Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has faced repeated changes to its political orientation, with updates shifting its answers towards more conservative views.
xAI, Musk’s company, initially promoted Grok as neutral and truth-seeking, but internal prompts have steered it on contentious topics. Adjustments included portraying declining fertility as the greatest threat to civilisation and downplaying right-wing violence.
Analyses of Grok’s responses by The New York Times showed that the July updates shifted answers to the right on government and economy, while some social responses remained left-leaning. Subsequent tweaks pulled it back closer to neutrality.
Critics say that system prompts, such as short instructions like ‘be politically incorrect’, make it easy to adjust outputs, but also leave the model prone to erratic or offensive responses. A July update saw Grok briefly endorse a controversial historical figure before xAI turned it off.
The case highlights growing concerns about political bias in AI systems. Researchers argue that all chatbots reflect the worldviews of their training data, while companies increasingly face pressure to align them with user expectations or political demands.
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Reports that Gmail suffered a massive breach have been dismissed by Google, which said rumours of warnings to 2.5 billion users were false.
In a Monday blog post, Google rejected claims that it had issued global notifications about a serious Gmail security issue. It stressed that its protections remain effective against phishing and malware.
Confusion stems from a June incident involving a Salesforce server, during which attackers briefly accessed public business information, including names and contact details. Google said all affected parties were notified by early August.
The company acknowledged that phishing attempts are increasing, but clarified that Gmail’s defences block more than 99.9% of such attempts. A July blog post on phishing risks may have been misinterpreted as evidence of a breach.
Google urged users to remain vigilant, recommending password alternatives such as passkeys and regular account reviews. While the false alarm spurred unnecessary panic, security experts noted that updating credentials remains good practice.
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Much like checking your doors before bed, it is wise to review your Google account security to ensure only trusted devices have access. Periodic checks can prevent both hackers and acquaintances from spying on your personal data.
The fastest method is visiting google.com/devices, where you can see all logged-in devices. If one looks suspicious, remove it and immediately change your password to block further access.
You can also navigate manually via your profile settings, under the ‘Security’ tab, to view and manage connected devices. On mobile, the Google app provides the same functionality for reviewing and signing out unfamiliar logins.
Beyond devices, third-party services linked to your Google account pose another risk. Abandoned apps or forgotten integrations may be hijacked by attackers, providing a backdoor to your information.
Cleaning up both devices and linked apps significantly reduces exposure. Regular reviews keep your Google account safe and ensure your data remains under your control.
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Pakistan plans to roll out AI-driven cybersecurity systems to monitor and respond to attacks on critical infrastructure and sensitive data in real time. Documents from the Ministry for Information Technology outline a framework to integrate AI into every stage of security operations.
The initiative will enforce protocols like secure data storage, sandbox testing, and collaborative intelligence sharing. Human oversight will remain mandatory, with public sector AI deployments registered and subject to transparency requirements.
Audits and impact assessments will ensure compliance with evolving standards, backed by legal penalties for breaches. A national policy on data security will define authentication, auditing, and layered defence strategies across network, host, and application levels.
New governance measures include identity management policies with multi-factor authentication, role-based controls, and secure frameworks for open-source AI. AI-powered simulations will help anticipate threats, while regulatory guidelines address risks from disinformation and generative AI.
Regulatory sandboxes will allow enterprises in Pakistan to test systems under controlled conditions, with at least 20 firms expected to benefit by 2027. Officials say the measures will balance innovation with security, safeguarding infrastructure and citizens.
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China has pledged to rein in excessive competition in AI, signalling Beijing’s desire to avoid wasteful investment while keeping the technology central to its economic strategy.
The National Development and Reform Commission stated that provinces should develop AI in a coordinated manner, leveraging local strengths to prevent duplication and overlap. Officials in China emphasised the importance of orderly flows of talent, capital, and resources.
The move follows President Xi Jinping’s warnings about unchecked local investment. Authorities aim to prevent overcapacity problems, such as those seen in electric vehicles, which have fueled deflationary pressures in other industries.
While global investment in data centres has surged, Beijing is adopting a calibrated approach. The state also vowed stronger national planning and support for private firms, aiming to nurture new domestic leaders in AI.
At the same time, policymakers are pushing to attract private capital into traditional sectors, while considering more central spending on social projects to ease local government debt burdens and stimulate long-term consumption.
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Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan to assemble a dream team of AI researchers at Meta has instead created internal instability.
High-profile recruits poached from rival firms have begun leaving within weeks of joining, citing cultural clashes and frustration with the company’s working style. Their departures have disrupted projects and unsettled long-time executives.
