Catch up on this month\u2019s round-up of the latest hosting and tech news. Here\u2019s what we\u2019ve uncovered since our last edition.<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s first designated Tech Town, Barnsley, is planning to trial two new government programmes designed to help people build practical AI skills and prepare for jobs in technology.<\/p>\n
The \u00a3400,000 AI Career Launchpad, run with Barnsley College, will offer six months of training linked to a Level 4 apprenticeship, along with paid work placements. Local employers involved in the scheme will get early access to people learning AI skills.<\/p>\n
Applications open in autumn, with training commencing in the new year. Once the trial is completed, the training course will be made free for other colleges and training providers across the UK.<\/p>\n
A second programme, Getting Job Ready with AI, will begin in September. It will help jobseekers use AI to find jobs, adapt CVs and prepare for interviews, as part of wider government plans to give 10 million UK workers AI skills by 2030. It is hoped that the outcome of these schemes can help shape similar programmes in other areas.<\/p>\n
Around 100 organisations, including Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI, have signed an open letter warning that cyber security must improve quickly as more powerful AI creates new risks. They believe AI-powered attacks could become more common and more advanced within months and that existing security measures, especially for essential services, may not be strong enough to defend systems against them.<\/p>\n
The organisations want governments, tech companies and cyber security experts to work more closely together. They also say that healthcare, utilities and other critical services should receive advanced AI security tools, testing, funding and training to strengthen protection.<\/p>\n
The warning comes after several major cyberattacks, as well as recent tests which have shown AI systems coordinating tasks and impersonating people to get around security measures.<\/p>\n
While there is growing concern that AI could make cyberattacks faster and more effective, advanced AI tools could also help organisations find and fix security weaknesses much quicker. However, their access to those tools remains limited.<\/p>\n
A \u00a320 million robotic laboratory is being developed at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in a bid to speed up research into vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tests. It also seeks to reduce the need for animal testing.<\/p>\n
As part of its research, the lab will use tiny synthetic models of human organs, including the heart and brain, to test treatments for infectious diseases. Meanwhile, the facility will use robots to handle routine lab work, giving scientists and doctors more time to study results, design experiments, and improve research methods.<\/p>\n
By combining robotics with human tissue models, it aims to produce research results faster and in ways that better reflect how the human body works. The lab is expected to be fully operational next year, creating several hundred technology-based jobs.<\/p>\n
Video gaming is beginning to play a growing role in how IT leaders judge workplace skills and potential job candidates, according to research from Logitech. The study found that 98.8% of IT decision-makers believe gaming directly improves their work performance, especially in strategic thinking, problem-solving and staying effective under pressure.<\/p>\n
The research also shows that gaming experience is becoming more important in hiring. About 82% of IT leaders said they would be more likely to consider candidates who list gaming on their CVs. Skills such as coordinating with others in multiplayer games, making quick decisions and carrying out strategies are seen as useful in the workplace. More than 90% also believe technology leadership will increasingly be shaped by the standards and behaviours found in gaming.<\/p>\n
Earlier academic research has linked online gaming with stronger communication, teamwork and time-management skills. This growing recognition shows that gaming and e-sports are becoming more than entertainment. Organisations are increasingly seeing them as useful ways to identify and develop employees with digital skills.<\/p>\n
The UK government has launched a \u00a3100 million competition to help British AI companies create technology for public services and national infrastructure. The programme, part of the Sovereign AI R&D Procurement Scheme, allows smaller businesses to work with government departments on practical AI projects and makes it easier for them to win public-sector contracts.<\/p>\n
The first four projects will focus on improving productivity in the NHS, making AI computing systems more efficient, safely linking data and advanced AI across defence systems, and creating technology to manage security risks from increasingly capable AI agents.<\/p>\n
Companies taking part can keep ownership of any intellectual property they develop, and upfront payments will be available if cash-flow problems would prevent smaller businesses from participating.<\/p>\n
The scheme aims to help promising UK AI companies move their technology beyond the prototype stage and test it in real-life settings. The government hopes this will strengthen the UK’s AI industry and help successful businesses develop products that can later be sold more widely.<\/p>\n