Google invests in Oxa driverless cars, deepfake videos of Sir Keir Starmer emerge

Google has invested in one of Britain’s most promising driverless car companies in a further bet on the technology that the internet giant has already put billions into. The US company has taken a 3.5pc stake in Oxa, an Oxford University spin-out that aims to provide the “operating system” for driverless car fleets. Google was a previously undisclosed investor in the company’s $140m (£114m) investment round announced earlier this year, company filings have revealed. Alphabet, which is Google’s parent company, is one of the world’s biggest backers of driverless cars, chiefly through its business Waymo. Telegraph 

Deepfake videos of Sir Keir Starmer have been posted on the first day of Labour Party conference in a move that underlines the threat posed by deepfake technology and AI in UK politics. The fake video of the Labour leader emerged on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday morning as senior figures and party activists gathered in Liverpool. The first fake audio, posted by an account with less than 3,000 followers, purports to capture the Labour leader abusing party staffers – but the audio is not real and the incident did not happen. The second makes out that Sir Keir is criticising the city of Liverpool. Sky News 

Apple’s latest, most expensive superphone is a big step forward for the iPhone. But despite a powerful new camera and USB-C port, the best feature is simply its lighter weight. That is because Apple’s 6.7in iPhones have always been beasts in price and weight. But while this new iPhone 15 Pro Max is still wallet-crushingly expensive, starting at £1,199 (€1,449/$1,199/A$2,199), it is at least 19g lighter, making a huge difference in your hand and pockets. The new Max has titanium sides rather than stainless steel, which saves the 19g but also shifts the balance of the phone towards its centre, making it feel lighter than it is. The Guardian 

New research suggests your Android TV streaming box might be facilitating cybercrime. In January, a researcher discovered his inexpensive Android TV streaming box purchased on Amazon, concisely named the T95, was infected with malware before he ever took it out of the box, with multiple other researchers confirming his findings. This week, cybersecurity firm Human Security shared a little more about this issue, notably how many devices are infected, Wired reports. The company found seven Android TV boxes and one tablet with backdoors installed, and the group found signs that 200 different models of Android devices might potentially be impacted, the magazine reports. PC Mag

Tesla’s superchargers are the industry benchmark when it comes to reliable fast charging infrastructure for EV drivers. Tesla initially started the rollout of its current V3 superchargers in the US and other parts of the world in 2019. These chargers are capable of 250 kW in charging speed. Four years later in 2023, the next generation of superchargers, the new V4 superchargers with charging up to 350 kW, started to be rolled out in Europe. Now it appears that the rollout of Tesla V4 superchargers is expanding into Tesla’s home market of the US. The Driven 

A promotional poster for the second season of Loki on Disney Plus has sparked controversy amongst professional designers following claims that it was at least partially created using generative AI. Illustrator Katria Raden flagged the image on X (formerly Twitter) last week, claiming that the image of the spiraling clock in the background “is giving all the AI telltale signs, like things randomly turning into meaningless squiggles” — a reference to the artifacts sometimes left behind by AI-image generators.  The Verge