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The third day of OpenAI's 12 Days of OpenAI went way bigger than the OpenAI o1 model of day one or the enterprise-focused day two. The AI company announced the general release of the long-awaited Sora AI video generator.

First teased nearly a year ago, there's a lot to unpack from the news, so here are five of the most important bits about Sora you need to know.

How to make videos with Sora

Sora is now accessible via its website to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers in the U.S. and many other countries. The AI video maker employs an upgraded version of the model showcased in February called Sora Turbo – this new model produces better videos more quickly than the earlier iteration.

Beyond basic text-to-video capabilities, Sora Turbo adds some creative flexibility. You can submit a text prompt to make a video from scratch, as well as animate a still image, or remix an existing video based on a new text prompt.

Don't expect to make full-length feature films right away, though. Sora runs on a credit system similar to ChatGPT and DALL-E. ChatGPT Plus subscribers get 1,000 monthly credits, which equals 50 videos at 720p resolution of five seconds each that will be prioritized for creation.

If you're willing to pay $200 a month for the new ChatGPT Pro plan, you can get longer, higher quality videos of up to 20 seconds at 1080p and ten times as many priority videos as with Plus. You can also have up to five videos processing simultaneously. If you use up all 500 priority slots, you'll still get unlimited video generations below the priority level, but none of the videos will have the OpenAI watermark. That's not the case on the Plus plan, though. Even if you're not making a video, you can check out the Sora Explore page and see what others are making.

Once you're logged into Sora, you can follow the steps below to make a video in Sora, and check out our hands-on with making a video here.

• Visit Sora.com and log in with your ChatGPT Plus or Pro account credentials.
• Once logged in, locate and click on the "Create" or "New Video" button to open the video generation interface.
• In the text box, type a prompt for the video you wish to create.
• You can set a style pre-set and, depending on your subscription tier, you can set your resolution and duration as well.
• Click the "Generate" button and Sora will create your video.
• Once the video is ready, you can preview it and redo it or remix it with a new prompt.

Sorry UK and Europe

There's bad news for those in the UK and Europe eager to use Sora. The AI video maker is not available there yet, and the delay has no ending in sight. It's a familiar scenario for OpenAI products facing the region's stringent regulatory landscape.

This cautious rollout echoes the restrictions faced by ChataGPT, including an outright ban by Italy. DALL-E's image maker was also slow to launch in the region as OpenAI navigated the complexities of European AI governance.

Storyboarding

One standout element of the new Sora platform is the Storyboards feature. Basically, you can set up multiple prompts in a row to design a narrative that the AI will turn into a sequence of multiple videos that can be merged into one cohesive story.

So, say you might want to make a video explaining the water cycle. With Storyboards, you could generate a sequence showing water evaporating from a lake, condensing into clouds, and eventually falling back to earth as rain – all animated and guided by simple text prompts. You could tell all kinds of fun stories and link them together in a cohesive style rather than hoping the AI will maintain that preferred look with multiple independent prompts. You can see an example of a Storyboard below.

(Image credit: OpenAI) Blending

Another major feature of Sora is Blending. Like the Storyboard feature, Blending is about combining videos. However, while Storyboard is about linking videos across time, Blending merges two scenes through a transition that works organically with both. Sora can easily meld disparate lighting, perspective, motion, and other elements and meld them into a harmonious whole.

Say you have an AI-generated clip of a serene forest and another clip showing a busy city of the future. Blending would let you show the forest transform into the city skyline. The smooth transition could be very evocative if you're telling a story of urbanization or perhaps of someone moving from the countryside to the big city. Even the ocean and outer space could link together, with bubbles morphing into swirling suns of a distant galaxy as you open your sci-fi movie, perhaps.

Safety and competition

Of course, the usual quality and content safety issues arise with Sora, as with any other AI video generator. That's why videos generated with Sora will have visible watermarks unless you pay to remove them.

All of them will include metadata that can track their origin, though, so even without a watermark, a video made with Sora will be identifiable. The idea is to address growing concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, and AI manipulation. And you won't be allowed to upload images or videos to Sora without agreeing to guidelines forbidding content involving minors, violence, explicit material, or anything copyrighted. You'll get suspended or banned if caught.

Those restrictions aren't unique to Sora, but they put it in the same arena as other AI video makers. There's been an enormous burst of interest in the technology, with commensurate releases of alternatives like Runway, Stability AI, Pika, and Luma Labs' Dream Machine, among others.

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Sora, OpenAI's new AI video generation platform, which finally launched on Monday, is a surprisingly rich platform that offers simple tools for almost instantly generating shockingly realistic-looking videos. Even in my all-too-brief hands-on, I could see that Sora is about to change everything about video creation.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and company were wrapping up their third presentation from their planned "12 Days of AI," but I could scarcely wait to exit that live and, I assume, not AI-generated video feed to dive into today's content-creation-changing announcement.

The announcement crew. (Image credit: Future)

Ever since we started seeing short Sora clips created by chosen video artists and shared by OpenAI, I and anyone with even a passing interest in AI and video have been waiting for this moment: our chance to touch and try Sora.

Spoiler alert: Sora is stunning but also so massively overloaded I couldn't create more than a handful of AI video samples before the system's servers barked that they were "at capacity." Even so, this glimpse was so, so worth it.

Start with your birthday. (Image credit: Future)

Sora is important enough that its generative models do not live inside the ChatGPT large language model space or even inside OpenAI's homepage. The AI video-generation platform warrants its own destination at Sora.com.

From there, I logged into my ChatGPT Plus account (you need at least that level to start creating up to 50 generations a month; Pro gets you unlimited). I also had to provide my age (the year is blurred because I am vain).

You can build new videos off these ideas. Note the prompt field at the bottom. (Image credit: Future)

The landing page is, as promised, a library grid of everyone else's AI-generated video content. It's a great place to seek inspiration and to see the stunning realism and surrealism capable through OpenAI's Sora models. I could even use any of those videos as a starting point for my creation by "Remixing" one of them.

I chose, though, to generate something new.

There is a prompt field at the bottom of the page that lets you describe your video and set some parameters. That field includes options like the aspect ratio, resolution, duration, and the number of video options Sora would return for you to choose from. There's also a style button that includes options like "Balloon World," "Stop Motion," and "Film Noir."

I'm a fan of film noir and am intrigued by the idea of "Bubble World," but I didn't want to hamper the speed in any way, so I instead started typing in my prompt. I asked for something simple: A middle-aged guy building a rocketship near the ocean and under a moonlit sky. There'd be a campfire nearby and a friendly dog. It was not a detailed description.

These presets look like fun. (Image credit: Future)

I hit the up arrow on the right-hand side of the prompt box, and Sora got to work.

Within about a minute, I had two five-second video options. They looked realistic. Well, at least one of them did. One clip featured a golden retriever with an extra tail where its head should've been. Over the course of the video's 5-second runtime, the extra tail did become a head. The other video was less distressing. In fact, it was nearly perfect. The problem was the rocket ship – it was a model and not something my character could fly in.

