The AI Pulse
Issue #60 — 5th January 2026
Editor: Professor Alan Brown
It’s the first AI Pulse of 2026 and this week is brought to you with the support of the Digital Policy Alliance. At the end of 2025 they published a report into AI written by AI Pulse editor Alan Brown - Click the banner below to download the report
Highlights in this edition include:
Business Insider reveals how the Big Four and elite consulting firms fundamentally overhauled hiring and training in 2025 to survive an era where AI can perform junior-level analysis.
Ars Technica reflects on 2025 as the year AI was “demystified”, moving from visionary prophecy to a standard - and often flawed - enterprise tool.
The Economist identifies OpenAI’s massive cash burn as the pivotal “bubble” question of 2026, testing whether AI empires can finally pivot to profitability.
The Guardian issues a stark warning as Google AI Overviews have been found to provide misleading and potentially harmful health advice, raising urgent liability concerns.
TechRepublic reports that power is the “new gold rush”, with data centres consuming electricity at rates that threaten both grid stability and climate goals.
AI for Good
UK Authority reports that hospitals are now deploying AI tools to predict demand for A&E services, allowing for better resource allocation.
MIT Technology Review explores the “ascent of the AI therapist”, noting that while AI-driven mental health support is expanding, it lacks the nuance of human empathy.
The Data Scientist highlights how primary care physicians are using AI-powered telehealth to reach underserved and rural patient populations.
Bias and Ethics
BCG warns organisations about the legal and reputational risks when AI agents act autonomously without human-in-the-loop oversight.
Anybody Can Prompt details India’s new AI (Ethics and Accountability) Bill, a major move toward regulating responsible AI use in the global south.
AISI (UK Government) released its first Frontier AI Trends Report, highlighting the current capabilities and safety gaps of the world’s most advanced models.
Ada Lovelace Institute notes that public expectations for AI safety are high, and trust remains fragile as deployment outpaces regulation.
Cyber Security
Mastercard describes how 2025 has been the year in which new cybersecurity threats have been met by new AI tech and new tactics.
BCG reports that AI is raising the stakes in cybersecurity, as attackers use the tech to automate sophisticated breaches, forcing a shift toward AI-driven defence.
Data & Decision Making
VentureBeat identifies six data shifts for 2026, including the rise of real-time data processing and a move away from static datasets.
The Data Scientist argues that AI is fundamentally transforming how businesses make high-stakes decisions by synthesising vast amounts of unstructured data.
MIT Sloan Management Review has a report describing how Procter & Gamble is using AI to extract deep consumer insights that were previously hidden in legacy data silos.
Innovation & Collaboration
McKinsey discusses the critical role of “Sovereign AI” as European nations seek to reduce dependence on US-based tech giants.
Towards Data Science shares three tactical techniques for using AI agents in coding to maximise developer efficiency.
Springer Nature has an article that looks at AI innovations in public services like National Libraries, where AI helps catalogue and preserve vast digital archives.
Productivity & Efficiency
IoT Analytics offers 10 insights into the industrial AI market, noting that manufacturing is seeing real ROI through predictive maintenance.
Bain & Company warns that the gap between AI strategy and reality is execution, as many firms struggle to scale pilots into production.
Scrum.org reminds leaders that while AI changes teams, Scrum fundamentals remain relevant for managing complex work.
Regulation and Compliance
UK Authority reports that Justice Digital has developed a new AI Governance Framework to ensure engineering standards are met in legal tech.
GOV.UK (Data in Government) has launched a new Data and AI Ethics Framework and self-assessment tool to build public trust.
Data Scientist notes that the legal industry is adopting AI at an unprecedented rate, despite the risks.
Sustainability
The Guardian questions the environmental threat of AI pollution, citing “unbelievable” levels of carbon emissions from training runs.
GOV.UK has launched a review into AI deployment within electricity networks, looking for ways AI can actually help manage the grid it’s currently straining.
User Experience
BBC News reports that one in three people are now using AI for emotional support and conversation, signalling a shift in how we relate to machines.
The Data Scientist lists the world’s top AI design agencies, emphasising the growing importance of user-centric AI interfaces.
BBC News also carries a warning from experts: AI might be making our brains work less, as we offload critical thinking to LLMs.
Workforce & Skills
The Spectator provocatively suggests that AI will “kill all the lawyers” by automating the bulk of legal discovery and drafting.
The Economist suggests that to “AI-proof” your job, you should perhaps “ditch textbooks and learn to use a wrench” as manual, high-dexterity trades remain difficult to automate.
Gallup reports that AI use at work is rising, but so is employee anxiety about long-term job security.
IE University explores how AI companies evolved into “empires,” consolidating power over the digital labour market.
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