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Latest Technology news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice
Site URL: www.theguardian.com/us/technology
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OpenAI whistleblower who died was being considered as witness against company
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/21/openai-whistleblower-dead-aged-26
Published: December 21, 2024 20:33
Suchir Balaji, listed in court filing as having ‘relevant documents’ about copyright violation, died on 26 NovemberSuchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said…
‘We’re figuring out cool ways of storytelling’: how TikTok is changing the way we watch musicals
Published: December 21, 2024 16:36
Jorge Rivera-Herrans’s musical sensation Epic is just one of a series of works making a splash on the online platformWhen Jorge Rivera-Herrans released part of Epic: the Musical last Christmas, he managed to push Taylor Swift off the top of the US iTunes…
It’s probably just a plane: drone experts advise calm over New Jersey sightings
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/21/drones-new-jersey-experts
Published: December 21, 2024 16:00
Although politicians have called to shoot them down, experts say the lights are likely legal drones, planes – or starsAt first, in mid-November, the mysterious lights were seen blinking across the night skies of New Jersey. Then, they spread. Reports of…
The god illusion: why the pope is so popular as a deepfake image
Published: December 21, 2024 09:57
Experts explain the pontiff’s appeal as the most recent AI images of Francis, with the singer Madonna, go viralFor the pope, it was the wrong kind of madonna.The pop legend, she of the 80’s anthem Like a Prayer, has stirred controversy in recent weeks by…
How YouTube (and Skibidi Toilet) changed the Christmas toys market
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/dec/21/youtube-skibidi-toilet-christmas-toys-market-tv
Published: December 21, 2024 07:00
The shift from live TV to video platforms has made toy makers and sellers rethink products and where to sell themLetters to Santa used to be filled with ideas from the Argos catalogue or adverts on children’s telly, but for today’s kids raised on “swiping…
Can I survive for 24 hours without GPS navigation?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/21/can-i-survive-for-24-hours-without-gps-navigation
Published: December 21, 2024 06:00
Spatial memory is a use-it-or-lose it commodity, so I gave life without Google Maps a tryTaxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than other workers to die of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Harvard study published in the British Medical Journal.On…
US judge finds Pegasus spyware maker liable over WhatsApp hack
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/20/whatsapp-pegasus-spyware-nso-group-hacking
Published: December 21, 2024 01:38
WhatsApp celebrates victory as judge finds Israeli company NSO Group violated state and federal US hacking lawsWhatsApp claimed legal victory over the maker of Pegasus spyware late on Friday.The Israeli company, NSO Group Technologies, was accused in a…
Workers in Saudi Arabia say Amazon failed to compensate them for labor abuses: ‘They played a game against me’
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/20/amazon-labor-abuse-saudi-arabia
Published: December 20, 2024 18:41
Thirty-three of 44 current and former contract workers who paid large recruiting fees say they didn’t receive refunds after working within the company’s Saudi operations In February, one of the world’s richest employers, Amazon, announced it had refunded…
Smartphones are an unwelcome distraction | Letters
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/20/smartphones-are-an-unwelcome-distraction
Published: December 20, 2024 17:44
Nonagenarian Tim Watson on why no one, including adults, should be using smartphones. And Carole Gray found her enjoyment of the Van Gogh exhibition impeded by the crowd holding up their phones to take photosChannel 4’s Swiped: The School That Banned…
‘We are not a retro company’: Sega prepares to go back to the future
Published: December 20, 2024 10:00
Sega started as a rock’n’roll breath of fresh air in a Nintendo-dominated world – and America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi wants to shake things up once againFor more than a decade, between the late 80s and the dawn of the 21st century, Sega was one of the…
Elon Musk debuts grip on Washington by sinking spending bill
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/19/elon-musk-trump-government-shutdown
Published: December 19, 2024 20:33
X owner and billionaire leveraged his platform to amplify false claims about the bill, effectively killing itWhat is the debt ceiling?Using the power of the social media platform he owns and the threat of spending millions against Republicans in primaries,…
UK arts and media reject plan to let AI firms use copyrighted material
Published: December 19, 2024 14:38
Exclusive: Coalition of musicians, photographers and newspapers insist existing copyright laws must be respectedWriters, publishers, musicians, photographers, movie producers and newspapers have rejected the Labour government’s plan to create a copyright…
UK data regulator criticises Google for ‘irresponsible’ ad tracking change
Published: December 19, 2024 12:10
ICO says allowing advertisers to track digital ‘fingerprints’ will undermine consumers’ control over informationBusiness live – latest updatesBritain’s data protection regulator has labelled Google as “irresponsible” for allowing advertisers to track…
