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.

A safety expert at Anthropic believes there is a greater than 10% chance that AI could spark an event that wipes out humanity. A safety expert at Anthropic believes there is a greater than 10% chance that AI could spark an event that wipes out humanity. AI could kill all humans in next decade, warn experts: but how seriously should we take them? Does artificial superintelligence really pose a risk greater than nuclear weapons? Is there a significant chance of "a Chornobyl-sized catastrophe".

The latest Google phone is most refined yet, offering the best balance of price and features for base-model flagship handsets. The latest Google phone is most refined yet, offering the best balance of price and features for base-model flagship handsets. We earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. G oogle's Pixel 11 continues to set the standard for what you should expect from the base model of a flagship phone with class-leading cameras, long software support and almost all the bells and whistles of its most expensive phones. The regular Pixel 11 costs £879 (€999/$899/A$1,499) making it £80 or equivalent more expensive than last year's model as the cost of RAMageddon continues to bite . It's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but it comes with 256GB of storage and is £200 less than the Pixel 11 Pro, matching rival Samsung's Galaxy S26 .

D uring a recent lunch break, Jill Sennett saw something so unappetizing she had to share it with her 26,000 X followers: Artificial intelligence-generated menu images from a Jamaican barbecue pop-up restaurant in which the meats looked like leather belts crawling with tiny beetles. The images were reshared by more than 500 people who similarly expressed their disgust. Eating is "such an essential human experience", said Sennett, a 37-year-old nurse in Denver. "I think it's a bad cultural thing that restaurants are converting to these horrific, uncanny food images that are unappetizing." Still, Sennett ordered chicken and macaroni and cheese.

Daniel Susskind: 'We should try to be imaginative.' Daniel Susskind: 'We should try to be imaginative.' I'm a father of three who studies the impact of artificial intelligence: this is what parents need to know about AI A Dr Seuss-style story written in seconds alerted me to the power - and perils - of the technology. But how can children embrace it without forgetting core skills? W hen I was growing up, my dad and I often talked about a story we wanted to write together. It was called "The Day Nobody Went to Disneyland". One day, the story goes, the weather is so perfect that everyone in the world decides to stay away from Disneyland because they expect it to be far too busy.

A screenshot from a Fix Victoria advertisement produced using artificial intelligence. The water symbolises Victoria's'tsunami of debt' said to be endangering key services and children A screenshot from a Fix Victoria advertisement produced using artificial intelligence. The water symbolises Victoria's'tsunami of debt' said to be endangering key services and children Alarming AI ads are flooding social media in the lead-up to Victoria's election. But who is behind them? A woman gives birth on the side of the road, unable to reach a hospital due to ambulance ramping and crater-like potholes, which also stop a fire truck in its tracks.

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.

Delivery riders (from left) Graeme Frances, Bijyan, Xabier Villares and Michael Angus in central Edinburgh. Delivery riders (from left) Graeme Frances, Bijyan, Xabier Villares and Michael Angus in central Edinburgh. Food delivery riders call on platforms to open up AI'black box' they say has cut pay G ig economy workers are urging delivery platforms to open up the "black box" of computer-driven algorithms that determine the jobs they are offered and how much they are paid, blaming increased use of AI for lowering wages. A group of food delivery riders in Edinburgh say their rates of pay have fallen and their working conditions have deteriorated at the same time as Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, the three dominant gig economy platforms in the UK and Ireland, have increased their use of automation. "I am making half the money I was making four years ago, for the same amount of hours. It makes no sense," said David, a food delivery rider in Edinburgh for the past seven years who did not want to share his surname.

Campaigners say moratorium needed while the Scottish government analyses the environmental impact of datacentres. Campaigners say moratorium needed while the Scottish government analyses the environmental impact of datacentres. Thu 3 Sep 2026 13.48 EDTFirst published on Thu 3 Sep 2026 13.09 EDT Kat Jones may be the closest thing Scotland has to Erin Brockovich in 2026. Standing in the shadow of Arthurâ s Seat outside Holyrood, the 52-year-old is revving up the crowd of protesters around her. â Who is here from Lammermuir? Ayrshire? On Thursday, hundreds travelled to Edinburgh to call for an immediate moratorium on Scotlandâ s datacentre boom, which includes one project in Auchtertool, Fife, that has been billed as the second largest in the world.