Connect with us

Published

on

Billionaire Elon Musk said Monday he would ban Apple devices at his companies if the iPhone maker integrates OpenAI at the operating system level.

“That is an unacceptable security violation,” Musk, who is the CEO of electric-vehicle maker Tesla and rocket maker SpaceX and owner of social media company X, said in a post on X.

“And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage,” he said.

Apple and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comments.

Earlier in the day, Apple announced a slew of AI features across its apps and operating platforms and a partnership with OpenAI to bring the ChatGPT technology to its devices.

Apple said it had built AI with privacy “at the core” and it would use a combination of on-device processing and cloud computing to power those features.

“It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!” Musk said on X.

At the beginning of March, Musk had sued OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015, and its CEO Sam Altman, saying they abandoned the startup’s original mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity and not for profit.

Musk has also founded his own startup, xAI, in a bid to challenge OpenAI and build an alternative to the viral chatbot ChatGPT.

xAI was valued at $24 billion in its last funding round, where it raised $6 billion in series B funding.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

Published

on

By

Glastonbury Festival tickets sell out in 35 minutes

Standard Glastonbury Festival tickets for 2025 sold out in less than 40 minutes after organisers adopted a new booking system.

The new system saw Glastonbury hopefuls get “randomly assigned a place in a queue” instead of having to refresh the holding page once they went live.

Organisers said: “Thanks to everyone who bought one and sorry to those who missed out, on a morning when demand was much higher than supply. There will be a resale of any cancelled or returned tickets in spring 2025.”

Earlier in the week coach tickets sold out within half an hour for the famous festival in Somerset, which is set to take place between 25 and 29 June next year.

Tickets for the annual event at Worthy Farm sold quicker this year than last year when it took around an hour for all of them to go.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee this year, up £18.50 from the price last year, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

Read more:
£3 bus fare cap could be scrapped, hints transport sec
Mike Tyson reveals he ‘almost died’ ahead of fight

More on Glastonbury

Ticket sale methods and prices for events have been a controversial topic this year, particularly due to Oasis fans’ experience trying to get tickets to their reunion shows in August.

Fans were left outraged after spending hours queueing for tickets only to find some had more than doubled in price from around £148 to £355.

The band’s long-awaited reunion has led to much speculation that Noel and Liam Gallagher will headline Glastonbury, but they denied this while their tickets were up for sale.

“Despite media speculation, Oasis will not be playing Glastonbury 2025 or any other festivals next year,” they said in a statement. “The only way to see the band perform will be on their Oasis Live ’25 World Tour.”

The headliners this summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

The crowd at Coldplay's headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA
Image:
The crowd at Coldplay’s headline set at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

Continue Reading

US

Trump is unlikely to take Biden’s advice on China – and it could change the world

Published

on

By

Trump is unlikely to take Biden's advice on China - and it could change the world

As the two most powerful countries in the world, the relationship between the United States and China is the most consequential of all bilateral ties.

Any change in interactions and behaviour by either side does not just impact security, economic activity and trade in Washington and Beijing, but also affects the rest of the planet.

President Xi Jinping chose to make this point publicly as he said hello – and presumably goodbye – to Joe Biden when the two men met on the sidelines of an economic forum in Peru in what was likely their last face-to-face sit down before the US leader hands the keys to the White House over to Donald Trump.

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping shake hands in Peru.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping shaking hands in Peru earlier this week. Pic: Reuters

“As two major countries, China and the United States should bear in mind the interest of the whole world and inject more certainty and positive energy into the turbulent world,” Mr Xi said, speaking through a translator.

“It is my consistent belief that as the world’s most important bilateral relationship, a stable China-US relationship is critical not only to the interests of the Chinese and American peoples but also to the future and destiny of the entire humanity.”

Mr Biden, whose relationship with his opposite number does not just span his four years as president but also when he previously served as vice president under Barack Obama, also focused on the importance of dialogue.

“We haven’t always agreed, but our conversations have always been candid and always been frank,” he said, sitting at a long table, surrounded by aides, with Mr Xi opposite him.

Read more:
Analysis: Trump building a very controversial cabinet
Could Barron Trump run for president in 2044?

“I think that’s vital. These conversations prevent miscalculations, and they ensure the competition between our two countries will not veer into conflict. Be competition, not conflict.”

While clearly directed at him, it is doubtful that Mr Trump will heed the advice.

He has consistently criticised the Biden administration for being too soft on Beijing and has vowed to be much tougher – even saying he would impose 60% tariffs on Chinese imports.

The president-elect’s picks for top jobs in the White House, such as with China hawks Senator Marco Rubio as his desired secretary of state, and Representative Mike Walz as national security adviser, also point to a hardening in the US’ position on Beijing – which is on a trajectory to overtake Washington as the world’s number one superpower.

This moment of re-ordering in global dominance – something the UK was once forced to absorb when the sun set on the British Empire – is on course to happen regardless of who is in the White House.

But a more hostile and combative commander-in-chief in the White House makes it an increasingly perilous time for everyone.

It is perhaps why the current leaders in Beijing and Washington are so keen to stress that while their feelings towards one another go up and down, the ability to keep talking is critical.

Continue Reading

Science

NASA and Microsoft Launch AI Tool to Make Earth Data Accessible

Published

on

By

NASA and Microsoft Launch AI Tool to Make Earth Data Accessible

A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, Earth Copilot, has been introduced by NASA in collaboration with Microsoft to make Earth-related scientific data more accessible. Designed to summarise NASA’s extensive geospatial information, the AI-powered chatbot aims to simplify complex datasets and answer user queries with ease. By addressing questions like the environmental impact of events or changes in air quality, the tool seeks to bridge the gap between NASA’s vast database and users who may lack technical expertise.

Democratising Earth Science Data

The initiative is part of NASA’s effort to expand access to its data. According to Tyler Bryson, Corporate Vice President for Health and Public Sector Industries at Microsoft, many users struggle to utilise NASA’s database due to its technical nature. Extracting insights often requires specialised knowledge of geospatial analysis and data formats. By integrating AI into NASA’s data repository, Earth Copilot reduces the time needed to derive insights from scientific information, making the data more accessible in seconds.

Testing and Integration

Currently, Earth Copilot is in a testing phase, with NASA scientists and researchers evaluating its performance. Following this assessment, NASA plans to integrate the tool into its Visualisation, Exploration, and Data Analysis (VEDA) platform. VEDA already offers public access to some of NASA’s datasets, and Earth Copilot could enhance its usability for non-specialist users.

Potential Benefits

Earth Copilot is expected to transform how users interact with Earth science data by simplifying the process of analysis. The tool has been designed to answer complex questions, such as the effects of natural disasters or global events, using NASA’s comprehensive database. Its development aligns with the agency’s goal of enhancing public understanding of Earth’s systems and providing timely, accurate insights for decision-making.

While still limited to internal testing, Earth Copilot represents a promising step towards making Earth science data universally accessible.

Continue Reading

Trending