Insights

Access to health data for secondary uses that serve the public interest can improve health outcomes, enhance health system performance, and support healthcare innovation. When responsibly combined with trustworthy AI, such data enable new insights and better decision-making for complex health challenges. Effective access and reuse require robust governance and oversight by authorized bodies. However, inconsistent definitions and varied review approaches across regions hinder data access and collaboration. Key criteria for assessing public interest include population health, research and innovation, ethics and risk, health equity, and public transparency, guiding policymakers toward consistent and trusted health data governance.
Health, ICT
Determining public interest in the secondary use of health data
The UK government’s recent budget avoided major spending decisions, focusing instead on modest, mostly temporary cost-of-living support amid economic challenges. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts a 1% fall in real household incomes next year and slow growth over the decade, with tax revenues rising to record levels. Key issues such as welfare, social care, defence, and devolution decisions are postponed, pending upcoming reports and the prime minister’s ten-year plan. Defence spending will rise to 3% of GDP by 2030, funded partly by a 1% cut in other departmental budgets, with “preventive spending” protected to encourage long-term savings.
The government has delayed the toughest spending decisions – but here’s what we do know after the budget
Using AI to flirt online can undermine genuine emotional engagement and self-discovery, as it bypasses the personal reflection involved in articulating feelings. Relying on AI-generated messages risks missing important cues from a date, misrepresenting oneself, and compromising privacy. Over-trusting AI outputs may also shape values based on biased language models rather than authentic emotions. While AI might help in challenging interactions, for meaningful connections, people should avoid outsourcing emotional tasks to AI to preserve honesty and self-understanding.
Why it could be a bad idea to get AI to flirt for you
Elections significantly impact systemic risk in national banking systems, with risk typically dipping before elections due to pre-election spending and information control, then rising during and remaining elevated for up to 12 months after, especially when incumbents lose. Brazil's unexpected re-election of Lula triggered sharp market reactions despite political continuity, while Israel's inconclusive election heightened uncertainty and systemic risk. Snap elections further increase systemic vulnerability, as seen in Israel's frequent polls. Strong economic growth, public trust, and robust macroprudential regulations help mitigate these risks, but political pressures often lead to pre-election loosening of financial safeguards, increasing long-term fragility.
Africa, Latin America | Financial services
How different election results affect bank stability – global study
AI, inflation, and Federal Reserve policies are pivotal in shaping future stock market dynamics. Jeremy Siegel highlights uncertainties in AI investment impacts and corporate profits, questioning current market valuations. He advises that diversification—across technology, value stocks, and bonds—is crucial for investors facing economic uncertainty ahead.
Financial services
How AI Is Reshaping the Stock Market
The Hindu Kush Himalaya region faces diverse hazards including floods, earthquakes, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), causing significant loss of life and homelessness. Approximately one-third of the population lives in poverty, with many in informal or unaffordable housing, often on unsafe land, increasing disaster vulnerability. Housing safety requires addressing land access, regulations, and financing constraints alongside resilient construction. Traditional building methods can offer seismic resistance if properly executed, but building codes may underestimate risks. Effective disaster resilience demands hazard-specific approaches—earthquake damage can be mitigated through stronger construction, while flood and landslide risks necessitate strategic land-use planning and settlement siting to enhance community safety and affordability.
Africa, ASEAN, Latin America | Health, Financial services
Development Asia: Building Resilient and Affordable Housing in the Hindu Kush Himalayas
The United States Trade Representative launched an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into Germany’s pharmaceutical policy, marking the first US use of these powers to challenge foreign drug pricing. This investigation could lead to tariffs on German exports to the US. While pharmaceutical cost regulation is a national matter, the EU holds exclusive authority to take defensive measures against such US tariffs and may invoke its Anti-Coercion Instrument. Germany is advised to collaborate with EU partners and beyond to counter this interference and address the broader transnational drug pricing issue.
