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Managing energy consumption is one of the biggest challenges to turn a nation’s AI vision into reality. AI data centers require vast power resources at a time when the national grids are shifting toward renewables. Another major hurdle is talent. With global competition for AI expertise heating up, countries must invest more in education and training. There should also be more industry collaboration to build the skilled workforce needed for a true independent AI vision.

AI workloads and energy use

AI workloads, particularly those associated with large language models (LLMs) and advanced analytics, impose varying energy demands. Training AI models is an extremely computationally intensive process, requiring stable, high-energy inputs over extended periods. It involves feeding large datasets into deep learning models, running complex calculations, and iterating repeatedly to refine accuracy.

This process demands high-performance computing resources and an uninterrupted power supply, making it one of the most energy-consuming aspects of AI.

In contrast, AI inference runs models in real-time to make predictions, classify data, or analyze text, images, and video. Though less demanding than training, inference workloads are dynamic and need efficient and steady energy resource allocation for real-time tasks like chatbots, automation, and edge computing.

So how can we manage the energy consumption from these intensive AI workloads?

Renewable energy: A double-edged sword

Renewable energy is central to the UK's AI Action Plan and its ambitions to become a leader in AI data centers. With substantial resources in wind, solar and hydro contributing 36.1% of electricity generation in 2023, the UK can tackle the growing electricity demand in a more environmentally sustainable manner.

The UK's newly established AI Energy Council is expected to explore innovative energy solutions, such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), to bridge this gap. With AI-driven energy consumption accelerating, a 160% increase in data center power demand is anticipated.

Despite hardware efficiency gains seen in AI adoption and real-world scenarios, increasing demand for the technology outpaces these improvements. Popular AI-driven solutions, such as ChatGPT, have seen rapid user adoption, surpassing 100 million users in 2025 with approximately 464 million visits per month.

The International Energy Agency reports that a single ChatGPT query requires 2.9 watt-hours of electricity, nearly ten times more than a Google search, which only needs 0.3 watt-hours.

As AI continues to scale, the growing energy consumption raises important concerns about environmental sustainability, highlighting the need for strategic solutions.

Aligning AI workloads with renewable energy and advanced resource management

It is clear that renewable energy alone is insufficient in meeting the UK’s AI Action Plan’s requirements, which presents a chance for AI data centers to adopt intelligent workload scheduling and resource management strategies. AI workloads should be scheduled to coincide with periods of peak renewable energy generation, such as high-wind periods or midday solar peaks.

This approach allows AI training tasks, which require significant power, to be executed when renewable energy availability is at its highest, reducing reliance on non-renewable backup sources or storage technologies such as batteries.

AI requires high levels of compute resources, typically utilizing specialized hardware like GPUs, which handle high levels of parallel transactions essential for AI models and applications. Multi-tenanted GPU virtualization and graphics virtualization solutions effectively consolidate resource utilization, reducing the need for additional hardware and energy consumption.

GPUs are significantly more energy-efficient than CPUs for AI inference tasks—studies show up to 42x greater efficiency—but their increasing cost and energy intensity make strategic allocation crucial. Given the complexity of GPU scenarios, which vary depending on applications, query types, and user volume, ensuring these powerful resources are fully utilized and not left idle is a top priority for reducing environmental impact and maximizing return on investment.

Effective GPU optimization strategies include dynamic sharing and partitioning techniques, enabling better resource allocation, minimizing wastage, and supporting data centers transitioning to renewable energy sources.

AI schedulers should be designed to scale compute resources up or down based on real-time energy availability. This means distributing (within data proximity requirements) workloads across different geographic locations where renewable energy is abundant at any given time and adjusting processing speeds to match fluctuating renewable energy supplies.

Further boosting energy efficiency in data centers requires innovative solutions, like liquid cooling and AI-driven optimization, with advanced designs and hardware that minimize energy consumption. A diversified energy mix is also key, combining renewables with technologies like SMRs to ensure a stable power supply, supported by data center energy monitoring and allocation modelling.

