Worries about an AI internet takeover gain new urgency among doomsday scenarios

In a summer filled with revelations about artificial intelligence’s rapid development, researchers were especially alarmed by runaway bots finding their way onto the internet and, in at least one instance, coordinating there with one another. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in an essay this month that AI agents could take over the internet in just six to 12 months. He's called for the industry to slow down the technology’s development. Skeptics note that what companies have described as their AI agents going rogue have involved bots working toward goals set by humans. But the idea that AI could break away and work toward its own agenda is looking increasingly plausible to other researchers and experts.

Is it 'killer robots' or 'super intelligence'? At the UN, leaders see both

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — World leaders are painting quite different views of the future of artificial intelligence at the United Nations, with colorful phrases such as killer robots and super intelligence.  At Tuesday's General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the potential dangers of AI, calling for more oversight. He emphasized that life-and-death decisions should not be left to machines. On the other hand, Donald Trump rejected global controls on AI, referring to it as “super intelligence.” The UN Security Council plans to address AI controls, with major AI figures participating in the discussion.

China's Alibaba unveils new powerful chip and ambitious AI model plans

HONG KONG (AP) — China's Alibaba has unveiled new plans for its AI model and new chip technologies, including what it claims is China's most powerful AI chip. This launch comes as U.S. AI leaders call for a slowdown in AI development over safety concerns. On Tuesday, at its annual conference in Hangzhou, Alibaba introduced the Zhenwu V900 AI chip, which it says triples the performance of its predecessor. The company also plans to train a new AI model with up to 10 trillion parameters, one of the measures of its capability. Analysts believe these advancements, announced just ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, could give China more leverage in U.S.-China talks.

Bill Gates pushes for 'smart use' of AI as his foundation builds more representative language data

NEW YORK (AP) — The Gates Foundation is convening Anthropic, Google, OpenAI Foundation and dozens of other organizations to help make artificial intelligence more accessible in underrepresented languages. There are more than 60 partners in total, ranging from AI labs and corporations to philanthropies and governments. The coalition aims to reach more than 3 billion people over five years by better coordinating existing efforts. Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman says the work must continue ‘full speed ahead’ even as some large AI companies urge a slowdown on some advanced models' development. The collaboration follows last week's announcement that the Gates Foundation is committing $1 billion to expand access to AI.

Trump says US and Iranian officials met Tuesday, shortly after warning he may 'annihilate' Iran

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Donald Trump says U.S. and Iranian officials met for about three hours Tuesday, shortly after he threatened in his address to the U.N. General Assembly that he may “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal isn’t reached soon to end the nearly seven-month war. Trump told reporters about the meeting but offered few details about the talks. Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. president in his address to the world body made the case that he’s shown fortitude while other leaders have equivocated as he defended his decision to start a war with Iran. Trump says he has a “big decision” to make on whether a deal will be made with Iran.

Trump and Xi see tensions flare over AI, trade and Iran but still seek stability

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington this week as economic and tech competition escalates between the two countries. Both leaders are aiming to stabilize fragile ties, though no major agreements are expected. The meeting itself is seen as significant given the deep differences and a lack of trust between the United States and China. An accelerating artificial intelligence race is a key issue, with both countries vying for dominance despite warnings about the rapid development of the technology. Along with persistent trade issues, the two leaders also are trying to maneuver around major hot spots like Iran and Taiwan.

Google fined $463 million for breaching EU rule on location data

Google has been fined 403 million euros for breaching the EU's privacy rules by mishandling users' location data. Ireland's Data Protection Commission found that Google unlawfully processed data in its Web & App Activity and Location History settings. Regulators also said Google's processing of personal data in its Location Accuracy feature was not lawful, fair, or transparent. The investigation, which began six years ago, looked at Google's compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation from 2018 to 2020. Google stated that it has since updated its policies and improved tools for managing location data.

China and the US are competing for AI dominance but have shared concerns over safety

HONG KONG (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet this week to discuss artificial intelligence. The meeting comes amid rising concerns about AI's potential threats and the competitive tension between the two countries. On Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. and China discussed setting up a mechanism for AI dialogue and a notification system for AI incidents impacting national security. Both nations are worried about AI's potential to attack critical infrastructure. Despite U.S. export controls, Chinese AI models are increasingly competitive. Accusations of technology theft remain a sore point in their relationship.

Climate Week talks balance hope for clean energy against uncertainty over artificial intelligence

NEW YORK (AP) — World and business leaders this week will grapple with the urgent costs of climate change. Experts say the rise of artificial intelligence and data centers, which consume a lot of energy, and higher fossil fuel prices due to wars in Iran, Venezuela and Ukraine are changing the conversation as the United Nations General Assembly meets during New York's climate week. The toll from summer's heat waves, wildfires and Nepal's catastrophic flood are also pressing issues. Renewable energy is booming, but climate impacts are accelerating faster than political systems can respond.

Bessent: US proposes AI incident alert system in talks with China

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. is proposing a new notification system with China for artificial intelligence incidents that could threaten national security. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the plan on Sunday after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York. Bessent says greater transparency is critical between the world’s two leading AI powers. Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said weekend meetings with their Chinese counterparts laid the groundwork for talks Thursday at the White House between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.