A University of Cambridge researcher predicts that by 2030, AI technology will allow people to interact with digital avatars of deceased loved ones almost 24/7, potentially reducing visits to cemeteries. Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska, a specialist in digital death and mourning, warns that while these “digital afterlife” tools—already emerging in the US, China, and companies like Replika and StoryFile—could create a form of digital immortality, they may … Continue reading Cambridge Professor Predicts AI Apps Will Let Us ‘Talk to the Dead’ Within Five Years

China is set to unveil what it claims is “the most powerful laser air defence system in the world” during a military parade in Beijing marking 80 years since World War II. The truck-mounted laser, speculated to be a 10kW OW5-A10 capable of intercepting drone swarms, will be showcased alongside new anti-ship missiles. The parade, attended by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, reflects China’s focus … Continue reading China to unveil ‘world’s most powerful laser defense system’ in front of Putin

At Camp Atterbury, Indiana, defense contractor Epirus demonstrated its Leonidas system, which uses electromagnetic interference to disable drone swarms. In a test, Leonidas took down 49 quadcopters simultaneously without firing projectiles. The technology, aimed at countering threats at military sites, airports, and public venues, highlights the growing importance of drone-counter-drone systems in modern warfare, Axios has reported. Epirus, founded in 2018, has worked with the … Continue reading Electromagnetic weapon zaps drone swarm in seconds

Police in Kenner, Louisiana, used a robot and drone to arrest Honduran national Elviss Caballero-Zuniga, 53, wanted for a murder in his home country, following an intense standoff on Aug. 22. Authorities breached his front door using an armored vehicle, and Caballero-Zuniga surrendered to the SWAT robot team. He is currently in custody facing a felony charge of illegal re-entry into the U.S., while details … Continue reading Robot helps arrest man wanted for murder inside Louisiana home

Taipei City Council faced criticism after revealing it purchased a patrol robot dog made by Chinese company Unitree, which has ties to China’s military. The robot, intended to help inspect pedestrian areas, uses cameras developed by a Taiwanese contractor, but opposition officials and commentators warned it could pose a national security risk by collecting sensitive data. The council said the purchase was a one-unit trial … Continue reading Taipei City council in the dog house over Chinese-made patrol robot

Robomart, a Los Angeles startup, unveiled its new RM5 self-driving delivery robot Monday, aiming to make on-demand delivery profitable. The level-four autonomous vehicle carries up to 500 pounds in 10 lockers, enabling multiple deliveries at once. Robomart’s model lets retailers run storefronts on its app, charging customers a flat $3 fee per order — far lower than traditional delivery platforms. The company plans to launch … Continue reading Robomart unveils new delivery robot

Nvidia announced Monday that its new robotics chip, the Jetson AGX Thor, is now available as a $3,499 developer kit, with shipments starting next month. The module, based on Nvidia’s Blackwell GPU, is 7.5 times faster than its predecessor and designed to power generative AI models for robots and self-driving cars. Bulk orders of over 1,000 chips will cost $2,999 each. Nvidia says companies like … Continue reading Nvidia Releases a Smarter Robot Brain Called Jetson Thor

Bali, famous for its beaches and jungles, continues to face a severe waste problem, with plastic and garbage washing up on tourist hotspots and open landfills straining local management. To tackle the issue, hotels have tested beach-cleaning robots, like the $65,000 BeBot Smart Beach Cleaning Robot at FINNS Beach Club, which clears 180-meter stretches daily. Local leaders hope to expand the technology across coastal villages, … Continue reading Bali introduces $65k cleaning robot to fix dirty beach problem

Waymo has received its first New York City permit to test autonomous vehicles, marking the city’s inaugural AV testing program. The company will operate up to eight cars in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn through late September, with a driver required behind the wheel. The move is part of Waymo’s nationwide expansion, which includes Austin, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, CNBC has reported. … Continue reading Waymo granted first permit to begin testing autonomous vehicles in NYC

Nottinghamshire Police is trialing a robot dog equipped with cameras, AI weapon detection, LiDAR scanning, and a loudspeaker to handle dangerous situations without risking officers’ lives. The £24,000 unit can climb stairs, scan rooms, carry supplies, and operate where drones cannot, potentially aiding in sieges, hostage incidents, or chemical threats. The three-month test will assess its effectiveness and value before recommendations go to the Home … Continue reading Police test robot dog for potential UK rollout

Florida will trial Campus Guardian Angel, a Texas-based drone system designed to assist responders during school shootings, in three school districts after Governor Ron DeSantis’ approval. The drones, stored in secure on-campus boxes, can be deployed within five seconds of a silent panic alert, providing live video to first responders and firing nonlethal projectiles to delay assailants. Operated remotely by a Texas team of pilots … Continue reading Armed Drones to Be Deployed at Schools To Stop Mass Shooters

Hong Kong plans to deploy robot dogs equipped with insecticide sprayers to combat rising cases of mosquito-borne Chikungunya fever. The robots will target hard-to-reach areas, reducing the workload on frontline workers. A trial will begin next month, with the potential for wider deployment if successful, Interesting Engineering has reported. Continue reading Hong Kong to unleash mosquito-killing robot dogs to combat Chikungunya virus

