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Protesters push Portland to investigate firm that appears to supply drone tech to Israel

The Guardian

Cargo documents appear to show Sightline has shipped its technology to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer that provides drones to the country's military. Cargo documents appear to show Sightline has shipped its technology to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer that provides drones to the country's military. A nti-war activists in Portland, Oregon, are pushing city authorities to ensure no local resources, tax breaks or investments support a local company that appears to be supplying artificial intelligence software to the Israeli military. The company, Sightline Intelligence, manufactures AI-supported video technology that is used in drones to interpret target movements and make quick decisions based on the perceived threat level. Cargo documents appear to show Sightline has shipped its technology to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer that provides drones to that country's military and exports to others.


UK departments at odds over energy demands of AI datacentres

The Guardian

Datacentres could require at least 6GW of capacity by 2030 under government plans to expand AI infrastructure. Datacentres could require at least 6GW of capacity by 2030 under government plans to expand AI infrastructure. Sun 26 Apr 2026 03.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 26 Apr 2026 03.01 EDT One vision of the UKâ s future involves a decarbonised economy powered by clean, renewable energy. Another involves making the UK an AI superpower. The government departments responsible for these two visions do not appear to have agreed on their numbers.


AI-powered robot beats elite table tennis players

The Guardian

In feat hailed as milestone in robotics, Sony AI's Ace wins three out of five matches played under official rules An AI-powered robot has beaten elite players at table tennis in a significant achievement for a machine faced with human athletes in a real-world competitive sport. Named Ace, the robotic system developed by Sony AI, won three out of five matches against elite players, but lost the two it played against professionals, clawing back only one game in the seven contests. The feat has been hailed as a milestone for robotics, a field that has long seen table tennis - and the lightning-fast reactions, perception and skill it demands - as one of the toughest tests of how far the technology has advanced. In the matches, played under official competition rules, Ace displayed a mastery of spin, handled difficult shots, such as balls catching on the net, and pulled off one rapid backspin shot that a professional had thought impossible. A research paper on the robot was published in Nature on Wednesday, but scientists working on the project said Ace had improved since the report was submitted.

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Four key takeaways from Apple's change of leadership

The Guardian

The new Apple chief faces major geopolitical challenges such as diversifying the supply chain away from China. The new Apple chief faces major geopolitical challenges such as diversifying the supply chain away from China. John Ternus takes over from Tim Cook as chief executive of Apple in September. A company insider, Ternus is moving up from his role as head of engineering to take control of the entire $4tn (£3tn) business. Apple is a vast, successful tech company and one of the most recognised brands in the world.


Mythos: are fears over new AI model panic or PR? – podcast

The Guardian

Mythos: are fears over new AI model panic or PR? - podcast Earlier this month the AI company Anthropic said it had created a model so powerful that, out of a sense of responsibility, it was not going to release it to the public. Anthropic says the model, Mythos Preview, excels at spotting and exploiting vulnerabilities in software, and could pose a severe risk to economies, public safety and national security. But is this the whole story? Some experts have expressed scepticism about the extent of the model's capabilities. Ian Sample hears from Aisha Down, a reporter covering artificial intelligence for the Guardian, to find what the decision to limit access to Mythos reveals about Anthropic's strategy, and whether the model might finally spur more regulation of the industry.

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Why an up-and-coming indie developer is returning Microsoft's money

The Guardian

'Making people feel powerful' All Will Rise. 'Making people feel powerful' All Will Rise. Why an up-and-coming indie developer is returning Microsoft's money Don't get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? V ideo games are in a funding crisis. Investor money flowed freely during the pandemic gaming boom, but now the well has run dry.


The Guardian view on AI in war: the Iran conflict shows that the paradigm shift has already begun

The Guardian

AI is'identifying and prioritising targets, recommending weaponry and evaluating legal grounds for a strike'. AI is'identifying and prioritising targets, recommending weaponry and evaluating legal grounds for a strike'. "N ever in the future will we move as slow as we are moving now," the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, warned this week, addressing the urgent need to shape the use of artificial intelligence. The speed of technological development - as well as geopolitical turbulence - is collapsing the distinction between theoretical arguments and real world events. The AI company Anthropic insisted that it could not remove safeguards preventing the Department of Defense from using its technology for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous lethal weapons.


Tech's politics push at home and abroad

The Guardian

Tech's politics push at home and abroad We report from California's Silicon Valley, where billionaires pour money into midterms, and the AI Impact summit, where India pushes back on'AI monopoly' held by US and China This week, we're examining the tech industry's push for influence in two places separated by a time difference of 13 hours and 30 minutes. The first is where tech sees its next big market, the second its home turf. My colleague Robert Booth reports from last week's India AI Impact summit, where tech companies pledged to spend tens of billions in the coming year to build customer bases and datacenters in the subcontinent. Dara Kerr and Lauren Gambino reported from Silicon Valley, where billionaires are marshalling their wealth to influence California's politics at greater levels than they ever have before. Visitors explore the Google pavilion during the AI Impact summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India, on 20 February.


Race for AI is making Hindenburg-style disaster 'a real risk', says leading expert

The Guardian

Race for AI is making Hindenburg-style disaster'a real risk', says leading expert The race to get artificial intelligence to market has raised the risk of a Hindenburg-style disaster that shatters global confidence in the technology, a leading researcher has warned. Michael Wooldridge, a professor of AI at Oxford University, said the danger arose from the immense commercial pressures that technology firms were under to release new AI tools, with companies desperate to win customers before the products' capabilities and potential flaws are fully understood. The surge in AI chatbots with guardrails that are easily bypassed showed how commercial incentives were prioritised over more cautious development and safety testing, he said. "It's the classic technology scenario," he said. "You've got a technology that's very, very promising, but not as rigorously tested as you would like it to be, and the commercial pressure behind it is unbearable."


Cowboys, lassos, and nudity: AI startups turn to stunts for attention in a crowded market

The Guardian

W hen Lunos, an AI startup in New York City, was gearing up for launch, its founder and chief executive, Duncan Barrigan, and his team wanted to make a splash. So they shelled out $3,500 to do the unconventional: hire a horse and a cowboy to lasso the bull of Wall Street. Wearing ranch gear and a western hat stamped with the Lunos logo, he lassoed the bull's horns as invitees and curious passersby watched. He and the horse then circled the statue, handing out cowboy hats and branded stress balls. The goal was simple: deliver Lunos's pitch of "taming the wild west" of accounts receivables in the most literal, public way possible.