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NHTSA probes Tesla’s safety certification of fully autonomous Cybercab
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into how Tesla self-certified its Cybercab robotaxi, just hours after the vehicle began commercial operation on the streets of Austin, Texas. The probe centres on the Cybercab’s lack of conventional manual controls, such as a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator or mirrors, and…
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‘Mistrust’ of Palantir may affect NHS research, says health minister
The health innovation minister, James Frith, has warned that public “mistrust” of Palantir could undermine NHS research, after new figures showed a surge in patients opting out of sharing their medical data. The comments come as the government weighs whether to terminate Palantir’s £330m contract to run the NHS’s federated data platform, amid pressure from…
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New Mexico erupts at Trump’s plan to rename state ‘New America’ with Spanish insult and ‘coloring book’ jab
Donald Trump reignited controversy over the Labor Day weekend by posting an AI-altered image on social media suggesting New Mexico be renamed “New America”, prompting furious backlash from the state’s Democratic politicians. The post, shared without comment from his Bedminster golf resort, followed a pattern of similar provocations from the president, including his earlier renaming…
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‘Godfather of AI’ warns superintelligent systems could ‘lead to human extinction’ – as he calls for the government to ban their development
Geoffrey Hinton, the British-Canadian computer scientist known as the “godfather of AI” for his pioneering work on neural networks, has warned that superintelligent artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity. He argues that developing AI systems more powerful than any individual, company or nation would be reckless given the lack of scientific consensus…
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‘It’s been wall-to-wall aggravation’: F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, 95, speaks out after being stopped for illegally carrying shotgun on his jet ‘to go clay-pigeon shooting’
Bernie Ecclestone, the 95-year-old Formula One supremo, was stopped at Tires Aerodrome near Cascais, Portugal, after landing his private jet from Switzerland with an undeclared shotgun that he says was intended for clay-pigeon shooting. He described the encounter with officials as “wall-to-wall aggravation”, saying he was held for hours after failing to produce the required…
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Architect of UK’s AI policy quits after Anthropic conflict of interest concerns
Matt Clifford has been forced to step down as chair of the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) after MPs raised concerns that his new full-time role at Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI firm behind Claude, represented a “clear conflict of interest”. Clifford had tried to retain both positions simultaneously, with Anthropic saying he…
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Chris Langham, Thick of It actor, dies at 77
Chris Langham, the actor and writer best known for playing hapless government minister Hugh Abbot in the BBC political satire The Thick of It, has died of pancreatic cancer aged 77. His career was defined by both notable comic achievement and disgrace: after early success he was jailed in 2007 for downloading child pornography, an…
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Thanks to South Park, Trump Finally Got His Emmy
South Park has secured Donald Trump the Emmy Award he had long complained about missing out on. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone won Outstanding Animated Program at Sunday night’s Creative Arts Emmys for the show’s 28th season, which depicted a president with a tiny penis who impregnates Satan, adding an extra layer of mockery…
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Government halts council reorganisation decisions following new legal advice
The UK government has withdrawn decisions on flagship local government reorganisation schemes and launched a review of its plans after receiving new legal advice. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the pause is intended to ensure the process is robust and lawful, and comes amid growing resistance from councils, at least eight…