Employee data at US-based cosmetics firm Estée Lauder was compromised through a vulnerability in Oracle's software, likely orchestrated by the Cl0p ransomware gang.
Lithuania has built a network of tech startup companies the hard way, through bootstrapping. Today, it claims six companies with valuations over a billion dollars
Global increase in cases of predators coercing children to harm themselves or produce child sexual abuse materialCases of predators coercing children into producing sexual photos and videos of themselves have surged globally in the past year, a cruel phenomenon known as “sadistic online exploitation”, child safety experts and law enforcement officials warn.In cases of sadistic online exploitation, perpetrators target vulnerable teens on social media platforms and online games. These predators then compel their victims into producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), harming themselves and others, or, in extreme cases, attempting suicide.In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...
Virgin Media O2’s CSO Dana Haidan is driving growth by embedding sustainability into core strategy, slashing emissions, boosting circularity and championing digital inclusion
Company aims to develop AI software that cuts research times and use of rare metals in chipmakers’ supply chainsBusiness live – latest updatesAmazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, and the UK government have invested in a £2bn British artificial intelligence startup that is aiming to become the “search engine for rare materials” that accelerates the next wave of technological breakthroughs.The Cambridge-based CuspAI has raised $450m (£330m) in funding from investors including Bezos and the government’s sovereign AI fund, valuing the two-year-old business at $2.6bn. Continue reading...
Controversial ID Scheme and government technology department to be tossed on scrap heap as new prime minister enters 10 Downing Street
The Netherlands’ education and research IT cooperative is running pilots with open source tools, placing working alternatives alongside existing Big Tech services
Experts warn increase in enhanced photos on birding platforms creating fake sightings, threatening credibility of tool used by scientistsFor many birdwatchers, recording a species outside its normal range is the holy grail. In the UK, the discoveries often make national headlines. The western reef heron, for example, usually found in Africa and southern Europe, was spotted in a seaside town in north Wales in June, and widely celebrated on birding forums.But a new scourge is threatening to disrupt the fun: AI slop. Continue reading...
We find out how businesses are using artificial intelligence (AI), GenAI and agentic AI to streamline supply chain operations
The next chapter of technology will not be judged merely by the speed of its systems, but by its capacity to build trust, bridge societal divides and unlock human potential, says Dell's Asia-Pacific chief
Experts believe it’s at least possible. We urgently need a plan to navigate the ethical implicationsIn January, the AI company Anthropic published a new constitution for Claude, its most advanced large language model (LLM), which contained the comment: “We are caught in a difficult position where we neither want to overstate the likelihood of Claude’s moral patienthood nor dismiss it out of hand.” A month later, Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei went on a podcast and said his company couldn’t rule out the possibility that Claude was conscious. Philosopher David Chalmers, who coined the phrase “the hard problem of consciousness”, has said there is a significant chance of conscious LLMs within a decade. And what about Claude itself? When asked during testing to estimate the probability that it is a moral patient, meaning that its wellbeing matters in its own right, it gave numbers ranging from 5% to 40% and stressed how uncertain it was.Modern AI systems are extraordinarily complex, and they are advancing fast. In terms of structural complexity and computational scale, by some measures a few are already in the range of a mouse brain, and at recent growth rates, they could reach the range of a human brain within five to 10 years. Continue reading...
They are out to steal your password to commit further fraud such as crypto scams or phishing attacksYou have had an X account for years, since it was known as Twitter. When an email arrives about a new login from a location nowhere near where you live, alarm bells begin to ring.“We noticed a login to your account from a new device. Was this you?” the email asks. Continue reading...
Australia risks ‘shipping’ intellectual capability overseas if educational rigour not restored, experts warnFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn academic at the Australian National University has accused it of a “hysterical” response to students using AI to cheat, as tertiary institutions rush to shore up the credibility of assessments.But a colleague warned Australia is in danger of “shipping our national intellectual capability” to companies in California and China if educational rigour is not restored. Continue reading...
MPs and industry experts say potential reorganisation will waste time at critical moment for AI and economic growthAndy Burnham’s plan to scrap the government’s technology department has triggered an angry backlash from MPs, Whitehall officials and tech experts.The incoming prime minister has asked officials to draw up plans to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of a wider Whitehall shake-up. Continue reading...
Meta touts safety features – but for women, the dangers of these recording devices are obviousImagine if every time you left the house, you couldn’t be sure that the stranger you met at a bar – or even the person walking by you in the street – wasn’t secretly recording you. It sounds like something out of a Black Mirror episode, but let’s face it, the era of wearable technology is fully upon us as everyday accessories have been developed to help track health and fitness data, receive smartphone notifications, and provide hands-free accessibility.So when Meta announced their AI glasses a few years ago, it wasn’t too surprising that one of the biggest (and most embattled) tech companies on earth had begun cashing in on our obsession with watching others. And their AI glasses have already raised serious concerns over privacy, personal safety and even our sense of agency. Continue reading...