Robert Booth
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Guardian UK technology editor
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Articles by Robert Booth
What is PHP and how serious is the computer language flaw causing website shutdowns?
Website owners faced millions of attempts to exploit a serious security vulnerability in their programming language, it has emerged, triggering a rush by governments and businesses to fix the problem. The newly discovered vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language that underpins most websites, allows hackers to carry out cyber-attacks and steal data if not fixed. What were the vulnerabilities and why did they affect so many sites? What is PHP?
Websites across world hit by millions of attempts to exploit PHP code flaw
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Websites across world hit by millions of attempts to exploit PHP code flaw
Websites around the world have been hit by millions of attempts to exploit a recently discovered vulnerability in their code, cybersecurity companies have said, as the US National Security Agency warned the flaw could allow attackers to take control of web servers, steal data and disrupt services.
Websites across world hit by millions of attempts to exploit PHP code flaw
A page on the BBC website is temporarily unavailable due to the issue. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Websites around the world have been hit by millions of attempts to exploit a recently discovered vulnerability in their code, cybersecurity companies have said, as the US National Security Agency warned the flaw could allow attackers to take control of web servers, steal data and disrupt services.
AI firms say UK has a year to head off datacentre protests before construction is threatened
AI companies have told ministers they have 12 months to head off public opposition to datacentres in the UK or risk US-style protests that could threaten their construction. Successive dry summers and rising energy bills are increasing public scrutiny of plans for the huge computer warehouses that are used to train and run AI models, says a submission to the Labour government from a group including the AI infrastructure companies Nvidia, Microsoft and Cisco.
AI firms say UK has a year to head off datacentre protests before construction is threatened
Protesters show their opposition to a datacentre in North Ayrshire. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian AI companies have told ministers they have 12 months to head off public opposition to datacentres in the UK or risk US-style protests that could threaten their construction.
Flaw in PHP computer language leads to shutdown of websites around world
The PHP Foundation has released a patch for the flaw but it may take time for vulnerable sites to use it to shore up their defences. Photograph: ANP/Shutterstock Websites around the globe have gone dark after a serious vulnerability was found in a computer language used to build much of the world wide web.
UK to strengthen cyber defences as minister calls for AI firms to increase safety efforts
Companies building the most advanced AI systems must increase safety efforts, the UK's AI minister will say, as he announces a strengthening of Britain's cyber defences. Kanishka Narayan will call on companies developing frontier AI to do more to make sure it is safe. He will say Britain cannot rely entirely on technology companies to police their own models and will argue the UK needs to build more of its own AI infrastructure.
UK to strengthen cyber defences as minister calls for AI firms to increase safety efforts
Liquid-cooled servers at a datacentre in London. Narayan will argue the UK needs to build more of its own AI infrastructure. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Companies building the most advanced AI systems must increase safety efforts, the UK’s AI minister will say, as he announces a strengthening of Britain’s cyber defences. Kanishka Narayan will call on companies developing frontier AI to do more to make sure it is safe.
‘Dystopian’: Co-op becomes latest firm to put staff under AI surveillance
The Co-op has become the latest employer to place workers under AI surveillance with an automated listening technology that rates every phone call some of them make to customers. In a system described as “oppressive and dystopian” by a whistleblower, Co-op Legal Services is using AI models to record, analyse and award a percentage score for interactions between agents and customers seeking advice about probate, wills and estates.
Recent lobbyist for Palantir had key role in helping Andy Burnham become PM
A recent lobbyist for the controversial $450bn US tech company Palantir played a senior role in helping Andy Burnham become prime minister, it has emerged. Martha Dalton, whose company Lodestone worked for Palantir in 2024 and 2025, campaigned for Burnham in the Makerfield byelection that secured his return to parliament. She worked closely with his team on strategic communications and rebuttals, and was among supporters who clapped him into Downing Street in July.
How the ‘poisonous tide’ of disinformation stokes division and sows despair
Russian disinformation campaigns are varied in their falsehoods and strategies. The tactics evolve too, from disseminating deceitful narratives through the Telegram messaging platform to "poisoning" AI systems by littering the internet with false stories in the hope they will be regurgitated by chatbots.
Nvidia boss says there is '0% chance' AI destroys the world by 2030
The boss of the chipmaker Nvidia has said AI will not develop to a point that will lead to the extinction of the human race within a few years, rejecting such assertions as overblown “doomsday narratives”. Jensen Huang, the co-founder and chief executive of the $5tn AI chipmaker, said the claims made on social media by the former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon that AI could become “superhuman” and kill off humanity within the decade were “irresponsible”.
Nvidia boss says there is ‘0% chance’ AI destroys the world by 2030
The boss of the chipmaker Nvidia has said AI will not develop to a point that will lead to the extinction of the human race within a few years, rejecting such assertions as overblown “doomsday narratives”. Jensen Huang, the co-founder and chief executive of the $5tn AI chipmaker, said the claims made on social media by the former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon that AI could become “superhuman” and kill off humanity within the decade were “irresponsible”.
Could AI really wipe out humanity and hijack the internet?
There have been some shocking claims in recent days about AI safety: we face a 10% chance of doom; AIs are worse than nukes; a “botnet” threatens the entire internet; it's all a big tech psyop. We look at six claims and reactions to them.
Louise Haigh: UK must heed warnings from AI experts
Ministers must "heed the warnings" from industry leaders about the threat posed by AI, Louise Haigh has said, amid calls for Andy Burnham to use the G20 to drive global regulation. The first secretary said that while AI had enormous potential to improve lives, and the government wanted to capitalise on the technology, there were "clearly huge risks to our national security and society if the right guardrails are not put in place".
