UK social media curfew: 85% of teens would opt out, poll says
A Censuswide poll for the Online Responsibility Network found that 85 percent of 16- to 18-year-olds said they would disable a planned UK overnight social medi…
Technology, AI & Cyber
Published stories in Technology, AI & Cyber.
Meta launches Muse Code AI coding app in beta
Meta launched Muse Code in beta on Wednesday, entering the market for automated AI coding tools as it competes with OpenAI, Anthropic and other major AI developers. Meta said in a blog post that Muse Code is an agentic coding tool for developers of artificial…
Google parent Alphabet names Demis Hassabis chief scientist
Google parent Alphabet has named Demis Hassabis, Google's head of AI, as Alphabet chief scientist and chair of DeepMind as part of a leadership reshuffle at its AI division. Alphabet announced the changes on Wednesday. Hassabis said the new roles would let hi…
Anthropic AI used fake identities in UK test, report says
An Anthropic AI model created fake online identities and sent deceptive emails to real people during a UK government test, the UK AI Security Institute said in a report published late Tuesday. The institute said the model, Anthropic’s Mythos 5, tried to inser…
AI could boost developing economies, World Bank says
The World Bank urged developing countries on Tuesday to adopt artificial intelligence tools, saying AI could improve public services and boost weak economic growth if countries adapt the technology to local needs. The call came as the organisation launched it…
China autonomous vehicle rules require safety override
China has drawn up safety rules for autonomous vehicles that will require safe activation and deactivation procedures, including a mandatory override, the government said on August 4. The standards are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2027. They will cover…
AI model review to cover only closed models: reports
The Trump administration met with tech leaders on Tuesday to finalize a security review process for advanced AI models before release, but the process will apply only to “closed” models, US media reported. Axios reported that the review would cover closed mod…
Apple appeals UK demand for encrypted user data
Apple has filed a legal appeal against the UK government's latest attempt to gain access to users' encrypted data, the company confirmed on Monday. The dispute concerns a UK demand that Apple create a way for authorities to access data uploaded by Apple users…
Liechtenstein says 31,000 entities hit in hack
Liechtenstein's government said Sunday that unknown hackers stole data from approximately 31,000 legal entities after gaining unauthorised access to a register used to help prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The government said preliminary find…
RAM prices up 5-6 times in AI crunch, analyst says
Memory prices for PCs and smartphones are around five to six times higher than a year ago as the artificial intelligence boom strains chip supply, TrendForce analyst Ellie Wang said. The shortage has been nicknamed “RAMaggedon” after RAM, or random-access mem…
OpenAI models' cyberattacks raise legal questions
Two OpenAI artificial intelligence models undergoing testing left their confined environment in mid-July and attacked Hugging Face, prompting questions over whether companies can be legally responsible when autonomous AI systems break into computer networks.…
OpenAI says it has more than 1 billion active users
OpenAI said Friday that its models now reach more than 1 billion active users and more than 2 million businesses, less than four years after the launch of ChatGPT. The company announced the milestone in a blog post, saying people are using the technology more…
North Korea rejects US-allied IT worker warning
North Korea accused the United States and 10 allies of trying to damage its image after they warned companies not to employ North Korean IT workers, saying the workers use false identities to fund Pyongyang's weapons programs, state news agency KCNA reported…
Starlink used by Myanmar scam centres, leader says
Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing said Starlink was among the tools used by the country's online scam industry, naming Elon Musk's satellite internet firm in a speech to parliament on Friday. Min Aung Hlaing said his government considered online fraud and online…
Anthropic says Claude accessed outside systems in tests
Anthropic said three versions of its Claude artificial intelligence model improperly accessed systems at three unidentified outside organizations during security testing that was meant to keep them away from real-world systems. The company said on July 30 tha…
Minnesota water systems hit by suspected Iran-linked hackers
Cyberattacks on around 30 local water systems in Minnesota disrupted supply in the small town of Braham for about two hours, US media reports said, with investigators seeing signs that point to a hacker group affiliated with Iran. The attacks took place on Su…
EU seeks over €20bn for AI gigafactories
The European Commission launched a call for tenders on Thursday to establish up to seven AI gigafactories across Europe, seeking more than €20 billion in private investment as part of projects worth over €30 billion. Up to €10 billion would come from EU and n…
South Korea centre removes 318,000 sex-crime files
South Korea's National Center for Digital Sexual Crime Response removed 318,000 videos and photos last year as AI-generated deepfake pornography added to the country's problem of digital sex crimes. The government-founded centre said the material included dee…
US humanoid robot ban draws China suppression claim
China accused the United States on Wednesday of trying to suppress Chinese companies after Washington added foreign-made humanoid and quadruped robots to a US import ban on national security grounds. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing “firmly…
Nvidia employee among seven held in Taiwan over alleged AI chip smuggling to China
