Artificial intelligence is accelerating change across industries and geographies. AI Dispatch tracks the week’s key trends in the rapidly evolving global AI landscape.
1. NASA and IBM partner to deploy AI models in orbit
Researchers from the University of Adelaide and South Australia’s SmartSat Collaborative Research Center have achieved a world first by deploying NASA and IBM’s open source Prithvi Geospatial AI foundation model into orbit. Prithvi has the ability to perform Earth observation tasks such as flood mapping, cloud detection, disaster monitoring, and crop yield forecasting.
read more: NASA and IBM’s Prithvi AI model reaches orbit in first-ever deployment
2. Hundreds of OpenAI employees become millionaires
Apart from businesses and AI startups, the AI boom is also benefiting employees. More than 600 OpenAI employees are realizing these benefits. In October 2025, OpenAI staff sold a total of $6.6 billion in stock holdings in one day, with each employee receiving nearly $11 million. The AI startup requires a two-year waiting period before employees can sell their shares.
read more: OpenAI stock sale turns hundreds of employees into millionaires
3. Meta that scans photos to check height and bone structure to identify underage users
In an effort to curb minor participation on social media platforms, Meta has deployed advanced AI tools to detect and block users under the age of 13 who attempt to use fake dates of birth to join Facebook and Instagram. This technology scans your media for visual clues about your age. This tool is more than just a facial recognition tool, it takes into account common themes and clues like height and bone structure.
read more: Meta scans photos to determine height and bone structure to identify underage users
4. Coursera and Udemy completely merge to create an AI skills platform
Coursera has completed its merger with Udemy, forming one of the world’s largest online learning platforms as demand for workplace skills soars in a rapidly changing job market. The combined company will serve more than 290 million learners, 18,000 enterprise customers, and 95,000 instructors and content creators worldwide.
read more: Coursera and Udemy complete merger to create AI skills platform
5. Saudi Arabia releases new guidelines to regulate deepfakes
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has announced new deepfake governance guidelines to regulate the wave of synthetic media generated by generative AI tools. This document positions deepfakes not as an inherently harmful technology, but as a dual-use feature whose social impact is highly dependent on intent, deployment context, and monitoring mechanisms.
read more: Saudi Arabia releases new guidelines to regulate deepfakes
6. 79% of UAE CEOs say their jobs are at risk without AI: Research findings
For CEOs, AI is increasingly becoming a measure of leadership, credibility, and performance. A new global survey by Dataiku and Harris Poll highlights how executives are feeling the pressure to prove that their AI investments lead to measurable results.
According to the 2026 edition of the CEO Confessions Survey, nearly a quarter of UAE CEOs surveyed say the decisions their organizations make today regarding AI could ultimately damage their long-term legacy.
read more: 79% of UAE CEOs say their jobs are at risk without AI: survey results
7. Aramco deploys industrial AI as Strait of Hormuz crisis threatens fuel supplies
Saudi Aramco is warning of tight fuel supplies as geopolitical tensions continue and global energy supplies are disrupted. Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser warned that prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could delay oil market recovery until 2027.
At the same time, Aramco is expanding its use of industrial AI with a new refinery optimization platform developed with Emerson. The system combines engineering models, industrial AI, and real-time plant data to improve refinery planning accuracy even under changing conditions.
read more: Aramco deploys industrial AI as Strait of Hormuz crisis threatens fuel supplies
8. Digital payment transactions in Oman will increase by 76% in 2025
According to data published by the Central Bank of Oman, the value of transactions through local electronic payment gateways in 2025 amounted to approximately 3.2 billion Romania, an increase of 76.3% compared to 2024. The number of transactions also jumped from 67 million to more than 168 million annually, an increase of 150%.
QR code technology recorded the highest growth among digital payment methods, with transaction value increasing by 133.5%.
