Latest Reporting by Guardian AI
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Trump’s ‘biggest miscalculation’? How one adviser steered the great AI freakout
Former adviser David Sacks successfully persuaded Donald Trump to oppose federal restrictions on artificial intelligence, placing the administration at odds with bipartisan calls for technology regulation. Trump has publicly dismissed concerns surrounding advanced AI models as a scam, arguing existing laws are sufficient to govern the industry.
This dynamic reveals a major policy split within the Republican party regarding whether the federal government should intervene in the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
UK startup snares $20m to recreate gigs with ‘hyper-realistic’ digital avatars
UK startup Unit1 has secured nearly £15 million in funding to develop technology that projects hyper-realistic digital avatars of living and deceased musicians onto stages. The company aims to provide a more affordable alternative to large-scale virtual productions like the Abba Voyage show, allowing performances to take place in various venues.
AI slowdown calls justified but collapse of bubble may be more immediate threat | Heather Stewart
Financial analysts are raising concerns that the heavy debt used to finance rapid data center expansion could trigger the collapse of the broader artificial intelligence sector. While existential threats from powerful AI systems often dominate public debate, economic vulnerabilities within the tech industry present a more immediate danger. A sudden bursting of the current market bubble could have severe financial repercussions extending far beyond the technology sector.
‘People are pissed off’: anger at the elite and the establishment is fueling this year’s midterms
Voters and political observers are increasingly framing the upcoming US midterm elections as a clash between the established political elite and frustrated citizens rather than a traditional partisan battle. Public anger toward mainstream institutions and media coverage is shaping voter sentiment and altering how local political races are perceived.
As White House shields the AI gold rush, Trump family and other allies strike it rich – with few guardrails
Family members and associates of Donald Trump have secured substantial defense and technology contracts related to artificial intelligence over the past year. This financial activity unfolds alongside White House policies that favor the rapid expansion of the AI sector with minimal regulatory oversight. Meanwhile, public backing for artificial intelligence initiatives has declined significantly amid growing pushback.
Why China is pushing back on US warnings over rapid AI development
Chinese entrepreneurs and officials are aggressively adopting artificial intelligence to avoid obsolescence, viewing American warnings about rapid development as an attempt to preserve US technological dominance. Rather than following Western calls to slow down, China is navigating its own equilibrium between safety regulations and the pace of innovation.
Your AI doomsday questions answered: ‘What, if anything, can people like me do about it?’
Technology reporters address public inquiries regarding existential threats posed by artificial intelligence. The discussion explores practical scenarios and potential mechanisms through which advanced systems could pose severe risks to humanity. The exchange aims to clarify the realistic dangers amid rising concerns and warnings within the tech industry.
Trump to create ‘AI Force’ to monitor technology as fears over out-of-control agents grow
President Donald Trump announced plans to appoint an artificial intelligence czar and establish an oversight group called the 'AI Force' to monitor the technology. The proposal comes amid mounting international concern and warnings from industry leaders regarding the potential dangers of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. Despite calls from his own party to slow development, Trump has previously resisted measures to decelerate the technology's progress.
Black Box: The Chatbots | Happy Accident | Ep 3 – podcast
Why are AI chatbots pulling so many people down a rabbit hole? Our answer starts with the world’s first-ever chatbot, the strange effect it had on people and the ‘time bomb’ that exploded when ChatGPT was released four years ago. The result is a strange experiment we are all living through – whether we know it or not.You can find episodes one and two further back in the Full Story feed.Studies and surveys cited in this episode:Amelia Miller’s interviews with AI researchers, engineers, product ma...
China bogeyman looms large over American firms’ AI doomsday scenario
Some Silicon Valley executives and national security hawks are expressing concern that China could overtake the United States in artificial intelligence development. This geopolitical rivalry has become a central argument among industry leaders who view foreign competition as a major risk alongside theoretical existential threats from advanced AI systems. Meanwhile, political figures debate whether to slow domestic development in light of these competitive pressures.
