Rise of the machines: has technology evolved beyond our control?

Technology is starting to behave in intelligent and unpredictable ways that even its creators don't understand. As machines increasingly shape global events, how can we regain control?

The voice-activated gadget in the corner of your bedroom suddenly laughs maniacally, and sends a recording of your pillow talk to a colleague. The clip of Peppa Pig your toddler is watching on YouTube unexpectedly descends into bloodletting and death. The social network you use to keep in touch with old school friends turns out to be influencing elections and fomenting coups.

Related: YouTube to clamp down on disturbing kids' videos such as dark Peppa Pig

The cloud is the central metaphor of the internet: a global system of great power that is almost impossible to grasp

While traders might have played a longer game, the machines, faced with uncertainty, got out as quickly as possible

Related: UK homes vulnerable to 'staggering' level of corporate surveillance

Users are encouraged to keep their phones in their beds, to record their sleep patterns. Where does all this data go?

In 2016 three networks at Google developed a private form of encryption. The machines are learning to keep their secrets