The US administration's targeting of academic research and international students is a "great gift" to China in the race to compete on artificial intelligence, former OpenAI board member Helen Toner has said. The director of strategy at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) joined the board of OpenAI in 2021 after a career studying AI and the relationship between the United States and China. Toner, a 33-year-old University of Melbourne graduate, was on the board for two years until a falling out with founder Sam Altman in 2023. Altman was fired by the board over claims that he was not "consistently candid" in his communications and the board did not have confidence in Altman's ability to lead. The chaotic months that followed saw Altman fired and then re-hired with three members of the board, including Toner, ousted instead.

Whether you're shopping for your significant other, your kid, or yourself, Valentine's Day is the perfect time to pick up some little treats. We've found a few great sales happening right now on some of our favorite gadgets and gizmos, which also make great gifts. Be sure to check our deals from earlier in the week, which are still on sale, including discounted Prana apparel, plus robot vacuums and smartwatches. Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just 5 ( 25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters.

Keeping your home clean, organized and secure can be a chore, and your loved ones likely feel the same way. Fortunately, there are gadgets that can help make it a little easier. We review smart speakers, robotic vacuums and Instant Pots all year long, and for the holiday season we've compiled a list of our recent favorites in the home tech space that will make excellent gifts. And your giftee doesn't have to be tech savvy to use all of them either -- plenty of our recommendations amount to baby steps into the smart home world for those who would rather start off slow. We almost always recommend the multi-purpose Instant Pot in our holiday gift guides and this year is no exception.

Board games are a great gift for anyone who wants to spend time with friends and family without staring at the TV. They're interactive, fun, and you get to tell everyone to put away their phones and tablets for a while. But instead of pulling out the same old classics like Monopoly and Scrabble, we recommend giving some new titles a try. Here, we've compiled a list of games that you might not have heard of, but will still make excellent gifts this holiday season. Some are perfect for fantasy and video game nerds, while others are likely to be a hit with the whole family.

This holiday season promises to be unlike any other. Under the constraints of social distancing protocols and coronavirus restrictions, it may be tough to access our favorite traditional in-person shopping venues -- and celebrating itself will feel quite different. That said, millions of us will still exchange gifts with the people we love, and a thoughtful gift can make an impact -- whether it's delivered in person or virtually. This year, we're focused on gifts to help people navigate 2021 in comfort, in shape and in style. So if you're looking for a great gift for your mother, grandma or another important woman in your life and don't want to fall back on scented candles or fresh flowers (not that there's anything wrong with those), we have you covered in the unique gift department.

The holidays can be stressful as the number of people you need to buy gifts for grows with each passing year. You may not be able to control that, but you can still find good presents for everyone on your list while sticking to a budget. To help you do so, we've gathered all of the items in our holiday gift guide that come in at under $50 right here. But before we get into the list, we wanted to call out two specific guides in which almost all of our recommendations are under $50: our digital and subscription gift guide and this roundup of our staff's favorite books, music and media. Check out those stories for digital gifts you can send loved ones that you can't see in person and for the best media that's been keeping us entertained this year.

We're all spending a lot more time at home lately, so when it comes to the holidays, it makes sense to give a gift that'll make the humble abode a lot more enjoyable. To that end, we've recommended an assortment of home-related goodies, from innovative kitchen gear to attractive smart speakers, to give that special someone in your life. It might not stop them from getting cabin fever, but it just might bring them a sense of home sweet home. Google's latest smart speaker is the Nest Audio, which delivers a huge upgrade over the small puck-like Nest Mini. It has automatic tuning so that its audio quality improves over time as it learns more about your loved one's listening habits and the room it's in. Your giftee can use it to play their favorite tunes, and thanks to Google Assistant, they can also ask it for info like the weather, upcoming calendar appointments or their to-do list simply by using their voice.

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it's time to start planning your presents. Finding the perfect gift for your loved ones can be tricky, but don't worry, TechRadar is here to help you plan ahead. There's nothing like watching the people you care about erupt into smiles as they tear off your wrapping, and are greeted with a gift they actually love. So if you want to leave a lasting impression, the latest tech gadget can do just that. Technology is evolving so quickly that if you decided on a gizmo last year, there's always something new to choose from this year.

When you're trying to come up with gift ideas for someone who likes to cook, you want to find something that's both personal and practical. But finding a gift for a home cook that strikes that balance can be hard, especially if you're the kind of person whose fridge is filled with takeout containers. That's why we've gathered 35 of the best gifts for every type of home cook on your list--from the newbie who just wants to make a good grilled cheese to the home cook who has it all--all of them are available on Amazon, most of them with two-day Prime shipping. ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide, 1100 Watts, All White ($179) They might not think they need a sous vide machine, but that's exactly what makes it a great gift for an experienced chef, who can use it to make always-tender steaks, never-overcooked fish, and even soft-scrambled eggs. Echo Show (Second Generation) ($230) The new generation of the Echo Show has louder speakers and a bigger screen than before, so they can follow along with recipe videos and tutorials from any one of Amazon's partners, or ask Alexa to set a timer.

Finding the perfect holiday gift can be maddening (is this the color they'd want? Is it something they already have? Is it so last year?), but really, once you have a sense of a person's taste, it's not impossible. This season, we'll be talking to members of various tribes to find out exactly what to get that college student, or serious home cook, or boss (who has everything) in your life. Think of it as a window into their brain trust--or, at least, a very helpful starting point.