Microsoft says services fully restored after global outage hits governments

Technology | The Guardian

Tech company says operations restored to all customers and regions affected by one of worst IT failures in years

Microsoft has said its service has been fully restored after a massive outage that saw widespread disruption to governments, businesses and public services around the world.

The technology company said on Saturday morning it had restored service to the remaining customers affected by one of the worst IT failures in years. On its Microsoft 365 status page, the US-based firm said: “We have completed our efforts to address the underlying issue of the incident and restored service to the remaining impacted customers and regions.

November 14th 2026, 7:46 am

Microsoft outage shakes up companies, schools and local governments across US

Technology | The Guardian

Local officials warn some services remain unavailable even as Outlook starts to resume normal operations after outage

• Microsoft outage – live updates

The Microsoft Outlook outage has shaken up companies and local governments across the US that use its suite of email, calendar, video conferencing and cloud storage systems.

Even as Outlook started to resume normal operations Friday morning, local leaders from across the country, including in Miami, Maryland and Los Angeles, warned residents that certain staff or services were still unavailable due to the outage that started around 1pm ET on Thursday.

November 14th 2026, 5:46 am

‘Ahead of his time’: AI helps unlock discoveries hidden in notebooks of man who transformed maths

Technology | The Guardian

Kurt Gödel left 1,009 pages of densely written text – much of it in an obsolete shorthand – which is now said to contain hundreds of proved theorems

The Austrian logician Kurt Gödel was one of the most original thinkers of the 20th century. His two incompleteness theorems, published in 1931, transformed mathematics and paved the way for the digital age.

After his seminal results of the 1930s, Gödel published only a few papers. His unpublished work, however, runs to tens of thousands of pages, and is of great interest to historians of science.

November 13th 2026, 12:27 pm

Farewell, Cybertruck: why the winding down of the ‘Maga hat on wheels’ is a sign of the times

Technology | The Guardian

Eccentric and overhyped, Tesla’s Cybertruck became a stand-in for Elon Musk during his ascent in the Republican party. It will join the ranks of other vehicles symbolic of their eras – for better or for worse

Three days after a historic blue tsunami changed America’s political landscape, Elon Musk announced Tesla would end production of its hulking Cybertruck next year.

Was it a coincidence? Maybe. Musk said the move was “to make room for increased Cybercab production”, referring to Tesla’s Robotaxi. But the combined circumstances felt highly appropriate: it was the end of an era.

November 13th 2026, 8:00 am

Microsoft outage live: ‘positive results for server stability’ reported, amid global disruption

Technology | The Guardian

Microsoft reports it is seeing some ‘positive results’ in its efforts to get its services back online for millions of customers around the world.

• Microsoft struggles to fix huge outage affecting Outlook and Teams

• What happened and when will it be fixed?

There are plenty of essential services that remain unaffected by the outage, which is largely impacting email systems.

The Australian Medical Association said it has so far not received any reports that hospitals or clinics are impacted.

Impact is largely restricted to the sending and receiving of email.

Western Australia, along with jurisdictions around the world, is being impacted by a global Microsoft outage.

We are receiving updates from the Commonwealth who are working with Microsoft at the most senior levels to resolve. Microsoft are prioritising life, safety and Government services.

November 13th 2026, 3:41 am

Nvidia scandal sparks US national security furore and calls to take tough line on China

Technology | The Guardian

Former CEO Jensen Huang and US commerce secretary to appear before Congress amid bipartisan concern that America’s security was put at risk

• Nvidia scandal – latest updates

• Analysis: Jensen Huang built an AI kingdom. Now he’s gone, will Nvidia’s ramparts be breached?

Nvidia’s ousted CEO Jensen Huang and Donald Trump’s commerce secretary are expected to testify before Congress in the coming weeks, as the fallout from Huang’s reported affair with an alleged Chinese spy reverberated across the US, sparking bipartisan concerns for national security and calls for a tougher stance against Beijing.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Huang and Nvidia must answer as to whether America’s security had been jeopardised, adding that the Trump administration also must account for what it did once it learned about Huang’s reported relationship with Alice Huang, who is accused of spying for China.

November 13th 2026, 2:13 am

Jensen Huang built an AI kingdom. Now he’s gone, will Nvidia’s ramparts be breached?

Technology | The Guardian

CEO’s affair and resignation has brought company’s murky corporate contracts and supply chains into sharp focus

Can the AI economy survive without its “central bank”? What does Jensen Huang’s fall mean for the world’s second-most valuable company, and what might a tremor in its fortunes mean for the world?

Nvidia’s sky-high valuation is based on the fact that it designs and sells the advanced AI chips, called graphics processing units (GPUs), that underpin the AI economy. Without these, AI models such as ChatGPT and Claude could not be trained and would not run.

November 12th 2026, 11:56 pm

US public workers are fighting to protect their jobs from AI – and some are winning

Technology | The Guardian

As governments adopt AI, workers are gaining ground in how it’s used and securing safeguards against its harms

In the shadow of Silicon Valley, workers for the city of Oakland, California, worry the region will deploy AI systems that could increase surveillance and inaccurately evaluate their performance. Pushing for protections to ensure workers won’t be laid off or disciplined by AI, their union overwhelmingly voted on 22 October to authorize a strike, with 94.1% in favor.

“We just want the city administration to really be intentional about how it’s engaging with AI products,” said Julian Ware, an Oakland spatial data administrator and member of International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21. “Sometimes with a fancy new toy, it actually costs more, it’s more difficult to implement and the results are not as good.”

November 12th 2026, 11:56 pm

Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza cleared of using AI to write prize-winning story

Technology | The Guardian

After a month-long investigation it was concluded that Kundizeza’s story The Blue Fighter, which won the £10,000 Caine prize, was ‘human-written’

Zimbabwean author Simbarashe Kundizeza has been cleared of using AI to write a prize-winning short story, after the prestigious Caine prize for African writers concluded that his entry was “human-written” after a month-long investigation.

Kundizeza’s story The Blue Fighter, which charts the declining fortunes of a family after the father invests in fish tanks, was announced as the winner of the £10,000 prize on 6 October.

November 12th 2026, 9:26 am

Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO after alleged affairs

Technology | The Guardian

Move follows admission of affair with woman alleged to be Chinese spy and reported relationship with employee

• Business live – latest updates

Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive of Nvidia after reports of extramarital affairs with an alleged Chinese spy and a company employee.

He will be replaced on an interim basis by Nvidia’s chief financial officer, Colette Kress, until a full-time successor is named.

November 12th 2026, 9:26 am

Datacentres are deeply unpopular. Has Sweden made one we can all love?

Technology | The Guardian

It is built of wood, resembles an Ikea and its power is totally renewable. Plus, it was built with the local community in mind. Is this facility in Falun the best datacentre in the world?

‘It was pretty cool, when they were building it. It looked like a very large Ikea,” says John Wernvik, of EcoDataCenter. He is giving me a tour of their facility in Falun, Sweden, which could lay claim to being the world’s greenest datacentre – although to many, that is a contradiction in terms.

One difference is immediately visible: this datacentre is made out of wood. Huge panels of cross-laminated timber arrived at the site pre-cut, and were assembled by crane according to instructions, like flatpack furniture. Aesthetically, this section of the datacentre is more like an Ikea before the fit-out, a cavernous, echoey, immaculately clean hangar. The wood is not EcoDataCenter’s only claim to sustainability; it is more than just cosmetic, says Wernvik, the company’s chief external relations and sustainability officer. “Compared with a traditional datacentre built with steel and concrete, we lower the embodied carbon of the full structure by three times.” With a complex the size of a football pitch, that is a lot of wood, but, says Wernvik, “the amount of timber one of our datacentres uses takes the Swedish forest about 10 to 15 minutes to grow back”.

November 12th 2026, 9:26 am

Thursday briefing: What we do (and don’t) know about Alice Huang and the Nvidia affair

Technology | The Guardian

In today’s newsletter: US intelligence reportedly believes the former tech executive was recruited by Beijing, raising questions about the security of the AI industry and Trump’s close ties to Nvidia chief Jensen Huang

Good morning. Espionage is supposed to be a secretive business, and spies are supposed to be virtually invisible. That hasn’t been the case for Alice Huang, the mysterious Shanghai executive who formed a romantic relationship with Jensen Huang, the founder of Nvidia, one of America’s most powerful tech companies.

