Silicon UK Pulse: Your Tech News Update: Episode 24

Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse

This is your weekly round-up of the top tech news stories.

Every Friday, Silicon UK surveys the week’s tech news.

Stay up-to-date with what’s happening in your industry or sector.

I’m James Marriott with all the big technology news from the last week.

Welcome to Silicon UK Pulse

I’m James Marriott with all the big technology news from the last week.

Dozens of US states are suing Meta.

Altogether 41 states are involved in the legal action, which claims Facebook and Instagram are harming children’s mental health.

It follows growing concern about the amount of time youngsters spend on these platforms.

The lawsuit alleges Meta contributes to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

It also claims the company collects data on under 13s without parental consent.

They’re seeking financial damages and demanding Meta make changes to the two platforms.

A UK Government safety watchdog has raised concerns over a nuclear firm’s cybersecurity practices.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has placed EDF Energy ‘on notice’.

That means the firm will have “significantly enhanced regulatory attention” after an inspection of its cybersecurity set-up.

EDF is a French company that runs five nuclear power stations in the UK, with a sixth currently being built.

Silicon UK understands the issue centres around EDF failing to have a cyber improvement plan in place by the end of March, but it is now in place.

Another week and another new subscription tier at X.

Well, two, in fact.

The platform formerly known as Twitter is set to bring two alternative premium subscription options soon, according to owner Elon Musk.

He posted to say one of them would be a lower-cost option with all the premium features but no reduction in ads.

The other would be the opposite – a more expensive version which is ad-free.

Of course, currently, there’s just the one premium service originally known as Twitter Blue, which gets rid of some but not all ads and costs just under £10 a month.

There are fears over the future of some jobs at Amazon, after the company began to experiment using new robots in its warehouses.

It’s carrying out tests in Seattle and Houston.

Both involve using robots to speed up parts of their workflow.

One of the robots can grab and lift items.

Most businesses use AI – but staff are often completely unaware, according to a new report.

Research from HR, payroll, and workforce management software provider UKG included surveying more than 4,000 employees, including C-suite executives, in 10 countries.

The finding that most businesses are already using AI mirrors a similar finding in September after tech research firm Slalom found 84% of businesses had already begun using AI in some capacity.

It’s been a good week for Microsoft.

The tech giant announced much better than expected financial results.

Its net profit for the quarter ending in September was up 27% at $22.3bn, compared to a profit of $17.6bn over the same period last year.

The results were aided by growth in its cloud computing and PC businesses, and Microsoft’s strong move into artificial-intelligence offerings.

Google saw a drop in share prices after its latest financial results.

That’s despite Alphabet actually performing better than expected.

However, Wall Street reacted negatively to Google Cloud revenues missing expectations.

Overall Alphabet posted a net profit of $19.7bn for the quarter, up from $13.9bn last year.

Meanwhile, the Russian subsidiary of Google has officially been declared bankrupt.

Reports say a court in Moscow made the ruling this week after over a year of proceedings,

The country has been in dispute with western tech giants for a while now.

Last year, Russian bailiffs seized 7.7 billion roubles from a Google bank account as part of a fine the firm had been handed.

Several big online firms have joined forces to tackle fake reviews.

They include Amazon, Booking,com, Expedia, Trustpilot and Tripadvisor.

The group is going to share information to help deter fraudsters.

It’s believed the AI systems are being used to write bogus online reviews, leading to some people buying poor-value products.

The University of Manchester is claiming to have built a record-breaking drone.

Engineers there have flown what they say is the world’s biggest unmanned quadcopter – meaning it has four propellers.

It’s made from foamboard, weighs in at 24.5Kg, and measures 6.4 metres from corner to corner.

And Spiderman 2 has become the fastest selling game ever made by Playstation.

Sony said the videogame shifted more than 2.5 million physical and digital copies in the first 24 hours after it launched.

It outperformed new releases from gaming icons Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Brothers.

That’s the latest from Silicon UK Pulse – for more tech news and features, head to silicon.co.uk