technology
A series of recent developments reveals how major technology firms and state actors are consolidating control over digital infrastructure and personal data, raising concerns over market competition and individual autonomy. Apple and Google are facing pressure to remove the social media and AI chatbot applications for X and Grok from their app stores, a move that would give the platform owners significant power to shape public discourse [52824]. This follows a proposal in Malaysia to ban social media access for minors, and a similar demand from over 60 UK Labour MPs to ban social media for those under 16 [53004, 53095]. In Iran, an ongoing internet blackout has led to speculation it could become a permanent state of information control [53152]. The concentration of market power extends to hardware. A new study found that smartphones now control 95% of global internet access, creating a bottleneck dependent on a handful of operating system providers [53063]. In China, the government's push for technological self-reliance is advancing with a new 'ion scalpel' tool designed to cut dependence on foreign semiconductor supply chains [52970]. Corporate surveillance is expanding into new domains. Tencent is developing AI intended to converse with elderly users, integrating the technology into daily family life [52988]. Separately, researchers have created a device that can track glucose levels from a person's breath, moving health monitoring away from clinics and into continuous, passive data collection [52685]. The drive for automation is accelerating job displacement. FedEx's CEO stated the company is betting on robots and artificial intelligence to manage future global trade logistics [53389]. Professors are now training AI chatbots to act as writing tutors, a role traditionally filled by educators [52704]. This shift is underscored by the rise of AI sales agents, which are now being deployed to sell products ranging from handbags to horse hay [52705]. <a href='/news/52824'>Apple and Google Pressured to Ban X and Grok Apps</a> <a href='/news/53004'>Malaysia Proposes Social Media Ban for Minors</a> <a href='/news/53095'>Over 60 Labour MPs Demand Starmer Ban Social Media for Under-16s</a> <a href='/news/53152'>Iran's Internet Blackout: Could It Be Permanent?</a> <a href='/news/53063'>Smartphones Now Control 95% of Internet Access, Study Finds</a> <a href='/news/52970'>China's New 'Ion Scalpel' Aims to Cut Chip Supply Chain Dependence</a> <a href='/news/52988'>Tencent Wants AI to Talk to Your Grandma</a> <a href='/news/52685'>Forget Finger Pricks: New Device Tracks Glucose From Your Breath</a> <a href='/news/53389'>FedEx CEO Bets on Robots, AI to Navigate New Global Trade Era</a> <a href='/news/52704'>Professors Train AI Chatbots to Be Better Writing Tutors</a> <a href='/news/52705'>AI Now Sells You Everything: From Handbags to Horse Hay</a>
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