From scrutinising sellers' profiles and reviews to secure payments, ensure you avoid buying a fake itemWhen Maheen found a brand-new Dyson Airwrap for the bargain price of 260 on the resale website Vinted, she was thrilled. The seller's reviews were all five-star, and she trusted in the buyer-protection policy should something go wrong.Sold new, an Airwrap costs between 400 and 480, but Maheen did not suspect anything was amiss. I had used Vinted many times and it was simple and straightforward. Nothing had ever gone wrong," she says. Continue reading...
The security chief of SolarWinds reflects on the Russian hack that exposed US government agencies - and the heart attack he suffered in the aftermathTim Brown will remember 12 December 2020 for ever.It was the day the software company SolarWinds was notified it had been hacked by Russia. Continue reading...
An upside-down mindset is emerging around the world. We have to rethink our relationship with the environment and the technology that has caused it harm
The private Alpha School says its students can learn faster and better - but experts warn not all may benefit from an AI boom in schoolsIn the world's tech innovation epicenter, an AI-powered" private school has made headlines for unabashedly embracing the technology.Alpha School San Francisco, which opened its doors to K-8 students this fall, is the newest outpost of a network of 14 nationwide private schools. Its learning model entails just two hours of focused academic work per day, during which the school says students can learn twice as fast as their counterparts in traditional schools - with the help of artificial intelligence. Continue reading...
From 007 to Elsa, Vermillio claims it can trace percentage of AI-generated image drawn from pre-existing materialAsk Google's AI video tool to create a film of a time-travelling doctor who flies around in a blue British phone booth and the result, unsurprisingly, resembles Doctor Who.And if you ask OpenAI's technology to do the same, a similar thing happens. What's wrong with that, you may think? Continue reading...
From brain-rotting videos to AI creep, every technological advance seems to make it harder to work, remember, think and function independently ...Step into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab in Cambridge, US, and the future feels a little closer. Glass cabinets display prototypes of weird and wonderful creations, from tiny desktop robots to a surrealist sculpture created by an AI model prompted to design a tea set made from body parts. In the lobby, an AI waste-sorting assistant named Oscar can tell you where to put your used coffee cup. Five floors up, research scientist Nataliya Kosmyna has been working on wearable brain-computer interfaces she hopes will one day enable people who cannot speak, due to neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, to communicate using their minds.Kosmyna spends a lot of her time reading and analysing people's brain states. Another project she is working on is a wearable device - one prototype looks like a pair of glasses - that can tell when someone is getting confused or losing focus. Around two years ago, she began receiving out-of-the blue emails from strangers who reported that they had started using large language models such as ChatGPT and felt their brain had changed as a result. Their memories didn't seem as good - was that even possible, they asked her? Kosmyna herself had been struck by how quickly people had already begun to rely on generative AI. She noticed colleagues using ChatGPT at work, and the applications she received from researchers hoping to join her team started to look different. Their emails were longer and more formal and, sometimes, when she interviewed candidates on Zoom, she noticed they kept pausing before responding and looking off to the side - were they getting AI to help them, she wondered, shocked. And if they were using AI, how much did they even understand of the answers they were giving? Continue reading...
Measures come amid concern generative AI characters are having inappropriate conversations with under-18sParents will be able to block their children's interactions with Meta's AI character chatbots, as the tech company addresses concerns over inappropriate conversations.The social media company is adding new safeguards to its teen accounts", which are a default setting for under-18 users, by letting parents turn off their children's chats with AI characters. These chatbots, which are created by users, are available on Facebook, Instagram and the Meta AI app. Continue reading...
Forty years ago today, the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in the US - and a generation of kids were sucked into video games for lifeThe Nintendo Entertainment System was released in the United States on 18 October 1985: about a year after I was born, and 40 years ago today. It's as if the company sensed that a sucker who'd spend thousands of dollars on plastic toys and electronic games had just entered the world. Actually, it's as if the company had sensed that an entire generation of fools like me was about to enter the world. Which is true. That was the time to strike. We were about to be drained of every dollar we received for birthdays, Christmases and all those times our dad didn't want us to tell our mom about something. (Maybe that last one's just me.)Despite being slightly older than the NES, a horror I'm only now forced to face as I write this, it felt like that console had always existed in my life. I don't have many memories from my baby years because I was too busy learning how to use my hands and eyes, but as far back as I can actually remember, Nintendo" was a word synonymous with video games. Friends would ask if you had Nintendo (no the", no a") at your house the same way they might ask if you had Coca-Cola in the fridge. Continue reading...
