The US AI firm OpenAI has introduced a new ChatGPT feature that allows users to branch conversations into separate threads and explore different tones, styles, or directions without altering the original chat.
The update, rolled out on 5 September, is available to anyone logged into ChatGPT through the web version.
The branching tool lets users copy a conversation from a chosen point and continue in a new thread while preserving the earlier exchange.
Marketing teams, for example, could test formal, informal, or humorous versions of advertising content within parallel chats, avoiding the need to overwrite or restart a conversation.
OpenAI described the update as a response to user requests for greater flexibility. Many users had previously noted that a linear dialogue structure limited efficiency by forcing them to compare and copy content repeatedly.
Early reactions online have compared the new tool to Git, which enables software developers to branch and merge code.
The feature has been welcomed by ChatGPT users who are experimenting with brainstorming, project analysis, or layered problem-solving. Analysts suggest it also reduces cognitive load by allowing users to test multiple scenarios more naturally.
Alongside the update, OpenAI is working on other projects, including a new AI-powered jobs platform to connect workers and companies more effectively.
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The AI startup, Anthropic, has agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle a copyright lawsuit accusing the company of using pirated books to train its Claude AI chatbot.
The proposed deal, one of the largest of its kind, comes after a group of authors claimed the startup deliberately downloaded unlicensed copies of around 500,000 works.
According to reports, Anthropic will pay about $3,000 per book and add interest while agreeing to destroy datasets containing the material. A California judge will review the settlement terms on 8 September before finalising them.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs described the outcome as a landmark, warning that using pirated websites for AI training is unlawful.
The case reflects mounting legal pressure on the AI industry, with companies such as OpenAI and Microsoft also facing copyright disputes. The settlement followed a June ruling in which a judge said using the books to train Claude was ‘transformative’ and qualified as fair use.
Anthropic said the deal resolves legacy claims while affirming its commitment to safe AI development.
Despite the legal challenges, Anthropic continues to grow rapidly. Earlier in August, the company secured $13 billion in funding for a valuation of $183 billion, underlining its rise as one of the fastest-growing players in the global technology sector.
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A US district judge has declined to order a breakup of Google, softening the blow of a 2024 ruling that found the company had illegally monopolised online search.
The decision means Google can press ahead with its shift from a search engine into an answer engine, powered by generative AI.
Google’s AI Mode replaces traditional blue links with direct responses to queries, echoing the style of ChatGPT. While the feature is optional for now, it could become the default.
That alarms publishers, who depend on search traffic for advertising revenue. Studies suggest chatbots reduce referral clicks by more than 90 percent, leaving many sites at risk of collapse.
Google is also experimenting with inserting ads into AI Mode, though it remains unclear how much revenue will flow to content creators. Websites can block their data from being scraped, but doing so would also remove them from Google search entirely.
Despite these concerns, Google argues that competition from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools shows that new rivals are reshaping the search landscape.
The judge even cited the emergence of generative AI as a factor that altered the case against Google, underlining how the rise of AI has become central to the future of the internet.
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For decades, quantum mechanics has powered tools like semiconductors, GPS and fibre optics, a foundation often described as Quantum 1.0. The UN has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology to mark its impact.
Researchers are now advancing Quantum 2.0, which manipulates atoms, ions and photons to exploit superposition and entanglement. Emerging tools include quantum encryption systems, distributed atomic clocks to secure networks against GPS failures, and sensing devices with unprecedented precision.
Experts warn that disruptions to satellite navigation could cost billions, but quantum clocks may keep economies and critical infrastructure synchronised. With quantum computing and AI developing in parallel, future breakthroughs could transform medicine, energy, and security.
Achieving this vision will require global collaboration across governments, academia and industry to scale up technologies, ensure supply chain resilience and secure international standards.
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Australia has announced plans to curb AI tools that generate nude images and enable online stalking. The government said it would introduce new legislation requiring tech companies to block apps designed to abuse and humiliate people.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said such AI tools are fuelling sextortion scams and putting children at risk. So-called ‘nudify’ apps, which digitally strip clothing from images, have spread quickly online.
