Welcome to our latest round-up of news from the technology and hosting world. Here’s what we’ve discovered this month.
AI Wargames
The University of Lincoln has received a £1 million contract from the Ministry of Defence to head a national research group looking at how artificial intelligence can improve the UK’s defence and security.
Working with Oxford, Cambridge, and five other universities, the project aims to create AI-based wargaming systems that can analyse strategic situations to improve decision-making for the government and military in response to threats like terrorism and cyberattacks.
While Lincoln University’s AI expertise is currently focused on the food production and processing sectors, it aims to adapt its technology for national security purposes, employing AI to simulate enemy strategies, forecast results and enable faster and more informed reactions.
The university says that the results could influence future government strategies for complex emergencies, including those involving hostile nations or economic and environmental challenges.
AI Impacts 1m Jobs
Recent research from LiveCareer UK shows that nearly a million London-based jobs could be impacted by AI, with the most vulnerable being those that require repetitive or routine tasks, like telemarketing, bookkeeping and data entry.
This prediction is supported by the fact that, according to consultancy firm McKinsey, there has been a 38% drop in job postings for roles at risk of automation since 2021. Moreover, women are more likely to be affected by the technology as they occupy a larger proportion of the roles at risk.
Rather than competing with AI, career advisors recommend that employees improve their skills working with AI tools, as it can boost their efficiency, adaptability and ultimately, their long-term job security.
Plastic Painkillers
While most people associate E. coli with gastroenteritis, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have developed a strain that can turn waste plastic into paracetamol. By genetically modifying the bacteria, it was able to break down a plastic-derived molecule and convert it into the widely used painkiller.
This new way of using biotechnology to address pollution and promote sustainable manufacturing builds on previous work where E. coli was used to create vanilla flavouring and perfume from waste. Indeed, E. coli’s resilience and ability to grow quickly and adapt easily have seen it used widely in industry, including in the production of insulin, solvents and other vital chemicals.
The work at Edinburgh highlights how progress in synthetic biology could lead to more innovations that convert waste into useful resources while reducing dependence on fossil fuel-based production.
Local Innovation Fund
Local authorities, universities, and regional business groups have been invited to apply for up to £20 million each from the government’s new Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. Managed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the?programme?will allocate up to £500 million across the country in a bid to enhance regional research and technology ecosystems.
The aim of the project is to develop scientific breakthroughs into commercially viable solutions that generate high-skilled jobs, especially in regions already focusing on areas like advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital technology.
Ten regions, including Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the Cardiff Capital Region, have already secured government support to grow their innovation clusters, with each set to receive a minimum of £30 million. The upcoming funding round will welcome additional applications from all over the UK. Successful candidates will be selected through a two-step process that evaluates economic potential, local collaborations and alignment with national research goals.
Bot Security Gap
According to research from DataDome, the UK has one of the lowest bot security levels in the world. Only 1.8% of large UK domains are fully protected against automated traffic, while globally, the average is 2.8%.
The security firm states that AI-powered bots now account for over 10% of verified automated traffic, an increase from just 2.6% earlier this year. One of the main causes is crawlers from AI companies, like OpenAI, that scrape content, use bandwidth and risk the exposure of sensitive data.
With global bot protection rates decreasing from 8.4% in 2024 to just 2.8% this year, researchers have warned that reliance on outdated security tools is failing to tackle the issue. Many websites still depend on static blocking methods, like robots.txt files, which advanced AI crawlers can now bypass. These include agentic AI tools, which can imitate human behaviour to evade security measures.
DataDome has identified the government, telecoms and non-profit sectors as having the weakest protection, and it advises organisations to implement adaptive, intent-based bot defences that can detect and block AI-driven attacks in real time.
Visit our website for more news, blog posts, knowledge base articles and information on our wide range of hosting services.
