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Exclusive: Workers sign petitions over applications of AI by governments for defence and intelligence, and vote to unioniseGoogle DeepMind has agreed to enter formal talks with UK tech workers that could lead to trade union representation, in a groundbreaking move that comes amid growing staff concerns about the use of its AI by the US and Israeli governments’ defence and intelligence.The artificial intelligence arm of the multi-trillion dollar Google empire, led by the Nobel prize winner Demis Hassabis, has agreed to meet the Communications Workers Union and Unite at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) after several hundred workers based at its London headquarters earlier this month voted to unionise. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Employment tribunal claim says worker lost his job after distributing leaflets throughout London officeGoogle is facing a legal challenge from an AI engineer who claims he was unfairly dismissed after he protested against its work for the Israeli government, in the latest sign of growing concern about the social and ethical impacts of AI.The engineer distributed flyers around Google DeepMind’s London offices, which read “Google provides military AI to forces committing genocide” and asking colleagues: “Is your paycheck worth this?” He also emailed colleagues about Google’s 2025 decision to drop a promise not to pursue weapons that harm people and surveillance violating international norms and urged them to unionise. Continue reading...

At annual I/O conference, company debuts a product for everyday consumers to create autonomous AI agentsGoogle announced Tuesday that it would expand its search bar, the centerpiece of the most-visited website in the world, with a heavy dose of artificial intelligence. The tech giant is also trying its hand at hi-tech glasses again, more than a decade after wearers of its first eyewear were dubbed “glassholes” and laughed out of San Francisco.Google executives announced at the company’s annual conference for software developers, Google I/O, that its search box would accommodate longer and more specific queries than before – questions more like those people would ask one another than Search’s idiosyncratic syntax. The changes will direct users to engage directly with Google’s chatbot. The change to search is underpinned by the company’s new artificial intelligence model, Gemini 3.5, announced the same day. Continue reading...

Pew research shows Americans are more worried than excited about AI as graduates voiced fears over jobsA former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, was met with students’ boos at a university commencement address in Arizona on Sunday when he raised the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and its effects.Schmidt – who led the tech giant for more than a decade, acquiring a multi-billion dollar fortune in the process – was speaking to as many as 10,000 graduating University of Arizona students when he addressed the impact of modern technology on society. Continue reading...

• Google has unveiled Gemini Intelligence, a new AI-powered experience designed to make Android devices smarter, more proactive, and deeply personalized for users. • The new capability integrates Google's advanced AI models directly into Android devices, enabling enhanced contextual awareness and predictive functionality across the operating system. • This launch represents Google's continued effort to differentiate Android through AI integration and compete with other major tech platforms offering AI-enhanced mobile experiences.

The US-based site, whose operators were fined £950,000 by Ofcom, appears in Google’s search results and can be accessed in UKGoogle has denied breaching the Online Safety Act by promoting a “nihilistic” suicide forum associated with 164 deaths in the UK where it is supposed to be banned.The UK’s internet regulator fined the forum’s US-based operator £950,000 because the site, which “presents a material risk of significant harm”, can still be accessed in the UK despite British laws criminalising encouraging or assisting suicide. Continue reading...

• North Korean state-sponsored hackers are deploying AI tools to scan and exploit cybersecurity blind spots in target networks, according to a new Google cybersecurity report. • The report details how these actors use generative AI for reconnaissance, automating vulnerability discovery at scale beyond traditional manual methods. • This development underscores AI's dual role as both a defensive asset for cybersecurity firms and an offensive weapon for nation-state adversaries.

• 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.