By John McCrank The chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday strongly rebutted criticism

Scientists suffering insults and mass-spam are abandoning Twitter for alternative social networks as hostile climate-change denialism surges on the platform...

Arm Holdings Plc priced its initial public offering at the top end of its range to raise $4.87

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The expanding artificial intelligence (AI) market, including chatbots such as ChatGPT, can help boost productivity and economic growth across the UK if developed responsibly, the competition watchdog has said. In a new report, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has set out a list of guiding principles for the AI market to ensure consumers are protected. They include ensuring the AI developers are accountable for their output, while access to services, diversity within the market, choice and flexibility are also key focuses alongside a push for fair dealing and transparency. The CMA’s report comes amid growing concerns over the rapid development of generative AI – accessible technology that can create text, images and video barely distinguishable from humans’ output. Regulators worldwide are stepping up their scrutiny of AI, given its explosion into general use worldwide and fears over its impact on jobs, industry, copyright, the education sector and privacy – among many other areas. The speed at which AI is becoming part of everyday life for people and businesses is dramatic. There is real potential for this technology to turbo charge productivity and make millions of everyday tasks easier – but we can’t take a positive future for granted Sarah Cardell, CMA chief executive In its report, the CMA said competitive, responsible AI markets could see the creation of new and better products and services, as well as easier access to information, scientific and health breakthroughs and lower prices. But the watchdog warned that if competition is weak or developers fail to adhere to consumer protection law, people and businesses could be harmed through exposure to significant levels of misinformation and AI-enabled fraud. It also said that without proper principles, a handful of companies could use AI to gain or entrench positions of market power. Sarah Cardell, CMA chief executive, said: “The speed at which AI is becoming part of everyday life for people and businesses is dramatic. There is real potential for this technology to turbo charge productivity and make millions of everyday tasks easier – but we can’t take a positive future for granted. “There remains a real risk that the use of AI develops in a way that undermines consumer trust or is dominated by a few players who exert market power that prevents the full benefits being felt across the economy. While I hope that our collaborative approach will help realise the maximum potential of this new technology, we are ready to intervene where necessary Sarah Cardell, CMA chief executive “The CMA’s role is to help shape these markets in ways that foster strong competition and effective consumer protection, delivering the best outcomes for people and businesses across the UK. “In rapidly developing markets like these, it’s critical we put ourselves at the forefront of that thinking, rather than waiting for problems to emerge and only then stepping in with corrective measures. “That’s why we have today proposed these new principles and launched a broad programme of engagement to help ensure the development and use of foundation models evolves in a way that promotes competition and protects consumers. “While I hope that our collaborative approach will help realise the maximum potential of this new technology, we are ready to intervene where necessary.” As part of its engagement programme, the CMA said it will begin discussions with AI stakeholders in the UK and globally around developing its principles further and working with those groups on developing AI markets further. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘Shocking’ rise in number of children falling victim to sextortion, charity says BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 announce smart TV platform Father of Molly Russell calls on Ofcom to ‘boldly’ enforce new online safety law

After a live worm was found wriggling around in an Australian woman’s brain recently, you could be forgiven for thanking your lucky stars you don’t have a similar parasite living inside you. But it turns out the chances are much more likely than you might think. More than 1 billion people are thought to have threadworms, a type of invertebrate also known as the pinworm, as per a 2019 study by NCBI. Threadworms grow to around 1cm in length and are specific to human hosts. They infect the small intestine, make your bottom feel itchy and can be passed from person to person. They are a common type of infection in the UK, particularly in children under the age of 10. Threadworms are white and look like small pieces of thread – they are usually spotted in people’s poo. According to the NHS website, they can make people irritable and cause them to wake up at night. When things get really bad, they can cause weight loss. The woman in Australia’s worm, by contrast, was found in her brain, and surgeons needed to get it out manually. “Everyone [in] that operating theatre got the shock of their life when [the surgeon] took some forceps to pick up an abnormality and the abnormality turned out to be a wriggling, live 8cm light red worm," said infectious diseases doctor Sanjaya Senanayake, according to the BBC. If you get threadworms, you won’t need to have brain surgery, fortunately. You can buy medicine (mebendazole) for threadworms from pharmacies, according to NHS online. This is usually a chewable tablet or liquid you swallow. The medicine kills the threadworms, but it does not kill the eggs. Eggs can live for up to 2 weeks outside the body. There are other types of worms you can catch, however. Tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms are all relatively common parasites that you can catch from eating raw or undercooked meat. They can also be caught from inadvertently touching infected poo. Roundworms look more like earthworms, tapeworms are long, pale yellow and flat and hookworms, somewhat horrifically, cause a red, worm-shaped rash beneath the skin. Vincent Ho, associate professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist at Western Sydney University in Australia, said that there are four things you can do to avoid these nasty little critters. “Avoid undercooked or raw pork. Freezing meat first may reduce risks (though home freezers may not get cold enough) and it must be cooked to a high internal temperature. Avoid pork if you are travelling in places with poor sanitation,” he said in an article for The Conversation. “Avoid jumping or diving into warm fresh bodies of water, especially if they are known to carry Naegleria fowleri. Although only a handful of cases are reported each year, you should assume it’s present. “Practise good hand hygiene to reduce the risk of rare and common infections. That means washing hands thoroughly and often, using soap, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, rinsing and drying well. Clip and clean under fingernails regularly. “To avoid soil-borne parasites, wear shoes outside, especially in rural and remote regions, wash shoes and leave them outside.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Almost a week after the Apple faithful collectively gasped at the first evidence that the iPhone's “end call” button might soon be shifting upward and a column to the right, it looks like the whole thing might have been a false alarm

Bill Gates sounds less worried than some other executives in Silicon Valley about the risks of artificial intelligence.

Save $83.99: As of July 27, the Shark IQ 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop is

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 29, 2023--

David Hockney has unveiled his latest Christmas-themed artwork to bring “joy and hope” to people in London. The Bigger Christmas Trees artwork at Battersea Power Station depicts two large green and purple striped Christmas trees, each with a gold star at the top. The artwork is being displayed on the landmark’s two chimneys, which measure 100 metres (328 feet) and overlook the River Thames. “Battersea Power Station is such a beautiful building, I wanted to decorate it in a way that I hoped would bring joy and hope to Londoners,” said Hockney, 86. The artist, who is known for using a range of mediums including apps on iPhones, used an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to create the design. Hockney has used Apple products in his artwork for more than 15 years including the first iPhone model in 2007. Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak described Hockney’s artwork as a “gift” for London. He said: “David is one of the world’s most important and influential artists, and we couldn’t be more excited to see his latest creation lighting up Battersea Power Station. “It is a privilege for us that he chooses iPad for his work, and to create this beautiful Christmas gift for the people of London.” Hockney’s other work using an iPad includes a stained glass window and a piece to highlight the natural world, which he created during the Covid-19 pandemic. In November, he unveiled his David Hockney: Drawing from Life exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, in London, which showcases a portrait of singer Harry Styles. Styles is depicted wearing an orange and red cardigan with a pearl necklace and blue jeans in one of 30 displays at the gallery. The Bigger Christmas Trees artwork will be displayed in a 10-minute animation on two of Battersea Power Station’s towers from 5pm to 10pm every evening until Christmas Day. Read More Apple names its App Store apps of the year £16bn Adobe takeover could harm competition in digital design market – watchdog Young people the biggest users of generative AI, Ofcom study shows Software firm Cloudsmith announces £8.8m investment UK and South Korea issue warning over North Korea-linked cyber attacks Data protection watchdog warns websites over cookie consent alerts