Hundreds of TikTok UK moderator jobs at risk despite new online safety rules

TikTok has put hundreds of UK content moderators’ jobs at risk, even as tighter rules come into effect to stop the spread of harmful material online.The viral video app said several hundred jobs in its trust and safety team could be affected in the UK, as well as south and south-east Asia, as part of a global reorganisation.Their work will be reallocated to other European offices and third-party providers, with some trust and safety jobs remaining in the UK, the company said.It is part of a wider move at TikTok to rely on artificial intelligence for moderation. More than 85% of the content removed for violating its community guidelines is identified and taken down by automation, according to the platform

There’s an app for that: finding a sunny cafe in Paris, the city of light

In August, Paris is uncharacteristically quiet as hordes of residents scatter to the country’s beaches and coasts for a yearly month of vacation. Businesses close and the city nearly grinds to a halt. Among those who remain, there is an eternal, quintessentially Parisian quest: hunting for a balmy terrasse bathed in sunlight for an evening apéritif.Finding the perfect seat on the pavement outside a cafe may be a matter of a chance stroll or a timely text from a friend. This summer, though, a digital solution has gained popularity in an extremely French instance of the old Apple slogan “there’s an app for that”: Jveuxdusoleil, an app that tracks the sun’s movement through the city’s maze of buildings to pinpoint exactly where you can claim a sunny spot on a terrace for your coffee

Australian livestreaming platform Kick broadcast a man’s death – could it face repercussions from regulators?

The death of a man in France that was livestreamed on online platform Kick has sparked a police investigation and calls for regulators to examine what happened and how it was allowed to be beamed out live on the internet. What is Kick, what happened, and what could happen next?Raphaël Graven, 46, from southern France and known online as Jean Pormanove, had built a profile on Kick, where he had reportedly gained over a million followers.He died during an extended live stream on the platform this week. Leading up to his death, he was allegedly physically assaulted and humiliated by co-streamers as viewers watched. Excerpts of hours-long videos, which the Guardian has seen, appear to show Graven being hit, insulted, strangled, and shot at with a paintball gun

Google launches Pixel 10 with AI tools that anticipate users’ needs

Google’s latest Gemini AI upgrades attempt to anticipate what useful information you made need from your life to address a potential issue, make you to better photographer or become your personalised health and sleep coach.Shipping on the just-announced Pixel 10 Android phones, the new Magic Cue feature enables the chatbot to comb through your digital life and pull up relevant information on your phone just when you need it.Placing a call to an airline will automatically display your booking information from Gmail in the phone app. Or when a friend texts about brunch on Sunday Gemini will suggest a suitable coffee shop and show your calendar in line with your messages.The feature is part of a series of artificial intelligence upgrades for the newly announced Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold phones

Microsoft workers occupy HQ in protest against company’s ties to Israeli military

Dozens of Microsoft employees occupied the company’s east campus in Redmond, Washington to protest against what they say is the use of its software by the Israeli military to carry out operations in Gaza and enable the surveillance of Palestinians.Less than a week after the company said it was launching an independent investigation into the use of its Azure software, current and former staff occupied a space they declared the “Free Zone”, holding placards that read “Join The Worker Intifada – No Labor for Genocide” and “Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza”.The protests, organised by the No Azure for Genocide group, has demanded Microsoft divest from Israel. Earlier this year, employee Joe Lopez interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella at the annual developer conference.“Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians,” said Lopez

OpenAI eyes world’s largest valuation for private company in stock sale talks

The maker of ChatGPT is on the cusp of becoming the world’s most valuable private company. OpenAI is in talks to sell $6bn in shares, which would boost its valuation to $500bn, according to multiple reports. The artificial intelligence startup’s stock would be sold to investors by current and former employees.OpenAI has seen exponential growth over the past year. Investors, including Microsoft and SoftBank, have poured at least $40bn into the startup, giving it a valuation of $300bn as of March