New Frontiers

Our findings contradict claims from tech giants that they have made their platforms a safe space for schoolchildren

But just because the Facebook founder got it all wrong, that doesn’t mean others won’t be able to construct successful digital worlds. And if you want to see what that might look like, check out what the kids are up to

Self-driving taxis are already on the streets and close to going into service. But are they simply an expensive gimmick?

Companies are using AI systems for recruitment, arguing that it’s a way of removing bias from the system. But it brings with it a whole load of other problems, some of them just as bad

He’s about to list his rocket company on the US stock market, which will make him even richer. With that money in hand, Musk will launch his most audacious plan yet

A company in China now creates digital avatars of dead people. And now it seems Mark Zuckerberg is looking at how to keep users glued to his platforms, even after they’re gone. Are we heading for eternal digital life?

He started off as a nerdy bookseller with a love of spreadsheets. Now he’s ended up as a stony-faced, muscle-bound plutocrat, posing on the red carpet with the Kardashians.

As Trump has discovered with Iran and Putin in Ukraine, a new, cheap method of warfare has come along to make those ultra-high-tech, ultra-expensive, weapons redundant

A new startup by the Silicon Valley money man will allow people to raise objections to stories in the press. A quick look at the targets of this new venture makes Thiel’s agenda all too clear

A fatal outbreak has occurred on a cruise ship after it docked in South America. There will be no new pandemic, but it’s a reminder of the lesson of Covid: that wild animal populations are awash with diseases we do not understand

A researcher asked a powerful AI programme to impersonate a Buddhist deity. The result holds important lessons for consciousness and our understanding of reality – whatever that might be

There are a lot of stories circulating about the scientific benefits of space travel and of mining the lunar surface. A huge number of them are complete nonsense.

There was a sweet spot back in the 2010s when they were good, but not so good that they overwhelmed your entire life. Until recently, I had a phone like that. And then I got an upgrade. Big mistake

A UN report shows that women are increasingly targeted by sophisticated forms of violence online. For us, the golden days of the internet are long gone

Trillions of dollars of investments rest on one assumption: you can trust AI agents with real work. Now, a landmark, peer-reviewed study says you can’t – no wonder Wall Street is getting nervous

The difference between those who depend on their screen-time and those who can do without it represents a deep social divide. But the full consequences will take decades to play out

Instead of subsidising AI start-ups, the government needs to use the new technology for socially beneficial ends. But the real opportunity will be after the inevitable coming AI crash

If you thought the rape of Gisèle Pelicot was a unique story, you were wrong

Well, it couldn’t be any worse. Could it?

Governments, critics and AI executives themselves have been saying for years that AI could completely overturn western society. So is it any real surprise that it’s now come to this?

When Putin invaded Ukraine, his assault began with an attack in space. And now, the Iran war is being overseen and managed by technology orbiting the globe. And this is just the beginning

It could cause enormous problems. And one, very large tech company should be especially worried – the AI advertising model might just destroy its business model

The decision against the social media giant in a US court is hugely symbolic, and a victory for campaigners who say Facebook’s products are addictive. But don’t hold your breath waiting for change. There’s a very long way to go

A celebrity couple suddenly filed for divorce. The reasons for it were so shocking that it could bring about a change in the law

It’s been in development for 16 years, yet players keep falling through the floor into the infinite void of space. After all that money, will there be a decent game at the end of it?

I have resisted the lure of Apple. But now they have released a cheap laptop computer, I might finally be joining their cult. And yes, it is a cult

A recent report by a consultancy imagined a global economic crisis caused by artificial intelligence. The trouble is, they might just be on to something

In a terrible irony, the green technologies we need to move away from fossil fuels rely on minerals that can only be extracted with terrible environmental consequences

The interesting, the weird, the curious and the brilliant all exist. Our algorithms just don't want us to find it

It’s a horrific digital age crime that often targets the young and is almost impossible to stop. The only real option is to disrupt the perpetrators’ business model

Alarm over the spread of AI, social media addiction and kids having phones in schools overlooks one small detail – they’re the most important technological advance since the printing press

The idea emerged at a time very different to our own, and now the Silicon Valley tech bros have revealed what was true all along – that the notion of ‘progress’ is riddled with contradictions