Technology

Can autonomous AI-powered killer drones take morality onboard?
Posted on Wednesday June 03, 2026

While the technology is set to play a growing role in modern warfare, there remains an unresolved ethical challenge

Should the AI-powered drones of the future have a licence to kill? The question is becoming ever more pressing as governments and the defence industry acknowledge that drone systems will play an increasingly crucial role in future warfare.

With drones being deployed in huge numbers in the Ukraine war and AI being used to assist bombing missions in the Iran conflict, there is an expectation among some observers that weapons will have to operate with increased operational autonomy, which means they will need something approximating a moral framework.

Martin Scorsese accused of ‘throwing artists under bus’ with AI storyboards
Posted on Wednesday June 03, 2026

The director defends investment in and use of AI-generated storyboards, saying the immediacy of communicating his vision to cast and crew is ‘creatively freeing’

Martin Scorsese’s announcement that he has invested in an AI company and uses the technology to create storyboards has triggered a backlash from fellow members of the film industry.

The New York Times reported that Scorsese had been appointed in 2025 as a partner and adviser to Black Forest Labs, a German-based venture that specialises in text-to-image generative AI.

UK media websites given power to block Google using their articles in AI search
Posted on Wednesday June 03, 2026

Watchdog makes ruling on search summaries after publishers complain about drop in click-through traffic and revenue

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Online publishers and news organisations are now able to block their content from appearing in Google’s AI summaries in UK search results, the British competition watchdog has announced.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the new requirement would “put publishers, like news organisations, in a stronger position to negotiate content deals with Google”.

As the tech mega-IPO race heats up, has OpenAI missed its moment?
Posted on Wednesday June 03, 2026

With rivals racing to market to raise ‘eye-popping sums’, the spotlight is now on the AI sector’s one-time ‘poster child’

A year is a long time in AI. Just 12 months ago, Sam Altman was predicting his company OpenAI would build a super intelligence and fundamentally remake society. Now the boss of the ChatGPT developer is walking back those ideas after failing to make money from ads and erotic chatbots.

Meanwhile, rivals are storming ahead with plans to expand and go public on the stock market, in what is widely expected to be a season of record-setting initial public offerings (IPOs).

Hackers trick Meta AI support bot to infiltrate Obama White House Instagram account
Posted on Monday June 01, 2026

Breach of high-profile accounts raises concerns about reliance on AI for security measures such as passwords

Hackers used Meta’s AI-powered support chatbot to infiltrate high-profile Instagram accounts, the company has confirmed, saying it resolved the problem after researchers exposed it.

The targets ranged from Barack Obama’s White House account to the beauty retailer Sephora and the US Space Force chief master sergeant, John Bentivegna, according to reporting from 404 Media. Everyday users complained of similar hijackings on Reddit and X over the weekend.

Google owner Alphabet to sell $80bn in stock to fund AI spending spree
Posted on Tuesday June 02, 2026

Markets take note as world’s biggest equity fundraiser bids to garner more money than three biggest-ever IPOs combined

Kenneth Rogoff: will AI create a permanent underclass?

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has said it plans to raise up to $80bn (£59bn) in equity to fund its vast artificial intelligence infrastructure investments, raising further questions over the economics of the AI boom.

The move, the largest equity fundraising ever according to analysts, includes a $10bn share sale to the US investment group Berkshire Hathaway, which was led until last year by Warren Buffett.

Florida lawsuit accuses OpenAI of ignoring safety warnings and putting children at risk
Posted on Monday June 01, 2026

State sues maker of ChatGPT and CEO Sam Altman, alleging company ‘allowed a dangerous product to reach millions’

Florida filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and its CEO, Sam Altman, on Monday alleging that the company concealed serious safety risks with its chatbot. Florida is the first US state to sue the artificial intelligence company.

The 83-page suit was brought by Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, and alleges that OpenAI “aggressively marketed” ChatGPT to the public while ignoring safety warnings and possible dangers of the product.