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‘History won’t forgive us’ if UK falls behind in quantum computing race, says Tony Blair
Exclusive: Former PM and ex-Tory leader William Hague warn UK lacks high-risk capital and infrastructure to harness benefits of powerful technology Tony Blair has said “history won’t forgive us” if the UK falls behind in the race to harness quantum computing, a frontier technology predicted to trigger the next wave of breakthroughs in everything from…
Teenage boys using ‘personalised’ AI for therapy and romance, survey finds
Male Allies UK worries rise in chatbot ‘girlfriends’ will leave boys unable to socialise and respect boundaries The “hyper-personalised” nature of AI bots is drawing in teenage boys who now use them for therapy, companionship and relationships, according to research. A survey of boys in secondary schools by Male Allies UK found that just over…
Is London ready for driverless taxis? – podcast
Autonomous cabs are a staple in some US cities – but how will they cope with London’s streets? Gwyn Topham and Johana Bhuiyan report Today in Focus presenter Helen Pidd enjoys a ride in a driverless taxi in Austin, Texas, as transport correspondent Gwyn Topham examines whether the technology can adapt to London’s medieval streets…
‘He’s one of the few politicians who likes crypto’: my day with the UK tech bros hosting Nigel Farage
The Reform UK leader is courting the crypto community in the hope it could become a campaign funding base It is a grey morning in Shadwell, east London. But inside the old shell of Tobacco Dock, the gloom gives way to pulsating neon lights, flashy cars and cryptocurrency chatter. Evangelists for Web3, a vision for…
Harry and Meghan join AI pioneers in call for ban on superintelligent systems
Nobel laureates also sign letter saying ASI technology should be barred until there is consensus that it can be developed ‘safely’ The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have joined artificial intelligence pioneers and Nobel laureates in calling for a ban on developing superintelligent AI systems. Harry and Meghan are among the signatories of a statement…
‘Significant exposure’: Amazon Web Services outage exposed UK state’s £1.7bn reliance on tech giant
Cloud computing disruption highlights risk of deepening ties despite warnings from UK’s own regulators, including the Treasury Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy beamed as he met Keir Starmer in Downing Street’s garden to announce £40bn of UK investments in June. Starmer was equally effusive, gushing: “This deal shows that our plan for change is working…
Amazon Web Services outage hitting platforms around world ‘showing signs of recovery’
Problem that originated in US and affected Snapchat and Ring among others appears to be IT issue rather than cyber-attack, says expert Business live – latest updates A major internet outage has hit dozens of websites and apps around the world, with users reporting trouble getting online after problems at Amazon’s cloud computing service. The…
Driverless cars are coming to the UK – but the road to autonomy has bumps ahead
Waymo plans London robotaxis as early as 2026, but the history shows hype, hesitation and a few missed turns The 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…
Barrister found to have used AI to prepare for hearing after citing ‘fictitious’ cases
Judge rules Chowdhury Rahman used ChatGPT-like software and then tried to hide it, wasting immigration tribunal’s time An 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…
Driverless taxis from Waymo will be on London’s roads next year, US firm announces
Cars with human safety drivers will appear in coming weeks as permissions are sought for fully autonomous rides Driverless taxis from Waymo will be available for hire on London’s roads next year, the US company has announced. The UK capital will become the first European city to have an autonomous taxi service of the kind…