TechRadar News

• OpenAI has addressed what went wrong with its sycophantic update
• OpenAI is refining core training techniques to avoid sycophancy in the future
• Its Head of Model Behavior suggests ChatGPT could have multiple personalities going forward

OpenAI has addressed the rollback of the most recent update to ChatGPT-4o because of user complaints about its annoying, sycophantic personality. In an April 29 blog post OpenAI states:

“We have rolled back last week’s GPT‑4o update in ChatGPT so people are now using an earlier version with more balanced behavior. The update we removed was overly flattering or agreeable – often described as sycophantic.

We are actively testing new fixes to address the issue. We’re revising how we collect and incorporate feedback to heavily weight long-term user satisfaction and we’re introducing more personalization features, giving users greater control over how ChatGPT behaves.”

The blog post goes into further reasons for why the problem happened, but the crux of the matter is that OpenAI focused too much on short-term feedback, and did not fully account for how users’ interactions with ChatGPT evolve over time.

OpenAI promises to refine its core training techniques and systems prompts to explicitly steer the model away from sycophancy in the future, as well as allow for more user testing before deploying models.

Ask me anything

From reading the blog post, you get the sense that OpenAI feels like it has dropped the ball on this one and is doing all it can to make amends.

As well as issuing the statement, Joanne Jang, its Head of Model Behavior, has just done an ‘ask me anything’ (AMA) on Reddit, to answer any further questions people may have, specifically about ChatGPT’s personality, sycophancy, and future model behavior. Her replies revealed interesting insights into what the future might hold for ChatGPT’s personality:

Reddit user Responsible_Cow2236 asked, “Where do you see the future of model behavior heading? Are we moving toward more customizable personalities, like giving users tools to shape how ChatGPT sounds and interacts with them over time?"

Jang responded by offering the possibility that ChatGPT could come with multiple preset personalities:

“We’ve been working on two things: (1) getting to a default personality that might be palatable for all users to begin with (not feasible but we need to get somewhere) and (2) instead of relying on users to describe / come up with personalities on their own, offering presets that are easier to comprehend (e.g. personality descriptions vs. 30 sliders on traits)", said Jang.

The idea of preset personalities in ChatGPT is an intriguing one and something I could see combining well with the different voices that ChatGPT advanced voice mode already offers.

As for when we can expect the next update to ChatGPT-4o, OpenAI is not saying anything at the moment beyond “We fell short and are working on getting it right.”

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• TikTok has been fined €530 million for illegally sending Europeans' data to China
• TikTok now has six months to bring its data processing into compliance or suspend any transfers to China
• TikTok has rejected the EU data regulator's decision and plans to appeal in full

The Irish EU Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined TikTok a total of €530 million (the equivalent of a bit more than $600 million) for illegally sending Europeans' data to China, where its parent company, ByteDance, is based.

Specifically, TikTok was found in breach of two articles of the EU data protection law, GDPR, for not fulfilling its obligations concerning data transfers to China and transparency. The video streaming app now has six months to bring its data processing into compliance or suspend any transfers to China.

TikTok has firmly rejected the data regulator's decision and plans to appeal in full.

TikTok vs the EU

As the DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle highlights in an official statement, the GDPR requires that the high level of protection provided within the European Union continues where personal data is transferred to other countries. That's something TikTok seems to have failed to do.

"TikTok’s personal data transfers to China infringed the GDPR because TikTok failed to verify, guarantee, and demonstrate that the personal data of EEA users, remotely accessed by staff in China, was afforded a level of protection essentially equivalent to that guaranteed within the EU," said Doyle.

Specifically, the EU data watchdog found TikTok to have breached two GDPR articles: Article 46(1), which regulates its transfers of EEA User Data to China, and its transparency obligations ruled by Article 13(1)(f). The DPC then issued two administrative fines of €485 million and €45 million, respectively.

Such a failure to fulfill GDPR requirements, Doyle noted, didn't enable the video streaming platform to address potential access by Chinese authorities to EEA personal data under Chinese anti-terrorism, counter-espionage, and other laws.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Andy.LIU)

The problem for TikTok may not end here, though.

TikTok was also found guilty of giving the DPC erroneous information about where Europeans' data where stored. The company first ensured these were not stored on servers based in China. Yet, this allegation was then contradicted in April 2025 when TikTok admitted to having discovered in February 2025 some limited EEA user data on Chinese servers. The DPC is set to publish a decision on this matter in due course.

Commenting on this point, Doyle said: "Whilst TikTok has informed the DPC that the data has now been deleted, we are considering what further regulatory action may be warranted, in consultation with our peer EU Data Protection Authorities."

TikTok said to disagree with the DPC decision and be ready to appeal all charges.

"The decision fails to fully consider Project Clover, our €12 billion industry-leading data security initiative that includes some of the most stringent data protections anywhere. It instead focuses on a select period from years ago, prior to Clover’s 2023 implementation and does not reflect the safeguards now in place," said Christine Grahn, TikTok's Head of Public Policy & Government Relations for Europe, in an official statement.

This isn't, however, the first time TikTok has been fined in Europe for breaching data protection law. In 2023, the DPC issued a €345 million fine against TikTok for violating children's privacy.

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I've been testing VR headsets for years, but before a recent trip from London to Miami I’d never taken one with me on a flight – and until some key things change, I probably won't take one with me again, based on my experience.

Normally I adore my Meta Quest 3 – I think everyone should own one, or a Meta Quest 3S, given how superb these VR machines are for their price – and having seen stories of Meta's success in offering them as in-flight entertainment on Lufthansa airlines I believed I'd have an excellent time flying with one too.

However, my troubles began before we took off – in fact, they began before I’d even left home.

What would I download?

Checking Meta's app store I was surprised to find no ‘flight-approved’ category that would easily supply me with software recommendations. And searching for movie downloads was much more of a challenge than I expected.

While the Quest supports streaming platforms like Netflix, the browser-based (rather than app-based) reveals displays its faults clearly. In this form it's an online-only service as it's impossible to download content to watch later offline, as you can with the phone app.

Eventually I sourced a digital copy of Avengers: Endgame in 3D, but it wasn't a hassle-free process – far from it. I also found a mixed-reality chess game I thought might be fun, not realizing it was an online-only title until I was in the air.

(Image credit: Meta / Lufthansa)

After my meal had been served and the seat belt sign had been switched off so I could fetch it from my stowed bag, I donned my Quest 3 and dove into the metaverse, armed with my limited entertainment selection.

Avengers: Endgame was superb. Not just the movie itself (I haven’t watched it since the midnight release showing years ago and I’d forgotten how great it was) but the overall experience.

I had installed Bigscreen – a free app which transports you to different cinema screen environments to watch movies in – but ended up just using the Meta TV app in mixed-reality mode.

I could dim my surroundings and enlarge the screen so it felt like I was in my own private movie theatre, but I wasn't shut off from my surroundings, so I could pay attention if a flight attendant walked past with food or drink.

It was leagues ahead of the dinky screen installed in my seat that I'd have had to rely on for entertainment otherwise.

Not being in VR helped during turbulence too. Because I could see the real world shaking thanks to the MR passthrough feed I didn't feel particularly nauseous during the ordeal, something I suspect wouldn’t be the case had I been in VR.

Now for my problems

Software selection woes aside, my next biggest concern was battery life. I was able to watch one hour of Endgame in mixed reality using just under 50% of my Quest 3's battery life.

With a charging cable and power bank I could extend this use time, but relying solely on the Quest 3 as inflight entertainment for a long voyage would clearly be a challenge.

