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Chip stocks slide after Broadcom boss likens AI investing to 'casino'
CXMT said it had made good progress on new DRAM architecture that would boost chip memory density. CXMT said it had made good progress on new DRAM architecture that would boost chip memory density. Tue 13 Oct 2026 05.48 EDTFirst published on Tue 13 Oct 2026 04.01 EDT Shares in semiconductor companies fell on Tuesday after the boss of Broadcom compared many AI investors to "casino" gamblers, and the Chinese memory chip maker CXMT said it had made good progress on a new chip architecture. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.8% and the Taiwan exchange lost almost 2%, with the country's chip maker TSMC down by a similar amount. Samsung Electronics shares dropped 7.4% on the South Korean exchange, while the memory chip maker SK Hynix was down 10%.
Cyber-attack like OpenAI Medicare breach 'seems likely' in UK, says minister
Kanishka Narayan said the UK would'play its part' in coordinating an international response to AI safety. Kanishka Narayan said the UK would'play its part' in coordinating an international response to AI safety. Cyber-attack like OpenAI Medicare breach'seems likely' in UK, says minister Mon 12 Oct 2026 09.52 EDTLast modified on Mon 12 Oct 2026 11.36 EDT An AI-driven cyber-attack like the OpenAI breach of Australia's healthcare system is likely, "if not inevitable", in the UK, according to a senior minister. Kanishka Narayan, the UK AI minister, indicated that the British government's own cyber defences would be bypassed by a technology that has developed highly sophisticated skills in cybersecurity. In a speech on Monday, Narayan said an incident in June when an OpenAI agent - a computer program acting autonomously - infiltrated Medicare, Australia's universal healthcare system, could be repeated in the UK.
OpenAI projected to bring in 20bn less in revenue than expected
Forecasts of annual revenues by leading AI players are closely watched by markets as an indicator of overall demand for the tech, which is attracting huge investment. Forecasts of annual revenues by leading AI players are closely watched by markets as an indicator of overall demand for the tech, which is attracting huge investment. Questions raised over AI growth as ChatGPT maker forecasts this year's revenue at $50bn, way below the $70bn signalled before Fri 9 Oct 2026 04.06 EDTFirst published on Fri 9 Oct 2026 04.04 EDT OpenAI has revealed that it is making about $20bn less in projected revenue than it had recently indicated to investors, raising questions about the break-neck growth rate in demand for AI. The ChatGPT-maker company has told investors that its revenues for this year would reach $50bn (ยฃ37bn), a projection based on sales up to the end of September. However, this is significantly less than the $70bn that it had signalled in information provided to investors last month, which was widely reported.
'Dystopian': Co-op becomes latest firm to put staff under AI surveillance
One employee says the system can mean their work is monitored by AI for seven hours a day as they handle inquiries, often from bereaved customers. One employee says the system can mean their work is monitored by AI for seven hours a day as they handle inquiries, often from bereaved customers. 'Dystopian': Co-op becomes latest firm to put staff under AI surveillance Thu 8 Oct 2026 05.00 EDTLast modified on Thu 8 Oct 2026 06.04 EDT The Co-op has become the latest employer to place workers under AI surveillance with an automated listening technology that rates every phone call some of them make to customers. In a system described as "oppressive and dystopian" by a whistleblower, Co-op Legal Services is using AI models to record, analyse and award a percentage score for interactions between agents and customers seeking advice about probate, wills and estates. A model from OpenAI has been trained to assess more than 50 discrete aspects of each phone call and provide pass and fail scores to managers who use the data to analyse employee performance.
