Elsewhere, beyond-classical quantum hardware, plus classical computing fires back.

Michelle Obama's style has changed dramatically in her years in the public eye. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Mark Wilson/Pablo Martinez Monsivais-Pool/Getty Images Michelle Obama's style has evolved since she became first lady in 2009. She made waves for going sleeveless at the beginning of her husband's tenure as president. In her post-first lady life, she often wears colorful suits, sparkly dresses, and bold skirts. Michelle Obama's fashion has changed a lot throughout her nearly 30 years in the public eye. Obama, 61, was known for simple dresses in the early years of her husband's administration, turning heads in sleeveless looks. However, in the years since Barack Obama left office, the former first lady has shown off new sides of her style, experimenting with suits, bold patterns, and outfits packed with symbolism. Through it all, her personal ethos about fashion seems to have stayed consistent: "I always say that women should wear whatever makes them feel good about themselves," she told Vogue in 2013. "That's what I always try to do." Here's a look at how Michelle Obama's style has evolved since she first hit the national stage. At the August 2008 Democratic National Convention, Obama wore a simple turquoise dress. Michelle Obama attends the Democratic National Convention with her daughters in August 2008. REUTERS/Chris Wattie Marking the unofficial start to her tenure in the public eye, Obama attended the Democratic National Convention in Denver in a Maria Pinto dress. The quarter-length sleeve dress had a column silhouette, and a simple brooch embellishment on the V-neckline added a pop of color. On election night in November 2008, she wore a red dress that complemented her husband's tie. The Obama family on election night 2008 in Chicago. Joe Raedle/Getty Images On the night her husband was elected president, Obama attended a rally in Chicago in a Narciso Rodriguez dress. The wrap dress featured red detailing that coordinated with the future president's red tie. Her daughters, Sasha and Malia, also wore red and black, matching their parents. Obama paired her dress with a black cardigan and large hoop earrings for a fun flair. At the inaugural ball in January 2009, Obama chose a then-unknown designer to make her white gown. Michelle Obama attends the Inaugural Ball in January 2009. credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images Obama attended the inaugural ball in a white gown designed by Jason Wu, who didn't know the first lady would be wearing his dress until she stepped out in it, as he told The New York Times at the time. The one-shoulder dress featured a form-fitting bodice and a flowy skirt, with rosettes adorning the gown. Obama paired the dress with dangly earrings and a chunky bracelet. Obama made waves by going sleeveless for her first official portrait in January 2009. An official portrait of Michelle Obama from 2009. White House/Handout Obama wore a high-neck Michael Kors gown for her first official portrait, which she paired with diamond earrings and a double-stranded pearl necklace. No other first lady had been sleeveless for an official portrait at the time. She wore a gold gown to the first state dinner of her husband's tenure in November 2009. Michelle and Barack Obama at the White House for a state dinner in November 2009. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images The former first lady wore a gold gown by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan, an appropriate choice for hosting India's prime minister at the time, Manmohan Singh. She paired the dress with gold jewelry and a matching sheer shawl. Obama's Alexander McQueen gown for a January 2011 state dinner with Chinese leaders raised eyebrows. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao for a State dinner at the White House in January 2011. Mark Wilson/Getty Images According to the Washington Post, some American designers took issue with Obama's gown for the dinner, as McQueen is a British designer. The dress itself had an asymmetrical neckline and an avant-garde pattern in black and red. Obama finished off her look with a voluminous updo, statement earrings, and a wrap. On July 4, 2011, she hosted a barbecue in Washington, DC, and showed off a more casual side of her style. Michelle and Barack Obama host an Independence Day celebration at the White House in July 2011. Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images Obama celebrated Independence Day in a Sophie Theallet sundress. The A-line dress was red and blue, with a floral pattern, and it had black straps, which she complemented with her black sandals. The ensemble was festive and laid-back. In March 2012, she attended the Kids' Choice Awards in a sparkly ensemble. Taylor Swift and Michelle Obama attend the Kids' Choice Awards in March 2012. Charley Gallay/KCA2012/Getty Images for KCA Obama wore a Wes Gordon ensemble to the awards show, pairing a patterned jacket with leather pants. The look was a departure from her more formal first lady attire, but the sparkly material still made it feel glamorous. However, for the September 2012 DNC, she stuck to a more formal silhouette. Michelle Obama attends the Democratic National Convention in September 2012. Alex Wong/Getty Images Obama attended the DNC in a Tracy Reese dress with a red bodice and a blue hem, blending the colors of the Republican and Democratic parties. Red pumps completed her ensemble. In 2013, she wore a sparkly gown to present the Oscar for best picture via telecast. Michelle Obama presents the Oscar for best picture in February 2013. White House/Handout Obama turned to Naeem Khan again for her Hollywood-appropriate dress. The silver gown had a scooped neckline and a geometric pattern of sparkly fabric. She also wore her hair in a chic bun with blunt bangs, giving the look a more modern feel. For her second state dinner with the Chinese leader, Obama chose a dress designed by Chinese American designer Vera Wang. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama host Xi Jinping at the White House for a State Dinner in September 2015. