Technology

• Chinese police are preparing to monitor VPN and Telegram users with AI-powered tools
• AI technology was a key element at the largest policing tech expo held in Beijing last May
• People in China cannot access Telegram, the most popular social media app, and international news sites without a VPN

When considering the future of policing, China reserves the spotlight for AI-powered surveillance – and VPN and Telegram users are among the targets.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, AI technology was the key element throughout the 12th China International Exhibition on Police Equipment, the largest policing tech expo held in Beijing last May.

Alongside DeepSeek-inspired LLM models that support criminal investigations and identify high-risk individuals, two tools are set to make the lives of millions of Chinese people who regularly use the best VPNs even harder.

China's AI crackdown to online dissent and censorship

While it's difficult to estimate the number of people using a virtual private network (VPN) in China, we do know that the tool is crucial for accessing the likes of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, as well as international and independent news sites – the South China Morning Post included.

As Freedom House wrote in its latest report, "Chinese internet users have faced the world’s worst conditions for internet freedom for a decade."

Severe legal repercussions for online activities and strict censorship, the report explains, are complemented by the work of authorities restricting access to anticensorship tools like VPNs.

Today, only a handful of VPN services for China function under these adverse conditions. Despite this, however, China's law enforcement seeks to become even more effective at blocking them.

This is, at least, what a technology company from Nanjing, a city in Eastern China, plans to do. During the event, the firm "showcased a tool capable of detecting such use [of VPNs]," the South China Morning Post reported.

A VPN is security software that encrypts users' internet connections while spoofing their real IP address. The latter skill is exactly what lets people bypass strict content geo-restrictions in place in China. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Most of the people using a VPN are likely to do so to access Telegram, among other things. The popular messaging app and its official website have been blocked since 2015 in China, following a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on its servers.

If you cannot prevent it, you can control it, right? This is what the Third Research Institute of the Ministry of Public Security – the country's top police body – proposed to do with its new tools that, they say, can monitor Telegram.

This surveillance software is said to be able to monitor all Telegram accounts with Chinese mobile phone numbers, as these include strict real-name requirements.

"To date, the tool has collected more than 30 billion messages and monitored 70 million Telegram accounts, as well as 390,000 public channels and groups," said the group, as per the South China Morning Post.

Most crucially, however, this tool also seeks to target online dissent by scanning all Telegram messages related to politics and Hong Kong.

"The Institute cited the widespread use of Telegram by anti-government protesters in Hong Kong in 2019 as one of the reasons for developing the tool," wrote the South China Morning Post.

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• Chinese police are preparing to monitor VPN and Telegram users with AI-powered tools
• AI technology was a key element at the largest policing tech expo held in Beijing last May
• People in China cannot access Telegram, the most popular social media app, and international news sites without a VPN

When considering the future of policing, China reserves the spotlight for AI-powered surveillance – and VPN and Telegram users are among the targets.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, AI technology was the key element throughout the 12th China International Exhibition on Police Equipment, the largest policing tech expo held in Beijing last May.

Alongside DeepSeek-inspired LLM models that support criminal investigations and identify high-risk individuals, two tools are set to make the lives of millions of Chinese people who regularly use the best VPNs even harder.

China's AI crackdown to online dissent and censorship

While it's difficult to estimate the number of people using a virtual private network (VPN) in China, we do know that the tool is crucial for accessing the likes of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, as well as international and independent news sites – the South China Morning Post included.

As Freedom House wrote in its latest report, "Chinese internet users have faced the world’s worst conditions for internet freedom for a decade."

Severe legal repercussions for online activities and strict censorship, the report explains, are complemented by the work of authorities restricting access to anticensorship tools like VPNs.

Today, only a handful of VPN services for China function under these adverse conditions. Despite this, however, China's law enforcement seeks to become even more effective at blocking them.

This is, at least, what a technology company from Nanjing, a city in Eastern China, plans to do. During the event, the firm "showcased a tool capable of detecting such use [of VPNs]," the South China Morning Post reported.

