Development Archives | Page 308 of 541 | Digital Watch Observatory

Workers struggle as ChatGPT goes down

The temporary outage of ChatGPT this morning left thousands of users struggling with their daily tasks, highlighting a growing reliance on AI.

Social media was flooded with humorous yet telling posts from users expressing their inability to perform even basic functions without AI. This incident has reignited concerns about society’s increasing dependence on closed-source AI tools for work and everyday life.

OpenAI, the developer of Ch a tGPT, is currently investigating the technical issues that led to ‘elevated error rates and latency.’ The widespread disruption underscores a broader debate about AI’s impact on critical thinking and productivity.

While some research suggests AI chatbots can enhance efficiency, others, like Paul Armstrong, argue that frequent reliance on generative tools may diminish critical thinking skills and understanding.

The discussion around AI’s role in the workplace was a key theme at the recent SXSW London event. Despite concerns about job displacement, exemplified by redundancies at Canva, firms like Lloyd’s Market Association are increasingly adopting AI, with 40% of London market companies now using it.

Industry leaders maintain that AI aims to rethink workflows and empower human creativity, with a ‘human layer’ remaining essential for refining and adding nuanced value.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Apple reveals new AI features at WWDC

Apple has unveiled a range of AI features at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, focusing on tighter privacy, enhanced user tools and broader integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. These updates will appear across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and visionOS 26, set to launch in autumn.

While Apple Intelligence was first teased last year, the company now allows third-party developers to access its on-device AI models for the first time.

CEO Tim Cook and software chief Craig Federighi outlined how these features are intended to offer more personalised, efficient apps. Users of newer iPhones will benefit from tools such as live translation in Messages and FaceTime, and AI-powered image analysis via Visual Intelligence.

Apple also enables users to blend emojis creatively and use ChatGPT through its Image Playground to stylise photos. Enhancements to the Wallet app will help summarise order tracking from emails, and AI-generated voices will offer fitness updates.

Despite these innovations, Apple’s redesign of Siri remains incomplete and is not expected to launch soon.

The event failed to deliver major surprises, as many details had already been leaked. Investors responded cautiously, sending Apple shares down by 1.2%. The firm has lost 20% of its value in the year and no longer holds the top spot as the world’s most valuable company.

Nonetheless, Apple is expected to reveal more AI advancements in 2026.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

M&S resumes online orders after cyberattack

Marks & Spencer has resumed online clothing orders following a 46-day pause triggered by a cyberattack. The retailer restarted standard home delivery across England, Scotland and Wales, focusing initially on best-selling and new items instead of the full range.

A spokesperson stated that additional products will be added daily, enabling customers to gradually access a wider selection. Services such as click and collect, next-day delivery, and international orders are expected to be reintroduced in the coming weeks, while deliveries to Northern Ireland will resume soon.

The disruption began on 25 April when M&S halted clothing and home orders after issues with contactless payments and app services during the Easter weekend. The company revealed that the breach was caused by hackers who deceived staff at a third-party contractor, bypassing security defences.

M&S had warned that the incident could reduce its 2025/26 operating profit by around £300 million, though it aims to limit losses through insurance and internal cost measures. Shares rose 3 per cent as the online service came back online.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Reddit targets AI firm over scraped sports posts

Reddit has taken legal action against AI company Anthropic, accusing it of scraping content from the platform’s sports-focused communities.

The lawsuit claims Anthropic violated Reddit’s user agreement by collecting posts without permission, particularly from fan-driven discussions that are central to how sports content is shared online.

Redd it argues the scraping undermines its obligations to over 100 million daily users, especially around privacy and user control. According to the filing, Anthropic’s actions override assurances that users can manage or delete their content as they see fit.

The platform emphasises that users gain no benefit from technology built using their contributions.

These online sports communities are rich sources of original fan commentary and analysis. On a large scale, such content could enable AI models to imitate sports fan behaviour with impressive accuracy.

While teams or platforms might use such models to enhance engagement or communication, Reddit warns that unauthorised use brings serious ethical and legal risks.

The case could influence how AI companies handle user-generated content across the internet, not just in sports. As web scraping grows more common, the outcome of the dispute may shape future standards for AI training practices and online content rights.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Amazon boosts AI infrastructure with $20B investment

Amazon has announced a massive $20 billion investment to build two new AI-focused data centres in Pennsylvania. The exact locations are yet to be finalised, but Salem Township and Falls Township are currently leading candidates.

The move signals Amazon’s ongoing commitment to expanding its AI infrastructure amid an increasingly competitive technology race.

Alongside the data centres, Amazon has pledged to support education and workforce development across the state. Collaborations with local institutions will bring programmes for data centre technicians, fibre optic workshops and STEM learning initiatives aimed at school-aged children.

These efforts are intended to prepare the future workforce for careers in AI and cloud computing infrastructure.

The investment is part of Amazon’s broader strategy to establish the US as a global AI leader. The company highlighted that its advanced computing infrastructure and AI hardware are designed to power the next generation of generative and agentic AI, defining digital innovation’s future.

Other tech giants are making similar moves. Amazon announced a $10 billion data centre expansion in North Carolina in June.

