EU AI Rules: From 2 August, EU rules under the AI Act will require labels for AI-made or AI-manipulated content that looks authentic, including digital watermarks, aiming to protect voters and online trust. EU AI Infrastructure: The European Commission has launched a call for tenders to build up to seven AI Gigafactories, backed by as much as €10bn public funding and targeting €30bn total investment to boost Europe’s computing capacity. Slovakia–China Tech Ties: Slovak President Peter Pellegrini used his Beijing visit to push deeper cooperation in innovation and technologies, calling for global AI governance that isn’t limited to rich countries and warning about privacy risks from AI-driven data. Energy & Water Crisis: Hungary plans to shut down its Paks nuclear plant as Danube water levels hit record lows, with Slovakia offering help—another sign drought is now reshaping power, shipping, and industry across the region. Local Tech Industry: UniCredit’s IT overhaul gets a major shake-up as Accenture buys IBM’s stake in a pan-European banking tech joint venture that includes Slovakia. Robotics & Manufacturing: A week of coverage also highlights how China’s “new three” (EVs, batteries, solar) is evolving toward AI, robotics, and pharma—mirroring Slovakia’s push to keep value creation at home.