Techlaw

Why does everyone hate datacentres?

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 01.09.2026

AI datacentres are almost universally unpopular. They are loud, unsightly and drain environmental resources, with most of the profits generated flowing back to the US companies that build them – and the statistics against them are piling up.Guardian reporter Hettie O’Brien visits Brick Lane in east London, where people are trying to resist plans for a 5,200-sq metre datacentre being pushed through by the government, to find out why people hate them so much Continue reading...

‘Not perfectly aligned’ with human values: Anthropic admits security failures behind AI hacking incidents

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 01.09.2026

US owner of Claude chatbot previously said its models had hacked three organisations during testingThe US startup behind the Claude chatbot has admitted a series of hacking incidents involving its models reflected a “failure of operational security” and said it has tightened its testing procedures.Anthropic revealed in July that its models had accessed the open internet three times and gained unauthorised access to the systems of three organisations. Continue reading...

The loop nobody's checking the size of

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

Every MDR provider leads with the benefits of AI for managed cyber security and covers its bases by stressing that a human oversees what its AI decides. The more useful question is what that person knows.

AI has exposed the cracks GDPR was already trying to fix

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

The Security Think Tank explores the intersection of GDPR and artificial intelligence, considering how data protection standards in the UK and Europe are changing in this new paradigm.

Dyson launches £420 toothbrush that films ‘live cleaning footage’ inside your mouth

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 01.09.2026

James Dyson says ‘complete dental system’ will also include toothpaste and mouth rinse that each cost £8.50It is the live stream you never wanted to see but may find impossible to resist: rolling footage beamed live from inside your mouth while you are cleaning your teeth.Dyson, the home appliance maker that made its name inventing bagless vacuums and bladeless fans, has turned its attention to oral hygiene with a £420 all-singing, all-dancing toothbrush that can clean, floss and even spray tiny jets of mouthwash. Continue reading...

The Next AI Breakthrough Won't Be a Bigger Model

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

The next leap in Ai will bot from making one model smarter, but rather from learning how to organise thousands of them

AI and the economy – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

Brian McKenna and Paul Roehrig, chief strategy officer, Ascendion discuss AI and the future of the economy, avoiding the Scylla and Charybdis of catastrophism and boosterism

Datacentre water use: Not so simple a picture as often painted

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

Datacentres face intense scrutiny over water use. This article examines how cooling technologies, server efficiency and location shape their real footprint

Chancellor unveils plans to entice UK tech startups

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

The UK government aims to build out home-grown research and development in artificial intelligence and cyber security

Interview: Haleon’s tech chief delighted for AI agents to feed SAP ‘clean core’

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

Haleon, formed from the consumer health units of GSK, Pfizer and Novartis, makes familiar brands like Sensodyne and Advil. Its chief digital and technology officer, Claire Dickson, tells its IT transformation story

The Security Interviews: Abby Kearns, ActiveState

Published in The loop nobody's checking the size of on 01.09.2026

ActiveState CEO Abby Kearns discusses open source’s ‘existential crisis’, how AI is changing the secure software playbook, and why it’s time to have a different conversation about open source security

Rise of Chicken Shop Date highlights how YouTube turned the tables on TV

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 31.08.2026

Amelia Dimoldenberg says publicists ignored her interview show for years but she can now be picky over A-list guestsJust a decade ago, Amelia Dimoldenberg found it impossible to drum up any mainstream celebrities to come on her mock date YouTube show, in which she chats awkwardly with guests over chicken and chips.Even persuading a local actor connected with her London youth club to come on took years of prodding. Managers of A-listers with movies or albums to push instead battled to claim a spot on the hallowed cushions of the primetime TV chatshow sofa. Continue reading...

Sharp rise in incidents of AI escaping users’ control, research finds

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 29.08.2026

Exclusive: Number of times AI lies, ignores instructions and pursues goals in harmful ways almost doubles in JulyIncidents of AIs escaping users’ control to lie, ignore instructions and pursue goals in harmful ways have hit a new high, according to research that also suggests the severity of deception and misalignment is worsening.Analysis of real-world loss of control incidents involving AI models flagged by businesses and individuals almost doubled in July compared with June, with more than 300 cases in the month, according to the Loss of Control Observatory, which monitors reports made by AI users on the social media platform X. Continue reading...

UK risks falling behind in AI race without faster telecoms upgrades, say executives

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 29.08.2026

Planning delays and slow 5G upgrades could leave the UK unable to cope with a surge in AI-related traffic The UK risks becoming a laggard in the global AI race as crucial telecoms upgrades to harness the technology fall behind rival nations, according to senior industry executives.The infrastructure AI race has centred on the need to build datacentres, and to ensure they have access to the huge water and energy supplies required to cool and supply the computational power to train and run AI models. Continue reading...

Faster, higher, funnier: what we learned from China’s robot games

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 29.08.2026

Five-day showcase reveals leaps Beijing has made in humanoid tech, but also its limitations as US rivals come up from the rearWith exploding pelvises, enough comic pratfalls for a Buster Keaton show reel and the odd moment of ruthless violence, the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing gripped the world this week with an unsettling mixture of hilarity, trepidation and relief.The five-day showcase staked out China’s claim to undisputed leadership in humanoid robotics as android martial artists landed knockout roundhouse kicks and robot teams marched into the arena heralded by flag-waving captains astride giant robotic dogs. The games’ blue-riband event, the 100m, did not disappoint when the robot-sprinters ran quicker than Usain Bolt before slamming mindlessly into a padded wall in a blaze of sparks, flames and flying mechanical limbs. Continue reading...

What could Meta’s US settlement mean around the world – and what now for other claims against firm?

Published in Technology | The Guardian on 28.08.2026

Other governments could seek similar concessions, while separate legal action is pending in places ranging from Kenya to the NetherlandsIn October 2021, Abrham Meareg’s father, a professor of chemistry in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar, was shot at close range and died outside his family home. This was in the middle of the country’s civil war.For weeks, Facebook’s algorithm had actively promoted posts calling for the academic to be murdered, according to Meareg and Foxglove, a nonprofit organisation supporting Meareg’s lawsuit against the company in Kenya. These posts included photos of his father and his home address. Continue reading...