The 20 best video games of 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/dec/19/the-20-best-video-games-of-2024
Published: December 19, 2024 06:00
Ingenious puzzle games, a psychedelic take on poker, an action-packed take on Buddhist legend and a compilation of 50 faux-retro titles – our critics pick the year’s finest• More on the best culture of 2024PC It starts with a single machine: a landing pod…
Supreme court agrees to hear TikTok challenge to law ending its US operations
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/18/supreme-court-tiktok-ban
Published: December 18, 2024 17:01
Court will hear two hours of oral arguments on 10 January and consider the social media app’s challenge to the lawThe US supreme court said on Wednesday that it will hear TikTok’s challenge to a law that could end its US operations.In its order Wednesday,…
Uber and its CEO donate $1m each to Trump’s inaugural fund
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/18/uber-ceo-trump-donation
Published: December 18, 2024 16:38
Donation adds to list of tech companies and executives seeking to foster favorable relationship with president-electUber and its CEO have donated $1m to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, joining a growing list of tech companies and executives seeking to…
‘The work damaged me’: ex-Facebook moderators describe effect of horrific content
Published: December 18, 2024 15:00
Former workers at Samasource say violent, graphic and sexually explicit videos left them fearful to go outsideMore than 140 Kenya Facebook moderators sue after diagnoses of severe PTSDPTSD, depression and anxiety: why former Facebook moderators in Kenya…
‘They’re looking for something’: rumors abound over unsettling drone sightings in New Jersey
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/18/new-jersey-drone-sightings-rumors
Published: December 18, 2024 12:00
At first, the relentless flocks of drones were unusual but nothing to worry about – now, people want answersKyle Breese, 36, works remotely in insurance and lives in Ocean Township, New Jersey, a sleepy suburb with tree-cloaked streets, not far from…
Chinese AI chip firms blacklisted over weapons concerns gained access to UK technology
Published: December 18, 2024 10:20
Imagination Technologies had licences with two Chinese firms – but said it had not ‘implemented transactions’ that would enable the use of technology for military purposesChinese engineers developing chips for artificial intelligence that can be used in…
Amazon workers across US gear up to strike this week, days before Christmas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/17/amazon-worker-strike
Published: December 17, 2024 21:03
Move comes after company failed to meet deadline to begin contract negotiations with workers in Staten Island Thousands of Amazon workers are gearing up to strike from Thursday, days before Christmas, over the tech giant’s refusal to begin negotiations…
Mouthwashing review – 2024’s most difficult game, but not in the way you might expect
Published: December 17, 2024 14:39
PC; Creative Reflex/Wrong OrganThe word ‘challenge’ has an accepted meaning in the world of video games, but in this engrossing sci-fi horror it’s the subject matter that’s confrontingIt is perhaps poetic that throughout this year, the 30th anniversary of…
Will the future of transportation be robotaxis – or your own self-driving car?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/16/robotaxis-general-motors-self-driving
Published: December 17, 2024 14:39
GM is shutting down its robotaxi business, Tesla is creating one of its own – what does the future hold for self-driving?Want TechScape delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWelcome back. This week in tech: General Motors says goodbye to robotaxis but not…
Amazon-hosted AI tool for UK military recruitment ‘carries risk of data breach’
Published: December 17, 2024 13:47
Ministry of Defence says risk is low and ‘robust safeguards’ have been put in place by suppliersAn artificial intelligence tool hosted by Amazon and designed to boost UK Ministry of Defence recruitment puts defence personnel at risk of being identified…
UK proposes letting tech firms use copyrighted work to train AI
Published: December 17, 2024 11:10
Consultation suggests opt-out scheme for creatives who don’t want their work used by Google, OpenAI and othersTech companies will be allowed to freely use copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence models unless creative professionals and…
If you’ve got children, you need to watch Swiped – and see how sick their phones are making them | Simon Jenkins
Published: December 17, 2024 10:00
The terrible toll that smartphones are taking on young people is now undeniable. We need to start talking about a banEvery parent of a school-age child should watch Swiped, the Channel 4 documentary on smartphones shown last week. It was devastating. It…
Potential payouts for up to 300,000 Australian Facebook users in Cambridge Analytica settlement
Published: December 17, 2024 04:07
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner announces deal with Meta over scandal that may have affected 300,000 usersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPotentially…
TikTok turns to US supreme court in last-ditch bid to avert divest-or-ban law
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/16/tiktok-ban-supreme-court
Published: December 17, 2024 00:18
Firm and parent company ByteDance file request for injunction to halt ban of app used by 170 million AmericansTikTok made a last-ditch effort on Monday to continue operating in the United States, asking the US supreme court to temporarily block a law…
