Government Pours $30m Into Counter-Drone Technology in Wake of Iran War
The Australian government has allocated about $30 million AUD (≈$20 million USD) to two domestic firms—Sypaq and AIM Defence—to fast‑track counter‑drone solutions. Sypaq will develop the Corvo Strike armed drone that can hunt larger UAVs, while AIM Defence will advance the Fractl high‑power laser capable of burning steel‑cased targets at over 100 km/h. This spending is a subset of a $7 billion AUD (≈$4.6 billion USD) ten‑year program aimed at countering cheap, mass‑produced drones seen in Ukraine and the Iran conflict.
White House Unveils National AI Legislative Framework
On March 20, the White House released a national artificial‑intelligence legislative framework outlining seven objectives, from mandatory parental controls to preempting state AI laws. The proposal urges Congress to codify child‑safety safeguards, ratepayer protections, IP licensing options, and regulatory sandboxes while...
AU Protocol on Digital Trade Expected to Boost DPI in Africa: AfCFTA SG
African Union Secretary‑General Wamkele Mene said the newly adopted AU Protocol on Digital Trade could catalyze massive investment in digital public infrastructure (DPI) across the continent. The protocol, backed by eight annexes covering cross‑border payments, data flows, digital identity, fintech, AI...
Entries Open for Police Tech Innovation Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2026 National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Innovation and Digital Awards, which honor police officers and staff deploying technology to enhance public safety. The program spans 11 categories, ranging from cybersecurity and business transformation to...
Advanced AI Raises Security Risks
Palo Alto Networks warns that emerging generative AI models will soon become powerful tools for cyber attackers. In internal tests, the firm’s AI completed the equivalent of a year’s penetration testing in just three weeks and demonstrated the ability to...
Will the UK’s Datacentre Strategy Deliver?
The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has set a 2030 goal of delivering 6 GW of AI‑capable datacentre capacity. Recent analysis shows current build‑out is lagging, making the target unlikely without rapid acceleration in power and cooling investments....
How GAO’s Artificial Intelligence Use Cases Show What Practical Government AI Looks Like
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a March 2026 catalog listing ten AI use cases, five of which are fully operational. The tools automate search, text classification, document conversion, and legislative mandate analysis, while a generative AI prototype assists staff...
More than $1m Worth of Fines From AI Seatbelt Cameras Withdrawn in WA
Western Australia has withdrawn more than $1.1 million AUD (≈$730,000 USD) in seat‑belt fines after six months of AI‑assisted road‑safety cameras. The system issued roughly 53,000 seat‑belt infringements, of which about 2,000 were cancelled, representing less than 4% of total penalties. Minister...
Hobart to Ditch Hire E-Scooters and Bring in 'Safer' E-Bikes Instead
The City of Hobart announced it will remove its shared e‑scooter fleet and replace it with a dedicated e‑bike program. Council cited ongoing safety, regulatory and parking issues as the primary drivers of the change. The e‑bike initiative builds on...
House Approves FirstNet Authority Reauthorization Bill
The U.S. House approved H.R. 7386, reauthorizing the FirstNet Authority through September 2037 and tightening oversight by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The bipartisan bill, passed by voice vote, amends the 2012 law to require NTIA pre‑approval for most FirstNet...
Saildrone Joins Growing Competition for Navy's Medium-Sized Drone Vessel
San Francisco‑based Saildrone entered the Navy's Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) competition with its Spectre design, a 250‑tonne craft capable of 27 knots and a 25‑tonne payload. The vessel features optional sail‑driven, near‑silent propulsion for anti‑submarine warfare and can be reconfigured...
AI Age Estimation Has Been Tested on 2.5m Pics and Shown Signs of ‘Workable Results’ at Pace, Minister Claims
The UK Home Office has trialed an AI system that estimates a person’s age from facial images, using a dataset of roughly 2.5 million photos spanning diverse ethnicities, genders and age groups. Ministers say the technology delivers "workable results" faster and...