You could mitigate this with an add-on like the one of the Kiwi Design battery straps I've reviewed, but then you’d run into the next problem: bag space.

Baggage space on an airline comes at a premium, and filling your carry on with a fully kitted out VR headset setup is a non starter. So I replaced the bulky battery strap with the more compact (and less functional) elastic strap.

This reduced the space the Quest 3 took up considerably, but it still wasn't compact – especially with the controllers.

(Image credit: Meta)

With these battery and space issues in mind it feels like a VR headset would be ideal for a shorter (sub-four-hour journey) where you’re struggling for baggage space across the hold and cabin so carrying the headset wouldn’t be a problem.

I should also note that I was flying in Virgin Atlantic's premium economy section, rather than standard economy, and the only seat next to me was vacant. Moreover, I was sitting at the front of the section, in a seat with extra leg room, so I had plenty of space to move around.

In a more tightly packed economy seat I could see my arm movements being annoying to any stranger unlucky enough to be sitting next to me, making VR way too impractical (and risky) to be viable outside of more premium classes. Mixed reality would be more practical, but it’s also more of a battery sink, as I discovered.

Despite these issues I could see how close the Meta Quest 3 is to greatness, and how the in-flight experience could be improved with a few upgrades.

(Image credit: Meta/Lufthansa)

More subtle motion controls (like those the Apple Vision Pro uses) would eliminate the risk of whacking an innocent passenger with my arm flails.

A bigger in built battery would be ideal too, as would a simpler way to find and download movies to the headset.

The big-screen movie experience, especially with a 3D movie, was truly fantastic, and it just serves to highlight why Meta and others must do more to improve this aspect of VR as finding even one 3D movie was a major hassle.

And using the headset, even in mixed reality, helped me forget I was on a flight. I'm not an especially nervous flier, but I'll admit to feeling a little tense while in the air, and that tension was noticeably absent when using my Quest 3.

So while I won't be taking my Meta headset on my next long-haul flight, I can see a future where it becomes my go-to travel gadget. For now, though, it'll be staying at home, and I'll take my AR glasses instead.

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• Samsung is rolling out One UI 7 to all supported Galaxy S and Galaxy Z series phones in the US
• The long-awaited update effectively ends a protracted months-long rollout for the Android 15-based update
• In the months since One UI 7 launched in pre-release form, Android 16 has been confirmed and One UI 8 rumored

Samsung is finally rolling out One UI 7 to older Galaxy phones in the US, following months of delays and ambiguity over the launch of the Korean tech titan’s latest mobile operating system.

As reported by Android Authority, Samsung is now rolling out its most recent OS version update to the full range of supported handsets, after the Galaxy S24 series got the update in April 2025.

The full list of devices included in this latest stage of One UI 7’s long-troubled rollout includes:

• Galaxy S23 FE
• Galaxy S22 series
• Galaxy S21 series
• Galaxy Z Fold 4
• Galaxy Z Fold 3
• Galaxy Z Flip 4
• Galaxy Z Flip 3

As per SamMobile's list of One UI 7-supported devices, this means that once the rollout has completed, One UI 7 will finally be available on all supported Galaxy S and Galaxy Z phones in the US. Presumably, other regions will follow suit soon.

Notably, the Android Authority report doesn’t mention whether this latest release will bring One UI 7 to any Galaxy A series phones – while the recently released Galaxy A26, Galaxy A36, and Galaxy A56 all run One UI 7 out of the box, we’ve not heard so much about previous generations.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (pictured) is among the devices getting One UI 7 (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

Samsung has seemingly struggled to get One UI 7 off the ground. The Android 15-based operating system launched with the Samsung Galaxy S25 series in January, though this was officially a pre-release build of the software.

Here at TechRadar, we’ve reported extensively on the various updates and rumors surrounding One UI 7 and its prolonged release through our dedicated Samsung Galaxy phones coverage – but now, it seems like an end is in sight.

However, with Google getting closer to the launch of Android 16, it’s worth asking whether this delay will affect Samsung’s update schedule going forwards.

We recently reported on supposedly leaked images that show an early version of One UI 8 running on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but there’s no telling when this update might arrive.

Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, though – this is a great moment for Samsung Galaxy owners, and while I haven't exactly been impressed with the rollout of One UI 7, it is good to see Samsung pull through.

Now that Samsung’s latest software update isn’t limited to only the best Samsung phones, many more users will gain access to its overhauled UI, new Now Bar feature, and reworked notifications system, among other new features. If you’re looking forward to upgrading, let us know in the comments below.

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• Jensen Huang's salary was up 59%, overall compensation up 46%
• Other execs got stable salaries but much higher overall compensation packages
• Nvidia's last full-year revenue stood at $130.5 billion, up 114% year-over-year

Despite being the company's CEO since its founding in 1993, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang has been drawing the same salary from the company for a number of years - however a recent SEC filing has revealed Huang just got his major first salary increase in a decade.

Rising from $996,514 in 2024 and $996,832 in 2023, Huang received a $1,486,199 salary in fiscal 2025, marking a not-insignificant 49% year-over-year increase.

In reality, various other components make up Huang's total compensation, the biggest being $38.8 million in stock awards in 2025, leaving him with a hefty $49,866,251 package at the end of the year.

Jensen Huang salary increase

Besides the salary increase, rises in other compensation saw the Nvidia leader get nearly $15.7 million more in 2025 compared with 2024, marking an equally healthy 46% jump.

Salaries for CFO Colette M Kress, Worldwide Field Operations SVP Ajay K Puri, Operations EVP Debora Shoquist and General Counsel and Secretary EVP Timothy S Teter remained stable year-over-year, but total compensation of the four Named Executive Officers (NEOs) rose by 59-74%.

It's not just compensations that have rise in the past year, though. In February, Nvidia declared a staggering 114% growth in annual revenue compared with the year before, noting a 78% year-over-year increase to its fourth-quarter revenue alone.

Yearly revenue stood at $130.5 billion, compared with $60.9 billion the year before, and $27.0 billion and $26.9 billion in the two preceding years.

Earlier in 2024, Nvidia's total market cap exceeded $3.5 trillion, making it the world's most valuable company for a short period of time. That now stands at $2.723 trillion, with billions lost to trade war-induced uncertainty and other natural causes.

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We've almost reached the halfway mark of The Last of Us season 2. With only three episodes left after this week's installment, we'll be bidding farewell to the hugely popular show in the near future.

Right now, though, a new entry will be available to enjoy very soon. Indeed, The Last of Us TV show's next chapter in only a few days away, so it's time to find out when and where you can watch it.

In this guide, you'll learn what day and time it'll air in the US, UK, and Australia. There's a full release schedule for the dystopian series' final few episodes later on, too, so you can see when new chapters will be released.

What time can I stream The Last of Us season 2 episode 4 in the US?

The fourth episode of The Last of Us' sophomore season will arrive on Sunday, May 4 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

Just like every other installment to date, those who live stateside can watch it on Warner Bros Discovery's (WBD) super streamer Max, as well as cable network HBO.

When will episode 4 of The Last of Us season 2 come out in the UK?

Watch where you're pointing that handgun, Dina! (Image credit: HBO)

Ellie and Dina's quest to find and kill Abby and company will continue in the UK on Monday, May 5 at 2am BST. Yep, it'll be another late night or very early morning for anyone planning to watch it as soon as it's released on British shores.

You've got two places you can stream it, too. Sky Atlantic and Now TV are home to The Last of Us in the UK, so sign up to – or into – either platform to check it out.