Threat of Amazon workers’ strike spreads during peak holiday season
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/16/amazon-workers-strike-new-york-atlanta-chicago
Published: December 16, 2024 21:21
Threats started in New York and spread to Chicago and Atlanta after company failed to meet negotiation deadlineThousands of workers at Amazon are threatening to strike at the company after giving the company a deadline of 15 December to agree to begin…
Elon Musk to not receive highest-level government security clearance – reports
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/16/elon-musk-government-security-clearance
Published: December 16, 2024 19:13
The SpaceX head has been advised to not seek the same over his drug use and contacts with foreign nationalsSpace entrepreneur Elon Musk is unlikely to receive government security clearances if he so applied, even as his SpaceX launch company blasts…
From UFOs to drones, the US fascination with – and fear of – ‘anomalous detections’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/16/ufos-drones-new-mexico-archive
Published: December 16, 2024 12:00
A first-of-its-kind public archive of UFO records opens in New Mexico as New Jersey is gripped by drone panicA widespread panic about drones or other unknown low-flying objects has gripped New Jersey in recent days, but many other parts of the US remain…
‘Trump has been explicit about revenge’: Asif Kapadia on his new film about the threat to democracy
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/dec/15/asif-kapadia-2073-amy-winehouse-senna-maradona-trump
Published: December 15, 2024 08:00
The man behind Amy and Senna has turned his attention to ‘techno-authoritarianism’ in the genre-defying 2073. He talks to our journalist – one of the movie’s unlikely stars – about the events that fed his dystopian visionIt was some time in the early 2000s…
‘I received a first but it felt tainted and undeserved’: inside the university AI cheating crisis
Published: December 15, 2024 07:00
More than half of students are now using generative AI, casting a shadow over campuses as tutors and students turn on each other and hardworking learners are caught in the flak. Will Coldwell reports on a broken systemThe email arrived out of the blue: it…
She didn’t get an apartment because of an AI-generated score – and sued to help others avoid the same fate
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/14/saferent-ai-tenant-screening-lawsuit
Published: December 14, 2024 15:00
Despite a stellar reference from a landlord of 17 years, Mary Louis was rejected after being screened by firm SafeRentThree hundred twenty-four. That was the score Mary Louis was given by an AI-powered tenant screening tool. The software, SafeRent, didn’t…
‘It’s game over for facts’: how vibes came to rule everything from pop to politics
Published: December 14, 2024 12:29
From voters picking up ‘bad vibes’ to the Brat girl summer, vague instincts now make the world go round. Does this represent a crisis of seriousness or has it always been feelings that make us human? Facts were cool for about 250 years. From the…
TikTok loses emergency bid to pause law that could lead to US ban
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/13/tiktok-loses-emergency-bid
Published: December 14, 2024 01:46
Ruling means short-video app and Chinese parent ByteDance must appeal to supreme court by 19 JanuaryA US appeals court on Friday rejected an emergency bid by TikTok to temporarily block a law that would require its Chinese parent company ByteDance to…
Amazon donates $1m to Trump’s inaugural fund as tech cozies up to president-elect
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/13/amazon-donation-trump-inauguration
Published: December 13, 2024 20:47
OpenAI’s Sam Altman also announced a $1m personal donation to Trump on the same day, joining MetaAmazon is the latest tech giant to donate to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund.The company plans to give $1m to the fund, first reported by the Wall Street…
The Guardian view on AI’s power, limits, and risks: it may require rethinking the technology
Published: December 13, 2024 18:00
OpenAI’s new ‘o1’ system seeks to solve the limits to growth but it raises concerns about control and the risks of smart machinesMore than 300 million people use OpenAI’s ChatGPT each week, a testament to the technology’s appeal. This month, the company…
Scottie Pippen and the heady rise of the athlete turned crypto bro
Published: December 13, 2024 11:00
Sports stars are rushing to promote coins and exchanges. But they are stepping into a world of which they often have scant knowledgeScottie Pippen is selling out his NBA legacy again, to be world champion of crypto.In his heyday, the hall of famer was…
Why did China hack the world’s phone networks?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/09/why-did-china-hack-the-worlds-phone-networks
Published: December 12, 2024 16:24
Salt Typhoon breached dozens of telecoms around the worldDon’t get TechScape delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereChinese hackers have breached dozens of telecommunications companies around the world. The breach, christened Salt Typhoon by Microsoft…
TikTok’s annual carbon footprint is likely bigger than Greece’s, study finds
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/12/tiktok-carbon-footprint
Published: December 12, 2024 12:00
Average user generates greenhouse gases equal to driving an extra 123 miles in gas-powered car a year, data showsTikTok’s annual carbon footprint is probably larger than that of Greece, according to a new analysis of the social media platform’s…