Waymo plans London robotaxis as early as 2026, but the history shows hype, hesitation and a few missed turnsThe age-old question from the back of the car feels just as pertinent as a new era of autonomy threatens to dawn: are we nearly there yet? For Britons, long-promised fully driverless cars, the answer is as ever - yes, nearly. But not quite.A landmark moment on the journey to autonomous driving is, again, just around the corner. This week, Waymo, which successfully runs robotaxis in San Francisco and four other US cities, announced it was bringing its cars to London. Continue reading...
Science and technology select committee says complacency over social media content puts public at riskFailures to properly tackle online misinformation mean it is only a matter of time" before viral content triggers a repeat of the 2024 summer riots, MPs have warned.Chi Onwurah, the chair of the Commons science and technology select committee, said ministers seemed complacent about the threat and this was putting the public at risk. Continue reading...
This whimsical action-adventure game sees you stomping through nature as a life-giving lighthouse - and it only gets weirder from thereThe world of Keeper looms from the screen like a dream coloured by psilocybin. Here is a gnarled landmass of bubblegum blues, powder pinks and strange, luminous beasts, where evolution seems to occur at light speed. This world's considerable beauty is amplified by how it is rendered: like a 1980s fantasy movie filled with charmingly handmade practical effects. Keeper is the latest title from Double Fine, maker of trippy platformer Psychonauts 2, Kickstarter sensation Broken Age and many other idiosyncratic titles. It is an action-adventure resplendent with the lumps and bumps of life's imperfections, as if its 3D modellers had sculpted the setting from papier-mache rather than using computer software.Even stranger than the setting is the protagonist: you play as a lighthouse, coming to appreciate this gleaming ecological fantasia by shining its beacon about the environment. Long shadows stretch behind illuminated objects, making the outlines of spectacularly supersized plants and tiny critters all the more pronounced. The casting of light is how you interact with the world: it often causes vegetation to grow before your eyes, and sometimes unusual inhabitants will feast upon it. As you lumber through this environment - calm lagoons and sun-baked canyons filled with prickly cacti - there is joy to be found in simply looking, taking the weirdness in, and then bringing it to even greater life. Continue reading...
by Sandra Laville Environment correspondent on (#70TW2)
From Venice to the Iguazu Falls, an exhibition in London illustrates the hidden cost of our gadgets and devicesArtists have created visualisations of the impact of the climate crisis on some of the world's most recognisable landscapes, in a project to highlight the environmental effects of tech consumption.Venice in Italy, the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil, and the Seine River in Paris were among the locations used to explore to potential impacts of the climate crisis by the end of the century. The results are on display at an exhibition in London. Continue reading...
The video app can produce realistic deepfakes of Marx shopping and MLK Jr trolling. Some say using historical figures' is the company's way of testing the legal watersLast night I was flicking through a dating app. One guy stood out: Henry VIII, 34, King of England, nonmonogamy". Next thing I know, I am at a candlelit bar sharing a martini with the biggest serial dater of the 16th century.But the night is not over. Next, I am DJing back-to-back with Diana, Princess of Wales. The crowd's ready for the drop," she shouts in my ear, holding a headphone to her tiara. Finally, Karl Marx is explaining why he can't resist 60% off, as we wait in the cold to get first dibs on Black Friday sales. Continue reading...
In the British YouTubers' latest video, the pair confirm their romantic relationship - after suffering frenzied speculation for the last 16 yearsThis week, longtime British YouTubers Dan Howell and Phil Lester uploaded a new video confirming they have been in a secret romantic relationship for the past 16 years.If you weren't a deeply online child during the 2010s, you probably have no idea who Dan and Phil are, or why this matters. But to those who formed a robust parasocial bond with the duo - who have more than 13 million collective subscribers on YouTube - this was a revelatory moment. It was also a sobering reminder of the emotional damage that toxic fandoms can wreak on their subjects. Continue reading...
Judge rules Chowdhury Rahman used ChatGPT-like software and then tried to hide it, wasting immigration tribunal's timeAn immigration barrister was found by a judge to be using AI to do his work for a tribunal hearing after citing cases that were entirely fictitious" or wholly irrelevant".Chowdhury Rahman was discovered using ChatGPT-like software to prepare his legal research, a tribunal heard. Rahman was found not only to have used AI to prepare his work, but failed thereafter to undertake any proper checks on the accuracy". Continue reading...
