UK accelerates AI science spend as US defence procurement tightens AI vendor access
Reuters reports OECD officials warning that heavy borrowing by AI firms to expand data centres and compute could make corporate bond markets more “equity-like”.
Courts police AI citations as governments push security and funding levers
According to the Financial Times, transatlantic tensions over digital regulation are sharpening, with EU enforcement expectations under the Digital Services Act becoming a focal point in US political pushback.
Courts tighten the bounds on “AI as author” while regulators pivot to implementation deadlines
Reuters reports the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Stephen Thaler’s appeal seeking copyright protection for a work generated entirely by an AI system, leaving lower-court rulings in place that require human authorship for U.S. copyright. It keeps “human authorship” as a gating requirement for registering and litigating AI-output copyright claims (and pushes commercial strategy toward human contribution and documentation).
Publishers harden their perimeter as public sector AI governance formalises
The Financial Times reports five major UK media groups have formed a coalition to develop shared standards and licensing frameworks aimed at controlling and monetising AI use of publisher content.
AI governance clashes hit industry pledges and geopolitics
U.S. diplomats ordered to resist data sovereignty rules. A February 18 diplomatic cable instructs U.S. envoys to counter foreign data localisation and sovereignty initiatives that could restrict cross‑border flows for AI and cloud services, framing such measures as burdensome and risky for cybersecurity and civil liberties (Reuters)
Deepfake accountability moves into courts as regulators tighten 'who is responsible'
ABC News reports Australia has scrapped a planned permanent AI Advisory Body after months of work, prompting concern that delays and shifts away from mandatory guardrails may narrow the window to put durable safety oversight in place.
Deepfakes, privacy enforcement, and tighter copyright politics
Reuters reports the UK Information Commissioner’s Office joined a multi-authority statement warning about AI-generated images of identifiable people made without consent, urging early safeguards and proactive regulator engagement.
Global AI governance dialogue intensifies at India summit with regulatory and public policy shifts
Emmanuel Macron emphasised inclusive global cooperation on artificial intelligence at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, urging resistance to digital fragmentation and support for shared technology growth. This reflects an ongoing international governance discourse that balances innovation with broad participation.
California launches AI oversight unit as public and private governance hardens
Reuters reports that California Attorney General Rob Bonta launched an AI oversight and accountability programme while continuing an investigation into xAI over alleged non consensual sexualised imagery generated by Grok. This matters for AI governance because it pairs institution building with an active enforcement posture, which raises the bar for auditable safeguards, monitoring, and rapid incident response.
AI content-safety enforcement and platform accountability accelerates across Europe
Reuters - Spain ordered a criminal probe into X, Meta and TikTok over alleged distribution of AI-generated child sexual abuse material.