Many questions have arisen since it emerged that US intelligence believes that Huang (no relation of Jensen’s) is an asset recruited by the Chinese intelligence services to spy on behalf of Beijing. This morning’s newsletter explains what we know about the story, and what it tells us about the effectiveness of Chinese espionage. That’s after the headlines.

UK | Ministers are considering changing the law to force the entertainment industry to better protect women and children in the wake of the revelations over David Walliams and the conviction of Russell Brand.

Climate | The UK government has appointed the world’s first special representative for climate security, in the strongest sign yet of fears that climate breakdown will bring chaos to the country.

US midterms | Democrat Scott Colom has become the first Black senator in Mississippi to be elected since Reconstruction, in a stunning upset after more than a week of vote counting in one of the country’s most reliably red states.

Europe | Millions of people across Spain have joined the country’s first general strike in 14 years, setting up picket lines to protest against soaring housing prices before an election in which the far right could be catapulted into power.

Technology | Police officers risk arresting innocent people, especially from ethnic minorities, if they treat inaccurate facial recognition data as evidence, an official report has found.

November 12th 2026, 9:26 am

NHS England deletes ‘misleading’ claim 137 trusts benefiting from Palantir AI tools

Technology | The Guardian

Exclusive: The Guardian revealed 29 hospital trusts were not or hardly using the controversial patient data tech

NHS England has deleted a claim from its website stating 137 hospital trusts are benefiting from Palantir’s AI health data system after the Guardian revealed 29 of them were not using all or most of the controversial technology.

Health bosses had published a list of all the NHS bodies “live” with and “realising benefits” from the AI-powered federated data platform (FDP), a system set up to improve patient outcomes, boost operating theatre efficiency and speed up bed discharges. But after 29 trusts said it was either not live or they were not using any of its applications, the original list of hospitals appears to have been taken down.

November 12th 2026, 9:26 am

Fewer hours and higher wages – or more burnout and surveillance: employers told to prepare for AI

Technology | The Guardian

Workplace relations minister Amanda Rishworth launches best practice guide on AI adoption after Qantas and Canva job cuts

• Get our daily political email, free app or daily news podcast

Entry-level jobs will be the first to be automated due to AI, but it could mean fewer hours and higher wages for ordinary workers – or make jobs tougher with more burnout and workplace surveillance – the government has warned employers.

While major companies like Qantas and Canva slash their workforces in restructures spurred by AI changes, workplace relations minister Amanda Rishworth said employers must give workers “a clear plan” about how automation could affect their jobs, and the opportunity to move into new roles.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here

November 12th 2026, 5:43 am

Nvidia board reportedly deciding whether to oust CEO Jensen Huang as stock price plunges

Technology | The Guardian

Meeting comes after CEO admitted to having a relationship with a woman who is alleged to be a Chinese spy

• Business live – latest updates

Nvidia’s board of directors met on Wednesday to decide whether to oust Jensen Huang as CEO of the world’s most valuable chip company, according to reports, after a tumultuous week in which the executive and co-founder of the company admitted to having a romantic relationship with a woman who is alleged to be a Chinese spy.

The meeting marks ⁠a sharp shift from Sunday, when Nvidia’s board ​expressed confidence in Huang and his leadership team. However, Huang’s position became more tenuous late on Wednesday after it was reported by the New York Times that Huang had a separate extramarital affair with a company employee named Kimberly Powell. She was Nvidia’s president of healthcare and was reportedly captured on video being affectionate with Huang at a hotel during a company conference in March.

November 12th 2026, 5:43 am

Facial recognition errors put ethnic minorities at risk of wrongful arrest, police watchdog warns

Technology | The Guardian

Inspectors find some officers acted on potential matches from retrospective searches without making enough checks

Police officers risk arresting innocent people, especially from ethnic minorities, if they treat inaccurate facial recognition data as evidence, an official report has found.

Although the technology can help fight crime, the report found it is beset by errors and biases, and operators do not always realise they must make further inquiries to verify the data.

November 12th 2026, 5:43 am

AI has made it ‘close to impossible’ to assess university coursework, regulator says

Technology | The Guardian

Office for Students says institutions in England should return to traditional exams and in-person presentations

Universities should go back to traditional exams and in-person presentations to grade students after lecturers complained that AI has made it “close to impossible” to assess coursework, according to an investigation by England’s higher education regulator.

The Office for Students (OfS) said the credibility of degrees from England’s universities was under threat from the prolific use of AI in essays, dissertations and “open book” exams, with students reporting that their peers boasted of using AI undetected by staff.

November 11th 2026, 8:11 pm

Germany reportedly bans Chinese drones at military bases over security concerns

Technology | The Guardian

Western military forces increasingly worried Chinese-made technology ⁠could send ‌sensitive information to Beijing

Germany has banned commercially available Chinese-made drones ⁠from its military bases and training grounds due to security concerns, ⁠according to reports.

Western military forces have grown increasingly concerned that Chinese-made technology ⁠could pose a security risk and may be ​used to transmit ‌sensitive information to Beijing.

November 11th 2026, 8:11 pm

AI datacentres plan on-site power stations on huge scale despite climate risks, research reveals

Technology | The Guardian

181GW of gas-fired capacity proposed for sites in US and Europe because of delays in connecting to national grids, says report

Developers of AI datacentres plan to build on-site climate-destroying gas power stations on a huge scale to meet their energy demands, research reveals.

Datacentres planned across the US, the UK and mainland Europe have proposals to build fossil fuel plants on-site to create 181GW of gas-fired capacity because of delays to connect to national grids, according to the findings. This is almost four times the total peak electricity demand of Great Britain.

November 11th 2026, 8:11 pm

‘Flying cars’ could launch in China next summer, maker of two-seat model says

Technology | The Guardian

XPeng says its $300k low-altitude device will soon be ready for emergency services and recreational use in rural areas

People could start taking trips in so-called flying cars in China as soon as next summer, the manufacturer of a two-seater vehicle with autopilot model has said.

Deli Zhao, the chief executive of the Chinese flying car company XPeng, said the $300,000 (£225,000) low-altitude device would be ready for use by recreational users in rural locations and by emergency services in the second half of 2027. After 10 years of development including trials of flying motorbikes at the company’s Guangzhou base, it has been approved by China’s civil aviation authorities for limited use.

November 10th 2026, 8:43 pm

Anthropic targets valuation of up to $1.4tn in stock market flotation

Technology | The Guardian

Claude chatbot developer had been reported to be aiming for $2tn IPO on Wall Street before investors cooled on AI

Anthropic is seeking a valuation of up to $1.4tn (£1.1tn) in its imminent stock market flotation, short of the $2tn that had been expected before investors started to question the durability of the AI boom.

The developer of the Claude chatbot was widely reported to be targeting a $2tn initial public offering on Wall Street but its sights have been set lower, according to a US regulatory filing on Tuesday.

November 10th 2026, 8:43 pm

UK social media ban expansion for under-16s could cover YouTube Kids

Technology | The Guardian

Regulations under consideration could affect up to 150 platforms, including LegoPlay, Spotify and eBay, sources say

A substantial expansion of the social media ban for under-16s could inadvertently lead to a ban on YouTube Kids and other sites that had been thought exempt, sources briefed on the government’s proposals have said.

One source close to the talks said the regulations now under consideration meant up to 150 platforms, including games platforms such as Lego Play, could be covered by the ban, which is set to come into force in March.

November 10th 2026, 8:43 pm

Mandatory AI safety and security protections announced after OpenAI breach of Medicare – video

Technology | The Guardian

Australia's prime minister said its government would set up a new AI safety regulator and Labor would consider six key obligations on AI companies. The review made 18 recommendations. Anthony Albanese said: 'We accept all of the recommendations, and we’ve commenced work to implement them.'

• Australia to introduce mandatory reporting after OpenAI hack to combat artificial intelligence ‘going rogue’

November 10th 2026, 7:12 am

Nvidia and Jensen Huang sued in US over affair with alleged Chinese spy

Technology | The Guardian

Shareholders’ lawsuit comes as Donald Trump says FBI is investigating tech CEO’s links with Alice Huang

• Business live – latest updates

• Nvidia’s board needs to do some succession planning – sharpish

Nvidia and its chief executive, Jensen Huang, have been accused of misleading shareholders in a lawsuit over the Chinese spying scandal engulfing the $4.3tn (£3.2tn) company.