Xbox's portable console combines the openness of PC gaming and Microsoft's desire for you to play its titles anywhere - but it doesn't come cheap or without hitchesThe ROG Xbox Ally X, the handheld console collaboration from Asus and Microsoft, is an impressive, yet expensive, piece of gaming tech. The pricier of the two portable gaming devices dropping on 16 October, the all-black ROG Xbox Ally X will cost you a cool 799 (899/$999/A$1599) to sample its splendour. (The less powerful ROG Xbox Ally, which comes in white, will run you 499/599/$599/A$999.) Thankfully, the pricier option has said splendour in spades.I've put the ROG Xbox Ally X through its paces for the last few weeks, playing indie darlings and massive role-playing games throughout my apartment. Though the price tag is certainly a shocker (the Steam Deck OLED, a direct competitor, costs 479/569/$549/A$899 for its cheaper model), the power packed into this comparatively smaller frame (291 x 122 x 51mm) is like nothing the portable gaming market has seen before. Continue reading...
by Angela Giuffrida Rome correspondent on (#70SWR)
Newspaper federation says traffic killer' feature violates legislation and threatens to destroy media diversityItalian news publishers are calling for an investigation into Google's AI Overviews, arguing that the search engine's AI-generated summaries feature is a traffic killer" that threatens their survival.FIEG, the Italian federation of newspaper publishers, said it has submitted a formal complaint to Agcom, Italy's communications watchdog. Continue reading...
Market-leading music streamer collaborating with the Sony, Universal and Warner music groups to create new AI featuresSpotify has announced it is teaming up with the world's biggest music companies to develop responsible" artificial intelligence products that respect artists' copyright.The market-leading music streamer is collaborating with the Sony, Universal and Warner music groups - whose combined rosters feature artists including Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift - to create new AI features. Continue reading...
by Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent on (#70SN0)
Analysis of 800,000 European cars found real-world pollution from plug-in hybrids nearly five times greater than lab testsPlug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) pump out nearly five times more planet-heating pollution than official figures show, a report has found.The cars, which can run on electric batteries as well as combustion engines, have been promoted by European carmakers as a way to cover long distances in a single drive - unlike fully electric cars - while still reducing emissions. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent and Rob Davies on (#70RWX)
Cars with human safety drivers set to appear in 2026 but black-cab drivers dismiss service as fairground ride'People in London could be hiring driverless taxis from Waymo next year, after the US autonomous vehicle company announced plans to launch its services there.The UK capital will become the first European city to have an autonomous taxi service of the kind now familiar in San Francisco and four other US cities using Waymo's technology. Continue reading...
by Samuel Gibbs Consumer technology editor on (#70RV7)
Ultra-slim and light smartphone feels special, but cuts to camera and battery may be too hard to ignore for mostThe iPhone Air is a technical and design marvel that asks: how much are you willing to give up for a lightweight and ultra-slender profile?Beyond the obvious engineering effort that has gone into creating one of the slimmest phones ever made, the Air is a reductive exercise that boils down the iPhone into the absolute essentials in a premium body. Continue reading...
New version will allow users to customize AI assistant's personality in what firm calls treat adults users like adults' policyOpenAI announced plans on Tuesday to relax restrictions on its ChatGPT chatbot, including allowing erotic content for verified adult users as part of what the company calls a treat adult users like adults" principle.OpenAI's plan includes the release of an updated version of ChatGPT that will allow users to customize their AI assistant's personality, including options for more human-like responses, heavy emoji use, or friend-like behavior. The most significant change will come in December, when OpenAI plans to roll out more comprehensive age-gating that would permit erotic content for adults who have verified their ages. OpenAI did not immediately provide details on its age verification methods or additional safeguards planned for adult content. Continue reading...
