guardian
Is the most popular song played on Australian radio stations the product of generative AI?
Josh Fawaz' YouTube channel, HIs cover of Like A Prayer has topped the Australian commercial radio charts and the global iTunes electronic music charts. Josh Fawaz' YouTube channel, HIs cover of Like A Prayer has topped the Australian commercial radio charts and the global iTunes electronic music charts. Is the most popular song played on Australian radio stations the product of generative AI? Josh Fawaz's song, a cover of Like a Prayer, has raised questions over how generative AI is being used in music and whether it should be declared An Australian producer has gone from a little-known artist to a viral sensation in a matter of months, with his hit song catapulting onto global charts and receiving thousands of radio spins. There's just one problem: music experts and other musicians are questioning whether he produced it. They claim Josh Fawaz's most popular song, a cover of Madonna's Like a Prayer which reached the #1 spot on the National Radio Airplay chart, could have been made using AI.
Christopher Nolan says people 'disdain' AI and the idea it will replace humans is 'nonsense'
Christopher Nolan says young people in particular are pushing back on AI and'they coined this term AI slop'. Christopher Nolan says young people in particular are pushing back on AI and'they coined this term AI slop'. Christopher Nolan says people'disdain' AI and the idea it will replace humans is'nonsense' Odyssey director addresses industry fears over artificial intelligence and says rightwing criticism of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy is'irrelevant' The Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan believes the kind of movies he makes - big-budget action films shot mostly on location - would survive the spread of artificial intelligence, a technology he says many people "disdain". The Oppenheimer and The Dark Knight director is promoting his latest blockbuster, an adaptation of the Greek epic The Odyssey, which will be released in cinemas this week. "The interesting thing with AI is I've never seen a technology that's been so successfully adopted by Wall Street and by investors and by tech companies that the public has so thoroughly rejected," he told AFP in Paris.
'These are some of the most complex structures ever created': how tech reporting moved into the physical world
A large number of datacentre projects around the world are being challenged or cancelled. A large number of datacentre projects around the world are being challenged or cancelled. 'These are some of the most complex structures ever created': how tech reporting moved into the physical world The Guardian's global tech reporting team are investigating the impact of the vast datacentres being built to power the AI revolution. Sun 12 Jul 2026 10.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 12 Jul 2026 10.01 EDT Journalists often use the term "shoe-leather reporting" to refer to the on-the-ground legwork that goes into covering certain stories. As the tech industry's focus has shifted from screen-based realities to the physical world of colossal AI datacentres and social media harms, comfortable footwear has become more essential to a tech reporter's job. Earlier this week, we published the Guardian's latest investigation into the datacentres and energy infrastructures that underpin AI - revealing that an £8.2bn AI complex in rural Scotland has misrepresented its plans to be powered entirely by on-site renewables.
Chasing new skills, going back to basics and pushing for collective action: how software engineers are adapting to AI
George Dover poses for a portrait at his home in Beaverton, Oregon. Dover was laid off in 2024. George Dover poses for a portrait at his home in Beaverton, Oregon. Dover was laid off in 2024. Every weekday, Matt, a software engineer, looks forward to his four-hour train commute to Pawling, New York.
'AI accountability agenda': US senator unveils package of bills to curb tech's harms
Senator Ed Markey says: 'We need to make sure these datacenters don't turn into pollution bombs.' Senator Ed Markey says: 'We need to make sure these datacenters don't turn into pollution bombs.' 'AI accountability agenda': US senator unveils package of bills to curb tech's harms US senator Ed Markey is worried about the perils of unregulated artificial intelligence. All of it: the costs associated with thirsty, energy-guzzling datacenters, intrusive workplace surveillance, bias in discriminatory algorithms, AI overriding workers' judgments, and deepening economic inequality - as those who profit most from AI rake in extraordinary windfalls. The Massachusetts Democrat's interest in convincing Congress to rein in the harmful effects of AI has only grown, as the technology embeds itself deeper across industries. Markey has already authored close to a dozen bills aimed at tackling these problems.
Can AI equalize political campaign ads – or will it remain a tool for spreading lies?
Can AI equalize political campaign ads - or will it remain a tool for spreading lies? F rom the comfort of his bed, Jonathan Rinaldi, a political candidate for a city council seat in Queens, New York, tinkered away on his iPhone, prompting an artificial intelligence chatbot to mock up fake news hits and endorsements he had never received. During the campaign last October, Rinaldi shared one of those stories, made to appear real with a CNN logo, on his Facebook and Instagram. It stated that Lynn Schulman, his opponent and an incumbent Democrat, had been "forced to drop out of the race due to a series of critical mistakes". But Schulman had not quit her campaign, and in November, won by a landslide.
We Are Not Machines by Sarah O'Connor review – can dignity at work survive the tech revolution?
We Are Not Machines by Sarah O'Connor review - can dignity at work survive the tech revolution? I t's never been easy to land and keep a decent job. But it feels like it's getting harder. In June, the number of job vacancies in the UK fell to a five-year low; headlines warn of a looming AI-employment shock. What might the future of work look like - and who or what will shape its terms?
Scotland could freeze datacentre projects in challenge to UK's AI strategy
Scotland could freeze datacentre projects in challenge to UK's AI strategy The Scottish government is about to consider a sweeping moratorium on building new datacentres, putting a key plank of the UK's AI strategy at risk. Last Sunday the Scottish National party (SNP)'s national council passed a motion to freeze all new datacentres in Scotland. That motion has been sent to the Scottish government to consider. It could apply to all datacentre projects that have not yet received planning permission - although its exact implementation is up to the Scottish government to decide. Lesley Backhouse, who attended the national council meeting, said that Scotland's current datacentre plans amounted to "overdevelopment" and were "intrusive and not keeping with the local environment".
AI poses 'Hiroshima'-style threat to humanity without global rules, says Cooper
Essay gives the clearest view of Cooper's worldview yet as Labour figures jostle got places in a possible Burnham cabinet. Essay gives the clearest view of Cooper's worldview yet as Labour figures jostle got places in a possible Burnham cabinet. AI poses'Hiroshima'-style threat to humanity without global rules, says Cooper Artificial intelligence poses a "Hiroshima"-style risk to humanity if governments do not agree to curb how it is developed, the foreign secretary has warned. Yvette Cooper urged countries, including the US and China, to agree international rules for AI, telling the Guardian she believes the issue will dominate foreign policy over the next two years. In an essay covering her thoughts on everything from emerging technology to Palestine, Cooper said the world was at a dangerous moment, not least because of what she sees as the permanent withdrawal of the US from its role as a global arbiter.
NHS to use AI on its app to direct patients to appropriate services
The app will be used to triage patients and to ascertain if they should be allocated a GP appointment. The app will be used to triage patients and to ascertain if they should be allocated a GP appointment. Sat 4 Jul 2026 17.30 EDTLast modified on Sat 4 Jul 2026 18.02 EDT The NHS will begin using AI on its app to direct patients to the appropriate services, it has been announced. The tool will be used to triage patients and to ascertain if they should be allocated a GP appointment. Some may be advised to attend a pharmacy or their local A&E department instead, depending on the severity of their condition.