Tools for Humanity, a startup co-founded by Sam Altman, has launched its its World eyeball-scanning identity verification system in the US. During an event in San Francisco, Altman reportedly said that World's technology provides "a way to make sure humans remained central and special in a world where the internet had a lot of AI-driven content." Altman is also one of the founders and is currently the CEO of OpenAI, which is perhaps the most prominent artificial intelligence company today. World was used to be known as Worldcoin until Tools of Humanity decided to focus on the digital ID aspect of the project rather than the cryptocurrency part, because the Biden administration didn't have a friendly stance towards crypto. The project uses basketball-sized spherical objects called the Orb to scan a user's irises, which it then turns into a unique IrisCode for them. It will then use that information to create a World ID for the user that they can use to log into integrated platforms, including Minecraft and Reddit.

Ready to upgrade your digital workspace? The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and Windows 11 Pro Bundle gives you the productivity tools and operating system trusted by professionals worldwide for only 54.97 (reg. That's a serious steal for a lifetime license, with no monthly fees or recurring costs. Built for power users, multitaskers, and digital warriors, this bundle equips your rig with everything from data-crunching spreadsheets to high-security OS features, making it perfect for remote workers, side hustlers, and anyone who wants to dominate their workflow like a boss. Even better, you'll also get lifetime access to your new favorite AI assistant, Copilot, through Windows 11 Pro.

WhatsApp's new AI button has not gone down well with users, with many people describing it as'annoying' and'rubbish'. But not to be deterred, the popular Meta-owned chat platform is planning on introducing yet more artificial intelligence tools. WhatsApp will provide AI-powered writing suggestions and message summaries under a new suite of tools called'Private Processing'. Expected to be made available in the coming weeks, it will transform WhatsApp further from a simple chat app to a ChatGPT-style hub for AI facts and advice. Meta promises not to secretly read your WhatsApp chats with the AI.

The value of AI agents, systems that can carry out tasks for humans, is evident, with opportunities for productivity gains, especially for businesses. However, the performance of large language models (LLMs) can hinder the effective deployment of agents. Salesforce's AI Research seeks to address that issue. Also: 60% of AI agents work in IT departments - here's what they do every day On Thursday, Salesforce launched its inaugural Salesforce AI Research in Review report, highlighting the tech company's innovations, including new foundational developments and research papers from the past quarter. Salesforce hopes these pieces will help support the development of trustworthy and capable AI agents that can perform well in business environments.

Bora Chung's Red Sword is set on a disputed planet While there are no big names publishing new science fiction novels this May, there are some real gems nonetheless – including a big tip from me, Grace Chan's near-future Every Version of You. I want to press it into the hands of everyone I know. There are also two fascinating sci-fi-edged thrillers out this month, by Adam Oyebanji and Barnaby Martin, while Catherine Chidgey's creepy The Book of Guilt has intrigued me enough to make it my next read – if it's not ousted by Bora Chung's real history-inspired story of war on an alien planet, Red Sword, that is… Set in late-21st-century Australia, this novel (published in Australia in 2022 but out now more widely) follows Tao-Yi in a world where most people spend their lives in an immersive virtual reality called Gaia. Every morning, she climbs into a pod in her apartment to enter Gaia, where she works and socialises. In the real world, the unrelenting heat of the sun means there are no trees left and hardly any animals: this is a terrifying vision of the future.

The BBC announced a new addition to its Maestro series of masterclasses, featuring its first posthumous teacher, Agatha Christie, presenting her writing tips in 4K video. The best-selling author of literature in human history teaches an 11-lesson course on writing mysteries, and the BBC seems very aware of the issues circling AI, which provokes a mix of intrigue and, honestly, wariness. Christie, who died in 1976, has had her likeness composited through a blend of licensed images, limited footage and past audio recordings. That data has been blended with actor Vivien Keene, who'performs' the words of Christie on video. This is a more cautious approach.

Ukraine's parliament is expected to ratify a controversial minerals deal with the United States in a decisive step towards securing the latter's long-term commitment to the war-battered country amid stalled efforts to strike a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire. The deal, signed by Kyiv and Washington on Wednesday, pushed by US President Donald Trump and after protracted negotiations, marks an inflection point of sorts in the war, granting the US priority access to Ukraine's critical minerals as a means of deterring future Russian aggression. However, it stops short of offering specific security guarantees and questions remain over accessing minerals in areas under Russian control. Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday that the deal "marks an important milestone in Ukraine–US strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Ukraine's economy and security". "We're expecting it to be discussed and ratified by Ukraine's parliament later today," said Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from Kyiv.

Older Google TV and Chromecast devices are finally getting the Home Panel feature, allowing you to control your smart home devices from your TV. The feature was initially launched with the Google TV Streamer last year, but Google opened a public preview program to let users enroll older devices. Now, the feature appears to have launched widely and quietly. The latest update began rolling out earlier this week, and reports indicate users are using the Home Panel feature on discontinued Chromecast devices and Google TV sets, including Hisense TVs. Also: These old Google Nest thermostats may soon be obsolete - but it's not all bad news The Home Panel on Google TV lets you control Google Home-compatible smart devices by accessing them on the right side of your TV.

The CyberGuy explains steps you can take to protect yourself from scams. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, leveraging advanced tools like generative AI to con unsuspecting victims. According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, mobile consumers worldwide lose over 1 trillion annually to scams. To combat this growing threat, Google is rolling out cutting-edge AI-powered scam detection features for Android users. However, while Google's efforts are impressive, there are additional steps you can take to protect yourself from scams.

Later this year, Boston Dynamics plans to put its all-electric humanoid Atlas robot to work in a Hyundai factory. The new version of the bot, evolved from the hydraulic Atlas model that's been performing viral video demos since 2013, made its public debut last spring. But while the company's dog-like Spot and warehouse robot Stretch are already deployed at industrial sites, the Hyundai pilot will be the first time Atlas is used in commercial manufacturing. Boston Dynamics, which was acquired by Hyundai for 1.1 billion in 2021, is coy about how the robot will be used, but the general idea is that it's designed to be stronger and more reliable than a human worker. "The robot is going to be able to do things that are difficult for humans," Boston Dynamics spokesperson Kerri Neelon says.