Drug Pricing in Germany in the Crosshairs of the United States
The Suez crisis 70 years ago exposed Britain's decline as a superpower when its attempt, alongside France and Israel, to control the nationalized Suez Canal failed amidst international condemnation and US opposition. This highlighted the gap between military power and economic strength, as Britain's financial dependence constrained its actions. Similarly, current tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and US-Israel operations against Iran reveal challenges to US dominance amid rising economic competitors like China. Both crises emphasize the limits of geopolitical power without matching economic influence, signaling the relative decline of established powers in shifting global dynamics.
70 years ago the Suez crisis exposed British relative decline. Today, the Iran conflict could be doing the same for the US
The UK aims to develop "AI sovereignty" by boosting its native AI industry to reduce reliance on foreign technology. The government has committed £560 million through the Sovereign AI Fund to support UK AI companies, offering funding, access to powerful AI supercomputers like Isambard-AI, research backing, and government collaboration opportunities. Sovereign AI involves ownership, jurisdiction, capability, and resilience over AI technology. Globally, sovereign AI initiatives have surged, with countries like India focusing on domestic computing capacity and data platforms. Most nations remain dependent on foreign AI models and technologies, especially from the US and China. Experts suggest sovereignty means managing these dependencies while expanding domestic capabilities and diversifying suppliers.
The UK wants ‘AI sovereignty’ to cut its reliance on foreign tech – here’s how that can be achieved
Singapore’s economic success stems from a pragmatic mix of government intervention and competitive private enterprise, creating a modern entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem. Initially reliant on foreign multinationals, Singapore shifted since the 1980s toward fostering local entrepreneurship and innovation, especially after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Government policy has built a comprehensive support system integrating public grants, private finance, education, and infrastructure, enabling start-ups and corporate ventures to thrive. This ecosystem emphasizes continuous innovation, market connectivity, and entrepreneurial skill development, offering valuable lessons for economies facing stagnation.
ASEAN
Lessons from the Singaporean model of entrepreneurship
Increasing participation in services and agrifood global value chains (GVCs) can drive development in Asia and the Pacific. A targeted Aid for Trade approach enhances market access, infrastructure, regulatory reform, digital connectivity, and finance access, enabling deeper integration into regional and global value chains. Focusing on sectors such as tourism and agrifood, this strategy supports product diversification and resilience, contributing to regional growth and economic diversification beyond manufacturing.
Africa, ASEAN, Latin America | Health
Aid for Trade in Asia and the Pacific 2026: Unlocking Opportunities in Services and Agrifood Value Chains
Private healthcare in Asia and the Pacific plays a significant role, providing up to 57% of services and projected to grow steadily. To achieve universal health coverage, public funding and private investment must be aligned through clear government policies, regulation, data transparency, and oversight. Coordinated planning, concessional financing in underserved areas, responsive public funding, and mutual understanding between health ministries and private investors are essential. This integrated approach ensures broader access to quality healthcare without financial hardship, bridging gaps between public goals and private sector capabilities.
Africa | Financial services, Health
Asian Development Blog: How Private Healthcare Can Serve Public Goals
Extreme heat has become the fastest-growing climate risk in Asia and the Pacific, surpassing floods and cyclones, significantly impacting the tourism sector which contributes notably to regional economies like the Maldives and Cambodia. The health effects from heat exposure can be mitigated through low-cost interventions such as shade, hydration, rest, early warning systems, and treatment. Unlike other hazards, heat risks are manageable in real time and measures can be implemented quickly. Tourism workers face heightened health risks and productivity losses due to heat, with vulnerable groups like women disproportionately affected. Climate change also threatens natural tourism assets like reefs and glaciers. Countries including Cambodia, the Maldives, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan are adopting protocols, early warning systems, and education to build resilience. The ADB’s H.E.A.T. Framework provides a strategic approach for health and tourism sector adaptation to rising heat risks.
Antarctica | Health
Development Asia: How Asia and the Pacific can Take the Heat off Tourism
Artificial intelligence (AI) presents transformative opportunities for governments to improve decision-making, service delivery, and resource management, especially in developing countries facing complex challenges. However, the successful adoption of AI depends on strong institutional foundations, including data quality, governance, cybersecurity, public sector skills, and accountability. Governments should begin AI initiatives by identifying specific public problems rather than focusing on technology itself, piloting low-risk applications with human oversight, and scaling based on evidence of public value. For capacity-constrained countries, practical steps include enhancing internal government workflows and citizen-facing service assistants linked to verified information sources. Examples from China and Asia highlight integrating AI with sector knowledge and existing government data to ensure effective use and institutional support.
