Author: Art Ryan

Jordan is preparing for a much wider digital shift across its public education system, with artificial intelligence now becoming part of the conversation. The growing focus on Jordan AI education reflects the country’s commitment to integrating new technologies into schools. The World Bank has approved a $3.5 million grant to support preparations for a digital transformation programme covering public schools across Jordan. The work will examine whether schools have the internet connectivity, electrical infrastructure, hardware and technical readiness needed to support a more digital learning environment. AI also features in the plan. Jordan is preparing an EdTech and Artificial Intelligence…

Abu Dhabi-based EMB Global has been named an OpenAI Select Partner, giving the UAE technology company a place inside OpenAI’s expanding global enterprise ecosystem. The appointment comes as OpenAI looks beyond model development and focuses more heavily on real-world deployment. For companies and government organisations, access to advanced AI is only one part of the equation. Integration, governance, data security and day-to-day implementation often decide whether a project actually moves beyond the pilot stage. For EMB Global, that is exactly where the opportunity sits. EMB Global Brings Its Own AI Stack to the Partnership EMB Global is not entering the…

Meta and Google have landed fresh models in the middle of an already crowded AI release cycle. Meta introduced Muse Spark 1.3, while Google pushed out Gemini 3.8 Flash, giving developers two new options built around stronger reasoning, coding and agentic capabilities without pushing pricing sharply higher. The launches also show where the AI race is moving. Raw intelligence still matters, but cost, speed and the ability to complete real tasks are becoming just as important. Meta is leaning heavily into that combination with Muse Spark, while Google is trying to regain momentum by iterating on Gemini at a much…

OpenAI has introduced GPT-6 Astra, its newest frontier model and what the company describes as the “world’s most intelligent and aligned model.” That is a big claim, even by AI launch standards. Astra arrives with eye-catching results across mathematics, abstract reasoning, software engineering, cybersecurity and computer use. OpenAI is also positioning the model as something more than another intelligence upgrade. The emphasis this time is on completing real work: navigating software, working across long tasks, handling professional documents and making judgment calls without constantly handing control back to the user. And then there is the AGI question. OpenAI President Greg…

India’s AI race is quickly becoming a race for physical infrastructure. One notable development is the TCS AI data center in Hyderabad, which adds significant capacity to the country’s growing tech landscape. Tata Consultancy Services is preparing one of the country’s biggest bets yet on the computing capacity needed to support artificial intelligence. Its data center subsidiary, HyperVault, has secured 264 acres in Hyderabad for a new AI-focused campus that could eventually reach 1 gigawatt of capacity. HyperVault and its partners are expected to invest as much as 700 billion rupees, roughly $7.4 billion, in developing and managing the project.…

South Korea is preparing a major restructuring of its state-owned electricity sector as artificial intelligence, data centers and semiconductor manufacturing place more pressure on the country’s power infrastructure. The government plans to combine five power generation companies under Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO, into one larger entity. The move reflects how closely electricity supply is becoming tied to South Korea’s ambitions in AI, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing. The proposed company is expected to operate under the tentative name Korea Power Generation and could officially launch in October 2027 once the required legislation and integration process are completed. While the…

M&T Bank has spent years rebuilding its technology operation. Now that work is feeding directly into a much broader AI strategy. The US regional bank has rolled out AI copilots to more than 15,000 employees. This brings generative AI into customer service, internal operations, software development and risk management. The move shows how quickly enterprise AI is shifting from isolated pilots into everyday banking workflows. AI Copilots Are Becoming Part of Daily Work at M&T Bank M&T Bank approached enterprise AI carefully at first. The bank restricted employees from using public generative AI tools because of concerns around confidential information,…

Artificial intelligence training is opening up beyond universities, technology companies and coding bootcamps in Hawaiʻi. The University of Hawaiʻi has introduced Artificial Intelligence for Hawaiʻi, a free foundational course designed to help people across the islands understand AI, experiment with the technology and see where it can fit into work, education and everyday life. The course is open to the wider public, which gives the initiative a broader reach than a typical university program. Participants do not need to be University of Hawaiʻi students or employees to begin learning. Instead, the university is positioning the course as a practical entry…

Artificial intelligence had a heavy week from August 30 to September 5, 2026. The biggest stories were not just about faster chatbots or smarter apps. The week showed where AI is moving next: agents that can use computers, cybersecurity models that can find and patch flaws, autonomous vehicles entering real public services, and enterprise buyers still struggling to scale AI beyond pilots. Technology & Innovation OpenAI launches GPT-6 Astra with stronger agentic capabilities OpenAI’s launch of GPT-6 Astra became the defining AI story of the week. The company described Astra as its most intelligent and aligned model, with state-of-the-art performance…

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond small experiments in Kenya, and businesses are beginning to face a more practical question: how do they make AI part of everyday operations without turning it into another expensive technology project? That question sits at the centre of AI Forum Kenya 2026, which takes place in Nairobi on September 7 under the theme “Goodbye Digital Transformation, Hello AI-First Business.” The event brings together business leaders, technology executives, government representatives and industry specialists to discuss how AI is changing banking, cybersecurity, customer experience, infrastructure, retail and workforce development. Kenya Is Moving Beyond the Digital Transformation Conversation…