Welin Lambie All-Electric Davit Achieves OPC Program Test Milestone
Welin Lambie, a Fairbanks Morse Defense company, announced that its TWPIV 5.0E all‑electric, dual‑point davit system completed the First Article Test for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Stage 2 program in three days, a day ahead of schedule....
Sertex Opens Regional Office in Maine to Assist Statewide Effort
Sertex Broadband Solutions opened a 9,600‑square‑foot regional office in Sidney, Maine, positioned near I‑95 exit 113. The facility, featuring 7,200 sq ft of warehouse and office space, will act as a long‑term hub for engineering, construction and logistics on the state’s MOOSE...
Hong Kong: AI-Driven Systems to Power a Sustainable Energy Future
The 2026 Belt and Road Advanced Programme in Power and Energy concluded in Hong Kong, showcasing AI‑driven solutions for modern power grids. Participants demonstrated machine‑learning cable diagnostics, 3‑D GIS digital twins, and intelligent dispatch systems that improve reliability and integrate...
UK to Streamline Planning Rules to Unlock Grid Infrastructure
The UK government announced on 21 April that new planning rules will let larger electricity substations be built without full applications, speeding grid connections for homes, businesses, EV chargers and data centres. The package also creates streamlined routes for routine grid...
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[Podcast] AI Meets USPTO: The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Evolution in the Digital Era
The United States Patent and Trademark Office launched a new podcast series highlighting its AI‑focused transformation. In the latest episode, the USPTO announced formal guidance on how artificial intelligence should be used by examiners and disclosed by patent applicants. The...
Permitting Reform Needed As Energy, Data Center Demand Surges
Federal permitting rules are under pressure as U.S. energy and data‑center demand surge, with industry leaders warning that review processes can stretch four to five years. Speakers at an American Enterprise Institute panel highlighted the fragmented involvement of the Interior,...
The FTC’s AI Portfolio Is About to Get Bigger
The Federal Trade Commission is preparing to enforce the Take It Down Act, a law that criminalizes the distribution of AI‑generated nonconsensual sexual images and gives victims a right to request rapid removal of such content. Enforcement begins in May,...
Telstra, Optus, TPG Say UOMO Devised with Unrealistic Expectations
Australia’s new Universal Mobile Service Obligation (UOMO) bill requires Telstra, Optus and TPG to deliver voice and text services across 5 million square kilometres starting December 2027. The three carriers warned parliament that satellite‑to‑mobile (STM) technology, especially for emergency calls, will not...
The Government Is Buying AI Faster than It Is Assigning Authority
The federal government is rapidly purchasing AI tools while neglecting clear authority to halt or modify them. Current AI governance emphasizes principles like fairness and transparency, but agencies lack explicit override rights, auditable decision trails, and contract terms that preserve...
How Real-Time Crime Centers Draw on Video Surveillance
DeKalb County, Georgia, opened a Real‑Time Crime Center (RTCC) on Dec. 15 as part of its Digital Shield initiative, deploying over 230 live Flock cameras, 270 license‑plate readers and a 32‑by‑4‑foot digital wall that aggregates feeds from Axon Fusus, state DOT...
Senators Propose Update to Communications Accessibility Law
Senators Ed Markey and Ben Ray Luján, joined by Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brian Fitzpatrick, introduced a bipartisan Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act to modernize the 2010 accessibility law. The bill expands captioning, audio description, and device activation requirements...
Enterprise Service Management Gains Ground Across Federal Agencies Amid Demands
Federal agencies are turning to enterprise service management (ESM) to replace siloed IT, HR and payroll systems with a single digital front door. The shift is driven by hybrid‑work expectations, the promise of AI‑enabled automation, and a desire to cut...
ISED Inquired About ‘Opt-Out Mechanism’ for AI-Generated News Summaries on Tech Platforms
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has asked what a fair opt‑out mechanism would look like for AI‑generated news summaries on platforms such as Google’s AI Overviews. News publishers argue these summaries siphon traffic, with up to 60%...
