Elon Musk's space company to build new rocket launching site in Louisiana
ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) — Elon Musk’s space company plans to spend $100 billion to build a new spaceport in Louisiana to launch rockets. State officials and the company announced the deal on Tuesday. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry lauded the project at a special event to celebrate it. Musk was not there, but he appeared with Landry in a promotional video that played before the Republican governor’s speech. The spaceport would be located on 125,000 acres of land along Louisiana’s southern coast about 200 miles west of New Orleans in Vermilion Parish. State officials say it would be the company’s fourth and largest launch site, playing a key role in ramping up missions of its reusable Starship launch system.
UN and Red Cross step up call for international rules on 'killer robot' weapons systems
GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations and the International Red Cross are urging countries to adopt bans and restrictions on autonomous weapons systems that are often called “killer robots.” Both international organizations warn that the risks have intensified. The joint call made Tuesday builds on an appeal from three years ago. It highlights that such weapons could be used on battlefields and civilians need protection. The organizations say the rapid development of weapons technology has outpaced international regulations. Negotiators are set to meet in Geneva in November to discuss strengthening the Convention on Conventional Weapons. The statement emphasizes that scientists and engineers have also raised alarms about these systems.
A Chinese humanoid robot sets a new 100-meter sprint record at Beijing Games
BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese humanoid robot has set a new 100-meter sprint record of 8.86 seconds in Beijing. This achievement took place Tuesday during China’s World Humanoid Robot Games, an Olympic-style competition now in its second year. The previous robot record of 9.39 seconds had been set just three days earlier. For comparison, Usain Bolt holds the human world record at 9.58 seconds. The Games feature over 2,000 robots in 51 events like running, table tennis, and soccer. The record-breaking robot fell after crossing the finish line, crashing into a padded barrier with sparks flying.
Brazilian data protection regulator fines TikTok's owner nearly $30 million over safety of minors
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s data protection regulator has fined TikTok parent company ByteDance more than 153 million reais or nearly $30 million because of alleged failures in the handling of personal data of children and teenagers. The move on Tuesday is the South American nation’s latest move against social media companies. The regulatory body said in its ruling that TikTok breached data privacy laws across both logged-in accounts and guest browsing sessions through the collection and processing of young users’ personal information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards.
Australia's music industry bans AI-generated tracks from official charts
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s recorded music industry says tracks wholly generated by AI will be barred from official charts as burgeoning generative technologies threaten artists’ livelihoods. Australian Record Industry Association announced the crackdown on Tuesday as a variation of Madonna’s pop hit “Like a Prayer,” created by an Australian producer using AI-generated vocals and drums, has spent 16 weeks in the charts. The association said some AI-assisted music will remain eligible as long as “humans wrote the song and performed the lead vocal and the primary instruments,” along other requirements.
Taiwan charges 9 over illegal AI server exports to China, including Nvidia and Super Micro staff
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese prosecutors have charged nine people, including one from Nvidia and two from Super Micro, for illegally exporting high-end AI servers to China. Nvidia spokesperson Patrick Rutherford says Monday that the company is cooperating with Taiwanese authorities to resolve the allegations. Super Micro also states it is working to enhance its export compliance program. Advanced semiconductors, primarily made in Taiwan, have become a key point of competition between the U.S. and China. Prosecutors say 74 servers were successfully sent to China, while another attempt involving 56 servers failed. They are seeking five-year sentences for four defendants, including an Nvidia manager.
Chinese humanoid robots smash human records in 100m sprint and high jump at Beijing robot games
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese humanoid robots have set records including beating Usain Bolt's 100-meter sprint record at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. The event opened on Saturday and it's in its second year. It features more than 2,000 robots in 51 events like running, table tennis and soccer. The five-day spectacle highlights China's rapid progress in robotics amid a heated tech race with the U.S. A humanoid robot achieved 9.39 seconds in a 100-meter sprint. That beat the human record of 9.58 seconds set by Bolt in 2009. Experts say humanoids are still mainly used for performance and research and still have a long way to go before they enter the real-word for mass deployment.
How bitcoin and gold went from a slump to an MVP week in just a few days
Bitcoin and gold shot higher this week, with both getting a boost from some frantic action surrounding the bond market, and the cryptocurrency also benefiting from activity in Washington. Both bitcoin and gold had fallen sharply from their highs set in January. They each got a jolt Wednesday when the Treasury Department announced plans to significantly increase bond purchases to push down interest rates. Bitcoin got more help from President Donald Trump, who urged Congress to move quickly on crypto legislation. A dollar sell-off also help gold and bitcoin as investors moved toward alternative assets.
TikTok reaches $400 million settlement with US Justice Department over children's privacy
TikTok has reached a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, ending a 2024 lawsuit alleging the company violated federal children’s privacy laws. The DOJ said Friday that TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and another $100 million after an order vacates an earlier consent decree against its predecessor company, Musical.ly. Since the DOJ’s lawsuit in 2024, TikTok has undergone major changes, most notably in the ownership structure of its U.S. arm. In January, the social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture.
Uber fined nearly $1 billion by Dutch regulators over automated suspensions of driver accounts
Dutch data protection authorities have fined Uber nearly $1 billion, saying the ride-hailing company used automated software to suspend driver accounts, sometimes permanently with no human review to check for mistakes. The Dutch data protection authority, called Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, or AP, said Friday it is imposing a fine of 825 million euros ($964 million) because Uber violated the EU's General Data Protection Regulation. The EU's data privacy rules prohibit fully automated decision-making. The authority also said Uber failed inform drivers about its automatic decision-making. The violations took place from 2018 to 2022, the agency said. Uber has since stopped the violations.
