European robotaxis with Chinese support

Switzerland grapples with AI copyright

In Switzerland, there is ongoing debate about how the use of copyright-protected content by AI should be regulated. The specific cause for concern is journalists, artists and publishers accusing AI companies of data theft.

12/25, Global, Research & Technology

Europe’s AI dilemma

Europe’s challenges with artificial intelligence stem from deep regulatory, cultural, and historical differences compared with the United States. Europe produces plenty of AI talent, but many startups move to the U.S.

Trump’s attacks on science jeopardise ‘Genesis’

In 2025, President Trump launched the ambitious Genesis mission. This is an AI-supported project that aims to accelerate scientific breakthroughs using federal data and supercomputers, often described as a modern ‘moonshot’.

12/25, Business & Management, Global

What might life look like in ten years?

By 2035, AI is likely to fundamentally change everyday life and have a significant impact on areas such as health, law, work and domestic routines. In medicine, it could often serve as the first point of contact and also take over the prioritisation of treatments.

AI is transforming marketing workflows

Marketing agencies are increasingly integrating AI into their daily operations, not just as an add-on tool, but as a core part of briefs, production, approvals, and media optimization.

Skills that will shape AI careers

Economist Robert Seamans believes that future AI jobs will primarily require people who understand artificial intelligence but can also explain it in a way that is understandable to non-specialists.

‘Always-on’ device

OpenAI and former Apple chief designer Jony Ive are reportedly working on a constantly active AI device. A prototype is already circulating internally, but it is unlikely that the ambitious vision will be fully realised in 2026.

Salesforce expands Agentforce

The US cloud computing company Salesforce is expanding its Agentforce 360 platform. The aim is to close the context gap for AI agents in companies. New features include deeper integration with Informatica, Data 360 and MuleSoft.

OpenAI and ChatGPT: Rise, challenges and current milestones

Since its launch in November 2022, OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT has evolved from a tool for writing and programming into a global AI platform with around 800 million weekly users. In 2025, the company faced increasing competition from Chinese providers.

AI in 2026

In the coming year, generative AI will evolve from the experimental phase to fully autonomous systems that can plan, control and execute complex workflows with minimal human supervision.

OpenAI’s coding agent optimises itself

OpenAI's AI coding agent Codex now independently creates most of the code it uses to improve itself. Since its introduction in May 2025, Codex has been performing tasks such as writing functions, fixing bugs and managing change proposals.

12/25, Business & Management, EU & GER

Opera turns browsers into workbenches

Opera, a Norwegian software company, is launching Neon, a paid, AI-powered browser. It goes beyond simple chatting and sees itself as an agent-based workspace. For $19.90 a month, it bundles leading AI models and offers three modes: Chat, Do and Make.

12/25, Global, Research & Technology

Canada and EU deepen AI partnership

Canada and the European Union have decided to significantly expand their cooperation in the areas of artificial intelligence and digital services. The occasion was the first meeting of the EU-Canada Digital Partnership Council in Montreal.

12/25, Business & Management, Global

AI co-pilot makes bionic hands easier to control

Researchers at the University of Utah have developed an AI co-pilot for bionic hands to make them more intuitive and easier to use. Conventional prostheses are often abandoned because controlling the individual joints and grips requires a high level of concentration.

OpenAI’s rise fuels rivalries

OpenAI was founded in 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and other tech pioneers as a nonprofit, with the goal of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. A decade later, Musk has left the company and launched the competing startup xAI.

Time Magazine names ‘AI architects’ as Person of the Year

The US magazine Time has named the ‘architects of artificial intelligence’ as Person of the Year 2025, honouring the leading minds behind the rapid rise of AI. According to the editorial team, AI shaped the year like no other development.

12/25, Global, Security & Sustainability

EU investigates Google’s use of online content

The European Union has launched a competition investigation into Google. The investigation focuses on whether the company is unfairly using online content to train its AI models, such as Gemini.

Steps towards a positive net energy balance for AI

As AI is driving up demand for data centres, electricity consumption could double by 2030. This would have significant consequences for power grids, costs and emissions unless growth is strategically managed.