Where can I stream The Last of Us season 2's next episode in Australia?

everything hurts. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/pV4BrdstRBApril 28, 2025

One of the best Max shows is available to watch on, well, Max (aka one of the world's best streaming services) in Australia. The post-apocalyptic survival drama series is also available on Foxtel for those of you who are signed up to that service.

As for when episode 4 will launch Down Under, that'll be on Monday, May 5 at 11am AEST.

The Last of Us season 2 full episode release schedule

Jeffrey Wright's Isaac makes his live-action debut in season 2's next episode (Image credit: HBO)

Want to know when the final three chapters of the Bella Ramsey-fronted TV show will launch where you live? Read on for more details.

• Episode 1 – out now
• Episode 2 – out now
• Episode 3 – out now
• Episode 4 – May 4 (US); May 5 (UK and Australia)
• Episode 5 – May 11 (US); May 12 (UK and Australia)
• Episode 6 – May 18 (US); May 19 (UK and Australia)
• Episode 7 – May 25 (US); May 26 (UK and Australia)

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• Proton has claimed it will lower its prices after a landmark US ruling against Apple
• A US judge found Apple guilty of violating a federal injunction over illegal monopoly and lying under oath
• Fortnite maker Epic Games sued Apple in 2020, challenging the up-to-30% cut the Big Tech provider takes from App Store's purchases

Proton could lower its pricing by up to 30% after a US judge found Apple guilty of violating a federal injunction over illegal monopoly.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple willfully violated her injunction issued in 2021 in the Epic Games case. The Big Tech giant was supposed to halt anti-competitive practices by giving third-party developers more power to redirect users to cheaper non-Apple payment options.

Proton, the provider of one of the best VPN and secure email apps, has welcomed the ruling as a victory against Big Tech. "Proton will finally be allowed to let iOS users purchase subscriptions outside of the App Store. No Apple tax means we will lower prices for users by up to 30%," wrote the company's CEO, Andy Yen, on X.

In response to the recent court ruling in the US against Apple's illegal in-app purchase monopoly, @ProtonPrivacy will finally be allowed to let iOS users purchase subscriptions outside of the app store. No Apple tax means we will lower prices for users by up to 30%.May 1, 2025

Yen also pointed out how such a court decision could help cut inflation in the US, too, "by dropping the price of a significant chunk of digital purchases by 30% overnight".

The Fortnite maker sued Apple in 2020 to challenge the up-to-30% cut the Big Tech provider takes from App Store purchases.

"It's about choice. Apple can charge whatever fee they want for their payment system. But we are now free to offer an alternative option that is up to 30% cheaper. For the first time, the user can decide for themselves (pay Apple 30%, or save 30%)," said Yen.

It's too early to say how this will affect Proton VPN and Proton Mail users in the US and beyond. We approached Proton for clarification, but are still waiting for a response at the time of publication.

Nonetheless, on May 2, 2025, Spotify confirmed that Apple has finally approved an update to allow the music streaming giant to freely show clear pricing information and links to purchase, fostering transparency and choice for US consumers.

"We can now give consumers lower prices, more control, and easier access to the Spotify experience. There is more work to do, but today represents a significant milestone for developers and entrepreneurs everywhere who want to build and compete on a more level playing field," wrote Spotify in its official announcement.

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Next steps

As mentioned, Judge Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in "willful violation" of the order issued in 2021 and later enforced in 2024, after the Big Tech giant lost the appeal in 2023.

Ways Apple violated the ruling include charging a 27% commission fee to developers when they allow purchases outside the App Store. Other barriers and requirements were also enforced to discourage customers from using competing purchasing platforms, said the Judge as reported by the BBC.

Besides allegedly promoting an illegal in-app purchase monopoly, the company is also facing a criminal contempt investigation as the judge found Apple's vice-president of finance, Alex Roman, "outright lied under oath."

Apple is said to "strongly disagree" with the judge's decision. "We will comply with the court's order and we will appeal," said an Apple spokesperson.

We have contacted Apple for further comments and will update the article when we know more.

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• Hacker pleads guilty to accessing confidential Disney files
• Disney's private Slack channels were breached in the attack
• The leak led Disney to switch from Slack to Microsoft Teams

A Santa Clara man who created an AI image generation tool that deployed hidden malware has pleaded guilty to stealing over 1.1 TB of internal company data after illegally accessing Disney’s internal Slack channels.

The hacker, Ryan Mitchell Kramer, who went by the name “NullBulge” was charged with one count of accessing a computer and obtaining information and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California reported.

The incident had wide reaching consequences, with Disney choosing to ditch Slack in favour of Microsoft teams following the breach. Over 10,000 Slack channels were involved in the incident, and confidential data including internal communications and sensitive information like images, source code and credentials were compromised.

A malicious programme

Kramer reportedly accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to the two felony charges that each carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison - but he has not yet been sentenced.

The plea deal outlines that in early 2024, Kramer “posted a computer program on various online platforms, including GitHub, that purported to be computer program that could be used to create A.I.-generated art. In fact, the program contained a malicious file that enabled Kramer to gain access to victims’ computers.”

After the victim downloaded the malicious file, Kramer accessed Disney’s information through the victim’s personal computer, where he stored login credentials for personal and professional accounts.

After the hacker accessed these accounts, he downloaded over 1.1TB of data from Disney, which was then publicly released alongside the victims bank, medical, and personal information.

According to the report, the FBI is currently investigating the possibility of at least two more victims hit by similar attacks by Kramer

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For the past year, a new technology has emerged on the horizon: AI agents. These newcomers promise much more than their chatbot predecessors, with more sophisticated conversation capabilities, the ability to perform more complex tasks, and the potential to learn and adapt, improving over time to understand the nuances of the business they are operating in.

It’s not surprising 2025 has already seen the launch of several high profile AI agents, including Manus AI, Oracle AI Agent Studio, and OpenAI Operator. Demand for these new agentic AI solutions is coming from both businesses and consumers.

For businesses, AI agents promise to improve tasks like recruiting employees, contacting potential sales leads, creating marketing content, and managing IT systems - as well as improving customer service and communication, which will in turn benefit customers. 70% of consumers are noticing that AI is improving self-service support, and 60% agree AI has made interactions with brands more efficient.

Many businesses are now looking to AI agents to deliver the return on investment they’ve been hoping to achieve with AI. How can they make this a reality?

Generic agents lead to underwhelming results

Organizations should be wary of blindly throwing AI at whatever issue their teams are facing. This includes implementing generic AI agents that are currently too unreliable and inflexible to be used as a blanket CX solution. The best AI agent for your organization will always be one that’s been designed to operate in your specific industry, and trained to do the specific job you want it to do.

For instance, a specialized ecommerce AI agent can be trained to understand the nuances of sizing charts so they can provide guidance to customers who are unsure about what size or item to choose. Or in the travel industry, a specialized AI agent can understand the complexities of booking policies or cancellation terms.

Generic AI agents will struggle with industry-specific terminology, processes, and regulations. Non-specialized AI agents might even provide incorrect information or send inappropriate responses to a customer. These mistakes massively threaten customer trust and have the opposite effect they are intended for, creating additional work for employees who are left to correct the AI agent’s missteps.

Trust is the ultimate differentiator

Gartner predicts that by 2028, 25% of enterprise breaches will be tied to AI agent abuses. In a world where AI agents are now being entrusted with personal and sensitive information about customers, clients, and patients, it’s essential for organizations to put in place transparent accountability protocols and regular audits.

Trustworthy and reliable industry-specific solutions are particularly crucial in areas like healthcare or financial services, where the stakes are high and agents are tasked with handling medical records, processing financial transactions, and providing recommendations that have a serious impact on users’ health, safety and economic wellbeing.