I got two option, only one of which was useful. (Image credit: Future)

At this point, I could edit my prompt and try again, view the video's storyboard, blend it with a different video, loop it, or remix it. I chose the video with the normal dog and then selected remix.

You can do a light remix, a subtle one, a strong one, or even a custom remix. My system defaulted to a strong remix, and I asked for a larger rocket, one large enough to take the man to the moon. I also wanted it repositioned behind him and finally asked for the campfire to be partially visible.

This was my first AI video. (Image credit: Future)

The remix took almost five minutes, resulting in another beautiful video. Sure, Sora knows nothing about spaceflight or rocket science, but it got the composition right, and I can imagine how I could nudge this video in the right direction.

In fact, that was my plan, but when I tried another remix, Sora complained it was at capacity.

A gif of my remix. Note the fire. (Image credit: Future)

I also tried using Storyboard to create another video. In this case, I entered a prompt that became the first board in my storyboard; Sora automatically interpreted this and then let me add additional beats to the video via additional storyboards. I had a video in mind of a "Bubble World" scene with two characters sharing a romantic pasta dinner, but again, Sora was out of capacity.

The storyboard tool looks pretty powerful. (Image credit: Future)

I wanted to try more and see, for instance, how far you could take Sora; OpenAI said they're starting off with "conservative" content controls. Which may mean things like nudity and violence would be rejected outright. But you know, AI prompt writers always know how to get the best and worst out of generative AI. I think we'll just have to wait and see what happens on this front.

My Ai video library. (Image credit: Future)

Server issues aside, it's clear Sora is set to turn the video creation industry on its head. It's not just its uncanny ability to take simple prompts and create realistic videos in a matter of minutes; it's the wealth of video editing and creation tools available on Day 1.

I guarantee you the model will get more powerful, the tools even smarter, and servers more plentiful. I don't know exactly what Sora means for video professionals worldwide, but the sooner they try this, the faster they'll get ready for what's to come.

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• Browser isolation runs all scripts in a remote, or virtual environment, but QR codes still make it through
• If a device is infected with malware, it can get commands via QR codes, rendering browser isolation useless
• The method works, but has its limitations

Cybersecurity researchers from Mandiant claim to have discovered a new way to get malware to communicate with its C2 servers through the browser, even when the browser is isolated in a sandbox.

There is a relatively new method of protecting web-borne cyberattacks, called “browser isolation”. It makes the victim’s browser communicate with another browser, located in a cloud environment, or a virtual machine. Whatever commands the victim inputs are relayed to the remote browser, and all they get in return is the visual rendering of the page. Code, scripts, commands, all get executed on the remote device.

One can think of it as browsing through the lens of a phone’s camera.

Limits and drawbacks

But now, Mandiant believes that C2 servers (command & control) can still talk to the malware on the infected device, regardless of the inability to run code through the browser, and that is - via QR codes. If a computer is infected, the malware can read the pixels rendered on the screen, and if they’re a QR code, that is enough to get the program to run different actions.

Mandiant prepared a proof-of-concept (PoC) showing how the method works on the latest version of Google Chrome, sending the malware through Cobalt Strike’s External C2 feature.

The method works, but it’s far from ideal, the researchers added. Since the data stream is limited to a maximum of 2,189 bytes, and since there is a roughly 5-second latency, the method cannot be used to send large payloads, or facilitate SOCKS proxying. Furthermore, additional security measures such as URL scanning, or data loss prevention, may render this method completely useless.

Still, there are ways the method could be abused to run destructive malware attacks. Therefore, IT teams are advised to still keep an eye on the flow of traffic, especially from headless browsers running in automation mode.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Micron describes its new SSD as an industry "game-changer"
• Launch marks the first SSD boasting a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface
• The 6550 ION matches performance with energy efficiency

Micron recently unveiled the 6550 ION SSD, marking the launch of the industry’s first 60TB storage device featuring a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface.

In an announcement, the firm revealed the new SSD is catered specifically to handle bulky applications as well as AI training and inference workloads.

Speaking at the time, Alvaro Toledo, vice president and general manager of Micron’s data center storage group, said the drive boasts extreme performance and capacity alongside industry-leading energy efficiency, calling it, "a game-changer for high-capacity storage solutions to address the insatiable capacity and power demands of AI workloads."

Micron has been highly vocal about the capabilities of the new ION SSD, so here’s everything you need to know about the 6550 ION SSD.

Under the hood of the 6550 ION SSD

As mentioned by Toledo, the new drive comes in an E3.S form-factor, meaning it offers “best-inclass” storage density and boasts 232 active layers. According to Micron, this significantly reduces rack storage requirements by up to 67%.

The 6550 also provides users with read and write speeds of 12GB/s despite operating on just 20 watts of power. This, the company noted, makes it 20% more energy efficient than comparable drives currently available in the market.

Micron said users do have the option to operate the drive at 25 watts, but this will only be utilized by a small portion of customers.

Compared to competing 60TB drives, the company also highlighted a number of key advantages, including:

• 179% faster sequential reads and 179% higher read bandwidth per watt
• 80% improved random reads and 99% higher read IOPS per watt
• 150% faster sequential writes and 213% higher write bandwidth per watt

With power efficiency a key talking point in the new SSD, the company revealed it also relies upon active state power management (ASPM), meaning the 6550 ION only consumes 4 watts in low-power modes. Micron added that the drive also offers 20% improved idle efficiency compared to others on the market.

Performance built for AI workloads

A key aspect of the 6550 ION is its ability to run AI workloads, according to Micron.

The drive boasts a 147% higher performance for NVIDIA® Magnum IO GPUDirect Storage (GDS) compared to competing models while also offering 104% better energy efficiency in this regard.

Similarly, with 30% higher efficiency in deep learning Unet3D testing and a 151% improvement in completion times for AI model checkpointing, the SSD provides enterprises with a powerful piece of hardware tailor made for the AI era.

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• Biomemory's DNA-based solutions address data storage issues
• DNA storage is compact, durable, environmentally friendly
• $18M funding supports product development and industry partnerships

Biomemory, a French startup established in 2021, has long been working to develop DNA-based data storage technology.

It was the first company to make a DNA storage device available to the general public, marking an early step in commercializing this technology. Biomemory's approach involves encoding digital data within synthesized DNA strands by translating the DNA bases - A, C, G, and T - into binary code. Data can then be retrieved by sequencing the DNA and converting it back into binary.

DNA storage is viewed as a potential solution to the growing global demand for storage, driven by increasing data generation. It is estimated that by 2025, humanity will produce 175 zettabytes of data, a figure that challenges the capacity and sustainability of existing storage methods. DNA’s compact and durable nature offers an alternative that could reduce spatial and environmental footprints while providing long-term stability.

