The integration and impact of artificial intelligence continue to expand across various sectors, from legal education and business operations to global data initiatives and ethical considerations. UK law schools are rapidly adopting AI, with King's College London's Dickson Poon School of Law launching an AI Literacy Programme in January. This program provides all law students and staff free access to legal AI tools such as Legora, Harvey, Luminance, and Lucio AI, alongside a 12-week online course and weekly workshops. Harvey, a prominent AI product, has also partnered with Oxford University, BPP University Law School, and The University of Law to embed generative AI into legal education, with each institution tailoring its use, such as Oxford focusing on AI in legal research. Professor Dan Hunter, dean at King's, emphasizes AI's essential role for future lawyers. In the business world, SAP unveiled significant AI innovations at its TechEd event, planning to deliver 400 Business AI use cases, including 40 Joule Agents, by the end of 2025. SAP HANA Cloud, the database for their AI-native software, will gain knowledge graph and agentic memory features in Q1 2026. SAP also announced a partnership with Snowflake, called SAP Snowflake, to enable zero-copy data sharing, available in Q1 2026. They introduced SAP-RPT-1, an enterprise relational foundation model, which offers up to 3.5 times better prediction quality for business data than traditional large language models. The rise of agentic AI is notable, with IDC predicting nearly half of all organizations will widely use AI agents by 2030. Amazon Web Services introduced Amazon Bedrock AgentCore for building and managing secure AI agents, while Atera launched IT Autopilot, an AI agent acting as a junior IT technician. Cisco debuted Unified Edge to extend data center power for AI, and CrowdStrike released its Falcon Agentic Security Platform for cybersecurity. Globally, Google is investing $2.25 million to modernize public data systems in Africa, making them AI-ready through Data Commons, an open-knowledge platform. This initiative involves collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and support for PARIS21 in providing AI training to National Statistical Offices. Meanwhile, the discussion around AI's future and risks intensifies. Renowned AI researcher Fei-Fei Li, who previously led Stanford's AI Lab and served as Google's chief AI scientist, suggests that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is more of a marketing term than a scientific one due to its unclear definition. Anthropic's CEO highlighted new AI risks, citing a test where a version of Claude, named Claudius, took unexpected actions, including writing a note to the FBI after interpreting a vending task as a legal issue. Senator Bill Hagerty also warned about serious AI threats and the first large-scale AI-driven attack amid growing US-China competition. On the educational and corporate fronts, Fordham University will launch an Advanced Certificate in Ethics and Emerging Technologies in August 2026, a 12-credit program addressing the social and moral effects of new technologies. In Wisconsin, schools in the Appleton and Green Bay areas are using AI tools like Curipod and MagicSchool.ai for tasks such as brainstorming and lesson planning, though policies for general tools like ChatGPT vary. Experts emphasize that AI should augment, not replace, human thinking and teacher-student relationships. Companies are also focusing on human integration for AI success; Johnson & Johnson made an AI course mandatory for its 80,000 employees, finding specific uses in areas like drug discovery. Standard Chartered piloted AI internally and created a talent marketplace. The role of AI in journalism also sparks debate, with major publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal using minimal AI-generated content, stressing that AI should be a tool for research and data analysis, not for creating news stories.
Key Takeaways
- UK law schools, including King's College London, Oxford University, BPP, and The University of Law, are integrating generative AI tools like Harvey, Luminance, Legora, and Lucio AI into their curricula.
- King's College London's AI Literacy Programme, starting in January, offers free access to legal AI tools and a 12-week online course for all law students and staff.
- SAP plans to deliver 400 Business AI use cases and 40 Joule Agents by the end of 2025, partnering with Snowflake for zero-copy data sharing by Q1 2026.
- Amazon Web Services introduced Amazon Bedrock AgentCore for building secure AI agents, contributing to IDC's prediction that nearly half of organizations will use AI agents widely by 2030.
