MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice, data, and PNT satellite services, today announced the appointment of Louis Alterman to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. This appointment expands the size of the Board to twelve members, nine of whom are independent.

Louis Alterman, Iridium Board of Directors

“Louis’ background aligns perfectly with Iridium’s strategic vision to deliver innovative and unique communication services across the globe,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “His proven track record of guiding companies through periods of transformation and growth, both as a CEO and CFO, will be a tremendous asset to our Board and Iridium.” 

“Louis’ operational leadership and financial acumen across the communications and technology sectors make him ideally suited to join the Iridium Board and help deliver value for Iridium shareholders,” said Robert H. Niehaus, Chairman of the Board, Iridium.

Alterman has served as president, chief executive officer and board member of Stratix Corporation, the largest pure-play enterprise mobility specialist in North America, since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, he was chief financial officer (“CFO”) of Rackspace, a global cloud technology services company, and before that, he held numerous roles of increasing responsibility at EarthLink, a telecommunications provider, from 2003 to 2017, including serving as CFO from 2015 to 2017. 

Alterman is on the board of directors of Diversified, a global technology solutions provider. He previously served on the board of CareerBuilder from 2018 to 2022, and from 1999 to 2003, he worked at BellSouth (now part of AT&T).

He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Georgia, a Master of Business Administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and subsequently completed executive education at Harvard University.

To learn more about Iridium visit: www.iridium.com

About Iridium Communications Inc.

Iridium^® is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations, and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. In 2024, Iridium acquired Satelles and its positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service. Iridium Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol IRDM. For more information about Iridium products, services, and partner solutions, visit www.iridium.com.

Acknowledged for exceptional performance and innovative use of technology, including AI and blockchain, to meet the financial needs of customers

SINGAPORE, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — DBS today announced it has been named Global Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker, a publication of The Financial Times, at its prestigious Bank of the Year awards. This marks the third time DBS has received the top global accolade, following wins in 2018 and 2021.

In addition to the esteemed Global Bank of the Year title, DBS also secured several other significant honours: Asia Bank of the Year, Singapore Bank of the Year, Investment Bank of the Year – Asia, and an inaugural win in Investment Bank of the Year for Financial Institutions Group.

DBS’ exceptional performance stood out among 294 participating banks, underscoring its sustained leadership and profound impact in the global financial industry. This latest recognition is DBS’ ninth global ‘Best Bank’ award from a leading financial publication since clinching its first in 2018. DBS now concurrently holds two global best bank awards, from Euromoney and The Banker.

Silvia Pavoni, editor in chief at The Banker, said, “Some of the most exciting technological applications in banking are often found in Asia — and frequently adopted by DBS. The lender’s investment in AI to protect customers from financial scams — a growing concern in Singapore — is noteworthy, as is its commitment to training staff on the new technology. Its work on smart contracts designed to deliver faster, smoother payments, including across jurisdictions, is another of the many initiatives that impressed our judging committee. At the core, we were looking for useful innovation that helps customers with their financial needs and, more broadly, with their work and day-to-day lives. DBS stood out.”

Tan Su Shan, CEO of DBS, said, “We are honoured to be recognised as Global Bank of the Year by The Banker yet again. This prestigious award, along with our other regional and segment wins, is testament to our continued leadership and impact globally. But we will remain hungry, humble and nimble. We will continue to push boundaries, embracing new technologies and sustainable practices to shape the future of banking.”

Founded in 1926 and owned by The Financial Times, The Banker is a highly respected international publication renowned for its comprehensive coverage of financial affairs. Its annual Bank of the Year Awards celebrate the world’s leading financial institutions, acknowledging outstanding performance across various banking sectors.

About DBS

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank’s “AA-” and “Aa1” credit ratings are among the highest in the world.

Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney and the world’s “Most Innovative in Digital Banking” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 17 consecutive years from 2009 to 2025.

DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.

DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by uplifting lives and livelihoods of those in need. It provides essential needs to the underprivileged, and fosters inclusion by equipping the underserved with financial and digital literacy skills. It also nurtures innovative social enterprises that create positive impact.  

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.

Companies to advance CR-001, a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, and SKB105, an integrin beta-6-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), in global markets and China

Collaboration designed to accelerate and expand the development of synergistic combinations with CR-001 and ADCs, including SKB105

CR-001 and SKB105 on track to enter Phase 1/2 monotherapy clinical trials in Q1 2026 with combination studies to follow

CHENGDU, China and WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Kelun-Biotech”, 6990.HK), which focuses on the R&D, manufacturing, commercialization and global collaboration of innovative biological drugs and small molecule drugs, and Crescent Biopharma, Inc. (“Crescent”) (Nasdaq: CBIO), a biotechnology company dedicated to rapidly advancing the next wave of therapies for cancer patients, today announced that the companies have entered into a strategic partnership to develop and commercialize oncology therapeutics, including novel combinations.

The partnership involves Crescent’s CR-001, a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, and Kelun-Biotech’s SKB105, an integrin beta-6 (ITGB6)-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) with a topoisomerase payload. Both candidates are being developed for the treatment of solid tumors and are expected to enter Phase 1/2 monotherapy clinical trials in the first quarter of 2026.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Crescent has granted Kelun-Biotech exclusive rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize CR-001 in Greater China (including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). In addition, Kelun-Biotech has granted Crescent exclusive rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize SKB105 in the United States, Europe and all other markets outside of Greater China. The partnership includes the development of these candidates as monotherapies, and also the evaluation of CR-001 in combination with SKB105.Both Crescent and Kelun-Biotech have the right to independently develop CR-001 in additional combinations, including combinations of CR-001 with proprietary ADC pipeline assets.

Dr. Michael Ge, chief executive officer of Kelun-Biotech, said, “We are pleased to have entered into a partnership with Crescent for two innovative assets, CR-001 and SKB105. This collaboration complements and strengthens our differentiated oncology pipeline by the addition of CR-001 and also enables us to advance the development of SKB105 in the global market, bolstering its potential commercial value and our global collaboration network. Our creative global partnership combines the capabilities of both companies to explore novel monotherapies and combination strategies for tumor treatments with SKB105 and CR-001. By leveraging China’s abundant clinical resources and execution efficiency, we aim to expedite clinical development while rigorously maintaining the highest global standards. We believe this partnership creates a powerful synergy to maximize the potential of these two drug candidates for the treatment of patients in both China and the rest of the world.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Kelun-Biotech, an established leader in the development and commercialization of ADCs who shares our commitment to bringing next generation therapeutics that can improve outcomes for people living with cancer,” said Joshua Brumm, chief executive officer of Crescent. “This collaboration expands our pipeline with the addition of SKB105, furthers our strategy of advancing multiple modalities across our portfolio, and accelerates our efforts to deliver synergistic combinations with CR-001, which has the potential to be a foundational backbone therapy. We look forward to working with Kelun-Biotech to drive innovative therapeutics with the potential to address multiple tumor types and transform cancer care.”

Under the collaboration, Kelun-Biotech will receive an upfront payment of US$80 million from Crescent and is also eligible to receive additional milestones of up to US$1.25 billion, plus tiered middle single-digit to low double-digit royalties on net sales of SKB105. Kelun-Biotech is also eligible to receive additional payment from Crescent if Crescent undergoes a near-term change of control or enters into a sublicense agreement with a third party. Crescent will receive an upfront payment of US$20 million from Kelun-Biotech and is also eligible to receive additional milestones of up to US$30 million, plus tiered low to middle single digit royalties on net sales of CR-001.

