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Deepfake 'Nudify' Technology Is Getting Darker--and More Dangerous

WIRED

Sexual deepfakes continue to get more sophisticated, capable, easy to access, and perilous for millions of women who are abused with the technology. Open the website of one explicit deepfake generator and you'll be presented with a menu of horrors. With just a couple of clicks, it offers you the ability to convert a single photo into an eight-second explicit videoclip, inserting women into realistic-looking graphic sexual situations. "Transform any photo into a nude version with our advanced AI technology," text on the website says. The options for potential abuse are extensive.


Why I'm launching a feminist video games website in 2026

The Guardian

'I knew the readers were there' Zoe Hannah and Maddy Myers (right), co-founders of feminist video games website Mothership. 'I knew the readers were there' Zoe Hannah and Maddy Myers (right), co-founders of feminist video games website Mothership. I've been a games journalist since 2007, but still there isn't much video games coverage that feels like it's specifically for people like me. W hether you're reading about the impending AI bubble bursting or about the video game industry's mass layoffs and cancelled projects, 2026 does not feel like a hopeful time for gaming. What's more, games journalists - as well as all other kinds of journalists - have been losing their jobs at alarming rates, making it difficult to adequately cover these crises.


People Are Protesting Data Centers--but Embracing the Factories That Supply Them

WIRED

As the data center backlash grows, support is growing for server factories and the hundreds of jobs they're expected to bring. Last month, Pamela Griffin and two other residents of Taylor, Texas, took to the lectern at a city council meeting to object to a data center project. But later, they sat back as council members discussed a proposed tech factory. Griffin didn't speak up against that development. A similar contrast is repeating in communities across the US.


Are your memories merely illusions? Scientist claims recollections arise from random fluctuations rather than your actual past

Daily Mail - Science & tech

John Fetterman's own WIFE turns on him over ICE as Senator comes under fire for his silence on shooting of Alex Pretti What happened to Alex Pretti's key witness? Trump voices disapproval over Alex Pretti shooting and gives Minneapolis immigrant ultimatum: 'I don't like it' Shocking history of handgun Alex Pretti was carrying when he was shot by Border Patrol is revealed... as judge bans Trump administration from'destroying evidence' from scene Sinister truth about Celine Dion's song All By Myself: Singer's producer reveals bombshell secrets of her 26-year age gap marriage... that he swore not to tell until her husband René died The nastiest clique in Hollywood have had their dirty secret outed... there's no coming back from this: MAUREEN CALLAHAN Sandra Bullock's Blind Side costar Quinton Aaron is'fighting for his life' in hospital after falling at home China's top general accused of leaking nuclear secrets to the US amid President Xi's military purge Daredevil Alex Honnold reveals'embarrassing' fee he was paid to climb 101-story Taiwan skyscraper live on Netflix without a harness Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo'creeped a lot of people out' says anonymous Oscar voter amid Wicked snubs Forensic video analysis of Alex Pretti's final 30 seconds exposes'John Wayne gun' question that can't be ignored Taylor Swift's mom Andrea and Donna Kelce make rare public appearance together ahead of pop star's wedding to Travis Kelce Seedy underbelly of America's exclusive golf clubs... as cart girls expose ultra-rich world of sex scandals and drunken debauchery My son nearly died from the flu and had to relearn how to walk... as new'super' strain causes child hospitalizations to rise Real estate mogul is sensationally found GUILTY of murdering football coach's son outside mall Are your memories merely illusions? Whether it is a beloved childhood recollection or the simple knowledge of what you had for breakfast, our memories often seem like the only things we can be certain of. But a group of leading physicists now argue that all of your memories could merely be an illusion. According to this bold theory, all of your recollections are more likely to arise from random fluctuations in space than from real past events.



UK maker of AI avatars nearly doubles valuation to 4bn after funding round

The Guardian

A British AI startup that makes realistic video avatars has almost doubled its valuation to $4bn (£3bn), in a boost for the UK technology sector. Synthesia was valued at $2.1bn last year and moved into new offices in central London, marking the moment with a ceremony attended by the Sadiq Khan, the city's mayor, and Peter Kyle, then technology secretary. On Monday, it announced its latest funding round, led by an existing investor, Google Ventures, had raised $200m and valued the British company at $4bn. Google Ventures is the search firm's venture capital arm. Synthesia uses human actors to generate digital avatars of people and also offers employers the ability to create replicas of their staff.


AI is hitting UK harder than other big economies, study finds

The Guardian

British businesses reported an average 11.5% increase in productivity thanks to AI, the study found. British businesses reported an average 11.5% increase in productivity thanks to AI, the study found. The UK is losing more jobs than it is creating because of artificial intelligence and is being hit harder than rival large economies, new research suggests. British companies reported that AI had resulted in net job losses over the past 12 months, down 8% - the highest rate among other leading economies including the US, Japan, Germany and Australia, according to a study by the investment bank Morgan Stanley. The research, which was shared with Bloomberg, surveyed companies using AI for at least a year across five industries: consumer staples and retail, real estate, transport, healthcare equipment and cars.


Greece biscuit factory fire leaves at least three dead

BBC News

At least three people have been killed and two others are still missing after a fire broke out at a food factory near the central Greek city of Trikala, officials say. The blaze began in the early hours of Monday at a Violanta biscuit factory, where 13 workers were on site, according to local media. Eight people managed to escape, while firefighters later recovered three bodies from the building. Drone footage showed thick smoke billowing from the fire. A powerful explosion was reportedly heard before it broke out but an investigation into the cause of the blaze is ongoing.


SoftBank hits the brakes on talks to buy data center firm Switch

The Japan Times

Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute Priority Asia conference in Tokyo in December. SoftBank Group has halted talks about an acquisition of U.S. data center operator Switch, a setback to founder Masayoshi Son's ambition to roll out Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to people familiar with the matter. For months, Son pursued a deal of around $50 billion for Switch, convinced that direct control of the latter's network of energy-efficient data centers would help the $500 billion Stargate push to generate computing power for partner OpenAI. But earlier this month, Son conceded that a full acquisition was off the table and scrapped a planned January announcement, the people said, asking not to be named because the matter is private. The two sides remain in active discussions about a partial investment or a partnership, they said. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.


Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,432

Al Jazeera

Could Ukraine hold a presidential election right now? Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? 'Ukraine is running out of men, money and time' More than 1,300 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, were still without heating following Russia's missile and drone attacks on Saturday, according to Mayor Vitalii Klitschko. Over the past week alone, Russia launched more than 1,700 attack drones, at least 1,380 guided aerial bombs, and 69 missiles on Ukraine, mainly targeting the energy sector, critical infrastructure, and residential buildings, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.