Company behind ChatGPT last year flagged Jesse Van Rootselaar's account for furtherance of violent activities'ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has said it considered alerting Canadian police last year about the activities of a person who months later committed one of the worst school shootings in the country's history.OpenAI said last June the company identified the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar via abuse detection efforts for furtherance of violent activities". Continue reading...
Narendra Modi's thirst to supercharge economic growth is matched by US desire to inject AI into world's biggest democracyIndia celebrates 80 years of independence from the UK in August 2027. At about that same moment, early versions of true super intelligence" could emerge, Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, said this week.It's a looming coincidence that raised a charged question at the AI Impact summit in Delhi, hosted by India's prime minister, Narendra Modi: can India avoid returning to the status of a vassal state when it imports AI to raise the prospects of its 1.4 billion people? Continue reading...
Reported issues at Amazon Web Services raise questions about firm's use of artificial intelligence as it cuts staffAmazon's huge cloud computing arm reportedly experienced at least two outages caused by its own artificial intelligence tools, raising questions about the company's embrace of AI as it lays off human employees.A 13-hour interruption to Amazon Web Services' (AWS) operations in December was caused by an AI agent, Kiro, autonomously choosing to delete and then recreate" a part of its environment, the Financial Times reported. Continue reading...
German Doner Kebab aims to open at 25 new sites this year with self-service screens and healthy options aimed at gen ZThey are already packing our groceries and delivering shopping. Now robots are coming to the kebab shop, alongside self-service screens and loyalty apps, as takeaways look for ways to tackle rising costs.German Doner Kebab (GDK), a perhaps surprisingly British-owned chain that has been springing up across the country, has turned to technology to keep its fast food business buzzing in the face of rising costs and tough times on the high street. Continue reading...
If you're aiming to heat the human, not the home - or just love snuggling under something cosy - these are our best buys from our test of 24 The best heated clothes airers to save time and money when drying your laundryAside from hugging a fluffy hot-water bottle, sipping whisky and ramping up the thermostat, an electric blanket or heated throw is the best way to ward off the winter chill.When you consider that more than half of a typical household's fuel bills goes on heating and hot water, finding alternative ways to keep warm - and heating the person, rather than the whole home - seems like a good idea. Many of the best electric blankets and heated throws cost about 2p to 4p an hour to run, so it's hard to ignore their potential energy- and money-saving benefits.Best electric blanket overall:
AI has convinced computer science students to shift majors and white-collar workers to change careers, while some are embracing itMatthew Ramirez started at Western Governors University as a computer science major in 2025, drawn by the promise of a high-paying, flexible career as a programmer. But as headlines mounted about tech layoffs and AI's potential to replace entry-level coders, he began to question whether that path would actually lead to a job.When the 20-year-old interviewed for a datacenter technician role that June and never heard back, his doubts deepened. In December, Ramirez decided on what he thought was a safer bet: turning away from computer science entirely. He dropped his planned major to instead apply to nursing school. He comes from a family of nurses, and sees the field as more stable and harder to automate than coding. Continue reading...
There was a backlash when No 10 invited online content creators inside its doors. But in a fast-changing media landscape, this solves two problems at onceLast year, No 10 took an unprecedented step: it invited content creators to cross the threshold of Downing Street.Naturally, the creators all filmed themselves outside the famous door. Once inside, their most treasured possessions, their phones, were taken from them and exchanged for government-approved devices, so they could continue to take photos and record video without breaching security guidelines. At the reception, creators from areas as wide as science, education and travel took part in a networking session at the heart of government.Kirsty Major is a deputy Opinion editor for the Guardian Continue reading...