Organizations that prioritize trust - rather than taking a ‘move fast and break things’ approach - will set themselves apart. This means adopting ethical AI principles, securing robust data privacy measures, and fostering transparency.

Assistants, not free agents

A recent survey found 28% of employees are worried about their roles being replaced by AI. While this is a common concern, it’s far from the truth. AI agents are nowhere near capable of operating autonomously and without human engagement or supervision.

In their current form, AI agents serve best as collaborators or assistants, rather than standalone project managers. By taking routine tasks off employees’ to-do lists, AI agents free up human agents to focus on complex, specialist tasks, or come up with new ideas.

Again on the customer service side, when it comes to handling a new situation they haven’t experienced before - like a complex or emotional customer enquiry - this is also where human-AI teamwork is key. An AI agent doesn’t have the empathy required to handle an interaction like this alone, but it can act as an assistant to a human agent, for example automatically bringing up the customer’s history with the organization, any previous interactions, and any other information to enable the agent to provide the best possible customer support.

Slow and steady wins the AI race

Organizations' AI budgets aren’t likely to decrease any time soon: it’s predicted that by 2028, enterprises will spend $202.2 billion on AI and generative AI solutions worldwide.

Agentic AI offers a huge amount of potential to businesses that are prepared to implement them in the right way. Rather than diving into the deep end and spending lots of resources on the latest, shiniest solution, organizations should remember slow and steady wins the race.

This means getting the basics right first, building a tailored, specialized AI agent that will work for your organization's needs. It also involves testing, refining, and integrating new AI agent solutions into specific workflows, rather than blindly applying them across the whole business.

By combining a custom-built, ethical, and collaborative approach with thorough training across teams, organizations can unlock the benefits of AI agent technology, rather than being swept up by the hype.

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It’s been two years since OpenAI shook the world with ChatGPT. Since then, businesses have been racing to monetize AI and seamlessly integrate it into daily operations. Now, in 2025, those ambitions are materializing, giving the world a clearer vision of what an AI-powered business landscape looks like.

In this piece, we’ll explore how AI has moved from niche to normal, examine the key forces reshaping the world of work and try to get a sense of where we’re headed.

What does AI look like in 2025?

In 2025, AI is no longer an experiment. Companies have moved beyond testing and are deploying AI at scale. Agentic AI chatbots can now recommend products and complete transactions autonomously, while AI-powered fraud prevention help detect and prevent scams. AI isn’t just emerging—it’s here.

According to McKinsey, five forces are defining AI in the workplace in 2025: improved intelligence and reasoning, agentic AI enabling autonomous robot workers, multimodality that integrates text, audio, and video, and increased transparency through better reasoning and clearer explanations of its processes.

Workers are using AI to be more creative. A report by Deloitte found that 70% of workers are open to offloading tasks to AI to free up time and boost creativity, yet 28% worry about technology threatening their jobs. AI is both a blessing and a curse—while it reduces mundane work, it also raises concerns about job security.

And better reasoning is giving businesses more confidence in AI models. Looking back on AI’s early days, many remember its tendency toward bias and its ability to confidently present falsehoods. To address this, large language models are increasingly including explanations of their reasoning or cite sources. A notable example is China’s DeepSeek model, which impressed with its whitepaper outlining the importance of reasoning in large language models.

Then there’s the rise of AI-powered tools in Enterprise Content management Systems (ECM), making document management smarter and more intuitive. People are so accustomed to AI in their daily lives—whether it’s Google Maps or Alexa—that they expect similar automation at work. These systems don’t just organize and secure business data; they also streamline tedious processes like onboarding and contract management. By automating routine paperwork, AI is freeing employees to focus on more creative, high-value tasks.

Like all technological change, there’s a lot happening, and this is just scratching the surface, but those who can harness AI stand to gain a lot. According to McKinsey, the long-term opportunity that AI presents in added productivity growth from corporate use cases is around $4.4 trillion.

Supercharged cyber risk

But it’s not all good news. While AI has boosted businesses, it has also made malicious cyber activity more prolific and dangerous. Threat actors are using AI to automate attacks, develop advanced phishing and social engineering tactics, and are leveraging deepfakes and generative AI tech to deceive employees and exploit vulnerabilities more efficiently. In response, businesses in 2025 are locking down their data and investing more heavily in information governance.

This is part of the reason businesses are assessing their records management practices and ECMs. Because cyber attackers are finding increasingly sophisticated ways to exploit data, businesses are locking down the attack surface by securing their data and documents, and ensuring the proper access controls and audit trails are in place. ECMs help organizations centralize digital sensitive documents, providing version control and enhanced security.

Another factor driving businesses toward ECM is data integrity. AI is only as powerful as the data it’s trained on, yet 67% of organizations admit they don’t fully trust their own data for decision-making. Proper data indexing not only improves AI performance today but also lays the foundation for future scalability. These systems allow for automated document management, ensuring data remains structured and accessible.

Human-centered tech is the future

AI in 2025 is a lot like hybrid work: by balancing automation with human oversight, businesses and workers can reap the benefits of efficiency while reducing mundane tasks.

Certainly, there are some risks. While AI is freeing employees from routine tasks and enabling more strategic work, some roles are shifting toward refinement and review of AI output—raising concerns that critical thinking skills could erode in the process. At the same time, some businesses that have made big bets on AI aren’t yet seeing the expected returns. This is because we’re only just exiting the pilot phase. Almost 90% of business leaders anticipate that AI will drive revenue growth in the next three years.

Businesses that automate their business processes using tools like ECMs — which can support the quick rollout of automated solutions with drag-and-drop tools or prebuilt templates — have more time to train their staff. According to a report by IBM, 62% of organizations are already using AI to personalize learning content for employees, leading to a more engaging and effective training experience, keeps their critical thinking skills sharp and ensuring they’re ready for further digital transformation.

McKinsey’s report highlights the immense potential of AI, but businesses must be agile to truly capitalize on it. The technology is advancing so quickly that the best opportunities could emerge from various areas—talent, new business models, or competitive products. Organizations must also invest in workers who can drive this transition.

Interestingly, Millennials—the largest generational cohort in the workforce—are among AI’s most vocal champions. As they take on more leadership roles, they are becoming natural overseers of AI adoption. But regardless of generation, businesses that prioritize employee training and equip their teams with the skills to leverage AI effectively will come out ahead. And that’s already proving true in 2025.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

It's time to settle down after a long week of work (or school/college/university studies) and enjoy one of the many new movies and TV shows that have been released recently.

I'm going to be heading to my local IMAX cinema to watch Marvel's Thunderbolts* movie again (read my Thunderbolts* review if you want to know what I thought of Marvel's latest big-screen offering). But, if you fancy a quiet night in, there's plenty more to watch at home on the world's best streaming services.

So, without further ado, here's what you'll want to sit down to stream over the next few days. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

The Four Seasons (Netflix)

If you're like me and love a TV show that makes you feel like you're on holiday, then this new Netflix comedy-romance series sounds like it'll be just the ticket.

Like HBO's The White Lotus, the eight-episode series, which is a remake of its movie namesake, centers around a group of friends going on vacation, which is why many have made the comparison between the two series.

Created, written, and produced by Tina Fey, the show sees the actor team up with Date Night co-star Steve Carell again for a romantic holiday. However, not everything is as rosy as it seems when one of the three couples on vacation split up. This has the making to be one of the best Netflix shows but, as always, the proof will be in the pudding. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch The Four Seasons on Netflix

Another Simple Favor (Prime Video)

I'm a huge fan of the A Simple Favor, so I'm intrigued to see where its Prime Video sequel goes. Judging by the trailer, it's going to be just as stylish and mysterious as the first, and it's bringing all the sunshine and glamor of an Italian wedding too.

Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick are back, of course, and I'm so excited to see what happens in the Amazon Movie Original, especially since Kendrick's character agrees to be maid of honor for Lively's character. It's a scenario that reminds me a lot of one of my favorite Black Mirror episodes, aka 'Nosedive', and I have a feeling this wedding will be just as chaotic.

It's also got Severance season 2 composer Theodore Shapiro's music, so you know it's going to sound great, but will it popular enough to earn a spot on our best Prime Video movies guide? – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Another Simple Favor on Prime Video

Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld (Disney+)

It's almost time to celebrate the existence of Lucasfilm's iconic galaxy far, far away. Indeed, this Sunday (May 4) marks the annually observed tradition of Star Wars Day, which takes place every year on the same date (you know, May the Fourth Be With You and all that!).

What better way to honor the legendary sci-fi universe, then, than with the release of a new Disney+ show? Tales of the Underworld is the third animated miniseries to shine a light on two franchise characters who deserve a bit more screentime. So, who'll star in this four-part installment? Cad Bane and Asajj Ventress, the former being a bounty hunter and the latter a Nightsister-turned-assassin.

Will one of 2025's new Star Wars TV shows be received as well as 2022's Tales of the Jedi and deserve a spot on our best Disney+ shows? Or will it fall victim to the Dark Side are earn less stellar reviews like Tales of the Empire? Time will tell! – TP

• Watch Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld on Disney+

Careme (Apple TV+)

Cuisine is at the heart of any good streaming platform. Now, Apple TV+ is shining a spotlight on the world's first celebrity chef, Antonin Carême.

We're no stranger to celebrity chefs in the modern era – I'm someone who spends half my life watching Kitchen Nightmares – but this is a very different story.

Set in Napoleon's Europe, Carême's talent attracts the attention of politicians who use him as a spy for France, so you can expect intrigue as a side order to your usual culinary delights. I'm already hooked by this Apple TV Original's premise and I suspect it'll soon find its way onto our best Apple TV+ shows list. – LB

• Watch Careme on Apple TV+

A Complete Unknown (Disney+)

Those streaming services they are a-changing, so make sure to check in on one of May's new Disney+ movies because it's finally adding the Bob Dylan biographical drama, aka A Complete Unknown, just over a month after it made its Hulu debut stateside.

In this fictionalized take on the protest singer-songwriter’s life, director James Mangold (Ford vs Ferrari; Walk The Line) takes us back to a fresh-faced Dylan arriving at Greenwich Village in the early 60s, guiding us through a new reimagining of his rise to fame.

Don't let its Oscar snub dissuade you from streaming this one and getting to hear the original soundtrack from Timothée Chalamet. Indeed, it's one of the best Disney+ movies you'll watch this month. – AS

• Watch A Complete Unknown on Disney+

The Eternaut (Netflix)

Sci-fi is one of my favorite genres, so I'm very excited that the genre is growing over on Netflix with the addition of The Eternaut.

In this intriguing series, which is based on an Argentinian graphic novel, we follow a group of survivors following a deadly snowfall. If that wasn't stressful enough, the incident was powered by an alien invasion.

With six hour-long episodes to dive into, it sounds like it'll a great weekend binge watch. Based on its largely positive Rotten Tomatoes critical and audiences scores, this is one series you'll want to get snowed in for so you can stream it ASAP. – LB

• Watch The Eternaut on Netflix

100 Foot Wave season 3 (Max)

Garrett McNamara returns to Max in a brand new season of the two time Emmy-winning 100 Foot Wave docuseries.

The first season chronicled McNamara's journey to becoming the world record holder for the largest wave ever surfed in Nazaré, Portugal, and has since expanded to follow the highs and lows of other renowned big wave surfers. Season 3 will see the athlete travel to stunning new locations, including O’ahu, Hawaii for the rarely held Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.

The five-part third season is set to be another heart-pounding, awe-inspiring watch filled with even more stunning big wave footage of these deaths-dying surfers. One to add to our best Max shows? Maybe! – AS

• Watch 100 Foot Wave season 3 on Max

For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on best Hulu movies, best Prime Video shows, best Paramount+ movies, and best Max movies.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, May 2 (game #1194).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1195) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1195) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1195) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1195) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1195) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• V

• W

• C

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1195) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1195, are…

• PLUSH
• VERGE
• WROTE
• CONDO

A tricky one for me today. My start words did deliver me a word with three letters in the correct place and another letter in the wrong position, but I still managed to get it wrong, guessing TROVE instead of WROTE. 

Fortunately, this error – and using the letter V with my incorrect guess – helped me find the tricky VERGE.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1195) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1195, are…

• GLOOM
• ATTIC
• ABOVE
• SPOIL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK
• Quordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPH
• Quordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRN
• Quordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFT
• Quordle #1184, Tuesday, 22 April: POUTY, CHEST, BROOM, TEPEE
• Quordle #1183, Monday, 21 April: SHARD, PRINT, SUMAC, LEACH
• Quordle #1182, Sunday, 20 April: DINER, HORDE, SHONE, FUGUE
• Quordle #1181, Saturday, 19 April: GRADE, LAUGH, RAINY, EXULT
• Quordle #1180, Friday, 18 April: DEBUT, GLADE, BASTE, PESTO
• Quordle #1179, Thursday, 17 April: SPRAY, RAMEN, SHELF, COURT
• Quordle #1178, Wednesday 16 April: STUMP, GRAFT, CHORD, INPUT
• Quordle #1177, Tuesday 15 April: SLEET, MERIT, HARSH, FORAY
• Quordle #1176, Monday 14 April: DRAWL, CROOK, ACTOR, LANCE
• Quordle #1175, Sunday 13 April: SHALE, KINKY, SHORN, WHOOP

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, May 2 (game #691).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #692) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SMOKE
• SHELL
• FIRE
• MILK
• CREAM
• COMP
• HELL
• LIT
• SICK
• LICK
• PASTE
• NETI
• ORGO
• ILL
• WELL
• DOPE

NYT Connections today (game #692) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Amazing
• GREEN: Well beaten 
• BLUE: Drop the last two letters for link
• PURPLE: Drop the last letter for link

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #692) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: AWESOME 
• GREEN: DEFEAT SOUNDLY 
• BLUE: "WILL" CONTRACTIONS WITHOUT THE APOSTROPHE
• PURPLE: URL ENDINGS PLUS A LETTER 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #692) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #692, are…

• YELLOW: AWESOME DOPE, FIRE, LIT, SICK
• GREEN: DEFEAT SOUNDLY CREAM, LICK, PASTE, SMOKE
• BLUE: "WILL" CONTRACTIONS WITHOUT THE APOSTROPHE
• HELL, ILL, SHELL, WELL
• PURPLE: URL ENDINGS PLUS A LETTER COMP, MILK, NETI, ORGO

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

My mistakes today came in thinking that there was a cooking group. I was trying to think of some kind of food preparation that involved SHELLing, CREAMing, turning into a PASTE. To make some sauces you make a WELL in flour, so I included that. I had MILK for another guess and FIRE in another.

Fortunately, I saw sense and more importantly the various slang words for AWESOME and DEFEAT SOUNDLY.