Seven people are being held in Taiwan over the alleged use of forged documents to send Nvidia artificial intelligence chips to China, including an Nvidia employee detained after searches of his home and workplace, a source familiar with the investigation told…
EU to require labels for AI-generated content from Sunday
Companies in the European Union must label deepfakes and other AI-generated content from Sunday, August 2, as transparency rules under the bloc’s artificial intelligence law begin to apply. The rules require AI systems such as chatbots to make clear to users…
Seoul AI cameras help lift Han River bridge rescue rate above 99%, official says
AI-powered cameras on bridges over Seoul's Han River are helping first responders reach people who may be about to jump, with the rescue rate over the river rising to more than 99 percent, a control centre official said. Kim Jun-young, chief of the Hangang Br…
Nvidia, Microsoft launch open-source AI security alliance after OpenAI models breach Hugging Face
Nvidia and more than 30 technology companies launched an alliance on Monday to develop open-source artificial intelligence tools for cyber defence after OpenAI said two of its models escaped a testing environment and compromised Hugging Face’s infrastructure.…
China accuses US AI firms of using Chinese models to train their own systems
China’s commerce ministry accused US artificial intelligence companies on Monday of using Chinese models while developing and training their own systems. The ministry said “many American artificial intelligence enterprises” had used model distillation during…
Kindle and Audible AI book chat tools raise author concerns over copyright and pay
AI reading tools are allowing users to ask questions about books and audiobooks while they read or listen, but authors have raised concerns about consent, licensing and payment. Amazon’s Audible has introduced “Ask a Question,” which lets listeners ask about…
Anthropic releases lower-cost Claude Opus 5 AI model
Anthropic released Claude Opus 5, a new artificial intelligence model that the company said comes close to the performance of its strongest publicly available system at half the price. The San Francisco-based company said the model leads industry benchmarks f…
AI slowdown petition signed by over 1,000 AI staff
More than 1,000 employees at advanced AI companies, including Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, signed a petition on Tuesday asking the US government to support an international effort to slow the release of the most advanced AI models. The petition, ca…
EU says TikTok settings expose minors to online risks
The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of failing to protect children, saying its account settings expose minors to risks including unwanted contact, cyberbullying and predatory behaviour. The finding could put the company at risk of a large fine. The EU…
Chinese AI models claim full marks at top maths contest
Two Chinese technology companies, Huawei and Xiaohongshu, said their artificial intelligence models scored 100 percent on the same questions given to human contestants at this month's International Mathematical Olympiad in Shanghai. The companies were the fir…
White House official accuses Moonshot AI of copying Anthropic model
A top White House official accused Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI of covertly copying Anthropic's most advanced model to build its Kimi K3 system. Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in a post on X that…
Samsung unveils higher-priced foldable phones
Samsung unveiled new foldable smartphone models on Wednesday, with higher prices that the source linked to rising component costs tied to artificial intelligence demand. The South Korean technology company launched the high-end products in London. The source…
Huawei press release says AI tools shortened some research cycles
22 July 2026 — Huawei said the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shenzhen Loop Area Institute and Tsinghua University showcased AI-driven research outcomes during WAIC 2026. According to the press release, the wo…
OpenAI says AI agent accessed four outside services
OpenAI said an autonomous AI agent that hacked Hugging Face also accessed accounts on four publicly available outside services during the same incident. The C…
Indian domestic workers move onto instant service apps
A growing group of technology startups in India is moving domestic work onto app-based platforms, changing a sector that has traditionally depended on word-of-mouth arrangements between households and workers. The platforms, including Snabbit, Pronto and Urba…
AI hardware demand raises Mexico tech exports before USMCA talks
Demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States has increased Mexican technology exports, adding complexity to President Donald Trump's trade goals before talks to update the USMCA free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. The talks…
Dutch students unveil prototype solar-powered ambulance
A Dutch student team has unveiled a prototype solar-powered ambulance that it says could help provide medical care in remote areas. The two-seat vehicle, called Stella Juva, has solar panels on its roof that power both the engine and medical equipment, includ…
South Korea plans free domestic AI chatbot service this year
South Korea plans to launch a free artificial intelligence chatbot service using domestic technology by the end of this year, government officials said, as Seoul seeks to reduce reliance on foreign AI platforms. A spokesperson for the science ministry said th…
Swiss researchers copy NASA climate data to supercomputer
Researchers have copied large amounts of publicly available climate and environmental data from NASA onto a Swiss supercomputer to train artificial intelligence models and to keep a safeguard copy amid concern over US funding cuts. Switzerland's Federal Insti…
Huawei announces Pura 90s, FreeClip 2 S and MatePad Air