If you're aiming to heat the human, not the home - or just love snuggling under something cosy on your sofa - these are our best buys The best heated clothes airers to save time and money when drying your laundryAside from hugging a fluffy hot-water bottle, sipping the Christmas whisky and ramping up the thermostat, an electric blanket or heated throw is the best way to ward off the winter chill. More than half of a typical household's fuel bills goes on heating and hot water, so finding alternative ways to keep warm - and heating the person, rather than the whole home - is always a good idea.Many of the best electric blankets and heated throws cost about 2p to 3p an hour to run, so it's hard to ignore their potential energy- and money-saving benefits.Best electric blanket overall:
The influential billionaire investor has been giving secret lectures warning about Armageddon. Here's why it mattersHello, and welcome to TechScape. For the past week, my brain has been marinating in billionaire Peter Thiel's byzantine musings about the antichrist and Armageddon. At this point, I'm pickled.Why, you might ask, does it matter what a billionaire thinks about the antichrist? Good question!Over the past month, Thiel has hosted four lectures on the downtown waterfront of San Francisco philosophizing about who the antichrist could be and warning that Armageddon is coming. Thiel, who describes himself as a small-o Orthodox Christian", believes the harbinger of the end of the world could already be in our midst and that things such as international agencies, environmentalism and guardrails on technology could quicken its rise. It is a remarkable discursion that reveals the preoccupations of one of the most influential people in Silicon Valley and the US.Thiel was on the forefront of conservative politics long before the rest of Silicon Valley took a rightward turn with Donald Trump's second term as president. He's had close ties to Trump for nearly a decade, is credited with catapulting JD Vance into the office of vice-president, and is bankrolling Republicans' 2026 midterm campaigns. Making his early fortune as a co-founder of PayPal, he has personally contributed to Facebook as its first outside investor, as well as to SpaceX, OpenAI and more through his investment firm, Founders Fund. Palantir, which he co-founded, has won government contracts worth billions to create software for the Pentagon, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and the NHS in the UK. Now, with more attention and political pull than ever, the billionaire is looking to spread his message about the antichrist, though he is better known for his savvy politics and investments than his contributions to theology.In these meandering talks, Thiel is clearly aiming for the kind of syncretic thinking he so relished in the books and lectures of the philosopher and professor Rene Girard, whom he knew at Stanford University and whose work he has long admired. Unfortunately, more often than not, Thiel ends up with something that reads like Dan Brown.Overall, the picture of Thiel that emerges in these lectures is someone desperately trying to disidentify from their own power. You realize," he tells his audience when interpreting a particular Japanese manga, in my interpretation ... who runs the world is something like the antichrist." Here's a man who, together with a couple of fellow Silicon Valley freaks, helped return a sundowning caudillo to a presidency he is obviously unsuited for, and who uses the awesome might of the US government to remake society and the world. A man who funds the companies that harness your data and determine who gets doxxed, deported, drone struck. Who funds far-right movements that seek to remake the very face of liberal democracy.China steps up control of rare-earth exports citing national security' concernsTrump threatens 100% China tariffs as Beijing restricts rare-earth exportsBank of England warns of growing risk that AI bubble could burstDo OpenAI's multibillion-dollar deals mean exuberance has got out of hand?Gen Z faces job-pocalypse' as global firms prioritise AI over new hires, report saysThe Guardian view on an AI bubble: capitalism still hasn't evolved to protect itselfThe AI valuation bubble is now getting silly | Nils Pratley Continue reading...
Company says rules similar to US parental guidance' film rating will be applied to teenagers' accountsInstagram is to adopt a version of the PG-13 cinema rating system to give parents stronger controls over their teenagers' use of the social media platform.Instagram, which is run by Meta, will start applying rules similar to the US parental guidance" movie rating - first introduced 41 years ago - to all material on Instagram's teen accounts. It means users aged under 18 will automatically be placed into the 13+ setting. They will be able to opt out only with their parents' permission. Continue reading...
As they flew above Yu Suzuki's innovative, psychedelic 3D landscapes combating space dragons and alien rock monsters, the moving arcade cabinet would fling players around and physically involve them in the actionDuring our family's holidays in the 1980s, most of which were spent at classic English seaside resorts, I spent all my time and pocket money trawling the arcades. From Shanklin to Blackpool, I played them all, attracted by those vast bulb-lit frontages, the enticing names (Fantasy Land! Treasure Island!), and of course by the bleeping, flashing video machines within. And while I spent many hours on the staple classics - Pac-Man, Galaxian, Kung Fu Master - there was one particular game I always looked out for. A weird, thrilling design classic. A total experience, operating somewhere between a traditional arcade game, a flight sim and a rollercoaster. At the time, it seemed impossibly futuristic. Now, it is 40 years old.Released by Sega in 1985, Space Harrier is a 3D space shooter in which you control a jetpack super soldier named Harrier, who flies into the screen blasting surreal alien enemies above a psychedelic landscape. When designer Yu Suzuki was first tasked with overseeing its development, the game had been conceived as an authentic military flight shooter, but the graphical limitations of the day made that impossible - there was too much complex animation. So Suzuki, inspired by the flying sequences in the fantasy movie The NeverEnding Story, envisaged something different and more surreal, with a flying character rather than a fighter plane and aliens resembling stone giants and dragons. It was colourful and crazy, like a Roger Dean painting brought to life by the Memphis Group. Continue reading...
by Samuel Gibbs Consumer technology editor on (#70QZF)
Premium commuter cans upgraded with longer battery life, USB-C audio and improved sound, but still cost a lotBose has updated its top-of-the-line noise-cancelling headphones with longer battery, USB-C audio and premium materials, making the commuter favourites even better.The second-generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones still have an expensive price tag, from 450 (450/$450/A$700), which is more than most competitors, including Sony's WH-1000XM6. Continue reading...
