NewzBits — AI News Aggregator | Summarized & Cited

• WISeKey expanded its HUMAN-AI-T initiative into a global movement following its Davos 2026 launch, advocating for ethical AI development and human-centered governance frameworks. • The initiative calls for responsible AI practices with human oversight at the core, addressing growing concerns about autonomous AI systems without adequate ethical safeguards. • WISeKey's movement reflects industry pressure to establish governance standards for AI as deployment accelerates across critical sectors including cybersecurity and finance.

• Google disclosed the first observed AI-assisted zero-day exploit, marking a significant escalation in concerns about artificial intelligence being weaponized for cybersecurity attacks. • The discovery raises concerns about AI-generated cyber models and the potential for malicious actors to leverage machine learning to develop previously unknown exploits faster than traditional methods. • Security experts warn this incident highlights emerging risks from advanced AI capabilities in adversarial contexts, prompting calls for enhanced AI safety protocols and threat monitoring.

• Agentic security operations startup Exaforce announced a $125 million Series B funding round at a reported $725 million valuation, marking one of the largest rounds in the emerging AI security operations center market. • The round was backed by HarbourVest Partners, Peak XV Partners, Mayfield Fund, Khosla Ventures, Seligman Ventures, and AICONIC; Exaforce has now raised $200 million total following a $75 million Series A just over a year ago. • The funding will scale Exaforce's AI-driven security operations platform and expand its real-time threat reasoning capabilities, reflecting growing enterprise demand for autonomous security solutions.

• Abstract has been selected for Notable Capital's Rising in Cyber 2026 report, recognizing it among top emerging cybersecurity firms. • The report is based on CISO survey data and market analysis, highlighting industry shifts from AI agents transforming security operations. • Inclusion signals Abstract's innovative approach in a competitive landscape, drawing attention from enterprise buyers and investors.

• Tech: NYC reports 21 startups crossed the Series A threshold in April 2026, tracked in their monthly 'Series A: A Series' update. • Funding checks are notably increasing in size, reflecting stronger investor confidence in early-stage tech ventures amid economic recovery. • The roundup emphasizes New York City's vibrant startup ecosystem, with focus on AI, fintech, and climate tech sectors.

Tiffany McElroy says inmates assisted in delivering her baby in May 2024 after jail staff left her to fend for herselfAn Alabama woman has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that her civil rights and those of her infant daughter were violated after jail staff where she was incarcerated allegedly left her to labor alone for more than a day.Tiffany McElroy, now 28, was booked into an Alabama jail in May 2024. Three days after arriving, she said she felt her water break weeks before she was expected to give birth. Continue reading...

Project organisers say high costs and the energy crisis have scuppered planned green route from Camden to King’s CrossThe Camden Highline, a multimillion-pound effort to transform a disused rail line into a greenery-filled walking and cycling paradise, has been all but scrapped.Nearly a decade since it was conceived as London’s answer to New York’s fabled High Line, the project has fallen victim to high costs and the energy crisis. Continue reading...

One of PM’s expanding cohort of critics in Labour party says policy programme ‘sums up where we have gone wrong’For Keir Starmer’s Labour critics, his second king’s speech, in which the government set out what it would do in parliament over the next 12 to 18 months, was a crystallisation of everything that was wrong with the prime minister’s strategy.Over 34 bills and three draft ones, Starmer set out a programme he said would “make this country stronger and fairer”. But the package, which included limiting trial by jury, reshaping the NHS and moving the country closer to the EU, fell short of what some in the prime minister’s party feel is needed to win back voters’ trust. Continue reading...

Organisers as well as speakers will be held responsible for unlawful speech as police face exceptionally busy weekendThe Metropolitan police have said organisers of this weekend’s Unite the Kingdom and March for Palestine demonstrations will be held responsible for any hate speech connected with the events, in what they expect to be “one of the busiest days for policing in London in recent years”.Tens of thousands of people are expected to march in the capital for the Unite the Kingdom event in central London, the Nakba: 78 March for Palestine from south Kensington to central London. Senior officers said protesters will face “the highest degree of control”. The FA Cup final is also due to be held at Wembley on Saturday. Continue reading...

Passengers will now continue their 45 days of isolation at home, with health officials confirming they remain asymptomaticSix people who were on the cruise ship linked to an outbreak of hantavirus have left Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral to isolate at home, health officials have said.Passengers from the MV Hondius were taken to the Merseyside facility for checks by specialists. Continue reading...

• Asian markets opened lower but mostly recovered on May 13, with MSCI Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rebounding to a 0.3% gain after an initial 1% drop, driven by AI optimism offsetting US inflation and stalled US-Iran talks. • Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.8% to around 62,774, South Korea's Kospi surged 2.6% to a record 7,708-7,844 after falling 3.2% on Samsung Electronics' failed union pay deal, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 8,645. • Brent crude fell 1.4% to $106.32 and US crude to $101.60 amid Middle East tensions, US 10-year Treasury yield eased to 4.459%, and dollar held steady at 98.369 against peers.

• South Korea's Kospi index plummeted as much as 3.2% early on May 13 due to Samsung Electronics failing to reach a pay deal with its union, but rebounded sharply 2.6% to close at a record 7,708-7,844. • The recovery was aided by government efforts to manage the labor situation and broader AI optimism reviving market sentiment despite US inflation data and Iran tensions. • This standout performance contrasted with mixed regional moves, highlighting Korea's volatility amid corporate labor issues and tech sector strength.

• Global hedge funds ramped up investments in Asia, with weekly buying of South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese stocks reaching a 10-year high for the week ending May 7, according to a Morgan Stanley report. • The surge, the heaviest in over a decade in notional terms, was driven by clients across all regions and strategies targeting Asia's technology sector amid the AI boom. • Hedge funds' net exposure to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan has risen to its highest since 2010, now at about 19% of global positioning, focusing on semiconductors and hardware in the AI supply chain.

• U.S. stock markets declined Tuesday with the S&P 500 falling 0.9% from record highs as technology stocks weakened and oil prices continued rising amid uncertainty over the Iran conflict. • Benchmark U.S. crude jumped $3.43 to $101.50 per barrel, while Brent crude climbed $3.62 to $107.83 per barrel, as President Trump said the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was on "life support" after rejecting Iran's latest peace proposal. • Brent crude has surged 50% from pre-war levels around $70, contributing to inflation pressures globally and straining U.S. households through higher gasoline and goods prices tied to new tariffs.

• Expected S&P 500 earnings growth for Q1 has doubled to 28% since early April, fueled by upward revisions across sectors. • Mega-cap tech stocks, dubbed the 'Magnificent Seven,' account for 55% of quarterly and 37% of annual growth, comprising a third of index market cap. • This momentum propelled the S&P 500 to a 10% gain in April, its best month since November 2020, amid AI-driven revenues.