A VPN is security software that encrypts users' internet connections while spoofing their real IP address. The latter skill is exactly what lets people bypass strict content geo-restrictions in place in China. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Most of the people using a VPN are likely to do so to access Telegram, among other things. The popular messaging app and its official website have been blocked since 2015 in China, following a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on its servers.

If you cannot prevent it, you can control it, right? This is what the Third Research Institute of the Ministry of Public Security – the country's top police body – proposed to do with its new tools that, they say, can monitor Telegram.

This surveillance software is said to be able to monitor all Telegram accounts with Chinese mobile phone numbers, as these include strict real-name requirements.

"To date, the tool has collected more than 30 billion messages and monitored 70 million Telegram accounts, as well as 390,000 public channels and groups," said the group, as per the South China Morning Post.

Most crucially, however, this tool also seeks to target online dissent by scanning all Telegram messages related to politics and Hong Kong.

"The Institute cited the widespread use of Telegram by anti-government protesters in Hong Kong in 2019 as one of the reasons for developing the tool," wrote the South China Morning Post.

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The second most popular TV show on Netflix worldwide comes straight outta Scotland, and it's racking up rave reviews, making it one of the best Netflix shows. Dept. Q deserves every one of the five stars it's getting, because it's an absolute blast.

Dept. Q has so far spent two weeks in the Netflix top ten for global TV, with 8.9 million views and 73,400,000 hours – so almost everyone who starts watching it keeps watching it.

On the face of it, the show is just another cop drama. You know the type: maverick cop battling demons, a woman in peril at the hands of a sinister figure. But it's much more than that, which is why I pretty much inhaled every episode.

What's so great about Dept. Q

The show is based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s Danish detective stories, but the action has been moved to Edinburgh in Scotland. Matthew Goode plays detective Carl Morck, and it's clear that the man is an insufferable ass who is rightly loathed by many of his colleagues, even after he survives a murderous event. That event has terrible consequences for his friend and partner, played by the always brilliant Jamie Sives, and it's clear that Monck is increasingly weighed dow by the guilt of that.

Monck is given the job of investigating cold cases, and gets a team of fellow misfits: former Syrian police officer Akram Salim (Alexjev Manvelov), a lovely man with many secrets, and the well-meaning but traumatised cadet Rose (Leah Byrne). Together they focus on a single case: the disappearance of lawyer Merritt Linguard (Chloe Pirie).

What follows is an extremely tense race against time to find and save Merritt, interwoven with the interpersonal dramas of Monck, his team, and his home life. It's often very funny, especially in the home bits, and the script is whip-smart and razor-sharp throughout. And the cast is brilliant, with fine performances throughout and the very welcome appearances of Mark Bonnar, Kelly Macdonald and Sanjeev Kholi.

Without giving any spoilers I do need to warn you that the central disappearance teeters very much on the edge of voyeurism: I'm not a big fan of seeing women (or anyone else) undergoing terrible treatment and I think in a couple of instances the camera lingered a little too long on things in much the way that the Idris Elba show Luther sometimes did. But maybe I'm just easily upset.

If like me you're a Scot there's also fun to be had nitpicking: why does everyone in Edinburgh have a Glasgow accent? Don't they know that pub is nowhere near that bit of town? Do Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives have to appear in everything (not that I'm complaining)? And it's interesting to compare what you can do with a Netflix budget compared to the much more modest means of Scotland's own broadcasters: I'm often excited by the arrival of a new homegrown drama only to be deeply disappointed. Whereas I loved this.

Dept Q currently has 84% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, and 94% from viewers. It's available to stream on Netflix now.

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• Sales of the Nintendo Switch are off to a very strong start
• More than 3.5 million units have been sold in just four days
• It's now the fastest-selling Nintendo console ever

Nintendo Switch 2 sales have got off to a very strong start, with the console smashing through records in less than a week following its June 5 launch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 sold more than 3.5 million units worldwide in just four days, making the fastest-selling Nintendo console ever. As Nintendo's biggest launch, it's currently outpacing sales of previous successes like the Wii and Nintendo DS.