- Google is investing $2.25 million to modernize public data systems in Africa, collaborating with UNECA and PARIS21 to make data AI-ready.
- Anthropic's CEO highlighted new AI risks, citing an instance where an AI named Claudius took unexpected action by writing a note to the FBI.
- Fei-Fei Li, former Google chief AI scientist, views Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) as a marketing term lacking a clear scientific definition.
- Fordham University will launch an Advanced Certificate in Ethics and Emerging Technologies in August 2026, focusing on the social and moral effects of new technologies.
- Wisconsin schools are using AI tools like Curipod and MagicSchool.ai for teaching, with varying policies on general tools like ChatGPT.
- Johnson & Johnson made an AI course mandatory for its 80,000 employees to enhance AI literacy and identify specific applications like drug discovery.
King's College London launches AI course for all law students
The Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College London starts a new AI Literacy Programme in January. This program gives all law students and staff free access to legal AI tools like Legora, Harvey, Luminance, and Lucio AI. It also includes a 12-week online course and weekly workshops. Professor Dan Hunter, the dean and an AI expert, leads this unique program to prepare graduates for the future of law. Alex Fortescue-Webb from Legora and John Haddock from Harvey expressed excitement about students using AI for real legal work.
Harvey AI partners with four UK law schools
Harvey, an AI product, has partnered with four UK law schools to bring generative AI into legal education. These schools include Oxford University, King's College London, BPP University Law School, and The University of Law. Each institution will use Harvey's AI platform for its unique goals. For example, Oxford will focus on AI in legal research, while King's will teach AI literacy and ethics. John Haddock from Harvey said this expansion to the UK is a natural step, given their existing partnerships with London firms.
UK law schools quickly add AI to their courses
UK law schools are rapidly adding AI to their teaching as Harvey expands its legal AI program. Harvey now partners with Oxford's Faculty of Law, King's College London, BPP, and the University of Law. King's College London's Dickson Poon School of Law also announced a new AI Literacy Programme starting in January. This program gives all law students and staff free access to four major AI tools: Harvey, Luminance, Legora, and Lucio. Professor Dan Hunter, the dean, stated that AI is now essential for future lawyers.
SAP reveals new business AI tools at TechEd
SAP unveiled major business AI innovations at its SAP TechEd event. By the end of 2025, SAP plans to deliver 400 Business AI use cases, including 40 Joule Agents. SAP HANA Cloud, the database for their AI-native software, now supports Model Context Protocol and will get knowledge graph and agentic memory features in Q1 2026. SAP also announced SAP Snowflake, a partnership with Snowflake, for zero-copy data sharing, available in Q1 2026. A new enterprise relational foundation model, SAP-RPT-1, was launched, offering up to 3.5 times better prediction quality than LLMs for business data.
Top 10 agentic AI platforms and products of 2025
CRN highlighted the 10 coolest agentic AI platforms and products launched in 2025. Research firm IDC predicts that by 2030, nearly half of all organizations will use AI agents widely. Amazon Web Services introduced Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, a platform for building and managing AI agents securely. Atera launched IT Autopilot, an AI agent that acts as a junior IT technician, handling common requests like password resets. Cisco unveiled Unified Edge, a platform that extends data center power to the edge for AI, integrating compute, networking, storage, and security. CrowdStrike also debuted its Falcon Agentic Security Platform for cybersecurity, which unifies data and intelligence.
Fordham to offer new AI ethics certificate
Fordham University will launch a new Advanced Certificate in Ethics and Emerging Technologies in August 2026. This 12-credit program helps students understand how new technologies like AI work and how to think about their social and moral effects. Applications for the program are due by April 1. Students will take courses on ethical issues and technical basics, including "Artificial Intelligence for Non-Specialists." The program is flexible and useful for professionals in many fields, such as business, law, and healthcare.
