5 h. ago UK actors vote to refuse to be digitally scanned in pushback against AI

Equity says vote signals strong opposition to AI use and readiness to disrupt productions unless protections are securedActors have voted to refuse digital scanning to prevent their likeness being used by artificial intelligence in a pushback against AI in the arts.Members of the performing arts union Equity were asked if they would refuse to be scanned while on set, a common practice in which actors’ likeness is captured for future use – with 99% voting in favour of the move. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago AI boom has caused same CO2 emissions in 2025 as New York City, report claims

Study author says tech companies are reaping benefits of artificial intelligence age but society is left to pay costThe AI boom has caused as much carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere in 2025 as emitted by the whole of New York City, it has been claimed.The global environmental impact of the rapidly spreading technology has been estimated in research published on Wednesday which also found that AI-related water use now exceeds the entirety of global bottled-water demand. Continue reading...

Events

11 h. ago Third of UK citizens have used AI for emotional support, research reveals

AI Security Institute report finds most common type of AI tech used was general purpose assistants such as ChatGPT and Amazon AlexaA third of UK citizens have used artificial intelligence for emotional support, companionship or social interaction, according to the government’s AI security body.The AI Security Institute (AISI) said nearly one in 10 people used systems like chatbots for emotional purposes on a weekly basis, and 4% daily. Continue reading...

Politics

20 h. ago Is AI already conscious? Evidence is 'far too limited' to definitively say artificial intelligence hasn't made the leap, expert claims

Artificial intelligence ( AI) is already helping to solve problems in finance, research and medicine. But could it be reaching consciousness?

Politics

32 h. ago Tesco announces new AI partnership to help it 'better serve' customers

The supermarket has confirmed a new partnership with French start-up Mistral AI to 'bolster the use of artificial intelligence' across the company

Economics

35 h. ago Renfrewshire Council commits to making sure transparency is central to use of artificial intelligence

The local authority will produce a six-monthly 'AI Transparency Report' at the relevant policy board.

Politics

3 d. ago Amazon launches AI assistant in Kindle app to explain your books to you

Feature relies on artificial intelligence – at a time when publishers are increasingly concerned about their work being used to train such systems

Politics

3 d. ago Militant groups are experimenting with AI, and the risks are expected to grow

The Islamic State group and other militant organizations are experimenting with artificial intelligence as a tool to boost recruitment and refine their operations

Events

5 d. ago Gavin Newsom pushes back on Trump AI executive order preempting state laws

California governor says order pushes ‘grift and corruption’ instead of innovation just hours after president’s dictumThe ink was barely dry on Donald Trump’s artificial intelligence executive order when Gavin Newsom came out swinging. Just hours after the order went public Thursday evening, the California governor issued a statement saying the presidential dictum, which seeks to block states from regulating AI of their own accord, advances “grift and corruption” instead of innovation.“President Trump and David Sacks aren’t making policy – they’re running a con,” Newsom said, referencing Trump’s AI adviser and crypto “czar”. “Every day, they push the limits to see how far they can take it.” Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago What to know about Trump's executive order to curtail state AI regulations

President Donald Trump is pressuring states to stop regulating artificial intelligence in a new executive order

Politics

6 d. ago UK couples are enjoying threesomes with AI bots who tell them how to get steamy

As artificial intelligence continues to infiltrate every part of our lives, some Brits have gone all out and invited chatbots into the bedroom in order to get down and dirty

Politics

6 d. ago Humanoid robots take center stage at Silicon Valley summit, but skepticism remains

The commercial boom in artificial intelligence has sparked interest in humanoid robots

Politics

6 d. ago Most people aren’t fretting about an AI bubble. What they fear is mass layoffs | Steven Greenhouse

Artificial intelligence could make income inequality even worse and create a new underclass. Governments and society must take actionNowadays there seems to be nonstop discussion about AI, with much of the conversation focused on whether there’s a speculative bubble or whether the chipmaker Nvidia is really worth $5tn or whether OpenAI will beat its rivals in developing new generations of artificial intelligence. But the vast majority of Americans – just like the vast majority of Europeans and Asians – couldn’t care less about those things.Their big concern is whether AI is going to cause huge layoffs and create a disastrous job market, especially for younger workers. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, a leading AI company, fed those fears when he said that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs in the next one to five years and increase unemployment in the US to 10% to 20%. In October, Bernie Sanders, the top Democrat on the Senate education and labor committee, i...

Politics

6 d. ago Asian shares track US stock market's rise to record highs despite AI bubble worries

Asian shares are higher, tracking Wall Street's rise to records despite a sell-off for Oracle as worries persist about a potential bubble in artificial-intelligence technology

Politics

6 d. ago Trump signs executive order blocking states from regulating AI

Order, which lacks the force of law, also creates taskforce whose ‘sole responsibility’ will be challenging states’ AI lawsDonald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that seeks to halt any laws limiting artificial intelligence and block states from regulating the rapidly emerging technology. The order also creates a federal taskforce that will have the “sole responsibility” of challenging states’ AI laws.At a signing ceremony, the president touted AI companies’ enthusiasm for wanting to “invest” in the United States and said that “if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you could forget it”. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Trump signs executive order aimed at preventing states from regulating AI

Order, which lacks the force of law, also creates taskforce whose ‘sole responsibility’ will be challenging states’ AI lawsDonald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that seeks to halt any laws limiting artificial intelligence and block states from regulating the rapidly emerging technology. The order also creates a federal taskforce that will have the “sole responsibility” of challenging states’ AI laws.At a signing ceremony, the president touted AI companies’ enthusiasm for wanting to “invest” in the United States and said that “if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you could forget it”. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Elon Musk teams with El Salvador to bring Grok chatbot to public schools

President Nayib Bukele entrusting chatbot known for calling itself ‘MechaHitler’ to create ‘AI-powered’ curriculaElon Musk is partnering with the government of El Salvador to bring his artificial intelligence company’s chatbot, Grok, to more than 1 million students across the country, according to a Thursday announcement by xAI. Over the next two years, the plan is to “deploy” the chatbot to more than 5,000 public schools in an “AI-powered education program”.xAI’s Grok is more known for referring to itself as “MechaHitler” and espousing far-right conspiracy theories than it is for public education. Over the past year, the chatbot has spewed various antisemitic content, decried “white genocide” and claimed Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Experts raise alarm about people using ChatGPT and other AI systems to help with loneliness

Experts have sounded the alarm over a growing use of AI systems such as ChatGPT to help with people’s loneliness.

Events

7 d. ago Disney set to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and allow its characters to be used to make videos

Disney is making a $1 billion investment in artificial intelligence company Open AI, and will allow its characters to feature in user-generated videos.

Economics

7 d. ago TV and film performers to vote on industrial action over AI scanning

Actors union Equity said it was ‘at the forefront of the fight to ensure working people are protected from artificial intelligence misuse’.

Politics