The first “World Humanoid Robot Games” in Beijing featured 280 teams from 16 countries competing in sports, dance, and job-skill challenges. Robots showcased advanced abilities in events like soccer, track, and long jump, as well as tasks such as housekeeping and retail work. Chinese companies like Unitree, X-Humanoid, and UBTECH won multiple medals, highlighting China’s push to become a global leader in humanoid robotics by … Continue reading Tesla Optimus rival Unitree shines at the ‘World Humanoid Robot Games’ in China

China is developing a humanoid “pregnancy robot” with an artificial womb that could carry a fetus for 10 months, potentially offering a lower-cost alternative to human surrogates. While the prototype may debut next year, questions remain about fertilization, birth, and ethical and legal implications. Separately, humanoid robots have been showcased performing everyday tasks in New York to promote a new ETF, drawing both amazement and … Continue reading ‘Pregnancy robots’ could give birth to humans in revolutionary breakthrough

Russian hackers reportedly took control of a Norwegian fish-farming dam in April, opening a floodgate for four hours and releasing 500 litres per second, Norway’s intelligence service (PST) said. The attack, attributed to pro-Russian cyber actors, caused no damage due to low water levels but aimed to create fear and disruption. A video linked to the group was shared on Telegram, and PST warned of … Continue reading Russian hackers seized control of Norwegian dam, spy chief says

Over 500 humanoid robots from 280 teams across 16 countries are competing in 26 events—from soccer and boxing to medicine sorting and cleaning—at the first World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The three-day event showcases AI-powered robotics, with robots often toppling or malfunctioning during competitions. China, making humanoids a national priority, aims to demonstrate global leadership in robotics, backed by a $139 billion fund for … Continue reading World’s first humanoid robot games begin in China

U.S. federal authorities, working with international partners, took down servers and domains and seized about $1 million in cryptocurrency linked to the BlackSuit ransomware gang. The group, which rebranded from Royal ransomware in 2024, had targeted over 100 companies last year across industries like manufacturing, education, health care, and construction, and compromised more than 450 U.S. victims since 2022. While the takedown disrupts BlackSuit’s operations, … Continue reading Feds take down BlackSuit ransomware gang, seize $1M in crypto

AOL, famous for its dial-up internet service and iconic “You’ve got mail” greeting, announced it will discontinue its dial-up internet, AOL Dialer software, and AOL Shield browser on September 30. Once widely known for its trial CDs in the 1990s, AOL’s dial-up connected users via telephone lines with a distinctive chirping sound. Now part of Yahoo, AOL was sold by Verizon to Apollo Global Management … Continue reading AOL ditching dial-up service, a relic of the internet in the ’90s

United Airlines faced widespread flight delays Wednesday due to a technology disruption affecting its Unimatic system, which manages flight data like weight, balance, and timings. Over 1,000 flights were delayed as a result. The issue has been resolved, but residual delays remain as operations recover, The Hill has reported. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the problem was specific to United and unrelated to the broader … Continue reading United blames ‘technology disruption’ for 1,000+ flight delays

Director James Cameron warned that using AI in global weapons systems could trigger a “Terminator”-style apocalypse, especially with rapid decision-making in nuclear defense. While he embraces AI to reduce film production costs, he remains concerned about its misuse and doubts AI can replace human screenwriters, believing true storytelling requires human experience. Cameron also highlighted the simultaneous threats of climate change, nuclear weapons, and super-intelligence as … Continue reading James Cameron warns of ‘Terminator-style apocalypse’ if AI weaponized

White Castle has launched its first robotic food delivery service in Chicago, partnering with Coco Robotics and Uber Eats. The pilot program, based at the Near West Side location on Roosevelt Road, uses zero-emission, AI-powered robots to deliver orders. Customers are notified when the robot arrives and unlock it via the app. White Castle hopes the technology will improve speed, reduce congestion, and maintain service … Continue reading White Castle launches new AI-powered robot delivery in Chicago

Hackers claim to have stolen and leaked 30GB of sensitive data from French naval defense giant Naval Group, threatening to release more, including alleged submarine weapon system source code. The data reportedly includes classified information on France’s nuclear submarines. Naval Group, which builds submarines and frigates for the French Navy, denies any breach of its IT systems and calls it a reputational attack. Investigations are … Continue reading Hackers threaten to leak ‘top-secret’ data after French navy attack

Minnesota has activated the National Guard’s cyber unit after a “deliberate, coordinated” cyberattack overwhelmed St. Paul’s digital systems. Mayor Melvin Carter said the city shut down its entire network to contain the threat, causing disruptions to Wi-Fi, libraries, and other services, though emergency systems remain unaffected. The city is working with the FBI and two private cybersecurity firms to investigate. While the attack’s specifics haven’t … Continue reading Minnesota calls in national guard after capital city slammed by ‘digital attack’

On Trump’s inauguration day, China’s DeepSeek released a powerful AI model, surprising U.S. intelligence. In response, the Biden administration pushed agencies to work with AI labs like OpenAI and Google to catch up, awarding major contracts for advanced AI. While AI is now used widely in U.S. intelligence, progress is slow due to caution over reliability and errors. Experts worry China may be advancing faster … Continue reading Spy agencies experimenting with newest AI models

Wyoming Mayor Patrick Collins announced plans for a massive AI data center near Cheyenne that would consume more electricity than all homes in the state combined. The joint venture between Tallgrass and Crusoe would start at 1.8 gigawatts—over five times the state’s household energy use—and could scale up to 10 gigawatts, doubling Wyoming’s entire current electricity generation. To meet its huge power needs, the project … Continue reading AI in Wyoming may soon use more electricity than state’s human residents