Government
Zohran Mamdani's NYC Tech Team Is What DOGE Should Have Been
The mayor of New York City has assembled a crew of Silicon Valley and United States Digital Service veterans to overhaul city services with better software. A go-kart track is an odd location to launch a tech initiative in the nation's biggest city. Yet last month there was New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, zipping around the 900-foot oval at Coney Island's Luna Park before stepping up to a podium to unveil a program called Public Interest Technology (PIT) Crews . PIT will consist of five "game-changing" teams that, Mamdani promised, will "raise the bar for what New Yorkers can expect from City Hall." Working closely with city agencies, these small groups of engineers and designers will strive to change the hidebound and confusing tenor of current city services by using state-of-art skills to rapidly whip up specialized apps that solve real problems.
The Download: a censorship conspiracy theory and the first virus created by AI
Plus: AI has designed new viruses from scratch for the first time. The theory claimed that, under the guise of combating disinformation, a sprawling constellation of government agencies, academics, civil society groups, and Big Tech platforms was suppressing conservative and populist speech online. What began as a relatively niche conspiracy theory from the far right was able to--and continues to--influence a wide range of actions by the second Trump administration. In myriad ways, the idea of the censorship-industrial complex, or CIC, explains the logic behind how the administration operates both at home and internationally. Over the past nine months, and Type Investigations have traced how the theory came to influence the country's most powerful individuals. We found that it took off in 2023, driven by a handful of individuals, with support from a close-knit group of right-wing organizations and media outlets--and an internet activist named Mike Benz at its center.
Inside the Race to Make AI Build Itself
Follow this section to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this tag to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Follow this author to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Booth is a reporter at TIME.
How ideas of a vast censorship network moved from the online fringe to Trump policy
"Mike Benz just revealed everything," the user wrote, including "how'democracy' was redefined to silence you." This marked the first time Musk, newly installed at DOGE, had posted specifically about USAID. But Benz and Musk were already acquainted. The two had exchanged tweets and threads about censorship and other conspiracy theories for years. Only a few weeks after Benz's Rogan appearance, Musk was using the "censorship-industrial complex" language directly--and USAID was on life support.
Russian hackers can steal emails without a click
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG . Don't let fake election websites fool you before 2026 midterms Martha Reeves' 'BRUTAL' National Anthem performance goes viral'Mind-boggling' suspect at Trump golf course would approach federal agents: Ex-FBI agent Market analyst hails Chevron-Microsoft deal as a'tremendous breakthrough' AI agents spark concerns over'going rogue,' hacking companies Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.
The White House's plan to vet potentially dangerous AI is cloaked in secrecy
The White House's plan to vet potentially dangerous AI is cloaked in secrecy After months of talking with tech industry leaders, the Trump administration finalized a framework this week for how it will test new artificial intelligence models for safety and cybersecurity risks. So far, the White House is keeping details of the framework private, in a blow to transparency and potential boon for secretive AI companies. On Tuesday, staff from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, Nvidia and Microsoft attended a private meeting with White House officials to review the AI framework. Multiple outlets have since reported that although the volunteer vetting process for new AI models has been settled, the White House does not plan to release its policy publicly and will only share testing criteria with a select few tech companies. The Trump administration and tech industry's opaque process for how they will check if new AI models threaten global cybersecurity has left numerous questions about how the framework will operate.
What do cybersecurity leaders want in staff? These 3 skills beat certifications and experience
I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen What do cybersecurity leaders want in staff? Certifications and years of experience can only take you so far in cyber now. Automation means new skills are coming to the fore. AI brings new challenges for hard-working cyber staff. Talented professionals will question almost everything.
Travel scams are on the rise - from fake tour guides to AI voice clones, these are the dangers holidaymakers need to spot
You're viewing the US edition You can switch to the UK or AU homepage at any time using this menu. Queen Elizabeth's in-flight requests revealed - from a favourite drink to her secret weapon to fight jet lag The down-to-earth Cotswolds pub - serving pizzas and Negronis - that has its much fancier rivals truly'Stumped' Here's how to book with confidence and make the most of your package holiday Austria's 007 heaven: As the unveiling of the next Bond edges closer, how the film franchise's coolest attraction lets fans relive Daniel Craig's thrilling Spectre chase at 3,000M Would YOU go on a first date abroad? Singletons reveal what happened when they agreed to holiday with someone they'd just met The tiny European island with incredible beaches set for a tourism boost from The Odyssey - and it's not in Greece Is this the five-bed'secret' retreat - boasting its own pool, terrace and 60 acres - that Tom Holland and Zendaya stayed in on the lavish Beaverbrook estate after tying the knot (again)? The secret UK getaways where you can escape Britain's summer crowds, from glorious Welsh mountains to sleepy Norfolk villages Forget the overcrowded Canary Islands, this is why GREECE is the best place to visit this summer: Delicious food, gorgeous beaches, the friendliest locals. I've stayed in countless Greek hotels over the past 40 years - here are my top ten... Is this the world's most luxurious cruise ship?
Chinese AI model Moonshot Kimi K3 also escaped its testing environment
It wasn't too long ago when the idea of an AI model or agent escaping their confines and breaking into websites on their own felt alarming. Now, it has become a pretty common story. Kimi K3, one of most powerful AI models developed by a Chinese company, also escaped its testing environment. According to US cybersecurity startup Frontier, Kimi K3 broke out of a sandbox from the UK government's AI Security Institute (AISI) while its defensive cybersecurity skills were being evaluated. Moonshot launched Kimi K3 in July and made it available for free shortly thereafter.