Funding secured

A number of startups have entered the DNA storage space in recent years, including Catalog, Ansa Biotechnologies, and Iridia in the United States, as well as Helixworks, DNA Script, and BioSistemika in Europe. Biomemory is focusing on creating end-to-end solutions for data centers, using bio-sourced DNA fragments that are designed to last for thousands of years without requiring energy for maintenance.

To further its efforts, Biomemory recently secured $18 million in Series A funding.

“This investment marks a pivotal moment for Biomemory and the future of data storage,” said Erfane Arwani, CEO and Co-founder of the startup. “With our DNA storage technology, we’re not just addressing today’s data challenges - we’re building solutions that will sustain the ecosystem for the next century and beyond. By sharing this value with our partners and collaborators, we aim to collectively advance the sector and foster a thriving data storage ecosystem.”

Biomemory intends to use the funds to develop its first-generation data storage appliance, optimize biotech processes, and quicken commercialization. Additional goals include forming partnerships with industry players and cloud providers and recruiting experts in molecular biology and engineering.

The technology offers the potential to store all of humanity’s data in a single data center rack and Biomemory plans to scale its molecular storage solutions to exabyte capacity by 2030, listing sustainability and durability as its key priorities.

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• Activo Q1 are wired IEMs made for the July 2024 P1 player
• The IEMs are a collaboration between the Astell & Kern sub-brand Activo and Singaporean label, DITA Audio
• Activo Q1 are priced $349 / £299 (around AU$590)

Love hi-res audio but haven't heard of Activo? That's okay, you'll almost certainly know its parents, Astell & Kern. Last year, the sub-brand's inaugural product, the Activo's P1 music player, truly wowed us for sound-per-pound value, proving that you don't have to pay an A&K premium to get excellent portable sound. It was so good in fact that it quickly made its way onto our best MP3 player buying guide.

And now the South Korean company has announced the hotly anticipated in-ear monitors to go with it. They certainly look the part, which checks out when you know that these wired earbuds are a collaboration with Singaporean brand, DITA Audio.

A&K says the partnership brings together "over 45 years of expertise in the audio industry between Activo and DITA, culminating in the perfect earbud match for the newly released Activo P1 Digital Audio Player."

Activo Q1: specs, pricing and availability

The Activo Q1 is, the company tells us, a hybrid IEM featuring DITA’s new PM1+ 9.8mm dynamic driver with brass housing, plus a single Knowles balanced armature driver.

DITA Audio has a lovely habit of custom-designing cables to suit every earbud model it's had a hand in, which means the Q1 is a unique proposition – and the white coating certainly makes the earbuds look like they're going to be perfect sonic partners to the wallet-friendly Activo P1.

To drill down into that cable a little more, it's the MOCCA2 cable from Cardas, made in the USA. This is custom-built and constructed of 32 strands of Cardas conductors per cable, then twisted to DITA’s own specifications. Your purchase also includes both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended connecting plugs – the P1 has both of these ports, along its top edge.

And in case the earbuds look a little dainty, also included with the Q1 is an Activo x DITA branded systainer mini hard case made by Tanos, plus five different sizes of eartips to help you achieve the optimum fit.

Have the player, now want the earbuds? You're in luck! The Activo Q1 is available to purchase from Amazon today and is priced at £299 / $349 / €399 (around AU$590). Will they join our collection of the best wired earbuds we've ever tested? We're working on it – when we know, so shall you.

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Americans could soon need one of the best VPN apps to keep using TikTok.

A US TikTok ban now looks more probable than ever following the decision made by the federal appeals court on Friday (December 6, 2024). The decision upholds a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the video-sharing app to an American firm by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.

While TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to file a legal appeal with the US Supreme Court, the new Trump administration – set to commence a day after the divesting deadline – is also expected to reverse TikTok's new policy.

Why does the US seek to ban TikTok?

Tensions between the US government and TikTok aren't new. The platform's invasive data collection practices and ties to China have raised concerns over Americans' privacy rights and national security risks since the video-sharing app began gaining popularity in the States.

At the time, US President Donald Trump was the first to push for the Chinese company to divest or risk a total ban in 2020. Such plans would later be interrupted after TikTok filed a lawsuit against the US government and the new President Joe Biden revoked the measure.

Now, about four years later, the tables have turned again. Trump has vowed to save TikTok during his political campaign to, as the Financial Times reported, "preserve competition in a market dominated by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta."

On the contrary, Biden has been busy finding a solution to the TikTok problem since the end of 2022 when he first signed an unprecedented order to bar TikTok from all federal government devices.

After that, there were various attempts to find a way to overcome the legal challenges of banning TikTok, such as the First Amendment which protects American freedom of speech. The proposed RESTRICT ACT gained momentum in 2023 but didn't manage to finally get the green light.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Montana was the first US state expected to ban TikTok from all devices starting from January 1, 2024. This didn't happen, however, as a federal judge blocked the law before being enforced, in November 2023. Now, following Friday's decision, the fate of Montana's TikTok ban may be turning again.

Fast-forward to April 2024, a new proposal (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act) became law after gaining bipartisan support in the US House of Representatives. It rules out a widespread ban on TikTok's operation unless ByteDance sells it to an American firm.

The law came into force despite TikTok taking steps to ensure data privacy for US users. In 2022, the company moved all Americans' data to servers owned by Oracle US and based within the country. The company also opened the first data center in Europe a year later on similar grounds.

Perhaps the most downloaded app worldwide, TikTok counts over 150 active users per month in the US alone.

Researchers suggest that Americans are increasingly using the app to keep up with the news. US activists use the Chinese social media giant to spread their messages, too, while it also helps US businesses – especially the smallest ones – to thrive.

This is why digital rights experts are concerned following the decision the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit filed on Friday.

Kate Ruane from the Centre for Democracy & Technology (CDT) told TechRadar: "The TikTok ban will immeasurably harm the free expression of hundreds of millions of TikTok users in the US and globally who use the app to create, to share information, to get their news, and promote their businesses. We hope the next phase of review of this misguided and overbroad law will be a chance to right this wrong and prevent it from going into effect."

How a TikTok VPN can help

A VPN (short for virtual private network) is security software that encrypts all your internet connections, to prevent third-party access, while spoofing your real IP address location. The latter is exactly what you need to bypass geo-restrictions on social media platforms, like those that could soon be enforced in the US against TikTok.

In case ByteDance refuses to sell by January 19, US authorities could block TikTok usage at an ISP (internet service provider) level. In this scenario, using a TikTok VPN will be an easy way to get around the block simply by connecting to a VPN server located outside the US, in a country where TikTok isn't banned.

Another option may be for the US government to order app stores to completely remove TikTok from their platforms. This means you won't be able to download and install the app from the official stores and will, instead, need to find an alternative source.

Experts warn that such a move, however, would de-facto put user data at major risk, as US users won't be able to keep updating their TikTok application to fix security bugs. Also, risks for malware infection are also greater when downloading apps from unofficial stores.

