Month: May 2026

Scotland’s ‘green datacentres’ policy ignores emissions impact of AI, analysis shows

Definition of green facilities made in 2022, before release of ChatGPT, says Action to Protect Rural Scotland A Scottish government policy designed to encourage datacentres to build in Scotland could lead to a massive volume of carbon emissions being ignored, according to an analysis by a Scottish charity. “Green datacentres” are at the heart of …

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The devil owns Amazon: big tech has infiltrated the fashion world – will we see a revolt?

Anna Wintour has welcomed the Bezoses – and their patronage – with open arms. But after a controversial Met Gala, industry insiders are less enthusiastic The press conference for the Met Costume Institute’s spring exhibition is always a stately affair, but this year it was giving “feudal lady addresses her serfs” or perhaps “Marie Antoinette …

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I avoid AI tools because thinking is supposed to be hard. It’s what makes us human | Wendy Liu

As intelligence itself becomes privatised by big tech, allowing your intellectual faculties to wither in service of inane bots seems a dangerous move Long before the age of multi-billion-dollar AI companies promising to disrupt the field of software development, I was learning to code the hard way. It was the mid-2000s, and I was a …

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‘AI washing’: firms are scrambling to rebrand themselves as tech-focused

PR executives say UK companies are forcing them to present ordinary automation as artificial intelligence UK companies are performing “yoga-level” stretches to describe themselves as AI specialists in an attempt to capitalise on the buzz around the technology, public relations firms have said. Weary communications executives tasked with securing media coverage for brands have complained …

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‘We’re expanding the cinematic toolbox’: AI fault lines on show at Cannes

Darren Aronofsky among proponents of using technology, while Guillermo del Toro says he would ‘rather die’ Under a white marquee on Cannes’ Croisette beach, with the Mediterranean glistening behind him and superyachts drifting across the horizon, the director Darren Aronofsky addressed an audience of executives and tech evangelists gathered for an “AI for Talent” summit. …

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‘You can’t control everything’: the rise in plastic surgeons asked to create ‘AI face’

Growing numbers of people are seeking improbable cosmetic surgery based on chatbots’ recommendations Plastic surgeons are increasingly concerned about the rise of “AI face”, as more and more clients arrive in their offices with unrealistic AI-generated visions of what they want to look like. Dr Nora Nugent, a cosmetic surgeon from Tunbridge Wells, has seen …

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Final frontier for meds? UK startup sends drug-making into space

BioOrbit hopes drug-crystallisation technology will lead to self-injected cancer treatment that could save millions Onboard a SpaceX flight last week was a remarkable piece of cargo – a hi-tech box destined for the International Space Station to grow ultra-pure protein crystals, with the aim of producing self-injected cancer drugs. A British startup, BioOrbit, has developed …

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Palantir hits back at Sadiq Khan after £50m contract with Met police blocked

London mayor accused of ‘putting politics above public safety’ for rejecting deal to use AI in intelligence analysis UK politics live – latest updates Palantir has accused Sadiq Khan of “putting politics above public safety” after the London mayor blocked its £50m contract with the Metropolitan police in a move that has also led to …

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Instagram, X and others blocking Saudi dissidents’ accounts

US social media firms acting on orders from Middle East kingdom accused of being ‘instruments of repression’ Major US social media companies including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have blocked the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders by Saudi authorities. Those affected include Abdullah Alaoudh, …

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