India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched a DEPA handbook designed to enable trusted data sharing for AI training. The framework, unveiled by IT Secretary S Krishnan in Bengaluru with support from the iSPIRT Foundation, uses contractual permissions, privacy safeguards and data provenance tracking so institutions can collaborate on AI datasets without surrendering control. Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood noted that AI models can access data without institutions transferring the underlying information, and the handbook includes guidelines on anonymization, encryption and secure computing environments.
In the United States, the Department of Energy's Genesis Mission is funding AI research at the University of Oklahoma, where Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently reviewed progress. The grants support projects tackling real-world problems, including quantum computing, and aim to make complex technology more understandable to the public. Meanwhile, Jacksonville State University announced it will host the AI Forward: From Classroom to Career summit on February 11-12, 2027, featuring a keynote by Anthony Robbins, a former NVIDIA vice president, with participation expected from Coca-Cola UNITED, Honda and AmFirst Credit Union.
On the legal and practical front, a former Kansas judge led AI labs for judges at a state judicial conference, demonstrating how AI tools can help read handwritten filings, surface overlooked arguments and explain decisions in plain language. Experts call for Missouri and Kansas courts to publish clear AI standards and train judges on proper use. Separately, researchers warn that AI chatbots are leading hikers into dangerous backcountry situations. Grand Teton National Park saw AI use among visitors jump from zero to 26 percent in one year, with some following dangerously wrong advice from tools like Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT.
At SuiteWorld 2026 in Las Vegas, Oracle showcased how AI is reshaping business software. NetSuite founder Evan Goldberg said AI is becoming the user interface, and over 13,000 businesses connected AI assistants to NetSuite in just one year. His advice for small businesses: protect what makes your company unique and use AI to improve everything else. In a related vein, knowledge workers who intentionally ask AI to challenge their ideas can boost performance and creativity, particularly in marketing, law and research. Experts recommend leaders encourage friction-generating prompts and offer AI training workshops.
Security researchers have identified a new malware called Volta-Autodoxer that uses AI to build detailed victim dossiers by collecting passwords, Discord chats, UberEats orders and other personal data. Unlike older malware that simply steals information, this threat automatically organizes data for doxing, harassment or extortion. Experts say AI makes such attacks more accessible to less skilled criminals while dramatically increasing the speed and scale of profiling. On a broader note, overreliance on AI and social media can weaken deep thinking through cognitive offloading, where mental effort is replaced by easy shortcuts. Experts recommend turning off location tracking, rejecting cookies and being more careful about what information people share online.
Key Takeaways
- <ul><li>India's MeitY launched a DEPA handbook enabling secure AI data sharing using contractual permissions, privacy safeguards and data provenance tracking.</li><li>The Department of Energy's Genesis Mission funds AI research at the University of Oklahoma, including quantum computing and public-facing technology projects.</li><li>Jacksonville State University will host AI Forward Summit on February 11-12, 2027, with keynote speaker Anthony Robbins, a former NVIDIA vice president.</li><li>AI chatbots like Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT are leading hikers into dangerous situations, with Grand Teton National Park seeing AI use jump from zero to 26 percent in one year.</li><li>NetSuite founder Evan Goldberg reported over 13,000 businesses connected AI assistants to NetSuite within one year at SuiteWorld 2026.</li><li>A new malware called Volta-Autodoxer uses AI to automatically build victim dossiers from passwords, chats and personal data for doxing or extortion.</li><li>Judges in Kansas and Missouri are being trained to use AI for reading filings and explaining decisions, but courts need clearer standards and privacy rules.</li><li>Asking AI to challenge your ideas can boost creativity and performance in fields like marketing, law and research, experts say.</li><li>Overreliance on AI contributes to cognitive offloading and automation bias, where people trust technology over correct manual information.</li><li>The DEPA handbook was developed through collaboration between MeitY, industry, academia and research institutions and is available for download on the MeitY website.</li></ul>
MeitY launches DEPA handbook for trusted AI data sharing
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched a handbook on Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture. IT Secretary S Krishnan unveiled it at a roundtable in Bengaluru with support from the iSPIRT Foundation. The framework uses contractual permissions and privacy safeguards to let institutions share data for AI training while keeping control. It traces data provenance to support accountability and transparency.
MeitY launches DEPA handbook for secure AI data sharing
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched a framework to enable secure data collaboration for AI training. Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood highlighted that AI models can access data without institutions transferring the underlying information. The handbook aims to boost India's AI ambitions through wider access to high-quality datasets. It protects privacy, intellectual property and institutional control.
