Technology | The Guardian.

"Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features."

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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencejournal.blogspot.com).

1Kby Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent / 4d

Amendment to law will strengthen protection against digital imitations of people’s identities, government says The Danish government is to clamp down on the creation and dissemination of AI-generated deepfakes by changing copyright law to ensure that everybody has the right to their own body, facial features and voice. The Danish government said on Thursday it would strengthen protection against

On r/collapse, people are ‘kept abreast of the latest doom’. Its moderators say it’s not for everyone

400+by Sam Wolfson / 4d

A subreddit tracking apocalyptic news in a calm, logical way comforts users who believe the end times are now The threat of nuclear war, genocide in Gaza, ChatGPT reducing human cognitive ability, another summer of record heat. Every day brings a torrent of unimaginable horror . It used to be weeks between disasters, now we’re lucky to get hours. For many, the only sane solution is to stop readin

Microsoft says AI system better than doctors at diagnosing complex health conditions

Microsoft AI outperforms doctors

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200+by Dan Milmo Global technology editor / 1d

Firm says results of research create ‘path to medical superintelligence’ but plays down job implications Microsoft has revealed details of an artificial intelligence system that performs better than human doctors at complex health diagnoses, creating a “path to medical superintelligence”. The company’s AI unit, which is led by the British tech pioneer Mustafa Suleyman , has developed a system tha

Yesterday

100+by Robert Booth UK technology editor / 5h

Exclusive: Shabana Mahmood told companies she wanted ‘deeper collaboration’ to tackle prisons crisis Analysis: Whitehall’s ambition to cut costs using AI is fraught with risk Tracking devices inserted under offenders’ skin, robots assigned to contain prisoners and driverless vehicles used to transport them were among the measures proposed by technology companies to ministers who are gathering ide

Moonlight Peaks: your chance to live as a tiny vegan vampire

by Tom Regan / 5h

Dracula’s daughter seeks a more peaceful life making plant-based blood substitutes in this Stardew-Valley-inspired, gently creepy farming game What if you were a tiny, vegan vampire? That’s the question posed by Moonlight Peaks, the gen Z-coded, achingly TikTok-ready supernatural life sim. Inspired by the popularity of “cosy games” such as Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, Moonlight Peaks drape

Whitehall’s ambition to cut costs using AI is fraught with risk

by Robert Booth UK technology editor / 9h

No 10 must decide whether to ‘build or buy’ its AI technology as ministers increasingly lean on it to tackle crises Tech firms suggested placing trackers under offenders’ skin at meeting with justice secretary A Dragons’ Den-style event this week, where tech companies will have 20 minutes to pitch ideas for increasing automation in the British justice system, is one of numerous examples of how th

Cute dates, bisexual chaos and game-changing kisses: video games’ best queer moments

by Guardian Games / 22h

From Fable and Life Is Strange to Last of Us, Thirsty Suitors and Unpacking, five queer game developers and writers pick their sweetest, realest, most meaningful scenes Life Is Strange, as a series, is really characterised by a patented mix of earnestness and cringe for me – but you can’t fault its determination to put queer characters front and centre. It has been variably successful at this – t

Jun 29, 2025

More than 25% of UK businesses hit by cyber-attack in last year, report finds

by Julia Kollewe / 1d

Exclusive: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors says lack of action leaves firms at risk of ‘sleepwalking’ into problems More than one in four UK businesses have been the victim of a cyber-attack in the last year and many more risk “sleepwalking” into such disruption unless they take urgent action, according to a report. About 27% of companies said their building had suffered a cyber-attack i

Fake, AI-generated videos about the Diddy trial are raking in millions of views on YouTube

by Craig Silverman / 2d

Channels serving AI slop feature videos full of false claims about celebs and their involvement with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for quick cash This story was reported by Indicator , a publication that investigates digital deception, and co-published with the Guardian . Dozens of YouTube channels are mixing AI-generated images and videos with false claims about Sean “Diddy” Combs ’s blockbuster trial to p

Dawn of the drone age: how agri-tech is boosting production and morale

by Joanna Partridge / 2d

Instagram-inspired gadgets to spread or spray crops are gaining traction on UK farms but require deep pockets “The idea came from an Instagram video,” says Tom Amery, looking admiringly at one of three huge drones he has bought to help grow watercress on a Hampshire farm. The drone boasts four sets of rotary blades and is able to carry up to 50kg of fertiliser, seed or feed for spreading or spray

‘Lidar is lame’: why Elon Musk’s vision for a self-driving Tesla taxi faltered

Tesla robotaxi trials begin in Texas

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100+by Nick Robins-Early, Dara Kerr and Johana Bhuiyan / 2d