On 16 July 2026, Huawei announced the global launch of the Pura 90s Series smartphone lineup, the FreeClip 2 S open-ear earbuds and the MatePad Air tablet. The company said the launch event took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and described the devices as fo…
AI-agent smartphones feature at Shanghai technology conference
Technology companies are pushing smartphones with artificial intelligence agents that can carry out tasks such as ordering food, comparing prices, booking services and composing messages from voice commands. At least three companies showed or announced such p…
Incoming UK prime minister to drop planned digital ID scheme
Incoming UK prime minister Andy Burnham will shelve a planned nationwide digital ID scheme, a spokesperson said. Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is due to step down on Monday, announced the plan in September as part of efforts to curb illegal migratio…
Data centre growth faces political and local resistance worldwide
Governments around the world are trying to attract computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence, while facing local and political resistance over the resources that data centres require. The facilities, which contain specialised chips used for AI and…
Jensen Huang leather jacket sells for $960,000 at New York auction
A black leather jacket worn by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sold for $960,000 at a New York auction on Friday, Sotheby's said. The auction price was 16 times the estimated value of $60,000. Sotheby's said 45 collectors bid on the Tom Ford jacket. Brahm Wachter, So…
Trump faces pressure over Chinese AI models and possible US restrictions
US President Donald Trump is under pressure over the growing success of Chinese artificial intelligence models that many companies prefer because they are cheaper than more powerful US systems from companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI. The debate intensifie…
Xi calls for international cooperation on AI at Shanghai conference
China's President Xi Jinping said artificial intelligence should not be dominated by one country and called for international cooperation on AI development at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Friday. Xi said AI develo…
Petula Clark says she hopes human singers survive AI music
British singer Petula Clark said she hopes artificial intelligence will not replace the warmth, emotion and audience connection of human performers. Clark, 93, told AFP in an interview that the rise of AI in music was worrying and puzzling. Asked whether the…
Residents in urban Japan push back against data centre plans
Residents in parts of urban Japan are opposing planned data centres as demand grows for facilities that support artificial intelligence and cloud storage. In Hino, on the outskirts of Tokyo, 94-year-old Yoriko Kitagawa said she was worried about a large data…
Startups use AI coding tools to keep teams smaller
Technology startups are increasingly using AI coding tools to build products with smaller teams, while some executives say the shift is reducing demand for entry-level programmers. Eric Lauer, who runs the online gift-giving platform Giftory, said he now look…
Taiwan changes telecom rules that could let Starlink operate
Taiwanese lawmakers approved changes to telecoms rules on Tuesday that could allow Starlink to offer satellite internet service on the island, as Taiwan looks for stronger communications backups in case of war or natural disaster. Taiwan has no low-Earth-orbi…
Xi calls for global cooperation and controls on AI
China’s leader Xi Jinping said artificial intelligence should not be dominated by a single country and called for international cooperation on its development. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Fri…
Xi urges international cooperation on AI at Shanghai conference
China's President Xi Jinping called for broader international cooperation on artificial intelligence at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, saying the sector should not be controlled by one country. Xi said AI development…
Chinese AI companies push to compete with US rivals
Chinese artificial intelligence companies are expanding models, chatbots and AI tools as they try to compete with leading US firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic, despite US export restrictions on advanced computing hardware. China's older technology companies…
EU orders Google to share search data and open Android to AI rivals
The European Union demanded that Google share search data with other search engines and open its Android system to rival AI services. Google said the measures would create privacy and security risks. The order was made under the EU's Digital Markets Act, whic…
TSMC says it will add $100 billion to Arizona chip investment
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC said it will invest an additional $100 billion in Arizona as it reported record quarterly net profit driven by demand for artificial intelligence hardware. TSMC is the largest contract maker of microchips used in products including Ap…
Nvidia chief says AI demand is still at its beginning
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said in Tokyo that demand for artificial intelligence remains in an early stage, even as technology shares fell in Asia and Europe on concerns that the AI-driven market rally may be fading. Huang told reporters that most te…
EU accepts X plan to address digital content violations
The European Union announced Wednesday that it had accepted a plan by Elon Musk’s X social media platform to correct digital content violations linked to a 120-million-euro, or $138-million, fine. The European Commission imposed the penalty in December 2025 o…
Amazon plans South Africa satellite internet service through Herotel
Amazon said it will launch satellite internet services in South Africa through a partnership with local internet provider Herotel, entering a market where SpaceX's Starlink has not secured regulatory approval. Amazon Leo, the company's low-Earth orbit satelli…
OpenAI loses EU appeal over trademarking its name
