Signal File: the weeks headlines on AI infrastructure and ethics
From data centres that are out of this world to new global standards for neurotechnology, this week’s signals highlight how technology, design and governance are converging
At a time when innovation is pushing at the boundaries of what’s technologically and biologically possible, new governance and frameworks are playing catch up to fill in the gaps. From off-planet AI infrastructure and living architecture to nationwide skills acceleration and new ethical guardrails for neurotechnology, these signals reveal how innovation, policy and ethics are converging to redefine how organisations build, power and protect the workplaces of tomorrow.
Google takes AI data centres to space
Google’s Project Suncatcher envisions AI data centres orbiting Earth, powered entirely by solar energy. The plan uses constellations of satellites designed to run on uninterrupted sunlight and release heat directly into space. By moving energy-intensive computation off-planet, Google aims to cut terrestrial emissions, sidestep cooling constraints, and pioneer a new model for climate-resilient digital infrastructure.
In action: As AI energy use soars, organisations have to assess the sustainability of their compute supply chains, from energy sourcing to cooling design.
Buildings that start to grow
In Seoul, Yong Ju Lee Architecture’s Mycelial Hut fuses robotic 3D printing with living mycelium to create a pavilion that literally grows itself. The structure’s biodegradable panels were cultivated inside 3D-printed moulds, turning construction into a living process rather than an industrial one.
In action: As 3D printing and biomaterials converge, workplace design could move beyond sustainability toward regeneration; spaces printed, grown and adapted to their environments over time.
UK closes the AI skills gap
A new report by Skills England analyses the UK’s AI upskilling needs, barriers and opportunities across 10 growth sectors, introducing three new tools to support employers to quell the AI skills gap. The tools include a new AI Skills Framework, Adoption Pathway and Employer Checklist. Separately, 7.5 million UK workers are set to gain essential AI skills by 2030 through industry partnerships with NVIDIA, Google, IBM and Microsoft using these training materials.
In action: As AI becomes embedded across every facet of work, employers must build continuous learning pathways that keep pace with emerging tools, ensuring their workforce can adopt, adapt and apply AI skills at scale.
Unesco’s global standards on neurotechnology
Unesco has adopted a set of global standards on the ethics of neurotechnology, a field that has been described as ‘a bit of a wild west’. The standards define a new category of data, ‘neural data’, and suggest guidelines governing its protection. A list of more than 100 recommendations ranges from rights-based concerns to addressing scenarios such as companies using neurotechnology to subliminally market to people during their dreams.
In action: As neurotechnology accelerates, organisations need governance frameworks that treat neural data with the same rigour as personal and biometric data, safeguarding workers’ rights while enabling responsible innovation.