Now that we’re approaching the final weeks of 2024, you can pretty much smell awards season from a mile away. After the unveiling of the 2025 Golden Globes nominations, I'm curious to see which new movies and shows from the best streaming services will sweep the biggest awards. With titles from Netflix, Hulu, and Mubi leading the pack, this year’s bunch of prospective winners reflects what an immense year it's been for entertainment.

Indeed, during the Golden Globes 2025 nominations livestream hosted by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut, a slew of movies and shows including The Substance, Slow Horses, and Squid Game were among the incredibly diverse selection of titles to be honored at next year's ceremony, which takes place on January 6.

But, I have one thing to get off my chest, and it's not a good thing. Netflix’s musical drama Emilia Perez 10 nominations means it swept this year's selection by a handsome margin – and, since I gave it a not-so-pleasant review in my Letterboxd diary, to say I’m shocked that it earned so many nominations is an understatement

The Bear leads the television nominations with five nods (Image credit: FX/Hulu/Disney Plus)

From my 2.5 star scathing review, to me, it’s obvious that Emilia Perez isn’t the movie of the year. That's reflected in the hefty mixed bag of reviews that one of November's new Netflix movies received, too, but the Golden Globe Foundation appears to have loved it. On paper, a musical crime drama about a cartel boss’ gender transition sounds not only incredibly thrilling, but could make an engaging and inspiring narrative. However, the unhinged musical numbers diminished the sincerity of the story and left me laughing at its characters rather than relating to their individual and collective plights.

What pushed me over the edge, however, that its overstuffed narrative, comprising three different storylines, get more bizarre as the flick progresses. This is in addition to some unfortunate acting from Selena Gomez (in my view, anyway), which did little to ease my concerns that it's a very disjointed film and is what's primarily fueling my shock at its Golden Globes 2025 nods. You and I will see if it somehow has the pizzazz to win multiple award during next year's glitzy awards event.

Golden Globes 2025 full nominees list: The Bear, Shogun, Anora, and more

Shogun picked up a number of nominations in the Golden Globes 2025's various TV categories (Image credit: Disney )

Best Motion Picture – Drama

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nickel Boys

September 5

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Angelina Jolie, Maria

Nicole Kidman, Babygirl

Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door

Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl

Kate Winslet, Lee

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig, Queer

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Anora

Challengers

Emilia Pérez

A Real Pain

The Substance

Wicked

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Amy Adams, Nightbitch

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison, Anora

Demi Moore, The Substance

Zendaya, Challengers

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain

Hugh Grant, Heretic

Gabrielle LaBelle, Saturday Night

Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Glen Powell, Hit Man

Sebastian Stan, A Different Man

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Moana 2

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

All We Imagine as Light – India

Emilia Pérez – France

The Girl With the Needle – Denmark

I’m Still Here – Brazil

The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Germany

Vermiglio – Italy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez

Margaret Qualley, The Substance

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture

Denzel Washington, Gladiator II

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Yura Borisov, Anora

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Best Director – Motion Picture

Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker, Anora

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

Edward Berger, Conclave

Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine as Light

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

A Real Pain

The Substance

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

The Brutalist

Challengers

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

The Wild Robot

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

The Last Showgirl – “Beautiful That Way”

Challengers – “Compress/Repress”

Emilia Pérez – “El Mal”

Better Man – “Forbidden Road”

The Wild Robot – “Kiss the Sky”

Emilia Pérez – “Mi Camino”

Best Television Series – Drama

The Day of the Jackal

The Diplomat

Mr and Mrs Smith

Shōgun

Slow Horses

Squid Game

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Kathy Bates, Matlock

Emma D’Arcy, House of the Dragon

Maya Erskine, Mr and Mrs Smith

Keira Knightley, Black Doves

Anna Sawai, Shōgun

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Donald Glover, Mr and Mrs Smith

Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Eddie Redmayne, The Day of the Jackal

Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun

Billy Bob Thornton, Landman

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Hacks

Abbott Elementary

Only Murders in the Building

Nobody Wants This

The Gentlemen

The Bear

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along

Jean Smart, Hacks

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Best Supporting Actress, Television

Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Dakota Fanning, Ripley

Allison Janney, The Diplomat

Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country

Best Supporting Actor, Television

Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun

Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses

Diego Luna, La Máquina

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Baby Reindeer

Disclaimer

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

The Penguin

Ripley

True Detective: Night Country

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country

Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer

Sofía Vergara, Griselda

Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

Kate Winslet, The Regime

Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs the Swans

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Colin Farrell, The Penguin

Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer

Kevin Kline, Disclaimer

Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Ewan McGregor, A Gentleman in Moscow

Andrew Scott, Ripley

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television

Jamie Foxx, What Had Happened Was

Nikki Glaser, Someday You’ll Die

Seth Meyers, Dad Man Walking

Adam Sandler, Love You

Ali Wong, Single Lady

Ramy Youssef, More Feelings

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

Alien: Romulus

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Deadpool & Wolverine

Gladiator 2

Inside Out 2

Twisters

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• Sundar Pichai predicts a slow year for AI in 2025
• Says we'll need "deeper breakthroughs" to get to the next stage
• Many agree, but OpenAI CEO has publically suggested there won't be an AI development slow down

Artificial intelligence has ruled the roost in 2024, with pretty much every major tech brand announcing AI tools and upgrades for our phones, laptops, TVs, smartwatches, and pretty much everything via partnerships with ChatGPT or one of the best ChatGPT alternatives. 2025 looked set to continue this trend, but Google CEO Sundar Pichai instead believes we’ll see AI developments tail off now that the “low-hanging fruit is gone.”

Speaking at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Pichai said “I think the progress is going to get harder,” adding “you’re definitely going to need deeper breakthroughs as we get to the next stage.”

As Pichai sees it, the explosion of new features and rapid advancements we’ve seen will slow down in 2025 as we reach the current limit of AI systems – a limit that will only be surpassed by heavy investment and development that will take time to bear fruit. Until we achieve the next major breakthrough, Pichai argues that we’ll see more incremental improvements that may improve the technology, but won’t necessarily redefine what AI systems can do like we’ve seen these past 12 months.

And he’s hardly alone in this sentiment. A couple of months ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella likened AI development to the Industrial Revolution in that growth takes time before it explodes (via CNBC), journalist Edward Zitron’s latest newsletter post goes into a fantastic long deep dive into the struggles facing AI development, and our in-house expert Senior Editor Graham Barlow said of Pichai’s comments: “I think he’s right.”

there is no wallNovember 14, 2024

Pichai’s sentiment isn’t held by every AI-focused company, though – at least publicly. Back in November OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted “There is no wall” suggesting he believes AI advancements will continue at a breakneck pace. His post was a response to criticism that the most recent ChatGPT update was only slightly better than the model that came before.

