Tech News Fabricated AI wildlife videos are fooling the public, researchers warn AI-generated animal footage is racking up millions of views online, but researchers warn it is also distorting public understanding of wildlife behaviour and could be undermining support for conservation. 21/07/2026
Tech News Anthropic to pay €1.3bn in biggest copyright settlement on record A US judge has approved Anthropic's payout to authors whose pirated books trained its Claude chatbot, closing the first major settlement in a wave of copyright lawsuits against AI companies. 21/07/2026
Tech News Could 'banned topics' be the secret to stopping AI hackers? The trick to stopping an AI cyberattack may be as simple as bringing up a subject the AI system is not allowed to discuss. 21/07/2026
Tech News Better than US rivals? Chinese AI model stops signups amid huge demand Moonshot AI paused new subscriptions to its Kimi K3 model just days after launch, as surging demand strained its computing capacity amid heightened competition between Chinese and US AI developers. 20/07/2026
Tech News Your phone is destroying your thumbs — and here's how to stop it The way we use smartphones is wreaking havoc on our hands, and can cause texting thumb, carpal tunnel and arthritis. Doctors say a few simple changes could make a difference. 17/07/2026
Tech News Xi urges united global AI push as US bans squeeze China's tech access As US restrictions continue to limit China's access to advanced technology, Xi Jinping used a major summit to rally developing nations around Beijing's vision for AI. 17/07/2026
Space Four engine failures abort Starship's 13th launch bid at the last second The world's biggest rocket was grounded Thursday when four of its 33 engines failed to ignite, leaving SpaceX to replace two engines ahead of a new launch attempt early next week. 17/07/2026
Tech News AI more critical of Western leaders than autocrats, study finds A Meta Oversight Board study found that leading AI chatbots are far more willing to criticise democratic leaders than authoritarian ones — raising fears the technology is quietly extending state censorship across borders. 16/07/2026
Tech News Google faces probe for giving Swiss users fewer options than in the EU Swiss Android users no longer get to choose their default search engine when setting up a new phone. Their EU neighbours still do. 14/07/2026
Space Sugar in space? Astronomers find sweet clue to life's origins It turns out the universe has something of a sweet tooth. Astronomers have detected a new type of sugar floating in deep space that may hold clues to how life first emerged on Earth. 14/07/2026
Tech News Instagram and Facebook fuel 'addictive' behaviour, Commission finds The European Commission has taken aim at infinite scroll and autoplay on Instagram and Facebook, finding that Meta failed to adequately mitigate the risks its platforms pose to users' mental health, including children. 10/07/2026
Tech News News outlets seek sanctions against OpenAI in copyright battle OpenAI has been "hiding and destroying evidence" of how it trained ChatGPT on copyrighted news content, US media organisations allege as legal costs in the landmark copyright battle top $28 million. 09/07/2026
Tech News Meta plans biggest AI data centre outside US with $9.1bn Canada push Meta will pour more than $9.1bn (€8.4bn) into a new artificial intelligence data centre in Alberta, Canada — its largest outside the United States — powered by a dedicated natural gas plant. 09/07/2026
Tech News AI's biggest World Cup star? It's a fake Erling Haaland Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is having the World Cup of his life — on the pitch and online. Here's why a lot of what you've seen of him is not real. 08/07/2026
Space NASA sends robot into orbit to stop telescope crashing to Earth Swift has been circling Earth for 21 years. Without a rescue mission assembled in just nine months, it would burn up by October. 03/07/2026
Tech News Amazon set to launch Leo, its rival to Starlink, later this year Amazon has deployed enough satellites to begin offering its Leo internet service this year, marking its most significant step yet in the race to take on SpaceX's Starlink. 03/07/2026
Tech News OpenAI offers the US government a 5% ownership stake Sam Altman reportedly wants to hand the US government a stake in OpenAI worth tens of billions, and he wants Silicon Valley's other giants to do the same. 02/07/2026
Tech News 20 million children use AI and adopt it faster than adults, UNICEF says New UNICEF analysis finds children are adopting AI faster than adults, with millions turning to it for homework help and, in some cases, personal advice — as safeguards for young users lag badly behind. 01/07/2026
Tech News 'Bruising' film on OpenAI picked up by indie studio after Amazon snub Neon has bought Luca Guadagnino's unflinching drama about Sam Altman, weeks after Amazon walked away from the nearly finished film following its $50 billion tie-up with OpenAI. 01/07/2026
Tech News Finland's last analogue landline phones go silent after 150 years Finland's last landline call has been made as the Nordic country becomes the latest to retire copper-wire phones in favour of fibre. 30/06/2026