Adam Smith

The plight of Britain's polluted rivers is no secret, but this past weekend, an army of citizen scientists set out to measure the scale of the problem, hoping to plug knowledge gaps exacerbated by cutbacks at a key environmental regulator. 

Thousands of volunteers in 90 locations across the country took part in the Great UK WaterBlitz, organised by the environmental charity Earthwatch Europe, testing local rivers and lakes for nitrates, phosphates and other pollutants.

U.S. President Donald Trump has granted TikTok a 75 day-extension for its Chinese parent ByteDance to sell the video-sharing app, delaying a ban that was originally set to take effect in January under a 2024 law.

The new extension sets a mid-June deadline for a deal.

In defiance of an executive order that wiped reams of data from U.S. government websites, volunteers are reversing "this act of official vandalism" and ensuring open access to the censored climate, LGBTQ+ and health stats.

Scores of activists are working to safeguard and then make public data they had archived for safe-keeping after President Donald Trump's administration targeted "gender ideology extremism" and environmental policies with deletion.

When the Greek island of Santorini was rattled by a series of quakes this year, sending tourists and residents fleeing, seismologist Margarita Segou got to work with an algorithm called QuakeFlow to try to figure out what was happening.

The cloud-based system developed by Stanford University uses machine learning to detect and analyse earthquakes more accurately and efficiently than traditional methods, said Segou, who works for the British Geological Survey.

Hungary has passed a new law that bans Pride events, fines those who attend and proposes using facial recognition to identify those taking part, putting the country at odds with European Union laws.

Organisers of Budapest Pride, due to take place in June, say the event will still go ahead.

The Humane Ai Pin promised to be the next big thing in wearable tech but the device failed to attract users, becoming instead a poster child for AI's contribution to the global e-waste problem.

The pins were designed by artificial intelligence startup Humane to be worn on clothing and could be tapped to talk to a virtual assistant.

President Donald Trump's AI policies, which signal a shift away from the previous administration's focus on preventing bias and safeguarding risk, could make users more vulnerable and influence legislation abroad, experts say.

While former president Joe Biden took steps to reduce risks associated with artificial intelligence, Trump has thus far focused on ensuring U.S. dominance in the field, moving to ditch some protective guardrails.

U.S. consumers are at greater risk of being exploited by tech giants and financial firms after President Donald Trump fired a team of technologists from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), former staff and experts said.

As part of a broader drive to cut federal employees, up to 20 technologists who specifically investigated artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms, and confusing user interfaces were sacked on Feb. 13 from the watchdog, which regulates financial products and services to ensure fair practices.

LGBTQ+ Africans who live in countries where being out is risky have turned to dating apps as safe spaces, but pervasive intolerance and state surveillance can make online dating potential traps.

From Nigeria to Kenya, threats loom over those who disclose personal details, making every interaction a calculated risk. Digital ambushes are alarmingly frequent, underscoring the critical need for proactive measures.

Under the sweeping glass roof of the Grand Palais in Paris, world leaders and tech entrepreneurs sketched out a vision for the future of AI that stressed potentials over pitfalls as the global race to dominate the tech hots up.

Following previous summits in London and Seoul, which focused on safety and existential risks, the Paris gathering concentrated on expansion and innovation, while showcasing France as a place where AI could flourish.