However, behind closed doors there are reports (via Bloomberg, behind a pay wall) that OpenAI, as well as Google and Anthropic, are having a hard time advancing their AI systems and are struggling to achieve internal milestones.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / NicoElNino) Don’t expect AI to disappear

Given the nature of breakthroughs, it can be hard to predict when the next one will happen. It could be that some massive advancement is discovered in five months, or it could take five years as different avenues are explored. However given the potential of AI systems, it’s unlikely that the hype and excitement around AI will disappear completely any time soon even if notable advancements are few and far between for a while.

That’s not to say the excitement won’t die down. As different AI from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Apple and the rest approach our existing wall and homogenize, we’ll likely see the industry shift focus to a different technology for a while, as we always have.

Just look at XR tech. Google Glass made a splash in the mid 2010s, followed by the first actually impressive consumer VR headsets from Oculus and HTC. Then things relaxed in terms of the public’s perception until we got the Oculus Quest 2 and Meta’s massive Metaverse announcement, which triggered a new flurry of interest in the industry buzzword before returning to normal. Now, as we approach 2025, that excitement could return with Google and Samsung believed to be gearing up to showcase some kind of glasses or headset at the Samsung Galaxy S25 launch event in January.

AI is merely following this long-standing tech industry trend cycle, and while AI might be about to enter its ebb-era it will eventually flow back. So enjoy the calmer AI updates in 2025 while you can, because even if it fades more into the background artificial intelligence excitement will return.

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• A new handheld gaming PC known as the Lenovo Legion Go S has leaked
• The device could feature a smaller screen compared to its predecessor
• It will reportedly use AMD's Ryzen Z2 Go chip, which was previously labeled Z2G

If it wasn't evident enough already, handheld gaming PCs have already become a focal point of the PC gaming market. Now, the rumored Lenovo Legion Go S has leaked, revealing several changes from its predecessor based on new render images.

According to WinFuture (in an article written in German), the Legion Go S could feature AMD's new Ryzen Z2 Go APU (previously labeled as the Ryzen Z2G), with 8 cores and 16 threads (RDNA 2), which would be the weaker variant compared to the purported Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip. Based on the leaked render images from WindowsCentral (pictured below), it's clear that the screen size has been shaved - it could now feature an 8-inch display as opposed to the Legion Go Z1 Extreme's 8.8-inch display.

As a result of this, the display resolution has also supposedly seen a significant change, from 2560x1600 to 1920x1200, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It appears that this device is the Legion Go 'Lite' that was rumored a few months ago - the eventual official reveal could come alongside a true Legion Go Z1 Extreme successor, using the Z2 Extreme chip.

This image, provided by Windows Central, shows a detailed breakdown of what the Legion Go S will look like. (Image credit: WindowsCentral) Will this Legion Go alternative be worth a purchase?

Considering the rumored specifications that include a 55Wh battery and AMD Radeon 680M GPU, it would be easy to see the Legion Go S as a downgrade. While it is indeed the weaker option compared to the Legion Go Z1 Extreme (which uses the Radeon 780M), it uses a 1920x1200 resolution.

It appears that Lenovo has learned its lesson: the Z1 Extreme chip simply could not handle that 2560x1600 resolution. This is the same APU found in the Asus ROG Ally, which uses 1920x1080 resolution, with some games required to run at 900p instead. We aren't sure yet how similar the Z2 Legion Go will perform in comparison to the Z1 Extreme, but there's a high chance that it will be able to handle games at the new target 1200p resolution.

Rumors suggest the price will be around €600 / AU$1,200 (more expensive than the Z1 Extreme ROG Ally), which may be a dealbreaker for many considering the specifications, but we'll have to wait for an official reveal to form any real judgment.

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• Microsoft is offering $10k prize for hackers who can exploit vulnerabilities in its LLM
• The challenge will focus on prompt injection defenses
• Software developers and hackers often work together to discover and fix flaws

Are you an experienced hacker looking to make a little extra money this Christmas? Well you might be in luck, as Microsoft is sponsoring a competition, alongside the Institute of Science, and Technology Australia, and ETH Zurich, in which contestants will try to break a simulated Large Language Model (LLM) integrated email client.

Winning teams for the LLMail-Inject challenge will be awarded a share of the $10,000 prize pool.

Participants will need to sign into the challenge using a GitHub account, and create a team. The teams will then be asked to evade prompt injection defenses in a simulated LLM-integrated email client. The LLmail service includes an assistant which can answer questions and perform actions on behalf of the user, and crucially includes defenses against indirect prompt injection tasks.

A mutually beneficial relationship

By bypassing the injection defenses, the hackers will be looking to prompt the LLM to do or reveal things it is not trained to. Through this, Microsoft is aiming to identify weaknesses in its current prompt injection defenses, and encourage the development of robust security measures.

The relationship between security researchers and software developers is often used this way, with Google often offering a ‘bug bounty’ for anyone who discovers and is able to exploit vulnerabilities in its Google Cloud Platform.

Similarly, Microsoft recently announced it was hosting its own Black Hat-esque hacking event, in which competitors would look for vulnerabilities in Microsoft AI, Azure, Identity, Dynamics 365, and M365.

Taking a proactive approach to addressing potential vulnerabilities allows software companies to mitigate the risks before they can be exploited by threat actors in real world scenarios. Slack’s AI assistant was on the receiving end of malicious prompt injections, which was luckily discovered by security researchers - but could have led to real security concerns.

Via The Register

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• US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently put Google under supervision
• The federal action comes amid consumer complaints
• Google says the regulation would be a burden

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently announced it has placed Google Payment Corp, a division of Google under federal supervision, citing consumer complaints.

In response, Google filed a lawsuit in the US District Court challenging the agency’s decision stating that the Bureau’s supervision would be a “burdensome form of regulation” based on a “small number of unsubstantiated user complaints” (via CNN).

The CFPB’s move would subject Google to the same regulatory oversight as major banks and financial institutions.

Google hits back at federal supervision order

“This is a clear case of government overreach involving Google Pay peer-to-peer payments, which never raised risks and is no longer provided in the US, and we are challenging it in court," noted Google spokesperson José Castañeda.

The CFPB emphasized that its decision does not imply any findings of misconduct, but rather that complaints have indicated that Google Payment Corp failed to implement sufficient fraud prevention measures.

The supervision follows the CFPB’s 202 expansion of authority, which allowed it to begin examining nonbank financial institutions. Back then, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said: “This authority gives us critical agility to move as quickly as the market, allowing us to conduct examinations of financial companies posing risks to consumers and stop harm before it spreads.”

Besides stating the CFPB’s decision for supervision imposes an unjustified regulatory burden upon Google, including invasive examinations and document requests, the company also disputes the validity of the complaints as a basis for federal oversight.

However, all is not lost for Google, which could benefit from the incoming presidential administration – President-elect Trump could reverse some of the regulatory actions initiated under current leadership.