Secures FCC Conditional Approval to Deploy Autonomous Drones for U.S. Electricity Grids
sees.ai has secured conditional approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to operate its centrally controlled autonomous drones for close‑quarter inspection of high‑voltage electricity infrastructure. The approval, granted under the FCC’s new Conditional Approval pathway, validates the company’s security and...
Austin Breaks Ground on $1.5B Walnut Creek WWTP Expansion
Austin broke ground on a $1.5 billion expansion of the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, boosting capacity from 75 MGD to 100 MGD. The upgrade adds advanced nutrient removal, UV disinfection, odor control and a flood wall while keeping the plant fully operational....
North Dakota Regulators Can’t Help Blumenthal on Data Center Oversight
Senator Richard Blumenthal asked state utility regulators for data‑center nondisclosure agreements, but the North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) said it does not regulate such facilities and can provide only limited information. The PSC is reviewing a $110 million power project...
Palantir Issues Ominous Corporate Manifesto
Palantir released a 22‑point Twitter summary of its 320‑page corporate manifesto, sparking outrage over its hard‑line, anti‑woke worldview. The document calls for universal national service, prioritizes hard power over moral appeal, and envisions a software‑driven world order. Critics, including philosophers...
After Watchdog Slams Understaffing, AI to Vet Pentagon-Backed Professors’ China Ties
The Pentagon’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency disclosed that only two staff members were tasked with vetting roughly 27,000 defense‑funded research awards for foreign influence, prompting the department to roll out artificial‑intelligence tools to screen academics for ties to China....
USDA Seeks to Cut ReConnect Rural Broadband Grant Program
The USDA’s proposed 2027 budget includes a 19% cut to discretionary spending and would eliminate the agency’s ReConnect rural broadband grant program, canceling roughly $40 million in unobligated balances. ReConnect has been a primary source of funding for construction, upgrades, and...
We Can’t Trust Palantir with Our NHS Data
Palantir Technologies UK secured a data‑analytics contract with the NHS valued at roughly $15 billion over two years, promising faster cancer diagnoses and reduced discharge delays. Critics highlight that private firms have already earned about $2 billion in profit from NHS contracts,...
These States Will Let Your iPhone Be Your Driver's License
Apple is expanding its Apple Wallet to store driver’s licenses and state IDs, a feature now available in roughly half a dozen states and territories. Users need an iPhone 8 or newer, Face ID or Touch ID, two‑factor authentication, and the latest iOS,...
US Security Agency Leverages Claude Mythos Despite Pentagon Blacklist
The National Security Agency has begun using Anthropic’s new Claude Mythos Preview model despite a Pentagon‑issued supply‑chain risk designation on the company. Mythos, announced on April 7, is a general‑purpose LLM tuned for cyber‑exploit identification and is currently being rolled out under the...
Amid Rule Delay, Website Accessibility Must Be ‘Ongoing Practice,’ Leaders Say
The U.S. Department of Justice has granted state and local governments an extra year to meet the web accessibility rule under Title II of the ADA, moving the deadline for jurisdictions with over 50,000 residents to April 26, 2027 and for smaller entities...
Conn. Officials Pause Statewide LE Usage of AI Report-Writing Software
Connecticut prosecutors and police chiefs have placed a statewide moratorium on AI‑powered police report‑writing tools, pausing their use until thorough testing and clear rules are established. The move follows high‑profile AI errors, such as a Utah body‑cam incident that generated...
Agencies Urge ‘Trust and Verify’ as Supply Chain Cyber Risks Shift
Federal leaders at the CyberScape summit urged agencies to adopt a continuous "trust and verify" approach to supply‑chain cybersecurity. They highlighted a visibility gap, noting that 60‑65% of Defense Logistics Agency partners are small businesses with limited cyber budgets. Officials...
Europe Awards €180m in "Sovereign" Cloud Contracts, Touts SEAL Levels
The European Commission has awarded a €180 million (≈$156 million) contract to four cloud providers from Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg to deliver sovereign cloud services for EU institutions. The deal is part of a broader push for data‑sovereignty across the bloc,...