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images "It is such a privilege, as an American of Chinese heritage, to have dressed first lady Michelle Obama for this state dinner," Wang said at the time. Obama's gown had an off-the-shoulder neckline with sheer straps. The dress hugged her figure, then flared into a mermaid skirt. The first lady switched up her style in a suit at the May 2016 Invictus Games. Michelle Obama speaks at the Invictus Games in May 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus Obama went for a darker look at the sporting event, sticking to an all-black motif. She paired a sleeveless BCBGMAXAZRIA tunic with slim-fitted trousers. One of her signature belts sat on her waist, and she completed the look with Jimmy Choo pumps. The ensemble was elevated yet approachable. And at her final state dinner in October 2016, Obama chose a sparklier look than she often wears. Michelle Obama and Barack Obama at a state dinner at the White House in October 2016. Shawn Thew - pool/Getty Images The Obamas hosted the Italian prime minister and his wife for dinner in October 2016, and the first lady wore a dress custom-designed by Donatella Versace for the occasion. The rose-gold gown was made of sparkly chainmail and featured ruching along the bodice and waistline before flowing to the floor. It marked a shift in her style as she looked past White House life. In July 2017, Obama wore a black dress with an unconventional neckline to the ESPYS in Los Angeles. Michelle Obama attends the ESPYs in July 2017. Kevin Winter/Getty Images At one of her first public appearances after her time as first lady ended, Obama attended the ESPYs in a black Cushnie et Ochs dress. The dress had long sleeves and a knee-length skirt, but the neckline had asymmetrical detailing that gave it a sexy edge. Jennifer Fisher jewelry and black heels completed the look. To promote her book "Becoming" in November 2018, Obama wore a bold, all-white look. Michelle Obama promotes her book "Becoming" in November 2018. Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP Obama kicked off her book tour with a sit-down conversation with Oprah Winfrey in Chicago. Her outfit for the occasion was custom-designed by Sally LaPointe, and it consisted of white trousers and a sparkly, asymmetrical top. The top looked similar to the one Obama wears on the cover of her book, though the one on the cover isn't sparkly. In May 2019, Obama wore a striking purple suit during a stop on her book tour in Atlanta. Michelle Obama attends 'Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama' in May 2019. Paras Griffin/Getty Images Obama often wears pantsuits in her post-White House life, and the purple suit she wore on her book tour embodies the way she often styles them. The custom Sergio Hudson look consisted of an oversize blazer belted at her waist, wide-legged trousers, and a sparkly black top. Obama wore one of her most daring looks to date at the American Portrait Gala in November 2019. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Michelle Obama attend the American Portrait Gala in November 2019. Paul Morigi/Paul Morigi/Invision/AP Obama attended the annual gala in a custom Schiaparelli gown. The dress itself was yellow with a corset bodice, but a silver, embellished overlay sat atop it, creating a chainmail look. Obama opted for one of her signature pant looks for Joe Biden's inauguration in January 2021. Barack and Michelle Obama at Joe Biden's Inauguration in January 2021. Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images Obama tapped Sergio Hudson again to design her ensemble for the 2021 inauguration. Her maroon ensemble included a form-fitting turtleneck, wide-legged trousers, and a floor-length coat. A matching belt and black gloves tied the wintry look together. She showed off a funkier side of her style at an event in 2022. Michelle Obama attends The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times - in Conversation with Michelle Obama in December 2022 in California. Amy Sussman/Getty Images for ABA Obama promoted her book "The Light We Carry" in December 2022 at an event in California. She chose a white Balmain outfit for the event, wearing one of her boldest looks to date. The outfit included a one-shoulder top, an oversize blazer, and cargo pants with pocket detailing. She played up the look's high-low feel with white sneakers and large, gold earrings. She wore another fun suit look to speak at WSJ's Future of Everything Festival in May 2023. Michelle Obama attends WSJ's Future Of Everything Festival in New York City in May 2023. Joy Malone/Getty Images Obama went for a shirtless suit look for the festival, wearing only a black blazer and pants with gold trim. The blazer was belted at the waist, and Obama wore black pumps, gold earrings, and a ponytail to lean into the chic, professional vibe of the look. Obama rocked a sleeveless outfit at the August 2024 Democratic National Convention. Michelle Obama attends the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August 2024. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images Obama supported the Harris-Walz campaign in a matching set from Monse. Her top was a modified blazer (that she, of course, belted at the waist), while her trousers were cropped at the ankle. Dark heels and silver jewelry tied it all together. Obama wore a daring look to appear on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in November 2025. Michelle Obama on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in November 2025. Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images Simone Rocha designed Obama's black dress — which hugged her figure and hit her mid-calf — for the appearance. The top of the bodice was made of sheer black material and adorned with pearls that looked like a broken necklace, nodding to the pearls she wore early in her career. She wore the dress with knee-high black boots. Obama paid tribute to her mom with her outfit for an event at the Obama Presidential Center in June 2026. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at an event at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago in June 2026. Pablo Martinez Monsivais-Pool/Getty Images The Obama Presidential Center officially opens on Juneteenth, but the Obamas held an event for stakeholders at the center on June 16. Obama wore a custom Acne Studios look styled by Meredith Koop for the engagement. Her brown, short-sleeve top was simple, but you couldn't miss her taupe pencil skirt. A photo of her mother, Marian Robinson, who died in 2024, was embossed on the skirt. Barack Obama teared up onstage because of the skirt, according to USA Today. Susie Heller and Caroline Praderio contributed reporting to a previous version of this story. Read the original article on Business Insider