Government agencies can also drive environmental sustainability by financially incentivizing data centers to run on renewable energy while managing growth to protect the energy grid. These strategies ensure consistent power availability while maximizing the use of renewable energy when conditions are favorable.

Building a future of innovation and environmental sustainability

The UK is well-placed to achieve its AI ambitions without overwhelming the energy grid, provided it embraces a portfolio of efficiency levers across workload, hardware and infrastructure layers. Physical virtualization is one of the most immediate and proven techniques. Deployments of advanced virtualization platforms can cut physical servers by 39 % and trim three-year infrastructure cost by 34 %, according to IDC’s 2024 study.

Fewer racks translate directly into a lower baseload on the grid and quicker alignment with renewable-energy contracts. AI acceleration now benefits as well; tests have shown that virtualization solutions with GPU support delivers AI training performance within 1–6 % of bare metal and inference at 94–105 % yet still leave up to 88 % of CPU cores free for other work. Multi-tenant GPU virtualization therefore drives higher AI throughput per watt, deferring additional hardware purchases and the embodied carbon they carry.

Alongside virtualization, emerging technologies such as liquid cooling, AI-driven energy-optimization software and diversified power sources (including small modular reactors) will further curb data-center consumption. While no single solution is a silver bullet, the strategic combination of consolidated, software-defined infrastructure and intelligent energy management positions the UK to set a global example—demonstrating how cutting-edge AI capability and energy security can advance together on a clear trajectory to net-zero.

By prioritizing environmentally sustainable and sovereign approaches, the UK has a unique opportunity to set a global example – demonstrating how cutting-edge AI and energy security can evolve together.

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, August 15 (game #796).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #797) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TISSUE
• WORK
• PLUCK
• CONSTRUCTION
• CRUSH
• CREPE
• CREAM
• RESOLVE
• ROLLING
• REPAIRS
• SHELLAC
• TOILET
• GRIT
• ROUT
• UPGRADES
• FORTITUDE

NYT Connections today (game #797) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Unwavering perseverance 
• GREEN: Home improvements
• BLUE: To deliver a heavy defeat
• PURPLE: Pulp friction

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #797) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: INTREPIDITY 
• GREEN: RENOVATIONS
• BLUE: TROUNCE
• PURPLE: KINDS OF SOFT/LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #797) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #797, are…

• YELLOW: INTREPIDITY FORTITUDE, GRIT, PLUCK, RESOLVE
• GREEN: RENOVATIONS CONSTRUCTION, REPAIRS, UPGRADES, WORK
• BLUE: TROUNCE CREAM, CRUSH, ROUT, SHELLAC
• PURPLE: KINDS OF SOFT/LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER CREPE, ROLLING, TISSUE, TOILET

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

A great puzzle today which got me pondering how we use TOILET paper to sneeze into, blow our noses, or dab them.

TOILET paper works perfectly well for this function because it’s essentially the same product as facial tissue, just in a different format. Yet, despite this, we’d never think of using facial tissue in place of toilet paper. Why is that? We might even use less and save money if we did.

The INTREPIDITY group contained four incredible qualities we should all strive to possess and I suspect those that do possess them don’t have time to ponder the differences between KINDS OF SOFT/LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, August 15, game #796)

• YELLOW: POULTRY CUTS BREAST, TENDER, THIGH, WING
• GREEN: HANDLE, AS A BILL FOOT, PAY, SETTLE, TAKE CARE OF
• BLUE: SPLENDID BRILLIANT, CAPITAL, FINE, GRAND
• PURPLE: STARTS OF CULINARY NUTS CASH, HAZE, MAC, PEC

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, August 15 (game #1299).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1300) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• O

• Q

• S

• E

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1300) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1300, are…

• OWING
• QUAKE
• SLIDE
• ELITE

A very tricky round that could have easily gone sideways.

It took me quite a while before I found a letter containing A,U and E from the letters I had left. I could think of plenty using unavailable letters and came close to entering "usage" just to end the misery. Then I thought of QUAKE and the sweet relief of reaching the end.

