Study shows AI tools are increasingly influencing investment decisions

A new survey by cryptocurrency exchange Bitpanda UK reveals that artificial‑intelligence (AI) tools are becoming a prominent source of financial education for British adults. Almost half of those surveyed – 46 % – say they trust ChatGPT to explain crypto-related concepts, while 30 % turn to AI platforms for a basic understanding of digital assets. Of the latter group, more than half (54 %) say they subsequently used AI-generated research to make investment decisions.

The findings arrive as crypto ownership continues to rise in the United Kingdom. Bitpanda estimates that around 6.5 million Britons currently hold cryptocurrency, and a further 15 % intend to invest in the future. Yet the study also highlights a persistent knowledge gap: 45 % of respondents say they do not understand digital assets well enough to invest, and 46 % admit they have heard of Bitcoin but cannot explain what it is or how to purchase it legally in the U.K.

Younger investors lead the surge

The data points to a generational divide. Among 18‑ to 24‑year‑olds, 40 % have already invested in crypto – nearly double the national average. Their primary motivations are long-term wealth building (46 %), portfolio diversification (35 %), and saving for family or children (33 %). The willingness to experiment with emerging technologies appears to be driving the shift toward digital‑asset exposure.

Policy response lags market behavior

The U.K. government’s recently unveiled Financial Inclusion Strategy aims to broaden financial education in schools, but critics note that the curriculum remains heavily weighted toward traditional products such as savings accounts, pensions, and equities.

Kevan Edgerton, U.K. Country Manager of Bitpanda, commented: “The increase in people using unsolicited financial education services such as ChatGPT and AI means the U.K. isn’t getting the education it needs to be responsible with its crypto investments. By modernizing financial literacy to include digital assets, we can help more people invest confidently and with a long-term mindset. The future of finance is already here. Education needs to catch up.”

Work begins to add science instruments aboard NASA’s new ‘Flying Laboratory’

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., has initiated a critical design and analysis phase for its next-generation airborne science platform. [Full story]

American Airlines is Kentucky Derby-bound from 20 destinations

The countdown to race day is on, and getting to the track in Louisville, Ky. (SDF) is top priority for many travelers. To meet those needs, American is moving into the homestretch with nonstop flights connecting SDF to a record 20 destinations this year.

More flights to connect travelers to the action

American has added special flights to 13 destinations between April 30 and May 3, complementing existing service to seven destinations. These additional nonstop flights give travelers faster and more convenient flight options to show off their seersucker suits, spring dresses, and fashionable new hats.

American’s hubs, such as Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Philadelphia (PHL), and Washington, D.C. (DCA), will see a combination of extra flights and larger aircraft operating to SDF on peak travel dates.

Compared to a traditional day at SDF, American will more than double the number of flights it operates on peak dates surrounding the marquee race. This means 41 arriving flights on April 30 and 46 departing flights on May 3.

Setting the pace with elevated travel experiences

From Los Angeles (LAX) and Santa Ana (SNA) in California, American will operate special flights to SDF with Airbus A321T aircraft.

NASA funds major overhaul on 42-year-old research jet

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center is moving forward with a significant long-term maintenance project for one of its oldest research aircraft, a 1984 Gulfstream III, even as it relies on a sole-source contract to keep the plane’s aging engines running. [Full story]

US Special Operations Command explores market for new Small Cruise Missile

The U.S. Special Operations Command has launched a market research initiative to identify existing technologies for a new air-launched Small Cruise Missile. [Full story]

Rocket Lab plans hypersonic aircraft flight test from Virginia

Rocket Lab Corp. announced Thursday that its next launch will be a dedicated mission for the Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The flight, named “Cassowary Vex,” is slated to lift off no earlier than late February from Launch Complex 2 at the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid‑Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island.

The mission will employ Rocket Lab’s HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator System for Testing and Evaluation) vehicle, a commercially operated launch system that the company has positioned as a rapid‑turnaround, low-cost platform for hypersonic testing. The flight will carry the DART AE, a scramjet-powered aircraft prototype developed by Australian aerospace firm Hypersonix. DART AE stands for Dual‑Axis Ram‑jet Test – Advanced Experimental.

This will be our fourth hypersonic test launch in under six months. The HASTE vehicle provides the Department of War and its allies with a repeatable, high-performance testbed capable of reaching flight regimes up to Mach 20, unmatched in the commercial sector.

The DIU, which partners with private‑sector innovators to accelerate the fielding of advanced technologies for national security, selected the HASTE platform to restore a domestic hypersonic testing capability that had been eroded after the retirement of several government-run programs. By leveraging Rocket Lab’s commercial launch cadence and cost structure, the DIU aims to increase the frequency of flight tests, shorten development cycles, and reduce overall program expenditures.

Hypersonix, the Australian company behind DART AE, is seeking to validate its scramjet design for potential future applications in rapid‑response strike weapons and high-speed reconnaissance. Successful deployment of the vehicle would demonstrate a key technology milestone for both the firm and the broader U.S. hypersonic community.

Counter-drone industry event sells out early following real-world incident

Registration for a key U.S. military industry day focused on counter-drone technology has closed well ahead of schedule, organizers announced Thursday, underscoring surging demand in the defense sector. [Full story]