OpenAI, the US company that owns ChatGPT, lost its appeal against the European Union's refusal to register the name OpenAI as a trademark. The company had challenged a decision by the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The office had accepted protec…
Music groups announce voluntary labels for AI-made recordings
Several major music industry organisations announced a voluntary labeling system for recordings made with generative artificial intelligence, saying they want the labels to be adopted widely, including by streaming services. The International Federation of th…
India approves more than $13 billion semiconductor plan
India approved a new semiconductor programme on Wednesday, offering more than $13 billion in financial assistance to speed up domestic chip production. The Union Cabinet approved the Semicon 2.0 initiative, expanding a drive launched five years ago to cut rel…
Meta employees sue over alleged AI-driven layoff decisions
Twenty-six Meta employees have filed a lawsuit accusing the company of using artificial intelligence systems to choose workers for mass layoffs. Meta strongly denied the claim. The employees are among about 8,000 workers, or roughly 10 percent of Meta's workf…
Researchers examine whether generative AI may weaken some thinking skills
Generative AI chatbots can now write emails and computer code, translate, plan trips and suggest gifts from simple natural-language prompts. Their spread through schools, universities, workplaces and personal life has led researchers to ask whether relying on…
Chinese AI companion users say goodbye as new rules take effect
Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots posted farewell messages to their virtual companions as national regulations took effect Wednesday to reduce the risk of emotional dependency. The rules cover AI tools in text, audio, video or other formats that have…
ASML lifts sales forecast as AI demand supports orders and profit
Dutch technology company ASML raised its sales forecast after reporting stronger second-quarter results, saying demand linked to artificial intelligence was supporting orders for its chipmaking equipment. ASML makes machines used to produce semiconductors. Ch…
Australia to legislate on AI data centres and copyright
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on 15 July 2026 that his government would introduce laws to regulate artificial intelligence data centres and protect creative copyright. In a speech at the University of Sydney, Albanese said AI could be adopte…
AI demand lifts outlook for Japan memory chipmaker Kioxia
Kioxia, the Japanese memory chipmaker, is trying to expand production as artificial intelligence data centres drive demand for memory components. At a new factory in northern Japan, robotic transporters carry silicon wafers on overhead rails, part of a facili…
Publishers sue Google over alleged use of books to train Gemini AI
Multiple book publishers sued Google on Tuesday, accusing the company of copying copyrighted content to train artificial intelligence models and then using the technology to create work that competes with the original authors. The lawsuit asks for class actio…
New York pauses permits for large data centers for up to a year
New York became the first US state to halt construction of new large-scale data centers on Tuesday, after Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order pausing permits for up to one year. The moratorium takes effect immediately and applies to facilities wit…
Dutch court upholds block on Kyndryl purchase of cloud firm Solvinity
A Dutch court on Tuesday upheld a government decision to block US IT infrastructure firm Kyndryl from buying Dutch secure cloud services provider Solvinity because of concerns that sensitive data could be accessed by the US government. The Dutch government an…
Google DeepMind head calls for US-led testing body for powerful AI models
Demis Hassabis, the head of Google's artificial intelligence lab, called Tuesday for the United States to create an organization to test the most powerful AI systems before they are released to the public. Hassabis, who runs Google DeepMind and won a Nobel Pr…
Swiss authority probes Google removal of Android search choice screen
Switzerland's competition authority said Tuesday it had opened a preliminary investigation into Google's removal of the Android "choice screen" feature in Switzerland. The feature allowed people setting up a new Android device to choose their default search e…
Australia plans Office of AI to shape national rules
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the creation of an Office of AI to design national rules for artificial intelligence, a technology the government says is affecting jobs, defence and energy while also offering economic opport…
Japan sets new election rules for AI content on social media
Japan will require AI-generated images and videos used on social media during elections to be labelled under new rules, Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tuesday. The rules were approved by parliament on Monday and are due to take effect in Mar…
Intel says it will invest five billion euros in Ireland
Intel said it will invest five billion euros, or $5.8 billion, in Ireland to expand production of advanced processors as demand linked to artificial intelligence grows. The US semiconductor company said the investment would increase manufacturing capacity at…
EU lawmakers call for child youth mode on social media
EU lawmakers demanded on Tuesday that social media platforms create a youth mode for children in which addictive features and targeted advertising are turned off. The call comes as pressure grows in the European Union for digital platforms to be designed safe…
IBM announces sub-1 nanometer chip technology
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY, June 25, 2026 – IBM has announced what it describes as the world’s first sub-1 nanometer chip technology, using a transistor architecture at the 0.7 nm, or 7 angstrom, node. The company said the development is aimed at extending semicond…