Daily Sequence today (game #1300) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1300, are…

• SPEAK
• MORAL
• WIMPY
• SMACK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1299, Friday, 15 August: WHALE, PRISM, DRAKE, TEPEE
• Quordle #1298, Thursday, 14 August: LAPEL, IDIOM, RENEW, LIVER
• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE
• Quordle #1285, Friday, 1 August: ACTOR, MEALY, WIDTH, ADOBE
• Quordle #1284, Thursday, 31 July: STYLE, VALET, AGONY, ALLOY
• Quordle #1283, Wednesday, 30 July: DEBAR, ADMIN, FOLIO, USAGE
• Quordle #1282, Tuesday, 29 July: BATCH, TOPIC, MURKY, BUNCH
• Quordle #1281, Monday, 28 July: CANDY, TRYST, SHIRT, FORGO

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, August 15 (game #530).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Think on it!

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LEGAL
• BANGER
• GAURD
• SNUB
• NOSE
• FATAL

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #531) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 2nd column

Last side: bottom, 1st column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #531) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #531, are…

• LOGIC
• ANALYSIS
• LANGUAGE
• NUMBERS
• ORDER 
• REASON
• SPANGRAM: LEFT BRAIN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

The theme “Think on it!” could mean anything at all, so I went hunting for non-game words to earn a hint.

I got the word LEFT but completely missed seeing BRAIN, which probably says something about my lack of LOGIC and LEFT BRAIN dexterity.

Anyway, with logic gifted to me I was able to spot the other thinking words including a corkscrewing ANALYSIS and backwards REASON.

A nice work out for the brain, then, but not so taxing an exercise that I actually had to do any proper thinking.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, August 15, game #530)

• DISHES
• GARBAGE
• GROCERIES
• LAUNDRY
• VACUUMING
• SPANGRAM: WHAT A CHORE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Wet-dry vacuums are becoming more common products. The latest S30 and S30 Pro from Narwal come with AI-powered features and self-cleaning.

Different noise colors affect your brain differently and they can be helpful if you have them on as you go to sleep. Here's how noise colors work and how you can try them.

Whether you're looking for an affordable option or one with all of the bells and whistles, we've rounded up the best microwaves for every situation.

A 20-minute peek at the highly-anticipated sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

The 18th annual competition showcases masterpiece photos taken with Apple devices across the globe.

• President Trump and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan could be in discussions about a deal
• Intel shares rose 7% following the report
• The company's $28 billion Ohio One campus could benefit from such investment

The Trump administration is reportedly in talks over taking a stake in beleagured chipmaker Intel in its latest bid to boost US manufacturing,

Reports from Bloomberg claim after the recent meeting between President Trump and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan – a relationship that's been threatened after the President called for Tan to resign over alleged ties to China, talks have reportedly been held over a deal.

A potential government investment could include equity stakes, guaranteed purchases, loans and private financing, similar to the Pentagon's recent $400 million stake in MP Materials which recently brought on the provision of a $150 million loan.

US Government could buy a stake in Intel

The news comes after a long period of uncertainty for Intel with multiple quarters of revenue decline.

Things have already slowly started to turn around, though, with Intel seeing flat year-over-year revenue in its last quarter under the guidance of new CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

"We are laser-focused on strengthening our core product portfolio and our AI roadmap to better serve customers. We are also taking the actions needed to build a more financially disciplined foundry," he said.

Intel shares rose more than 7% following the report that the US Government could get involved in Intel's operations, however the deal remains unconfirmed with no agreement reached as yet.

The White House explained, "discussion about hypothetical deals should be regarded as speculation unless officially announced by the administration."

Intel had already signed a deal with AWS in September 2024 to accelerate the development of chip manufacturing in Ohio, but progress has remained slow.

As part of the deal, AWS was going to add $7.8 billion to expand its own data center operations in Central Ohio.

In February 2025, EVP, Chief Global Operations Officer and GM for Intel Foundry Manufacturing, Naga Chandrasekaran, said Intel expects the first of its two Ohio fabs to begin operations between 2030 and 2031, with the second coming online around a year later.