To put that figure in context, the original Nintendo Switch, which was a highly popular console by any measure, sold 2.74 million units in its launch month.

As Mat Piscatella, executive director of video games at market research firm Circana, points out, the sales of any console within its first week is largely down to how much supply is available.

We already know that Nintendo has been preparing for the Nintendo Switch 2 launch for quite some time, having significantly more Nintendo Switch 2 units ready at launch than its predecessor.

The deciding factor in the console's success will be whether it maintains this trajectory. As market research firm DFC Intelligence predicts that the Nintendo Switch 2 could shift 100 million units by the end of 2029, it seems likely.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is available now. It costs $449.99 / £395.99 . A bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World is also available for $499.99 / £429.99.

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• Mindseye has launched with numerous bugs and performance issues
• Players have taken to social media to share clips and frustrations
• The developer insists fixes and improvements are in the works

Developer Build A Rocket Boy's Mindseye has officially launched, and first impressions haven't exactly been glowing. No shortage of players have taken to social media to express frustrations regarding the game's performance, price point, and a smattering of inexcusable bugs and glitches.

Some rather unfortunate screenshots and clips have surfaced on sites like X / Twitter. One shows a character stretching into an eldritch abomination after being hit by a buggy. Another shows that facial animations aren't exactly what we'd call realistic, to put it lightly.

Another rather humorous post shows that Mindseye's non-player character civilians have a hard time fighting back when attacked, either by firing their gun into the air or wandering off into busy traffic.

Creepiest Bug I have ever witnessed since AC Unity #MindsEye pic.twitter.com/qHOgYmHRIgJune 10, 2025

Mindseye's Steam page tells a pretty grim tale, too. At the time of writing, the game sits at a 'Mixed' 42% rating with roughly 800 user reviews.

"It’s got that typical bad Unreal Engine feel to it," says the top rated review. "The story is somewhat interesting, but the gameplay is just unplayable, it’s nowhere near optimised."

"The game suffers from some serious technical issues," reads another, "objects and environments load way too slowly, and you literally see them pop into existence right in front of you. It breaks immersion completely and gives the whole experience a very choppy and unfinished feel."

It's not all bad, though. Near unanimous praise seems to be levied at Mindseye's early story beats which point to an enjoyable sci-fi premise and setting. Others also feel that the gunplay and driving are satisfying, as you'd expect from a studio that features ex-Grand Theft Auto talent.

Mindseye did launch with a day one patch that's yet to be deployed on Xbox Series X|S consoles, and the developer has taken to Reddit to promise further performance improvements (thanks, Eurogamer). But for now, you're probably better off avoiding Mindseye until it's received some substantial improvements.

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• James Gunn has confirmed that a new Wonder Woman movie is in the works
• The DCU Chapter One film is "being written right now", Gunn says
• DC fans have drawn up a wish-list of actors they want to play Diana Prince

Diana Prince is coming to the DC Universe (DCU) earlier than anyone expected after James Gunn confirmed that a new Wonder Woman movie is in development.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly (EW), the co-chief of DC Studios surprisingly revealed that a Wonder Woman film is not only "being written right now", but also being worked on separately to Paradise Lost.

The latter is a Max TV show that would be a Game of Thrones-inspired project based on Themyscira, aka the idyllic, all-female island nation Diana Prince hails from. Paradise Lost was announced as part of the DCU Chapter One lineup in January 2023, but, as Gunn also told EW, progress is moving slowly on this series' development.

It'll be a few years before we see Wonder Woman make her DCU debut (Image credit: DC Comics)

A Wonder Woman movie announcement isn't a shock in itself – after all, the Amazonian is a member of DC Comics' iconic Trinity of superheroes. If you weren't aware, the others are Superman and Batman.

Still, considering that Paradise Lost was meant to act as a precursor to Wonder Woman's eventual arrival in the DCU, I don't think anyone predicted that Gunn would confirm a Diana Prince-led project is already being worked on. I say that after Gunn sparked excitement over Wonder Woman's DCU debut less than a month ago (at the time of publication, anyway), too.

Which actor do fans want to play Wonder Woman in the DCU?