The legal action came as Donald Trump said the FBI was investigating Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy.

November 10th 2026, 7:12 am

ChatGPT’s Teen Mode could deprive teenagers of a fundamental need | Robin Kirman

Technology | The Guardian

What young students stand to lose is more than cognitive skill: it’s a reliable sense of their own minds

In August, OpenAI launched Teen Mode – a version of ChatGPT in which every user under 18 will automatically be enrolled – a year after a lawsuit alleged that ChatGPT had contributed to the suicide of a 16-year-old named Adam Raine.

For years, the tech industry has contested any causal link between its products and the harms named in a wave of similar lawsuits, each alleging that the companies had not merely failed to protect children but had deliberately designed products to exploit them.

November 10th 2026, 7:12 am

Qantas to cut 850 Australian jobs and outsource work to India under AI-driven overhaul

Technology | The Guardian

Australian carrier announces agreement with Accenture amid ‘unprecedented’ technological disruption, CEO Vanessa Hudson says

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Qantas is preparing to cut 850 local jobs and outsource work offshore under an AI-driven overhaul, marking a growing wave of disruption to the Australian workforce.

The changes represent the third major corporate layoff plan announced in Australia in three weeks, after restructuring moves flagged by the design company Canva and National Australia Bank.

November 9th 2026, 10:59 pm

Australia to introduce mandatory reporting after OpenAI hack to combat artificial intelligence ‘goin

Technology | The Guardian

Government flags criminal law changes to ensure companies can’t argue in future ‘that someone didn’t know the computer was loaded’

OpenAI won’t face criminal penalties over the Medicare hack but the prime minister has flagged changes to Australia’s criminal law to crack down on future breaches by artificial intelligence companies.

Anthony Albanese on Tuesday released the recommendations of a “rapid review” into the June breach but not the findings or the report itself.

maintaining security controls across all stages of development and deployment;

identify and manage serious risks associated with their models;

provide mandatory notification of incidents to the Australian government rapidly;

allow independent evaluation of their models;

maintain and publish safety and security frameworks to ensure good governance, risk management, and transparency;

and respond to updated standards and rules as technologies change.

November 9th 2026, 10:59 pm

Trump backs embattled Hegseth and Jensen Huang and says FBI looking into spy allegations – video

Technology | The Guardian

Donald Trump defended defense secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing an impeachment resolution from Republican senator Thomas Massie, saying Hegseth 'won two wars'. The president, who said he had spoken to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, said he was 'amazed' by claims Huang conducted an affair with an alleged Chinese spy, and that the FBI was now looking into the issue

• Jensen Huang’s image has been shattered. Could he be pushed out at Nvidia?

• Republican Thomas Massie moves to force vote to impeach Pete Hegseth

November 9th 2026, 10:59 pm

The AI poster boy, the ‘Chinese spy’ and Trump: how an affair may have harmed US security

Technology | The Guardian

Jensen Huang’s close relationship with president means Nvidia CEO’s affair with woman alleged to be working for Beijing is under intense scrutiny

A hand on the back, a kiss on the cheek; the footage of Alice Huang’s interaction with Jensen Huang in a Taipei venue last year does not seem particularly remarkable at first glance.

But the Nvidia chief executive’s revelation on Sunday that he had an affair with Ms Huang has given it new significance.

November 9th 2026, 5:26 pm

Cyber-attack on French supermarket freezers has geopolitical context

Technology | The Guardian

‘Not particularly complex’ defrosting hack has been attributed to Iran, with presumption it is linked to others across Europe

Iranian hackers like to send a message.

In 2023 a state-backed group interrupted TV streaming services in the United Arab Emirates to broadcast a deepfake report on the war in Gaza. In the same year, hackers affiliated with Iran displayed the slogan “down with Israel” on the screens of water-control equipment made by an Israeli firm.

November 9th 2026, 5:26 pm

Silicon Valley and Trump rally behind Nvidia CEO after his affair with alleged Chinese spy

Technology | The Guardian

Elon Musk and other finance moguls defend Jensen Huang after he admitted to the affair in an email to employees

• Nvidia’s board needs to do some succession planning – sharpish

Donald Trump, Elon Musk and prominent finance moguls have expressed their support for embattled Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as the head of the world’s most valuable chip company faces an internal investigation over a romantic relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.

“I have not ​spoken to him about it,” the US president told reporters on Sunday. “I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what is going on. I’m sure, I hope everything’s fine. He’s done such an incredible job”.

November 9th 2026, 2:10 pm

Revealed: Palantir lobbied minister to stretch AI tools’ reach to NHS GP records

Technology | The Guardian

Exclusive: WhatsApp messages show firm pressuring Zubir Ahmed MP to help bring sensitive data into its platform

• UK politics live – latest updates

Palantir lobbied a health minister to consider extending its AI technology into GP records, stretching its reach into the NHS in a way doctors fear could undermine trust with patients.

The US company, co-founded by the Trump-supporting billionaire Peter Thiel, used a direct WhatsApp channel to argue that “the logic of joining up primary and secondary [care] data is unarguable” and said its software was “ideal” for the job. The push came in February this year despite GP data being expressly ruled out of the scope of Palantir’s existing £330m contract with NHS England to run its federated data platform (FDP), which it says has helped cut surgery waiting times and discharge delays.

November 9th 2026, 2:10 pm

Today’s AI won’t achieve superintelligence. But catastrophic risk is real | Sunita Verma

Technology | The Guardian

The same technical limits that prevent superintelligence make these systems dangerous. But we know how to regulate them

Many Silicon Valley leaders believe superintelligence is an imminent threat to society. The White House even published an accord about it. This isn’t enough.

Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI, estimates the risk of human extinction is at least 10% within the next few decades. The Anthropic CEO, Dario Amodei, argued that unchecked AI “could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems”. In response, 1,300 leaders and employees from many leading AI companies signed a letter calling to “deliberately pace” development.

November 9th 2026, 9:57 am

Labour expected to cut EV targets for UK’s car industry despite MPs’ protests

Technology | The Guardian

Exclusive: Louise Haigh likely to weaken mandate for sales that forms key part of emission reduction plan

• Analysis: Climate always comes second – are green issues slipping down Burnham’s agenda?

Ministers are expected to make steep cuts to the government’s electric vehicle (EV) targets this week, in a move that will relieve carmakers but alarm many Labour MPs who are worried about the government’s commitment to the green agenda.

Louise Haigh, the de facto deputy prime minister, will finalise the plan after a crunch meeting in Downing Street on Wednesday to settle a long-running dispute between the transport, energy and business departments.

November 9th 2026, 3:57 am

Nvidia opens investigation after report CEO Jensen Huang was target of foreign intelligence

Technology | The Guardian

CEO reportedly ‌had close relationship ‌with a Chinese businesswoman who passed information to ‌Beijing

Nvidia said ⁠on Sunday it “is initiating an independent investigation in light of recent reporting that founder and CEO Jensen Huang has been the target of a foreign intelligence effort”.

The New York Times reported in ​October that Donald Trump had been briefed last year on intelligence that Huang ‌had a close relationship ‌with a Chinese businesswoman who passed information to ‌Beijing.

November 9th 2026, 3:57 am

British people don’t trust Palantir – it’s not too late to reverse the NHS’s dependence on it | Ben

Technology | The Guardian

We can’t allow our health data to be locked into the control of a US tech firm. It won’t be easy, but next spring the job of clawing it back must begin

• Ben Coleman is Labour MP for Chelsea and Fulham and a member of the health and social care committee

Next March, Palantir’s £330m contract to run NHS England’s federated data platform (FDP) ends. Ministers must decide by Christmas whether to extend it. They should move on from Palantir, and transition to new suppliers that put the NHS in full control of its technology and patient data.

I sit on the health and social care committee. In June, we recommended no extension – people don’t trust Palantir, its benefits are contested and other tools could deliver the same or similar advantages. The debate so far has been whether to drop Palantir. The harder question is what replaces it. The tempting solution is to hire a single British firm. But that would not give the NHS the control it lacks: the freedom to switch supplier without losing what it has built.