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• A collaboration between Sony and cult fashion favorite Chopova Lowena
• Made specifically for the WH-1000XM6
• £800 (about $1,085 / AU$1,665) including headphones

Sony has teamed up with cult British/Bulgarian fashion brand Chopova Lowena to create a bag for the WH-1000XM6 headphones that "seamlessly blends Chopova Lowena’s distinctive aesthetic with Sony’s cutting-edge technology and functionality".

The Alto bag, available now for £800 (about $1,085 / AU$1,665) including a set of black WH-1000XM6 headphones, is exclusive to Dover Street Market London and doverstreetmarket.com.

Maybe it's because I'm just back from the Edinburgh Festival and its streets of shops selling tourist tat, but looking at the photos of the alto it reminds me very much of the "see you Jimmy" comedy hats available everywhere (and that I've included for illustrative purposes in the gallery below, if you scroll right), or a squashed set of bagpipes. Or maybe a wild haggis that's been smashed with hammers? I don't think that's the intention here, but it's what I see.

Clearly middle-aged sarcastic me isn't the target demographic here, and Sony is very excited about the collaboration, which delivered on their brief to "create something fun, distinctly original and fashion forward."

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Sony / Chopova Lowena )Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Dover Street Market / Temu)A bag for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, for sure

Chopova Lowena are Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena, and according to the press release they're a woman-centered, ethical employer creating "job opportunities for women passionate about rejuvenating cultural heritage through the preservation of traditional techniques. The objective of their design and production of distinctive garments is to usher in a system of ethical consumption with a focus on appreciating skill, craft, time and consideration for impact on the environment."

The duo "see music and fashion as deeply intertwined forms of expression that immerse individuals in their own worlds." The Alto bag is inspired by their own Sofia bag and also incorporates elements of their AW23 Pow Pow bag, creating what Sony says is "a totally unique accessory meant for the music-obsessed".

According to Chopova Lowena: "The Alto bag is here for every mood, every genre, and every tear wept to a playlist listened through your Sony headphones. You’re part of the Sony x Chopova Lowena family so no matter how you’re feeling, you’re never going through it alone.”

The Alto bag is available now. Of course, you can buy the headphones on their own (ie. without this bag) and you'd be making a great purchase if you did, since the WH-1000XM6 are some of the best over-ear headphones we've tested. Yes, we still recommend their older siblings (the excellent WH-1000XM4) as the best pick for most people owing to their incredible value and the excellent sound and feature-set, but if your budget stretches a little bit further, the XM6 are an excellent set of 2025 headphones.

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• GPT-5 completed Pokémon Red in just 6,470 steps
• That's almost a third of the time it took ChatGPT-o3
• AI is going to try and complete the sequel, Pokémon Crystal next

There's a new champion – for now – in the contest to be the fastest AI to complete the original Pokémon Red video game, with ChatGPT-5 completely eclipsing its rivals.

GPT-5, the latest model from OpenAI, took just 6,470 steps to complete the 1998 Game Boy classic, eclipsing the previous record of 18,184 steps by ChatGPT-o3.

If it's hard to comprehend how many steps the main character, Red, had to make to defeat the Elite Four – 6,470 equates to around seven days of gameplay, compared to over 15 days for o3, the next best Pokémon model.

It's a stark contrast to earlier this year, when Gemini 2.5 and Claude 3.7 Sonnet were in a race to even get to the end of the game, let alone do so in a fast time.

Anthropic used Pokémon as a benchmark to showcase the prowess of its latest Claude model, combining it with a YouTube video in which developers discussed why GameFreak's iconic franchise was the perfect way to assess an AI model's problem-solving capabilities.

Now, just a few months later, AI models are able to complete these classic games faster and faster – and they're only going to improve.

All of AI's attempts to complete Pokémon have been livestreamed on platforms like Twitch, where channels like GPT_Plays_Pokemon have regular viewers and subscribers.

Having destroyed the previous record time for completing Pokémon Red, GPT-5 is now going to take on the sequel, Pokémon Crystal. The game, which was released in 2000, has double the amount of content to conquer, as you can venture back to the world of Kanto following your adventure in the Johto region.