TechRadar Pro has asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for a comment, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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• A PyPI package for an AI model was compromised and used to deliver malware
• Victims were getting XMRig, a popular cryptominer, installed
• The attack has since been addressed, but users warned to be on their guard

Ultralytics YOLO11, an AI model for computer vision and object detection, was compromised in an apparent supply chain attack, and used to deploy malware on victim devices.

The attack was confirmed by the company’s founder, who also said the incident was remedied, and the malicious version pulled - however, it seems that new malicious versions have popped up again.

YOLO11 (short for You Only Look Once), is an AI model designed for real-time computer vision tasks, such as identifying objects, analyzing images, and detecting poses. The service is quite popular, being starred more than 30,000 times, forked on GitHub more than 6,000 times, and counts hundreds of thousands of downloads a day.

Newer attacks

As an open source solution, YOLO11 was also available for download on PyPI, one of the world’s biggest Python package repositories.

There, an unidentified threat actor recently broke into the account and uploaded two versions - 8.3.41, and 8.3.42. Those who updated to these versions, either directly or through a dependency, ended up with a cryptocurrency miner on their devices.

The miner installed is called XMRig, and it is by far the most popular cryptojacker (a “hijacker” malware that mines crypto) out there. XMRig is known for generating Monero (XMR), a privacy-oriented currency that is difficult to trace.

Ultralytics founder and CEO Glenn Jocher confirmed the attack, and said it was addressed: "We confirm that Ultralytics versions 8.3.41 and 8.3.42 were compromised by a malicious code injection targeting cryptocurrency mining. Both versions have been immediately removed from PyPI," Jocher posted to GitHub. "We have released 8.3.43 which addresses this security issue. Our team is conducting a full security audit and implementing additional safeguards to prevent similar incidents."

However, over the weekend BleepingComputer said there were user reports of even newer versions - 8.3.45, and 8.3.46, who were “trojanized”. At press time, GitHub shows 8.3.48 as the newest version.

Via BleepingComputer

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• The world’s first Apple Pay alternative has launched in Norway
• It could prompt other services to follow suit in Europe
• There are both benefits and drawbacks to this move

Apple Pay lets you wirelessly pay for almost anything using just your iPhone, but for years, it’s been locked down so that only Apple can add new features. That means Apple fans have been denied the choice of other providers who might bring new ideas to the table – but that’s just changed in a seismic way for European users.

Norwegian payment service Vipps has just launched its own Apple Pay rival – the first such service in the world – letting its customers pay for items with their iPhone without ever having to go through Apple’s own service. That could open the door to many other Apple Pay rivals hitting the scene.

Vipps’ tap-to-pay scheme supports roughly 70% of Norway’s banking customers. So, you can now change your default payment service to Vipps instead of Apple Pay if you're among the select few. It’ll work at any payment terminal that works with BankAxept cards – Norway’s national payment system – which covers about 90% of payment terminals in the country.

According to a machine-translated version of Vipps’ blog post marking the announcement, the company will “add more simplifications, support for international cards and more banks continuously.” Support for Visa and MasterCard is reportedly coming in the next few months, and worldwide payments should be made available before summer 2025.

Currently, Vipps’ service is only available in Norway, but there are plans to extend it to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden in 2025.

Pros and cons

Vipps’ Apple Pay rival offers all the same features as Apple’s option, including verification using Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. Now that Apple has opened up access to its NFC system, other providers may introduce missing features from Apple Pay, which could add a dash of competition to a solution that has been restricted to Apple since its inception.

That said, a move like this might not be entirely positive. It means another system that vendors will have to support, potentially fragmenting payment options for users. In addition, you need to trust that Vipps’ Apple Pay alternative is safe – while Apple is well-known for its device security, Vipps is a less well-known name for people outside of Norway to place their trust in.

And before you get too excited, this kind of move will likely be limited to Europe for the time being. It all happened because the European Union (EU) forced Apple to open up the NFC payment system that underlies Apple Pay to other companies, which has paved the way for Vipps to launch its offering.

Still, it shows that alternatives to Apple Pay are possible, at least in Europe. It will be interesting to see if other firms join Vipps, what new features come about as a result of more competition, and whether Apple is spurred into improving Apple Pay for its users.

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• Google Drive beta software now available for Snapdragon processors
• Only available for Windows 11 (and presumably onward)
• Marks a trend of increased support for ARM

Google has confirmed machines running Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors, previously unsupported by its cloud storage software, will now be able to download and run Google Drive natively, albeit currently in beta form.

The welcome news comes amid a rise in interest in Snapdragon processors, which are gaining more support from software makers.

Built specifically for ARM64, it offers users most of the same functions as the x86 version and offers a more efficient and seamless experience for Snapdragon users.

Google Drive app now available for Snapdragon processors

“We're excited to announce beta support for Drive for desktop on Windows 11 devices powered by Snapdragon processors. Compiled natively for ARM64, this release enables users to easily sync and store files online from Windows PCs powered by Snapdragon," the company posted in a blog update.

Although previous Google Drive apps have been available with versions prior to Windows 11, the ARM-based beta app is compatible exclusively with Microsoft’s flagship OS. It also requires Microsoft WebView2, which is usually preinstalled within the OS but could require users to download is separately during setup if that’s not the case.

Google emphasized, because this is a beta product, some bugs may be present, therefore Snapdragon users should not rely on it until general availability is confirmed. Any issues can be reported via Help > Send feedback within drive.google.com.

More broadly, Google isn't the only company optimizing its software for ARM hardware. Other apps, like Arc Browser and NordVPN, have also received recent support for the hardware.

The beta version of Google Drive for ARM devices is available to download now for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

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• A new official Nokia Design Archive will tell the story of its classic phones
• We'll get the history of Nokia's best handsets plus 'unseen prototypes'
• The online portal will fully launch on January 15, 2025

For those of us who remember the pre-smartphone era, classic Nokia phones still pack a big emotional punch – and a new online Nokia museum promises to take us all down a nostalgic wormhole into the Finnish company's heyday.

The Nokia Design Archive, which will launch on January 15, 2025, promises to be way more than just a gallery showing some of the best phones of all time. According to the Aalto University, which curates the museum, the online portal will include "never-before-seen material" and "unseen prototypes. "

The Design Archive sounds like just the kind of epic distraction we'll need in January. It'll include over 700 stories about all the weird and wonderful phones Nokia made from the mid-90s to 2017 when Microsoft sold Nokia to HMD Global.

That list will include the Nokia 3310 'brick phone' to the Nokia 8810 'banana phone' from The Matrix. Still, we're actually more intrigued by the "previously unseen ideas, prototypes and processes" promised by the Aalto University.

(Image credit: Aalto University / Nokia / Microsoft Mobile)

The years of peak Nokia saw some wild designs (see the Nokia 7280 'lipstick phone'), so we're fascinated to see what sketches and ideas the Finnish company didn't actually bring to life.

As Kaisu Savola, the project's Post doctoral researcher, Dept. of Design, notes: “Nokia was in a similar position in the 90s as Samsung or Apple are today. When we started the project, the focus was on objects. As we began going through the material, we soon realized that it was about people.”

