Technology

Apple launches the iPhone into the AI era with free software update

Apple has released a free software update that will inject its first dose of artificial intelligence into its iPhone 16 line-up as the trendsetting company tries to catch up with technology’s latest craze.

British man sentenced to 18 years for using AI to make child sexual abuse imagery

Fitness app Strava gives away location of Biden, Trump and other leaders, French newspaper says

Italian politicians express alarm at latest data breach allegedly affecting 800,000 citizens

Biden calls out Musk over a published report that the Tesla CEO once worked in the US illegally

Artificial Intelligence

Researchers say an AI-powered transcription tool used in hospitals invents things no one ever said

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GARANCE BURKE, HILKE SCHELLMANN

An AI chatbot pushed a teen to kill himself, a lawsuit against its creator alleges

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Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

With a domain name like .ai, this tiny island is cashing in

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One Tech Tip

One Tech Tip: How to get around Instagram’s new limits on political content

One Tech Tip: How to spot AI-generated deepfake images

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KELVIN CHAN, ALI SWENSON

One Tech Tip: Change these settings on X to limit calls and hide your IP address

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

One Tech Tip: Don’t use rice for your device. Here’s how to dry out your smartphone

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Influenced

How social media became a storefront for deadly fake pills

Fentanyl overdoses have become a leading cause of death for minors in the last 5 years or so — and social media, where tainted, fake prescription drugs can be obtained with just a few clicks, is part of the problem.

Young girls are using anti-aging products they see on social media. The harm is more than skin deep

Life as a teen without social media isn’t easy. These families are navigating adolescence offline

In their own words: What young people wish they’d known about social media

A realistic way to protect kids from social media? Find a middle ground

Latest news

Delta sues cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike over tech outage that canceled flights

Delta Air Lines is suing the cybersecurity firm that has been blamed for causing a global technology outage this summer.

AP sources: Chinese hackers targeted phones of Trump, Vance, people associated with Harris campaign

Chinese hackers targeted cellphones used by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, his running mate, JD Vance, and people associated with the Democratic campaign of Kamala Harris.

One Tech Tip: How to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Most people have accumulated a pile of data on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes.

Polish radio station abandons use of AI ‘presenters’ following outcry

A Polish radio station says it has ended an “experiment” that involved using AI-generated “presenters” instead of real journalists after the move sparked an outcry.

Autonomous tech is coming to farming. What will it mean for crops and workers who harvest them?

Autonomous tech is coming to farming. From self-driving tractors to fruit-picking robots, a growing number of technology companies are bringing automation to agriculture.

What to stream: Tyler, the Creator, ‘The Substance,’ Olivia Rodrigo concert film and ‘The Diplomat’

“The Substance” and albums by Willie Nelson and Tyler, the Creator are some of this week’s new streaming entertainment releases.

In Beirut, a photographer’s frozen moments slow down time and allow the contemplation of destruction

We watch video after video, consuming the world on our handheld devices in bites of two minutes, one minute, 30 seconds, 15.

Elon Musk says the real threat to democracy is the people who accuse Trump of endangering it

Tech mogul Elon Musk is playing down the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. At a town hall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night, he said people “who say Trump is a threat to democracy are themselves a threat to democracy.”

American Airlines tests boarding technology that audibly shames line cutters

American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the country during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to jump the line.

Microsoft fires employees who organized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza

Microsoft has fired two employees who organized an unauthorized vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza during Israel’s yearlong war with Hamas.

Alex Jones fighting attempt to sell his social media account rights in Infowars auction

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is seeking to protect his personal social media accounts from being sold in the upcoming auction of his Infowars media platform to pay more than $1 billion he owes relatives of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The ‘Black Insurrectionist’ was actually white. The deception did not stop there

“Black Insurrectionist,” the anonymous social media persona behind some of the most widely circulated conspiracy theories about Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, can be traced to a white man from upstate New York.

After 20 years at the top of chess, Magnus Carlsen is making his next move

Few chess players have produced the magic commodity which separates Norway’s Magnus Carlsen from any of his peers: celebrity.