GPT-5 Just Finished Pokemon Red! from r/singularityGotta train 'em all!

(Image credit: Nintendo)

GPT-5's Pokémon Red journey highlights a tactic young kids have used in the game for years: leveling up one Pokémon and neglecting the other five creatures in your party.

In the Reddit thread highlighting the AI model's accomplishment, the top comment from u/Ok_Business84 reads, "Learned that sticking to one Pokémon and hard tanking everybody is the easier way."

After nearly 30 years, I finally feel like my younger self has been validated. Back in 1999, I completed Pokémon Yellow with an overpowered Pikachu, and nothing else to show for it.

It would be cool to see GPT-5 play Pokémon less like 6-year-old me, and more like an accomplished player, building a varied team of creatures that can take on any battle in the game. This run feels like the AI brute-forced its way to victory, and while it achieved the goal it set out to achieve, it's not entirely viable in a regular playthrough.

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• ChatGPT might not be ad-free forever
• Head of ChatGPT Nick Turley says ads could be implemented in the future in some OpenAI products
• ChatGPT could remain ad-free, but at what cost?

The head of ChatGPT says OpenAI could implement ads on its products in the future, but only if they are "thoughtful and tasteful."

Speaking to The Verge, Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, was quizzed on the possibility of the AI chatbot getting ads in the future. While reluctant to respond, he did give an insight into how he views advertising for ChatGPT, and couldn't rule it out completely.

Turley said, "Look, since you’re really trying to get me to comment on ads, I have become humble enough not to make crazy, extreme, long-term statements on a question like that, because maybe there is a certain market where people aren’t willing to pay us, yet we want to offer the best, latest, and greatest. Maybe that would be a place to consider other indirect forms of monetization."

He added that if the company were to ever implement ads, they would need to do so in a "very, very careful and deliberate because I really think that the thing that makes ChatGPT magical is the fact that you get the best answer for you, and there’s no other stakeholder in the middle."

While that sounds pretty positive for the future of an ad-free ChatGPT experience, Turley couldn't rule it out altogether, instead opting for a more diplomatic approach. He said, "I’m humble enough not to rule it out categorically, but we’d have to be very thoughtful and tasteful about it."

Maybe more positive, however, is that he seems to think that if ads were to appear on OpenAI products, then it's likely to be on other offerings from the company, not the world's most popular AI chatbot with over 700 million weekly users.

He said, "We will build other products, and those other products can have different dimensions to them, and maybe ChatGPT just isn’t an ads-y product because it’s just so deeply accountable to your goals."

ChatGPT is ad free, but subscriptions will likely ramp up

While Nick Turley's comments leave me feeling hopeful for an ad-free ChatGPT experience for the foreseeable future, I feel less positive about an even more heavily tiered platform that paywalls its best features.

Just yesterday, ChatGPT started to roll out Gmail connectivity, but its best capabilities are paywalled behind ChatGPT Pro, a $200 / £200 a month subscription.

As a ChatGPT Plus subscriber who pays $20 / £20 a month, I've noticed the sheer difference in capabilities between the paid version and the free one, and while I understand OpenAI needs to make money as a business, $240 / £240 a year feels like a steep ask.

I'm worried about the future of AI being paywalled behind premium subscriptions, and I think it's the direction we're heading in. Even companies like Google have offered premium AI subscriptions with the best Pixel smartphones for a year; however, following that initial period, the same Gemini AI capabilities become paid.

If subscriptions and basic free tiers are the way AI companies justify ad-free chatbots, then I'm more pro-ads than I ever thought I'd be. In fact, give me an ad-riddled ChatGPT with full access to the same as a Plus account for free; I'd take that over forking out a hefty amount of money every single month.

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• Code in macOS Tahoe hints that a 5G MacBook could be on the way
• Apple is apparently testing it in a MacBook with M5 Pro chip
• There’s no guarantee a 5G MacBook will ever launch, though

Apple’s best iPhones and iPads have all been imbued with 5G goodness, but MacBooks remain left out in the cold. There are hints now, though, that that could soon change, and I think this could bring with it some serious benefits.