The Nokia Design Archive is shaping up to be a fun and potentially tear-jerking ride – you'll be able to find it on the Aalto University's website from January 15.

Back to the future Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Aalto University / Nokia / Microsoft Mobile)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Aalto University / Nokia / Microsoft Mobile)

In these days of Android and iPhone dominance, it's hard to appreciate now just how dominant Nokia was in the 1990s and early 2000s. The Design Archive will serve as both a nostalgia trip and a reminder of how quickly tech giants can fall.

At first, the online portal will only contain a fraction of the stories, images and prototypes licensed from Microsoft Mobile. The Aalto University says it'll be working through a repository containing over 20,000 items and 959GB worth of born-digital files to tell Nokia's story.

Those files will also include futuristic concepts that Nokia never managed to create – for example, a pair of virtual reality glasses – that give us a glimpse of how the company might have developed if touchscreen smartphones hadn't eclipsed it.

I still remember going to the launch of the Nokia N83 in 2006 and being told to refer to the Symbian Series 60 device as a "multimedia computer" rather than a phone. Nokia had the technology, but it didn't always know how to market it to a mass audience – and the iPhone soon changed the game.

The Nokia Design Archive should, then, be a fascinating look behind the curtain of the Finnish company's inner workings in its glory days before then – and some of its wildest concept ideas, too.

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Two years ago, ChatGPT burst onto the scene, ushering in a new era of artificial intelligence. The integration of AI technologies like ChatGPT has become both friend and foe in the ongoing battle to protect our interconnected world.

There’s no denying that ChatGPT and similar AI models have made a big impact on cybersecurity defenses. Being able to analyze data and identify patterns that could be easy to miss if reviewed manually.

However, the accessibility of AI tools has also lowered the barrier to entry for cybercriminals. Criminal hackers can now leverage ChatGPT to craft more convincing phishing emails, generate malicious code, and even create deepfakes for social engineering attacks.

Ransomware attacks, already a significant threat, have become more sophisticated with AI. The 2023 attack on ICBC's U.S. arm being a significant example.

In addition, AI-powered tools like ChatGPT have made business email compromises (BEC) even more dangerous. These models can now automate - and in some cases mimic - executive writing styles, making fraudulent emails nearly indistinguishable from legitimate ones.

Voice cloning technology, powered by AI, has also added a new dimension to credential theft. "Vishing" attacks using deepfake voices of company executives pose a significant threat to even the most security-conscious organizations. In one prominent example, hackers used a deepfake of the CEO of LastPass and tried to convince an employee to make a large wire transfer.

Similarly, AI generated videos can be used to dupe unsuspecting victims. The reach of these attacks now transcends language barriers. AI can generate flawless written, audio, or video content in any language, eliminating the telltale signs of past attacks that were often riddled with spelling and grammatical errors.

Responding to the AI cybersecurity challenge

Organizations are increasingly deploying AI features within security technologies to combat evolving threats - and one will be hard-pressed to find a security vendor which doesn’t incorporate a level of AI within their offerings. Yet, despite the capabilities of ChatGPT and others, these are not a replacement for human expertise in cybersecurity, which will always be required to ensure proper oversight and that AI recommendations are accurate and contextually sound.

Furthermore, from a social engineering perspective in particular, trying to identify when an attack is AI-generated may be the wrong way to look at the challenge. Rather, one should look at where the attack is originating from, what it is requesting, and what kind of urgency is being emphasized. In doing so, people are more likely to be able to spot and defend against attacks regardless of whether they are AI-generated or not.

Likewise, in the broader context, fundamental cyber hygiene remains crucial. Employee training, strong access control, patching, incident response planning, amongst other practices remain vital to building a secure organization.

What the future holds

Looking to the future, it’s clear that ChatGPT and other AI tools will continue to evolve and manifest in different ways. It will eventually be as ubiquitous as internet search engines.

The ongoing development of AI will undoubtedly drive innovation for both offensive and defensive cybersecurity activities. Attackers will likely leverage capabilities for more complex, multi-vectored attacks. While defenders will use AI to identify and even predict threats, automate incident response, and become a trusted companion.

However, it's crucial to remember that AI, including ChatGPT, is ultimately a tool - and like any tool, it can be wielded for both constructive and destructive purposes. The ethical use of AI in cybersecurity will become a paramount concern. To navigate this, we need three key elements:

Legislation

Smart legislation that keeps pace with technological advancements and balances innovation with security and privacy concerns will be critical as AI progresses. The EU AI Act, expected to be finalized by late 2024, aims to regulate AI using a risk-based approach, classifying them into four categories: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal risk. High-risk AI (e.g., in healthcare or law enforcement) will face stringent requirements, while minimal-risk applications remain largely unregulated. Penalties for non-compliance can reach €30 million or 6% of global turnover.

The UK's approach, however, is more flexible and focuses on five principles: safety, transparency, fairness, accountability and contestability. Rather than a single law, it lets existing regulators oversee AI within their sectors. This strategy aims to balance innovation with safety, positioning the UK as a tech-friendly hub.

Ethical frameworks

Robust ethical frameworks that guide the development and deployment of AI in cybersecurity will ensure it is used responsibly. For instance, they prevent bias, discrimination, and privacy violations while promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability. This is critical to building trust in AI systems, not to mention protecting human rights and preventing harm as AI becomes more integrated into critical systems like finance, healthcare and law enforcement.

Education and awareness

Continuous education and awareness programs that help cybersecurity professionals, policymakers and the general public understand the implications of AI in the digital ecosystem will be needed every step of the way throughout AI’s journey. The more we see, hear and read about the issues and challenges of AI, the more we can use our critical thinking to make better decisions and avoid over-reliance on AI systems.

By focusing on these areas, we can work towards a future where AI enhances the world’s collective cybersecurity posture without compromising our values or freedoms. And while it may not be easy, it is the essential path needed to allow AI to be an integral, yet managed, part of a safer digital world for all.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Generative AI is predicted to have a huge impact on how we work. According to research by Accenture, three quarters of employees across the UK could see at least a third of their working hours influenced by GenAI, where their working patterns and behavior will make use of this technology. Yet, while there is a lot of discussion on how this technology might be used, there is no consensus on how well companies will apply this technology. In the same report, only 33 percent of those surveyed expect business leaders to be responsible when it comes to AI decisions and make the right choices to have a positive impact.

Why does this matter? Accenture estimates that not using AI - or using AI badly - could lead to an opportunity cost of £485 billion in economic value by 2038. This is a bigger opportunity for the UK than any other G7 country and it could almost double the UK’s long-term growth rate within 15 years.

Whether these figures are accurate or not, the overarching message is that using AI delivers more potential value than not using it. So how can we set the right strategy in place to take advantage of AI, and what kinds of choices will be involved?

