Renewable energies like wind and solar are clean, abundant, and cheap — but notoriously unpredictable. That’s why so much time and money has been pumped into scaling energy storage solutions: we need to keep the lights on even when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining. While lithium-ion batteries have received the bulk […]
This giant dome battery cuts CO2 emissions — by using more CO2 Leer más »
Starting early next year, commuters in London will be able to hail the capital’s iconic black cabs via Uber, the American ride-hailing giant has announced. London’s black taxi drivers — famous for their uncanny knowledge of the city’s thousands of streets — have long been at odds with Uber, who they say threatens their livelihoods.
Uber seeks unlikely alliance with London’s iconic black cabs Leer más »
The world’s first transatlantic flight with 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has been attacked as “greenwashing” by critics. The Tuesday trip from London to New York on a Vrigin Atlantic 787 has been celebrated by airlines and politicians as a “milestone” in the journey to net zero. Scientists and climate campaigners, however, have poured scorn
First transatlantic flight with 100% ‘sustainable’ fuel is greenwashing, critics say Leer más »
Ed Newton-Rex had reached a breaking point. As the vice president of audio at Stability AI, the 36-year-old was at the vanguard of a revolution in computational creativity. But there was growing unease about the movement’s strategy. Stability was becoming an emerging powerhouse in generative AI. The London-based startup owns Stability Diffusion, one of the
He quit a GenAI leader in protest. Now he wants to create fairer systems for artists Leer más »
Tech has waded into another feud with artists. After a week of wrangles about AI mimicry of pop stars and training models on copyrighted content, Spotify has sparked fresh controversy over a new royalty scheme. The streaming giant announced on Tuesday that its new payment policy will exclude songs with fewer than 1,000 annual streams.
Spotify’s new streaming payments spark controversy among musicians Leer más »
An executive at one of generative AI’s leading companies has quit over the startup’s controversial use of copyrighted content. Ed Newton-Rex had been VP of audio at Stability AI, which produces the popular image-generator Stability Diffusion, but resigned due to the firm’s treatment of creators. “I’ve resigned from my role leading the Audio team at
VP of UK’s top generative AI firm resigns over ‘fair use’ controversy Leer más »
Deepfake fraud attempts have increased by a whopping 31 times in 2023 — a 3,000% increase year-on-year. That’s according to a new report by Onfido, an ID verification unicorn based in London. The company attributes the surge to the growing availability of cheap and simple online tools and generative AI. Face-swapping apps are the most
Deepfake fraud attempts are up 3000% in 2023 — here’s why Leer más »
A new AI model from Google DeepMind is the world’s most accurate 10-day global weather forecasting system, according to the London-based lab. Named GraphCast, the model promises medium-range weather forecasts of “unprecedented accuracy.” In a study published today, GraphCast was shown to be more precise and faster than the industry gold standard for weather simulation,
DeepMind says its new AI system is the world’s most accurate 10-day weather forecaster Leer más »
ChatGPT’s engine cooperates more than people but also overestimates human collaboration, according to new research. Scientists believe the study offers valuable clues about deploying AI in real-world applications. The findings emerged from a famous game-theory problem: the prisoner’s dilemma. There are numerous variations, but the thought experiment typically starts with the arrest of two gang members.
A prisoner’s dilemma shows AI’s path to human cooperation Leer más »
Apple has faced a major setback in its longstanding €14.3bn tax dispute with the EU after an adviser to the bloc’s highest court said an earlier ruling over the tech giant’s business in Ireland should be thrown out and the case re-run. Advocate General Giovanni Pitruzzella of the EU Court of Justice said in an
EU top court lawyer wants Apple’s €14.3B Irish tax judgement re-run Leer más »
A UK-based startup is looking to breathe new life into a century-old technology that could power tropical island nations with virtually limitless, consistent, renewable energy. Known as ocean thermal energy conversion or ‘OTEC,’ the technology was first invented in 1881 by French physicist Jacques Arsene d’Arsonval. He discovered that the temperature difference between sun-warmed surface
140-year-old ocean heat tech could supply islands with limitless energy Leer más »
Good news, cats and dogs: you can now legally eat lab-grown meat. The milestone comes courtesy of a world-first permit for cultivated pet food. Czech startup Bene Meat Technologies received the inaugural license from the EU on Wednesday. The company can now produce and sell the futuristic cuisine, which is made from cells taken from
Your pets can now eat meat that’s ‘grown’ in a lab Leer más »