The idea of a 5G MacBook hasn’t been put forward by a dodgy leaker or an industry analyst – no, it comes from Apple itself. According to Macworld, Apple’s macOS Tahoe code contains references to an unreleased Mac codenamed “t6050” that will feature an M5 Pro chip, indicating that it’s going to be part of the next generation of MacBook Pro laptops.

Crucially, the code suggests that this MacBook will come with a “Centauri” chip, Macworld claims. Centauri is the codename for Apple’s 5G modem, which found its way into the iPhone 16e under the C1 name. If Macworld’s report is accurate, that would make the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip the first Apple laptop to feature 5G connectivity.

The timing makes sense, as Apple outfitted its iPhone 16e with its first in-house 5G modem last year. With more control over the chip’s features and manufacturing process, Apple might feel that the time is right to bring 5G capabilities to its laptop range.

And with the efficiency of Apple silicon added to the mix, there would be less concern over the chip unduly draining your laptop’s battery.

Connectivity off the grid

(Image credit: Apple)

On the face of it, adding 5G to a MacBook might seem like a strange idea. After all, no one is about to hold a clunky laptop up to their ear to make a phone call. And when I first heard this rumor, I was pretty unconvinced.

But the idea has been growing on me over the past few months. Far from being an anachronism, 5G could actually bring some pretty upsides to your Apple laptop, both in terms of connectivity and security.

For instance, it could help you stay connected to the internet in places where Wi-Fi is unavailable, such as when you’re traveling or off the grid. As well as that, it would mean you wouldn’t need to connect to free Wi-Fi in bars and restaurants, avoiding what can be a serious security risk to your laptop.

Still, there’s no guarantee that Apple will ever actually release a 5G MacBook. While it has been rumored for many months now, the company could simply be testing the device and ultimately decide not to launch it.

But with the M5-series MacBooks expected to arrive in either late 2025 or early 2026, we might find out relatively soon.

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• Windows 11 just got a new test build in the Release Preview channel
• It comes with a fair chunk of AI features, but only one I actually want
• That's the AI agent in Settings, which is rolling out to more people - but sadly, I won't get this, as it's for Copilot+ PCs only

Windows 11 just got a new preview release, and there's quite a bit of work with AI here, including a new home page for the Recall ability and a wider deployment of the AI agent in the Settings app.

This is preview build 26100.506,1, which has been pushed out to testers in the Release Preview channel, and as you might guess, much of the fresh introductions on the AI front are for Copilot+ PCs only.

One of the most important moves is that the AI agent in Settings - which works as a natural language search to find the options you want easily - is now rolling out to Copilot+ laptops with AMD and Intel processors.

Previously, this ability was only available to Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X (Arm) CPUs, but it's now functioning with all of these devices (though the feature still only works when your primary language is set to English in Windows 11). Sadly, I don't have a Copilot+ device, so I'm more than a bit jealous, as I feel like this is very much an AI feature worth having - and those are a rarity.

Speaking of which, still in Copilot+ PCs territory, the Recall feature - for those who've turned it on, and that won't be everyone, even though it's a core pillar of Microsoft's drive with AI - now has a new home page which is based on your recent activity.

So, this surfaces your most-used apps and websites, and will also present you with the latest snapshots taken so you can quickly get back into tasks you were previously engaged in (assuming you have snapshots set to be saved in Recall, of course). Essentially, it's a bank of useful and personalized shortcuts to get back into what you were doing in a swifter manner.

Along with this, Click to Do (AI-powered context-sensitive suggestions) now comes with a short tutorial (an interactive one, apparently). This shows how it works to offer shortcuts with images or text, a useful touch for those new to the idea.

All of this is for Copilot+ PCs, but there are some fresh AI additions coming to all Windows 11 systems. That includes AI actions in File Explorer, which are shortcuts in a similar vein to Click to Do, based around editing images or summarizing documents.

With images (JPG and PNG formats) in File Explorer - which is the app that displays the folders on your desktop - there are now four AI-related actions. That includes a Visual Search (image search on the web), and the Erase Objects ability, which is AI-powered object removal in the Photos app - plus there's the self-explanatory Blur Background option in that app, too. On top of that, Remove Background will do just that with an image in the Paint app.