The company’s rollout of its new driverless cars has gotten off to a wobbly start – and rival Waymo remains well ahead After years of promising investors that millions of Tesla robotaxis would soon fill the streets, Elon Musk debuted his driverless car service in a limited public rollout in Austin, Texas. It did not go smoothly. The 22 June launch initially appeared successful enough, with a floo

Jun 28, 2025

Online hacks to offline heists: crypto leaders on edge amid increasing attacks

21by Niamh Rowe / 3d

Industry figures are seeing beyond the ‘illusion of invisibility’ after series of investor kidnappings Cryptocurrency traders such as Mohammed Arsalan are prepared to watch their online assets expand and explode if they miss the right moment, making or breaking their fortunes in just minutes. All in a day’s work on the internet. Offline, though, they have found themselves less equipped for the co

Jun 27, 2025

Google’s emissions up 51% as AI electricity demand derails efforts to go green

Google emissions rise due to AI

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57by Helena Horton Environment reporter / 3d

Increase influenced by datacentre growth, with estimated power required by 2026 equalling that of Japan’s Google’s carbon emissions have soared by 51% since 2019 as artificial intelligence hampers the tech company’s efforts to go green. While the corporation has invested in renewable energy and carbon removal technology, it has failed to curb its scope 3 emissions, which are those further down th

M3gan 2.0 review – hit-and-miss sequel replaces horror with action comedy

by Benjamin Lee / 3d

A solidly made and passably entertaining follow-up to the viral doll hit tries to swerve the franchise into summer blockbuster territory with mixed results As the very first image of devil doll sequel M3gan 2.0 emerges on screen, of a desert with the words “somewhere on the Turkish-Iranian border” popping up like it’s a Bond movie, you’d be forgiven for double-checking if you’re in the right cine

Inside a plan to use AI to amplify doubts about the dangers of pollutants

58by Dharna Noor / 4d

Risk analyst Tony Cox’s work has been backed by the chemical lobby, and some health experts are alarmed An industry-backed researcher who has forged a career sowing doubt about the dangers of pollutants is attempting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to amplify his perspective. Louis Anthony “Tony” Cox Jr, a Denver-based risk analyst and former Trump adviser who once reportedly claimed there is

Till Jeff us do part: divisive, star-studded Bezos wedding hits full swing in Venice

63by Sam Jones in Venice / 4d

Some in the lagoon city are furious, others delighted, as celebrities descend for billionaire’s sort-of nuptials The Black Death. Byron on the prowl. Rising water levels. Cruise ships the size of city blocks. Venice may have endured many tumultuous events and sinister challenges over the centuries but rarely in its long history has it had to contend with an issue quite as odd and quite as divisiv

Trump’s tax bill seeks to prevent AI regulations. Experts fear a heavy toll on the planet

64by Oliver Milman and Dharna Noor / 4d

Unrestricted AI use could add 1bn tons of planet-heating emissions in the US over the next decade, researchers say US Republicans are pushing to pass a major spending bill that includes provisions to prevent states from enacting regulations on artificial intelligence. Such untamed growth in AI will take a heavy toll upon the world’s dangerously overheating climate, experts have warned. About 1bn

The Alters: unintentionally the realest game about parenting I’ve ever played | Dominik Diamond

by Dominik Diamond / 4d

This imaginative sci-fi survival game is a work of art. But looking after the needy clones of myself I’d made to help run a space base, I was reminded all too clearly of my limitations and failings Other than during that golden period when they were old enough to play games and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer but hadn’t yet become evil teenagers, I don’t think I’m very good at parenting. When my k

Jun 26, 2025

‘The Mozart of the attention economy’: why MrBeast is the world’s biggest YouTube star – podcast

by Written and read by Mark O’Connell. Produced by Joshan Chana. The executive producer was Ellie Bury / 4d

He’s spent 24 hours immersed in slime, two days buried alive – and showered vast amounts of cash on lucky participants. But are MrBeast’s videos simply very savvy clickbait – or acts of avant garde genius? Written and read by Mark O’Connell Continue reading...

Six arrested at protest of Palantir, tech company building deportation software for Trump admin

Palantir faces protests and surveillance

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100+by Johana Bhuiyan / 4d

Six of demonstrators were arrested at protest against the company’s work for Ice to help deport people from the US Six protestors who demonstrated in front of the New York City offices of Palantir Technologies were arrested on Thursday morning. The demonstrators had gathered to bring attention to the controversial firm and the work it does to power the deportation of immigrants from the US. The p

Group of high-profile authors sue Microsoft over use of their books in AI training

Microsoft sued by authors over AI

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73by Guardian staff and agencies / 4d

Writers alleged that company used nearly 200,000 pirated books to train its Megatron artificial intelligence A group of authors has accused Microsoft of using nearly 200,000 pirated books to create an artificial intelligence model, the latest allegation in the long legal fight over copyrighted works between creative professionals and technology companies. Kai Bird, Jia Tolentino, Daniel Okrent an