I see the “WILL CONTRACTIONS WITHOUT THE APOSTROPHE" (He’ll, I’ll, She’ll, We’ll) now, but in truth I put them together because they all ended LL.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, May 2, game #691)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF CARVINGS BUST, RELIEF, STATUE, TORSO
• GREEN: PILLAR BRACE, POST, PROP, SUPPORT
• BLUE: BBQ OFFERING DOG, LINK, RIB, WING
• PURPLE: __NECK BOTTLE, BREAK, GOOSE, TURTLE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 2 (game #425).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #426) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Say "ah"

NYT Strands today (game #426) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SOOTY
• ROPES
• STING
• RING
• SEEP
• ROOST

NYT Strands today (game #426) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #426) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 5th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #426) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #426, are…

• GAUZE
• TAPE
• SYRINGE
• STETHOSCOPE
• THERMOMETER
• SPANGRAM: DOCTORS KIT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

After a run of easy editions today’s Strands presented a challenge – well, it did for me at least.

I had to resort to a couple of hints to complete the puzzle and was presented with two piles of letters that ended up being STETHOSCOPE and THERMOMETER. They should have gone all the way and included a sphygmomanometer.

Today’s theme did, of course, trigger memories of pretending to be badly injured so that my daughters could rush me to their cardboard ER and perform a variety of experimental surgical procedures on me with their plastic DOCTOR’S KIT. Fortunately, I survived without too many scars.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, May 2, game #425)

• WARBLER
• LARK
• SPARROW
• WREN
• CARDINAL
• CHICKADEE
• SPANGRAM: SONGBIRDS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• Microsoft Edge slipped slightly to 13.29% according to Statcounter’s latest figures for the browser market in April 2025
• Edge has been stuck around the 13% mark for over a year now
• To make progress, Microsoft needs to rethink its strategy, and stop overzealously promoting Edge in Windows 11

Microsoft’s Edge browser appears to be facing a distinctly uphill battle in the browser wars, with its market share having clearly stalled over the past year.

Granted, that percentage share of the browser market has been bobbling up and down a bit as time has passed, going by analytics firm Statcounter’s global figures. But the upshot is Edge doesn’t seem to be making any real headway against Google’s Chrome browser.

As Neowin noticed, with April’s browser stats, Edge is on 13.29% which is a slight loss of 0.08% on March 2025. If we rewind a year, it’s actually up a little bit, but the increase is marginal with a 0.32% gain.

Essentially, Edge has been stuck around the 13% mark for over a year now, and has been unable to break free of the shackles of that particular number.

At the start of 2024, it crept over 13%, then hit 13.8% in August 2024, seeming to make some decent progress – except it dropped back down under 13% towards the end of last year.

Then it rose like a phoenix (ahem) to reach 13.9% in February 2025, again a solid uptick, before dropping back down (like a phoenix somebody turned a fire hose on) to 13.29% this past month.

In short, whenever there’s an increase that makes it look like Edge could get over 14%, the browser appears to shed users again. And given how far away Microsoft’s app is from Chrome – which is way in the lead on 65% – it’s not looking good for the overall campaign to dethrone Google here.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / monticello) Analysis: Drop the promos, Microsoft – or, erm, just buy Chrome

Actually, looking at the entire browser market in recent history, nothing is really doing much – it’s a very static overall picture. All the major browsers have pretty much flatlined, and are maintaining a strict balance of power, with only minor fluctuations from month-to-month.

Chrome holds most of that power, as noted, and Edge is a very distant second, ahead of Safari and Firefox which are a good way behind it (relatively speaking at the low-end). Opera is the other minor player bringing up the rear, but whichever graph you look at, it’s pretty much a straight line through the months for all these browsers, with very slight bobbles.

What is Microsoft getting wrong? Well, I know it’s a well-beaten drum, but I’m convinced part of the problem is the overzealous promotion of Edge in Windows 11 (and 10). These kind of exercises – which have been numerous in recent history – only smack of desperation, and will likely turn off people, rather than persuade them to give Edge a chance.

I know that repeated prompts to make Edge my default browser have annoyed me quite a number of times, cropping up here and there, and I’m sure I am not alone (a quick rifle through some online posts on typical forums like Reddit underlines this).

The crying shame is that Edge is actually a good product. Indeed, it’s rated as the top pick in our roundup of the best web browsers, so it deserves to be a meaningful rival to Chrome, even if it’s not perfect. And Microsoft is working to iron out some of those imperfections, like bloat, slowly but surely.

What does Microsoft need to do to stand a chance of breaking through the 15% barrier, then? Well, keep on the path of streamlining by all means, but just shut up about Edge in Windows 11 (or elsewhere), and try to get a turnaround in the public perception of the browser being overly promoted. Because that only leads to suspicion that Edge needs to be promoted because it’s not all that great – which isn’t true.

Microsoft positioning itself to gain favor and more goodwill from the computing public in this way could stand Edge in good stead, given that the top dog browser is currently navigating some unsteady waters, with Google currently under fire regarding selling off Chrome.

Or there’s an idea: just buy Chrome, Microsoft. Of course, that remote prospect would be highly unlikely to fly with regulators as it’s rather an ‘out of the fire and into the frying pan’ solution.

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• How to use Microsoft Edge

Is this the Droid you’ve been looking for? Well, if you’ve been after a pint-sized cargo-carrying droid that you can follow around, Lucasfilm’s latest collaboration with Piaggio Fast Forward just might be the one you’ve been looking for.

Meet G1T4-M1N1, a special edition of Piaggio’s gitamini robot that sticks with the off-the-shelf bright yellow – maybe a lime green – hull of a droid and tosses in custom decals that give it the look of an astromech. You’ll find long arms like those of R2-D2 on the left and right, various gray shapes giving it a shell, and sensors galore all around.

Plus, via the built-in speaker, Piaggio worked with Lucasfilm to design custom Droid sounds, so yes, various beeps and boops, as well as a custom lighting package, round out the Star Wars edition.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Aside from that, it is indeed the classic Gita Mini with a front sensor stack with two cameras that work as a pair and a secondary color CMOS camera. These all work in conjunction with AI models on a device to help the G1T4-M1N1 recognize and lock onto you, so that it can follow you and avoid obstacles.

This article is in celebration of Star Wars Day. For more tech stories about a galaxy far far away, check out all of our Star Wars coverage for all the latest, including where to stream the iconic movies and TV shows. May the force be with you all!

It also has two main wheels, and the actual hull of the robot balances between them as it glides so effortlessly. I tested it in TechRadar’s office in New York City, which was mostly smooth. How well would it perform on the sandy surface of Tatooine or the icy surface of Hoth? Your guess is as good as mine, but I have a feeling the G1T4-M1N1 would ask that you never tell it the odds.

Piaggio says it tops out at 6 MPH, though. When coworkers spotted it gliding around the office, one might have thought it had punched into hyperspace. Seriously, though, G1T4-M1N1 does pack a punch, and it's pretty compact, measuring just under 19 inches in height.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

This robot is not just about good droid looks. It has a purpose. I tucked away Sabine Wren’s lightsaber in the cargo bin, which opens pretty easily from the top. It also locks via the app, so that precious cargo can be stored securely. It can hold up to a 20-pound payload, so it could hold quite a bit of beskar, which is a win.

It’s a cute robot, the result of a collaboration between Piaggio and Lucasfilm that came about quite naturally. Speaking to TechRadar exclusively, Greg Lynn, CEO of Piaggio Fast Forward, told us, “When we first met with Disney on campus and were walking in with a Gita Mini and a Gita Plus robot, it was also one of the best experiences, with people running out of the office building saying, ' They’re here!'”

Feeling the Force

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

It was evident that Piaggio Fast Forward team were Star Wars fans, and the team at Lucas Film and Star Wars were, as you’d expect, fans of real-life robots and droids. Lynn shared that it was a great partnership working together on ‘developing all kinds of customizations and features” to make a special robot, which came to form as the G1T4-M1N1.