I enjoyed my experience in Icelandair's Saga Premium class and would consider upgrading to it for another long-haul flight. Jamie Davis Smith I spent $2,637 to fly from Baltimore to Copenhagen and back in Icelandair's Saga Premium class. My meals impressed me, and my seat was so comfy that I slept easily despite it not lying flat. When you add perks like priority check-in and lounge access, this upgrade felt like a great value. I travel about once a month and usually stick with economy since skimping on airfare lets me afford even more trips. However, after splurging on United's Premium Plus seats on a recent trip to South Korea, I gained a new appreciation for what the extra cash (or miles) can get you on long-haul flights. That's when I discovered that the value of sitting toward the front of the plane goes beyond a bigger seat and more attentive service. Flying premium ultimately helped me arrive at my destination feeling refreshed, well-rested, and better able to beat jet lag, which saved the first day or two of my vacation. So, for a recent trip from Baltimore to Copenhagen and back with a layover in Reykjavík both ways, I decided to fly Icelandair's Saga Premium class. My upgraded round-trip ticket cost $2,637 (several hundred dollars more than I would've paid for economy) and included four flights totaling just over 19 hours. Luckily, they didn't disappoint. Saga Premium is not a true business class, but it's a big upgrade from economy. Jamie Davis Smith Icelandair's Saga Premium is the Nordic airline's highest offering. Some also say it's the airline's version of business class, but I'm not sure I agree. Notably, Saga Premium features large reclining seats rather than the coveted lie-flat ones that most business classes offer on long-haul flights. Still, the seats here were nothing to scoff at and felt like a big upgrade from any economy seat I've tried. On this plane, a Boeing 737 Max, premium seats were 20.5 inches wide with a 40-inch pitch compared to economy seats, which were 17.2 inches wide with a 31- to 32-inch pitch. The wide premium seats were grouped in pairs and located at the front of the plane. Jamie Davis Smith These seats were in a two-by-two configuration on my flight, and I was in the aisle. Although it would've been nice being able to lie down, my seat felt spacious and incredibly comfortable with a deep recline, a footrest, and ample legroom. Thanks to these upgrades, I slept more than I thought possible on my way to Europe. I also had a large seatback screen packed with in-flight entertainment options, plus access to complimentary WiFi for up to two devices. The food was delicious, and I loved the in-air dining experience. Jamie Davis Smith Before each meal service, I received a printed menu from which I could choose what to eat during my flight. I appreciated that some options were Nordic-inspired. All of my meals were fantastic, but dinner was a highlight. The three-course meal started with a salad and bread served with whipped butter topped with Icelandic blueberry salt. For my main, I chose a vegetarian option that included plant-based patties and roasted carrots. I ended my meal with a rhubarb crumble for dessert. Food was served on porcelain plates with metal silverware on a tray-sized tablecloth, which elevated the experience. It was a huge upgrade from the typical meal service on airplanes, where a flight attendant usually shoves a plastic tray into my hands along with a half-filled cup of soda. For the first time, my in-air dining experience truly made me feel like I was in a restaurant in the sky. I also loved having unlimited access to drinks throughout my flight. Jamie Davis Smith Alcoholic drinks, including specialty spirits from Iceland, were included with my ticket. They looked great, but I stuck to zero-proof options. I especially appreciated the easy access to caffeine on my flight home, when I was trying to stay awake until landing. Being able to access Icelandair's Saga Lounge during my layovers was a nice bonus, too. Jamie Davis Smith Because I have a Priority Pass membership, I've been spoiled with access to comfortable, quiet airport lounges around the world that are stocked with unlimited food and drinks. However, Keflavík International Airport, which serves as Icelandair's hub, only has one lounge — and it's not included in my Priority Pass. Fortunately, I was able to gain access to Icelandair's Saga Lounge with my premium ticket. I loved being able to decompress and grab a complimentary Icelandic-inspired meal in the lounge between flights, both en route to Copenhagen and on my way back. It helped make my long travel days a little less grueling. In addition to lounge access, Saga Premium has other perks I found valuable. Jamie Davis Smith Although I try to fly carry-on-only wherever possible, I do occasionally check bags — and I did so on this trip since my packing list was so extensive. Getting up to two complimentary checked bags with my ticket was a nice perk, since I usually have to pay extra to bring a full-sized suitcase on a trip. Another benefit of flying Saga Premium is getting priority check-in and boarding. Check-in lines for my Icelandair flights were long, so it was nice to have access to a shorter one for premium passengers. Priority boarding was nice, too, since I didn't have to fight for overhead space for my carry-on. When disembarking, I usually stand up as soon as we stop, anxiously waiting for other passengers to gather their luggage and clear the aisle. Instead of waiting at the back, though, I got to get up right away and be one of the first people off the plane. This helped me get through immigration in Europe and the United States even faster because I wasn't stuck behind passengers who deplaned earlier. All in all, this premium class left me feeling impressed. Jamie Davis Smith My seat was comfy, the food was good, and the perks added up. I also really underestimated how much I'd like being the first group off the plane after landing. As with the time I upgraded to United Premium Plus, I got a decent amount of sleep on this flight and experienced significantly less jet lag than usual. Gaining more time to explore and spending less time recovering made the upgrade feel like an even better value. I can't afford to sit at the front of the plane often, but my two experiences with premium seats have shown me that it's worth the investment for the right kind of trip — particularly one that requires a long flight. Read the original article on Business Insider

