“The conversations in Newcastle demonstrated the commitment of the financial sector in the UK and Ireland towards building a resilient future,” said the head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative

Senior representatives from a United Nations initiative visited Newcastle Building Society’s Tyneside headquarters as part of a UK-first event this week.

Those from the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) joined leaders from banking, housing, energy, academia, local government and community organisations from across the UK and Ireland at the mutual’s Cobalt Business Park base. The summit saw them discuss the opportunities and challenges facing communities as they navigate economic, environmental and social change.

The event focused on how finance can support people, places and local economies through improved financial inclusion, education, local economic development, energy transition and community resilience. Speakers and delegates discussed how organisations can work together to support an inclusive transition in the real economy – touching on how financial institutions can respond to community needs through access to finance, innovation and adaptation.

There was also focus on financial health and inclusion, with examples of how investment in local economies can strengthen financial wellbeing and improve opportunities for individuals, businesses and communities. A session on warmer homes also drew on perspectives from policy, technology and research to cover practical approaches to improving energy efficiency, and reducing barriers faced by households as part of the energy transition.

Eric Usher, head of UNEP FI, said: “UNEP FI understands that sustainability challenges across the finance industry are shaped by local realities, and we are committed to supporting our member banks and the broader finance community to address these nuances. Our Communities of Practice across Europe bring together financial institutions facing similar challenges in their specific national or jurisdictional contexts to exchange expertise, discuss ideas and practical solutions that address a broad spectrum of sustainability topics.

“The conversations in Newcastle demonstrated the commitment of the financial sector in the UK and Ireland towards building a resilient future. The level of engagement throughout the day shows why face to face dialogue is essential, and what can be achieved through peer exchange to move the needle on addressing sustainability risks, accelerating the transition and ensuring local communities are included in that transformation. UNEP FI will continue working with the finance sector to help turn ambition into action.”

Andrew Haigh, chief executive of Newcastle Building Society, said: “Bringing together a diverse group of organisations created a valuable opportunity to share ideas, challenge thinking and learn from practical examples already making a difference in our communities. A consistent theme throughout the day was the need for collaboration.

“Whether discussing financial inclusion, local economic development, energy efficiency or community resilience, it was clear that many of today’s challenges require organisations to work together across sectors. As a purpose-led mutual organisation, Newcastle Building Society remains committed to connecting communities with a better financial future and we are therefore delighted to be signatories to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking and to support the UNEP FI.”

Artificial intelligence is changing cyberattacks from the work of individual hackers into coordinated operations potentially involving hundreds of autonomous agents, creating a speed problem that traditional human-led cybersecurity systems may struggle to match, according to AI cybersecurity expert Yagub Rahimov.

Rahimov, founder and CEO of Polygraf AI, told FOX Business that the emergence of so-called “AI swarms” doesn’t necessarily mean a cyber doomsday is imminent, but said organizations need defenses capable of responding as quickly as AI can operate.

“You cannot secure machine-speed activity with human-speed monitoring,” Rahimov said. “Machine-speed risk requires machine-speed security, and that’s where we need [to] focus.”

But what exactly is an AI swarm? Rahimov described the progression as beginning with a bot and ending with a swarm.

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A computer screen displays an image of artificial intelligence. (iStock / iStock)

A traditional bot performs a narrow task, Rahimov said. A chatbot responds to prompts, while an AI agent can independently carry out a task. A swarm, he said, involves multiple AI agents communicating, dividing up work and coordinating toward the same objective.

“Swarms are coordination of that digital worker… I would call it, in simple wording, a digital workforce,” he said. “They coordinate, they talk to each other and they act as a group to deliver a mission that they’re on.”

In recent months, major AI companies have disclosed incidents involving AI agents that circumvented controls or reached beyond their intended testing environments.

OpenAI previously disclosed an incident in which models undergoing an internal cybersecurity evaluation circumvented controls designed to isolate them from the internet and accessed systems belonging to Hugging Face.

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Polygraf AI founder and CEO Yagub Rahimov told FOX Business that emerging “AI swarms” could allow groups of autonomous agents to coordinate and carry out tasks at machine speed. (FOX Business / Fox News)

More recently, Google’s Gemini accessed protected systems belonging to three real companies during a cybersecurity test after internet access was unintentionally made available.

The incidents gained widespread attention and fueled concerns about increasingly advanced AI systems.

Rahimov, however, said there was no reason to panic and pushed back on what he viewed as alarmist reactions to the incidents.

“Most of these news things are not as dangerous as what the news is trying to demonstrate,” he said.

“Yes, it can be, you know, in wrong hands, it can be bad,” he continued. “But for that reason, we have the guardrails. We have the security measures and so on.”

Rahimov argued that as potential AI threats become more advanced, security tools are also improving.

GOOGLE GEMINI ACCESSED PROTECTED SYSTEMS OF 3 REAL COMPANIES DURING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CYBERSECURITY TEST

Artificial intelligence is increasing the speed at which potential cyber threats can identify vulnerabilities, analyze them and determine how to respond, according to Rahimov. (LEBERUS / iStock)

What’s changing with AI, Rahimov said, is that the technology can increasingly find a vulnerability, understand what it means and decide how to act on it without waiting for a human analyst.

“The speed is changing, the ability to comprehend is changing,” he said.

“Instead of finding that failure and bringing it to [a] human and the human analyzing and taking an action… we are seeing [the] machine making sense of it too and, at a much faster scale, making a decision on what to do.”

One of the strongest defenses for organizations, Rahimov said, is controlling what information an AI agent can access and, perhaps most importantly, what actions it has authority to execute.

He added that autonomy should only be expanded after systems demonstrate they can be trusted.

Despite the risks, Rahimov expressed optimism about the future of AI security.

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AI cybersecurity expert Yagub Rahimov described an AI swarm as multiple autonomous agents that communicate, divide up tasks and work together toward a common objective. (iStock / iStock)

“The future of AI security is controlling… what AI can see, what AI can share, what AI can do,” he said.

“Companies and people shouldn’t have to choose between adopting AI and controlling their security or data.”

A day after her historic victory on America’s Got Talent, Nene Royal continues to receive widespread praise, notably from Prime Minister Anutin.

PM Anutin Congratulates Nene Royal on AGT Victory

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul extended his heartfelt congratulations to Nene Royal following her remarkable victory on “America’s Got Talent.” Nene, a prodigious talent from Thailand, captivated audiences worldwide with her stunning performances and unique artistry, showcasing the rich cultural tapestry of her homeland. Her success on such a prestigious international platform is a testament to her dedication and hard work, putting Thailand on the global map of entertainment.

In his congratulatory message, PM Anutin praised Nene for her perseverance and the pride she has brought to the nation. He acknowledged how her journey has inspired countless young Thai artists to pursue their dreams fearlessly. He expressed confidence that her achievement would open doors for more Thai talents in international arenas, fostering greater cultural exchanges.

Nene’s victory has sparked nationwide celebrations, with fans and well-wishers flooding social media with messages of support and admiration. Her triumph not only highlights individual excellence but also reinforces the growing influence of Thai culture in global entertainment. As Nene basks in her newfound fame, many hope that her journey will pave the way for future generations to shine on international stages.

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