Games which feature loot boxes will soon be given an age rating of 16 across Europe, including in the UK, under a host of changes by the European video game ratings organisation. The Pan-European Game Information body (PEGI)'s age ratings are displayed on games sold in the UK and other countries in Europe to indicate their suitability for children of different ages. Loot boxes are an in-game feature allowing players to buy random mystery items with real or virtual currency, but recent research has found they blur the line between gaming and gambling. The new ratings, taking effect from June, could see games containing loot box systems, such as EA Sports FC, receive a much higher age rating. The PEGI system is used in 38 countries to help consumers and particularly parents make informed decisions about the games they purchase.

New photography book takes readers on a journey down the world's longest river. Magnificent frigate birds (Fregata magnificens) make long foraging trips far over the Atlantic Ocean. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. The vital Amazon River is a lifeline for flora and fauna alike. The mighty river is celebrated in a new book, .

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Plastic pollution is one of those problems everyone can see, yet few know how to tackle it effectively. I grew up walking the beaches around Tramore in County Waterford, Ireland, where plastic debris has always been part of the coastline, including bottles, fragments of fishing gear and food packaging. According to the UN, every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic lands up in lakes, rivers and seas, and it has a huge impact on ecosystems, creating pollution and damaging animal habitats. Community groups do tremendous work cleaning these beaches, but they're essentially walking blind, guessing where plastic accumulates, missing hot spots, repeating the same stretches while problem areas may go untouched. Years later, working in marine robotics at the University of Limerick, I began developing tools to support marine clean-up and help communities find plastic pollution along our coastline.

Though the US military's big data initiative Maven has sped up the planning of strikes for years, the comments suggest that generative AI is now adding a new interpretative layer to such deliberations. The US military might use generative AI systems to rank lists of targets and make recommendations--which would be vetted by humans--about which to strike first, according to a Defense Department official with knowledge of the matter. The disclosure about how the military may use AI chatbots comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny over a strike on an Iranian school, which it is still investigating. A list of possible targets might be fed into a generative AI system that the Pentagon is fielding for classified settings. Then, said the official, who requested to speak on background with to discuss sensitive topics, humans might ask the system to analyze the information and prioritize the targets while accounting for factors like where aircraft are currently located. Humans would then be responsible for checking and evaluating the results and recommendations.

Could Iran be using China's BeiDou system? The Stream Can AI in military operations really be ethical? We examine concerns about AI's role in military operations and the broader ethical challenges facing tech companies. Amid growing backlash against ChatGPT and OpenAI, including social media campaigns calling for a boycott, we examine whether so-called "ethical alternatives" truly live up to their claims. We also explore emerging initiatives seeking to challenge Big Tech's dominance and develop more accountable AI systems.

British forces based in Iraq shot down two Iranian drones overnight, Defence Secretary John Healey has said. But some drones in the attack hit the coalition base in the Iraqi city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, and injured a number of US troops. There were no British casualties. Brigadier Guy Foden said the base and another in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad were struck a number of times on Wednesday night and British personnel are currently in Erbil helping to defend that base. Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, US bases in Iraq have been targeted in retaliation.

Writing tool Grammarly has disabled an AI feature which mimicked personas of prominent writers, including Stephen King and scientist Carl Sagan, following a backlash from people impersonated. The Expert Review function, which offered writing feedback inspired by the styles of famous authors and academics, was taken down this week by Superhuman, the tech firm which runs Grammarly. The feature was met with resistance, including a multi-million dollar lawsuit, from writers who found their names and reputations used as AI personas without their consent. Shishir Mehrotra, the firm's chief executive, apologised on LinkedIn, acknowledging the tool had misrepresented the voices of experts. Investigative journalist Julia Angwin, a New York Times contributing opinion writer, is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed against Superhuman and Grammarly in the Southern District of New York.

This year's Bafta Games Awards nominations have been released, and the unstoppable Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the front-runner once again. The role-playing adventure, made by French developer Sandfall Interactive, received 12 nominations in total, including best game, best music and best narrative. Having already swept the board at several video game award ceremonies, Expedition 33 was widely expected to feature heavily in this year's Bafta list. But, in a ceremony which aims to celebrate multimillion-dollar productions and independent games made by tiny teams, there are also some surprising inclusions and omissions. Expedition 33's 12 nominations is not a record for Bafta. In 2023, God of War Ragnarok was up for 14 awards - although it lost out on best game to independent game Vampire Survivors.

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