India’s first AI-generated travel influencer, Radhika Subramaniam, has begun attracting sustained audience engagement since her launch in mid-2025, signalling growing acceptance of virtual creators in travel content.
Developed by Collective Artists Network, a talent management company based in India, Radhika initially drew attention through curiosity, but followers increasingly interacted with her posts in ways similar to those of human influencers, according to the company’s leadership.
Industry observers say AI travel influencers offer brands greater efficiency, lower production costs, and more control over storytelling, as virtual creators can be deployed without logistical constraints.
Some creators remain sceptical about whether artificial personas can replicate the emotional authenticity and sensory experiences that shape real-world travel storytelling.
Marketing specialists expect AI and human influencers to coexist, with virtual avatars serving as consistent brand voices while human creators retain value through spontaneity, trust, and personal perspective.
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Apple has issued a renewed warning to iPhone users, urging them to install the latest version of iOS to avoid exposure to emerging spyware threats targeting older versions.
Devices running iOS 26 are no longer fully protected by remaining on version 18, even after updating to the latest patch. Apple has indicated that recent attacks exploit vulnerabilities that only the newest operating system can address.
Security agencies in France and the United States recommend regularly powering down smartphones to disrupt certain forms of non-persistent spyware that operate in memory.
A complete shutdown using physical buttons, rather than on-screen controls, is advised as part of a basic security routine, particularly for users who delay major software upgrades.
While restarting alone cannot replace software updates, experts stress that keeping iOS up to date remains the most effective defence against zero-click exploits delivered through everyday apps such as iMessage.
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Millions of browser users installed popular extensions that later became spyware as part of a long-running malware operation. Researchers linked over 100 Chrome, Edge and Firefox extensions to the DarkSpectre hacker group.
Attackers kept extensions legitimate for years before quietly activating malicious behaviour. Hidden code embedded in image files helped bypass security reviews in official browser stores.
The campaign enabled large-scale surveillance by collecting real-time browsing activity and corporate meeting data. Analysts warn that such information supports phishing, impersonation and corporate espionage.
Experts urge users to remove unused extensions and question excessive permission requests. Regular browser updates and cautious extension management remain essential cyber defences.
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The team behind the Astro web framework is joining Cloudflare, strengthening long-term support for open-source tools used to build fast, content-driven websites.
Major brands and developers widely use Astro to create pages that load quickly by limiting the amount of JavaScript that runs during initial rendering, improving performance and search visibility.
Cloudflare said Astro will remain open source and continue to be developed independently, ensuring long-term stability for the framework and its global user community.
Astro’s creators said the move will allow faster development and broader infrastructure support, while keeping the framework available to developers regardless of hosting provider.
The company added that Astro already underpins platforms such as Webflow and Wix, and that recent updates have expanded runtime support and improved build speeds.
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Canada’s investment regulator has confirmed a major data breach affecting around 750,000 people after a phishing attack in August 2025.
The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) said threat actors accessed and copied a limited set of investigative, compliance, and market surveillance data. Some internal systems were taken offline as a precaution, but core regulatory operations continued across the country.
CIRO reported that personal and financial information was exposed, including income details, identification records, contact information, account numbers, and financial statements collected during regulatory activities in Canada.
No passwords or PINs were compromised, and the organisation said there is no evidence that the stolen data has been misused or shared on the dark web.
Affected individuals are being offered two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection as CIRO continues to monitor for further malicious activity nationwide.
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British parents suing TikTok over the deaths of their children have called for greater accountability from the platform, as the case begins hearings in the United States. One of the claimants said social media companies must be held accountable for the content shown to young users.
Ellen Roome, whose son died in 2022, said the lawsuit is about understanding what children were exposed to online.
The legal filing claims the deaths were a foreseeable result of TikTok’s design choices, which allegedly prioritised engagement over safety. TikTok has said it prohibits content that encourages dangerous behaviour.
Roome is also campaigning for proposed legislation that would allow parents to access their children’s social media accounts after a death. She said the aim is to gain clarity and prevent similar tragedies.
TikTok said it removes most harmful content before it is reported and expressed sympathy for the families. The company is seeking to dismiss the case, arguing that the US court lacks jurisdiction.
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Samsara has built a platform that helps companies with physical operations run more safely and efficiently. Founded in 2015 by MIT alumni John Bicket and Sanjit Biswas, the company connects workers, vehicles, and equipment through cloud-based analytics.
The platform combines sensors, AI cameras, GPS tracking, and real-time alerts to cut accidents, fuel use, and maintenance costs. Large companies across logistics, construction, manufacturing, and energy report cost savings and improved safety after adopting the system.
Samsara turns large volumes of operational data into actionable insights for frontline workers and managers. Tools like driver coaching, predictive maintenance, and route optimisation reduce risk at scale while recognising high-performing field workers.
The company is expanding its use of AI to manage weather risk, support sustainability, and enable the adoption of electric fleets. They position data-driven decision-making as central to modernising critical infrastructure worldwide.
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Elevate for Educators, launched by Microsoft, is a global programme designed to help teachers build the skills and confidence to use AI tools in the classroom. The initiative provides free access to training, credentials, and professional learning resources.
The programme connects educators to peer networks, self-paced courses, and AI-powered simulations. The aim is to support responsible AI adoption while improving teaching quality and classroom outcomes.
New educator credentials have been developed in partnership with ISTE and ASCD. Schools and education systems can also gain recognition for supporting professional development and demonstrating impact in classrooms.
AI-powered education tools within Microsoft 365 have been expanded to support lesson planning and personalised instruction. New features help teachers adapt materials to different learning needs and provide students with faster feedback.
College students will also receive free access to Microsoft 365 Premium and LinkedIn Premium Career for 12 months. The offer includes AI tools, productivity apps, and career resources to support future employment.
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Britain and Canada are continuing regulatory probes into xAI’s Grok chatbot, signalling that official scrutiny will persist despite the company’s announcement of new safeguards. Authorities say concerns remain over the system’s ability to generate explicit and non-consensual images.
xAI said it had updated Grok to block edits that place real people in revealing clothing and restricted image generation in jurisdictions where such content is illegal. The company did not specify which regions are affected by the new limits.
Reuters testing found Grok was still capable of producing sexualised images, including in Britain. Social media platform X and xAI did not respond to questions about how effective the changes have been.
UK regulator Ofcom said its investigation remains ongoing, despite welcoming xAI’s announcement. A privacy watchdog in Canada also confirmed it is expanding an existing probe into both X and xAI.
Pressure is growing internationally, with countries including France, India, and the Philippines raising concerns. British Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the Online Safety Act gives the government tools to hold platforms accountable for harmful content.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta has launched an investigation into xAI, the company behind the Grok chatbot, over the creation and spread of nonconsensual sexually explicit images.
Bonta’s office said Grok has been used to generate deepfake intimate images of women and children, which have then been shared on social media platforms, including X.
Officials said users have taken ordinary photos and manipulated them into sexually explicit scenarios without consent, with xAI’s ‘spicy mode’ contributing to the problem.
‘We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material,’ Bonta said in a statement.
The investigation will examine whether xAI has violated the law and follows earlier calls for stronger safeguards to protect children from harmful AI content.
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