Google shows off Pixel 10 ahead of launch, OpenAI signs deal to use AI in UK public services

As is tradition, Google has already shown off at least one of its new Pixel phones before it’s announced. The front page of the Google Store currently features a short video teasing one of the Pixel 10 smartphones the company is announcing on August 20. If you take the webpage literally, then Google’s video is showing off the base Pixel 10, which has a similar look to the Pixel 9, with some key differences. Those include a new grayish-blue finish, a tweaked back design that makes the back of the phone looks like it’s rising out of the frame and an additional camera. Engadget

OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, has signed a deal to use artificial intelligence (AI) to increase productivity in the UK’s public services, the government has announced. The agreement signed by the firm and the science department could give OpenAI access to government data and see its software used in education, defence, security, and the justice system. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said that “AI will be fundamental in driving change” in the UK and “driving economic growth”. BBC 

Rumors that OpenAI is already testing GPT‑5 have started to spread thanks to leaks and hints appearing online. A particularly notable example was shared on X by engineer Tibor Blaho when he posted a partial screenshot of a config file hinting at “GPT‑5 Reasoning Alpha,” dated July 13, 2025. That same week, independent researchers discovered a mention of GPT-5 in OpenAI’s internal BioSec Benchmark repository, suggesting the model is already being trialed in sensitive domains like biosecurity. Tech Radar 

The government is investing £63m in new types of jet fuel that it hopes will make your summer holiday a little more eco-friendly – though not everyone is convinced. The cash will be shared by 17 British companies developing different types of “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF), made from materials including forest cuttings, household rubbish, sugar beet or hydrogen gas. Ministers said the funds could support 1,400 jobs, add £5bn to the economy and help the British industry get ahead as global demand for SAF soars in order to meet stricter climate targets. Sky News 

The founders of the £11bn UK fintech champion Wise have clashed over an attempt to shift its main listing to the US. In a letter to shareholders, Taavet Hinrikus, who co-founded Wise with chief executive Kristo Käärmann in 2010, warned he was “deeply troubled” by the proposals, which he claimed would concentrate power among a handful of company insiders. Mr Hinrikus claimed directors had “buried” a bid to increase their influence over the company in proposals that shareholders will vote on this week. Telegraph 

In the image, a group of friends is standing in a bar, smoke winding upwards from the cigarettes in their hands. More lie in an open packet on the table between them. This is not a photograph taken before smoking bans, but a picture shared on social media of a gathering in the metaverse. Virtual online spaces are becoming a new marketing battleground as tobacco and alcohol promoters target young people without any legislative consequences. Guardian