Everything you need to know about Donald Trump’s new top team
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/dec/12/hear-here-trumps-terms-podcast
Published: December 12, 2024 09:45
Plus: in the final edition of Hear Here, we round up five of the best experimental podcasts, and five more to keep you thinkingIf time flies when you’re having fun, then creating this newsletter is a blast. Nearly two-and-a-half years of writing these…
‘It’s a pure form of gambling’: memecoins boom after Trump election
Published: December 12, 2024 07:00
‘Hawk tuah girl’ Haliey Welch’s coin fails amid new wave of hype around crypto-related assetsIt is a parable for the attention economy. A celebrity created entirely by social media, “hawk tuah girl” Haliey Welch, helps launch a crypto asset that stokes a…
Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp affected by global Meta outage
Published: December 11, 2024 20:04
Social media giant says it is ‘aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps’Meta has said it has suffered a global outage, with some users facing issues using the social media apps Instagram and Facebook, and the…
Dollars from doughnuts: Krispy Kreme online orders disrupted in cyper-attack
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/11/krispy-kreme-cyber-attack
Published: December 11, 2024 17:42
Doughnut maker said it was investigating attack, which affects its online operations but not in-person salesKrispy Kreme is struggling to meet online orders of its doughnuts, after a cybersecurity attack that continues to disrupt the company’s operations…
From X to Bluesky: why are people fleeing Elon Musk’s ‘digital town square’?
Published: December 11, 2024 05:00
Musk’s platform has lost 2.7 million active US users in two months, while its rival has gained 2.5 millionA mass departure from Elon Musk’s X has led to the site losing about 2.7 million active Apple and Android users in the US in two months, with its…
Marvel Rivals review – discomfitingly slick hero shooter makes you worry about gaming’s future
Published: December 10, 2024 10:00
PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox; NetEase GamesIt’s Overwatch with Marvel characters, and it’s well-made and fun to play – but Marvel Rivals is also so devoid of new ideas that it leaves a nasty aftertasteThe history of video games is, to an extent, a history of…
Tesla lobbied UK to strengthen rules on carbon emissions from cars and lorries
Published: December 10, 2024 06:00
Elon Musk carmaker pushed for British government to introduce rules for HGVs, as it readies Semi truckTesla lobbied the UK government to strengthen rules on carbon emissions from cars and lorries, according to documents that also show the electric carmaker…
‘What does AI mean?’: Amazon reveals UK’s most asked Alexa questions of 2024
Published: December 10, 2024 00:01
From football to food to Taylor Swift, many of the most common subjects were what you expect – but others less soVirtual assistant units have become a staple in many UK households, telling people whether it is expected to rain, what the time is, and what…
OpenAI makes AI video generator Sora publicly available in US
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/09/openai-ai-video-generator-sora-publicly-available
Published: December 9, 2024 21:24
Firm announces tool that can create AI video clip based on user’s written prompts will be available to anyone in the USAnyone in the US can now use OpenAI’s artificial intelligence video generator, Sora, which the company announced on Monday would become…
Nvidia shares fall as China launches antitrust investigation into company
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/09/china-nvidia-antitrust-investigation
Published: December 9, 2024 17:57
Tech corporation suspected of violating anti-monopoly law after Washington’s latest curbs on Chinese chip sectorChina said on Monday it had launched an investigation into Nvidia over suspected violations of the country’s anti-monopoly law, in a move widely…
Google unveils ‘mindboggling’ quantum computing chip
Published: December 9, 2024 16:00
Chip takes minutes to complete tasks that would otherwise take 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 yearsIt measures just 4cm squared but it possesses almost inconceivable speed.Google has built a computing chip that takes just five minutes to complete tasks…
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review – whip-smart, fascist-fighting, open-world adventuring
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/dec/09/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-review
Published: December 9, 2024 15:26
The archeologist heads to Vatican City and the Egyptian Pyramids in this unconventional blockbuster, for lots of cleverly designed stealth, combat and puzzle-solving funMaking an Indiana Jones game today seems like a straightforward endeavour: you take…
Is doom scrolling really rotting our brains? The evidence is getting harder to ignore | Siân Boyle
Published: December 9, 2024 06:00
‘Brain rot’ is the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year – a fitting choice, given the startling impact the internet is having on our grey matter If you want to witness the last vestiges of human intellect swirling down the drain, hold your nose and…
‘It shouldn’t be that easy’: inside the illegal wildlife trade booming on social media
Published: December 9, 2024 05:00
Social media sites have become crucial tools for the sale of endangered species and platforms should do more to combat it, say expertsWhen the baby parrots were delivered to Alice Soares de Oliveira’s desk they had no feathers and could barely open their…