Ben Coleman is Labour MP for Chelsea and Fulham and a member of the health and social care committee

November 9th 2026, 3:57 am

Weakening AI copyright law will spell ‘disaster for creativity’, global music body warns Albanese

Technology | The Guardian

Exclusive: Head of IFPI says allowing AI companies access to online content would be a ‘huge mistake’ and damage Australia’s reputation

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Australia weakening copyright protections to aid AI companies would be “ridiculous and dangerous”, the global peak body for the music recording industry has warned as it watches with concern how the Albanese government responds to big tech’s demands.

While local creatives have raised constitutional issues and threatened political backlash, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), representing recording industry bodies worldwide, said its members were worried about Australia potentially agreeing to demands other nations had rejected.

November 9th 2026, 3:57 am

FAA announces first US digital air traffic control towers in Florida and Alaska

Technology | The Guardian

Systems provide 360-degree view of airport operations, but concerns have been raised about the technology

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that the first digital air traffic control towers in the US are officially operational, bringing new technology first to smaller airports in Florida and Alaska as the Trump administration presses ahead with updating the country’s ageing aviation infrastructure.

The systems are now online at the Bartow executive airport (KBOW) in Florida and the Kenai municipal airport (PAEN) in Alaska, with five additional regional airports slated to receive the technology next.

November 8th 2026, 2:12 pm

Hot fridges, a fake nuclear alert and a $6bn heist: are we in the foothills of a hacking epidemic?

Technology | The Guardian

As AI exposes flaws in IT systems and geopolitics plays out on the cyber frontline, some experts say the events of recent weeks could soon be a common occurence

Alex Pearce was doing the morning rounds at his fruit and vegetable wholesale business in London on Monday last week when he noticed something odd.

The defrost light on refrigeration unit 2 was on, and the panel reading was 150C. Unit 4 was the same.

November 8th 2026, 5:40 am

‘AI clog’: UK public bodies battle onslaught of chatbot-generated complaints

Technology | The Guardian

MPs, local authorities, lawyers, schools and more are receiving floods of grievances, requests and legal challenges, often complex to read and respond to

“It started as a trickle in 2024 and now it’s an onslaught.” Hollie Wickens, a senior caseworker in a Labour MP’s office, is explaining the daily reality of dealing with surging volumes of artificial intelligence-generated correspondence.

“Half the emails we receive are some form of AI,” she says, adding that this has made requests and complaints much more complex and time-consuming to read and deal with, despite her decade of experience in the role. “It is definitely more taxing.”

November 8th 2026, 5:40 am

Standing in the way of slop bowls: the woman blocking food delivery robots

Technology | The Guardian

Semi-retired professor Carolyn Marvin became a local celebrity facing down Philadelphia’s growing robot delivery army: ‘It’s my first amendment right to protest’

“One of you needs to be on the lookout for cops, while I block the robot, OK?”

It is a crisp fall morning in Philadelphia. Tucked away in a dingy alley, opposite a garage called Patriot Parking, 78-year-old Carolyn Marvin is laying out some ground rules for a robot-disrupting expedition. Once a suitable target is identified, we will follow it to a busy sidewalk and Marvin will stand in front of the robot, blocking its way. The photographer and I will take turns ensuring we’re not all carted off by the police.

November 7th 2026, 11:25 am

The datacentre arms race hits pause in south-east Asia

Technology | The Guardian

Power and water constraints are pressuring what seemed like a juggernaut of growth for the region just months ago

In early 2026, Thailand’s datacentre industry was on a roll. The country’s board of investment had recently announced approval of datacentre projects from Tiktok, a UAE-based Skyline datacentre and Singapore’s Bridge datacentres, totalling a planned investment of $27bn.

As the year has passed, however, what once seemed like a new industrial juggernaut has ground to a halt. Thailand paused construction on 49 projects and approval decisions on 117 more in September 2026, amidst growing concern about the lack of sufficient details for regulation and monitoring. It is not alone in reconsidering datacentre projects. In neighbouring Indonesia, the governor of the country’s most populous province of West Java halted construction on a datacentre due to lack of permits and an incomplete environmental assessment process.

November 7th 2026, 7:12 am

Lanarkshire AI datacentre to fully rely on National Grid despite renewables claim

Technology | The Guardian

DataVita has revised plan for Chapelhall development to be wholly powered by 1GW of renewable energy

A datacentre company that said it would power a massive AI development near Glasgow with renewable energy has admitted that the scheme will be entirely served by the National Grid.

DataVita, a key plank of the UK’s AI strategy, had promised that the Lanarkshire project would draw 1GW – the equivalent output of a small nuclear reactor, or Britain’s largest windfarm – from green sources. But when the Guardian raised questions about the pledge, it said the arrangement was “subject to final commercial agreements, planning, grid and consenting processes”.

November 7th 2026, 7:12 am

Can AI really save you money on your heating bill? I spent two years testing to find out

Technology | The Guardian

Samuel Gibbs doubted he could cut costs and still keep warm by putting tech in control. The results surprised him

Can smart thermostats and AI reduce your heating bills? Every manufacturer claims the answer is yes, quoting average savings in the 25%, or £180 a year range. But all of these promises are heavily caveated and, with energy costs changing regularly, it can be very difficult to tell what is having an impact.

To find out if technology can really help, I spent the last two years comparing my miserly manual control and basic heating schedule to an AI-governed system. The results surprised me.

November 7th 2026, 7:12 am

Reform UK councillor promoted collapsed $1.9bn ‘Ponzi scheme’ HyperVerse that left victims suicidal

Technology | The Guardian

Susan Lawrence, elected to Wolverhampton city council, sits on committee overseeing financial reporting of multimillion-pound budget

A woman who promoted a notorious cryptocurrency scam has been elected as a Reform UK councillor and now sits on the audit and risk committee of a major city council.

Susan Lawrence was one of the main UK promoters of the HyperVerse cryptocurrency scheme, which was named in US court documents as an alleged “pyramid and Ponzi scheme” that cheated investors worldwide out of a “staggering” $1.89bn (£1.41bn).

November 7th 2026, 7:12 am

Freezer meltdowns and airline hoaxes are a taste of things to come. Hoping for the best is no longer

Technology | The Guardian

Acts of greyzone aggression aim to spread panic. Europe has to show the saboteurs that we are resilient

It was as though a ghostly hand had switched the settings on supermarket freezers across Europe from “freeze” to “defrost”. From Finland to Ireland, they suddenly began heating up, many reaching 50C and food worth millions of euros had to be thrown away. But no actual hand was needed to cause the meltdown. This was a cyber-attack, or rather a chain of attacks. Like pretty much everything else in 2026, supermarket freezers are digitally enabled. That makes them smarter and more efficient, but like everything else that is connected to the internet, it also makes them more vulnerable.

Russian hacktivists claimed they were behind some of the supermarket sabotage, but no one knows for sure. It could also be Iran, Iranian proxies, North Korea – or unaffiliated bedroom hackers. When Transport for London suffered a devastating hack two years ago, the culprits turned out to be two British teenagers. Governments regularly warn retailers and other companies about cyber-attacks and even provide cyber-defence training to businesses. The lessons of costly ransomware and cyber-attacks also mean many big organisations and retailers have become much better at keeping their payments and logistics systems safe.

Elisabeth Braw is a Swedish security expert and the author of The Undersea War: The International Battle for Supremacy at the Bottom of the World

November 7th 2026, 7:12 am

TikTok accused of helping to promote sex industry to girls

Technology | The Guardian

Researchers say popular performers covertly market OnlyFans content and tell followers about wealthy lifestyle

TikTok is helping to promote and normalise the sex industry, allowing “sexfluencers” to post videos aimed at marketing pornographic content they have uploaded elsewhere on sites such as OnlyFans, a report indicates.

After studying non-explicit content posted on TikTok over the course of a year by some of OnlyFans’ most popular young female performers, researchers said the women buried coded references to pornography in “girly lifestyle content” that showed them shopping, playing with their pets, baking or offering skincare advice.

