Ford Reports Higher Profit Thanks Partly to Tariff Refund
Ford Motor said it expected the federal government to refund $1.3 billion the company paid in tariffs that were later struck down by the Supreme Court.
Science/Tech
Meta Deal Reversal Deepens Split Between China and Silicon Valley
Beijing’s insistence that Meta unwind its deal with a Chinese A.I. start-up escalates the geopolitical fight over advanced tech.
Astrophysics wasn’t Carole Jordan’s only legacy | Letter
Gillian Morriss-Kay explains why she was also a formidable advocate for women
Your obituary of the astrophysicist Carole Jordan (31 March) describes a life dedicated to making important discoveries about the complex nature of the universe. These inspiring discoveries could not have been made by sending rockets to the moon, but perhaps the excitement generated by the latter will encourage more...
The friendlier the AI chatbot the more inaccurate it is, study suggests
Researchers found adjusting AI systems to be more warm and friendly to users would result in an “accuracy trade-off”.
Making AI chatbots more friendly leads to mistakes and support of conspiracy theories, study finds
Chatbots trained to respond warmly give poorer answers and worse health advice, researchers say
The rush to make AI chatbots more friendly has a troubling downside, researchers say. The warm personas make them prone to mistakes and sympathetic to crackpot beliefs.
Chatbots trained to respond more warmly gave poorer answers, worse health advice and even supported conspiracy theories by casting...
Blobs of fat and the smell of rotting garbage: at an idyllic Sydney beach, a 25-tonne sperm whale slowly disintegrates
Authorities are yet to decide how they will move the body of the massive creature, which is attracting humans, eagles – and plenty of sharks
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Thin strips of flesh hang down like rotten tinsel, swaying in the wind. Glistening fluid trickles on to the stone where insects buzz. On the windward side, the odour is masked by the salty air....
Meta Charged With Failing to Keep Children Off Instagram and Facebook in Europe
European Union regulators said the company did not have effective controls to check a user’s self-declared date of birth, in violation of an online safety law.
What does the Zoological Society of London do? After 200 years, the answer is still ‘everything’ | Martin Rowson
The ZSL has given us the word ‘zoo’, inspired artists and birthed a quarter of all Sumatran tigers. It has fascinated me since childhood – and the world since 1826
In the spring of 1826, two extraordinary things occurred in central London. The first was the death of Chunee the elephant. On 1 March at Cross’s Menagerie, upstairs in the Exeter ’Change on the Strand, Chunee was killed by a...
AstraZeneca makes surprise U-turn with £300m pharma investment in UK
Drugmaker had stalled large-scale projects in England but has now pledged investment at two sites, announced by Keir Starmer
Britain’s biggest drugmaker AstraZeneca has said it will invest £300m in the UK in a surprise U-turn after pausing large-scale projects last year.
The drugmaker had pulled back projects in Britain after becoming disillusioned with the business environment, including the...
Record R99-million payday for MTN CEO Ralph Mupita
A significant rise in MTN’s share price has led to long-term share incentives vesting at much higher values.
Vodacom Business beefs up advisory board with three key appointments
Charlotte Kepadisa, Reshaad Sha and Kgabo Seopa join Vodacom Business’s Extraordinary Business Advisory Board.
Alfa’s electric rebel
Alfa Romeo’s Junior Elettrica Veloce is a hot hatch dressed as an EV – and it’s just brilliant to drive.
Musk accuses Altman of stealing a charity as courtroom battle begins
The case over OpenAI’s history and public commitments could have major implications for the future of AI.
MTN director traded shares during closed period
An independent non-executive director of MTN Group traded MTN ADRs in a closed period without prior clearance.
A.I. Helps Online Ad Businesses Boom
Google and Meta are enjoying a digital ad boom, as artificial intelligence automates marketing and drives record sales.
MTN warns gambling is hurting its prepaid business in South Africa
Online gambling and MVNO competition are weighing on MTN South Africa, which grew service revenue just 2% last year.
A.I. Bots Told Scientists How to Make Biological Weapons
Scientists shared transcripts with The Times in which chatbots described how to assemble deadly pathogens and unleash them in public spaces.
Former Nedbank CIO heads to the South Pacific
Ray Naicker left Nedbank in January and is expected to commence his new role in the third quarter of this year.