Technology Archives

A smart city uses data and AI to run services. A new UN toolbox sets rules to keep residents in charge, drawing on Helsinki, eThekwini and Rotterdam.

Technology

New York Bans AI Chatbots From Flattering Children

New York will ban AI chatbots from flattering children from 2027. Psychologists and anthropologists explain what constant praise can do to young people.

An empty open-plan office with rows of desks, chairs and computer monitors and no people

Technology

Delaware Wants Firms Run by AI Agents. Argentina Tried First

Delaware's draft law would let companies be run by AI agents. A House inquiry asks who pays for harm, as Argentina's similar bill stalls.

Rows of white server cabinets in a data centre

Business

Meta Seeks $97.5bn and Anthropic Files for IPO as AI’s Bill Moves to Investors

Meta seeks up to $97.5bn in new shares as its cash flow turns negative, the Anthropic IPO filing shows $16.3bn revenue and Microsoft offers 60,000 exits.

A man, woman and child sitting on a sofa, each looking at a mobile phone

Technology

One Digital Day, 10 Working Days of Privacy Small Print

One ordinary day's privacy small print would take a UK family 83 hours to read, Web3 Foundation finds, as regulators rethink consent.

A large grey electrical transformer with pipes and cables in a power substation

Technology

Grid Queues Now Exceed Peak Demand From Texas to the UK

An IEA report for the G7 finds grid queues exceed peak demand in Texas, Virginia, Finland and the UK, as homes and factories compete with data centres.

Technology

China Plans Export Controls on AI and Solar Tech

China's draft export controls cover 23 AI technologies and 12 solar manufacturing processes, from perovskite cells to thin wafers. Comments close 15 November.

Aisle between rows of server racks in a data centre

Business

AI Spending Lifts World Growth to 3.1%. Just 32 Countries Share 95% of It

The IMF lifted its world growth forecast to 3.1% as AI investment offsets the oil shock. Just 32 countries now supply 95% of global growth.

Money

A Blackout Cut Card Spending 41%. Europe Plans Offline Payments

Every new Mastercard in Europe must support offline card payments from 2027, as central banks and regulators prepare for blackouts and IT outages.

Delivery riders in blue helmets beside scooters loaded with blue insulated delivery boxes on a shopping street

Employment

China Drafts Labour Rules for Gig Workers and Their Algorithms

China's draft rules would give gig workers pay floors, rest breaks and limits on algorithmic decisions. How they compare with the EU, UK and Spain.

Technology

Ofcom Tests Its Pre-Launch Safety Rule on Meta’s Instagram Instants

Ofcom is investigating whether Meta assessed risks to children before launching Instagram Instants, as US states settle and Washington backs self-policing.

A woman covers her face with her hands as a blurred crowd moves past her

Health

The Old Causes of Death Are Retreating. Dementia and Anxiety Are Rising

WHO data show infections now cause under half of deaths in low-income countries, as dementia and anxiety rise. New causes of death call for care and prevention.

Employers Blame AI for 120,000 US Job Cuts. Entry-Level Hiring Takes the Hit

Employment

Employers Blame AI for 120,000 US Job Cuts. Entry-Level Hiring Falls

AI job cuts in the US have passed 120,000 this year. Data from the US, UK, Canada and Australia shows the impact falling on young workers' hiring.

Technology

EU Labelling For Power-Hungry Data Centres

The European Commission has adopted a rating scheme for EU data centres. Every site above 500kW will carry a label, and the first reported figures show a sector reusing 1.8% of its heat.

Technology

California Orders an AI Kill Switch as the Labs Ask to Slow Down

California orders frontier AI firms to build a kill switch and host auditors as AI leaders urge a slowdown and the US and China discuss AI alerts.

Health

A $3.60 Test Is Moving TB Diagnosis Out of the Laboratory

Portable molecular tests that work inside a village clinic are reaching 13 countries. A new $10 million commitment pays for the part that usually fails, which is getting health systems to switch.

Technology

US president’s AI security executive order emphasizes cyber oversight over privacy

President Trump signed a new executive order on artificial intelligence on 2 June 2026. The order is titled "Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security." It focuses on cybersecurity and national security rather than privacy or consumer protection.