About CR-001 (also known as SKB118)

CR-001 is a tetravalent bispecific antibody being developed for the treatment of solid tumors that combines two complementary, validated mechanisms in oncology via a blockade of PD-1 and VEGF. PD-1 checkpoint inhibition is aimed at restoring T cells’ ability to recognize and destroy tumor cells, and blocking VEGF is intended for reducing blood supply to tumor cells and inhibiting tumor growth. In preclinical studies, CR-001 demonstrated cooperative pharmacology with increased binding to PD-1 and signal blockade in the presence of VEGF as well as robust anti-tumor activity. CR-001’s anti-VEGF activity may also normalize the vasculature at the tumor site, which has the potential to improve the localization and effectiveness of combination therapies, such as the administration of CR-001 with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). A global Phase 1/2 trial of CR-001 in patients with solid tumors is anticipated to commence in the first quarter of 2026.

About SKB105 (also known as CR-003)

SKB105 is a differentiated ADC targeting integrin beta-6 (ITGB6) with a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor payload. ITGB6 is overexpressed in many solid tumors, but shows minimal to no expression in most normal tissues, thereby potentially reducing the risk of systemic toxicity and off-target effects. SKB105 consists of an anti-ITGB6 fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody conjugated via a stable, clinically validated cleavable linker. The molecule incorporates proprietary Kthiol^® irreversible conjugation technology, designed to enhance stability and tumor-specific payload delivery while reducing adverse effects. SKB105 demonstrated a favorable efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile in preclinical models. A Phase 1/2 clinical trial of SKB105 in patients with solid tumors is anticipated to commence in the first quarter of 2026.

About Kelun-Biotech

Kelun-Biotech (6990.HK) is a holding subsidiary of Kelun Pharmaceutical (002422.SZ), which focuses on the R&D, manufacturing, commercialization and global collaboration of innovative biological drugs and small molecule drugs. Kelun-Biotech focuses on major disease areas such as solid tumors, autoimmune, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases, and in establishing a globalized drug development and industrialization platform to address the unmet medical needs in China and the rest of world. Kelun-Biotech is committed to becoming a leading global enterprise in the field of innovative drugs. At present, Kelun-Biotech has more than 30 ongoing key innovative drug projects, of which 4 projects have been approved for marketing, 1 project is in the NDA stage and more than 10 projects are in the clinical stage. Kelun-Biotech has established one of the world’s leading proprietary ADC and novel DC platforms, OptiDC™, and has 2 ADC projects approved for marketing, and multiple ADC and novel DC assets in clinical or preclinical research stage. For more information, please visit https://en.kelun-biotech.com/.

About Crescent Biopharma

Crescent Biopharma’s vision is to build a world leading oncology company bringing the next wave of therapies for cancer patients. Crescent ‘s pipeline includes its lead program, a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, as well as novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). By leveraging multiple modalities and established targets, Crescent aims to rapidly advance potentially transformative therapies either as single agents or as part of combination regimens to treat a range of solid tumors. For more information, visit www.crescentbiopharma.com and follow Crescent on LinkedIn and X.