OpenAI wins purely AI-based poker tournament

OpenAI's o3 model took first place in a five-day poker tournament featuring nine leading language models, ultimately winning $36,691. The event, organized by PokerBattle.ai, tested how AI handles uncertainty, adaptation, and strategic thinking.

Open-source solutions as an alternative

A study by the Fraunhofer Institute shows that the German federal administration can largely rely on its own open solutions instead of large foreign platforms. Through internal developments, the state avoids critical dependencies and maintains transparency, control, and the ability to act.

OpenAI declares “Code Red” in light of Gemini’s success

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared “Code Red” for ChatGPT following the success of Google's Gemini 3. Gemini 3 gained 200 million users in three months and outperformed ChatGPT in benchmark tests.

EY and NVIDIA drive physical AI forward

EY is launching a structured platform in collaboration with NVIDIA to support companies in planning, testing, and deploying physical AI. This includes robots, drones, and edge devices, among other things.

Companies winning with AI

A study by Japanese consulting firm NTT DATA shows that only 15% of the companies surveyed are considered AI pioneers. They are characterized by clear strategies, disciplined implementation, and company-wide adoption.

12/25, Business & Management, EU & GER

Yoodli increases valuation with human-centered AI

Yoodli, a Seattle-based communication training startup, has reached a valuation of over $300 million following a $40 million funding round led by WestBridge Capital. Founded by former Google and Apple engineers, the platform uses AI-powered role-playing scenarios for sales, leadership, interviews, and coaching.

12/25, Business & Management, Global

Frankfurt’s data centers drive regional growth

Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region have developed into a central digital hub in Europe. The GDP of the data center industry has doubled in five years, while the overall economy has grown by only 16 percent.

12/25, EU & GER, Research & Technology

A new gold rush in the American West

The former gold mining region in the Nevada desert is currently undergoing a profound transformation as technology companies build one of the world's highest concentrations of data centers there.

The UK and Germany promote quantum computing

The UK and Germany are cooperating to accelerate the commercial use of quantum computing and bridge the gap between research and practical applications in computing, sensor technology, and time measurement.

Age and geography shape attitudes toward AI

study by Cisco shows significant age and country differences in AI acceptance. Younger users are the most active in using AI, with many also completing relevant training courses.

AI as a demographic necessity

Fears that AI could replace jobs overlook a harsher reality: demographic change. Aging societies face a serious labor shortage that threatens economic stability.

12/25, Ethics & Regulations, Global

Setbacks in AI regulations affect EU and Switzerland

The EU plans to postpone and simplify parts of its AI law and the GDPR in order to give companies easier access to data and more time for implementation. Critics warn that this would weaken data protection and security.

Republicans back down on AI legislation

An initiative supported by Trump to block the adoption of AI regulations by the states for ten years has failed due to opposition from both parties. Leading Republicans acknowledged that they lacked the support to include the nationwide preemption provision in the National Defense Authorization Act.

Meta reviews AI chip deal with Google

Meta is reportedly in advanced talks to secure large quantities of Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for AI development. The plan involves renting the hardware in 2026, with a possible direct purchase in 2027.

The Resonance Machine: Why ChatGPT Feels Therapeutic

Many users find conversations with ChatGPT surprisingly therapeutic, often describing the AI as calming and deeply understanding. Experts attribute this phenomenon not to actual machine empathy, but to the "resonance machine" effect.

How ChatGPT is currently being used

On ChatGPT’s third birthday, OpenAI shared insights into how its 800 million weekly users interact with the tool. About 75% of conversations revolve around practical guidance, information gathering, and writing.

Anthropic unveils faster, cheaper Opus 4.5

Anthropic has launched Opus 4.5, its latest flagship model, improving coding performance, efficiency, and the overall user experience. The model fixes previous conversation cut-offs in Claude by summarizing key points when the context limit is reached.

SAP launches EU AI Cloud

SAP is advancing its European sovereignty strategy with the EU AI Cloud, designed to give companies greater control over how they run AI and cloud services. The platform supports SAP’s own data centers, other European providers, and on-premise setups.