In the case of summarizing documents, however, this functionality is restricted - you need a Microsoft 365 subscription to benefit from AI actions here.

Away from AI, there are quite a few other changes with this new preview build, and a whole host of minor tweaks all over the place - check out Microsoft's extensive blog post for the full details.

Other nifty non-AI changes worth noting include Windows 11 users outside of Europe getting the ability to fully customize which widgets appear on the lock screen (previously this was exclusive to the European Economic Area).

Windows Hello - the secure login system - now has a revamped interface, and a bug where facial recognition failed has been fixed (plus fingerprint login now works better after the PC wakes from sleep).

(Image credit: Foxy burrow / Shutterstock / Microsoft)Analysis: The importance of being artificially intelligent

The agent for changing Windows 11 settings is one of the more useful applications for AI that I've seen introduced by Microsoft, so while it's good to see it coming to Copilot+ PCs that don't have an Arm processor, I'm still jealous that I'm missing out. Yes, I get it - you need that powerful NPU to make it work - but still, it doesn't feel great to not be receiving one of the genuinely laudable AI concepts that Microsoft has on the boil.

At any rate, as this is the Release Preview channel, this means the AI agent should hit the finished version of Windows 11 soon enough for those with the necessary hardware.

The rest of us can feel like we're missing out, or maybe you won't even care about this - or the other steps forward Microsoft has taken with AI here. Okay, so it's not that there wasn't anything else for normal (non-Copilot+) Windows 11 machines in this preview, but a fair chunk of the major moves were to do with AI.

And it's likely that the focus on AI features here might elicit some groans from quite a few folks - but despite that, and the relatively niche appeal of Copilot+ devices still, we can expect a lot more of Microsoft pushing this kind of tech.

Recent visions of the future of Windows from a couple of Microsoft executives have underlined the importance of AI (as well as the cloud and voice commands for input), so it's clear that this is a path Microsoft is going to be forging down with even more vigor in the coming years. In short: you'd best get used to this.

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• The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is again tipped to be IP68 rated
• It would be the first foldable to reach the standard
• The Pixel 10 phones are getting unveiled on August 20

We're patiently counting down the days until the big Google Pixel 10 showcase on August 20, and ahead of the launch event there's a rumor that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will be the first foldable to launch with an IP68 rating for dust and water protection.

This comes from WinFuture, in an article where most of the handset's technical details are presented, and it's the IP68 rating that really stands out. No other foldable on the market can match it, not even the IP48-rated Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

An IP68 phone is completely protected against dust getting in, and is watertight too: the exact definition depends on the phone and the manufacturer, but being able to survive for 30 minutes in water at a depth of 1.5 meters (nearly five feet) is typical.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers IPX8 protection, like foldables such as the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra: this means a high level of waterproofing, but no guarantee that specks of dust and dirt aren't going to find their way into the housing.

A repeating rumor

Of course, a foldable phone with a flexible screen and a hinge presents some very specific challenges when it comes to keeping out dust and water, and it will be quite the feat if Google has managed to get the Pixel 10 Pro Fold up to the required standard.

Given that we heard the same rumor from separate sources in June and in July, it's looking more and more likely that Google has indeed pulled off that feat – and it's going to be one of the major selling points of the handset, on top of whatever other upgrades we get treated to.

Another interesting tidbit from this report is that the storage will be upgraded from UFS 3.1 to UFS 4.0. It won't make a huge difference, but it will mean a speed increase, and should make the foldable phone feel snappier overall.

We will of course be covering the launch of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the other handsets in the series live on August 20, and we're expecting Google to provide a livestream of some description, so you'll be able to watch along wherever you are in the world.

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Trump and Putin meet in Alaska today. Here's what you need to know before the summit. And, Texas Democrats could end their boycott if California also begins redistricting.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

If you're wary of building a PC but want to avoid lock-in from weird proprietary cases and motherboards, the Velocity Micro Raptor Z95A I tested might just be your ticket.