Skip to main content
WIRED
Search
Search

Business

Proper Scary

The UK Lists Top Nightmare AI Scenarios Ahead of Its Big Tech Summit

Ahead of a global summit on how to keep artificial intelligence from doing harm, a UK government report warns that the tech could be used to help create bioweapons, or escape human control altogether.
Cross Examination

Sam Bankman-Fried Will Testify in His Own Trial. It’s a Legal Hail Mary

Start Your Engines

How to Use ChatGPT’s ‘Browse With Bing’ Tool—Plus 6 Starter Prompts

Artificial Intelligence

The AI-Generated Child Abuse Nightmare Is Here

Thousands of child abuse images are being created with AI. New images of old victims are appearing, as criminals trade datasets.

Amazon’s AI-Powered Van Inspections Give It a Powerful New Data Feed

Amazon delivery drivers at hundreds of sites around the world will be asked to drive through camera-studded archways that log every dent, scratch, or damaged tire.

Britain’s Big AI Summit Is a Doom-Obsessed Mess

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak’s global summit on AI governance will focus on extreme scenarios of algorithms causing harm. Many British AI experts would rather he focus on near-term problems.

The US Has Failed to Pass AI Regulation. New York City Is Stepping Up

The US Congress won’t pass federal AI regulation anytime soon. NYC is forging ahead with an AI Action Plan and a proposal for a new Office of Algorithmic Data Integrity.

Social Media

Elon Musk Mocked Ukraine, and Russian Trolls Went Wild

Inauthentic accounts on X flocked to its owner’s post about Ukrainian president Vlodymr Zelensky, hailing “Comrade Musk” and boosting pro-Russia propaganda.

The 5 Instagram Features That US States Say Ruin Teens’ Mental Health

These five features of Instagram helped Meta deceptively hook teens and harm their mental health, allege lawsuits filed today by 42 US states.

The Hamas Threat of Hostage Execution Videos Looms Large Over Social Media

Hamas has threatened to broadcast videos of hostage executions. With the war between Israel and Hamas poised to enter a new phase, are social platforms ready?

Palestinians Claim Social Media ‘Censorship’ Is Endangering Lives

Alleged censorship of social media and disruptions to electricity and internet access have meant people under fire in Gaza can’t get the information they need to survive.

Startups and Tech Culture

This Woman Exec Beat Google in Court—and Hopes Others Follow

A court awarded Google executive Ulku Rowe $1.15 million, making her the first woman to win a sexist discrimination case against the company in court. She hopes to inspire others to do the same.

The GitHub Black Market That Helps Coders Cheat the Popularity Contest

Popularity on GitHub can open valuable doors for developers and startups. Underground stores sell “stars” on the platform, offering coders a way to literally fake it till they make it.

What the Techno-Billionaire Missed About Techno-Optimism

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimist manifesto is correct to say technology can make the world a better place—but misses the mark on so much else.

Amazon Let Its Drivers’ Urine Be Sold as an Energy Drink

Amazon sold bottles of urine marketed as an energy drink, a new documentary alleges. The company is said to make it alarmingly easy to sell dangerous items to children.

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

They Cracked the Code to a Locked USB Drive Worth $235 Million in Bitcoin. Then It Got Weird

Stefan Thomas lost the password to an encrypted USB drive holding 7,002 bitcoins. One team of hackers believes they can unlock it—if they can get Thomas to let them.

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Are Doing Just Fine, Actually

The defense in the FTX cofounder’s trial have been accused of failing to land any blows during cross-examination. They might be doing the best they can with a weak hand.

Citing Hamas, the US Wants to Treat Crypto Anonymity Services as Suspected Money Launderers

With a new emphasis on the Hamas attacks on Israel, the US Treasury has proposed designating foreign cryptocurrency “mixer” services as money launderers and national security threats.

Crypto Groups Gemini, Genesis, and DCG Sued for $1.1 Billion ‘Fraud’

New York’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against crypto companies, including the Winkelvoss twins’ Gemini, alleging they misled investors.

Policy and Telecoms

Deepfake Audio Is a Political Nightmare

British fact-checkers are racing to debunk a suspicious audio recording of UK opposition leader Keir Starmer.

India Is Using Terrorism Laws to Target Journalists

Police seized laptops and phones from reporters working for the anti-establishment Newsclick website—the latest outlet to be raided during a crackdown on media in India.

Slovakia’s Election Deepfakes Show AI Is a Danger to Democracy

Fact-checkers scrambled to deal with faked audio recordings released days before a tight election, in a warning for other countries with looming votes.

Booking.com Shows the True Scope of the EU’s Big Tech Crackdown

European competition authorities have blocked an acquisition by Dutch travel company Booking as scrutiny on Big Tech companies heats up.

Computers and Software

Graphcore Was the UK's AI Champion—Now It’s Scrambling to Survive

The British chipmaker wanted to challenge the dominance of Nvidia, but having been left out of government AI projects, is urgently looking to raise money.

The Maker of ShotSpotter Is Buying the World’s Most Infamous Predictive Policing Tech

SoundThinking is purchasing parts of Geolitica, the company that created PredPol. Experts say the acquisition marks a new era of companies dictating how police operate.

How to Take Back the Internet

Cory Doctorow talks about everything that threatens to make the internet “a toxic waste dump”—and the ways you can regain control of your choices online.

The iPhone 15 Opts for Intuitive AI, Not Generative AI

Apple ignored the tech industry's obsession with generative AI at the new iPhone launch, offering subtler AI features that make everyday tasks like photography and phone calls better.

Transportation

GM’s Cruise Loses Its Self-Driving License in San Francisco After a Robotaxi Dragged a Person

The California DMV says the company’s autonomous taxis are “not safe” and that Cruise “misrepresented” safety information about its self-driving vehicle technology.

Google’s AI Is Making Traffic Lights More Efficient and Less Annoying

Google is analyzing data from its Maps app to suggest how cities can adjust traffic light timing to cut wait times and emissions. The company says it’s already cutting stops for millions of drivers.

The 15-Minute City Conspiracy Theory Goes Mainstream

The fringe idea that cities built for biking and walking are part of a government plot has been picked up by … the UK government.

California’s Governor Vetoes State Ban on Driverless Trucks

California lawmakers, egged on by unions, voted to require a human onboard autonomous trucks over fears about safety and job losses. Governor Gavin Newsom was having none of it.

Latest