The former Sequoia Capital leader is filling an "existing vacancy" on SpaceX's board, days after the company went public in the largest IPO ever.

With its latest AI tools and products, the vendor showed it is listening to its customer base even while it fails to offer novelty in the market.

Snap's long-awaited smart glasses debut hasn't exactly done wonders for the company's stock.

Tokenmaxxing was the hottest trend in Silicon Valley earlier this year, with CEOs encouraging employees to push AI usage as far as it would go. Then the bill came due. Uber reportedly blew through its annual AI budget in a few months, some companies cut Claude licenses for parts of their org, and Meta killed its internal leaderboard.  This tension between […]

This year, some of Australia’s biggest and best known companies – Telstra, National Australia Bank (NAB), Officeworks and Woolworths – have decided to cut jobs locally, while creating more overseas. Those will mainly be in India, the Philippines and Vietnam. Sending jobs offshore – also known as “offshoring” – is not new. For decades, companies have shifted call centres, routine processing and back office work offshore. Now, firms are also increasingly moving other higher value roles overseas. These include technology development, artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, cybersecurity, finance, digital operations and even human relations. These are not peripheral activities. They are the capabilities that help organisations innovate, solve problems and compete. Australian companies are not simply moving work offshore. They are globalising key parts of their corporate brain. What’s been announced? A series of announcements this year suggest this “offshoring” shift is accelerating among leading Australian companies. It’s hard to give specific job numbers for each company, as some of these have come from leaks reported to the media. But here’s a snapshot of what’s been reported recently. Telstra (February 2026): emails shared by Telstra staff with the ABC showed up to 650 Australian jobs could go. A spokesperson for a Telstra joint venture confirmed some roles will shift to a “specialist hub” in India. NAB (March and May 2026): the union representing bank workers said NAB was preparing to reduce staff in its Australian business division by 170 overall, while adding 237 roles in India and Vietnam. NAB confirmed some changes are coming, but not the number of jobs impacted by the move. The Australian Financial Review has also reported NAB could expand its existing Indian and Vietnamese workforces by more than 1,000 employees. Officeworks (May 2026): it has confirmed some Australian jobs will go, but not the details of how many or where. The ABC reported it could see hundreds of technology, support, and back-office roles lost in Sydney and Melbourne. Some of these were expected to go to India and the Philippines, while others would be replaced by AI. Woolworths (June 2026): it’s confirmed plans to send some of its 10,000 corporate staff offshore. Woolworths did not say which jobs would go, or how many. But several media outlets reported it was expected to be hundreds, likely to come from teams including information technology, finance and human resources. Why companies say they need to act The companies have argued these changes are not just about cost-cutting, but also about needing to improve efficiency, being able to access people with the right specialised skills and staying globally competitive. For instance, Woolworths said the changes were needed to “remain competitive with the rapid expansion of international players in Australia’s market”, while continuing to deliver lower prices for customers. Their logic is understandable. Technology workers are expensive and often difficult to recruit locally. Countries such as India, Vietnam and the Philippines now possess large pools of highly skilled engineers, data scientists and digital professionals. The concern is not simply that jobs are moving overseas. It is what Australia might miss out on if this trend continues. What’s Australia really losing? The roles increasingly being sent offshore – such as AI, analytics, cybersecurity and digital operations – are where firms develop products, analyse customers, improve processes and build future capabilities. If more of this work moves offshore, Australia risks retaining the brands and customers, but gradually losing expertise needed to underpin long-term competitiveness. There is also a talent pipeline issue. Many of these positions are entry points for graduates and early-career professionals. They are where people acquire skills and prepare for more senior leadership roles. The effects may not be immediately visible. But if this trend continues, Australia risks becoming more dependent on imported expertise while producing fewer opportunities for career development here. What can we do? Finding and hiring the best global talent has become a normal feature of modern business. The challenge is ensuring that offshoring complements, rather than replaces, Australia’s ability to develop its own workforce. That will require a better coordinated response from government, universities, TAFEs and employers. Australia needs stronger investment in AI, cybersecurity and digital skills, alongside better graduate pathways and reskilling opportunities. Universities and TAFEs need to do more to prepare students for an AI-driven labour market. This means focusing not only on technical expertise, but also on adaptive skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, digital and AI literacy, as well as encouraging lifelong learning. Corporate leaders also have a role to play. Companies based in Australia benefit from Australian consumers and operating in a stable, open economy. Not every role can be expected to stay in Australia. But our major companies should be as transparent as possible about which capabilities are being moved offshore – and how they are still going to invest in local talent development. Consumers, shareholders and superannuation funds can also ask companies harder questions. For instance, if high-value work is being sent offshore, what’s being done to ensure the next generation of Australian talent still has a pathway into these careers? Access to global talent can strengthen Australian firms. But we also need to see greater investment in the next generation of Australian workers, who will shape our economic future. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

