Author: DispatchTimes News Desk

OpenAI is backing a group of bipartisan US AI safety bills intended to reduce the risk of artificial intelligence accelerating biological weapons and synthetic viruses. The ChatGPT-maker is supporting the Web of Biological Data Act, the AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act and the Scale Biology Act, a company spokesperson said. OpenAI is also endorsing a provision of the FRONTIER Act that would require leading artificial intelligence companies to embed independent evaluators to assess the safety of their models. OpenAI backs US AI safety bills The move comes as concern over the risks posed by advanced AI grows. The heads of leading…

Residents of a Worcestershire cul-de-sac are parking their cars to block access to a proposed 30-home estate, after developer Owl Properties claimed it has a legal right to use the road. Homeowners and social housing tenants on Pippin Walk, in Drakes Broughton, say they were given little warning that the narrow route could become the main entrance for construction vehicles and future traffic. They have refused requests to move vehicles parked outside their homes, accusing Owl Properties and housing provider Sanctuary of bullying and intimidation. Geraldine Price, a 70-year-old NHS administrator, said she and her husband Alan, 75, feared losing…

Tyra Banks’s bid to obtain unaired footage from an America’s Next Top Model documentary is facing opposition from Netflix and its producers, who have challenged the scope of her requests in court. Banks is seeking raw interview material featuring Miss J and Jay Manuel that was not included in the finished documentary. She believes the footage could support her claim that she was defamed through the selective editing of their interviews. The documentary’s producers argue that Banks has no right to access the unused recordings, as well as internal communications concerning her, draft scripts, story notes and deposition testimony from…

Milwaukee officials have backed a proposal to expand rental inspections to single-family homes and duplexes, with a pilot scheme planned for the Uptown neighbourhood. The city’s Zoning, Neighbourhoods and Development Committee recommended the programme for approval on Tuesday, September 15, after a vote covering both the inspection rules and the proposed inspection district. Milwaukee rental inspection pilot would cover about 400 homes Milwaukee currently carries out annual inspections on rental properties containing three or more units. Single-family homes and duplexes are generally inspected only after a tenant complaint. The proposed pilot would apply to an area in the 15th Aldermanic…

The Australian housing crisis has become the centre of a political clash after Opposition Senate leader Michaelia Cash accused the Albanese Government of damaging the market through proposed changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing. Ms Cash made the claim during a heated television interview with Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, citing a reported 20 per cent fall in new home sales, struggling builders, rising rents and investors leaving the market. She said the figures showed the Government’s housing policies were discouraging investment and putting further pressure on construction. “How much more pain do Australians need to feel before you…

Several artists have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran’s tour after Macklemore was removed as a supporting act following pro-Palestinian remarks made during a concert in New Jersey. Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Finneas and Danish band Lukas Graham announced their departures on Instagram, hours after Sheeran said the decision to drop Macklemore had been made by the tour’s promoters. Rowe and Lukas Graham had been due to replace Macklemore at the remaining US dates. Beoga had been joining Sheeran for several songs during his sets, including tracks the Irish folk band co-wrote, while Finneas was scheduled to appear on the South American leg…

Viewers of the final episode of 7 Up have described being moved to tears as the participants reflected on their lives in 70 Up, the last instalment of the documentary series after 62 years on television. The programme opened with footage from across the series, prompting an immediate reaction from audiences. One viewer wrote: “I was in tears even from the opening titles. Such a touching and interesting series.” Another posted: “70 Up has been on two minutes and already crying seeing the past clips knowing it is the last one,” while a third said: “I’m filling up already.” The…

Amanda Knox has defended Patrick Clancy after social media users questioned his conduct and grieving following the deaths of his three children. Writing for The Free Press, Knox said she was affected by the online scrutiny directed at Clancy, whose behaviour and testimony were closely examined during the Lindsay Clancy trial. She said the reaction brought back memories of the scrutiny she faced after her roommate was murdered in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. Knox was imprisoned over the killing before ultimately being acquitted. “Seeing this gave me flashbacks to the relentless scrutiny of my own behavior in the wake of…

A convicted felon who served almost seven years for shooting five people at a Seattle bus stop has been arrested again after police in Bellevue found a loaded handgun in his pocket. Alrick Hollingsworth, who was released from prison in February, was detained on 7 August after Bellevue officers responded to a 4.17am emergency call reporting a weapon and what sounded like a domestic disturbance. Police said Hollingsworth was seen walking quickly away from the area. When officers tried to stop him, he resisted and repeatedly questioned their authority to detain and search him. Body-worn camera footage shows officers taking…

An ICAC hearing has turned to allegations of scheming and secret dealings at Strathfield Council, with the contest for the mayoralty at the centre of proceedings. The evidence focused on claims of broken promises, double-dealing and clandestine meetings, including gatherings at the Horse & Jockey Hotel. The apparent prize was the mayor’s robes, silver-linked chain and official Toyota. The proceedings followed references to fugitive Jean Nassif’s Beirut bedroom rants, before attention shifted to the internal manoeuvring at the council. The political intrigue was likened to Rats in the Ranks, a documentary about the 1994 mayoral election at the inner-west council…