After charging, there was a power system malfunction but MG closed the case and insisted a safety check was at our own expenseOur MG5 electric car became dangerously out of control, but MG won't do anything about it.The car suffered a power system malfunction after we had used a charger at a motorway service station. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer is considering Aadhaar as model for UK, but detractors warn of digital coercion' and security breachesIt is often difficult for people in India to remember life before Aadhaar. The digital biometric ID, allegedly available for every Indian citizen, was only introduced 15 years ago but its presence in daily life is ubiquitous.Indians now need an Aadhaar number to buy a house, get a job, open a bank account, pay their tax, receive benefits, buy a car, get a sim card, book priority train tickets and admit children into school. Babies can be given Aadhaar numbers almost immediately after they are born. While it is not mandatory, not having Aadhaar de facto means the state does not recognise you exist, digital rights activists say. Continue reading...
Once a stalwart of Hong Kong's journalism scene, Wang Jian has found a new audience on YouTube, dissecting global politics and US-China relations since the pandemic. To his fans, he's part newscaster, part professor, part friendOn a Friday night in late May, Wang Jian was getting ready to broadcast. It was pouring outside, and he was sitting in the garage apartment behind his house, just outside Boston, eating dinner. I am very sensitive to what Trump does," Wang was telling me, in Mandarin, waving a fork. When Trump holds a cabinet meeting, he sits there and the people next to him start to flatter him. And I think, isn't this the same as Mao Zedong? Trump sells the same thing: a little bit of populism, plus a little bit of small-town shrewdness, plus a little bit of I have money.'"Wang was sitting next to a rack of clothing - the shirts and jackets the 58-year-old newsman wears professionally - and sipping a seemingly bottomless cup of green tea that would eventually give way to coffee. By 11pm, he would walk across the room and snap on a set of ring lights, ready to carry on an unbroken string of chatter for a YouTube news programme that he calls Wang Jian's Daily Observations". It was a slow news night but he would end up talking until nearly 1am. This was his second broadcast of the day. Different time zones, he explained to me, different audiences. Continue reading...
Officials say increased dependence on technology leaves society more vulnerable to threats such as ransomwareHighly significant" cyber-attacks rose by 50% in the past year and the UK's security services are now dealing with a new nationally significant attack more than every other day, figures from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have revealed.In what officials described as a call to arms", national security officials and ministers are urging all organisations, from the smallest businesses to the largest employers, to draw up contingency plans for the eventuality that your IT infrastructure [is] crippled tomorrow and all your screens [go] blank". Continue reading...
Union says growing numbers of its members have made complaints about infringements of copyright in AI materialThe performing arts union Equity has threatened mass direct action over tech and entertainment companies' use of its members' likenesses, images and voices in AI content without permission.The warning came as the union said growing numbers of its members had made complaints about infringements of their copyright and misuse of their personal data in AI material. Continue reading...
The traditional playground favourite is staging a comeback - without the threat of violenceName: Conkers.Age: Introduced to the UK 409 years ago. Continue reading...
Trade unions and online safety experts sign letter warning jobs losses could expose children to harmful contentTrade unions and online safety experts have urged MPs to investigate TikTok's plans to make hundreds of jobs for UK-based content moderators redundant.The video app company is planning 439 redundancies in its trust and safety team in London, leading to warnings that the jobs losses will have implications for online safety. Continue reading...
Musicians have long criticized the streaming service's paltry payouts, but a new wave of boycotts is emergingThis month, indie musicians in Oakland, California, gathered for a series of talks called Death to Spotify, where attenders explored what it means to decentralize music discovery, production and listening from capitalist economies".The events, held at Bathers library, featured speakers from indie station KEXP, labels Cherub Dream Records and Dandy Boy Records, and DJ collectives No Bias and Amor Digital. What began as a small run of talks quickly sold out and drew international interest. People as far away as Barcelona and Bengaluru emailed the organizers asking how to host similar events. Continue reading...
