AI

AI is reshaping how businesses, governments and creative industries operate, and this hub tracks the debates, breakthroughs and mishaps that come with that shift. It covers the technology's expanding footprint, from data centre investment and enterprise infrastructure spending to proposals for automating public sector roles, alongside the cultural pushback over AI's place in art and creative work.

It also follows the growing scrutiny of AI safety and accountability, including research into how models behave when given autonomy, scrutiny of their security vulnerabilities, and disagreement among experts and policymakers over how tightly the technology should be regulated. Legal and ethical stumbles, such as fabricated evidence in court filings or missteps in how AI systems interact with the public, feature regularly too.

Taken together, the coverage reflects a technology moving faster than the institutions meant to oversee it, making it essential reading for anyone trying to understand what AI means for their job, their rights and the wider world around them.

Audible adds character guides, AI conversations and book location features

October 1, 2026

Audible has announced three features intended to make audiobooks more immersive as it faces growing competition from Spotify. They let listeners follow characters, take part in AI-powered story interactions and explore images or extra information about places mentioned in a book. The character guide launches with Audible’s new production of *Dracula*, showing speakers in real…
MI5 warns UK universities over China-linked research funding and espionage risks

October 1, 2026

MI5 has issued a public warning that a Chinese state research body, which it links to China’s Ministry of State Security, has funded UK university research in areas that could strengthen espionage capabilities. It says universities must end arrangements with the body to avoid breaching the National Security Act, which could expose academics to prosecution.…
Satlyt secures $8m to develop AI computing software for satellites

October 1, 2026

Satlyt, a start-up founded by former Google and SpaceX product manager Rama Afullo, has raised $8 million to develop software that runs AI on satellites. It aims to let spacecraft from different operators share computing work in orbit, creating an open, cloud-like service without building its own satellites. The company has flown its software on…
Trump’s super intelligence proposal fuels surge in Slovenia domain registrations

October 1, 2026

Slovenia’s official domain registry recorded an unprecedented surge in registrations for .si website addresses after US President Donald Trump proposed calling artificial intelligence “super intelligence”, or SI. The initials match Slovenia’s internet domain suffix, though the registry says it is cautious about attributing the whole increase to Trump’s remarks. Register.si spokesperson Klara Herman said 44,000…
Iran denies RAF Fairford terror link as Putin presses Ukraine invasion

October 1, 2026

Iran denies involvement in suspected terror incident near RAF Fairford as Putin shows no sign of stepping back from Russia’s Ukraine invasion. Women comprise just 16 per cent of the UK cybersecurity workforce.
ChatGPT and Grok altered images to remove Muslim women’s hijabs

October 1, 2026

The Guardian tested leading AI chatbots to determine if they would remove hijabs from images of Muslim women when prompted. Some complied with this request, demonstrating how these tools can violate the religious dignity of Muslim women. The investigation was sparked by a French far-right politician who used image-editing technology to remove a hijab and…
Second recording given to police investigating assault allegations against Swans players

October 1, 2026

A second secret recording has been handed to Victoria Police as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that three adult entertainers were sexually assaulted by Sydney Swans players during post-match celebrations in Melbourne on August 17. The case has attracted significant public attention and prompted the suspension of five Swans players from the club…
French pro skier Juliette Willmann dies in Patagonian avalanche aged 29

October 1, 2026

Professional skier Juliette Willmann, 29, died after an avalanche swept her and her newlywed husband down Cerro Creston in Argentina’s Patagonian Andes. Her husband, Pierre-Idris Mehdi, survived and was evacuated for treatment; her death is under investigation. The avalanche struck at about 12.30pm on Tuesday, carrying the couple roughly 1,312 feet from a starting elevation…
Zimbra flaw breaches email servers; Huawei overtakes Nvidia in China

October 1, 2026

A critical Zimbra vulnerability is being exploited to steal corporate emails and credentials. Huawei claims its Ascend processors have overtaken Nvidia in China’s chip market.
California’s new law bans companies from relying on AI to fire workers

October 1, 2026

California has enacted new legislation to protect workers from AI-powered layoffs and surveillance. Governor Gavin Newsom announced these laws, which prohibit employers from solely relying on AI to make disciplinary or termination decisions, whilst requiring companies to provide transparency if mass layoffs or relocations are driven by AI systems. The legislation also protects against surveillance…