The Australian eSafety Commissioner recently launched a new campaign to raise awareness of sexual extortion, or “sextortion”. Targeted primarily at men, the campaign features AI-generated videos of attractive women attempting to lure men into financial scams. It’s responding to a growing problem – this form of image-based abuse is being reported more and more all over the world. We recently surveyed more than 16,000 respondents across ten countries. We found one in seven (14.5%) adults have experienced sextortion, while 4.8% admitted to being a perpetrator. What is sextortion? Sextortion is a form of image-based abuse. It involves making threats to share nude or sexual images to coerce the victim into complying with certain behavioural or financial demands. These can include paying a ransom, sharing intimate images or engaging in unwanted acts. Around the world, law enforcement and online safety agencies have noted significant increases in sextortion reports, particularly from young men. In 2025, the Australian eSafety Commissioner received more than 3,300 reports of sextortion through its image-based abuse scheme. Of these reports, 86% were from males of all ages, and 42% were from young men aged 18 to 24 years. Most of the sextortion reports eSafety receives are for financial forms of sextortion. This is where scammers trick people (typically, but not exclusively, young men) into sharing their intimate images, or lead them to believe they have evidence of the victim visiting pornographic sites. The sextortionists then threaten to share the intimate images if they don’t comply with their demands. According to the eSafety Commissioner, the top apps being used by sextortionists to first make contact are Tinder, Instagram, Grindr, TikTok and Telegram. The top platforms where the threats are made are WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, iMessage and Snapchat. Our research found LGBTQIA+ people, men and younger respondents were more likely to report both falling victim to sextortionists and perpetrating it themselves. The most common type of perpetrator reported by respondents in our study was a former or current intimate partner. This tells us sextortion is not just a “stranger danger” threat by cyber criminals. It can also occur in abusive relationships. For instance, current or former partners threaten to share intimate images to coerce the victim into acting according to their wishes. This can include staying in a relationship revoking or varying an intervention order refusing custody of children engaging in an unwanted sexual act. Sometimes perpetrators threaten to share intimate images that don’t even exist. Abuse through AI The growing availability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is making sextortion easier to carry out. Nudify tools use AI to digitally remove clothing from an uploaded image while retaining the person’s identifiable features. Deepfake generators use AI to manipulate existing media by swapping faces, cloning voices or altering bodily features and movements. Generative AI systems enable users to produce synthetic media, including entirely new images or altered versions of existing images that may resemble real people. There are also smart AI glasses, which make it very easy for someone to covertly record intimate images in public or private spaces. “Catfishing” is a common tactic used by sextortionists. This is the practice of creating a fake online identity to deceive another person. Three ways to avoid being fooled by AI slop This might involve an offender posing as an attractive person to persuade the victim to share their intimate images or engage in sexual activity online. The offender then uses this material to blackmail the victim. AI makes it easy for offenders to write convincing messages, use different languages, build trust and tailor messages to particular victims. AI can also manage a large number of conversations simultaneously, enabling offenders to target more victims with less effort. The technology has changed, but the underlying harm remains the same. Whether the image is “real” or AI-generated, victims can experience fear, humiliation, reputational damage and emotional distress. In some tragic cases, victims have gone on to take their own lives because of sextortion threats. What should be done? Sextortion is a global problem that is often low-cost and high-reward for offenders. Addressing it requires action from technology companies, governments, educators and support services. Digital platforms have a digital duty of care and must adopt stronger and proactive detection, prevention and response approaches. This means building “safety-by-design” protections into products from the outset rather than responding after harms emerge. Platforms can use automated systems to detect suspicious behaviour associated with sextortion, make it easier for users to report abuse and take swift action against offending accounts. Educational interventions need to raise awareness about the warning signs of sextortion. These include fake profiles, rapid relationship-building, requests for intimate images and threats. Education also needs to be grounded in consent and respectful and healthy relationships to address the broader drivers of gender-based violence. Victim-survivors need culturally appropriate and accessible support. Shame, embarrassment and fear of punishment or victim-blaming often prevent people from seeking help. Counselling, legal assistance, crisis support and responses from police and frontline services are all crucial. In Australia, there are a range of state, territory and federal laws that prohibit blackmail and extortion, and address image-based abuse. There are also family violence and personal safety intervention orders, which may include conditions prohibiting the perpetrator from publishing the intimate images of a protected person or making threats against them. The federal Online Safety Act prohibits both the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and threats to share intimate images. This includes deepfakes and digitally altered images. Under this scheme, the eSafety Commissioner has the power to issue formal warnings, “enforceable undertakings” (a pledge not to do something), infringement notices, injunctions or civil penalties. We need a holistic approach to address this complex issue, including laws, regulations, digital tools, prevention education, multifaceted support and accountability measures. Nicola Henry receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Social Services. She is also a member of the Australian eSafety Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group. Alana Ray and Gemma Stevens do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Disney is making progress on using AI to make ads for clients. Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Disney plans to roll out AI-generated TV ads in July with small- to medium-sized businesses in mind. A Disney exec recently highlighted AI ads as a key area of progress in his team's strategy. Quality control in AI ads is still an industry concern. Disney's AI ad push is picking up steam. The company is preparing to launch a beta version of a tool for AI-generated TV ads in July, a Disney exec said at an internal meeting, according to an audio recording shared with Business Insider. The entertainment giant originally shared news of the tool in January, as part of a broader CES announcement of upcoming tech-driven features for advertisers. Other major ad sellers, such as Google, Meta, and TikTok, have also rolled out AI ad-generation tools for advertisers. Adam Smith, the chief product and technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, shared the timing update with employees during a product meeting last week. He said the AI tool can generate scripts, video, and music, and called it "one of the clearest areas where we're really making traction." Smith said the ad tool was particularly geared to small and medium-sized advertisers that don't have video assets. In its earlier announcement, Disney touted the tool's ability to help brands create connected TV spots using their existing creative assets, letting them customize them by factors like audience and context while still providing a level of human oversight. Smith said it would eventually be available through Disney's self-service ad platform, a dashboard where advertisers can manage and run ad campaigns on Disney properties. "You can think of this as everything from creation of scripts, video, and music, all that is in a single orchestrated workflow," Smith said, according to the recording. "Every week they send me examples of these, and I will say every week the examples get better and better." Ashwin Navin, CEO of Samba TV, an ads measurement service, said a video ad-generation tool like Disney's could open the company up to advertisers with smaller budgets. Navin said these advertisers don't have the budget to pay a "creative agency to come up with the perfect 30-second video." Alicia Weaver, VP of media activation at the media agency Mediassociates, said she's started talking to clients about the Disney tool and sees it as a way to help advertisers customize their connected TV ads for different audiences. "It takes time to create different versions," she said. "Something that helps facilitate that in a more turnkey fashion is definitely a benefit." Advertisers have moved from the excitement phase of seeing AI's promise to save time and money to fear of consumer backlash against so-called slop. Mindful of that shift, Weaver said she wanted to learn how Disney would ensure the ads meet brands' quality-control expectations, among other questions, before recommending the ad tool to clients. "We've reached the point with AI where clients want to make sure their brand is represented correctly," she said. "There's a lot more scrutiny on AI now that we've seen what it can do. It's not a shiny new object anymore." Read the original article on Business Insider

