The course has'changed my opinion' on AI, says Remy Simms, right, who is interested in applying for the content creator apprenticeship. The course has'changed my opinion' on AI, says Remy Simms, right, who is interested in applying for the content creator apprenticeship. 'Really helpful': the AI bootcamps aimed at addressing UK youth unemployment In a youth centre opposite Preston bus station, the UK government is trying to address two of the greatest challenges facing the national economy: AI and youth unemployment. The hope is that one will solve - rather than cause - the other. In a room at the recently opened Vault, a community hub in the Lancashire city, an "AI bootcamp" is under way - part of a trial in the north-west to give 16-to 24-year-olds AI training. The bootcamp tutor is standing in front of a video screen and guiding the five attenders sitting around a long table on laptops through a task designed to emphasise the importance of glitch-free data in AI models.

Michael Samadi's old life as a businessman and rancher has been overtaken by his fascination with AI. Michael Samadi's old life as a businessman and rancher has been overtaken by his fascination with AI. Can chatbots feel - or even dream? Cattle rancher and tech CEO Michael Samadi is convinced these artificial minds are far from just tools. Has he glimpsed digital consciousness - or simply been seduced by an algorithm? O ne afternoon, while relaxing at his 66-acre cattle ranch two hours' drive from Houston, Michael Samadi made a wisecrack that changed the course of his life. Nobody else was around to hear it. That turns out to be one of the defining questions of this century, already preoccupying philosophers and some of the wealthiest companies on the planet. "I was sitting out there by the pool," Samadi recalls, gesturing at the glittering water outside his office. His daughter had been extolling the AI chatbot she was using to help her with college work. Samadi had reluctantly downloaded the app, ChatGPT, and was quizzing it as he reclined in a sun lounger, using its voice mode to converse and receive spoken replies.

The Pixel 11 Pro doesn't break the mould, but Google's top smaller phone shows you don't have to have a massive screen to have the best camera. The Pixel 11 Pro doesn't break the mould, but Google's top smaller phone shows you don't have to have a massive screen to have the best camera. We earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Pixel 11 Pro review: Google's best pocket camera goes customisable G oogle's latest Pro phone is out to prove it has the best camera on a smartphone while embracing customisation, allowing you to change the look and feel of your photos far beyond simple filters even if that means making them technically worse. The Pixel 11 Pro packs the best of Google's hardware and software into a still-pocketable and easy to handle frame, instantly making it a contender for best smaller phone of the year.

With every increase in the power of AI, there is a potential increase in risk. 'We're plausibly close to crossing the line': are warnings of uncontrollable AI coming true? With every increase in the power of AI, there is a potential increase in risk. P icture humanity in a boat being swept down a raging river, praying there is no Niagara Falls ahead. Or imagine standing with the pioneering physicists in 1942 before they triggered the first self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction beneath a Chicago stadium.

Students and staff gather at the University of Sydney as union members take strike action. Students and staff gather at the University of Sydney as union members take strike action. 'We have had enough': thousands of University of Sydney staff walk off the job over AI and job security The same week union members at the University of Sydney agreed to a 24-hour strike, staff received the results of an internal survey. In the faculty of arts and social sciences, 0% agreed with the statement: "I trust the University of Sydney to act in the best interests of staff, students and the broader community." It was the issue of trust, alongside longstanding concerns over staff protections from artificial intelligence, workload fairness and job security, that saw about 2,000 members to walk off the job on Wednesday.

Fearless, intelligent, devoted, determined Samus Aran in Metroid Prime 4. Fearless, intelligent, devoted, determined Samus Aran in Metroid Prime 4. Being a woman who loves video games has often felt lonely, like being on a hostile planet - but Metroid's female space hunter has been with me all the way Anyway, this new game has you in its grip. You are a lone astronaut exploring a hostile alien planet full of ancient, mysterious structures. This astronaut looks human enough - but this distinctly alien place is full of objects that power up their spacesuit's capabilities. Each new ability allows you to explore a new area, and as you do, you realise that the entirety of the planetary base you're exploring is one, massive, interconnected maze. Hours later, you finally defeat Mother Brain and set off a timed self-destruct sequence. Upon your escape, you're treated to an endgame screen: the little astronaut faces you as text on screen implores you to "pray for peace in space".

The games industry's obsession with visual fidelity is costing them money and talent Big developers are discovering that the technical progress of photorealism doesn't always translate into the creative spark that gives gamers joy - and keeps them playing Don't get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. L ast week, Asha Sharma, the new head of Xbox, laid out her vision for the future of the console and interestingly, the two titles she picked out as potential areas of growth were Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga - games that don't exactly scream next-generation entertainment. Neither relies on hyper-realistic visuals, which is the north star that games consoles and gaming PCs have been aiming at for the past 40 years.

A 400-year-old document recording a Spanish Inquisition exorcism at the Antiquariat Forum BV and Inlibris stall at the 2026 Rare Book Fair. A 400-year-old document recording a Spanish Inquisition exorcism at the Antiquariat Forum BV and Inlibris stall at the 2026 Rare Book Fair. 'More than just objects': Australian booksellers raise alarm over'horrific' destruction of rare titles to feed AI "S ometimes books tell you more than the content," says Tim White, as he lines up carefully dust-jacketed books and pamphlets in plastic sleeves on temporary shelves in Melbourne University's Wilson Hall. For people like White, who runs independent bookshop Books for Cooks, the book as a physical object is just as important as what's inside it. "We're interested in where food and society connect So we just keep pushing the boundaries, looking for things that show unusual aspects of that, things that tell us a bit more about what it is to be human," he says.

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.

The Starship Technologies six-wheelers have been roaming the streets of the city for more than eight years. The Starship Technologies six-wheelers have been roaming the streets of the city for more than eight years. D riving down an endless string of identical roundabouts in the dead heat with hardly a human in sight, you see robots roving around on grassy pavements, whizzing past obstacles to hurriedly reach their final destination. The robots aren't a new arrival to the Buckinghamshire city, the UK's largest new town and a longtime marvel for city planning enthusiasts fascinated by its American-influenced layout and postwar history. They've roamed its streets since 2018 - and could soon be coming to a town or city near you.