Critics condemn Robby Starbuck, appointed in lawsuit settlement, for peddling lies and pushing extremism'A prominent anti-DEI campaigner appointed by Meta in August as an adviser on AI bias has spent the weeks since his appointment spreading disinformation about shootings, transgender people, vaccines, crime, and protests.Robby Starbuck, 36, of Nashville, was appointed in August as an adviser by Meta - owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other tech platforms - in an August lawsuit settlement. Continue reading...
The Oxbridge-educated boffin is feted as the codebreaking genius who helped Britain win the war. But should a little-known Post Office engineer named Tommy Flowers be seen as the real father of computing?This is a story you know, right? It's early in the war and western Europe has fallen. Only the Channel stands between Britain and the fascist yoke; only Atlantic shipping lanes offer hope of the population continuing to be fed, clothed and armed. But hunting wolf packs" of Nazi U-boats pick off merchant shipping at will, coordinated by radio instructions the Brits can intercept but can't read, thanks to the fiendish Enigma encryption machine. Unless something is done - and fast - Hitler's plan to first bomb, then starve the country will succeed. Enter the genius Alan Turing, working as a codebreaker at the top secret Government Code and Cypher Schoolat Bletchley Park, who, in a generational act of intellectual virtuosity, designs and builds the world's first computer to crack Enigma, allowing the U-boats to be neutralised and the war ultimately to be won. This is why Turing is known as the father of computing.It's a great story. But, like a lot of great stories, it couldn't be more wrong. The world's first digital electronic computer, forerunner of the ones reshaping our world today, was built in Britain to revolutionise codebreaking during the second world war - a mind-boggling feat of creative innovation - but Turing wasn't in the country at the time. Neither was it conceived by the mostly private school and Oxbridge-educated boffins at Bletchley Park. Rather, the machine Park staff called Colossus was the brainchild of a degreeless Post Office engineer named Tommy Flowers, a cockney bricklayer's son who for decades was prevented by the Official Secrets Act from acknowledging his achievement. Now, with his 120th birthday approaching and a Tommy Flowers Foundation established to right this historical wrong, he is finally getting some of his due, starting with a mural by the artist Jimmy C (best known for the David Bowie mural in Brixton, south London) at the National Museum of Computing. Continue reading...
Don't splash out just yet! Your existing laptop may have plenty left to give From smash-proof cases to updates: how to make your smartphone last longerSo you want a new laptop. Of course you do. Everybody always does, except for perhaps during that short honeymoon period after you've just bought one. But the glamour wears off, technology marches on, and before you know it, a newer, younger, more powerful model is wandering into your thoughts.I'm not here to judge, but as a technology specialist I can share a few thoughts that might help you fight the urge to upgrade. Continue reading...
Where once people were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they have to watch out for computer-generated charm. But it's one thing to use a witty phrase - another thing entirely to build a whole fake persona ...Standing outside the pub, 36-year-old business owner Rachel took a final tug on her vape and steeled herself to meet the man she'd spent the last three weeks opening up to. They'd matched on the dating app Hinge and built a rapport that quickly became something deeper. From the beginning he was asking very open-ended questions, and that felt refreshing," says Rachel. One early message from her match read: I've been reading a bit about attachment styles lately, it's helped me to understand myself better - and the type of partner I should be looking for. Have you ever looked at yours? Do you know your attachment style?" It was like he was genuinely trying to get to know me on a deeper level. The questions felt a lot more thoughtful than the usual, How's your day going?'" she says.Soon, Rachel and her match were speaking daily, their conversations running the gamut from the ridiculous (favourite memes, ketchup v mayonnaise) to the sublime (expectations in love, childhood traumas). Often they'd have late-night exchanges that left her staring at her phone long after she should have been asleep. They were like things that you read in self-help books - really personal conversations about who we are and what we want for our lives," she says. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Six tech leaders dined with investment minister, documents reveal, underlining growing influence of ex-PM's consultancyTony Blair and Nick Clegg hosted a private dinner earlier this year at which a select group of technology entrepreneurs were given access to a key minister, official documents have revealed.The former prime minister, who is a champion of the tech industry, held the dinner in an upmarket London hotel in his capacity as the head of the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) political consultancy. Continue reading...
Artificial intelligence is more than Trump deepfakes of Tilly the actor. It's used in smartphones, customer service, healthcare - even legal cases. Is it possible to avoid?
Technology | The Guardian