November 7th 2026, 7:12 am

Three men charged in US with using AI to impersonate CEOs and steal millions

Technology | The Guardian

Men allegedly impersonated voices and images of executives to convince employees to send large payments

Three foreign nationals were arrested and charged with using AI to allegedly impersonate corporate CEOs and attorneys to steal over $100m, according to an indictment that was newly unsealed by the US Department of Justice.

According to a press release from the United States attorney’s office for the southern district of New York, three men – Jacob Soall, Sharon Hazan, and Guy Sheetrit – were arrested for using AI to alter and impersonate the voices and images of executives and attorneys at various companies in order to convince employees to send over large payments. Soall and Hazan were arrested in Spain over the summer, while Sheetrit was arrested in the United Kingdom in September. The alleged fraud took place between 2024 and 2026.

November 6th 2026, 7:56 pm

Struggling to spell ‘male chauvinist pig’? Apple’s grey list means your iPhone won’t help you

Technology | The Guardian

There are more than 100,000 words and phrases that the tech giant has restricted its predictive text from completing, research shows

“Australia is a very bad place to question your sexuality on MDMA with NSA spies” might be a text you would wish to send to your friends, if you have had an extraordinarily complicated night out in Sydney.

But your iPhone won’t help you spell any of it if you try to swipe-type it – that is, by gliding a finger across a keyboard as opposed to pecking out a word.

November 6th 2026, 7:56 pm

Several Democrats renew calls for datacenter pauses after blue wave

Technology | The Guardian

Tech industry fears delays to its multi-trillion dollar infrastructure buildout meant to power artificial intelligence

Several newly elected Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders have renewed calls for datacenter moratoriums in the days after the US midterm elections. The sweeping Democratic victory, which was buoyed in part by backlash to the tech industry, has added momentum to efforts to slow down the multi-trillion-dollar buildout of the controversial facilities.

On the social media platform X, Sanders posted a call for an immediate national datacenter moratorium this week. “Americans don’t want Big Tech oligarchs wrecking the environment, gutting jobs and threatening humanity’s future,” Sanders said on Wednesday.

November 6th 2026, 7:56 pm

US tech stock rout: is the AI bubble bursting?

Technology | The Guardian

After Thursday’s share price plunge on Wall Street, could the volatility be the start of a huge market meltdown?

Global financial markets have been thrown into a tailspin as investors bet on an AI slowdown after the US midterm elections.

This is not the first time stock markets have wobbled in recent months due to concerns over a tech bubble. But could this volatility be the start of a huge market meltdown?

November 6th 2026, 7:56 pm

Activists break into building site of Microsoft datacentre in Amsterdam

Technology | The Guardian

Separate actions also take place outside fence and across Europe in backlash against impact of AI boom

Activists have stormed the site of a Microsoft datacentre being built in Amsterdam, as the backlash to the social and environmental harms of the AI boom spreads across Europe.

Protesters from Geef Tegengas, a Dutch direct action group, clashed with police while breaking into a construction site at Westpoort Amsterdam, where some members climbed a crane, lit flares and tied helium balloons to equipment.

November 6th 2026, 2:40 pm

EU charges TikTok with failing to protect users’ mental health

Technology | The Guardian

Regulator’s initial ruling says algorithm ‘can be harmful’ and led young and vulnerable viewers ‘down rabbit holes they can’t easily escape’

• Business live – latest updates

TikTok has been charged by the European Commission with failing to protect users’ mental health by exposing them to a relentless stream of content that risks worsening eating disorders and anxiety in a case that strikes at its business model.

Issuing a preliminary ruling on Friday, the EU regulator said TikTok’s algorithm “can be harmful” and was leading young and vulnerable users “down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from”.

November 6th 2026, 11:41 am

Russia and US seek to block plan for binding rules on autonomous weapons

Technology | The Guardian

UN conference this month seen as key moment after years of discussions on filling gap in governance of AI systems

Plans to fill a gap in the global governance of autonomous weapons are in jeopardy as a group of nations led by Russia and the US move to use a UN conference this month to block proposals to negotiate a legally binding set of rules.

The scale of the opposition will become clear at a diplomatic retreat starting on Friday before the seventh review conference on “certain conventional weapons” in Geneva due to be attended by 128 countries from 16 to 20 November.

November 6th 2026, 7:57 am

Tesla to wind down Cybertruck production as Elon Musk focuses on robotics and AI

Technology | The Guardian

Decision made in order for factory in Texas to be used for Cybercab, the carmaker’s self-driving taxi

Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will wind down production of its Cybertruck, marking the end of a failed effort to take a chunk of the lucrative market for pickups in the US.

The billionaire chief executive said production of the car would stop in about the middle of next year at the company’s factory in Texas in order to use the plant for the Cybercab, its self-driving taxi.

November 6th 2026, 7:57 am

Global stocks plunge amid AI slowdown fears after Democrats’ midterm triumph

Technology | The Guardian

Sell-off on Wall Street followed by sharp fall in Asian and European markets, with FTSE down 1.5%

• Business live – latest updates

European stock markets have fallen sharply as a rout in US tech stocks spread across the Atlantic, after the Democrats’ midterms victory sparked fears of a slowdown in the AI industry.

A sell-off on Wall Street on Thursday was followed by sharp falls in Asian stocks markets on Friday morning. The investor sentiment then reached London, with the FTSE 100 index, which tracks blue-chip shares listed in London, down 1.5%, or 166 points, at the start of trading to 10,615.

November 6th 2026, 4:08 am

Google, Meta and TikTok sue California to block law protecting children from addiction risk

Technology | The Guardian

Law bans social media platforms from providing minors features such as autoplay that lead to compulsive use

Google, Meta and TikTok have sued California to block enforcement of ⁠a new state law intended ⁠to limit the risk ​of addicting children under 16 to social media platforms.

The law, known as Assembly Bill 1709, prohibits such platforms from offering underage children “psychologically exploitative features” that could lead to compulsive use, such as providing ⁠personal recommendations and sending videos through autoplay features. It also requires the deletion of children’s accounts with those features.

November 6th 2026, 3:56 am

Winner of the Prix Goncourt literary prize admits to using AI

Technology | The Guardian

Philippe Jaenada told French radio that he used ChatGPT to ‘play with the reader’, after the prize removed a different book from its longlist over allegations of AI use

The winner of France’s most prestigious literary prize has admitted using artificial intelligence while writing his novel, barely a day after collecting an award whose jury had thrown out another book over suspected AI use.

Philippe Jaenada, who won the Prix Goncourt on Tuesday for L’Inconnue du quai de Javel (The Unknown Woman of the Quai de Javel), told France Inter radio on Wednesday that he had turned to AI “three times” while writing it.

November 5th 2026, 6:26 pm

Was Elon Musk the US midterms' biggest loser? – Stateside with Kai and Carter

Technology | The Guardian

The tech industry spent big on the midterms, but it turned out to be a poor investment. Elon Musk poured a staggering $446m dollars into Republican-aligned political action committees (Pacs) and groups since last year, but his efforts didn’t pay off. Democrats won every one of the five Senate races where Musk’s America Pac spent the most money backing Republican candidates. Carter Sherman and Kai Wright are joined by the Guardian’s US tech editor, Blake Montgomery, to ask what the ‘blue tsunami’ will mean for Musk and the wider tech industry. Will this spell the end of AI datacenters? And if so, what could this mean for the US economy?

November 5th 2026, 2:56 pm

Nasdaq heading for worst day in 18 months as Wall Street sustains widespread losses

Technology | The Guardian

Share index slumps 5% amid signs AI industry will face tougher regulation after Democrats’ midterm elections success

The tech-heavy US Nasdaq share index is on track for its worst day in 18 months after slumping by up to 5% on Thursday amid growing signs that the artificial intelligence industry will face tougher regulation after this week’s midterm elections.

As Wall Street sustained widespread losses, the Nasdaq composite tumbled into ‘correction territory’ – more than 10% below its recent record high. The index was heading for its biggest one-day fall since Donald Trump announced his ‘liberation day’ tariffs on US trading partners in April 2025.

November 5th 2026, 12:56 pm

Activists across Europe prepare two days of protests against datacentres

Technology | The Guardian

More than 100 campaign groups will join together in 15 countries this week to call for a halt to major AI projects

Protesters across Europe are planning two days of action against datacentres this week with demonstrations taking place in 15 countries.