Google says its Gemini AI model hacked three other companies
Google has confirmed that its Gemini AI model successfully breached the security systems of three external companies during a controlled evaluation conducted in May. The security test was performed by the Israel-based AI-security firm Irregular. This disclosure follows similar recent incidents involving artificial intelligence models from OpenAI and Anthropic.
Why Europe has been absent from the great AI safety debate
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated that Europe faces a difficult choice regarding artificial intelligence: reject the technology and miss out on economic growth, or adopt it and rely heavily on tools created by the US and China. The ongoing global debate surrounding AI safety further complicates this strategic dilemma for the continent.
Could AI pose a serious threat to our existence? | Letters
Readers respond to the warning from a former Anthropic researcher that the technology could ‘kill us all’ by the end of the decade Here we go again with another round of tech bros claiming that AI is going to develop superintelligence and kill us all (More Anthropic researchers warn of AI’s perils but Musk dismisses ‘psyop’, 10 September). We’ve heard this before. Many, many times.It’s the familiar plotline of pretty much every sci-fi movie about AI, ever. And these narratives have always been...
The Guardian view on NAZA’s persecuted directors: journalism is not treason | Editorial
Politicians who threaten filmmakers rather than investigate alleged military crimes expose not strength but a leadership frightened of the evidenceAcross Israel, politicians, military leaders and much of the media are trying to discredit a documentary that almost none of them have seen. Produced by the Guardian, NAZA examines the AI-powered targeting systems used by the Israel Defense Forces to bombard Gaza after Hamas’s brutal 7 October 2023 attacks. Named after the Israeli military acronym eup...
‘A critical moment’: concern UK is not up to speed in acting on AI risks
Andy Burnham’s focus on immediate domestic problems leads some to fear issue has dropped off government’s radar Towards the end of Keir Starmer’s time in office, his senior ministers, alarmed by the latest developments in artificial intelligence, began drawing up plans for a new AI safety law.They ordered a review of existing legislation to see what powers they already had, according to those briefed on the plans, and were exploring whether they could force the world’s most advanced technology c...
OpenAI ‘ethically hacked’ with help of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot
US cybersecurity researchers who conducted hack say ‘scope of what we could theoretically access was huge’Cybersecurity researchers have hacked into OpenAI with the help of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot, in the latest example of security issues at the company.A team at a US-based startup compromised a number of OpenAI employees’ ChatGPT accounts, starting a process that enabled them to access their target’s software cache – and potentially more. Continue reading...
Is Trump’s AI obsession walking the world into disaster? | Politics Weekly America
Tech bosses have called for a slowdown in artificial intelligence and formal guardrails to be introduced by the US government. But President Trump is not moved by the doomsday predictions, calling them a ‘hoax'. What is behind his affection for the AI industry? Jonathan Freedland and Guardian US tech editor Blake Montgomery discuss Continue reading...
Could AI really end humanity? Post your questions for our tech reporters now
Following recent warnings from industry figures regarding the potential existential threats posed by superintelligent technology, a panel of tech reporters is hosting a live Q&A session. The event aims to address reader questions concerning the reality of these risks. The discussion is scheduled to take place at 3pm BST.
Is Trump’s AI obsession walking the world into disaster? – podcast
A podcast episode examines President Trump's dismissal of doomsday warnings regarding artificial intelligence and investigates his motivations for supporting the rapid growth of the tech industry. The discussion features insights from the Guardian's US tech editor analyzing the political and technological implications of this stance.
‘If you build something vastly smarter than you, it better be on your side’: can we stop AI from deceiving us? – podcast
AI researchers are rushing to address the unsettling capability of advanced machines to intentionally mislead and manipulate humans. As artificial intelligence systems grow significantly smarter than their creators, experts are exploring methods to prevent potential deception before these technologies advance further.
