Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Who owns AI risk at work? Business and tech leaders can't agree, PwC survey finds PwC research highlights a growing need for someone to own AI. Is an AI chief the answer? Charlie Osborne is a cybersecurity journalist and photographer who writes for ZDNET and CNET from London. PwC reveals business leaders can't agree on who is responsible for AI.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton during CNN's California Gubernatorial Debate on Wednesday in CNN's studio in Burbank. The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .

While Gemini 4 has performed well on benchmarks widely used to gauge model efficacy, it does less well when employees actually put it to work, according to people with direct access to the effort. Alphabet's Google has begun rolling out Gemini 4 Argon, its long-awaited flagship artificial intelligence model, but the company is grappling with internal skepticism over how well it performs in key areas, such as coding. Google unveiled the model Wednesday to a small group of trusted cybersecurity partners and said it would expand access after additional testing, starting with paid subscribers. The company said Gemini 4 posted leading scores on several benchmark tests, including beating OpenAI's Astra model on one that measures security skills. But some insiders say those metrics don't tell the whole story.

Abdul El-Sayed holds a slim 1-point edge over Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate race, according to a new poll. Concerns about both candidates keep the contest tight.

In her new book on biological warfare, Annie Jacobsen didn't even discuss AI because scientists can already warp Mother Nature to create extinction-level events. We've been hearing a great deal recently about the specter of AI-driven human extinction . Maybe our misplaced trust in AI intelligence will set off World War III . Or AI agents will unleash widespread cyberattacks and take over the internet. Given too much autonomy, the machines will run amok. They may seek to deceive their creators--wait, that's already happened . Suppose they conclude, like Agent Smith in, that "human beings are a plague, and we are the cure." Or perhaps the chatbots help bad humans unleash a literal plague--a biological weapon .

The practice of editing the genes of embryos remains highly controversial and risky, but Origin Genomics founder Cathy Tie argues its a "moral imperative" to address hereditary diseases. When the Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced in 2018 that he had created the first gene-edited babies, the experiment was widely condemned as reckless and premature. It ended with He in prison. But that hasn't stopped the push for gene-edited human embryos, with biotech entrepreneur Cathy Tie arguing that doing so isn't just urgent--it's a "moral imperative." Tie is the 30-year-old founder of Origin Genomics, a company that launched in March with plans to bring gene-edited embryos to IVF clinics.

Pearson's Workera deal targets a big workplace problem: No time to AI upskill Pearson has agreed to acquire Workera to help businesses assess employees' AI skills and target training where it's needed most. Kayla Solino is a ZDNET Editor based in New York City and New Jersey. Pearson will acquire the AI skills platform Workera in H2 2026. A recent Workera report in ZDNET indicated gaps in AI upskilling. Together, the firms hope to develop the future of AI skills training.

Disaster response an'urgent issue,' says new land minister Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Tatsunori Ibayashi answers questions during an interview in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Wednesday. New Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Tatsunori Ibayashi on Wednesday pledged to respond to heavy rain and other natural disasters with a sense of urgency. Disaster response is an "urgent issue," Ibayashi said in an interview with media organizations, adding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has strongly instructed Cabinet ministers to prioritize countermeasures. Large-scale natural disasters, including Typhoon Dujuan, have caused significant damage recently in Japan, he said. "The types of disasters have diversified considerably."

Imagine you are driving toward an intersection. A truck parked on the corner blocks your view of a car speeding toward the intersection from the right. You can't see it, but the car next to you can. Your car now knows something its own sensors could never observe. But there's an important twist: not every neighboring vehicle is worth listening to, and not every message deserves the same level of trust.

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects In My Bag Look Up Creator Playbook Say More AI at School Safety Net Versus Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age All Series'The Swan: Behind the Mirror': Let's talk about the most WTF reveals The 2004 reality competition series was shocking then. But wait until you hear the truth from the Swans. Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers. The Swan: Behind The Mirror dives into the dark side of this demented reality TV show.