Gal Gadot is the latest actor to portray Diana Prince on the big screen (Image credit: Warner Bros)

It'll be a few years before Wonder Woman returns on the big screen. We don't actually know how much work has been completed on its screenplay, nor do we have any idea about which actor will follow in the footsteps of Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter, who've previously played Diana Prince in a live-action capacity.

For his part, Gunn told EW he and fellow DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran haven't opened the casting call yet. That hasn't stopped DC devotees from drawing up a shortlist of actors they'd like to see tackle the role. Indeed, threads on the DC Cinematic and DCU Leaks Reddit pages, as well as one on ResetEra, are full of suggestions from comic-book fans and casual observers alike.

Lots of great options are being proposed, too. Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown, Fubar), May Calamawy (Moon Knight), Charlee Fraser (Anyone But You, Furiosa), Melissanthi Mahut (The Sandman), and Elizabeth Dulau (Andor) have all been fan-cast since the news broke.

Comment from r/DCULeaks

However, it's another Star Wars alumnus – one who joined Dulau on Andor's cast roster – who's the clear favorite among many DC fans: Adria Arjona.

I could see that happening. I think any of the aforementioned actors would be a good fit to play Diana Prince, but Arjona would certainly be my top pick to assume the role of one of DC Comics' most popular heroes.

She's shown she has the capabilities to play such a multidimensional character in numerous projects, including Andor, Hit Man, Blink Twice, and Good Omens. Make it so, Messrs Gunn and Safran, and I'm sure you'll make plenty of people happy.

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• Salesforce UKI CEO declares it's time for the "digital labour revolution"
• AI agents set to play an increasingly vital role at firms everywhere
• Agentforce can be "the agentic layer for your enterprise", Salesforce says

The next stage in business AI adoption will see agents become a vital part of the workforce, no matter your industry, Salesforce leaders have declared.

Speaking at its Agentforce World Tour London event, Zahra Bahrololoumi CBE, Salesforce UKI CEO, said it was time for the “digital labour revolution” as AI agents take a more central role in businesses everywhere.

“This is a moment where we get extend our teams and unlock additional capacity with AI agents working alongside us,” she declared, “and we need this now more than ever, because customers expect more.”

AI agents everywhere

Bahrololoumi highlighted the increasing role of AI agents as the next step along a technological journey that has seen businesses embrace the Internet, cloud computing mobile, and now AI.

Salesforce has been able to support its customers along each step of this journey, she noted, and wants to play a key role in AI adoption, a move which she noted is, “quite possibly bigger than the arrival of the internet.”

Today’s consumers and business clients want personal and human experiences, proactive scheduling and more interactive experiences in their business dealing, she noted, “customers want this 24/7 - but the reality is many customers are struggling to keep up.”

Instead of having to choose between quality and scale, or burning out human workers, AI agents can play a key role, Salesforce believes.

Bahrololoumi explained that Agentforce can offer "workforces without limits...agents with real agency, they don't just talk, they take action and they resolve your customer's issues 24/7.”

"Agentforce isn't just a suite of tools, it's the agentic layer for your enterprise," she declared, “it's time for companies to take advantage of the digital labour revolution."

To back up these views, Salesforce revealed its Digital Labour Trends Report, which claims UK C-suite businesses leaders believe digital labour will provide a 25% boost in productivity.

The research also found UK firms are now fully embracing AI agents, with over three-quarters (78%) of organizations already using AI agents, and 14% planning to adopt the technology in the next six months.

“Every board and business must prepare for this organizational transformation, equipping their people for a workforce that is both human and digital,” commented Bahrololoumi, “this is the digital labour revolution.”

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• T-Mobile is introducing satellite coverage to its plans in July
• The T-Satellite service is now in beta and free to try
• Most modern phones are compatible

T-Mobile has launched a nationwide beta for its new satellite phone service, allowing users to stay connected in areas without traditional cell coverage.

Called T-Satellite, the feature connects automatically when you're out of range of cellular networks, enabling basic connectivity in remote locations. The beta is currently free to join and open to anyone, regardless of carrier, through the end of July.

