Goto

Collaborating Authors

 business environment tech science newsletter


Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra clash in testy California governor's race debate

The Guardian

Victorio's Ristorante in north Hollywood hosts a watch party for the debate between gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton on Wednesday. Victorio's Ristorante in north Hollywood hosts a watch party for the debate between gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton on Wednesday. Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, the candidates running to be California's next governor, clashed on Wednesday over taxes, immigration and regulating artificial intelligence in a testy debate held days before voters begin receiving their ballots in the heavily Democratic state. Hilton, the former Fox News host endorsed by Donald Trump, used the hourlong matchup, hosted by CNN in its studio in Burbank, California, to argue that Becerra, a former congressman who served as the US health and human services secretary during the Biden administration, was not actively campaigning and instead taking voters for granted. "He wasn't even supposed to be the candidate," Hilton, 57, said, referring to Becerra's unexpected success after an unusually wild primary campaign.


Gavin Newsom signs laws to protect California workers from AI threat

The Guardian

Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws Wednesday aimed at protecting California workers from the threats of artificial intelligence, including potential job losses and workplace surveillance. The laws ban employers from using the technology to predict a worker's emotional state by using their biometric data, require employers to send written notices to workers if AI is responsible for mass layoffs and ban employers from relying on AI to decide to fire someone. The Democratic governor also signed an executive order to require state agencies to continue to refer to the technology as "artificial intelligence" instead of the term "super intelligence" as Donald Trump recently ordered US diplomats to use. "AI should expand opportunity - not come at the expense of workers and families," Newsom said in a statement. "As this technology reshapes the workplace, California is putting people at the center."


US trade regulator opens investigation into AI giants including Anthropic and OpenAI

The Guardian

The US's main trade regulator is conducting an industry-wide investigation into Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI labs to uncover the potential dangers their technology poses to consumers. The investigation by the Federal Trade Commission is the first official US enforcement action that delves into rogue AI agents, following a surge in incidents first reported in July that have stoked fears among the public that uncontrolled AI could one day harm humans. The FTC plans to issue formal demands for information and compel testimony from executives at top AI developers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and the research group Metr, according to multiple reports . Anthropic and OpenAI have used Metr to conduct independent investigations into security incidents involving their agentic AI technology. Anthropic, OpenAI and Metr did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


'President of the Unites States': White House's AI accord includes spelling error

The Guardian

Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology executives about artificial intelligence at the White House in Washington DC on Tuesday. Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology executives about artificial intelligence at the White House in Washington DC on Tuesday. 'President of the Unites States': White House's AI accord includes spelling error The White House misspelled "United States" under the signature of Donald Trump on an accord he signed with AI executives on Tuesday. At the bottom of the accord on "Super Intelligence", the term Trump has used to rebrand artificial intelligence, the president's signature appeared as "President of the Unites States". It is unclear how the misspelling occurred or whether it will appear in the Federal Register, the database that contains official presidential actions and other government documents.


RFK Jr outlines expansive vision for collecting US health data at Maha event

The Guardian

Robert F Kennedy Jr walks on stage during the Republican National Committee midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, on 10 September. Robert F Kennedy Jr walks on stage during the Republican National Committee midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, on 10 September. Health secretary calls for medical and lifestyle details to be sent to doctors and AI to address'chronic disease epidemic' Tue 29 Sep 2026 10.41 EDTLast modified on Tue 29 Sep 2026 11.13 EDT Robert F Kennedy Jr laid out an expansive vision for collecting, sharing and analyzing US health information at a Maha event hosted by a close ally and outspoken anti-vaccine activist. Medical and lifestyle data, from doctor's visits to exercise, should be connected and shared with the government and independent researchers, where it can be searched by AI - including potential links between vaccines and health outcomes including autism and mortality, suggested Kennedy, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a longtime vaccine skeptic. "We need to use America's health data to determine whether the food we eat, the chemicals we encounter, the vaccines that we're administering, the other environmental and lifestyle exposures are contributing in one way or another to the chronic disease epidemic," Kennedy said at an event with the Maha Institute on Monday, with about two dozen people tuning into the live stream.