Dubai’s property sector is getting another layer of automation. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has launched a new Initial Registration platform, bringing project registration, property transaction registration and escrow account management into a more connected digital system. Artificial intelligence sits at the centre of the platform. It can read documents, extract relevant information and populate required fields automatically. For developers, that means less repetitive paperwork and fewer manual steps. It also signals something bigger across Dubai’s property ecosystem, where brokers, agencies, marketers and real estate creators increasingly depend on faster digital workflows behind the scenes. Dubai Pushes More of the…

AI travel planning is getting crowded quickly. Travellers can already ask chatbots for hotel ideas, restaurant recommendations and complete itineraries in seconds. The problem is that many of those suggestions still look remarkably similar. Vintavia wants to take a different route by building recommendations around where someone actually is, how much time they have, what they enjoy and how much they want to spend. The travel technology company has launched its AI-powered discovery app in London, positioning the platform as a more flexible alternative to traditional trip planners. Instead of simply creating a generic list of attractions, Vintavia tries to…

Artificial intelligence is moving deeper into commerce, but consumers are drawing a fairly clear line between asking AI for help and allowing it to handle their money. A study from Alipay+ and S&P Global suggests that digital commerce is developing faster than some of the infrastructure supporting it. Consumers increasingly expect mobile payments, digital wallets and AI assistance to work wherever they go. The experience on the ground is still much messier. The study surveyed 6,000 consumers across nine markets in Asia, Europe and the United States about their cross-border spending habits. It found strong demand for more connected digital…

Ray Kurzweil is taking his long-running vision of humans and AI merging closer to the lab. The inventor, futurist, and Google researcher has joined neurotechnology startup Subsense as a product and vision advisor. Subsense is developing a non-surgical brain-computer interface based on nanoparticles, external hardware, and artificial intelligence. The company calls the technology nanoBCI. Kurzweil will advise Subsense on its long-term product direction. His work will also explore what happens when more capable AI systems meet new forms of neural access. It is ambitious territory, but Subsense remains firmly in the preclinical stage. Ray Kurzweil Joins Subsense as Product and…

San Diego is adding artificial intelligence directly into the travel planning process. A new tool called the Mindtrip San Diego AI trip planner is making it easier for visitors to craft their perfect itinerary. Mindtrip has partnered with the San Diego Tourism Authority to launch an AI-powered planning experience on SanDiego.org. The tool is built into the destination’s official tourism website. Travelers can use it to ask questions, explore ideas, and build personalized itineraries. This is more than a chatbot sitting in the corner of a website. The system is designed to turn travel inspiration into an actual plan. It…

Brand USA has rebuilt its corporate digital platform as artificial intelligence takes a bigger role in travel marketing. This transformation includes the new Brand USA AI travel platform, which aims to enhance the user experience through advanced technology. The U.S. destination marketing organization launched a redesigned version of TheBrandUSA.com on August 24, 2026. The new site brings research, economic data, partner programs, events, and media resources into one place. It also introduces a personalized search tool designed around user needs. The overhaul is more than a visual redesign. Brand USA is also putting AI education and digital tools closer to…

Ray Kurzweil is moving closer to one of the ideas he has discussed for decades: connecting human intelligence with machines. One of the most intriguing concepts in this area is Ray Kurzweil Subsense. The AI pioneer and futurist has joined neurotechnology company Subsense as a product and vision advisor. Subsense is developing a non-surgical brain-computer interface, or BCI, built around engineered nanoparticles and artificial intelligence. Kurzweil will advise the company on its long-term technology roadmap. He will also explore how AI and neural interfaces could reshape human-computer interaction. The appointment was announced during the Subsense Annual Forum in California. Kurzweil…

Riyadh is preparing to become a major meeting point for the global debate around responsible artificial intelligence. The UNESCO Global Forum on AI Ethics 2026 will be a landmark event drawing experts and leaders from around the world. The Saudi capital will host the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence from September 14 to 17, 2026. Representatives from 194 countries are expected to take part. The event will bring together policymakers, researchers, academics, technology leaders, and international organizations. The forum arrives as governments face increasingly difficult questions around AI regulation. Safety, accountability, innovation, and public trust…

Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN has unveiled one of its biggest Arabic AI projects yet. The new HUMAIN humain-m3 Arabic AI model is set to advance the field significantly. The Public Investment Fund-backed company introduced humain-m3 during LEAP 2026 in Riyadh. It is a 428-billion-parameter AI model built with Chinese AI developer MiniMax. The model focuses heavily on Arabic language understanding and reasoning. HUMAIN says it was further trained on more than one trillion tokens of Arabic-native content. Humain-m3 is already available through HUMAIN Node in a limited research preview. An open-weight release is also planned. HUMAIN Goes Bigger With Arabic AI…

Saudi Arabia’s push for sovereign artificial intelligence is moving deeper into the technology stack. Saudi AI infrastructure company OmniOps has signed a memorandum of understanding with HPE at LEAP 2026. The two companies plan to develop sovereign AI solutions built and operated inside the Kingdom. The partnership combines HPE’s locally produced infrastructure with OmniOps’ Saudi-developed AI platforms. It also brings local deployment and support into the same ecosystem. That matters because sovereign AI is becoming about more than where data is stored. Saudi organizations increasingly want control over the software, infrastructure, and systems running their AI workloads. OmniOps and HPE…