Meta had hoped its aggressive hiring spree would help the company rival OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic in developing advanced AI systems.
Instead of strengthening the company’s position, the strategy has led to delays in projects and uncertainty about whether Meta can deliver on its promises of achieving superintelligence.
The new arrivals were given extensive autonomy, fuelling tensions with existing teams and creating leadership friction. Some staff viewed the hires as destabilising, while others expressed concern about the direction of the AI division.
The resulting turnover has left Meta struggling to maintain momentum in its most critical area of research.
As Meta faces mounting pressure to demonstrate progress in AI, the setbacks highlight the difficulty of retaining elite talent in a fiercely competitive field.
Zuckerberg’s recruitment drive, rather than propelling Meta ahead, risks slowing down the company’s ability to compete at the highest level of AI development.
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A new stethoscope powered by AI could enable doctors to identify three serious heart conditions in just seconds, according to UK researchers.
The device replaces the traditional chest piece with a small sensor that records both electrical signals from the heart and the sound of blood flow, which are then analysed in the cloud by AI trained on large datasets.
The AI tool has shown strong results in trials across more than 200 GP practices, with patients tested using the stethoscope being more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart failure within 12 months compared with those assessed through usual care.
It was also 3.45 times more likely to detect atrial fibrillation and almost twice as likely to identify heart valve disease.
Researchers from Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said the technology could help doctors provide treatment at an earlier stage instead of waiting until patients present in hospital with advanced symptoms.
The findings, known as Tricorder, will be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid.
The project, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is now preparing for further rollouts in Wales, south London and Sussex. Experts described the innovation as a significant step in updating a medical tool that has remained largely unchanged for over 200 years.
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The FBI has warned that Chinese hackers are exploiting structural weaknesses in global telecom infrastructure, following the Salt Typhoon incident that penetrated US networks on an unprecedented scale. Officials say the Beijing-linked group has compromised data from millions of Americans since 2019.
Unlike previous cyber campaigns focused narrowly on government targets, Salt Typhoon’s intrusions exposed how ordinary mobile users can be swept up in espionage. Call records, internet traffic, and even geolocation data were siphoned from carriers, with the operation spreading to more than 80 countries.
Investigators linked the campaign to three Chinese tech firms supplying products to intelligence agencies and China’s People’s Liberation Army. Experts warn that the attacks demonstrate the fragility of cross-border telecom systems, where a single compromised provider can expose entire networks.
US and allied agencies have urged providers to harden defences with encryption and stricter monitoring. Analysts caution that global telecoms will continue to be fertile ground for state-backed groups without structural reforms.
The revelations have intensified geopolitical tensions, with the FBI describing Salt Typhoon as one of the most reckless and far-reaching espionage operations ever detected.
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A hacker exploited Anthropic’s Claude chatbot to automate one of the most extensive AI-driven cybercrime operations yet recorded, targeting at least 17 companies across multiple sectors, the firm revealed.
According to Anthropic’s report, the attacker used Claude Code to identify vulnerable organisations, generate malicious software, and extract sensitive files, including defence data, financial records, and patients’ medical information.
The chatbot then sorted the stolen material, identified leverage for extortion, calculated realistic bitcoin demands, and even drafted ransom notes and extortion emails on behalf of the hacker.
Victims included a defence contractor, a financial institution, and healthcare providers. Extortion demands reportedly ranged from $75,000 to over $500,000, although it remains unclear how much was actually paid.
Anthropic declined to disclose the companies affected but confirmed new safeguards are in place. The firm warned that AI lowers the barrier to entry for sophisticated cybercrime, making such misuse increasingly likely.
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China’s Salt Typhoon cyberspies have stolen data from millions of Americans through a years-long intrusion into telecommunications networks, according to senior FBI officials. The campaign represents one of the most significant espionage breaches uncovered in the United States.
The Beijing-backed operation began in 2019 and remained hidden until last year. Authorities say at least 80 countries were affected, far beyond the nine American telcos initially identified, with around 200 US organisations compromised.
Targets included Verizon, AT&T, and over 100 current and former administration officials. Officials say the intrusions enabled Chinese operatives to geolocate mobile users, monitor internet traffic, and sometimes record phone calls.
Three Chinese firms, Sichuan Juxinhe, Beijing Huanyu Tianqiong, and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie, have been tied to Salt Typhoon. US officials say they support China’s security services and military.
The FBI warns that the scale of indiscriminate targeting falls outside traditional espionage norms. Officials stress the need for stronger cybersecurity measures as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea continue to advance their cyber operations against critical infrastructure and private networks.
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