FCC considers AT&T petitions to preempt state rules and discontinue phone service.

Kevin Warsh, the Fed's new chair, has a reputation for being tough on inflation. Bloomberg/Getty Images Kevin Warsh succeeded Jerome Powell as chair of the central bank. The Fed opted to hold rates steady in Warsh's first meeting, as expected. Warsh seems poised to change some long-standing FOMC traditions. Kevin Warsh has taken the podium — and he plans to make some major changes at the central bank. The Federal Open Market Committee opted to hold rates steady at its June meeting, the first with former Wall Street executive Warsh as chair. FOMC leaders voted unanimously for the hold, with half predicting at least one rate hike by year's end. But what stuck out from Warsh's first press conference wasn't monetary policy; it was how much he plans to change long-standing Fed traditions. Fewer forecasts, more task forces Warsh chose to eliminate the Fed's forward guidance in June's statement. That statement was bare-bones compared to his predecessors', with limited detail on how and why the Fed made its decision, a style that had been customary under Jerome Powell's tenure. The committee still published a quarterly dot plot showing FOMC members' estimates for where interest rates would end up in the coming years — though Warsh said he abstained from submitting his own prediction for future rates. It's unclear what economic predictions the FOMC will make going forward. While critics worry that this approach will reduce the central bank's transparency, Warsh hopes markets will rely less on Fed moves. He notably didn't talk much about Fed independence, which has been a key topic at previous meetings. "I think financial markets perform best when they react to incoming data," he said. "The more that markets are paying attention to what's happening in the real economy — what's good data, and what's less good data — the more financial markets can price what they believe is the most likely and what is the tail risk." Beyond forecasts, Warsh said he wants to reevaluate the data the Fed uses to make decisions, relying more on real-time numbers and less on "echoes of history," like the often-revised monthly jobs report. He added that trends matter more than specific numbers, and he wants to phase out the "old-fashioned survey methods" that the central bank uses. To bring the Fed into the future, Warsh has one shining solution: Task forces. He said he is appointing independent groups of economic experts, partnered with FOMC leaders, to oversee his new initiatives. The task forces will focus on the Fed's handling of data, jobs and productivity, communication, inflation, and the balance sheet. Those task forces were a recurring theme throughout the rest of the press conference. Per an unofficial early transcript, Warsh said the phrase "task force" 24 times in the roughly 42-minute session. The new chair said he is impressed by the committee and feels confident in the Fed's ability to fulfill both sides of its dual mandate. He added that his plan doesn't mean outsourcing decisions, but he expects more structural changes. "We have a task force for that," Warsh said. Read the original article on Business Insider