A Save the Children survey found one in five young people in Spain had been targeted by deepfake nudes, showing how widespread the abuse has become.
Canberra pledged to use every available measure to restrict access, while ensuring that legitimate AI services are not harmed. Australia has already passed strict laws banning under-16s from social media, with the new measures set to build on its reputation as a leader in online safety.
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Aimed at promoting the adoption of SBOM practices, the report highlights their role in improving transparency and addressing risks within the software supply chain.
By integrating SBOM generation, analysis, and sharing into existing security processes, organisations can better manage vulnerabilities and strengthen cyber resilience.
Practical risk management strategies and real-world examples outlined in the CSI support the broader Secure by Design initiative.
Authors urge a unified SBOM approach across the cybersecurity community to prevent fragmentation, lower implementation costs, and enhance long-term effectiveness.
Inconsistent or siloed adoption, they caution, could limit the sustainability and impact of SBOM as a core cybersecurity tool.
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Nigeria has pledged to become one of the top 50 AI-ready nations, according to presidential adviser Hadiza Usman. Speaking in Abuja at a colloquium on AI policy, she said the country needs strong leadership, investment, and partnerships to meet its goals.
She stressed that policies must address Nigeria’s unique challenges and not simply replicate foreign models. The government will offer collaboration opportunities with local institutions and international partners.
The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Commission reinforced its support, noting that technology should secure depositors without restricting innovators.
Private sector voices said AI could transform healthcare, agriculture, and public services if policies are designed with inclusion and trust in mind.
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Quantum computers may soon grow more powerful through 3D printing, with researchers building miniaturised ion traps to improve scalability and performance.
Ion traps, which confine ions and control their quantum states, play a central role in ion-based qubits. Researchers at UC Berkeley created 3D-printed traps just a few hundred microns wide, which captured ions up to ten times more efficiently than conventional versions.
The new traps also reduced waiting times, allowing ions to be usable more quickly once the system is activated. Hartmut Häffner, who led the study, said the approach could enable scaling to far larger numbers of qubits while boosting speed.
3D printing offers flexibility not possible with chip-style manufacturing, allowing for more complex shapes and designs. Team members say they are already working on new iterations, with future versions expected to integrate optical components such as miniaturised lasers.
Experts argue that this method could address the challenges of low yield, high costs, and poor reproducibility in current ion-trap manufacturing, paving the way for scalable quantum computing and applications in other fields, including mass spectrometry.
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Universal Internet connectivity by 2030 could cost up to $2.8 trillion, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space, and Technology (CST) Commission. The blueprint urges global cooperation to connect the one-third of humanity still offline.
The largest share, up to $1.7 trillion, would be allocated to expanding broadband through fibre, wireless, and satellite networks. Nearly $1 trillion is needed for affordability measures, alongside $152 billion for digital skills programmes.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin emphasised that connectivity is essential for access to education, employment, and vital services. She noted the stark divide between high-income countries, where 93% of people are online, and low-income states, where only 27% use the Internet.
The study shows costs have risen fivefold since ITU’s 2020 Connecting Humanity report, reflecting both higher demand and widening divides. Haytham Al-Ohali from Saudi Arabia said the figures underscore the urgency of investment and knowledge sharing to achieve meaningful connectivity.
The report recommends new business models and stronger cooperation between governments, industry, and civil society. Proposed measures include using schools as Internet gateways, boosting Africa’s energy infrastructure, and improving localised data collection to accelerate digital inclusion.
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Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, has suggested that the so-called ‘dead internet theory’ may hold some truth. The idea, long dismissed as a conspiracy theory, claims much of the online world is now dominated by computer-generated content rather than real people.
Altman noted on X that he had not previously taken the theory seriously but believed there were now many accounts run by large language models.
His remark drew criticism from users who argued that OpenAI itself had helped create the problem by releasing ChatGPT in 2022, which triggered a surge of automated content.
The spread of AI systems has intensified debate over whether online spaces are increasingly filled with artificially generated voices.
Some observers also linked Altman’s comments to his work on World Network, formerly Worldcoin, a project launched in 2019 to verify human identity online through biometric scans. That initiative has been promoted as a potential safeguard against the growing influence of AI-driven systems.
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