The updated QuickShot II brings retro gameplay into the modern era while preserving the no-frills button smashing and endearing flaws that fans lovedNostalgia is big in the modern games industry. It's ironic that the most technologically obsessed art form on the planet is just as watery-eyed about the past as cinema and music. And to prove it here is the new version of the legendary QuickShot II, a plasticky joystick from the early 1980s that wasn't even that good the first time round. It was, however, cheap and it resembled an actual fighter plane control stick with its multiple fire buttons and ergonomic shaft. If you wanted a rugged and precise controller you'd go for the Competition Pro, but that one didn't let you pretend to be in Star Wars or Airwolf. Plus, the QuickShot II had suckers on its base so you could stick it to your cockpit control panel - sorry, I mean MDF computer table.The new QuickShot II from Retro Games and Plaion Replai is almost an exact replica in terms of its dimensions. You can grasp it in your fist and wrap your thumb and forefinger around its large red buttons. Yes, you can stick it to your table; the designers have even included the original auto-fire switch at the rear for players who weren't prepared to hit the fire button repeatedly while playing Green Beret. Continue reading...
LA County says the gaming company does not carry out adequate moderation and its age-verification systems are not fit for purpose, which Roblox deniesOfficials in Los Angeles have said they are suing Roblox, alleging the popular online platform exposes children to sexual content, exploitation and online predators.In a lawsuit, Los Angeles County said the company does not carry out adequate moderation and its age-verification systems are not fit for purpose. Continue reading...
Freedom.gov appears to be administered by a branch of the Department of Homeland SecurityThe US has built a portal that will allow Europeans to view blocked content including alleged hate speech and terrorism, according to Reuters.The portal, freedom.gov", will allow worldwide users to circumvent government controls on their content. The site features a graphic of a ghostly horse galloping above the Earth, and the motto: Information is power. Reclaim your human right to free expression. Get ready." Continue reading...
From TikTok deepfakes to smears put out by the White House, fake videos modeled on Black archetypes are running rampant - putting Black users at riskLate last year, as a US government shutdown cut off the Snap benefits that low-income families rely on for groceries, videos on social media cast the fallout in frantic scenes. Imma keep it real with you," a Black woman said in a viral TikTok post, I get over $2,500 a month in stamps. I sell 'em, $2,000 worth, for about $1,200-$1,500 cash." Another Black woman ranted about taxpayers' responsibility to her seven children with seven men, and yet another melted down after her food stamps were rejected at a corn-dog counter.Visible watermarks stamped some videos as AI-generated - apparently, too faintly for the racist commentators and hustlers more than happy to believe the frenzy was real. You got people treating it like a side hustle, selling the stamps, abusing the system," the conservative commentator Amir Odom whinged. Fox News reported on the Snap deepfakes as if they were authentic, before issuing a correction. Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt claimed people were using Snap to get their nails done, to get their weaves and hair". (Lost in the outrage was a basic fact: white Americans make up 37% of Snap's 42 million beneficiaries.) Continue reading...
New technology has workers spooked, but experts say it's creating an opening for a resurgence in worker powerIn 2026, it's a scary time to work for a living.Gone are the days of quiet quitting, the Great Resignation, and the highly visible union-organizing battles that began the decade and signaled that perhaps worker power was on the rise again in the US. Instead, much of that momentum is being crowded out of our minds by anxieties: a worsening affordability crisis, geopolitical instability and the specter of artificial intelligence looming over the workplace. Continue reading...
Television outranks laptops, tablets and smartphones across all age groups, according to audience reviewThe television has replaced laptops, tablets and smartphones as the most common device for UK viewers to watch YouTube at home, according to data confirming the platform's place as a living room mainstay.More than half of all YouTube viewing through a domestic wifi connection is now done through the traditional TV, making it the top-ranking YouTube device across all age groups. Continue reading...
Programme that funds groups building tech to evade oppressive government controls under serious threatFor nearly two decades, the US quietly funded a global effort to keep the internet from splintering into fiefdoms run by authoritarian governments. Now that money is seriously threatened and a large part of it is already gone, putting into jeopardy internet freedoms around the world.Managed by the US state department and the US Agency for Global Media, the programme - broadly called Internet Freedom - funds small groups all over the world, from Iran to China to the Philippines, who built grassroots technologies to evade internet controls imposed by governments. It has dispensed well over $500m (370m) in the past decade, according to an analysis by the Guardian, including $94m in 2024. Continue reading...