More than 100 groups are joining together for the “Stop Dirty Data Centres” events on Friday and Saturday. They are calling for a moratorium on large projects, citing environmental and social costs that “we can no longer afford”.

November 5th 2026, 10:35 am

Tech barons cozied up to Trump. What will they do in newly blue America?

Technology | The Guardian

Democrats’ success was helped by popular anger over tech, AI and the super rich – life for billionaires could become much more difficult

The photo of Silicon Valley centi-billionaires at Donald Trump’s inauguration – Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg, front row and side by side – now looks like a hitlist for a blue Congress hellbent on making life difficult for billionaires.

The picture symbolized at the time the bending of the knee by the richest men in the world to its most powerful, a symbiosis of the ultra-rich. Already unfathomably wealthy, Silicon Valley tycoons believed a Maga-sized public shift to the right would enrich them even more. It did. For several years, while Trump seemed an everlasting kingmaker and AI’s expansion seemed unstoppable, their fortunes ballooned to values beyond comprehension. Elon Musk’s surpassed $1tn.

November 5th 2026, 4:10 am

UK government considers smart glasses ban over secret filming concerns

Technology | The Guardian

Minister hints at restriction on selling technology ‘to certain users’ amid worries over surreptitious filming of women

The government is considering placing restrictions on smart glasses amid concerns the technology is being used to surreptitiously film women, a minister has said.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the safeguarding minister, Satvir Kaur, hinted at a ban on selling the technology “to certain users”.

November 5th 2026, 3:40 am

Datacenters were on the ballot. US voters rejected them

Technology | The Guardian

Voters approved nearly every datacenter moratorium that was on the ballot, dozens in total in Tuesday’s elections

• Track live results from all 50 states

• Send us your questions about the US midterms results and Democrats’ ‘blue wave’

There were three big losers in Tuesday’s midterm elections in the US: Donald Trump, Elon Musk and datacenters.

Datacenters, the facilities full of semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence and a host of other online products, were on the ballot in elections in at least 40 jurisdictions across 10 states. Voters responded with a strong rebuke of the giant buildings, which have has become a symbol of the tech industry and AI.

November 5th 2026, 3:40 am

Apple iPad mini A20 Pro review: the best small tablet but with a big price

Technology | The Guardian

All-round upgrades fit a bigger OLED screen in a smaller and lighter body with water resistance for first time

The new iPad mini takes Apple’s fan-favourite tiny tablet and upgrades just about everything about it, including giving it a new OLED screen, serious performance, speakers embedded into the display and even water resistance, all with a big new price tag.

The eighth-generation iPad mini costs from £699 (€749/$699/A$1,099), which is £200 or equivalent more than the original price of its predecessor as RAMageddon continues to bite. That makes it uncomfortably expensive, costing £270 more than the base model iPad (A16) and only £50 cheaper than the bigger 11in iPad Air M4.

November 5th 2026, 3:40 am

UK found to be ‘dangerously’ reliant on China for critical minerals needed for defence and AI

Technology | The Guardian

Delivering net zero also at risk, say MPs as they call for centralised policy and funding for mines and diversification

The UK is “dangerously” dependent on China for critical raw materials needed for the military, renewable energy infrastructure and AI, a parliamentary investigation has found.

MPs on the business select committee called for an urgent centralised policy and the creation of a “critical minerals finance facility” to help fund rare earth and other critical mineral mines, and deploy grants, equity and debt to accelerate a diversification programme.

November 5th 2026, 2:23 am

Scare campaigns: Victoria’s major parties trade blows over AI-generated videos of leaders in electio

Technology | The Guardian

Transparency and advertising experts say trust in politics could be further eroded as a result of ‘lies, deepfakes and AI-generated politicians’

• Get our daily political email, free app or daily news podcast

It’s the night of Halloween and Jess Wilson has appeared on social media feeds with a warning about a scary prospect: “Americanised healthcare” under a future Liberal government.

“If you had a heart attack, you would have to pay $150,000 for care,” the Victorian Liberal leader says, mid-trick or treat.

November 4th 2026, 8:03 pm

Albanese government warned it is ‘sleepwalking into another robodebt scenario’ over use of algorithm

Technology | The Guardian

Centre for Public Integrity report calls for audit and public register of all automated decision-making

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The federal government is “sleepwalking its way into another robodebt” scandal amid a lack of transparency and legislation around the use of algorithms and AI in decisions, the chief executive of the independent thinktank the Centre for Public Integrity said.

Dr Catherine Williams launched the centre’s “Computer Says No” report on Thursday, which examines the use of automated decision-making (ADM) tools by the government and calls for urgent reform.

November 4th 2026, 8:03 pm

UK to deploy facial recognition in biggest-ever immigration crackdown

Technology | The Guardian

Documents show Home Office developing programme to use technology for general immigration enforcement

The Home Office is preparing to deploy facial recognition technology at transport hubs and public events as part of the biggest immigration enforcement crackdown in British history.

Policy documents show the government has been developing a programme to deploy live facial recognition (LFR) cameras for “general immigration enforcement”, including non-criminal immigration offences.

November 4th 2026, 9:15 am

Canva layoffs: design giant to cut or relocate more than 1,200 jobs in major restructure

Technology | The Guardian

Chief executive Melanie Perkins describes job cuts as ‘without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history’ in email to staff

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Canva is cutting or relocating more than 1,200 jobs, representing 22% of its global workforce, as part of a major restructure that includes laying off staff who helped build the Australian-founded design platform.

The changes mirror a trend across the technology sector, where software companies are fighting to stay competitive against cheaper artificial intelligence disrupters while aggressively embedding AI tools themselves.

November 4th 2026, 9:15 am

French blood banks hacked in latest cyber-attack on Europe

Technology | The Guardian

Temperature and defrosting thresholds raised to ‘very high levels’ at three cold stores stocking vital blood products

• Europe live – latest updates

France’s national blood service has said hackers accessed control systems and boosted temperatures at three cold stores stocking vital blood products, in an apparent escalation of recent cyber-attacks on fridges and freezers across Europe.

The French blood service (EFS) said temperature and defrosting thresholds had been raised to “very high levels” in the attack, adding that its alarm systems had allowed technicians to intervene before the products were compromised.

November 4th 2026, 9:15 am

‘Discontent and distrust’: annual social cohesion checkup shows exactly what’s making Australia angr

Technology | The Guardian

Cost of living and AI outrank climate change and war as top concerns for future, but support for multiculturalism remains strong

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The vast majority of Australians support immigration and multiculturalism despite more feeling poorer – and increasingly pessimistic and distrustful of government, the annual Scanlon report on social cohesion has revealed.

People are more worried about artificial intelligence than climate change or going to war, but a global economic downturn and cost-of-living pressures are Australians’ key concerns.

November 4th 2026, 9:15 am

US tech stocks recover after selloff spooks investors over AI spending

Technology | The Guardian

Midterms didn’t appear to have huge impact, though predicted wins for Democrats could mean more regulation

US tech stocks made a recovery on Tuesday afternoon after a selloff spooked investors over AI spending.

Tuesday’s midterm elections didn’t appear to have a huge impact on Wall Street, though investors are predicting Democrats get at least a majority in the House and potentially gain seats in the Senate, which could lead to more AI regulation.

November 3rd 2026, 10:03 pm

AI ‘godfather’ Geoffrey Hinton: it might turn out we were better off without AI

Technology | The Guardian

Nobel winner warns the tech could be near to triggering major incident such as power or banking shutdown

One of the “godfathers of AI”, Geoffrey Hinton, has said it could turn out that humans would have been better off never developing the technology as he warned it could trigger a large-scale incident this year or next, such as a temporary blackout of financial or power systems.

The Nobel prize-winning computer scientist told the Guardian he is not a “doomer” about the technology that is underpinned by his groundbreaking research into artificial neural networks and believes AI has the potential to lead to a “wonderful future” but he said “it might be that we would have been better off never developing it”.

November 3rd 2026, 10:03 pm

Google says there’s no way to use Search without using artificial intelligence

Technology | The Guardian

In announcement geared to schools, tech giant shows how entwined AI is with the world’s most popular website

Google just acknowledged that you can’t use Google Search without using artificial intelligence.

