regulations. • The European Commission confirmed that the company's inability to meet these specific regulatory standards blocked the tool's release. • This development highlights the ongoing tension between Big Tech and EU regulators over fair competition and open digital ecosystems.

Medical Protection Society calls for law to be overhauled to help medics avoid liability for errors made by technologyDoctors and the NHS could be sued for medical negligence over mistakes made by artificial intelligence tools used in diagnosing patients and suggesting their treatment, ministers are being warned.Under the law as it stands, medics and the health service can be held liable for patients being harmed or dying even if it was AI that made the errors that resulted in their suffering. Continue reading...

• Malaysian political parties are increasingly integrating AI tools and chatbots into their campaign strategies to move beyond traditional "ceramah" (political speeches). • These digital technologies are being utilized to analyze complex voter behavior patterns and craft targeted narratives to influence the electorate. • This shift signifies a modernization of political engagement in Malaysia, allowing parties to optimize their outreach through data-driven insights.