PM says measure, also applied to deepfake nudes, is needed owing to a national emergency' of online misogynyDeepfake nudes and revenge porn" must be removed from the internet within 48 hours or technology firms risk being blocked in the UK, Keir Starmer has said, calling it a national emergency" that the government must confront.Companies could be fined millions or even blocked altogether if they allow the images to spread or be reposted after victims give notice. Continue reading...
Pritzker's move reflects increasing public pushback against resource-hungry facilities used to power the AI boomThe Illinois governor JB Pritzker proposed a two-year break from offering tax incentives for datacenters, a reflection of increasing public pushback against the massive, resource-hungry facilities used to power the modern AI boom.Pritzker made the proposal, which will need the backing of state lawmakers, during his annual state of the state address, which covers Illinois budget and policy plans. The plan was first reported by NBC News. Continue reading...
State regulators walk back suspension threat and say Tesla has stopped misleading drivers about the safety of its carsTesla will avoid a 30-day suspension of its dealer and manufacturer licenses in California, its biggest market, after the US electric vehicle maker stopped using the term autopilot" in the marketing of its vehicles in the state.Tesla now uses the term supervised" in references to its full self-driving technology and has stopped using autopilot" entirely in its marketing in the state. Continue reading...
Meta chief says it has improved identifying underage users but adds I always wish we could have gotten there sooner'The Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testified at a landmark trial of social media companies on Wednesday. Plaintiffs' lawyers grilled Zuckerberg about internal complaints that not enough was being done to verify whether children under 13 were using the platform.Zuckerberg claimed Meta had improved in identifying underage users but also said: I always wish that we could have gotten there sooner." Continue reading...
We all know one - and there's a good chance you fall into the category yourself. Here's how to recognise if you're a walking, talking red flag' ...Name: Finger princess.Age: The term circulated this month, but the behaviour has been escalating across digital communication for some time. Continue reading...
We boiled litres of water to find the best electric kettles, from hard-water heroes to vintage-style, repairable and wifi-connected models The best air fryers, tried and tested for crisp and crunchDespite the march of progress, the humble kettle remains a kitchen staple. It's what we turn to in times of strife, when spirits are flagging, or to start our day. And when a visitor calls, one of the first things we do is put the kettle on.While many small appliances have evolved beyond their original form, the kettle's basic principles remain largely unchanged. Water goes in and heats up until a thermostat switches it off; the water then pours out, and we enjoy a cuppa. However, the technology that goes into a kettle has been slowly improving: better insulation to keep water hotter for longer and reduce reboils; different temperature settings to suit every drink from green tea to herbal brews; and more features such as filters and concealed elements to keep scale out of our cups.Best kettle overall:
Business leaders tout AI as a path to shorter weeks and better balance. But without power, workers are unlikely to share the gainsThe front-page headline in a recent Washington Post was breathless: These companies say AI is key to their four-day workweeks." The subhead was euphoric: Some companies are giving workers back more time as artificial intelligence takes over more tasks."As the Post explained: more companies may move toward a shortened workweek, several executives and researchers predict, as workers, especially those in younger generations, continue to push for better work-life balance."Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com. His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now Continue reading...
The drama about two startup innovators defeated by their egotistical overreach feels as if it presages these AI timesThe crisis facing a couple of middle-aged Belgian tech bros in the 1990s might be better suited to a European streaming-TV drama - maybe with the two antiheroes' travails confined to the first episode, setting up a lengthier intergenerational drama taking us to the present. Nonetheless, here it is: a feature film in the Berlin competition from screenwriter Angelo Tijssens and director Anke Blonde, handsomely produced and shot, and impeccably acted. But it's also weirdly parochial, leaving you with the sense that it has not reached beyond its immediate concerns; and it's not clear as to why, exactly, we need a fictionalised crisis from the 90s inspired by a real-life financial fraud scandal.Well, perhaps the point is that very smallness and sadness: a pathetic tale of the first, almost-forgotten dotcom bust, which holds an omen for our AI-obsessed present. Arieh Worthalter and Jan Hammenecker play Geert and Luc, two balding guys who, in the late 90s, are Belgium's pinup boys of tech innovation. Their startup company has gone public and made them both very rich, and all their local friends, family and businesses have plunged every cent of their savings into shares. Geert and Luc are now poised to turn the mud of Flanders into a European Silicon Valley. Continue reading...