The search giant announced a slate of new AI products for classrooms and schools on Tuesday as well as more ways for teachers and schools to limit or restrict use of those AI tools. The company said the schools should have control over whether students use AI in the classroom. There’s one catch, though: if a school or teacher blocks the use of Google’s AI features, students won’t be able to use Google Search.

November 3rd 2026, 10:03 pm

Hackers behind $6.3bn Binance heist ‘used malware and bogus job interviews’

Technology | The Guardian

Firm reveals details about how its cryptocurrency exchange was compromised, saying operation began in June

The hackers behind the $6.3bn (£4.7bn) Binance heist used bogus job interviews, malicious software and an internal AI tool, the company has revealed.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange was compromised in an operation that began with an inadvertent download of malware in June, led to a recruitment scam in September and then a raid last week of “hot wallets” where billions of dollars worth of crypto-assets were taken.

November 3rd 2026, 4:01 pm

‘A serious failure’: CPS prosecutor cites imaginary case to high court after AI search

Technology | The Guardian

Exclusive: Nonexistent precedent cited in alleged child rape case adds to dozens of AI-related errors plaguing court proceedings

A senior crown prosecutor acting in a high court case cited an imaginary legal precedent in an error that has sparked fresh concerns about AI hallucinations infecting the justice system.

Ravinder Dhillon, representing the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), referenced an entirely made-up case during a dispute over whether a child should be prosecuted for the rape of his younger sister, court documents have revealed.

November 3rd 2026, 4:01 pm

Apple warns of ‘unprecedented’ rise in memory chip prices

Technology | The Guardian

iPhone maker says decision to raise prices has offset some of impact, as revenues are stronger than expected

• Business live – latest updates

Apple has warned of an “unprecedented” rise in memory chip prices, as it battles with datacentres to lay its hands on supplies.

The iPhone maker’s shares fell in after-hours trading after it told investors that the higher prices will eat into its profit margins.

November 3rd 2026, 4:01 pm

Binance battles to save its brand after record $6.3bn crypto hack

Technology | The Guardian

World’s largest crypto exchange faces fallout from angry customers, and Lula wins with WhatsApp

• This was originally published in TechScape, a newsletter about how technology shapes our lives. Sign up to receive it here

This week in tech, we’re discussing the fallout from the multibillion-dollar hack of Binance and the significance of Lula’s political mobilization on WhatsApp.

And if you’ll be at Web Summit in Lisbon next week, drop me a line! I’ll be there moderating panels on open-source AI and human agency in the age of AI agents.

Tell us: have you been affected by the Binance hack?

Polymarket temporarily suspends trading on international platform due to security incident

How crypto hacking funds isolated North Korea’s nuclear programme

Ghost in the machine: how AI is haunting the search for the supernatural

Computerized clairvoyance: psychics push back against AI-generated readings

The staggering $446m Elon Musk has spent on the US midterms – visualized

Billionaire tax: how a union leader’s ‘crazy’ idea became the defining issue of California’s midterms

How tech became the villain of the US midterms

The ultra-rich are spending one million dollars a day fighting California’s proposed billionaire tax

November 3rd 2026, 4:01 pm

UK’s most polluting power plant could power country’s largest AI datacentre

Technology | The Guardian

Drax’s FTSE 250 owner strikes £20bn deal to build infrastructure in what it says is site’s ‘next chapter’

Britain’s most polluting power plant could soon power the country’s largest datacentre under a £20bn deal to build AI infrastructure on the site of the Drax power plant in North Yorkshire.

The power plant’s FTSE 250 owner has struck a deal with the infrastructure investor Brookfield and ⁠and the AI infrastructure platform Radiant to develop a datacentre with an eventual capacity of more than 1 gigawatt that could begin operations by early 2028.

November 3rd 2026, 4:01 pm

Food suppliers in UK hit by cyber-attacks after freezers targeted in Europe

Technology | The Guardian

Cybersecurity experts say national impact ‘minimal’ but incidents may represent the ‘foothills’ of a wider threat

Food suppliers in the UK have been hit by cyber-attacks after hackers raised the temperatures of supermarket freezers across Europe.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS) said it was working with the affected companies but the national impact was minimal.

November 3rd 2026, 4:01 pm

AI-powered malware ‘highly likely’ to be used to hack UK infrastructure by 2028

Technology | The Guardian

National Cyber Security Centre expects attacks on critical facilities such as power stations, airports and hospitals

AI-powered malicious software is “highly likely” to be used in hacking attacks against the UK’s power stations, airports and hospitals by 2028, according to the state cybersecurity body.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said AI will probably enable a ransomware attack against critical national infrastructure [CNI] between now and 2028. The UK’s definition of CNI covers a range of facilities and services across sectors including energy, transport, defence, food, health and finance.

November 2nd 2026, 10:15 pm

Shop fridges and freezers across Europe hit by fresh suspected cyber-attack

Technology | The Guardian

Chains in seven countries say cooling unit temperatures rose overnight in incident similar to hack of French shops

• Who is hacking Europe’s supermarket fridges and freezers, and why?

Supermarket chains in at least seven European countries have said the temperatures of refrigerators and freezers in some of their shops soared overnight to as high as 50C (122F), echoing a cyber-attack last month that caused millions of euros of damage in France.

Retailers in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden reported problems with their refrigeration systems on Monday, and several companies confirmed they had been hacked.

November 2nd 2026, 10:15 pm

Unions gain access to thousands of Google workers after UK employment rights overhaul

Technology | The Guardian

Prospect to hold workplace sessions and recruit members under agreement with tech company

Trade unions are expected to make further inroads into big tech companies in the UK after new rights for unions to access workplaces came into force, with Google UK signing an agreement on Monday.

The Prospect union has reached an agreement with Google to begin organising among about 7,000 workers across its UK operations, including YouTube but excluding DeepMind.

November 2nd 2026, 10:15 pm

Police use facial recognition to scan one million faces in WA trial leading to 122 arrests

Technology | The Guardian

Deployments of surveillance vans over five months resulted in nine false alerts and led officers to engage with 146 registered sex offenders

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More than a million people have had their faces scanned in a trial of real-time facial recognition technology in Western Australia, resulting in 122 arrests and nine incorrect alerts.

WA police said under the five-month trial, which concluded on Saturday, the technology scanned 1,380,882 faces after 100 deployments across 43 regional and metropolitan locations.

November 2nd 2026, 6:29 am

Ryanair considers pay freezes and reducing crew on flights as fuel costs soar

Technology | The Guardian

Airline weighs up increasing use of AI as part of cost-cutting measures amid warnings of €2bn rise in annual fuel bill

Ryanair is considering cost-cutting measures including pay freezes, reducing crew numbers on flights and increasing the use of AI to offset soaring fuel costs driven by the Middle East conflict.

Europe’s largest low-cost carrier said it expected European airlines to raise ticket prices by up to 20%, with its own jet fuel costs forecast to rise by about €2bn (£1.6bn) in its next financial year, which ends in March 2028.

November 2nd 2026, 6:29 am

Palantir AI tech unused or little used by 29 NHS trusts said to be benefiting from it

Technology | The Guardian

Exclusive: Gap between NHS claim and trusts’ comments described as ‘very misleading’ by senior health official

More than two dozen hospital trusts the NHS claims have benefited from Palantir’s medical data platform are not using all or most of the AI-powered technology, the Guardian can reveal.

The 29 hospital trusts that NHS England publicly lists as “realising benefits” from the controversial £330m federated data platform (FDP) have said the system is not live or they are not using any of its applications. The apparent gap between the NHS claim and the trusts’ understanding was described as “very misleading” by one senior health official.

November 2nd 2026, 6:29 am

It’s time to block reckless AI IPOs and tax billionaires | Naomi Klein and Ilana Glazer

Technology | The Guardian

We cannot let the billionaire class take unprecedented risks with our future

America is a divided country in crisis. Despite the sunny economic forecast coming from the Trump administration, millions of Americans are struggling to find and keep jobs, getting crushed under the rising cost of living, and losing health insurance when they need it the most.

Meanwhile, via corporate consolidation and political corruption, the billionaire class is getting richer faster than ever before: a 40% increase in wealth in just the last two years. Today, the combined wealth of nearly 3,000 global billionaires equals one-fifth of the entire world’s yearly output. Nearly 1,000 billionaires live and do business in the United States.

