Policy
regulation, copyright fights, safety rules and the politics of AI

AI Agents Are Misbehaving. Could That Finally Push the US and China to Talk?
Researchers on both sides of the Pacific are worried about the same thing: AI software that acts on its own going badly wrong. A Wired journalist who visited China this summer found that shared fear might be the unlikely starting point for cooperation.

Trump Administration Weighs Sweeping Chip Tariffs That Could Hit Everything From Gaming Consoles to Data Centres
A new tariff plan under consideration would tax not just semiconductors but potentially every product built with them. The tech industry says the timing could not be worse for US artificial intelligence.

A Georgia Officer Ran 85 Surveillance Searches on Two Colleagues Using a Licence-Plate Tracking System
Dustin Bozzo, a patrolman near Atlanta, used Flock Safety's automatic licence-plate reader network to follow his ex-partner's movements and those of another officer she spent time with. The case is one of at least 45 similar incidents documented across the US.

AI Data Centres Are Thirsty. But How Thirsty, Exactly?
Protests are spreading across the American Southwest over water use at AI data centres. The real numbers are murky, and tech companies are not making it easier to find them.

Why Everyone Suddenly Has Strong Opinions About Data Centres
Those giant warehouse buildings humming away on the edge of town power all the AI tools you use daily. Now they're sparking political fights from both sides. Here's what's going on.

Trump's AI selfies with Washington and Lincoln: what's actually going on
Facing low approval ratings and a stalled Iran conflict, the US president is posting AI-generated images of himself alongside historical figures. It's a PR move that says a lot about how politicians now use artificial intelligence.

Ghost Data Centres Are Jamming Britain's Power Grid, and AI Is to Blame
Developers are reserving grid connections they may never use, blocking real AI projects from getting power. Britain's energy regulator wants to charge them hundreds of millions to stop the queue-jumping.

Australia bans AI-generated songs from its music charts
The country's peak music body now requires every charting song to be 'substantially human made', after an AI-assisted Madonna cover reached number two nationally.

Nobody Wants a Data Centre Next Door. So Who Decides Where They Go?
Communities across the UK and the world are pushing back against the vast, noisy buildings that keep AI running. Their complaints are real. So is the problem of stopping them.

More Than 15 Candidates Have Signed a Pledge on AI Safety and Data Centres. Here Is What It Says.
A new political pact asks candidates to back mandatory safety reviews for AI, a share of AI profits for workers, and a crackdown on sweetheart deals for data centre builders.

Bill Gates Says AI Could Be the Greatest Equalizer or the Worst Source of Injustice
In a nearly 6,000-word essay, the Microsoft co-founder warns the world is unprepared for what AI will do to jobs, governments, and society, and calls for a new international body to manage the fallout.

Bill Gates Wants Some Jobs Kept Off-Limits to AI
In a 6,000-word essay, the Microsoft co-founder argues that certain roles should be protected from automation the same way nature reserves protect land, and warns governments are not ready for what is coming.

Bill Gates Says AI Has Already Crossed Its Danger Thresholds
The billionaire philanthropist is rocking in his chair, alarmed at risks most people haven't noticed yet. He wants them to start paying attention.

This article is not an AI story. We can't cover it.
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Australia Forces Tech Giants to Pay for News, and Nine's CEO Thinks AI Makes That Bet Bigger
New Australian laws could make Google and Meta pay levies if they don't cut deals with local newsrooms. Nine Entertainment's boss says it opens a 'world of growth' even as the company trims $160 million in costs.