Trump-Xi live updates: leaders of US and China to talk AI and trade in major Washington meeting

The Guardian

Trump says he and Xi have forged a'truly great friendship' What's on the agenda for the Trump-Xi summit, and what won't they discuss? President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet China's president Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet China's president Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have plenty to cover when they sit down for talks Thursday at the White House. The US and Chinese leaders are tackling issues like trade irritants, artificial intelligence safeguards and the war in Iran.


Climate protesters say tech companies, not AI, are the real 'danger to humankind' – and the planet

The Guardian

Climate protesters say tech companies, not AI, are the real'danger to humankind' - and the planet O n Monday evening, protesters gathered outside the unmarked Manhattan offices of OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, holding signs calling to "Eat the rich, save the planet". Over the next two days, groups also picketed outside the offices of fellow tech giants Google and Amazon; other protesters, including clergy, were arrested while disrupting a closed-door AI health summit in the city. Tonight, protesters will target a Brooklyn gas power plant that was set to close - until it was purchased to power AI datacenters. The protests come on the heels of an Anthropic employee quitting his job with a warning that intensified an already-growing AI panic: "The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." Though it was far from the first time an AI expert had issued a doomsday message about the threat the tech poses, this time it dominated public attention, arriving as trust in big tech has hit an all-time low and communities across the country are trying to stop the building of datacenters.


Trump to meet China's Xi as Congress mulls bill banning artificial superintelligence – US politics live

The Guardian

Trump to meet China's Xi as Congress mulls bill banning artificial superintelligence - US politics live Trump administration calls banned journalists' White House access a privilege, not a right, brands coverage a security risk Trump to meet with China's Xi as Congress mulls bill banning artificial superintelligence Trump to meet with China's Xi as Congress mulls bill banning artificial superintelligence Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Donald Trump will meet with the Chinese president Xi Jinping later today, ahead of a three-day visit that will undoubtedly see artificial intelligence (AI) high on the agenda. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, has called on the two countries to establish a dialogue on AI similar to the communication between the US and the Soviet Union during the cold war. "Governments with the greatest AI capabilities have the greatest responsibilities to humanity, to establish channels for dialogue, transparency, trust and cooperation," Guterres said. Tech executives including Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Tim Cook of Apple, Elon Musk of Tesla, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta and Jensen Huang of Nvidia will reportedly attend a state dinner at the White House on Thursday evening.


Trump praises relations with Burnham despite tensions over AI and Iran

The Guardian

Andy Burnham and Donald Trump held their first face-to-face meeting in New York. Andy Burnham and Donald Trump held their first face-to-face meeting in New York. US president calls UK prime minister'a natural businessperson' as leaders meet at UN assembly in New York Donald Trump has asserted his relationship with the UK is "more up" with Andy Burnham than under Keir Starmer despite tensions between the two countries on a range of thorny issues including regulation of artificial intelligence, the Chagos islands and the war in Iran. At their first face-to-face meeting, the US president praised Burnham, who sat nervously alongside him, as a "natural businessperson", saying he thought he had "lots of assets on his side" and would be a "great" prime minister. Burnham, who was joined in the talks by Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, and Jonathan Powell, his national security adviser, said he and Trump had built on the "good connection" they established early on, in an effort to shore up relations which had splintered over Iran .


Big tech says AI can find a cure for cancer. So where is it?

The Guardian

There has been significant progress in using AI as a tool in the detection, prevention and treatment of cancer. There has been significant progress in using AI as a tool in the detection, prevention and treatment of cancer. Big tech says AI can find a cure for cancer. Alongside warnings about its ability to destroy humanity, artificial intelligence is also hailed for its potential to revolutionise health treatment. Just how far can it take us? June would be the last month she ever knew.