East Asia is a key driver of global economic and technological progress. While many of its economies lead in AI adoption and literacy, they are grappling with a shrinking workforce due to ageing populations and declining birth rates. To address this challenge, the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, led by AVPN with support from Google.org and […]
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Syria: Restricted Access Resumes at Al Hol Camp as Security Worries Persist
The United Nations has confirmed that limited access has been restored to Syria’s Al Hol camp after days of disruption caused by security concerns. Briefing reporters in New York, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, was able to enter the camp on Friday alongside Syrian government officials, re-establish contact with some […]
UN Raises Alarm Over Growing AI Risks to Children, From Deepfakes to Grooming
UN agencies are warning that artificial intelligence is rapidly amplifying threats to children, with new technologies being exploited for online grooming, deepfakes, cyberbullying and the spread of harmful content. According to Cosmas Zavazava of the International Telecommunication Union, children are increasingly targeted through AI tools that can analyse their online behaviour, emotions and interests, enabling […]
Can AI Turn the Tide? How Technology Is Fighting Forest Fires in Bhutan
A forest fire that broke out near Sangaygang in Thimphu on January 2, 2026, served as a stark reminder that Bhutan’s fire season has begun. While this particular blaze was contained, many others burn for days despite the courageous efforts of firefighters working with limited resources. Recent years have seen increasingly frequent and intense forest […]
AI in African Healthcare: Gates and OpenAI Launch Pilot Projects
The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have announced a $50 million pilot program aimed at advancing AI capabilities for healthcare in Africa. Named Horizon 1000, the initiative will provide funding, technology, and technical support to implement AI solutions in 1,000 primary healthcare clinics across the continent by 2028. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasized that while AI […]
AI’s Role in Transforming the Future of Nuclear Energy
Global electricity demand is growing at an unprecedented pace, with projections indicating an increase of over 10,000 terawatt-hours by 2035, roughly equivalent to the current total consumption of all advanced economies. A major driver of this surge is artificial intelligence (AI), which relies heavily on data centers. A medium-sized data center consumes as much electricity […]
Mongolia’s AI Readiness Explored in UNDP’s “The Next Great Divergence” Report
Today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Mongolia, in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Communications, launched the “The Next Great Divergence” report and convened a high-level dialogue on Mongolia’s readiness for artificial intelligence (AI). The report, published by UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, highlights AI’s potential to […]
Entries open for AI Ready Asean Youth Challenge
Deadline: 27-Feb-2026 The AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge invites young people aged 18–35 from Southeast Asia to develop AI-driven solutions for social good, offering a USD 20,000 prize pool, national and regional awards, and a chance to present at the Regional Grand Finals in Singapore (May 2026). Applications are now open for the AI Ready […]
AI in Education: 193 Innovative Solutions Transforming Latin America and the Caribbean
AI is increasingly present in classrooms across Latin America and the Caribbean, being applied creatively to support learning rather than replace teachers. From literacy tools using speech recognition to platforms that personalize instruction, educators are leveraging AI to strengthen pedagogy and enhance student outcomes. A significant number of initiatives focus on inclusion, targeting students with […]
Global Agriculture Innovation: UAE Introduces AI Ecosystem for Climate Resilience
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven ecosystem designed to help climate-vulnerable agricultural regions adapt to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, reinforcing its goal of becoming a global hub for applied AI in climate and food security. The initiative, unveiled in Abu Dhabi, builds on the US$200 million UAE-Gates Foundation partnership announced […]
Malaysia: Johor Introduces AI Training Initiative to Upskill the Workforce
The Johor state government is advancing plans to build an innovation-driven workforce through a new collaboration that places artificial intelligence training at the core of its economic development strategy. A recently signed memorandum of understanding establishes a structured framework to develop local expertise in AI design, strengthen alignment with industry needs, and attract technology investment […]
Maryland Wins AI Funding to Modernize and Improve Public Services
Maryland has secured more than $2.6 million in grant funding over two years to support state agency projects that use artificial intelligence to reduce barriers and improve access to public services. The funding was awarded through the Public Benefit Innovation Fund of the Center for Civic Futures, which reviewed more than 400 applications from 45 […]
Beyond Funding: How Philanthropy Must Engage with AI
Artificial intelligence is often framed as a tool capable of faster, cheaper, and large-scale operations, making it particularly appealing to philanthropy. AI promises better targeting of welfare, insights from complex data, and new ways to reach historically underserved communities. However, Dr. Sarayu Natarajan, Founder of the Aapti Institute, emphasized at the Asia-Pacific Meeting on AI […]
2025 Insights: How AI Agents Earned Trust and Entered the Workforce
In 2025, AI reached a pivotal stage, transitioning from conversational tools to functional agents capable of performing real work. Unlike traditional large language models (LLMs), which store knowledge, agents combine reasoning, memory, and actionable capabilities to execute tasks. A party planning agent, for instance, can manage calendars, communicate with friends, order supplies, and create entertainment […]
Promoting Ethical AI in the Judiciary: Capacity-Building Initiatives
UNESCO and UNDP have collaborated to strengthen judicial capacity on the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI). A training on AI and the Rule of Law, held in Bangkok, Thailand with support from the Thailand Institute of Justice, brought together 27 judges from 13 Asia-Pacific countries to examine how AI is shaping justice […]
Transforming Education: ADQ and Gates Foundation Collaborate on AI-Powered Learning Solutions
ADU DHABI (December 17, 2025) – ADQ, a sovereign investor focused on critical infrastructure and global supply chains, and the Gates Foundation have announced a landmark partnership aimed at accelerating the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and education technology (EdTech) to improve learning outcomes for children across sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement coincided with Abu […]
What We Learned from Implementing an AI Literacy Initiative
The Graduate College’s Center for Communication Excellence (CCE) at Iowa State University explored how to better prepare graduate students for using artificial intelligence (AI) in research communications through a 2024-25 Miller Faculty Fellowship. With a $48,000 award, CCE staff developed instructional materials and a two-session workshop to guide students in completing literature reviews while building […]
Africa’s AI Opportunity: $1 Trillion GDP Gain Projected by 2035, Says AfDB
The African Development Bank has released a report outlining a strategic roadmap to unlock the economic and social potential of artificial intelligence (AI) across Africa. Titled Africa’s AI Productivity Gain: Pathways to Labour Efficiency, Economic Growth and Inclusive Transformation, the study was developed under the G20 Digital Transformation Working Group and highlights AI’s capacity to […]
Transforming South African Journalism: The Impact of Ethical AI in Newsrooms
The rapid expansion of AI in South Africa’s media sector offers news outlets significant opportunities to improve operations, but the country’s linguistic diversity and uneven digital access require an ethical and context-sensitive approach to adoption. Feedback from the South African media ecosystem highlighted that many journalists were navigating AI on their own due to a […]
Building a Resilient Netherlands: Insights from Global War Economies
Modern security threats are increasingly complex, blurring the lines between peacetime and wartime and placing pressure on legal and operational frameworks. To respond effectively, it may be necessary to scale up defence production and strengthen supply security even in peacetime. This approach facilitates a transition toward a “war economy,” which can better prepare the Netherlands […]