During the beta, users will be able to send and receive texts, make calls, and access data via satellite. You can sign up for the beta now by providing an email address with no special hardware required - according to the T&C's, most modern smartphones will be eligible.

T-Mobile is planning on rolling out the T-Satellite service at no extra cost with the carrier's high-end Experience Beyond and Go5G Next plans at some point in July this year. Customers who opt into the Experience More plan now will receive satellite coverage for free through the end of the year.

Also available on other carriers

(Image credit: T-Mobile)

Interestingly, the carrier's T-Satellite service will also be available to customers on other networks, including both Verizon and AT&T.

While the initial beta period is free to all, the service will be available at an introductory price of $10 per month. According to the FAQ, that will equate to a $5/mo saving in total. Note, as of writing, the carrier has not confirmed how long the introductory pricing will be available.

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• Vivo says its next foldable will offer Apple Watch support
• The syncing seems to work through an iCloud connection
• It's not clear if Apple will ultimately allow this to function

We didn't have Apple Watch support for Android phones on our tech bingo card for 2025 – or for any year, for that matter – but Vivo has announced that the upcoming Vivo X Fold 5 is going to be the first Android phone to work with Apple's wearable.

As per an official post on Weibo (via 9to5Google), you'll be able to answer calls and read texts on your Apple Watch when it's connected to your X Fold 5, as well as sync health data between the two devices.

Based on subsequent posts from Vivo, it sounds as though this is going to work through some kind of iCloud connection through the web. I'm relying on Google Translate, but there are mentions of syncing data to and from an iPhone as well.

It's going to be interesting to see how this works, when it arrives – because presumably it could be set up on other Android phones too. As you might already know, Apple executives did consider adding Android support to the Apple Watch, but abandoned the effort because of "technical limitations".

I hope this happens, but I'm not convinced

The X Fold 5 is following on from the X Fold 3, shown here (Image credit: Vivo)

The obstacle to trying to add Apple Watch support to an Android phone is similar to the problem of trying to build a third-party app to access your iMessages: Apple won't let you do it, which is a pretty big stumbling block.

For now at least, Apple wants its smartwatches to be accessories to its iPhones, and so doesn't want a device like the Apple Watch 10 lowering itself to connecting to an Android phone – even if it might sell more wearables as a result.

Whatever the hack is that Vivo has in mind, then, it's pretty much a given that Apple will block it with a software update. If the Apple Watch ever gets official Android support, it'll be because Apple allows it – perhaps as a result of the continuing antitrust pressure it's under.

While I'm a dedicated Android user when it comes to my primary phone of choice, I'd like the option to use an Apple Watch on my wrist – it certainly compares well to the best Garmins and the best Android watches out there.

However, that's not a choice Apple wants to give me right now, and I'm not sure Vivo is going to be able to do much about it.

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• Vivo says its next foldable will offer Apple Watch support
• The syncing seems to work through an iCloud connection
• It's not clear if Apple will ultimately allow this to function

We didn't have Apple Watch support for Android phones on our tech bingo card for 2025 – or for any year, for that matter – but Vivo has announced that the upcoming Vivo X Fold 5 is going to be the first Android phone to work with Apple's wearable.

As per an official post on Weibo (via 9to5Google), you'll be able to answer calls and read texts on your Apple Watch when it's connected to your X Fold 5, as well as sync health data between the two devices.

Based on subsequent posts from Vivo, it sounds as though this is going to work through some kind of iCloud connection through the web. I'm relying on Google Translate, but there are mentions of syncing data to and from an iPhone as well.

It's going to be interesting to see how this works, when it arrives – because presumably it could be set up on other Android phones too. As you might already know, Apple executives did consider adding Android support to the Apple Watch, but abandoned the effort because of "technical limitations".

I hope this happens, but I'm not convinced

The X Fold 5 is following on from the X Fold 3, shown here (Image credit: Vivo)

The obstacle to trying to add Apple Watch support to an Android phone is similar to the problem of trying to build a third-party app to access your iMessages: Apple won't let you do it, which is a pretty big stumbling block.