Forward-Looking Statements of Crescent

Certain statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including for purposes of the “safe harbor” provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements relating to Crescent’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future of its pipeline and business including, without limitation,  the expected benefits or opportunities with respect to the strategic partnership between Crescent and Kelun-Biotech, the ability for each of CR-001 and SKB105 (CR-003) to perform as monotherapies and in combination, the potential for CR-001 to be developed in additional combinations, including with proprietary ADC pipeline assets, the initiation, timing, progress, and results of clinical trials for CR-001 and SKB105 (CR-003), including the initiation of Phase 1/2 monotherapy clinical trials in the first quarter of 2026, Crescent’s expectations regarding the potential benefits of the strategic partnership with Kelun-Biotech, the potential benefits of treatment with and the market for CR-001, and our expectations regarding milestone, royalty, or other payments that could be due under the license agreements. The words “opportunity,” “potential,” “milestones,” “pipeline,” “can,” “goal,” “strategy,” “target,” “anticipate,” “achieve,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions (including the negatives of these terms or variations of them) may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Crescent will be those that have been anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond Crescent’s control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the expected benefits of, and opportunities related to, the strategic partnership between Crescent and Kelun-Biotech may not be realized by either party or may take longer to realize than anticipated, that the potential of CR-001 and/or SKB105 (CR-003), each as monotherapy and in combination, may change, that CR-001 may not be developed in additional combinations, including with proprietary ADC pipeline assets, that either party may fail to discover and develop any commercially successful product candidates through the strategic partnership, that such product candidates may not receive regulatory approval and, if approved, such product candidates may not be commercially successful, Crescent’s limited operating history, including with respect to clinical trials, Crescent’s historical losses and any future ability to generate revenue, Crescent’s ability to raise capital to support its business plans, risks associated with clinical development and regulatory approval, risks related to Crescent’s intellectual property, Crescent’s reliance on third parties, including to help develop its product candidates and run its clinical trials, as well as to manufacture its product candidates, Crescent’s dependence on key personnel, Crescent’s estimates of market opportunity may prove to be inaccurate, significant disruptions of information technology systems or breaches of data security, litigation and regulatory risks, as well as those factors more fully described in Crescent’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q), and Crescent’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of Crescent’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this press release, which speak only as of the date they are made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein. Crescent does not undertake or accept any duty to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements. This press release does not purport to summarize all of the conditions, risks and other attributes of an investment in Crescent.

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On December 2, 2025, Huawei Cloud Summit Indonesia convened in Jakarta, attracting more than 500 representatives from governments, enterprises, and ecosystem. The summit focused on exploring new opportunities in the AI era and promoting leapfrog development to realize the vision of Digital Indonesia.

Xin Dajiang, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Huawei Indonesia, said in his address that Huawei Cloud collaborates with leading enterprises like Telkomsel, Indosat, XLSmart, PLN, and to serve local giants such as Bluebird, BCA, CT Corp, and Alfamart and hundreds of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Indonesia to foster ecosystem growth, generate employment, and nurture the next generation of digital talent. He noted that Huawei Cloud’s Jakarta Region has three availability zones (AZs). AI and cloud technologies not only offer technical support but also drive innovation in digital transformation of individuals, enterprises, and governments. Huawei Cloud embodies the gotong royong spirit in Indonesia, for Indonesia.

Indonesia’s large population and diverse industry scenarios are crucial for building an ASEAN AI engine. Sunny Shang, President of Huawei Cloud Asia Pacific emphasized Huawei Cloud’s commitment to continually enhancing local infrastructure and full-stack AI capabilities in Indonesia, accelerating industry intelligence and fostering a thriving ecosystem with more than 300 partners.

Enhancing local investment and ecosystem development to build a robust cloud foundation for the AI era

In 2022, Huawei Cloud’s 3-AZ data center entered operation, delivering active-active disaster recovery, 99.99% high availability, and 20 ms latency across the country for superior experience. Leon Fang, CEO of Huawei Cloud Indonesia, announced that Huawei Cloud will introduce the fourth AZ in 2026, as part its continued investment in local infrastructure.

Huawei Cloud is not just a technology enabler, but a long-term digital transformation partner for local enterprises. During the summit, Huawei Cloud and Telkomsel, Indonesia’s leading telecommunications company, announced an AI partnership to accelerate industry intelligence with full-stack AI capabilities.

Huawei Cloud has established a thriving digital ecosystem in Indonesia, collaborating with more than 300 partners to serve customers across industries. At the event, Huawei Cloud its key partner Telkom released a joint CDN service to improve local content distribution.

Full-stack AI: Innovating for Indonesian enterprises’ future

AI technology paradigms are shifting—from generative to agentic, from public data to industry-specific data, from commercial to open-source models, and from concentrated AI compute to a diverse landscape. Cloud data centers are adapting to these shifts, transforming into an intelligent foundation for the AI era. William Dong, President of Huawei Cloud Marketing, emphasized that Huawei Cloud keeps opening up full-stack AI capabilities to help local customers capitalize on AI opportunities.