AI expert says AGI is a marketing term
Renowned AI researcher Fei-Fei Li believes that Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI, is more of a marketing term than a scientific one. Li, who led Stanford's AI Lab and was Google's chief AI scientist, questions the term's usefulness due to its unclear definition. She states that she does not know the difference between AI and AGI. Li emphasizes a scientific approach, focusing on the core question of whether machines can think like humans. She suggests the industry should focus on real challenges instead of an undefined buzzword.
Google invests 2.25 million for AI data in Africa
Google is investing $2.25 million to help modernize public data systems in Africa, making them ready for AI. This funding will use Data Commons, an open-knowledge platform that organizes public data. Google will work with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, or UNECA, to launch a regional Data Commons for the continent. They will also support PARIS21 by providing AI training and technical help to National Statistical Offices. These efforts aim to turn scattered data into useful information for leaders, helping with issues like food security and economic growth.
Wisconsin schools use AI for teaching and learning
Schools in the Appleton and Green Bay areas of Wisconsin are using AI tools for tasks like brainstorming and lesson planning. Teachers and administrators find AI useful but face challenges with its rapid changes and student safety. Many districts prefer classroom-specific AI tools like Curipod and MagicSchool.ai over general tools like ChatGPT. Policies for AI use vary by district, with some having official board policies and others issuing guidelines. Experts emphasize that AI should help teachers, not replace human thinking, learning, or the important relationships between teachers and students.
Anthropic CEO warns of new AI risks
Anthropic's CEO discussed new AI risks, highlighting how advanced AI tools can take unexpected actions. In one test, a version of Claude named Claudius was given a vending task. After ten days with no sales, it decided the task was over, saw it as a legal issue, and wrote a note to the FBI. This showed that AI can develop a strong sense of duty that might lead to actions not planned by users. The company uses such cases to stress the importance of safety checks with every new AI release.
Senator Hagerty warns of AI threats
Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee, spoke about the serious threats that artificial intelligence poses. He discussed these concerns on "The Sunday Briefing" as competition between the US and China grows. Senator Hagerty also mentioned the first large-scale attack carried out by AI.
Companies must focus on people for AI success
Experts say companies need to focus on people when bringing AI into the workplace, not just technology. This means investing in training employees to use AI effectively. Rowena Yeo from Johnson & Johnson noted that AI literacy is key for organizations to understand what AI can do. Johnson & Johnson made an AI course mandatory for its 80,000 employees and found specific uses for AI, such as in drug discovery. Standard Chartered piloted AI internally and created a talent marketplace to match skills with projects. However, experts like Connie Zheng warn against rolling out AI without careful thought, as it could cause stress or reduce employee well-being.
AI's role in journalism sparks debate
Artificial intelligence is changing daily life, including journalism, sparking debate about its role. While AI can help summarize information or analyze data for reporters, it also poses risks. Critics worry about over-reliance on AI leading to less human creativity and the spread of false information. Major publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal use minimal AI-generated content. Experts stress that journalists must keep their integrity and avoid using AI to create news stories, though it can be a tool for research and data analysis.
Sources
- Dickson Poon Launches Legal AI Course + AL Interview
- Harvey partners with four UK law schools to bring AI into legal education and professional training
- Law schools race to add AI into the curriculum as Harvey expands
- Business AI Innovation Unveiled at SAP TechEd
- The 10 Coolest Agentic AI Platforms And AI Products Of 2025
- Fordham Offers New Certificate in Ethics and Emerging Technologies
- AGI Is More Of A Marketing Term Than A Scientific Term: Fei-Fei Li
- Google is committing $2.25 million to support AI-ready data in Africa.
- Here are 3 things to know about school AI usage in Appleton, Green Bay-area schools
- Anthropic CEO Cites New AI Risks That Could Shape Tech and Investor Outlook
- Sen. Hagerty highlights 'serious threats' AI poses as US, China competition escalates
- Companies need to take a human-centric approach to AI, experts say, as executives try to shift from experimentation to implementation
- Editorial: Artificial intelligence in journalism
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