Meanwhile, Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft are also scaling AI operations, and crypto mining firms like Riot Platforms and Hive Digital are shifting part of their infrastructure towards high-performance computing for AI, reflecting a wider industry transformation.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Cybersecurity alarm after 184 million credentials exposed

A vast unprotected database containing over 184 million credentials from major platforms and sectors has highlighted severe weaknesses in data security worldwide.

The leaked credentials, harvested by infostealer malware and stored in plain text, pose significant risks to consumers and businesses, underscoring an urgent need for stronger cybersecurity and better data governance.

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered the 47 GB database exposing emails, passwords, and authorisation URLs from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Snapchat, as well as banking, healthcare, and government accounts.

The data was left accessible without any encryption or authentication, making it vulnerable to anyone with the link.

The credentials were reportedly collected by infostealer malware such as Lumma Stealer, which silently steals sensitive information from infected devices. The stolen data fuels a thriving underground economy involving identity theft, fraud, and ransomware.

The breach’s scope extends beyond tech, affecting critical infrastructure like healthcare and government services, raising concerns over personal privacy and national security. With recurring data breaches becoming the norm, industries must urgently reinforce security measures.

Chief Data Officers and IT risk leaders face mounting pressure as regulatory scrutiny intensifies. The leak highlights the need for proactive data stewardship through encryption, access controls, and real-time threat detection.

Many organisations struggle with legacy systems, decentralised data, and cloud adoption, complicating governance efforts.

Enterprise leaders must treat data as a strategic asset and liability, embedding cybersecurity into business processes and supply chains. Beyond technology, cultivating a culture of accountability and vigilance is essential to prevent costly breaches and protect brand trust.

The massive leak signals a new era in data governance where transparency and relentless improvement are critical. The message is clear: there is no room for complacency in safeguarding the digital world’s most valuable assets.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Samsung pilots AI coding tool Cline for internal developers

Samsung Electronics is testing a new open-source AI coding assistant called Cline, which is expected to be adopted by its Device eXperience (DX) division as early as next month, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Cline leverages Claude 3.7 Sonnet’s advanced agentic coding capabilities to autonomously handle complex software development tasks. The goal is to significantly boost developer productivity across Samsung’s mobile and home appliance units, which are both part of the DX division.

The move aligns with Samsung’s broader AI for All strategy. Last month, the company created a dedicated AI productivity innovation group within the DX division.

This follows the establishment of an AI centre within its chip business in December 2024, further underscoring the tech giant’s commitment to embedding AI across its operations.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Rednote launches public AI model to rival Alibaba and DeepSeek

Chinese social media giant Rednote, also known as Xiaohongshu, has released its first open-source large language model, dots.llm1, marking a major step in its AI ambitions. The model is now publicly available via Hugging Face, a popular developer platform.

By joining the growing number of firms from China open-sourcing AI models—such as Alibaba and DeepSeek—Rednote aims to foster a developer community, expand global influence, and showcase its technical progress amid US-led restrictions on advanced technology exports.

Open-sourcing also enables collaboration and experimentation in contrast to proprietary models kept under wraps by some US companies.

Although dots.llm1 performs slightly behind cutting-edge models like DeepSeek-V3, its coding capabilities rival Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 series. The launch follows Rednote’s recent AI-powered search app, Diandian, which helps users explore Xiaohongshu’s ecosystem more intuitively.

The company began investing in large language models shortly after ChatGPT’s debut and has accelerated its AI strategy in recent months.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Google’s Pichai says AI will free coders to focus on creativity

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has said AI is not a threat to human jobs—particularly in engineering—but rather a tool to make work more creative and efficient.

In a recent interview with Lex Fridman, Pichai explained that AI is already powering productivity across Google, contributing to 30% of code generation and improving overall engineering velocity by around 10%.

Far from cutting staff, Pichai confirmed Google plans to hire more engineers in 2025, arguing that AI expands possibilities rather than reducing demand.

‘The opportunity space of what we can do is expanding too,’ he said. ‘It makes coding more fun and frees you up for creativity, problem-solving, and brainstorming.’

Rather than replacing jobs, Pichai sees AI as a companion—handling repetitive tasks and enabling engineers to focus on innovation. He believes this shift will also democratise software development, empowering more people to build and create with code.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UK teams with tech giants on AI training

The UK government is launching a nationwide AI skills initiative aimed at both workers and schoolchildren, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer announcing partnerships with major tech companies including Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

The £187 million TechFirst programme will provide AI education to one million secondary students and train 7.5 million workers over the next five years.

Rather than keeping such tools limited to specialists, the government plans to make AI training accessible across classrooms and businesses. Companies involved will make learning materials freely available to boost digital skills and productivity, particularly in using chatbots and large language models.

Starmer said the scheme is designed to empower the next generation to shape AI’s future instead of being shaped by it. He called it the start of a new era of opportunity and growth, as the UK aims to strengthen its global leadership in AI.

The initiative arrives as the country’s AI sector, currently worth £72 billion, is projected to grow to more than £800 billion by 2035.

The government also signed two agreements with NVIDIA to support a nationwide AI talent pipeline, reinforcing efforts to expand both the workforce and innovation in the sector.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!