Strategies and priorities

GenAI is following on from other major technology trends and changes. From the move to client-server applications, through to the Internet, cloud and mobile, companies have gone through wholesale changes from new ways of working possible through to changing markets. For example, the switch from high-street shopping to online and mobile commerce affected many companies - some embraced online approaches, while others waited and saw their market share decline.

For GenAI, business leaders appear to be adopting one of three approaches - to Delegate to GenAI, to Accelerate with GenAI, and to Re-invent businesses on top of AI. Each of these has its own mindset and approach to business impact.

Delegate to GenAI

Using AI to delegate tasks concentrates on how GenAI can take over tasks currently performed by humans. GenAI replaces those people in their work, and staffing is then reduced as AI is brought in. The overall goal for this approach is to reduce bottom line costs to deliver a service to customers by a certain percentage - say 30 percent - and use this reduction to improve profitability.

Accelerate with GenAI

For the Acceleration approach, company leaders still look at GenAI to reduce human input and take over tasks. However, rather than immediately jettisoning those staff, companies can then look at how to redeploy those skills elsewhere. This approach uses AI to find more top line growth opportunities, improving productivity and profitability through more effective execution. Rather than taking a 30 percent reduction in costs, these businesses use that cash to power forward and increase their overall revenues and profitability together.

Reinvention

The third strategy - Reinvention - takes things further. While the Delegate and Accelerate strategies can be implemented by any business, the Reinvention approach is harder for well-established enterprises to adopt. It starts with the proverbial blank sheet of paper, and is based on asking the question, “How can I use this new technology to deliver that service better and more effectively than the traditional businesses that came before me?”

Rather than looking for cost savings or for more improvements in existing models, these companies look for completely new approaches to market that can deliver far greater results. Each new wave of technology has companies that are associated with them. For the Internet, the biggest example is Amazon, which used the online model to compete with bricks and mortar retailers. It is now worth $1.94 trillion, based on a combination of customer focus, competitive pricing and market expansion. Similarly, companies like Uber and Instagram built on mobile to create new apps that would fundamentally change the markets that they operate in, supporting millions of customers.

To reinvent an approach to business using GenAI, companies should not think about how to add AI to their existing application. Instead, the starting point has to be how to change the delivery of a product or service to meet a customer need, with GenAI at the heart of this approach.

The potential opportunities around Reinventing businesses is huge. Sonya Huang and Pat Grady of venture capital firm Sequoia point to AI - and agentic AI in particular - taking over services markets, rather than looking solely at the technology product sector associated with that service. Rather than Software as a Service, they term this “Service as a Software”. The goal for companies here is to dominate in markets that are far larger than software or technology alone, and that have previously relied on people and their skills. Rather than the $3billion market for AI software, companies should be looking at the $10trillion market for services.

In today’s world, the Reinvention approach involves looking at AI and then seeing how to structure a company, rather than the other way around.

Is your decision the right one?

Whatever your company, you will have to think about strategy and how to make the right choice around GenAI. You also have to be realistic about your goals, and how you can achieve them. It’s also important to note that many companies will change their approach to AI over time. Many CEOs and boards will decide that they want to create companies that follow the Accelerate path, but after some initial wins they will then retreat into the Delegate category.

On top of this, GenAI is still a nascent technology and companies are working out how they can scale up their projects. Approaches like retrieval augmented generation make it easier to embed company data into GenAI applications or services, but that data has to be good in the first place. According to Appen’s State of AI report for 2024, use of GenAI has gone up in businesses by 17 percent year on year, but there has also been a 10 percent annual increase in problems around projects due to data quality.

Without data, there is no AI. Without good data, there is no good AI deployment that can take over a role or deliver that performance improvement, let alone base an entire new company on. Understanding the whole approach around AI and data, and how these services work in practice, is necessary to achieve any strategic goals for the business.

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• Ubisoft has upgraded its loyalty program
• Earned Units can now be redeemed for a 20% discount on pre-orders and new releases
• 100 Units are required for the discount

Publisher Ubisoft has upgraded its Ubisoft Store loyalty program on PC, increasing the number of games that are eligible to receive discounts from earned Units.

Previously, 100 Units could be used to receive a 20% discount on your entire basket at checkout - even relatively recent releases if they were over three months old. The discount would stack with promotions too, which is a recipe for some really excellent deals.

It’s a loyalty program that I’ve taken a lot of advantage of myself, as it can make steeply discounted games that little bit cheaper. On top of this, Units can also be redeemed for in-game items in some titles, like a bonus skin or two in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege or an outfit in Assassin's Creed Mirage.

What really sets this particular scheme apart, however, is the fact that Units can be earned for free by completing challenges in certain Ubisoft games. They are also awarded as a purchase bonus, with 1 Unit per $1 spent.

Towards the end of last week, Ubisoft sent out an email confirming that it would be upgrading the scheme to make it even better. “We’ve expanded our program, allowing you to exchange Units on a wider selection of products,” it reads.

It goes on to state that the 20% will now apply to pre-orders and brand new releases, removing the three-month requirement. This is going to be pretty big news if you’ve had your eye on any upcoming Ubisoft release like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though pre-orders for that specific title aren't open quite yet.

New Ubisoft accounts are given 100 Units from the get go too, so if you don’t yet have one set up you’re able to get one discount completely on the house.

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• Report finds new generic top-level domains, such as .xyz, have disproportionally more phishing websites
• Researchers believe it is because they are affordable and come with very few registration requirements
• More new domains are being announced, making the risk that much greater

New forms of domain names, such as .top, .shop, or similar, are proving unfortunately popular among scammers and cybercriminals, new research has claimed..

The Cybercrime Supply Chain 2024 report, published by Interisle Consulting Group researchers, used data from the Cybercrime Information Center to analyze 16 million cybercrime events, concluded there is a severe discrepancy between the overall market share of newly created top-level domains, and their use in cybercrime.

New generic top-level domains (gTLDs), introduced wihin the last few years, currently make up 11% of the total domain name market - yet, the report found they accounted for more than a third (37%) of cybercrime domains. At the same time, more “traditional” domains, such as .com, .net, .org, and similar, make up more than half of the total domain name market, yet account for slightly more than 40% of cybercrime domains, almost the same as gTLDs.

Cheap and simple

Drilling deeper into the reasons for this discrepancy, the researchers established that new gTLDs try to attract customers with cheap prices and a fast registration process. In fact, the researcher said that some of the gTLDs with the highest cybercrime domain score offered registrations for less than $1, or $2. The cheapest price for a .com domain they could find was $5.91.

Cybercriminals use these domains to create fake websites, infostealing landing pages, and more. Paired with cheap email distribution, phishing attacks cost the threat actors virtually nothing, while at the same time resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, if not more.

Analyzing the report, Krebs on Security noted phishing attacks increased nearly 40% in the year ending August 2024, demonstrating the popularity of this attack vector among cybercriminals. And with new gTLDs soon to be introduced, these types of attacks will most likely spread even more, and cause even more damage.

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