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Epic adds AI NPC tools to Fortnite as Vader voice sparks union clash

Epic Games is launching new tools for Fortnite creators that enable them to build AI-powered non-player characters (NPCs), following the debut of an AI-generated Darth Vader that players can talk to in-game.

The feature, which reproduces the iconic voice of James Earl Jones using AI, marks a significant step in interactive gaming—but also comes with its share of challenges and controversy.

According to The Verge, Epic encountered several difficulties in fine-tuning Vader’s voice and responses to feel authentic and fit smoothly into gameplay. ‘The culmination of a very intense effort for a character everybody understands,’ said Saxs Persson, executive vice president of the Fortnite ecosystem.

Persson noted that the team worked carefully to ensure that when Vader joins a player’s team, he behaves as a fearsome and aggressive ally—true to his cinematic persona.

However, the rollout wasn’t entirely smooth. In a live-streamed session, popular Fortnite creator Loserfruit prompted Vader to swear, exposing the system’s content filtering flaws. Epic responded quickly with patches and has since implemented multiple layers of safety checks.

‘We do our best job on day one,’ said Persson, ‘but more importantly, we’re ready to surround the problem and have fixes in place as fast as possible.’

Now, Fortnite creators will have access to the same suite of AI tools and safety systems used to develop Vader. They can control voice tone, dialogue, and NPC behaviour while relying on Epic’s safeguards to avoid inappropriate interactions.

The feature launch comes at a sensitive moment, as actor union SAG-AFTRA has filed a complaint against Epic Games over using AI to recreate Vader’s voice.

The union claims that Llama Productions, an Epic subsidiary, employed the technology without consulting or bargaining with the union, replacing the work of human voice actors.

‘We must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members,’ SAG-AFTRA said, emphasising its support for actors and estates in managing the use of digital replicas.

As Epic expands its AI capabilities in gaming, it faces both the technical challenges of responsible deployment and the growing debate around AI’s impact on creative professions.

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Apple sues European Commission over DMA interoperability ruling

Apple is mounting a legal challenge against the European Commission after being ordered to open up its tightly controlled ecosystem to rival companies under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The tech giant filed its appeal with the EU’s General Court, claiming the decision would undermine user privacy and harm innovation.

The dispute centres on a March ruling by the Commission following months of dialogue, which concluded that Apple must guarantee interoperability—a requirement that would allow third-party developers to connect non-Apple products, such as smartwatches and headphones, to iPhones and iPads.

Apple has pushed back strongly, arguing that the mandate is ‘unreasonable, costly and stifles innovation.’ A company spokesperson said the move would benefit what Apple describes as ‘data-hungry companies’ like Meta and Samsung, who could gain access to users’ most sensitive data through third-party connections.

Since December 2024, the European Commission has been pressing Apple to make its ecosystem more open to promote competition across the digital sector. However, Apple maintains that complying with the order would compromise the company’s privacy-first approach and violate its data protection standards.

The Commission, meanwhile, insists the measures are proportionate and fully aligned with the EU’s stringent privacy and security framework. It argues that the order would not strip Apple of control over its devices, but rather enable fairer access for other tech players while keeping user protections intact.

The case is set to become a major test of how far the EU can push tech giants to comply with the Digital Markets Act, which was designed to curb the dominance of so-called ‘gatekeepers’ in digital markets.

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Reddit accuses Anthropic of misusing user content

Reddit has taken legal action against AI startup Anthropic, alleging that the company scraped its platform without permission and used the data to train and commercialise its Claude AI models.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco’s Superior Court, accuses Anthropic of breaching contract terms, unjust enrichment, and interfering with Reddit’s operations.

According to Reddit, Anthropic accessed the platform more than 100,000 times despite publicly claiming to have stopped doing so.

The complaint claims Anthropic ignored Reddit’s technical safeguards, such as robots.txt files, and bypassed the platform’s user agreement to extract large volumes of user-generated content.

Reddit argues that Anthropic’s actions undermine its licensing deals with companies like OpenAI and Google, who have agreed to strict content usage and deletion protocols.

The filing asserts that Anthropic intentionally used personal data from Reddit without ever seeking user consent, calling the company’s conduct deceptive. Despite public statements suggesting respect for privacy and web-scraping limitations, Anthropic is portrayed as having disregarded both.

The lawsuit even cites Anthropic’s own 2021 research that acknowledged Reddit content as useful in training AI models.

Reddit is now seeking damages, repayment of profits, and a court order to stop Anthropic from using its data further. The market responded positively, with Reddit’s shares closing nearly 67% higher at $118.21—indicating investor support for the company’s aggressive stance on data protection.

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OpenAI and India plan AI infrastructure push

OpenAI is in discussions with the Indian government to collaborate on data centre infrastructure as part of its new global initiative, ‘OpenAI for Countries’.

The programme aims to help partner nations expand AI capabilities through joint investment and strategic coordination with the US. India could become one of the ten initial countries in the effort, although specific terms remain under wraps.

During a visit to Delhi, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer Jason Kwon emphasised India’s potential, citing the government’s clear focus on infrastructure and AI talent.

Similar to the UAE’s recently announced Stargate project in Abu Dhabi, India may host large-scale AI computing infrastructure while also investing in the US under the same framework.

To nurture AI skills, OpenAI and the Ministry of Electronics and IT’s IndiaAI Mission launched the ‘OpenAI Academy’. It marks OpenAI’s first international rollout of its educational platform.

The partnership will provide free access to AI tools, developer training, and events, with content in English, Hindi, and four additional regional languages. It will also support government officials and startups through dedicated learning platforms.