For now at least, Apple wants its smartwatches to be accessories to its iPhones, and so doesn't want a device like the Apple Watch 10 lowering itself to connecting to an Android phone – even if it might sell more wearables as a result.

Whatever the hack is that Vivo has in mind, then, it's pretty much a given that Apple will block it with a software update. If the Apple Watch ever gets official Android support, it'll be because Apple allows it – perhaps as a result of the continuing antitrust pressure it's under.

While I'm a dedicated Android user when it comes to my primary phone of choice, I'd like the option to use an Apple Watch on my wrist – it certainly compares well to the best Garmins and the best Android watches out there.

However, that's not a choice Apple wants to give me right now, and I'm not sure Vivo is going to be able to do much about it.

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• Three in five organizations are adopting GenAI faster than workers are happy with
• 66% of leaders say taking risks adopting AI is an important step
• Few workers will actually need retraining or upskilling

IBM's latest research supports the notion that companies are shifting from AI experimentation to implementation, with two in three (65%) UK & Ireland CEOs saying they are actively adopting AI agents at scale.

However, growth could be outpacing worker readiness, with the report finding over half (58%) are pushing their organizations to adopt GenAI faster than some are comfortable with.

It's a tricky one to balance, though, with many leaders believing their organizations' competitive edge could rely on how they approach artificial intelligence.

Organizations are going all-in on AI

Two-thirds (66%) say they must take more risks than their competitors to stay ahead, with nearly as many (62%) admitting to investing in technology before fully understanding its value, simply to avoid falling behind.

A further two-thirds (64%) of the 2,000 CEOs surveyed from 33 countries believe the productivity gains they could unlock from AI justify the potentially significant risks.

The success of generative AI has spurred on a whole new era of agentic AI – proactive non-human agents are said to be highly effective in decision-making, delivering predictive insights, and other automation and productivity metrics across HR, finance, IT, and customer service in particular.

"As expectations around AI shift towards competitive advantage and quantifiable ROI, CEOs are embracing risk as an opportunity to drive business performance," noted IBM Consulting's UK&I Managing Partner Rahul Kalia.

While speed is important – both in terms of adoption rates and AI performance – IBM says that companies should also emphasize trust by using explainable AI models, forming strong data privacy and security principles, and adhering to ethical guidelines.

However, AI's effects on the workforce might not be as drastic as some had previously anticipated. Only 30% of the current workforce will require retraining or upskilling over the next three years, the CEOs said.

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• Three in five organizations are adopting GenAI faster than workers are happy with
• 66% of leaders say taking risks adopting AI is an important step
• Few workers will actually need retraining or upskilling

IBM's latest research supports the notion that companies are shifting from AI experimentation to implementation, with two in three (65%) UK & Ireland CEOs saying they are actively adopting AI agents at scale.

However, growth could be outpacing worker readiness, with the report finding over half (58%) are pushing their organizations to adopt GenAI faster than some are comfortable with.

It's a tricky one to balance, though, with many leaders believing their organizations' competitive edge could rely on how they approach artificial intelligence.

Organizations are going all-in on AI

Two-thirds (66%) say they must take more risks than their competitors to stay ahead, with nearly as many (62%) admitting to investing in technology before fully understanding its value, simply to avoid falling behind.

A further two-thirds (64%) of the 2,000 CEOs surveyed from 33 countries believe the productivity gains they could unlock from AI justify the potentially significant risks.

The success of generative AI has spurred on a whole new era of agentic AI – proactive non-human agents are said to be highly effective in decision-making, delivering predictive insights, and other automation and productivity metrics across HR, finance, IT, and customer service in particular.

"As expectations around AI shift towards competitive advantage and quantifiable ROI, CEOs are embracing risk as an opportunity to drive business performance," noted IBM Consulting's UK&I Managing Partner Rahul Kalia.

While speed is important – both in terms of adoption rates and AI performance – IBM says that companies should also emphasize trust by using explainable AI models, forming strong data privacy and security principles, and adhering to ethical guidelines.