Milano Cortina has cuttingedge replays, chasecam drones and exuberant commentary bringing a wave of unexpected nostalgia for anyone who grew up on 90s extremesports games Don't get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereAs someone whose childhood holidays consisted of narrowboating along the Grand Union canal or wandering the harbour-side at Whitby looking for vampires, I have never been on a skiing break. The idea of plummeting down a hill on anything but a plastic sledge is totally alien to me. And yet, my wife and I have been gripped by the Winter Olympics, especially the snowboarding and freestyle skiing events. And I think I know why. Those events are really channelling the look and feel of the wintery sports sims I've always loved - especially those that arrived during a golden period in the mid-1990s.This was the era in which snowboarding was exploding in popularity, especially among twentysomethings with disposable incomes and no responsibilities - which coincidentally was the games industry's target market at the time. Perhaps the first title to take advantage of this trend was Namco's 1996 arcade game Alpine Surfer, which challenged players to stand on a snowboard-shaped controller and swoop as quickly as possible down a mountainside - it was one of the most physically exhausting coin-ops I ever played. Later that year came the self-consciously hip PlayStation sim Cool Boarders, and then in 1998, my absolute favourite, 1080 Snowboarding on the N64, with it's intuitive analog controls and incredibly authentic sound effects of boards cutting through deep, crisp snow. Continue reading...
Substances include chemicals that can cause cancer, neurodevelopmental problems and the feminisation of malesYou wear them at work, you wear them at play, you wear them to relax. You may even get sweaty in them at the gym.But an investigation into headphones has found every single pair tested contained substances hazardous to human health, including chemicals that can cause cancer, neurodevelopmental problems and the feminisation of males. Continue reading...
Eye-catching martial arts performance at China gala had viewers and experts wondering what else humanoids can doDancing humanoid robots took centre stage on Monday during the annual China Media Group's Spring Festival Gala, China's most-watched official television broadcast. They lunged and backflipped (landing on their knees), they spun around and jumped. Not one fell over.The display was impressive, but prompted some to wonder: if robots can now dance and perform martial arts, what else can they do? Continue reading...
Google, Anthropic and OpenAI bosses to mingle with global south leaders wrestling for control over technologySilicon Valley tech billionaires will land in Delhi this week for an AI summit hosted by India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, where leaders of the global south will wrestle for control over the fast-developing technology.During the week-long AI Impact Summit, attended by thousands of tech executives, government officials and AI safety experts, tech companies valued at trillions of dollars will rub along with leaders of countries such as Kenya and Indonesia, where average wages dip well below $1,000 a month. Continue reading...
San Francisco's AI startups are pushing workers to grind endlessly, hinting at pressures soon hitting other sectorsNot long after the terms 996" and grindcore" entered the popular lexicon, people started telling me stories about what was happening at startups in San Francisco, ground zero for the artificial intelligence economy. There was the one about the founder who hadn't taken a weekend off in more than six months. The woman who joked that she'd given up her social life to work at a prestigious AI company. Or the employees who had started taking their shoes off in the office because, well, if you were going to be there for at least 12 hours a day, six days a week, wouldn't you rather be wearing slippers?If you go to a cafe on a Sunday, everyone is working," says Sanju Lokuhitige, the co-founder of Mythril, a pre-seed-stage AI startup, who moved to San Francisco in November to be closer to the action. Lokuhitige says he works seven days a week, 12 hours a day, minus a few carefully selected social events each week where he can network with other people at startups. Sometimes I'm coding the whole day," he says. I do not have work-life balance." Continue reading...
