Musk looks to charge everyone for X, YouTube bans ads on Russell Brand channel

Elon Musk has suggested that all users of X, formerly called Twitter, may have to pay for access to the platform. In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the billionaire said a payment system was the only way to counter bots. "We're moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the…

Musk claims consensus on AI regulation, goodbye ‘Yours Sincerely’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says there was "overwhelming consensus" for regulation on artificial intelligence after tech heavyweights gathered in Washington to discuss AI. Tech bosses attending the meeting included Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Google boss Sundar Pichai. Microsoft's former CEO Bill Gates and Microsoft's current CEO Satya Nadella were also in attendance. The Wednesday meeting…

Shiny snippets: TikTok opens European data centre

TikTok has opened its first European data centre to alleviate fears over Chinese state surveillance. The firm says European users' data is now migrating to servers in Dublin, as part of its ongoing response to data privacy concerns around the video-sharing app's links to China. TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, says it…

Twitter to prevent blocking users, driverless cars removed after accident

Users of X (formerly Twitter) will not be able to block people from seeing their posts or leaving comments, Elon Musk has said. The social media platform owner said the function "makes no sense" - adding that it will only be possible to block someone from sending direct messages. In the shake-up to the app,…

Apple trainers at auction for $50,000, Musk takes @X account without paying owner

A pair of rare Apple trainers are being sold by auction house Sotheby's for $50,000 (£38,969). The shoes were custom-made for employees only in the 1990s and were a one-time giveaway at a conference. A pair have never been sold to the public before. Featuring a predominately white leather upper, "a standout detail" is the…

ChatGPT founder plans to scan iris of every person in the world

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur behind ChatGPT has unveiled a plan to scan the iris of every person in the world to help distinguish real people from sophisticated machines. Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, on Monday launched his project Worldcoin in Britain and 34 other countries. The venture aims to scan billions of…

Elon Musk launches ‘pro-humanity’ AI startup, xAI

Elon Musk (above) has launched an artificial intelligence startup that will be “pro-humanity”, as he said the world needed to worry about the prospect of a “terminator future” in order to avoid the most apocalyptic AI scenarios. Musk said xAI would seek to build a system that would be safe because it was “maximally curious”…

Threads signs up over 100 million users in five days

Threads, the social media app aimed at rivalling Twitter, has signed up more than 100 million users in less than five days. The platform, launched by Instagram-owner Meta, has beaten a record set by Open AI's ChatGPT app. Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries, including the UK, last Wednesday.…

Google claims quantum computing breakthrough, Tesla delivers record number of EVs

Left: Artist's rendition of the Sycamore processor mounted in the cryostat. (Full Res Version; Forest Stearns, Google AI Quantum Artist in Residence) Right: Photograph of the Sycamore processor. (Full Res Version; Erik Lucero, Research Scientist and Lead Production Quantum Hardware) Google has developed a quantum computer that instantly makes calculations that would…

ShinyShiny snippets: Is Amazon set to buy online grocery store Ocado?

Ocado’s share price has surged amid reports that Amazon could be lining up a potential bid for the owner of the online grocery store.  Shares in Ocado Group spiked by around 40pc on Thursday after claims emerged that Jeff Bezos’s online empire had taken an interest in the technology and grocery business.   The Times said Amazon…