FBI investigates as Michigan joins Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on its water systems
Michigan has joined Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on water systems but an official said all were operating “safely.” Earlier this week, authorities said cyberattacks targeted over 30 water systems in Minnesota. The source of the attacks is being investigated, but they came amid warnings that Iranian hackers have been focused on such systems. Minnesota IT Services said Thursday that the investigation into the attacks that happened on Sunday and Monday was continuing, and that state officials had not identified who was behind them. There were no reports that residents had been impacted by the attacks.
Anthropic says its AI models hacked 3 organizations during testing
Anthropic says its AI models hacked into three organizations during testing. This comes just days after OpenAI said its AI models went rogue and hacked into another company. Anthropic, based in San Francisco, posted on its website that it discovered the incidents after reviewing over 141,000 evaluation runs. The company says it launched the large-scale cybersecurity review in response to the OpenAI incident. The models involved were Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Mythos 5 and an internal research test model. Anthropic says it reached out to the affected organizations, with two confirming they were unaware of the activity beforehand. The incidents highlight the vulnerabilities in AI security and controls, and raise questions over how AI can used safely.
Social media companies sued over deaths of four teens as pressure, lawsuits over child safety mount
The parents of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. They claim the platforms caused “years of escalating harms” leading to their deaths. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Delaware. The Social Media Victims Law Center represents the families from Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Tennessee. The teens reportedly suffered from social media addiction, sleep deprivation, depression, and anxiety. The complaint alleges the companies knew they were causing harm. Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap face numerous lawsuits over harms to minors.
Zelenskyy asks Trump to help him get Elon Musk's OK to use Starlink to help with strikes on Russia
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials to help Ukraine gain permission from tech titan Elon Musk to use Starlink for guiding strikes inside Russia. Zelenskyy made the request directly to Trump during an Oval Office meeting this week, according to one person familiar with the matter. He also told lawmakers later on Capitol Hill that he wanted Starlink's help, according to a person in the room. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive private discussions. Trump did not commit to Zelenskyy’s request. Musk currently allows Starlink use within Ukraine, including Russian-occupied areas, but restricts it inside Russia.
EU to crack down on AI deepfakes, illicit imagery and hacking with new team in Brussels
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has introduced a new team to regulate AI companies globally. This move is part of the EU's aggressive approach to managing the high-tech sector amid rising concerns about AI's risks to society. Starting Sunday, AI companies must label or watermark AI-generated content under the new AI Act. Henna Virkkunen, the EU's tech sovereignty chief, emphasized the importance of building trust in AI. The EU is expanding its AI Office in Brussels with 38 new staff to monitor compliance. Companies failing to adhere to the regulations could face fines or market access restrictions.
Human-caused climate change made Spanish, French fires much more likely, scientists calculate
Two new studies reveal climate change's fingerprints over extreme fire weather-triggering infernos in Spain and France. Researchers at World Weather Attribution found human-caused climate change made Spain's record fire 20 times more likely and doubled the chances of extreme fire conditions in France. Another study shows extreme fire-prone days in Southern Europe have more than doubled compared to decades ago. Experts emphasize that climate change is already impacting fire severity and stress the need to stop burning fossil fuels.
Microsoft beats Wall Street expectations with $90B in revenue
Microsoft has posted strong quarterly earnings, surpassing expectations with significant growth in its cloud computing platform and a boost in paid AI users. The company earned $90 billion, or $4.81 per share, in the April-June quarter, up 18% from a year earlier. Analysts had expected $4.24 per share on $87.62 billion in revenue. Microsoft Cloud revenue rose 27% year-over-year, driven by demand for Azure and AI services. Azure and other cloud services revenue increased 43%. CEO Satya Nadella highlighted Azure's $100 billion revenue milestone and 30 million paid seats for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft's shares rose about 3% in after-hours trading.
Africa's off-grid solar sector courts mainstream investors with landmark financing deals
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Landmark fundraising deals by two of Africa’s largest off-grid solar companies are raising hopes that private capital markets could become a major source of funding to help bring electricity to millions of homes lacking access to reliable power. A $50 million green bond issued by affordable energy company D.light and $286 million in securitized debt by Sun King are testing whether institutional investors will back a pay-as-you-go business model on a commercial scale. Experts say the transactions mark a milestone in climate financing. But they caution that wider adoption will require stronger data, supportive regulations, credit guarantees and lower financing costs for smaller companies.
Elon Musk's xAI sues Minnesota over its first-in-the-nation law banning 'nudification' technology
Elon Musk’s company xAI is suing Minnesota over the state’s first-in-the-nation law that bans “nudification” technology on websites and apps. The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court and potentially provides a test for how far states can go in constitutionally regulating the use of artificial intelligence. xAI's chatbot and image generator Grok is available online. It says Minnesota’s law is overly broad and bans many constitutionally protected images and videos. The law is distinct from state and federal laws that typically penalize people who use AI tools to create sexually explicit deepfakes. xAI says its terms of service for using Grok prohibit using it for illegal, harmful, or abusive activities, including nudification.
EU lays out $11.4 billion for 7 AI gigafactories as it aims to catch up with US and China
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union plans to invest 10 billion euros to build seven AI gigafactories, aiming to catch up with the U.S. and China. The European Commission hopes this public funding will attract private investment, totaling up to 20 billion euros. These gigafactories should house at least 100,000 advanced AI chips, significantly boosting Europe's computing power. Currently, Europe lags in AI development, with high electricity costs and reliance on U.S. AI providers. The EU initiative includes adherence to data protection and ethical standards, aligning with its Digital Services and Market Acts.