However, AI's effects on the workforce might not be as drastic as some had previously anticipated. Only 30% of the current workforce will require retraining or upskilling over the next three years, the CEOs said.

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• Nine in ten workers handle spreadsheets daily, says Canva
• Formulas and complex sheets are the biggest hurdles
• Data visualization is important for storytelling

New research from Canva has highlighted how much data companies are using, however workers' competence and confidence are lagging behind, with "data dread" becoming increasingly common.

Most workers (89%) now handle spreadsheets daily, yet more than one in four (27%) would go as far as avoiding them if they could, with Canva's research accusing training efforts of being ineffective.

Nearly half (44%) of UK organizations already provide data literacy training, however four in five (78%) professionals still claim to experience data anxiety that relates to incompetence, not just a dislike.

Canva says most workers feel "data dread"

Three-quarters (77%) of the 2,400 marketing and sales professionals surveyed stated that their reliance on data has increased over the past two years, with a similar number (74%) wanting to be more effective with data in their day-to-day work.

Although there appears to be some confidence with analyzing data, some key areas were highlighted as lacking, including formulas (46%) and understanding overly complex spreadsheets (42%).

Canva Head of EMEA Duncan Clark said: "Working with data shouldn't be confined to specialists. When you give teams the right tools and training to turn numbers into narratives, you can unlock so much potential in an organisation."

Although data can be powerful, Canva highlighted the importance of framing it correctly with effective storytelling. Four in five (82%) said they feel more confident when they're presenting with visualized data, with even more workers (89%) believing visualizations boost the credibility of their presentations.

"The goal isn't to make everyone a data scientist, but to empower teams to confidently make sense of the data at their disposal and turn it into compelling, engaging stories," Clark added.

Looking ahead, it's clear that training efforts have failed workers to date. Canva advocates for the provision of more intuitive tools that make handling data slicker and more user friendly.

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• Nine in ten workers handle spreadsheets daily, says Canva
• Formulas and complex sheets are the biggest hurdles
• Data visualization is important for storytelling

New research from Canva has highlighted how much data companies are using, however workers' competence and confidence are lagging behind, with "data dread" becoming increasingly common.

Most workers (89%) now handle spreadsheets daily, yet more than one in four (27%) would go as far as avoiding them if they could, with Canva's research accusing training efforts of being ineffective.

Nearly half (44%) of UK organizations already provide data literacy training, however four in five (78%) professionals still claim to experience data anxiety that relates to incompetence, not just a dislike.

Canva says most workers feel "data dread"

Three-quarters (77%) of the 2,400 marketing and sales professionals surveyed stated that their reliance on data has increased over the past two years, with a similar number (74%) wanting to be more effective with data in their day-to-day work.

Although there appears to be some confidence with analyzing data, some key areas were highlighted as lacking, including formulas (46%) and understanding overly complex spreadsheets (42%).

Canva Head of EMEA Duncan Clark said: "Working with data shouldn't be confined to specialists. When you give teams the right tools and training to turn numbers into narratives, you can unlock so much potential in an organisation."

Although data can be powerful, Canva highlighted the importance of framing it correctly with effective storytelling. Four in five (82%) said they feel more confident when they're presenting with visualized data, with even more workers (89%) believing visualizations boost the credibility of their presentations.

"The goal isn't to make everyone a data scientist, but to empower teams to confidently make sense of the data at their disposal and turn it into compelling, engaging stories," Clark added.

Looking ahead, it's clear that training efforts have failed workers to date. Canva advocates for the provision of more intuitive tools that make handling data slicker and more user friendly.

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• Android 16 is out now, with new features like live updates and security tools
• Many other Android 16 features – along with its visual overhaul – aren't present, and are rumored to be landing on September 3
• This initial rollout is just for Pixel phones, with other brands set to roll out Android 16 later this year

Android 16 has now landed, and if that seems unusually early to you, you’re right, as the last few versions of Android have all landed towards the end of their release years, with Android 15 only launching back in October.

So this is a quick turnaround for Google’s latest Android version – which perhaps explains why the most anticipated and substantial feature is absent.

