TechScape: Here’s four ways a new Labour government could use tech to boost Britain
If Keir Starmer wins on Thursday, he will have the power to free our data, jump-start the NHS and strip friction from our daily lives. Here’s how
June 2024
AI drive brings Microsoft’s ‘green moonshot’ down to earth in west London
Tech firm’s bid to remove more CO2 than it produces is being tested as AI spawns new energy-hungry datacentres
January 2024
I thought most of us were going to die from the climate crisis. I was wrong
In an extract from her book Not the End of the World, data scientist Hannah Ritchie explains how her work taught her that there are more reasons for hope than despair about climate change
November 2023
Private UK health data donated for medical research shared with insurance companies
Observer investigation reveals UK Biobank opened its biomedical database to insurance firms despite pledge it would not do so
June 2023
Africa will be transformed by the potential of AI and data – if we can get investment
Mahamudu Bawumia
As tech changes the world, Ghana has the young experts to unlock the next industrial revolution, says the vice-president
May 2023
Meta warns Australia’s plan to limit targeted ads could push free platforms towards subscription fees
Letting Australians opt out of all targeted advertising under privacy reforms would go further than any other proposal globally, Facebook’s parent company says
March 2023
AI expert Meredith Broussard: ‘Racism, sexism and ableism are systemic problems’
The journalist and academic says the bias encoded in artificial intelligence systems can’t be fixed with better data alone – the change has to be societal
September 2022
The networker
Google’s image-scanning illustrates how tech firms can penalise the innocent
John Naughton
New technology helps to track child abuse images, but in the case of false positives, companies don’t always rescind suspensions
January 2022
Labour peer’s AI healthcare firm Sensyne says cash is running out
Data analytics company run by Paul Drayson says money could run out in weeks unless it finds emergency funding
This is Europe
A data ‘black hole’: Europol ordered to delete vast store of personal data
EU police body accused of unlawfully holding information and aspiring to become an NSA-style mass surveillance agency
Guardian’s Cadwalladr in court to fight defamation claim by Brexit backer Banks
Award-winning journalist says comments about multi-millionaire businessman were in the public interest
May 2021
Women in technology
From menopause to anxiety: the new tech tackling women’s health problems
Apps tracking hormones and a gadget combatting menopausal hot flushes are some of the latest innovations in the femtech market, which is predicted to be worth $60bn by 2027
December 2020
The networker
Companies are now writing reports tailored for AI readers – and it should worry us
John Naughton
A recent study suggests lengthy, complex corporate filings are increasingly read by, and written for, machines
October 2020
Observer New Review Q&A
Jill Lepore: 'When did we hand Google, Twitter and Facebook the reins?'
The historian talks big data, social media and the US election
September 2020
If the Labour conference were on now, would I be knocked over by a rush of ideas?
Will Hutton
Health, the workplace, our place in the world... is the party thinking big thoughts?
August 2020
Recession in real time: how big data can track the Covid slump
Official economic data for June will be out this week. But unconventional indicators can help gauge conditions right now
July 2020
Downing Street seeks data expert to set up 'skunkworks' in No 10
Advert for head of analytical unit is latest sign of Dominic Cummings’ Whitehall shake-up
March 2020
Yahoo deleted all my emails – and there's nothing I can do about it
Arwa Mahdawi
How a data-backed Christian nationalist machine helped Trump to power
January 2020
Americans need a 'digital bill of rights'. Here's why
Ramesh Srinivasan
Tech companies’ entire business model depends on our data. We have the right to some measure of control
