A filmmaking tool or an existential threat: Cannes Film Festival weighs the rise of AI
CANNES, France (AP) — The Cannes Film Festival can function like a global water cooler for movies, with prevailing issues and anxieties of the industry tending to surface at the event. This year, the topic du jour is artificial intelligence. The 79th Cannes may go down as the time the world’s grandest film festival for the first time wrestled with the onset of AI — its arrival has been felt like a tsunami on the French Riviera. AI's potential to remake the movie industry, either for good or bad, has been an ongoing debate since the festival opened. And in many quarters, the tone is softening.
Federal court rejects Elon Musk's claims against OpenAI, saying he filed his lawsuit too late
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal court on Monday dismissed claims filed against OpenAI and its top executives by Elon Musk, who accused them of betraying a shared vision for it to remain a nonprofit dedicated to guiding artificial intelligence’s development for the good of humanity. Musk, the world’s richest man, was a co-founder of OpenAI, which launched in 2015 and went on to create ChatGPT. After investing $38 million in its first years, Musk accused OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his top deputy of shifting into a moneymaking mode behind his back. The nine-person jury found that Musk waited too long to file his lawsuit and missed the deadline for the statute of limitations.
Pope and co-founder of Anthropic to launch pontiff's AI encyclical on May 25
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV and Anthropic's co-founder Christopher Olah are set to launch the pontiff’s first encyclical on May 25. The document, titled "Magnifica Humanitas," focuses on human dignity in the AI era. The presence of Olah suggests the pope's stance on AI could become a contentious issue with the Trump administration. Earlier this year, the administration ordered U.S. agencies to stop using Anthropic’s AI technology. Anthropic is suing, claiming illegal retaliation. The new encyclical is expected to address AI within the church’s social teachings, similar to past discussions on labor and justice.
Steven Soderbergh used AI in a documentary about John Lennon. And he wants to talk about it
CANNES, France (AP) — The day John Lennon was shot in 1980, he and Yoko Ono gave an interview to a San Francisco radio crew from their home in New York’s Dakota Apartments. In “John Lennon: The Last Interview,” Steven Soderbergh pp those surviving tapes into a new documentary that debuted Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival. But his decision to fill in some visuals using Meta's AI software has prompted an outcry. One of America’s leading filmmakers was using AI? In a film about a Beatle, no less? Soderbergh has placed himself at the forefront of an industrywide debate about the uses of AI in moviemaking. But for him, it’s a conversation he’s eager to have.
Iran war energy shock drives interest in ethanol and other biofuels across hard-hit Asia
BENGALURU, India (AP) — Nations across Asia are pushing for the use of more biofuels in transportation in order to slash dependence on imported fossil fuels, which have been disrupted by the Iran war. Asia is hardest hit by the ongoing energy shock since most of the fossil fuel shipments through the now-closed Strait of Hormuz were Asia-bound. India is considering allowing vehicles to run on 85%, or even 100% ethanol. Meanwhile, Indonesia and Malaysia are both racing to increase fuel blending with similar ambitions of cutting back on imported fuels. Experts are split on the climate benefit of these fuels, with some stressing that other forms of renewable energy would likely be more efficient.
NextEra, Dominion want to create a massive power company as AI drives energy demand in the US
NextEra Energy is seeking to acquire Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $67 billion, creating a massive power company as the energy needs of artificial intelligence drive demand higher in the U.S. It is one of the biggest proposed mergers so far this year and would create the world’s biggest regulated electric utility business by market capitalization, the companies said on Monday. The combined company will serve approximately 10 million utility customer accounts across Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Lawyers for Elon Musk and OpenAI make their final case in a trial that could shape AI's future
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Lawyers for Elon Musk and OpenAI made their final arguments Thursday in the landmark trial whose outcome could shape the future of artificial intelligence. Musk, the world’s richest man, was a co-founder of OpenAI, the company that launched in 2015 and went on to create ChatGPT. After Musk invested $38 million in its first years, his lawsuit filed in 2024 accused OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his top deputy of shifting into a moneymaking mode behind his back.
Some parents don't want their kids to use tech at school. But districts are pushing back
ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Parents across the country who are worried about excessive screen time in schools are lobbying educators to go back to pencils and paper. In places like Pennsylvania's Lower Merion School District, some families are taking it even further. Over 600 people have signed a petition asking to preserve parents' ability to opt their children out of digital devices, setting off a clash with the school district. At a meeting Monday night, school board members said it’s not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum.
Tech CEOs summoned to Congress for another hearing on social media's risks for children
Social media CEOs have been called to testify before Congress amid growing pressure to protect young users. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has invited the CEOs of Meta, Alphabet, TikTok, and Snap to a hearing titled “Examining Tech Industry Practices and the Implications for Users and Families.” The hearing is set for June 23, which is recognized as Social Media Victims Remembrance Day. This comes as court cases and proposed legislation increase pressure on tech companies to safeguard children. Recent verdicts have held social media companies accountable for harm to young users.
After bombs, blackouts and bank restrictions, Gaza’s digital workers are still coding
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A small corps of remote workers in Gaza has provided coding, graphic design and digital marketing services to international clients through more than two years of war. They have improvised coworking spaces and relied on solar generators to stay online as infrastructure across the enclave has been devastated. They face persistent challenges getting paid through banks and wire transfers. The work has become somewhat steadier seven months into a fragile ceasefire, even as broader recovery and reconstruction efforts are at a standstill.