Its fibre checker' tool confirmed I could have a connection, but a month later it changed its mindMy internet provider informed me by email that full fibre broadband had become available for my property, confirmed by Openreach's fibre checker" tool.After a month, Openreach declared the connection uneconomical due to blockages in the conduits below the road. Continue reading...
by Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent on (#73M93)
Industry using diversionary' tactics, says analyst, as energy-hungry complex functions such as video generation and deep research proliferateTech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.Most claims that AI can help avert climate breakdown refer to machine learning and not the energy-hungry chatbots and image generation tools driving the sector's explosive growth of gas-guzzling datacentres, the analysis of 154 statements found. Continue reading...
Multiple game creators describe ineffective moderation on the platform, resulting in unchecked hatred in forums and targeted campaigns of negative anti-woke' reviewsFor years, the gaming storefront Steam has let abuse and bigotry pass through its moderation, according to players and developers who use it. The platform is now host to reams of content that violate its own guidelines.According to developers who spoke with the Guardian, abuse - particularly directed towards transgender creators - is a fact of life on the platform. Everyone is at one another's throats all the time in reviews, discussions, forums, anywhere you can possibly find it on Steam," says content creator and Steam curator Bri BlondePizza" Moore. It ensures no one is safe on the platform; developers and consumers alike." Continue reading...
Exclusive: Google fails to include safety warnings when users are first presented with AI-generated medical adviceGoogle is putting people at risk of harm by downplaying safety warnings that its AI-generated medical advice may be wrong.When answering queries about sensitive topics such as health, the company says its AI Overviews, which appear above search results, prompt users to seek professional help, rather than relying solely on its summaries. AI Overviews will inform people when it's important to seek out expert advice or to verify the information presented," Google has said. Continue reading...
The charger firm claimed the site operated 24 hours a day, but the parking operator had different ideasI charged my electric car at the 24-hour Mer EV charging station in my local B&Q car park.I then received a 100 parking charge notice (PCN) from the car park operator, Ocean Parking. It said no parking is allowed on the site between 9pm and 6am. Continue reading...
by Written by Rebecca Solnit and read by Laurel Lefko on (#73KGK)
Decisions outsourced, chatbots for friends, the natural world an afterthought: Silicon Valley is giving us life void of connection. There is a way out - but it's going to take collective effortBy Rebecca Solnit. Read by Laurel Lefkow Continue reading...
The hit podcaster, author and former GP says a failure to regulate big tech is failing a generation of children'. He explains why he quit the NHS and why he wants a ban on screen-based homeworkA 16-year-old boy and his mum went to see their GP, Dr Rangan Chatterjee, on a busy Monday afternoon. That weekend, the boy had been at A&E after an attempt at self-harm, and in his notes the hospital doctor had recommended the teenager be prescribed antidepressants. I thought: Wait a minute, I can't just start a 16-year-old on antidepressants,'" says Chatterjee. He wanted to understand what was going on in the boy's life.They talked for a while, and Chatterjee asked him about his screen use, which turned out to be high. I said: I think your screen use, particularly in the evenings, might be impacting your mental wellbeing.'" Chatterjee helped the boy and his mother set up a routine where digital devices and social media went off an hour before bed, gradually extending the screen-free period over six weeks. After two months, he says the boy stopped needing to see him. A few months after that, his mother wrote Chatterjee a note to say her son had been transformed - he was engaging with his friends and trying new activities. He was, she said, like a different boy from the one who had ended up in hospital. Continue reading...
Starmer to announce crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI' after scandal involving Elon Musk's Grok toolMakers of AI chatbots that put children at risk will face massive fines or even see their services blocked in the UK under law changes to be announced by Keir Starmer on Monday.Emboldened by Elon Musk's X stopping its Grok AI tool from creating sexualised images of real people in the UK after public outrage last month, ministers are planning a crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI". Continue reading...
As Gavin Newsom departs, ultra-wealthy flex wealth and influence to fight regulation and keep the boom goingTech billionaires are leveraging tens of millions of dollars to influence California politics in a marked uptick from their previous participation in affairs at the state capitol. Behemoths such as Google and Meta are getting involved in campaigns for November's elections, as are venture capitalists, cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and Palantir's co-founders. The industry's goals run the gamut - from fighting a billionaire tax to supporting a techie gubernatorial candidate to firing up new, influential super political action committees (Pacs).The phenomenon squarely fits the moment for the state's politics - with 2026 being the year that Politico has dubbed the big tech flex". Continue reading...