Flemish Transport Agency Deploys Its 1,000th Electric Bus
Flemish transport agency De Lijn has deployed its 1,000th electric bus, marking a milestone in its transition from diesel. In 2025 the agency ordered over 650 e‑buses and aims for 3,800 electric buses by 2035, supported by a €400 million ($436 million)...
Federal Agencies Navigate Tradeoffs Between AI Speed, Security
Federal agencies are accelerating AI deployments to improve mission outcomes, but they must navigate stringent security, data‑privacy, and governance constraints. The USDA leveraged AI and NASA’s NAIP imagery to map poultry farms and predict avian‑flu hotspots, enabling targeted inspections that...
GSA No. 2 Talks ‘Million Hours Challenge,’ Scaling Agency AI Efforts
The General Services Administration (GSA) is pursuing its Eliminate, Optimize and Automate (EOA) playbook to automate one million work hours by leveraging AI and intelligent automation. Deputy Administrator Michael Lynch said the agency has already identified 400,000 low‑value hours to...
Massachusetts Senate Considers DER Peak Reduction Mandate to Curb Grid Costs
The Massachusetts Senate is drafting a climate omnibus bill that could impose a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Peak Reduction Standard on investor‑owned utilities. The mandate would require utilities to meet capacity targets by dispatching customer‑sited solar and storage, creating a...
Election Officials Left in Limbo as State Leaders Contemplate Next Steps for Ballot QR Codes
Georgia’s 2024 law prohibits using QR codes on ballots after July 1, yet the legislature failed to allocate funds or extend the deadline, leaving counties without a clear path forward. Governor Brian Kemp may convene a special session, but timing conflicts...
Everbridge Advances High Velocity CEM™ with Dynamically Adaptive Resilience
Everbridge unveiled an upgraded High Velocity Critical Event Management (CEM) platform that adds a dynamically adaptive resilience layer. The solution blends AI‑driven automation with human oversight to detect risk across cyber, physical, operational and geopolitical domains. Customers report up to...
Cyberattack at French Identity Document Agency May Have Exposed Personal Data
France’s National Agency for Secure Documents (ANTS) suffered a cyberattack on its portal that manages passports, ID cards, residence permits and driver’s licences. The breach, detected on April 15, may have exposed login credentials, names, email addresses, dates of birth and...
France, Poland Combine on Telco Satellite Defence Project
France’s Thales Alenia Space, Poland’s Radmor and Airbus Defence and Space have signed an agreement to build a geostationary telecommunications defence satellite for the Polish Ministry of Defence. The satellite will deliver secure, cyber‑hardened communications and anti‑jamming capabilities, enhancing Poland’s...
Two Fixes, One Lifeline: What Congress Must Do to Strengthen 911 in Every Community
America’s 911 system, a critical public‑safety lifeline, is strained by outdated technology and workforce misclassification. Most call centers still run landline‑era systems that cannot handle texts, photos, video, or medical data, and they lack cyber‑resilience. A $15 billion nationwide upgrade to...
Dronamics Enters Japan and Welcomes Asia Air Survey as Strategic Investor
Dronamics announced a strategic partnership with Japan’s Asia Air Survey, which is investing through its corporate venture arm and becoming the first Japanese shareholder. The deal includes the creation of Dronamics Japan Holdings to commercialize the Black Swan drone in Japan and...
What Is Configuration Drift, and How Can Governments Manage It?
Configuration drift—unintended divergence from approved cloud baselines—is emerging as a top security risk for state and local governments adopting hybrid and multicloud environments. The drift stems from manual tweaks, rapid automated updates, and fragmented governance across diverse platforms. IBM’s CTO...
Stuck in Traffic: How to Get the Urban Mobility Dream Moving
Arthur D. Little’s "Future of Mobility 5.0" study finds private cars still dominate urban travel, accounting for roughly 70 % of miles, and proposes eight high‑impact solutions to double the share of sustainable mobility to about 60 % within a decade. The roadmap...