MeitY launches DEPA handbook for secure data sharing in AI
The Department of Electronics and Information Technology launched a handbook on Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence. It combines contractual permissions, controlled computing environments and privacy safeguards for AI training data collaboration. The handbook was developed through collaboration between MeitY, industry, academia and research institutions. It includes guidelines on secure computing, data anonymization and encryption and is available for download on the MeitY website.
AI can help Kansas and Missouri judges, courts should explain how
A former Kansas judge led AI labs for judges at a state judicial conference in October. AI can help judges read difficult handwritten filings, find overlooked arguments and explain decisions in plain language. The article calls for Missouri and Kansas courts to publish clear standards for AI use and train judges on the tools. Courts should also protect sealed and sensitive records with strict data-privacy rules.
Jacksonville State University to host AI Forward Summit in February 2027
Jacksonville State University will host AI Forward: From Classroom to Career on February 11-12, 2027, at Merrill Hall. The summit will bring together K-12 educators, higher education professionals, students and industry leaders to discuss AI in teaching and the workforce. Anthony Robbins, a Jax State alumnus and former NVIDIA vice president, will deliver the keynote. Representatives from Coca-Cola UNITED, Honda and AmFirst Credit Union are expected to participate.
Energy Secretary visits OU to review AI research funded by Genesis Mission grants
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited the University of Oklahoma to see how federal grants support AI research. The Genesis Mission from the Department of Energy funds projects tackling real-world problems. Ph.D. student Anuraj Laha uses the grant to focus full time on research. The initiative also supports quantum computing and aims to make technology more understandable to the public.
Overusing AI can harm your brain but small habits can help push back
Relying too much on AI and social media can weaken deep thinking by replacing mental effort with easy shortcuts. This is called cognitive offloading and can lead to automation bias where people trust technology over correct manual information. Privacy risks grow because people click accept on confusing policies without reading them. Experts suggest turning off location tracking rejecting cookies and being more careful about what information you share online.
AI chatbots are leading hikers into dangerous backcountry situations
Several hikers using AI chatbots like Gemini Claude and ChatGPT have made poor decisions in the wilderness. Some followed AI advice that was wrong or dangerously misleading including camping in no camping zones or using inaccurate maps. Grand Teton National Park saw AI use among visitors jump from zero to 26 percent in one year. Experts warn that AI can cause cognitive surrender where people stop thinking critically and recommend double checking advice with park rangers maps and guidebooks.
AI lessons from SuiteWorld 2026 offer practical advice for small businesses
At SuiteWorld and AI World in Las Vegas Oracle showed how AI is changing business software for companies of all sizes. NetSuite founder Evan Goldberg said AI is becoming the user interface and over 13000 businesses connected AI assistants to NetSuite in one year. Key advice for small businesses includes protecting what makes your company unique and using AI to improve everything else. Leaders were also encouraged to start with people and training before adopting new tools.
Using AI to disagree with you can improve work and creativity
Knowledge workers who intentionally ask AI to challenge their ideas can boost their performance and creativity. Asking AI for opposing viewpoints helps reveal blind spots and sparks new insights in fields like marketing law and research. Experts recommend that leaders encourage friction generating prompts and offer AI training workshops. The research shows that adding friction to AI use may feel difficult but actually helps the tool work better for you.
Volta-Autodoxer malware uses AI to build victim dossiers
Security researchers discovered a new malware called Volta-Autodoxer that uses AI to create detailed profiles of victims. The infostealer collects passwords, Discord chats, UberEats orders, and other personal data to build ready-made dossiers. Unlike older malware that simply steals data, this threat automatically organizes information for doxing, harassment, or extortion. Experts warn that AI makes such attacks more accessible to less skilled criminals while dramatically increasing the speed and scale of victim profiling.
Sources
- MeitY unveils DEPA handbook to enable trusted data sharing for AI training
- MeitY launches DEPA handbook to enable secure data sharing for AI training
- MeitY launches DEPA handbook to enable secure data sharing for AI training
- AI can help Kansas and Missouri judges. Courts should explain how it works
- Jacksonville State University to Host AI Forward Summit Connecting Education and Industry in February
- Energy secretary visits University of Oklahoma to review AI research funded by federal grants
- Relying on AI is rotting your brain. But here’s what you can do about it
- AI gets people into trouble in the backcountry
- What happens in Vegas shouldn’t stay in Vegas: AI lessons for Kiwi SMEs from SuiteWorld 2026
- Want to Use AI to Improve Your Work? Have It Disagree With You
- AI-Powered Malware 'Volta-Autodoxer' Scrapes Victim Lives
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