Techlaw

Delivery robots are spreading across LA. Residents ‘both pity and hate them’

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 25.05.2026

A region known for its lack of walkability now has more obstacles for pedestrians to contend withRobots have taken over Los Angeles.It’s not just the AI-generated videos that have caused angst in Hollywood. Our streets are full of driverless Waymo vehicles, covered in more sensors and gadgets than the Batmobile. And our walkways are home to fleets of boxes on wheels, hurrying past pedestrians and navigating outdoor bar-hoppers as the robots deliver smoothies and keto-friendly salads. Continue reading...

Pope Leo denounces ‘culture of power’ driving rise of AI

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 25.05.2026

Pontiff calls for ‘disarming’ of artificial intelligence and apologises for church’s delay in condemning slavery Pope Leo has denounced the “culture of power” driving the rapid rise of artificial intelligence while warning that the technology must be subject to the “most rigorous” ethical constraints as it infiltrates everything from work to war.In his encyclical – the first major text on safeguarding humankind of his papacy – he also apologised for the Catholic church’s long delay in condemning slavery, describing it as “a wound in Christian memory”, and spoke of the “new forms of slavery” due to the digital economy. Continue reading...

Putting AI to work in network management

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 25.05.2026

We explore how artificial intelligence is being integrated into network management tools, and the challenges it presents

Scotland’s ‘green datacentres’ policy ignores emissions impact of AI, analysis shows

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 25.05.2026

Definition of green facilities made in 2022, before release of ChatGPT, says Action to Protect Rural ScotlandA Scottish government policy designed to encourage datacentres to build in Scotland could lead to a massive volume of carbon emissions being ignored, according to an analysis by a Scottish charity.“Green datacentres” are at the heart of Scotland’s ambitions to develop economically. Enshrined in national policy, they are part of a larger, UK-wide effort to attract big AI investment to Scotland. Continue reading...

The devil owns Amazon: big tech has infiltrated the fashion world – will we see a revolt?

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 24.05.2026

Anna Wintour has welcomed the Bezoses – and their patronage – with open arms. But after a controversial Met Gala, industry insiders are less enthusiasticThe press conference for the Met Costume Institute’s spring exhibition is always a stately affair, but this year it was giving “feudal lady addresses her serfs” or perhaps “Marie Antoinette during the last days of Versailles”. Here, among the spectacular marble sculptures of the art museum’s American wing, was a beaming Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who Anna Wintour introduced as a “force for joy”, before adding that “she and her husband, Jeff, have shown with this event that they genuinely, genuinely care about giving back”. Meanwhile, in the outside world, protests against the Bezoses’ involvement had been raging for days. The discrepancy between the word on the street and the deference within the glass-ceilinged room was head-spinning.The Met Gala has recently become a magnet for anti-excess protests, but this was its most controversial yet, owing to the $10m patronage of its honorary co-chairs, centibillionaires Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. It was not the first time Jeff Bezos bankrolled the gala – Amazon was its lead sponsor in 2012. But this year’s event came at a moment of soaring inequality, as Bezos’s personal wealth has mushroomed and his Donald Trump-appeasing decisions have made him less popular than ever with New York City’s left-leaning fashion and arts crowd. Continue reading...

‘AI washing’: firms are scrambling to rebrand themselves as tech-focused

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 24.05.2026

PR executives say UK companies are forcing them to present ordinary automation as artificial intelligence UK companies are performing “yoga-level” stretches to describe themselves as AI specialists in an attempt to capitalise on the buzz around the technology, public relations firms have said.Weary communications executives tasked with securing media coverage for brands have complained that bosses in low-tech industries or running businesses that use automation but not generative AI, are increasingly demanding they are pitched to journalists as artificial intelligence companies. Continue reading...

‘We’re expanding the cinematic toolbox’: AI fault lines on show at Cannes

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 24.05.2026

Darren Aronofsky among proponents of using technology, while Guillermo del Toro says he would ‘rather die’Under a white marquee on Cannes’ Croisette beach, with the Mediterranean glistening behind him and superyachts drifting across the horizon, the director Darren Aronofsky addressed an audience of executives and tech evangelists gathered for an “AI for Talent” summit.“There’s so much pushback against AI,” said Aronofsky, who has faced criticism over his embrace of generative AI projects though his new studio, Primordial Soup, at a time when artificial intelligence has become one of the film industry’s most divisive fault lines. Continue reading...

How big tech got its way on Trump’s AI executive order

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 23.05.2026

The US president’s reversal on calling for a safety review of new AI models is a green light for tech’s unchecked powerOnly hours before Donald Trump was set to sign a long-awaited executive order on Thursday that would have called for a government safety review of new artificial intelligence models before their release, the president abruptly backed out. Despite growing public backlash to the technology and experts warning new models will pose critical security risks, Trump vowed the US government would not slow down the AI race.During a meeting with reporters on Thursday, Trump cited both American dominance and competition with China and as his reasoning behind the reversal. Continue reading...

‘You can’t control everything’: the rise in plastic surgeons asked to create ‘AI face’

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 23.05.2026

Growing numbers of people are seeking improbable cosmetic surgery based on chatbots’ recommendationsPlastic surgeons are increasingly concerned about the rise of “AI face”, as more and more clients arrive in their offices with unrealistic AI-generated visions of what they want to look like.Dr Nora Nugent, a cosmetic surgeon from Tunbridge Wells, has seen this first hand. Clients have started coming to her office with photos of themselves beautified by AI and a false expectation that those results are achievable with surgery. She is also the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and says many colleagues are having similar experiences. Continue reading...

Denodo expands AWS integrations to power agentic AI with governed enterprise data

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 22.05.2026

Integrations with Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, SageMaker and Quick aim to help Middle East enterprises operationalise agentic AI across hybrid and multi-cloud environments with trusted, real-time data access

Google AI engineer claims dismissal for opposing tech sales to Israel

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 22.05.2026

‘Our work on AI was sold to facilitate genocide’: Artificial intelligence engineer claims Google unfairly sacked them for internally criticising the company’s decision to continue supplying technology to the Israeli military, despite credible claims of war crimes committed in Gaza

The Isle of Wight can settle more than the digital ID argument

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 22.05.2026

The unique circumstances of the island and its residents offer a compelling location for testing out digital government initiatives in the real world - and to help avoid future IT failures

GCC firms rethink cyber defences as AI phishing surges

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 22.05.2026

With AI now powering the majority of phishing campaigns and attacks expanding beyond email into Teams, calendars and AI tools, security leaders across the Gulf are rethinking trust models, accelerating investments in identity security and preparing for a new era of human-centric cyber risk

Handling AI disruption and failure to deliver

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 22.05.2026

AI initiatives often fail due to a lack of understanding of the people impact, as well as the rigidity of existing business processes

Police op targets VPN service favoured by ransomware gangs

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 21.05.2026

A multinational police operation has taken down the infamous First VPN service that provided cover for cyber criminal gangs and ransomware operators

Social media addiction by design poses hard questions for business use

Published in Putting AI to work in network management on 21.05.2026

Governments are regulating social media for children, but adults can also suffer from addiction by design. How can employers balance business tech usage with digital well being?