‘Amazing for blind people’: app helps cricket fan find way around Lord’s

32by Robert Booth UK technology editor / 5d

Wayfinding technology is intended to help partially sighted and disabled fans to better access live sports “In 19ft turn slightly left,” said a robotic voice from the iPhone in Moshfique Ahmed’s hand as he tried to find a seat at Lord’s cricket ground in London. “Take the stairs,” it said as Ahmed, an England visually impaired cricketer, tapped his white cane on his way towards the Edrich stand w

Jun 25, 2025

A real issue: video game developers are being accused of using AI – even when they aren’t

by Nicole Carpenter / 5d

Generative AI is causing new and unusual problems for developers as players become more sensitive to the use of artificially generated ‘slop’ images In April, game developer Stamina Zero achieved what should have been a marketing slam-dunk: the launch trailer for the studio’s game Little Droid was published on PlayStation’s official YouTube channel . The response was a surprise for the developer.

Meta wins AI copyright lawsuit as US judge rules against authors

Meta wins AI copyright case

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200+by Dan Milmo and agency / 5d

Writers accused Facebook owner of breach over its use of books without permission to train its AI system Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has won the backing of a judge in a copyright lawsuit brought by a group of authors, in the second legal victory for the US artificial intelligence industry this week. The writers, who included Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates, had argued that the Facebook owner had

Should YouTube be included in Australia’s under-16s social media ban? Here’s what you need to know

YouTube may join Australia’s social media ban

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by Josh Taylor Technology reporter / 5d

The video platform previously had a carve out in the November draft legislation but the online safety regulator has recommended it be included in the ban Australia news live: latest politics updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia’s online safety regulator has recommended YouTube not be exempt from the under-16s social media ban, saying the video-streaming p

Meta boss praises new US army division enlisting tech execs as lieutenant colonels

78by Robert Booth / 5d

Longtime Zuckerberg lieutenant Andrew Bosworth calls donning fatigues with Palantir and OpenAI brass ‘great honor’ Meta’s chief technology officer has called it “the great honor of my life” to be enlisted in a new US army corps that defence chiefs set up to better integrate military and tech industry expertise, including senior figures from top tech firms that also include Palantir and OpenAI . A

Dan Rath: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

by Dan Rath / 5d

The comedian wants you to know he does not have social media. So this is a list of things he watches on his TV through YouTube in the middle of the night Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email I buy the Guardian from the newsagent. The digital seeps into the analogue so you can find out about trends through print media; you just get it a bit later. Last week I found out about twerking from r

From Chimpanzini Bananini to Ballerina Cappuccina: how gen alpha went wild for Italian brain rot animals

52by Elle Hunt / 5d

If you were born after 2000, or know someone who is, the chances are you’ve come across this ludicrous AI-generated meme. If not, be reassured that its chaotic, nonsensical banality is the point When one of Tim’s year 8 pupils asked him about his “favourite Italian brain rot animal”, he thought he’d misheard. “My hearing is not great at the best of times – I had to ask her to repeat this probably

Mirrors in space and underwater curtains: can technology buy us enough time to save the Arctic ice caps?

45by Oren Gruenbaum / 5d

A conference in Cambridge this week will explore a raft of geoengineering ideas to cool the region down – and attempt to address the fears of those who argue the risks outweigh the benefits When the glaciologist John Moore began studying the Arctic in the 1980s there was an abundance of suitable sites for him to carry out his climate research. The region’s relentless warming means many of those n

‘It’s like being walled in’: young Iranians try to break through internet blackout

by Deepa Parent / 6d

Desperate for news and contact during a 13-day shutdown, Iranians searched for proxy links outside the country • Middle East crisis – live updates Amir* hasn’t slept much in days. From his apartment in northern Tehran, the 23-year-old has spent his nights searching for proxy links, fragile digital lifelines that briefly break through the internet blackout. For 13 days Iran was under a near-total

How Hideo Kojima created yet another weird, wonderful world in Death Stranding 2

by Keith Stuart / 6d

In Kojima’s latest epic, the Australian outback becomes a shifting, spectral landscape that you can get lost in As a teenager in the late 1980s, I became obsessed with Australian new wave cinema, thanks partly to the Mad Max trilogy, and partly to an English teacher at my high school, who rolled out the TV trolley one afternoon and showed us Nicolas Roeg’s masterpiece Walkabout . We were mesmeris

Second study finds Uber used opaque algorithm to dramatically boost profits

62by Simon Goodley / 6d

US academics say computer code systematically raised fares at expense of drivers and passengers A second major academic institution has accused Uber of using opaque computer code to

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