Technology

US President Donald Trump and senior executives at artificial intelligence companies signed a voluntary agreement providing for internal and external reviews and corporate controls for AI systems, amid growing pressure to address the technology’s risks. The agreement coincided with the launch of a government chatbot for services, and a pledge not to hinder the sector’s growth or lose the race with China.

Meta is expanding its Instagram programme for schools and working to create a unified hub for school accounts, while making new features available to verified students. The move comes amid growing scrutiny of the impact of its platforms on young people, and after the company agreed to settle lawsuits for up to 18 billion dollars.

The United States and China have agreed to establish the first bilateral channel to monitor artificial intelligence incidents and continue dialogue on the technology’s risks and benefits and preventing its misuse. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping plan to hold a second summit in November, amid international disagreements over regulation of the sector and continuing US restrictions on Chinese companies.

An unauthorised intrusion into a system belonging to the Pentagon’s Manpower Data Centre exposed information on 2.76 million living people and 294,000 deceased people. The data included Social Security numbers and employment records, while defence officials said they had so far found no evidence that it had been misused.

The ground-station network for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has successfully received operational and preliminary scientific data from space during tests involving Japan, New Mexico and Australia. The observatory is continuing its journey towards the second Lagrange point, ahead of beginning its scientific mission and sending its first images in early 2027.

Multiple studies show that artificial intelligence models may provide different answers to the same question when its language changes, due to variations in training data, how words are tokenised and cultural contexts. Differences appear more clearly in Arabic, dialects and low-resource languages, although not every variation is direct evidence of deliberate bias.

An analysis of more than 185 rock targets examined by the Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater has revealed three distinct stages of rock–water interaction, involving carbon dioxide-rich groundwater, effects linked to an ancient lake, and later hot hydrothermal fluids circulating beneath the Martian surface.

The US Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a flaw that appeared after a cockpit software update for Boeing 737 Max aircraft and could disable an autopilot navigation feature during a specific landing scenario. Boeing is working on a permanent fix, while Southwest and United have asked to receive new aircraft with an earlier version of the software.

The Oman Astronomical Society’s observatory on Jabal Shams has entered a new phase after being developed into the society’s first fully robotic observatory, equipped with optical and solar telescopes and automated weather-monitoring and protection systems. The project aims to support research, education and astronomical tourism, alongside the launch of a national initiative to protect Oman’s night skies.

The White House announced that the United States and China had agreed to establish a bilateral channel to address artificial intelligence incidents, alongside dialogue to exchange views on the technology’s risks and benefits. The agreement came during talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Washington, amid differences over the level of oversight and regulation.

Saving a laptop after water or coffee has been spilt on it starts by disconnecting the power and switching it off immediately, not by trying to test it or placing it in rice. The risk of damage varies according to the type and quantity of liquid, while corrosion may continue inside the components and faults may appear later, making professional cleaning necessary in some cases.

A group of Western leaders is seeking to build an international framework for overseeing artificial intelligence, but a dispute between the United States and China and a split among major technology companies are obstructing consensus. Proposals include keeping the technology under human control, banning its use in developing biological weapons and establishing a global standards body.

Google cybersecurity researchers discovered experimental malware that uses the Gemini model to rewrite its code periodically and evade detection. The researchers identified 70 variants in less than four hours, while technical reports say modern security tools can still track its behaviour and digital fingerprint.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into a possible breach of its recruitment portal after the ShinyHunters group claimed to have seized between 2 and 3 terabytes of data. A sample given to media outlets contained identifying information on about 5,000 employees, raising concerns that it could be used to target agents and their families.

The heads of Anthropic and OpenAI called on the United Nations to establish safeguards and effective oversight of artificial intelligence, warning that humanity could lose control of the technology and that it could pose a threat, during a Security Council meeting on its growing capabilities and which body should regulate it.

Google is expanding the availability of selfie videos as an optional way to verify users’ identities and recover their accounts when conventional login methods are unavailable. The feature compares a new recording with a stored video, alongside measures to counter impersonation and deepfakes, amid considerations over the storage and privacy of facial data.

A study based on behavioural experiments and magnetic resonance brain imaging has shown that humans perceive places through the opportunities for movement and action they offer, rather than through their visual features alone. A comparison found that artificial intelligence networks trained to classify images do not replicate this ability efficiently because they lack embodied sensorimotor experience.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to announce a partnership with the United States to use artificial intelligence and autonomous systems to protect infrastructure and monitor threats, as he attends multilateral meetings for the first time as prime minister and meets US President Donald Trump.

According to technology reports, Apple is preparing a major change to the design of its phones as it approaches 20 years since the launch of the first iPhone. It is expected to introduce the iPhone 20 with an almost entirely glass body and larger displays with curved edges, amid expectations of higher prices and challenges in hiding the camera and sensors under the display.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said US and Chinese officials will meet again in Shenzhen in about two months after the two sides agreed to formalise a bilateral dialogue on artificial intelligence and establish a communications channel to deal with incidents related to technology safety.

Mazda topped the 2026 vehicle safety assessment, with more than 75% of its range receiving the highest rating and nine models winning the Top Safety Pick+ award. Genesis, Acura and Lincoln rose in the rankings, while Volvo left the top 10 and Tesla placed among the five lowest-ranked brands.

Google has begun rolling out its September package for Android phones, including Gemini-powered tools to remember where items are and describe what the camera sees, a feature to reduce motion sickness, and Google Keep integration and new customisation options in the Messages app, with availability varying by device and region.

The United States proposed creating a mutual notification mechanism with China for artificial intelligence-related incidents reaching the level of a national security threat during economic talks in New York. The discussions aim to prepare cooperation and dispute files ahead of an expected summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Washington on 24 and 25 September.