AI-generated child sexual abuse images are spreading. Law enforcement is racing to stop them

Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are cracking down on the troubling spread of child sexual abuse imagery created through artificial intelligence technology.

Nigeria releases American crypto executive after dropping money laundering case

An American cryptocurrency executive held in Nigeria for the past eight months has been released after authorities there announced that they were ending his money laundering trial on health and diplomatic grounds.

LinkedIn hit with 310 million euro fine for data privacy violations from Irish watchdog

European Union regulators have slapped LinkedIn with a 310 million euro fine for violations of the bloc’s stringent data privacy rules.

Russia amplified hurricane disinformation to drive Americans apart, researchers find

New research shows Russia has worked to amplify false and misleading claims about the U.S. government’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate Americans before the Nov. 5 election.

New rules for US national security agencies balance AI’s promise with need to protect against risks

New rules from the White House on the use of artificial intelligence by U.S. national security and spy agencies aim to balance the technology’s promise with the need to protect against its risks.

Intel scores fresh win against EU after top court backs annulment of billion-euro antitrust fine

Chipmaker Intel has won a fresh victory in a long-running battle against European Union competition watchdogs after the bloc’s top court confirmed a lower tribunal’s decision to overturn a billion-euro antitrust penalty.

Apple and Goldman Sachs must pay $89 million for mishandling Apple Card transactions, CFPB orders

A federal regulator has ordered Apple and Goldman Sachs to pay a combined $89 million for deceiving consumers and mishandled Apple Card customers’ transaction.

Efforts by Russia, Iran and China to sway US voters may escalate, new Microsoft report says

A new threat intelligence report from Microsoft says foreign adversaries have showed continued determination to influence the U.S. election and there are signs their activity will intensify as Election Day nears.

Tim Burton talks about his dread of AI as an exhibition of his work opens in London

The imagination of Tim Burton has produced ghosts and ghouls, Martians, monsters and misfits. All are on display at an exhibition that is opening in London just in time for Halloween.

Local news sources are still drying up, but there’s growth in digital sites in metro areas

Newspapers in the United States closed at the rate of more than two per week during 2023. That continues a disconcerting slide in the industry that has been steady for more than two decades.

Polish radio station replaces journalists with AI ‘presenters’

A Polish radio station has stirred up controversy after dismissing its journalists and relaunching this week with AI-generated “presenters.”

Kuwait bans ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' video game, likely over it featuring Saddam Hussein in 1990s

The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.

Carbon removal industry calls on U.S. government for regulation in new industry report

The nascent industry for removing carbon dioxide directly from the air is calling on the U.S. government to adopt standards and regulations to boost confidence in the business.

Hong Kong bars services like WhatsApp and Google Drive from government computers

The Hong Kong government is barring most civil servants from using popular apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and Google Drive on their work computers due to potential security risks.

Parents of Massachusetts high schooler disciplined for using AI sue school

The parents of a high school senior in Massachusetts argued in federal court in Boston that their son was unfairly punished for using artificial intelligence while researching a history project, harming his prospects for acceptance to an elite college.

ABBA, Radiohead and The Cure musicians sign AI protest letter against ‘unlicensed use’ of works

Musicians from ABBA, Radiohead and The Cure have joined actors and authors in signing a protest letter against the mining of their artistry to build artificial intelligence tools.

First California project to bury climate-warming gases wins key approval

In a major step toward California’s first effort to bury climate-warming gases underground, Kern County’s Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved a project on a sprawling oil and gas field.

Big offshore wind project proposed for New York as other sites are evaluated in 3 states

Offshore wind energy projects in New York, New Jersey and Maryland are moving forward, as federal regulators examine the proposals and opponents increase their legal challenges to the work.

Russia is behind viral disinformation targeting Walz, intelligence official says

A senior U.S. intelligence official says viral online content spreading baseless attacks on Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz was created by Russia.

‘Blade Runner 2049' producers sue Elon Musk and Tesla over AI image at robotaxi event

A film production company that helped make “Blade Runner 2049” has sued Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk for using an AI-generated image resembling a scene from the science fiction movie to market Tesla’s new robotaxis.