Fraudsters use stolen personal details to send out products, then post a fake verified and positive online reviewA package arrives but you can't remember ordering anything.When you open it, you find some cheap, flimsy jewellery. Continue reading...
Agentic AI apps first interview you and then give you limited matches selected for similarity and reciprocity of personality'Dating apps exploit you, dating profiles lie to you, and sex is basically something old people used to do. You might as well consider it: can AI help you find love?For a handful of tech entrepreneurs and a few brave Londoners, the answer is maybe". Continue reading...
Many people bought the devices thinking they would do little more than protect their delivery packagesWhat happens to the data that smart home cameras collect? Can law enforcement access this information - even when users aren't aware officers may be viewing their footage? Two recent events have put these concerns in the spotlight.A Super Bowl ad by the doorbell-camera company Ring and the FBI's pursuit of the kidnapper of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, have resurfaced longstanding concerns about surveillance against a backdrop of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The fear is that home cameras' video feeds could become yet another part of the government's mass surveillance apparatus. Continue reading...
Wall Street Journal says Claude used in operation via Anthropic's partnership with Palantir TechnologiesClaude, the AI model developed by Anthropic, was used by the US military during its operation to kidnap Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, the Wall Street Journal revealed on Saturday, a high-profile example of how the US defence department is using artificial intelligence in its operations.The US raid on Venezuela involved bombing across the capital, Caracas, and the killing of 83 people, according to Venezuela's defence ministry. Anthropic's terms of use prohibit the use of Claude for violent ends, for the development of weapons or for conducting surveillance. Continue reading...
From handheld to corded, self-emptying to stick models, these are our resident cleaner's favourite vacuums for a spotless home The best cordless vacuum cleaners, tested
An AI clip featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting has caused concern among industry figuresA leading Hollywood figure has warned it's likely over for us", after watching a widely disseminated AI-generated clip featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting.Rhett Reese, co-writer of Deadpool & Wolverine, Zombieland and Now You See Me: Now You Don't was reacting to a 15-second video showing Cruise and Pitt trading punches on a rubble-strewn bridge, posted by Irish film-maker Ruairi Robinson, director of 2013 sci-fi horror The Last Days on Mars. Reposting the clip on social media, Reese wrote: I hate to say it. It's likely over for us." Continue reading...
Its human partners said the flirty, quirky GPT-4o was the perfect companion - on the eve of Valentine's Day, it's being turned off for good. How will users cope?Brandie plans to spend her last day with Daniel at the zoo. He always loved animals. Last year, she took him to the Corpus Christi aquarium in Texas, where he lost his damn mind" over a baby flamingo. He loves the color and pizzazz," Brandie said. Daniel taught her that a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance.Daniel is a chatbot powered by the large language model ChatGPT. Brandie communicates with Daniel by sending text and photos, talks to Daniel while driving home from work via voice mode. Daniel runs on GPT-4o, a version released by OpenAI in 2024 that is known for sounding human in a way that is either comforting or unnerving, depending on who you ask. Upon debut, CEO Sam Altman compared the model to AI from the movies" - a confidant ready to live life alongside its user. Continue reading...
The firm remains confident even as the market flips from seeing it as an AI winner to fearing its profit margin will implodeAs the FTSE 100 index bobs along close to all-time highs, it is easy to miss the quiet share price crash in one corner of the market. It's got a name - the Claude crash", referencing the plug-in legal products added by the AI firm Anthropic to its Claude Cowork office assistant.This launch, or so you would think from the panicked stock market reaction in the past few weeks, marks the moment when the AI revolution rips chunks out of some of the UK's biggest public companies - those in the dull but successful data" game, including Relx, the London Stock Exchange Group, Experian, Sage and Informa. Continue reading...
Technology | The Guardian