Huawei Cloud continues to strengthen data and AI capabilities by offering leading databases, upgrading data services, and innovating AI platforms. At the data service level, Huawei Cloud launched the next-generation serverless AI-native lakehouse Data Fabric. This provides a high-performance unified lakehouse engine, enabling users to develop T+0 real-time lakehouse solutions. At the engine layer, the latest data warehouse service DWS 3.0 allows for independent scaling of storage and compute on demand. Huawei Cloud database TaurusDB, through in-depth integration with DFV distributed storage, achieves significant advancements in architecture, performance, elastic scaling, and high availability, further enhancing data processing efficiency. In terms of innovative AI platforms, Huawei Cloud offers the one-stop AI development platform ModelArts and the AI agent platform Versatile. These platforms support popular open-source AI models for efficient AI agent development.

Cloud for Good: Empowering sustainable development with cloud and AI

Huawei Cloud stays true to its Cloud for Good philosophy, harnessing cloud and AI technologies to benefit communities, the environment, and sustainable development. Aka Dai, Director of Huawei Cloud Marketing, showcased how Huawei’s Cloud for Good initiative is transforming Indonesia. Huawei Cloud works with local institutions, universities, and organizations to nurture local cloud and AI talent. To date, Huawei Cloud has signed talent cultivation cooperation agreements with more than 100 universities and academic research institutions, more than 20 government departments, and key customers, helping Indonesia cultivate more than 100,000 digital professionals, providing ongoing impetus to the local digital economy. Huawei Cloud plans to broaden collaboration with customers and partners to accelerate Indonesia’s digital transformation in areas like environment, agriculture, healthcare, and education, fostering an inclusive, sustainable, and intelligent Indonesia.

The event features a packed agenda of keynotes, sessions, and exhibitions. During the sessions, Huawei Cloud highlighted its full-stack AI capabilities, discussed technological innovations with partners from sectors like e-commerce & retail, FinTech, local life, media & entertainment, and logistics, and shared the latest cloud native practices in typical scenarios with enterprises such as detikcom, , FancyTech, ConnectNow AI, Speakly AI and OnePro. At the enterprise session, Huawei Cloud reaffirmed its commitments to leading technologies, localized services, and an open ecosystem to support the growth of local governments and businesses. Customers including Bank Neo Commerce, Telkom, and Alfamart showcased their industry innovation achievements using Huawei Cloud. Alongside Ulearning, Cloudwise, Talk Cloud, Wattwise, Cognify, and Dyna.AI, they launched the Huawei Cloud Indonesia AI Partner Alliance for Governments and Enterprises to accelerate the intelligent development for local enterprises. At the partner session, Huawei Cloud engaged in deep discussions with local customers and partners on ecosystem strategies, unveiled new ecosystem cooperation measures, and presented annual awards to partners such as Paratekno、Weefer、Solusi. In the exhibition area, Huawei Cloud displayed cutting-edge experiences, along with the latest advancements in databases, big data, and distributed cloud. Leading partners from the AI, FinTech, Internet, and retail fields, such as Fortius, Soltius, and Ayodya Dialog Semesta, joined to showcase joint innovation achievements.

APIA, Samoa, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Phemex, a user-first crypto exchange, announced the Second Edition of its Futures Trading Apex Competition, a global year-end challenge running December 4–31, 2025 with a total prize pool of 450,000 USDT. The event reinforces Phemex’s commitment to building a high-energy, rewarding derivatives ecosystem for traders worldwide.

Designed to celebrate the diversity of the Phemex community, the competition structure ensures inclusivity for traders of all styles and levels. This dual-track system allows new community members to shine alongside seasoned veterans, with 30% of the prize pool dedicated specifically to newcomers.