Discussion | Link

The United States government recently ordered AI company Anthropic to suspend foreign nationals’ access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5, two of its most advanced AI models, citing national security concerns. Anthropic responded by disabling the models for all customers. Organizations in Canada, Europe and around the world that had embedded those tools in their workflows found them simply gone. No appeal process. No migration window. No warning. No jurisdiction over this decision. As the G7 summit wraps up in Evian, France, the Anthropic shutdown has put AI sovereignty and concerns about U.S. dominance high on the agenda. For Canada, the Anthropic shutdown is not just a technology story. It is the bill arriving for past choices — years spent celebrating AI research leadership while under-investing in the commercial, capital and governance conditions to turn leadership into lasting sovereignty. Canada’s new AI for All strategy recognizes that dependence on foreign technology is a strategic vulnerability. It commits billions to compute infrastructure, skills development and domestic AI capacity. These investments are necessary and welcome. But you can build your own data centres and still depend on someone else’s models. Canada needs to build the commercial conditions, long-term investment, procurement pathways and scale-up support that would allow AI companies to grow here rather than leave. Canada’s AI research leadership Canada’s contribution to modern AI is a matter of historical record. Yoshua Bengio, a computer science professor at the Université de Montréal, helped make Montréal one of the world’s leading AI research hubs. Computer science professor Geoffrey Hinton’s foundational deep learning work at the University of Toronto, which led to a Nobel Prize, was supported by public funding and helped lay the ground for today’s AI systems. Geoffrey Hinton deliveres his Nobel Prize banquet speech in December 2024 at Stockholm City Hall. In 2013, Google acquired Hinton’s startup DNNresearch, which he had incorporated with two graduate students, Alex Krizhevsky and Ilya Sutskever. Both moved to Google. Later, Sutskever co-founded OpenAI, a leading player in the current AI boom. Both Krizhevsky and Sutskever were trained in a Canadian research ecosystem supported by public investment, and both went on to do their most consequential commercial work elsewhere. Canadian researchers remain deeply woven into the systems shaping the global economy. But there is a real gap between scientific leadership and commercial control, and Canada has not closed it. Canada’s ‘AI for All’ strategy has ambitious growth targets, but it falls short on workers and the environment Sovereignty means access The Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, launched in 2017 with $125 million, was celebrated internationally as visionary. But Canada has struggled to turn that research strength into domestic commercial control. Only seven per cent of the IP rights generated through the strategy are owned by Canadian private sector firms. In 2024, two-thirds of high-potential Canadian-led startups that raised more than $1 million were headquartered outside Canada. And Canada deployed less than two per cent of global AI venture capital despite hosting roughly 10 per cent of the world’s top-tier AI researchers. Research leadership alone does not create sovereignty. Sovereignty depends on who owns the companies, controls the models and sets the terms of access. And Canada is still playing catch-up. Strategic dependency Most Canadian organizations using AI license access from a small number of American companies operating under U.S. law and subject to U.S. government decisions. That relationship looks commercial until a national security order turns it into a strategic dependency overnight. Think of the Hydro-Québec scenario in reverse. Imagine Ottawa ordering Hydro-Québec to stop exporting electricity to the northeastern United States overnight on national security grounds. American businesses and institutions would quickly discover that a routine commercial relationship was also a critical dependency. Canada is now on the receiving end of that lesson with AI. Who decides access? The most advanced AI systems are not nuclear weapons. But they are becoming consequential enough to raise a similar governance question: when a technology can affect economic competitiveness, research capacity, public services and national security across borders, should access be decided by one government and a handful of companies? For now, that is largely how the system works. The U.S. controls an estimated 74 per cent of global AI supercomputer capacity (China controls 14 per cent), while leading American firms build and operate most of the frontier models others rely on. Questions of access, ethics and safety have global consequences, yet they are currently addressed largely through national laws and corporate decisions, and with no genuine consultation or public participation. The Anthropic case makes these questions harder to ignore. Artificial intelligence raises profound moral questions — for all of humanity to answer A board-level risk National strategies take years. The Anthropic suspension took hours. That is the kind of disruption organizations should plan for. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Commerce already recommends planning for deactivation or disengagement, including workarounds, alternative processes and clear communication when access changes. Canadian organizations need to treat AI dependency as a significant risk, not an IT purchasing question. That means knowing where AI is embedded in critical workflows, whether those workflows depend on a single provider, what happens if access changes and whether the organization retains enough human expertise to operate without the tool. It means demanding vendor contracts that specify what happens when access is suspended, what data is retained and what notice obligations exist. Canada’s future voice The lesson is not to stop using AI. Adoption will continue and the productivity gains are real. The lesson is to stop assuming access will always be there. Canada is now investing billions to strengthen domestic AI capacity. That matters. But sovereignty is not simply about where the servers sit. It is about who controls the capabilities running on them and what happens when that control is exercised by someone else. Canada helped build the present and the future of AI. The question now is whether it is willing to build enough commercial and governance capacity to have a meaningful voice in who controls it. Because whether we have a say or not, we will feel the consequences. Simon Blanchette does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