ASEAN | ICT, Education
Development Asia: Making Artificial Intelligence Work for Better Governance
Power to ask questions and set agendas shapes what data and evidence are produced, reflecting and reinforcing existing power asymmetries. This foundational gap—who gets to define what research is worth pursuing—determines what is measured, who is counted, and which outcomes matter, often excluding those most affected. Addressing equity in questioning is critical to understanding neglected knowledge areas and the political nature of agenda-setting in policy and research.
Health
Who Gets to Ask? Power Asymmetries and Questions Inequity
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming organizations across sectors, but its effectiveness relies heavily on the quality and readiness of data. AI-ready data serve as a crucial foundation for trustworthy AI systems by reducing risks from unreliable or biased data and enhancing output quality. Documented data quality, provenance, meaning, and usage permissions build trust among users and stakeholders. Data management poses significant challenges in AI projects, consuming over 80% of project time and hindering scalability. Ensuring the availability of high-quality, well-documented datasets is essential for AI development and trust. Switzerland’s AI Action Plan prioritizes advancing AI-ready data to support AI adoption in business, research, education, and the public sector.
Education, ICT
AI-Ready Data
France faces a looming debt crisis as its debt-to-GDP ratio hits historic highs since World War II. Rising interest rates and political instability limit the government's fiscal flexibility, while a widening spread on French bonds signals increased investor risk perception. Heavy reliance on foreign bondholders, who may rapidly withdraw, exacerbates vulnerability compared to countries like Japan with mostly domestic debt holders. Although austerity might restore investor confidence, it risks deepening social unrest and stifling weak economic growth driven by domestic consumption. Cancelling European Central Bank-held bonds is impractical and legally fraught, while the ECB’s potential intervention by buying bonds could stabilize markets. However, the timing and willingness of such support remain uncertain.
Africa, Latin America | Financial services
A debt storm is on the horizon in France
OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra may represent the emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI), defined by OpenAI as an AI system outperforming humans in most economically valuable cognitive tasks, excluding physical labor. Unlike earlier models needing detailed instructions, Astra can independently plan and execute multi-step goals, demonstrating enhanced reasoning and adaptability. It scored exceptionally well on the ARC-AGI-3 benchmark, outperforming average humans, though results vary depending on testing conditions. Expert opinions differ on whether Astra marks a true AGI breakthrough, with some seeing it as a frontier model while others note ongoing limitations. The debate on AGI’s arrival and definition remains unresolved.
What is artificial general intelligence – and is it already here?
The global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is rapidly increasing demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) and expanding renewable energy infrastructure, intensifying competition over land and natural resources. This creates heightened security-related human rights risks, particularly in regions with fragile governance and contested land tenure. The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) offer a framework to guide responsible security practices in these contexts. A study commissioned by DCAF and FCDO finds that while the VPs remain relevant for CRM mining and renewable projects, the evolving energy transition landscape demands greater prioritization, adaptation, and consistent application of the principles to address emerging security challenges effectively.
The changing landscape of the energy transition for security-related HR issues in critical raw materials and renewable energy projects
Governments worldwide, including the UK, are exploring generative AI to enhance legislation and public service delivery, focusing mainly on administrative tasks like drafting briefings and analyzing consultations. Limited research has directly tested AI's role in improving policy development and implementation. This project conducts policy simulations assessing publicly available AI tools across diverse policymaking tasks, with in-depth analysis in Regional Growth and Development. Findings reveal that generative AI can add value when used deliberately and contextually, but cannot replace expert knowledge. Risks such as biased outputs, hallucinations, and security concerns persist, emphasizing the necessity of expert verification and human engagement to mitigate harms.
Education
Exploring the Role and Limitations of Generative AI in Policymaking: Initial Findings and Next Steps

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