Dalrymple said there was a gap in understanding between public sector and AI companies about the power of looming breakthroughs in the technology. Dalrymple said there was a gap in understanding between public sector and AI companies about the power of looming breakthroughs in the technology. World'may not have time' to prepare for AI safety risks, says leading researcher The world "may not have time" to prepare for the safety risks posed by cutting-edge AI systems, according to a leading figure at the UK government's scientific research agency. David Dalrymple, a programme director and AI safety expert at the Aria agency, told the Guardian people should be concerned about the growing capability of the technology. "I think we should be concerned about systems that can perform all of the functions that humans perform to get things done in the world, but better," he said.

The vast datacentres required are so expensive that many are financed by debt secured against future revenue. The vast datacentres required are so expensive that many are financed by debt secured against future revenue. Sun 4 Jan 2026 07.18 ESTLast modified on Sun 4 Jan 2026 08.47 EST The US dictionary Merriam-Websterâ s word of the year for 2025 was â slopâ, which it defines as â digital content of low quality that is produced, usually in quantity, by means of artificial intelligenceâ . The choice underlined the fact that while AI is being widely embraced, not least by corporate bosses keen to cut payroll costs, its downsides are also becoming obvious. In 2026, a reckoning with reality for AI represents a growing economic risk.

Why Maduro dated wife for TWENTY years before marrying in secret... as shamed first lady's incestuous party links laid bare Maduro's brazen gestures to onlookers as he arrives at rat-infested'hell hole' prison in Brooklyn Brutal Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro dramatically'seized by US as he tried to flee to panic room' Inside the CIA's astonishing coup of Caracas: SETH HARP reveals the planning... the traitor... and how it's about to blow up in American faces Thousands trapped in paradise INDEFINITELY as Trump's Maduro arrest halts all flights to and from 19 Caribbean islands Eagle eyed viewers spot odd detail in background of Trump's Mar-a-Lago war room during Maduro strike in Venezuela Inside the glamorous Dubai life of Daniel Kinahan, head of the notorious crime family and Europe's top cocaine kingpin... as GUY ADAMS reveals how net is finally closing in on the gangster after golden decade in the Middle East Explosive warning from America's house price Nostradamus: New forecast tracking over 300 markets reveals'rare' shift... the boomtowns set to sink... and surprising winners I thought I'd found the perfect boyfriend. Then I discovered what he really wanted... Emergency exit was'always locked', bartender claims amid probe into deadly Swiss ski resort inferno I'm 38 and hotter than ever after finally silencing food noise with my simple new method... you don't need drugs or diets Female college football fan labeled a Karen for furious reaction to rival in the stands... but was she right all along? Meghan McCain, 41, joyously announces birth of third child and reveals baby's unconventional name Snitch reveals the TRUTH about Tom Brady and Alix Earle... after handsy video leaked out of St Barts NFL fans go crazy as Buccaneers player Elijah Roberts' mom crushes national anthem before huge Panthers game Taylor Swift's wedding dress at BFF Este Haim's nuptials has fans spotting secret Easter Egg Today is the busiest day of the YEAR for dating apps - here's the best time to go online If you're hoping to find love in 2026, today could be a good day to get started. January 4 is the busiest day of the year for dating app activity, with the highest number of messages and likes sent. This is largely driven by New Year's resolutions and a desire for fresh starts, leading to huge spikes in users swiping, matching and messaging.

Specially commissioned drones will be used to fly blood donations as part of a new trial. Currently, blood donations are processed in south Wales then transported by road, a journey that can take hours. The ultimate ambition of the Dragon's Heart project is to fly life-saving blood samples to the scenes of accidents using drones weighing about 55lb (25kg) and 5.5ft wide (1.7m). The pilot, which is due to start in early 2026, was described as significant and exciting by the Welsh Blood Service. A hatch in the top means the blood sits in the body of the drone, helping to control the temperature of the blood and minimise vibrations.

Inflatable tube men depicting Elon Musk are displayed during the'Tyrant Diner' protest, calling for a boycott of Tesla, outside the Tesla Diner in LA. Inflatable tube men depicting Elon Musk are displayed during the'Tyrant Diner' protest, calling for a boycott of Tesla, outside the Tesla Diner in LA. What happened after Tesla opened a diner in Los Angeles? L ess than six months since it opened, Elon Musk's Tesla Diner has the feel of a ghost town. Gone is the Optimus robot serving popcorn, gone are the carnivore-diet-inspired "Epic Bacon" strips, gone are the hours-long, hundred-person lines wrapped around the block.

Reddit is being touted as an antidote to AI-generated content. Reddit is being touted as an antidote to AI-generated content. Platform is now Britain's fourth most visited social media site as users seek out human-generated content Reddit, the online discussion platform, has overtaken TikTok as Britain's fourth most visited social media service, as search algorithms and gen Z have dramatically transformed its prominence. The platform has undergone huge growth over the last two years, with an 88% increase in the proportion of UK internet users it reaches. Three in five Brits online now encounter the site, up from a third in 2023, according to Ofcom .

Wellbeing has become such a priceless (or in many cases pricey) endeavour that we can't seem to get enough of it. Last year, we were mainlining magnesium, consuming creatine - a muscle boosting supplement that became mainstream, and we turned to AI chatbots for help with anything from a personalised training regime to a daily meal plan. What is the multi-trillion pound industry focussing on in 2026? Several experts give us their thoughts on what's on the wellbeing agenda. If 2025 was about smashing targets at the gym, tracking runs to the second and lifting heavier and heavier weights, then this year is all about recovery.

Jessie Buckley'overwhelmed' to be starring in Oscar-tipped Hamnet The Oscar-tipped Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, is a film that shows the full range of human emotions, from elation to despair. It begins with a young William Shakespeare falling in love with Agnes (the other name by which the playwright's wife, historically referred to as Anne Hathaway, was known), and goes on to explore their immense grief after tragedy strikes their young family. But while it explores the sad origins of one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, Hamlet, it never portrays Agnes as just the playwright's wife - she is at the heart of the film. She was the full story of what I understand a woman to be, Buckley tells BBC News. And their capacity as women, and as mothers, and as lovers, and as people who have a language unto their own beside gigantic men of literature like Shakespeare.

AI teachers and cybernetics - what could the world look like in 2050? The last 25 years has seen some mind-bending technological changes. At the start of the century, most computers connected to the internet with noisy dial-up connections, Netflix was an online DVD rental company, and the vast majority of people hadn't even heard of a smartphone. Fast forward two and a half decades, and innovations in AI, robotics and much else besides are emerging at an incredible rate. So we decided to ask experts what the next 25 years could bring.

Will the start of 2026 see a change of fortune for BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton, whose title hopes are fading fast? After Sutton made a strong start to the season, AI has taken charge of the predictions title race, clinching another win last week. It's been a bad start to the new year for me, with AI top of the table, Sutton said. I also lost to my daugher Sophia at cards over Christmas. We played rummy and I think she was cheating - a lot like AI, she was definitely getting some help from somewhere. Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests. For week 20, he takes on singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin, who is a Newcastle fan.