Research & Development news

• Suicide forum fined £950,000 for not blocking UK users

  13-05-2026 13:52 via bbc.com
  The regulator said the forum had not done enough to protect UK users - but critics accuse Ofcom of acting too slowly.
  
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• TikTok and YouTube 'not safe enough' for kids, says Ofcom

  21-05-2026 09:10 via bbc.com
  YouTube said it worked with experts to provide appropriate experiences. TikTok said it was disappointed Ofcom had not acknowledged its safety features.
  
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• SpaceX files for stock market debut that could make Elon Musk a trillionaire

  21-05-2026 08:00 via bbc.com
  Musk's rocket-maker and satellite internet provider will trade under the ticker SPCX
  
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• US groups urge investigation into child safety and spending on Roblox

  20-05-2026 12:27 via bbc.com
  Roblox said it had "clear policies" banning actual and simulated gambling, as well as rules governing paid random items.
  
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• Google to release first smart glasses since Google Glass flop

  19-05-2026 23:00 via bbc.com
  The glasses will go on sale sometime in autumn and allow Google's artificial intelligence product to interact with a user.
  
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• Zoe Kleinman: Why the AI industry is the real winner of the Musk-Altman trial

  19-05-2026 13:05 via bbc.com
  The trial in Oakland, California has helped lift the veil on the AI sector - and the huge egos of the men at the heart of it.
  
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• Elon Musk has lost yet another legal battle. Why he'll still keep fighting

  19-05-2026 10:45 via bbc.com
  Musk has lost his high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI, but is not likely to change his aggressive style.
  
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• Satellites and AI used to track UK hedgehogs in bid to slow decline

  19-05-2026 01:04 via bbc.com
  Researchers hope the project will also help to identify barriers preventing hedgehogs from finding food and mates in the wild.
  
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• Robo-top: The machines that could make your next t-shirt

  19-05-2026 01:04 via bbc.com
  Most clothes are made in Asia, but new machines could bring some of that work back to the West.
  
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• Musk loses OpenAI court battle after jury finds he waited too long to sue

  19-05-2026 00:08 via bbc.com
  Jurors spent weeks hearing about Musk's claim that Altman had "stolen a charity."
  
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• Instant AI answers can trivialise human intelligence, warns Royal Observatory

  18-05-2026 11:33 via bbc.com
  Paddy Rodgers said the Observatory's rich history showed the power of human knowledge and the need to avoid "dependence" on AI.
  
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• X pledges quicker action on hate and terror content in the UK

  15-05-2026 14:57 via bbc.com
  Ofcom said the commitments were of particular importance after recent crimes targeting Jewish communities in the UK.
  
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• Claim, counter-claim and tech's seedy side exposed: Five things we learned in the Musk-Altman trial

  15-05-2026 07:03 via bbc.com
  As the jury deliberates, this is what we found out during the weeks-long trial with two tech titans at its heart.
  
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• Inside the secretive and lucrative world of orchid breeding

  15-05-2026 01:03 via bbc.com
  It can take a decade to bring a new orchid to market, so breeders keep their hi-tech processes secret.
  
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• AI could put people off tech jobs and hurt the economy, warns Raspberry Pi boss

  15-05-2026 01:01 via bbc.com
  Eben Upton warns against claims that Artificial Intelligence will destroy vast numbers of computing roles over the coming years.
  
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• 'Millions' of pounds saved by replacing Palantir tech in refugee system

  14-05-2026 23:09 via bbc.com
  The government said its in-house IT system was "more flexible" while meeting "high standards" of security.
  
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• HMRC to use AI from British tech firm to spot fraud and tax return errors

  14-05-2026 07:10 via bbc.com
  Quantexa, a financial data platform, won the £175m contract to spot fraud and tax return errors.
  
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• Thousands of Waymos recalled after robotaxi swept into a creek

  13-05-2026 16:40 via bbc.com
  The voluntary recall follows an incident on 20 April where an empty Waymo car entered a flooded road in San Antonio, Texas.
  
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• WhatsApp launches totally private 'incognito' conversations with its AI chatbot

  13-05-2026 16:00 via bbc.com
  A cyber security expert says deleting chat history could lead to a lack of accountability if things go wrong.
  
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• More than 70 million warnings sent to people seeking child abuse material

  13-05-2026 08:04 via bbc.com
  The messages highlight the illegality of what people are searching for online and direct them towards help.
  
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• Smart glasses are 'an invasion of privacy' - Meta's are selling better than ever

  13-05-2026 07:01 via bbc.com
  The biggest tech firms are set to sell millions of smart glasses despite growing privacy concerns.
  
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• Elon Musk said control of OpenAI should go to his children, Sam Altman tells jury

  12-05-2026 20:51 via bbc.com
  Sam Altman said Elon Musk tried many times for total control of OpenAI, which he's now suing.
  
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• Canvas hack: Company pays criminals to delete students' stolen data

  12-05-2026 12:31 via bbc.com
  The company behind Canvas says it has "reached an agreement" with the hackers who disrupted thousands of colleges and universities.
  
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• Texas accuses Netflix of spying on users, including children

  12-05-2026 12:01 via bbc.com
  The lawsuit comes amid increased scrutiny over platform features like auto-play that deliver endless content to users.
  
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• Not so dusty: How tech is changing woodworking

  12-05-2026 01:23 via bbc.com
  Woodworking shops have been transformed by tech to make tools safer and more precise.
  
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• TikTok launches £3.99 subscription for no ads in UK

  11-05-2026 18:05 via bbc.com
  Those who don't subscribe will be able to use the platform for free - but be shown personalised ads by default.
  
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• How sunburn inspired a new way to store energy

  09-05-2026 10:28 via bbc.com
  Molecules that can capture heat could be a useful technology to decarbonise heating.
  
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• International cyber attack disrupts swathe of universities and schools

  09-05-2026 03:17 via bbc.com
  A hacking group breached the academic software Canvas, used by thousands of schools and universities across the globe.
  
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• TikTok scales back AI-generated video descriptions after absurd errors

  08-05-2026 11:20 via bbc.com
  While only rolled out to some users, the feature's bizarre AI-generated descriptions were shared widely.
  
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• Instagram privacy tech is turned off today - what does this mean for your DMs?

  08-05-2026 03:31 via bbc.com
  The platform said it would remove end-to-end encrypted messages, a major U‑turn by parent company Meta.
  
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