Specifically, Android’s visual overhaul – dubbed Material 3 Expressive – which Google showed off not so long ago, isn’t here yet. That will be landing as part of Android 16’s QPR1 (quarterly platform release 1), which according to a source speaking to Android Authority will roll out to Pixel devices on September 3 – that's around the time we’d typically expect to see new numbered versions of Android.

Android's Material 3 Expressive overhaul isn't here yet (Image credit: Google)

September 3 is reportedly also when we'll see Android 16's desktop mode, which lets you connect your phone to a monitor and interact with a desktop interface, much like Samsung has been offering for years with its DeX mode.

And we'll probably also see smaller updates then, like a more organized sound settings screen, which has been spotted by Android Authority in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta.

Still, that doesn’t mean this first version of Android 16 isn’t worth downloading. It includes various new features, such as live updates that give you real-time updates on things like food deliveries and Uber requests on your lock screen.

You can also activate Advanced Protection mode to help keep your phone protected from unsafe websites, scam calls, harmful apps, and other threats. Not all of the features within Advanced Protection are new, but now you can activate all of these safeguards with a single tap.

(Image credit: Google)Grouped notifications and accessibility improvements

Android 16 will also group notifications from a single app to keep things organized, and there are improvements for users of hearing aids, as you can now choose to use your phone’s microphone for audio input during calls (rather than the hearing aid’s microphone), and natively control your hearing aid’s volume from your phone.

There are also smaller updates, like a trade-in mode that provides quicker access to key device details, thereby speeding up the trade-in process when you're selling your phone.

These features and others are rolling out now to supported Pixel phones (meaning the Google Pixel 6 and up). If you’re using another phone brand then you’ll have to wait a bit longer, with Google saying updates for handsets from other brands will arrive “later this year”.

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• Android 16 is out now, with new features like live updates and security tools
• Many other Android 16 features – along with its visual overhaul – aren't present, and are rumored to be landing on September 3
• This initial rollout is just for Pixel phones, with other brands set to roll out Android 16 later this year

Android 16 has now landed, and if that seems unusually early to you, you’re right, as the last few versions of Android have all landed towards the end of their release years, with Android 15 only launching back in October.

So this is a quick turnaround for Google’s latest Android version – which perhaps explains why the most anticipated and substantial feature is absent.

Specifically, Android’s visual overhaul – dubbed Material 3 Expressive – which Google showed off not so long ago, isn’t here yet. That will be landing as part of Android 16’s QPR1 (quarterly platform release 1), which according to a source speaking to Android Authority will roll out to Pixel devices on September 3 – that's around the time we’d typically expect to see new numbered versions of Android.

Android's Material 3 Expressive overhaul isn't here yet (Image credit: Google)

September 3 is reportedly also when we'll see Android 16's desktop mode, which lets you connect your phone to a monitor and interact with a desktop interface, much like Samsung has been offering for years with its DeX mode.

And we'll probably also see smaller updates then, like a more organized sound settings screen, which has been spotted by Android Authority in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta.

Still, that doesn’t mean this first version of Android 16 isn’t worth downloading. It includes various new features, such as live updates that give you real-time updates on things like food deliveries and Uber requests on your lock screen.

You can also activate Advanced Protection mode to help keep your phone protected from unsafe websites, scam calls, harmful apps, and other threats. Not all of the features within Advanced Protection are new, but now you can activate all of these safeguards with a single tap.

(Image credit: Google)Grouped notifications and accessibility improvements

Android 16 will also group notifications from a single app to keep things organized, and there are improvements for users of hearing aids, as you can now choose to use your phone’s microphone for audio input during calls (rather than the hearing aid’s microphone), and natively control your hearing aid’s volume from your phone.

There are also smaller updates, like a trade-in mode that provides quicker access to key device details, thereby speeding up the trade-in process when you're selling your phone.

These features and others are rolling out now to supported Pixel phones (meaning the Google Pixel 6 and up). If you’re using another phone brand then you’ll have to wait a bit longer, with Google saying updates for handsets from other brands will arrive “later this year”.

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