Lynn and the team from Piaggio got to look through the archives at Lucasfilm in search of some early Astro-Mech droids. The Gita Mini already had sensors, and so did the astro-mechs, so it was a pretty perfect pair. You’ll experience custom sounds at various points when using the G1T4-M1N1, including when you start walking and abruptly stop, or change your speed quickly.

Lynn shared his excitement for this launch, and if you’re already sold, the G1T4-M1N1 is available for order now from the Disney Store for $2,875. You’ll also get the Star Wars edition of the droid and special packaging. It’s not a limited edition either, so you should be able to find one of these for a good bit.

The droid you're looking for

The launch also comes ahead of May 4, 2025, also known as Star Wars Day, and this is one of the coolest, albeit more expensive, products to debut. And if you’re after some other items – maybe a new Lego set or a piece of the epic, frosty, Hoth collection – you can carry it in the G1T4-M1N1.

Now, if you want to see the G1T4-M1N1 in action, before purchasing or just want to try it, the Disney Store in Times Square, New York City, will have several of these out and about this weekend – certainly a fun way to celebrate Star Wars Day.

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• Concerns have been raised around the default drive encryption applied with Windows 11 24H2
• This is put in place when setting up new PCs, or with fresh installs of Windows 11 24H2 on existing devices
• The encryption recovery key is tied to a Microsoft account, and if that account is subsequently deleted or otherwise inaccessible, this can mean you lose all your data – and Microsoft doesn’t make this nearly clear enough

Some criticism has been levelled at Microsoft for not making it clear enough that Device Encryption – the lightweight spin on BitLocker for Windows 11 Home – is enabled automatically during setting up Windows 11 24H2 with a Microsoft account. (Albeit there are caveats here, which I’ll return to).

Neowin flagged up the post on Reddit which boldly carries the statement ‘BitLocker is now the biggest threat to user data on Windows 11’ in its title.

How does that work exactly? Given that BitLocker is, of course, a security feature which provides encryption for the host drive to protect the data on it (which is definitely a good thing if your PC is stolen, or you lose it).

Well, as the Redditor points out, there’s a broader perspective on security here, which encompasses the availability of data, rather than just its confidentiality (encryption).

The post by a Redditor called MorCJul observes: “In cybersecurity, we talk about the CIA Triad: Confidentiality (keeping data secret), Integrity (keeping data accurate and unaltered), and Availability (making sure data is accessible when needed).

“I’d argue that for the average user, availability of their data matters far more than confidentiality. Losing access to family photos and documents because of unavailability is far more painful than any confidentiality concerns.

“Without mandatory, redundant key backups, BitLocker [Device Encryption] isn’t securing anything – it’s just silently setting users up for catastrophic failure. I’ve seen this happen too often now.”

Essentially, the Redditor is pointing out that if you lose your Microsoft account, that’s your data gone with it – irretrievably. How come? That requires a more in-depth explanation.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: The origin of this issue – and what you can do to protect yourself

Let’s rewind a bit here and unpick this. The origin of this controversy is a move made by Microsoft some time ago, with the release of the 24H2 update for Windows 11. With 24H2 the company relaxed the requirements for the hardware needed to facilitate automatic drive encryption, broadening its reach.

What Microsoft did was make it so that when you first set up a new PC that has Windows 11 Home using a Microsoft account, Device Encryption is turned on by default (for the system drive only, I should note – full BitLocker is needed to encrypt other drives on the computer). And the same is true for a clean install of Windows 11 24H2 on an existing PC – although crucially, not with an upgrade.

So, the default enabling of this encryption feature doesn’t apply if you perform an in-place upgrade to Windows 11 24H2, or if you use a local account to install the OS.

The reason the feature is only for users setting up Windows 11 with their Microsoft account is because there’s a recovery key – to undo the encryption – and this is attached to the user’s Microsoft account.

(As a side-note, you may be aware that a Microsoft account is necessary for the Windows 11 installation process anyway, so it isn’t easy to avoid that. There are still workarounds to install the OS with a local account, but Microsoft appears to be busy stamping all these out).

Anyway, the potential disaster scenario runs like this: the user installs Windows 11 24H2 – with a Microsoft account, as the process demands – and goes through setup without realizing that Device Encryption is switched on.

In the future, the user subsequently deletes that Microsoft account (maybe switching to a local account later, or a different Microsoft account). If a problem then occurs which demands the recovery key to access the encrypted data on the system drive, guess what? That recovery key has been thrown in the bin along with the deleted Microsoft account.

Granted, this is a somewhat niche scenario, but the result – the data on the drive is irretrievably lost, family photos and all, as noted above – is a nightmarish prospect.

What the Redditor is arguing is that this potential ‘data time bomb’ is more of a danger than not having your drive encrypted, with the latter only really being an issue in case of theft (which is also a pretty niche scenario, particularly for a desktop PC which never goes anywhere, except maybe a LAN party).

(Image credit: Getty Images)

What’s the solution? Well, don’t delete your Microsoft account springs to mind. The problem is that you can happily do so – oblivious that you’re trashing what could be a critical key contained within that account – and only find out the heavy cost of your actions later.

As the Redditor points out, there should be much more flagging regarding the drive encryption feature applied by default with 24H2. In Windows 11 Home setup, it should be made perfectly clear what’s happening, and the risks-rewards on both sides of the equation with Device Encryption on or off. And a clear warning should be given about the key being tied to the Microsoft account.

Furthermore, when deleting a Microsoft account, if a Device Encryption recovery key is attached, the user should be made very aware of that, and what the results might be if they punt the account off into the abyss, never to be seen again. Currently, no such warning is given upon account deletion, and the Redditor notes they checked when making their post that this is still the case.

Having read, this, though, you’re armed with the knowledge that deleting a Microsoft account is something you should be careful around. And if you want to check whether your Windows 11 Home (24H2) device is running with encryption, you can find out by going to Privacy & security > Device Encryption in the Settings app. At the top of the screen, there’s a slider for the encryption feature, which is either on or off.

Note that you can turn off Device Encryption post-installation of Windows 11 24H2, at any time, simply by using that slider.

To throw in some extra paranoia here, in the past, BitLocker (of which Device Encryption is a ‘lite’ flavor, as mentioned at the outset) has been found to slow down SSDs by an alarming amount. Full BitLocker is only used with Windows 11 Pro (or enterprise versions), and as mentioned, Device Encryption is a slimmed-down take purely for the system drive on Windows 11 Home machines. We've contacted Microsoft for a comment.

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In this article we're going to explore the difference between a fan and an air circulator, and help you figure out which is the best choice for your needs. Both types appear in our best fan roundup, and both have their pros and cons, depending on what you want to achieve.

As you can see from the image above, the two types of fan can look extremely similar at a glance, but they operate in different ways.

An air circulator is designed to circulate air around larger spaces. This type of fan really shines when combined with a cold air source, because it'll ensure the cooler air is distributed quickly and efficiently around the whole space.

In contrast, regular fans use a directed flow of air to enhance the evaporation of sweat, helping you feel cooler. They're great for personal cooling, but they will only have an effect if the air is pointed right at you.

Want to know more? Read on for a closer look at air circulators vs fans.

Air circulator vs fan: what is an air circulator? What is an air circulator?

An air circulator is a type of fan that is designed to circulate air around a whole room, rather than just blowing it in a specific direction.

For this reason, air circulators are especially effective when combined with a cool air source like an air con unit (here's more on air con vs fans). In this setup, an air circulator amplifies the work of the air con unit, helping drop the overall temperature in the room far more efficiently and ensuring the cooling air is evenly distributed.