The collaboration includes hackathons, workshops in six cities, and up to $100,000 in API credits for selected IndiaAI fellows and startups. The aim is to accelerate innovation and help Indian developers and researchers scale AI solutions more efficiently, according to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

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New SEC chief promises clear crypto rules

New SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has committed to creating a clear regulatory framework for the crypto sector. He aims to replace ambiguity with investor protection and support for innovation.

Speaking before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on 3 June, he said outdated and unclear rules have held the industry back.

Atkins stressed that his approach would end the former administration’s ‘regulation-by-enforcement’ model. He plans to use structured rulemaking, with notice-and-comment procedures guiding the creation of clear, tailored regulations for the crypto market.

He also reaffirmed support for the recently launched Crypto Task Force. Atkins praised the leadership of Commissioners Uyeda and Hester Peirce, often referred to as ‘crypto mom’, adding that the SEC’s divisions would act swiftly to provide regulatory certainty.

Appointed under the Trump administration’s crypto-friendly agenda, Atkins’ policy direction signals a significant shift. It embraces digital asset innovation while ensuring strong investor safeguards.

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Gmail accounts at risk as attacks rise

Google has urged Gmail users to upgrade their account security after revealing that over 60% have been targeted by cyberattacks. Despite the increasing threat, most people still rely on outdated protections like passwords and SMS-based two-factor authentication.

Google is now pushing users to adopt passkeys and social sign-ins to improve their defences. Passkeys offer phishing-resistant access and use biometric methods such as fingerprint or facial recognition tied to a user’s device, removing the need for traditional passwords.

While digitally savvy Gen Z users are more likely to adopt these new methods, but many still reuse passwords, leaving their accounts exposed to breaches and scams. Google emphasised that passwords are both insecure and inconvenient and called on users to switch to tools that offer stronger protection.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has gone even further by encouraging users to eliminate passwords entirely. Google’s long-term goal is to simplify sign-ins while increasing security across its platforms.

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Europe gets new cybersecurity support from Microsoft

Microsoft has launched a free cybersecurity initiative for European governments aimed at countering increasingly sophisticated cyber threats powered by AI. Company President Brad Smith said Europe would benefit from tools already developed and deployed in the US.

The programme is designed to identify and disrupt AI-driven threats, including deepfakes and disinformation campaigns, which have previously been used to target elections and undermine public trust.

Smith acknowledged that AI is a double-edged sword, with malicious actors exploiting it for attacks, while defenders increasingly use it to stay ahead. Microsoft continues to monitor how its AI products are used, blocking known cybercriminals and working to ensure AI serves as a stronger shield than weapon.

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Trump-Musk rift shakes crypto and markets

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the United States faced $278 million in outflows on 5 June, reversing gains made earlier in the week. The shift followed a public feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, sparking wider uncertainty across markets.

The Cryptocurrency Fear & Greed Index dropped to ‘Fear’ on 6 June, as both Tesla and Trump Media shares also fell sharply.

The recent ETF downturn added to previous losses totalling $1.2 billion between 29 May and 2 June. Among the hardest hit was ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, which recorded $102 million in outflows. No Bitcoin ETFs saw any inflows that day, highlighting investor caution.

In contrast, Ether ETFs continued their positive run with $11.3 million in inflows on 5 June, extending a 14-day streak. Although inflows were lower than earlier in the week, interest in Ether remains strong, supported by network upgrades and robust ETH futures activity.

Institutional interest also persists, with BlackRock acquiring $50 million worth of Ether on 3 June. Meanwhile, global Bitcoin ETPs saw net outflows of $8 million over the past week, suggesting that Bitcoin is facing a temporary setback while Ether enjoys relative strength.

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China accuses Taiwan of cyber attacks and offers a bounty

Authorities in Guangzhou have placed a secret bounty on more than 20 individuals suspected of launching cyber attacks on Chinese targets, according to state news agency Xinhua.

One named suspect, Ning Enwei, is reportedly linked to Taiwan’s government. While the size of the reward remains undisclosed, officials claim the accused hackers targeted sectors including defence, aerospace, energy, and science—alongside agencies in Hong Kong and Macau.

Xinhua stated that Taiwan’s ‘information, communication and digital army’ has coordinated with US forces to carry out cyber and cognitive warfare against China.

These accusations form part of a broader Chinese narrative suggesting Taiwan is seeking independence through foreign alliances, particularly with US intelligence agencies. State media also claimed the US has trained Taiwanese personnel and helped orchestrate cyber attacks on the mainland.

In response, a senior Taiwanese security official, speaking anonymously, dismissed the claims as fabricated. The official argued that Beijing is attempting to deflect criticism following allegations of Chinese cyber activities in Europe, especially in the Czech Republic.

‘It is typical of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to change the narrative,’ the official said, branding Beijing an international cyber threat instead of a victim.

Taiwan’s government has yet to issue an official statement.

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Morocco detains suspect in France’s crypto abduction cases

Moroccan police arrested 24-year-old dual French-Moroccan Bajjou Badiss Mohamed AmiDe, wanted for kidnappings of cryptocurrency holders in France. An Interpol red notice issued by French authorities led to his identification and arrest.

Charges include organised crime, kidnapping, and extortion. Due to his dual nationality, he will face trial in Morocco, with French prosecutors sharing the case files.

The arrest follows a recent surge in violent attacks on crypto entrepreneurs in France. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has introduced emergency security measures, including private consultations and home risk assessments for those at risk.

France has seen 14 of the world’s 50 known attacks on crypto figures over the past year, according to Ledger co-founder Éric Larchevêque.

High-profile incidents include the attempted abduction of Paymium CEO Pierre Noizat’s daughter and the arrest of seven suspects linked to a victim found with a severed finger. Officials stress the urgency of judicial action to prevent further violence.

French authorities have thanked Morocco for its cooperation, while proceedings against Bajjou will continue under Moroccan jurisdiction.

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