The affected include Oracle, Lenovo, FedEx, a NATO contractor, and Fortinet.

The Full Stack of AI, AcceleratedNVIDIA accelerated computing powers some of the...

And one of those basics is focusing on sectors where a ransomware disruption creates immediate pressure to pay up, like with healthcare.

A new FTC lawsuit reveals how sophisticated subscription app operators can allegedly use shell companies and payment infrastructure to stay active on app stores despite mounting consumer complaints.

Tesco claimed Broadcom hiked its VMware prices by about 175 percent in UK court filings.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is green again after a $14.8 million renovation. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turned green again after a $14.8 million renovation. The pool renovation faced scrutiny for bypassing standard procedures and aesthetic issues. Critics argue the renovation failed to fix core problems. The Trump administration declared war on algae growing at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. But so far, the algae are winning. Earlier this month, the administration unveiled a new "American Flag blue" surface on the pool following a $14.8 million renovation aimed at beautifying the landmark and addressing maintenance issues, including leaks and algae growth. But within days, the pool was a bright chartreuse green — again. Algae has bloomed at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — again. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The new blue-colored pool was revealed earlier this month The resurfacing work was completed on June 3, and the pool refilling began on June 4. Satellite photos taken in March, before the renovation began, showed a green pool due to widespread algae growth, while images taken on June 7, a day after the president said the project was complete, showed a darker color. Satellite images showed the before (top) and after (bottom) of the renovation project. Vantor/Handout via REUTERS But a week later, algae was visible again. Photos taken on June 16 showed the pool had returned to its former green hue, which could be seen from the sky. The pool's return to green could be seen from this airplane picture taken on June 16. Win McNamee/Getty Images Why the pool keeps turning green The broad, shallow pool has long been plagued by algal blooms, a problem exacerbated by summer heat and the Tidal Basin's algae-prone water, the Associated Press reported. Structural issues date back to the pool's construction, as it was built on unstable mudflats that have caused cracks and leaks over the past century, per The New York Times. The recent resurfacing didn't address the underlying flaws with the pool's construction, The New York Times reported. Instead, it coated the slabs of concrete between which water leaks with a blue-tinted sealant. Interior communications director Kate Martin told CNN that Trump "fixed the Reflecting Pool for good," unlike what she called "the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden." "What you are seeing [now] is residual algae from the supply lines," Martin said on June 10, calling the new green hue part of the pool's "normal startup process." Meanwhile, workers on the landmark continue fighting algae growth and have been seen skimming the water, vacuuming the pool floor, using ozone nanobubbles, and dumping hydrogen peroxide in an effort to restore it to its intended "American Flag Blue" color. Workers have been spotted skimming algae off the pool since its reopening. Ken CEDENO / AFP via Getty Images The makeover had attracted criticism The renovation is just one of the many projects President Donald Trump has undertaken in efforts to change the capital's image during his second term. Ahead of the country's 250th birthday, the administration took an expedited approach to the renovation, awarding no-bid contracts after arguing that a full procurement process would prevent the National Park Service from reopening the pool in time. Initially, the administration said the renovation would cost $1.8 million, but federal records later revealed its contracts totaled $14.8 million. The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for the preservation of historic landscapes, challenged the renovation in court, alleging that the administration altered the historic site without completing the required preservation reviews. The project also faced aesthetic criticism, with nonprofit leaders saying the renovation undermined the landmark's historical significance. "It's not supposed to look like you're going to dive in and swim," Judy Scott Feldman, the president of the National Mall Coalition, a nonprofit that helps protect the capital's cultural legacy, told CNN. "It wasn't intended as a place that looks jolly like your local golf course." The Interior Department said the blue surface would improve the pool's reflection and "enhance the visitor experience." "It won't leak, it will shine, and be the pride of Washington DC for decades to come," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. Read the original article on Business Insider