Latest posts

  • Former EU commissioner and activists barred from US in attack on European tech regulators

    State department accuses group of pressuring tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints through regulation of disinformation The state department has barred five Europeans from the US, accusing them of leading efforts to pressure tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints, in the latest attack on European regulations that target hate speech and…

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  • Activist group says it has scraped 86m music files from Spotify

    Platform with 700m users says it is investigating after Anna’s Archive claims to have scraped tracks and metadata An activist group has claimed to have scraped millions of tracks from Spotify and is preparing to release them online. Observers said the apparent leak could boost AI companies looking for material to develop their technology. Continue…

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  • When the AI bubble bursts, humans will finally have their chance to take back control | Rafael Behr

    The US economy is pumped up on tech-bro vanity. The inevitable correction must prompt a global conversation about intelligent machines, regulation and risk If AI did not change your life in 2025, next year it will. That is one of few forecasts that can be made with confidence in unpredictable times. This is not an…

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  • MPs question UK Palantir contracts after investigation reveals security concerns

    Journalists find Swiss government rejected company over fears US intelligence might gain access to sensitive data UK MPs have raised concerns about the government’s contracts with Palantir after an investigation published in Switzerland highlighted allegations about the suitability and security of its products. The investigation by the Zurich-based research collective WAV and the Swiss online…

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  • Extremists are using AI voice cloning to supercharge propaganda. Experts say it’s helping them grow

    Researchers warn generative tools are helping militant groups from neo-Nazis to the Islamic State spread ideology While the artificial intelligence boom is upending sections of the music industry, voice generating bots are also becoming a boon to another unlikely corner of the internet: extremist movements that are using them to recreate the voices and speeches…

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  • A tape measure, a metal detector and a spirit level: 25 surprisingly useful things you can do with your phone

    While many use our phones predominantly to doomscroll, smartphones have a range of little-known functions that could make life better and easier – from heart monitoring to even developing camera film Our smartphones are magical things – far more than dopamine drip providers and a way to keep in touch with friends and family. Using…

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  • Tinsel and Home Alone back in style as TikTok seeks comfort in #90sChristmas

    Emphasis this year is on nostalgia as present day feels ‘a bit more uncertain’, say trend experts Tinsel, DIY tree decorations, deep burgundy drapes – and Home Alone on VHS. Christmas has gone retro on TikTok, and in people’s living rooms. The app has reported a surge in Christmas decor videos, with an emphasis on…

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  • Investment in data centers worldwide hit record $61bn in 2025, report finds

    Analysts see ‘global construction frenzy that shows no signs of slowing’ amid surge in demand from AI boom A new report finds that investment in the worldwide data center market reached $61bn this year, setting a new record atop the wave of the artificial intelligence boom. The analysis by S&P Global, first reported by CNBC,…

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  • Elon Musk’s massive 2018 Tesla pay package restored by Delaware court

    Decision from state supreme court on deal once worth $56bn and now worth some $139bn overturns ruling that prompted angry Musk backlash Elon Musk’s controversial $56bn pay package from Tesla was reinstated by the Delaware supreme court on Friday, two years after a lower court struck down the vast compensation deal as “unfathomable”. The reinstated…

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  • What will your life look like in 2035?

    When AIs become consistently more capable than humans, life could change in strange ways. It could happen in the next few years, or a little longer. If and when it comes, our domestic routines – trips to the doctor, farming, work and justice systems – could all look very different. Here we take a look…

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