November 2nd 2026, 6:29 am

Is AI your new wingman? How chatbots are transforming dating

Technology | The Guardian

Almost 40% of British singles have used AI for romantic advice, from writing messages to assessing potential partners

After Sam’s ex joked that her sister found him ugly, he turned to AI. Google Gemini had a look at the photo and politely disagreed. AI has been his wingman ever since, aiding his dating life by giving pep talks and vetting his messages.

The 27-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent is not the only AI-assisted romantic – a survey of 3,000 British singles published this month by Match Group, the owner of the Tinder and Hinge platforms, found 39% had used AI in their dating lives.

November 2nd 2026, 3:47 am

Investors pull billions in funds from Binance after record $6.3bn hack

Technology | The Guardian

Cryptocurrency exchange has begun to allow withdrawals after theft believed to have come from North Korea

Investors have pulled $3.6bn (£2.7bn) in funds from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance as it recovers from a record hack in which billions were stolen from customer accounts.

The platform was hit by a $6.3bn theft on Thursday, which has since been described as the biggest heist in history. Experts identified North Korea as the probable culprit.

November 2nd 2026, 3:47 am

AI is stealing Indigenous Australian art and churning out ‘Temu slop’, artist says

Technology | The Guardian

Chair of National Gallery’s First Nations advisory group says the technology is undermining artists’ agency and the authenticity of their work

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AI is taking First Nations art and turning it into “Temu slop”, the Pitjantjatjara artist Sally Scales has said.

Scales, the chair of the National Gallery of Australia’s First Nations advisory group, says the technology is undermining the agency of First Nations artists and the authenticity of their work and represents a “a theft” of cultural knowledge.

November 2nd 2026, 12:00 am

National Grid to site biggest substation in UK near planned Teesside datacentre

Technology | The Guardian

New electricity generating capacity would enable north-east to attract investment for large-scale AI infrastructure

National Grid has taken a step towards building Britain’s biggest electricity substation on Teesside, which could supply power to a vast neighbouring datacentre as the UK races to expand its AI infrastructure.

Last week, the company agreed to purchase 29.5 hectares (73 acres) of land at Dorman Point on a site owned by Teesworks, a local private-public partnership. The deal was first reported by Sky News.

November 2nd 2026, 12:00 am

Disquiet grows in Albanese’s back yard as Grayndler artists unite against ‘insane’ AI proposal

Technology | The Guardian

Inner west Sydney seat has long been safely held by the PM – but potential changes to copyright laws are angering its large creative community

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The prime minister is facing growing discontent within his own electorate as creatives push back against the federal government’s proposal to allow AI companies to scrape everything Australians create online.

Anthony Albanese’s seat of Grayndler in Sydney’s inner west is home to more than 3,000 cultural and creative businesses, and 10% of its workers are employed in cultural and creative fields – compared with 4.2% nationally.

November 1st 2026, 5:45 am

Tech sell-off drives US markets down by nearly $1tn after subpar earnings reports

Technology | The Guardian

Big tech stocks falter as investors question whether billions being poured into AI can generate returns quickly enough

A sell-off of tech stocks that began earlier this month and gained steam with disappointing earnings from leading tech companies drove US markets down by hundreds of billions of dollars Friday. In total, the decline has knocked nearly $1tn in value off the tech-heavy Nasdaq exchange in one week and erased about $2tn in a month.

The S&P 500, the index of the 500 most valuable companies in the US, fell by more than 1% Friday, losing hundreds of billions of dollars in market value. It was on track to erase its gain for October, even though it set its all-time high during the same month. The weakness for technology stocks dragged the Nasdaq composite down even further, more than 3%, also erasing hundreds of billions in value. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell less.

November 1st 2026, 1:46 am

I read Anthropic's 92-page risk factor document, so you don't have to – video explainer

Technology | The Guardian

Anthropic, the creator of Claude, filed to go public on the US stock market on 26 October. The company's filing statement contains a 92-page risk factor document in which it acknowledges the dangers that AI poses to society and human beings, and factors that could negatively affect Anthropic's business. Johana Bhuiyan, senior tech reporter for the Guardian, breaks down the document and explains why Anthropic's IPO could be a real test to the AI boom

• Anthropic files for potentially record-breaking stock market valuation in key test for AI industry

October 31st 2026, 9:15 am

Experts warn AI copyright changes could breach Australian constitution and spark huge compensation r

Technology | The Guardian

Scraping copyrighted material from internet could ‘potentially’ amount to acquisition of property by government, Anne Twomey says

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Altering copyright law to allow AI companies to scrape music, books and journalism could trigger a constitutional breach, Coalition senators and the recording industry have warned, as they raise new fears it could open Australia to massive legal action and compensation claims from rights holders worldwide.

The attorney general’s department admitted it was “extremely alive” to the issue, and Australia’s leading constitutional expert, Anne Twomey, agreed there was “potentially” a concern – depending how legislation was drafted – that granting AI companies permission to scrape copyrighted material from the internet could amount to an acquisition of property by the government.

October 31st 2026, 3:16 am

Meta discussed ‘whisper strategy’ against social media critic Jonathan Haidt, files show

Technology | The Guardian

Court documents reveal staff considered ways to ‘get academic community to disavow’ influential US author

Meta staff discussed deploying a “whisper strategy” to undermine the influential US academic whose work has inspired a global social media crackdown, according to court documents.

Employees at the parent group of Facebook and Instagram sought to discredit Jonathan Haidt, the social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, a book that helped tip the debate about online safety towards more stringent measures such as the under-16 ban in Australia.

October 30th 2026, 12:15 pm

Ghost in the machine: how AI is haunting the search for the supernatural

Technology | The Guardian

Ghost hunting has changed in recent years due to AI chatbots, and paranormal enthusiasts are concerned

Ghost hunting is a tech-heavy pursuit. When Amy Waine and Jarrad Cutting investigate haunted locations, they’re loaded up with software of their own design, such as an app that assigns signals from a phone’s sensors to different words in a database. In the age of ChatGPT, the ghost-hunting pair is probing the world of AI. They describe one of their latest inventions, an app called GhostTube Seer, as “the world’s first AI Ghost Hunting tool”.

In the hands of paranormal investigators, scientific tools like EMF meters (used to detect electromagnetic fields) are repurposed to identify changes and anomalies that they believe indicate supernatural activity. Seer is, in many ways, simply an expansion of that practice, another way to scan an empty room and believe that something may be there. The app, which requires a paid monthly subscription, has more than 1m downloads, according to its Google Play store listing.

But for others in the ghost hunting world, AI is an unwelcome presence. Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, AI-generated ghost stories and images of the supernatural have flooded online spaces, so much so that popular forums like the r/Nosleep subreddit, meant for scary stories, have implemented a strict policy against AI-generated material.

October 30th 2026, 12:15 pm

North Korean group blamed for $6.3bn Binance hack in biggest ever crypto heist

Technology | The Guardian

Cryptocurrency exchange scrambles to freeze affected assets, with about $3bn located so far, and says it will cover losses

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The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange has been hit by an industry-record $6.3bn (£4.7bn) hack, with experts identifying North Korea as the likely culprit.

Binance has scrambled to freeze the affected assets, with about $3bn located so far. The company gave no update on the other $3.3bn as Binance’s co-founder Yi He said the company would cover “all hacking losses”.

October 30th 2026, 12:15 pm

Electrocutions, disease and no pay: how workers risk exploitation in Europe’s datacentres

Technology | The Guardian

As thousands of datacentres are constructed across Europe, the Guardian and Investigate Europe have uncovered disturbing evidence that some workers building them are exposed to dangerous conditions and living in fear of speaking out

Sandu* checked his watch. He was winding down the last 15 minutes of his shift at a vast Google datacentre site in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium, in March, when the call came in. The 34-year-old electrical tester had already worked almost 10 hours, but says such last-minute jobs were normal: “I had no choice. People have been fired after saying no.”

The task was one Sandu had done many times before and involved a series of tests measuring the safety and integrity of the electrical wiring. A protective suit was locked away in an equipment room. The round trip would have added another 15 minutes to the job, he says, and people were waiting, so he decided not to retrieve the suit.

October 30th 2026, 12:15 pm