If you don't have air con, they can still be useful, for example by circulating the breeze from an open window.

Say your bedroom has heated up during a sunny day – if you pop an air circulator next to an open window when night starts to fall and the temperature outside drops, it'll help distribute that cool air around your room in double-quick time, for a cooler sleep. They're also good for improving room ventilation.

Air circulators like the MeacoFan 1056P shift air around large spaces (Image credit: Future) How do air circulators work?

Often air circulators look like pedestal fans or desktop fans, with a fan head sitting atop a pole or on a base. They work by sucking air in through the back of the fan head, and pushing it out though a tight spiral grill and out into the room, where it bounces off the walls and ceiling. Eventually, the air will be bounced back towards the air circulator unit, and the whole process will start again.

The fan head doesn't necessarily need to move around to circulate air effectively. However, sometimes the fan head will rotate – and not just side-to-side like a regular fan, but up-and-down, too.

Air circulator vs fan: what is a fan? What is a fan?

'Fan' is the umbrella term; an air circulator is a type of fan. However, if we're talking about traditional fans (including tower and pedestal fans), they're typically designed to direct a flow of air to a specific area. This is great if you want to cool just one or – if the fan has oscillating capabilities – a few people at a time.

As a general rule, traditional fans aren't designed to circulate air around a whole room. However, fans with wide oscillating properties will help shift air around a fair bit. Some Dyson fans can oscillate a full 360 degrees, for example.

Whether its a tower – like this Dreo 519S – or a pedestal, regular fans offer a directed flow of air (Image credit: Future) How do fans work?

Fans don't actually cool the air; it's the movement of air on your skin that helps you feel cooler by boosting the evaporation of sweat. That means you'll only feel the benefits when you're sitting directly in the airflow path.

Buy an air circulator if... 1. You have an air con unit

Air circulators can be hugely effective at amplifying a source of cool air – for example from an air con unit – and ensuring it reaches the whole room. As a side note, this can help save energy and potentially lower your utility bills by helping your AC work more efficiently.

For example, in our Dreo TurboPoly 508S review, our tester found this air circulator fan was incredibly efficient at lowering temperatures in her home when paired with her usually ineffective AC unit.

Air circulators like the Dreo 508S help amplify the effects of AC (Image credit: Future) 2. You need to cool a large area

Traditional fans will only cool one or two people at once, whereas an air circulator is designed to create a flow of air around a whole room. That has the added benefit of meaning you could pop your air circulator out of the way, in the corner of a room, and it'll still do its job – whereas a fan would need to be positioned so you're directly in its airflow range. Don't expect powerful individual cooling from an air circulator unless you're adding a source of cool air, though.

3. You want something for year-round use

While a fan is only really helpful in the hot weather, air circulators can also be used alongside a heater in the colder months. While hot air will naturally rise, adding an air circulator will help evenly warm a room. They can also help with room ventilation if you have areas that tend to feel stuffy.

Buy a fan if... 1. You want something for personal cooling

Non-air circulator fans direct a flow of air at an individual, helping them feel cooler by enhancing the evaporation of sweat from their skin. You don't need a source of cold air for this type of fan to help cool you down.

2. You want something to use outside

The effects of an air circulator are going to get lost outside, whereas a fan can help generate a cooling breeze. Misting fans like the Shark FlexBreeze or FlexBreeze HydroGo can be especially effective for outdoor use.

A misting fan like the FlexBreeze HydroGo is a great choice for outdoor use (Image credit: Future) 3. You don't have air con

Air circulators are designed to amplify an existing source of cool air – usually from an air con unit. While an air circulator can still be useful without AC, traditional fans tend to be more efficient at cooling when used on their own.

• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes around a third of the company's code is now AI-written
• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes half of its code will come from AI in a year
• Productivity benefits come at the cost of potential vulnerabilities and job losses

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has revealed nearly one-third of the company's code is now written by AI.

Speaking to fellow tech titan, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, at the company's first-ever "AI innovation" conference, LlamaCon, Nadella added the figure is trending upward, possibly reaching as far as 40%, noting AI is most effective at writing new code rather than modifying old code.

The news comes just months after Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai revealed similar figures, claiming more than quarter of Google's code is now AI-generated.

Microsoft is using more and more AI-generated code

"I'd say maybe 20-30% of the code that is inside of our repos today and some of our projects are probably all written by software," Nadella confirmed.

Despite posing the question, when that same question was asked to Zuckerberg, he claimed not to "have that number off the top of [his] head."

However, Meta's leader did offer an outlook for the company's use of AI: "Our bet is sort of that in the next year... maybe half the development is going to be done by AI as opposed to people, and that will kind of increase from there."

Neither Nadella nor Zuckerberg discussed potential job losses due to AI coding, but there was a brief discussion around evolving roles.

"I tend to think that... every engineer if effectively going to end up being more of a like tech lead in the future that has their own little army of AI agents that they work with," Meta's CEO explained.

Responding to the discussion on the Proton Mail X account, privacy-focused Swiss office software company Proton said: "This is not the flex you think it is, Microsoft."

It's unclear whether that was a dig at potential vulnerabilities that could be introduced through AI-written code, the effects it may have on the workforce, or something else.

TechRadar Pro has sought clarification on this.

Watch the full discussion between the two leaders on Meta's YouTube channel.

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There’s every chance that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be the best foldable phone of the year, as leaks suggest this successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be a serious upgrade.

So, if you’re serious about foldables – and have a serious stack of cash to spend on one – then you might want to consider this model. It’s not out yet, but it could be coming soon – and we have a good idea of when.

Below then, you’ll find our predictions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 announcement date, pre-order date, and shipping date. These predictions are based on a mix of leaks, rumors, and Samsung’s typical timings.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 announcement date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Our best guess for when the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be announced is either July 2 or July 9.

Why those days? Well, the last couple of models were announced in July, so that’s the most likely month. On top of which, South Korean site The JoongAng has said to expect the phone in early July, which likely means in the first couple of weeks.

Add to that the fact that Samsung typically unveils new Z Fold models on a Wednesday, and that leaves us with just July 2 or July 9.

Of course, The JoongAng could be wrong, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 was unveiled on July 10 last year, and Samsung has been shifting the announcement dates slightly forward each of the last few years, so if that trend continues then we’d again probably be looking at early July.

We still can’t completely rule out a date later in the month, or a launch on something other than a Wednesday, but all signs are pointing in this direction so far, and at the very least, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 reportedly entering mass production in May, it should be ready to land in or around July.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 pre-order date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

We can also take a good guess at when Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 pre-orders will open, with our best guess for now once again being either July 2 or July 9.

The reason for that is simply that Samsung usually opens pre-orders on the day it announces new devices. It did this for example with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, and the Samsung Galaxy S25.

So, while it’s possible Samsung will break from its usual patterns here, we doubt it. If we’re wrong about the pre-order dates it will more likely be because we’re wrong about when the phone is announced, as whenever it’s announced, we’re almost certain you’ll be able to pre-order it that same day.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 shipping date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Shipping dates are what we’re least sure of, as not only do they depend on our announcement date predictions being right, but Samsung isn’t quite as consistent with when phones ship as when they go up for pre-order.

There is still a rough pattern though, with the last few Samsung Galaxy Z Fold models and many other Samsung handsets shipping approximately two weeks after they’re announced. The exact gap does vary though, typically coming in at between 12 and 16 days.

So, if the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is announced on July 2, then two weeks later would be July 16, so we could see it ship then – or a day or two either side of that. If it’s unveiled on July 9 then it might instead ship on or around July 23.

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