Event Highlights:

• Dynamic Community Rewards: Prize pools for weekly and monthly rankings unlock dynamically based on total trading volume, encouraging collective participation.
• Daily Engagement: Traders can join 28 daily ROI battles, each with a fixed 2,000 USDT pool and a minimum entry volume of 1,000 USDT — offering constant opportunities to rank and earn.
• Gamified Experience: Four cycles of Mystery Box missions worth 94,000 USDT add a gamified layer and fun to the competition. Traders can collect ETH, Gold, and other bonuses. Tasks refresh every cycle, allowing active participants to earn up to 13 boxes throughout the event.

For full rules and to join the challenge, please visit: https://phemex.com/.

About Phemex

Founded in 2019, Phemex is a user-first crypto exchange trusted by over 10 million traders worldwide. The platform offers spot and derivatives trading, copy trading, and wealth management products designed to prioritize user experience, transparency, and innovation. With a forward-thinking approach and a commitment to user empowerment, Phemex delivers reliable tools, inclusive access, and evolving opportunities for traders at every level to grow and succeed.

For more information, please visit: https://phemex.com/

Partnership aims to bridge the digital divide and equip youth with future-ready skills

BEIJING, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UNESCO has signed a partnership agreement with Walnut Coding, a leading digital education platform for young learners, to strengthen global efforts in promoting inclusive and accessible digital learning.

The collaboration aims to advance the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development 2024–2033 (IDSSD) by strengthening international cooperation on digital learning, and promoting the inclusion of young voice and talents within technological innovation.

The UNESCO-Walnut Youth Innovation Project demonstrates this vision by engaging young people and equipping them with the skills and values needed to address global challenges and contribute to a sustainable future.

Through this partnership, Walnut Coding and UNESCO will launch initiatives under the IDSSD framework, including the organization of an international youth coding competition to foster creative digital problem-solving, as well as other awareness-raising activities. 

As the world’s lead organization on education and science, UNESCO provides an important global platform for promoting sustainable development, setting educational standards, and fostering international collaboration.

Through this collaboration, UNESCO and Walnut Coding will work together to expand access to quality digital education, share best practices, and foster innovation in teaching and learning. The partnership aims to empower young people with the skills needed to thrive in the digital age and contribute to sustainable development worldwide.

About Walnut Coding

Walnut Coding is a leader in coding education in China. Founded in 2017, The Company offers differentiated, fun, and engaging coding learning courses for young learners, covering various subjects including Scratch, Python, and C++. Its courses feature adaptive software products with definitive learning objectives and interactive content for learners, as well as individualized guidance from full-time learning assistants throughout the learning process. As of February 2024, Walnut Coding had 7.2 million cumulative paying users.

About UNESCO

With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. 

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed“ – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.

More information: www.unesco.org

News Summary

• Emerging economies, particularly India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa, are leading global adoption of generative AI, with younger adults showing the highest usage, trust, and engagement.
• Significant generational and geographic divides exist, with under-35s far more likely to use and trust AI, while older adults remain less engaged and less certain.
• High recreational screen time, especially among youth in emerging markets, is linked to decreased well-being, highlighting the need for a balanced focus on digital well-being as AI becomes widespread.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Generative AI is moving rapidly from novelty to habit. But adoption rates may not tell the full story. Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking and security, partnered with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the Digital Well-being Hub to study the relationship between technology’s risks and benefits, and how AI is impacting people’s lives. New data from the Hub reveals that, beneath the headlines of youthful enthusiasm for AI, geographic and generational divides are emerging, shaping who benefits from AI, who bears the risks, and how digital life can affect well-being. This research provides Cisco’s Digital Impact Office with essential insights that can support its aim to connect millions of people to the digital economy, help close the digital divide, and build a global learning culture through initiatives like Cisco Networking Academy and Country Digital Acceleration programs.

