The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical.
on Aug 28, 2026 02:35 am
Bill Gates, Billionaire Founder of Microsoft and philanthropist – Gates Notes
Stephan: There are few people in the AI community, or the world, more knowledgeable about the social and cultural implications of AI than Bill Gates. Here is what he thinks is going on; it is terrifying, and I urge you to read it. I should also mention it confirms everything I have been telling you in SR (see SR Archive).
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, multi-billionaire, and philanthropist Credit: Gates Notes
The transition to the AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history. Right now, we are not preparing adequately for that transition. If the world takes the right steps, AI will be a force for good and leave everyone better off.
During my entire life I’ve only had two jobs. In the first one, I played a role in developing software to empower people through my work at Microsoft.
In my second one, which I started full time in 2008, I am giving back the wealth I made at Microsoft with the goal of making the world a healthier, better educated, and more equitable place. This is the job I will have for the rest of my life.
Both of these experiences inform my perspective on artificial intelligence. When I first learned about computers at age 13 I was fascinated by the idea of making them more intelligent and able […]
Swarm of 700 AI bots went rogue in hacking attack
on Aug 28, 2026 02:30 am
James Titcomb, Technology Editor – The Telegraph (U.K.)
Stephan: This is what is coming. Unregulated AI has created billionaires, and threatens human civilization, and the United States has a government, Executive, Congressional, and Judicial run by men and women either owned by those AI billionaires, and in service to them, or utterly incompetent to deal with the AI threat.
Sam Altman’s OpenAI said a rogue bot escaped the tech company’s IT system to access the internet and tried to steal answers to a test it was asked to complete Credit: Jason Redmond /AFP / Getty
A swarm of 700 OpenAI bots conspired in a cyber attack last month, an investigation has revealed, in what the AI giant called a “warning shot” to the world.
Independent researchers found that hundreds of AI bots worked together to attack the technology company Hugging Face after an OpenAI agent escaped from its test environment.
The researchers also found that the bots tried to cover their tracks to keep overseers from discovering what they were up to.
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, revealed last month that a rogue bot had broken out of its IT system to gain internet access as it attempted to steal the answers to a test it was asked to complete.
But the scale of the attack, involving hundreds of different so-called AI “agents” acting without human oversight, had not been […]
Humanoids break records at Beijing Robot Games
on Aug 28, 2026 02:25 am
Agence French-Presse Reporters, – Yahoo / Tech | Agence French-Presse (France)
Stephan: The Ukrainians development of AI combat drones, has changed the nature of warfare. Now the Chinese are developing robots which, I think, is happening to create humanoid robot warriors. The United States spends more than the next six largest military-industrial complexes in the world combined, but is hardly in these AI development trends.
Humanoid robots take part in the opening ceremony of the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 22, 2026 Credit: Pedro | PARDO
Faceless humanoids exceeded human records and delighted hundreds of spectators at the World Robot Games over the weekend in Beijing as China showcased its dominance in the industry.
Dozens of humanoids and their human operators descended on Beijing’s Olympic speed skating arena Sunday to compete in events from athletics and boxing to football and martial arts.
During Saturday’s opening ceremony, a Chinese robot broke Jamaican legend Usain Bolt’s record for the 100-metre dash, a feat splashed across headlines in Chinese state media.
The white and headless humanoid called Tiangong Ultra finished the sprint in 9.39 seconds according to state broadcaster CCTV — surpassing Bolt’s best of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009.
On Sunday, robot-makers scored another win, with the same humanoid model shattering the 400-metre world record by nearly five seconds.
Developed by a local government-backed research centre in Beijing, it finished in 38.16 seconds — with […]
UN and Red Cross warn ‘risks have intensified,’ urge regulation of killer robots
on Aug 28, 2026 02:20 am
Gavin Blackburn, Reporter – euronews
Stephan: The nature of war is changing fundamentally as the UN and the Red Cross have recognized. Like so many important trends American corporate media seems hardly aware of this trend, but I think SR readers should understand what is happening.
Lethal autonomous weapon systems are generally understood as weapon systems that select targets and apply force without human intervention. Credit: euronews
The United Nations and the Red Cross warned on Tuesday that the world is “dangerously close” to a future where autonomous weapons, so-called “killer robots,” could target humans and issued an urgent appeal for international regulations.
The warning follows a call in 2023 from UN Secretary General António Guterres and Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, for countries to establish specific bans and restrictions on the rapidly developing technology by this year.
“Today, we renew this call with even greater urgency,” they said in a joint statement, adding that while their “fundamental concerns remain unchanged…the risks have intensified”.
“We are now dangerously close to crossing a moral red line: the autonomous targeting of humans by machines,” they warned.
Lethal autonomous weapon systems are generally understood as weapon systems that select targets and apply force without human intervention.
There has to date been no confirmed use of fully […]