Practical independence through technology.

Harvard professor and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore talks about the importance of criticism surrounding artificial intelligence as she prepares to release her new book, The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, on August 25. She argues that public scrutiny can shape policy and prevent unchecked technological expansion. Lepore highlights historical patterns where institutions resisted change until pressure forced reform, suggesting a similar trajectory for AI governance. The conversation explores how societal pushback may guide ethical frameworks and ensure accountability in future AI development.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s e‑commerce service has been fined €550 million ($629 million) by the European Union for selling illegal products. The penalty is the largest imposed under the bloc’s content moderation rulebook.

San Jose-based Archer Aviation announced a new electric aircraft developed in partnership with defense technology firm Anduril. The prototype is designed to serve both civilian air‑taxi operations and military missions, marking an early step toward versatile electric aviation. The collaboration aims to leverage Anduril's autonomous systems while expanding Archer's market beyond urban mobility. Details on performance specifications remain limited as the companies prepare for further testing and potential certification.

Google is integrating more artificial intelligence into its search platform, leading users to spend increased time on the service. Some website operators have expressed dissatisfaction with these changes, fearing negative effects on their traffic and the openness of the web.

New research indicates that automated resume screening systems are more prone to discriminatory outcomes than human recruiters. The study highlights how algorithmic preferences can unintentionally favor certain demographics, prompting calls for stricter oversight and transparent model testing before deployment. In a separate incident, a group of activists disrupted weather data streams by inserting false readings into public forecasting services. The sabotage aimed to expose vulnerabilities in climate monitoring infrastructure and sparked debate over the ethics of manipulating environmental information.