Pentagon lists Alibaba, Baidu and BYD as 'Chinese military companies': security flag, or discriminatory smear?

The US Defense Department added tech giants Alibaba and Baidu and carmaker BYD to its '1260H' list of firms it considers tied to China's military — a move that could pressure American companies to drop them as suppliers. Beijing's embassy condemned the designation as 'discriminatory,' and the named firms reject it, with some weighing legal action.

Apple's new 'Siri AI': a privacy-first leap, or just catching up?

At Tim Cook's last WWDC as CEO before handing over to John Ternus, Apple unveiled a more conversational 'Siri AI' built on a two-tier, partly Google-powered model, and pitched a privacy-first approach to AI across its devices. Supporters call it a thoughtful, user-centred alternative to rivals 'racing forward'; skeptics say Apple is simply catching up after a year of Siri delays.

Meta moves to hold Israeli spyware maker NSO Group in contempt

Meta says NSO Group ran fresh phishing attacks and tested its spyware on WhatsApp accounts, defying a court order barring it from targeting WhatsApp users — and is asking US courts to hold the firm in contempt, backed by a dozen digital-rights groups. NSO, blacklisted by Washington, is appealing the underlying injunction and has warned it could be put out of business.

The AI gold rush: a trillion-dollar opportunity, or a bubble about to pop?

A wave of giant AI IPOs is beginning as Washington and Brussels race to claim leadership in the technology. But the rally has cracked: by June 8 the retreat deepened — tech stocks sold off and SoftBank fell about 6% as investors soured on AI names, after a two-month 80% surge in chip stocks and a spike in Wall Street's 'fear gauge' — reviving warnings the AI trade is dangerously overheated.

Should one federal law override all state AI rules?

A new bipartisan draft — the 'Great American AI Act' — would bar states from regulating AI development for three years. Backers want one national standard; critics call federal preemption a 'generational mistake.'

US tightens AI-chip controls on China as Nvidia's market there collapses

Washington moved to close a loophole and enforce licences on advanced AI chips reaching Chinese-linked firms. Nvidia is now largely shut out of China — and critics argue the curbs mainly push China to build its own chips.

Florida becomes first US state to sue OpenAI and Sam Altman

Florida's attorney general sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging they marketed ChatGPT as safe while concealing risks — including links to violence and harm to minors — and seeking to hold Altman personally liable.

Open or closed? The fight over how AI models should be released

Should powerful AI models be open for anyone to download and inspect, or kept behind locked APIs? Meta and others champion open models; OpenAI and Anthropic keep their best ones closed, citing safety.

Google's search monopoly: a slap on the wrist, or remedies that go too far?

A US court found Google illegally monopolised search and ordered it to share data and end exclusive deals — but refused to force a Chrome sale. The DOJ and 38 states are appealing for tougher remedies; Google says even these go too far.

Remote work vs return-to-office: what does the evidence say?

Five years after the remote-work boom, big employers are ordering staff back to the office — even as studies suggest remote and hybrid workers are just as productive, with far lower turnover.