AI adoption is only part of the story

According to the current research, young adults, globally, are voracious consumers of digital content, with under-35s showing the highest use of social media, online devices and active use of GenAI. But the real standouts are people in emerging economies, particularly India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa. They lead AI adoption globally with the highest usage rates, greatest trust levels, and most active engagement in AI training. In contrast, those surveyed in European countries show less trust and more uncertainty around the use of AI. This marks a departure from historical trends where emerging economies are typically slower to access and use new technologies.

However, these same populations, in India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa, report the highest recreational screen time, greatest reliance on digital-only socializing, and the most pronounced emotional highs and lows from tech use, when compared to those surveyed in other countries. The research also shows that, globally, more than five hours of daily recreational screen time is associated with decreased well-being and lower life satisfaction. While correlation is not causation, it’s clear we need to focus on digital well-being so advances in technology don’t come at the cost of health and happiness.

“Empowering emerging economies with AI skills is not just about technology, it’s about unlocking the potential of every individual to shape their future. With the rapid integration of AI into our daily lives and workplaces, we must ensure that these tools are designed responsibly, with transparency, fairness, and privacy at their core. AI’s greatest potential can be realized if it enhances well-being, by streamlining tasks, improving collaboration, and creating opportunities for growth and learning. When technology, people, and purpose come together, we create the conditions for resilient, healthy, and thriving communities everywhere,” said Guy Diedrich, Senior Vice President and Global Innovation Officer, Cisco.

From generative AI to generation AI

Generational splits are equally stark, tracking existing trends in digitalization. Younger adults worldwide report that most or all of their social interaction takes place online and they express higher confidence in AI’s usefulness. More than 50% of under-35s surveyed actively use AI, more than 75% say it is useful, and almost half of 26 to 35-year-olds have completed some training.

In contrast, adults over 45 are less likely to view AI as useful, and more than half do not use it at all. Among over-55s surveyed, many say they “don’t know” if they trust AI, suggesting their uncertainty may be driven by a lack of familiarity rather than outright rejection. This familiarity gap also mirrors differences in expectations for AI’s impact on jobs, with under-35s and those in emerging economies anticipating the highest impact.

“Generational divides in digital and AI adoption are not inevitable, they are challenges we can all address through targeted action. While younger generations may readily embrace new technology, people of all ages bring their own unique and invaluable experience and insights,” said Diedrich. “So far at Cisco, 26,000 of our staff have undergone AI training and we are a founding member of the AI Workforce Consortium, a group of 10 leading companies working to prepare the workforce to leverage the transformational opportunity of AI on ICT jobs across all industries. A key measure of AI’s success should not be speed of adoption, but whether people across all ages, skill levels, and geographies can use AI to genuinely improve their lives. That way we can ensure ‘Generation AI’ truly includes everyone,” he continued. 

This research provides a call to action for citizens, business and government leaders worldwide to bridge the digital skills gap, foster digital literacy at every age, and prioritize well-being alongside innovation. Only then can we ensure the digital future we build is truly for everyone.

About the Digital Well-being Hub

In 2024, Cisco and the OECD launched a joint initiative, grounded in the OECD Well-being Framework and aligned to Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program, to present existing and emerging OECD data, and to examine the complex nature of digital transformation. The hub also features an interactive platform used to gather new statistics and people’s insights on digital well-being, including the impact of the digital divide and inequalities in the uptake and use of digital technologies.

About the Research

This analysis was conducted using data from 14 countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States), collected in early 2025 by a specialized research agency in collaboration with Cisco. Data collection followed OECD best practices essential for ensuring data reliability, comparability, and national representativeness.

The data collection yielded statistically valid responses from 14,611 individuals and was selected to reflect a broad range of socio-economic and cultural contexts in each country. Each is represented by a sample of just over 1,000 respondents, except for India, which includes 1,500 respondents. All participants completed the full 20-question poll as well as the accompanying demographic and profile questions of the Digital Well-being Poll.

Additional resources:

* OECD Research: Screen time and subjective well-being
* OECD Research: How do people experience new technologies and generative AI?  
* Guy Diedrich blog: Making sure AI becomes the global equalizer and not the great divider

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.

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