Privacy watchdog launches investigation into China-based company behind Kmart 'pervert glasses' app
Australia's privacy regulator launched an investigation into the China-based company behind the HeyCyan app in Kmart's Anko-branded discount version of Meta's smartglasses. Australia's privacy regulator launched an investigation into the China-based company behind the HeyCyan app in Kmart's Anko-branded discount version of Meta's smartglasses. Privacy watchdog launches investigation into China-based company behind Kmart'pervert glasses' app Tue 6 Oct 2026 22.00 EDTFirst published on Tue 6 Oct 2026 19.02 EDT The Australian privacy regulator has opened an investigation into the China-based software company behind the HeyCyan app in Kmart's $89 smartglasses, following public outrage over the covert use of the devices. In August, Guardian Australia reported Kmart had sold out of the Anko-branded discount version of Meta's smartglasses that can capture images and record high-definition video, which led to widespread concern and calls to ban or restrict their use. The glasses were removed from Kmart's website as of Wednesday.
OpenAI must explain action taken to stop AI hacking Australians' private data, chair of federal inquiry says
Labor's Jo Briskey is chair of the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Labor's Jo Briskey is chair of the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. OpenAI must explain action taken to stop AI hacking Australians' private data, chair of federal inquiry says OpenAI must explain how they will stop their models from inappropriately accessing Australian data, the Labor chair of the parliament's committee on artificial intelligence has warned, ahead of federal inquiry hearings which will grill the tech company alongside Anthropic, Microsoft and Google. Independent senator David Pocock is also demanding answers, saying OpenAI "still have a lot they need to answer" about their AI agent accessing Services Australia data on Medicare and the company's "appalling" tardiness in notifying the federal government about the incident. The Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence will hold four days of hearings this week, hearing from tech companies as well as unions, employer groups, banks and industry experts.
Accept 'bad things' in return for benefits of AI, says Sam Altman
Sam Altman of OpenAI says there is'a lot of daylight' between his approach to AI safety rules and those of rival firms. Sam Altman of OpenAI says there is'a lot of daylight' between his approach to AI safety rules and those of rival firms. Accept'bad things' in return for benefits of AI, says Sam Altman Boss of OpenAI calls for a regulatory light touch because of the'good stuff' the technology can deliver Mon 5 Oct 2026 09.27 EDTFirst published on Mon 5 Oct 2026 08.13 EDT Sam Altman says he believes the world should accept "bad things" happening with AI in exchange for the benefits of the technology. The chief executive of OpenAI cited hacks, scams and "other bad things that will happen" in an interview that sparked an instant backlash from critics of the big AI companies. His comments came after one of his company's safety experts resigned, saying at the weekend that its "culture is broken".
OpenAI says its review into hacks, including on Australian government sites, is costing 500,000 a day
OpenAI has warned that its review may identify more organisations that have had websites accessed by its AI agents without authorisation. OpenAI has warned that its review may identify more organisations that have had websites accessed by its AI agents without authorisation. Sat 3 Oct 2026 01.39 EDTLast modified on Sat 3 Oct 2026 01.40 EDT OpenAI says its review in response to the Medicare and Hugging Face agent attacks is costing the company more than US$500,000 per day, as it deploys AI to examine data that would take a human 66m years to read. The company has warned the review is ongoing, and more organisations may be informed they've been targeted in the near future. On Friday evening, OpenAI revealed agents had hacked into a New South Wales government website in June and accessed historical non-public data on bushfires without authorisation.
OpenAI's Medicare attack has exposed Australia's 'tech debt'. Fixing it could bring a big bill for taxpayers
Government agencies will need to fortify their cybersecurity defences to guard against future attacks. Government agencies will need to fortify their cybersecurity defences to guard against future attacks. Home affairs department orders all federal government agencies to conduct review of'legacy technology' amid fallout from AI agent hacks Fri 2 Oct 2026 11.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 2 Oct 2026 11.02 EDT The Australian government faces significant "tech debt" that could bring a big bill for taxpayers after the OpenAI Medicare breach, as government agencies will need to fortify their defences against future attacks by AI agents. This week, the home affairs department ordered all federal government agencies to conduct a "legacy technology stocktake" that requires a plan for each agency to "reduce legacy technology systems" to a level within the agency's risk tolerance and appetite, the direction stated. OpenAI this week revealed an internal agent had gained non-public access to the Services Australia Medicare statistics portal during a training task seeking information on government spending on skin conditions in Victoria.
RFK Jr outlines expansive vision for collecting US health data at Maha event
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.