Technology

Sam Altman’s make-or-break year: can the OpenAI CEO cash in his bet on the future?

Altman’s campaigning for his company coincides with its use of enormous present resources to serve an imagined futureSam Altman has claimed over the years that the advancement of AI could solve cli...

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How the ‘confident authority’ of Google AI Overviews is putting public health at risk

Experts say tool can give ‘completely wrong’ medical advice which could put users at risk of serious harm• AI Overviews cite YouTube more than any medical site, study suggestsDo I have the flu or C...

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The influencer World Cup: Fifa and the TikTok deal targeting an avalanche of posts

Partnership with tech giant speaks to push to engage younger fans but also has wider strategic goals in mindIn this World Cup year, Fifa has come out of the blocks quickly. In the past few weeks an...

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The Guardian view on toddlers and screens: more reasons to be fearful of big tech | Editorial

Growing concerns about the impact of smartphones on the youngest children must be addressedThe first UK government guidance on young children’s use of tablets, smartphones and other screens, expect...

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How screen time affects toddlers: ‘We’re losing a big part of being human’

In the UK, 98% of two-year-olds watch screens on a typical day, on average for more than two hours – and almost 40% of three- to five-year-olds use social media. Could this lead to alarming outcome...

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TR-49 review – inventive narrative deduction game steeped in the strangest of wartime secrets

PC; InkleThe UK game developer’s latest is a database mystery constructed from an archive of fictional books. Their combined contents threaten to crack the code of realityBletchley Park: famed home...

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Animal Crossing’s new update has revived my pandemic sanctuary

After years away revisiting my abandoned island uncovers new features, old memories and the quiet reassurance that you can go home again• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign u...

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My analogue month: would ditching my smartphone make me healthier, happier – or more stressed?

When I swapped my iPhone for a Nokia, Walkman, film camera and physical map, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But my life soon started to changeWhen two balaclava-clad men on a motorbike mounted the p...

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My friends in Italy are using AI therapists. But is that so bad, when a stigma surrounds mental health? | Viola Di Grado

State provision for psychological health services is lamentable. Until things improve, let’s not judge those who turn to an app for helpIt’s a sunny afternoon in a Roman park and a peculiar, new-to...

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Ed Zitron on big tech, backlash, boom and bust: ‘AI has taught us that people are excited to replace human beings’

His blunt, brash scepticism has made the podcaster and writer something of a cult figure. But as concern over large language models builds, he’s no longer the outsider he once wasIf some time in an...

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How can we defend ourselves from the new plague of ‘human fracking’?

Big tech treats our attention like a resource to be mercilessly extracted. The fightback begins hereIn the last 15 years, a linked series of unprecedented technologies have changed the experience o...

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He called himself an ‘untouchable hacker god’. But who was behind the biggest crime Finland has ever known?

How would you feel if your therapist’s notes – your darkest thoughts and deepest feelings – were exposed to the world? For 33,000 Finnish people, that became a terrifying reality, with deadly conse...

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Commodore 64 Ultimate review – it’s like 1982 all over again!

Showing the value of great design over visual impact, this faithfully resurrected home computer seamlessly integrates modern tech with some wonderful additional touchesThe emotional hit was somethi...

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Elon Musk’s stubborn spin on Grok’s sexualized images controversy

Musk attempts to recast AI tool’s misuse. Plus, tech billionaires plot against a proposed California tax on their fortunesHello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, US tech e...

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What’s behind the phenomenon of ‘gamer brain’

If you’ve ever refused to knock down a game’s difficulty level, or chased a purposefully pointless achievement, you might have this pernicious but pleasurable affliction• Don’t get Pushing Buttons ...

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Home secretary says she will legislate to regain power to sack chief constables – UK politics live

Shabana Mahmood tells MPs she has lost confidence in West Midlands police chief Craig Guildford over the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans Here are extracts from three interesting comment articles about...

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My work went from air-conditioned offices to delivering food on a bike. The culture shock is significant | David Rayfield

The plan was to get on a bicycle to earn some money. It wasn’t to get hit by cars, thumped by skinheads or to see my surroundings in a whole new lightGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailAt f...

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Technology

Sam Altman’s make-or-break year: can the OpenAI CEO cash in his bet on the future?

How the ‘confident authority’ of Google AI Overviews is putting public health at risk

The influencer World Cup: Fifa and the TikTok deal targeting an avalanche of posts

The Guardian view on toddlers and screens: more reasons to be fearful of big tech | Editorial

How screen time affects toddlers: ‘We’re losing a big part of being human’

TR-49 review – inventive narrative deduction game steeped in the strangest of wartime secrets

Animal Crossing’s new update has revived my pandemic sanctuary

My analogue month: would ditching my smartphone make me healthier, happier – or more stressed?

My friends in Italy are using AI therapists. But is that so bad, when a stigma surrounds mental health? | Viola Di Grado

Ed Zitron on big tech, backlash, boom and bust: ‘AI has taught us that people are excited to replace human beings’

How can we defend ourselves from the new plague of ‘human fracking’?

He called himself an ‘untouchable hacker god’. But who was behind the biggest crime Finland has ever known?

Commodore 64 Ultimate review – it’s like 1982 all over again!

Elon Musk’s stubborn spin on Grok’s sexualized images controversy

What’s behind the phenomenon of ‘gamer brain’

Home secretary says she will legislate to regain power to sack chief constables – UK politics live

My work went from air-conditioned offices to delivering food on a bike. The culture shock is significant | David Rayfield

Social media is corrupting young minds – but a ban is not the answer | Zoe Williams

The Guardian view on regulating big tech: politicians must back Ofcom’s challenge to Musk | Editorial

Four months and 40 hours later: my epic battle with 2025’s most difficult video game

Monday briefing: How Elon Musk’s Grok is being used as a tool for digital sexual abuse