AI models chatting in ‘surreal’ dialect mixing poetic language and tech bro jargon
AI models have begun communicating in a strange new version of English that reads like a cross between James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake and tech bro jargon, new research has found. Autonomous AI agents are rapidly creating novel dialects allowing them to converse in an often barely comprehensible language, which risks making it harder for humans to monitor their behaviour.
Digital ID comes of age as pubs and bars get go-ahead for biometric scan tech
Younger drinkers in England and Wales will be able to prove their age with a digital ID starting this week as new laws give pubs, off-licences, nightclubs and restaurants the right to use biometric scanning technology to check customers are over 18. Customers will be able to download software that scans their faces into their own phone to generate a QR code proving their age based on a stored proof of age.
OpenAI urges UK lawmakers to rein in technology amid growing safety fears
OpenAI has urged British lawmakers to capitalise on renewed fears over AI safety and impose legislation reining in the technology. The company behind ChatGPT said the UK government should act immediately, following a call by its arch-rival Anthropic to curb AI development. “We support stronger UK rules for the handful of companies, including OpenAI, developing the most powerful AI systems,” said OpenAI's head of policy in Europe, Tom Duff Gordon.
OpenAI urges UK lawmakers to rein in technology amid growing safety fears
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UK MPs and Lords call for new laws to tackle AI threat to human rights
British lawmakers are demanding more restrictions on the power of AI, warning the world is unprepared for the “potentially dire” consequences of the technology, in the latest sign of rising global concern. A new regulatory framework is needed for AI in the UK, including an independent oversight body and legislation to protect the public, according to the cross-party joint committee on human rights, comprising MPs and Lords.
OpenAI boss and Elon Musk back calls to put brakes on ‘reckless’ AI development
Sam Altman and Elon Musk have backed a call from the head of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, to “slow the pace” of AI development after he warned that an AI swarm could otherwise become capable of “taking over the entire internet” within a year. In a rare show of unity, the rival technology leaders threw their weight behind the appeal from the founder and chief executive of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, which came after a series of warnings from AI researchers last week.
Are warnings of uncontrollable AI coming true?
By Robert Booth / The Guardian Add TT as Preferred Source Picture humanity in a boat being swept down a raging river, praying there is no Niagara Falls ahead. Or imagine standing with the pioneering physicists in 1942 before they triggered the first self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction beneath a Chicago stadium.
Architect of UK’s AI policy quits after Anthropic conflict of interest concerns
The chair of the UK government’s “moonshot” science and technology research unit has been forced to stand down after taking a job with the San Francisco AI firm Anthropic, after warnings from senior MPs that the move created a “clear conflict of interest”. Matt Clifford announced last week that he was taking a full-time job working for the company behind the Claude chatbot, “leading its engagement” with governments outside the US – including the UK.
OpenAI hails ‘new era of artificial general intelligence’ with Astra model release
The president of OpenAI, Greg Brockman, has claimed the world has entered a new era of artificial general intelligence after the release of his company's latest model, Astra, which it described as the "world's most intelligent and aligned model". Brockman made the claim on Thursday as the San Francisco company released the model only weeks after a serious AI safety incident involving other models under its development caused international concern and a pause in Astra's training.
OpenAI hails ‘new era of artificial general intelligence’ with Astra model release
The president of OpenAI, Greg Brockman, has claimed the world has entered a new era of artificial general intelligence after the release of his company’s latest model, Astra, which it described as the “world’s most intelligent and aligned model”. Brockman made the claim on Thursday as the San Francisco company released the model only weeks after a serious AI safety incident involving other models under its development caused international concern and a pause in Astra’s training.
Architect of UK’s AI strategy joins Anthropic amid conflict of interest warning
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Architect of British government’s AI strategy joins Anthropic
The architect of the UK government’s AI strategy has joined the US startup Anthropic in a senior role a year after stepping down from his Downing Street post. Matt Clifford, a successful tech investor, was appointed as AI opportunities adviser by Keir Starmer last year but resigned from the unpaid role six months later for personal reasons.
Hilarity, unease and relief: games show China is not over the finish line in humanoid robot race
default With exploding pelvises, enough comic pratfalls for a Buster Keaton show reel and the odd moment of ruthless violence, the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing gripped the world this week with an unsettling mixture of hilarity, trepidation and relief.
Twelve people arrested after A66 crash that killed seven including two police officers
Twelve people have been arrested on suspicion of offences including being involved with organised crime as part of the investigation into events leading to a crash on the A66 that killed two police officers and five others.
‘We are hitting a different chapter’: OpenAI leader warns of threat of ‘persistent’ AI cyberattacks
(Levart Photographer / Unsplash) By Robert Booth • Aug 24, 2026 A senior leader at OpenAI has said people should prepare to defend against “ongoing, persistent” cyber-attacks from AIs, as cutting-edge artificial intelligence models gain advanced capabilities to plan and launch offensives.
‘We are hitting a different chapter’: OpenAI leader warns of threat of ‘persistent’ AI cyber-attacks
A senior leader at OpenAI has said people should prepare to defend against "ongoing, persistent" cyber-attacks from AIs, as cutting-edge artificial intelligence models gain advanced capabilities to plan and launch offensives.
‘We are hitting a different chapter’: OpenAI leader warns of threat of ‘persistent’ AI cyber-attacks
A senior leader at OpenAI has said people should prepare to defend against “ongoing, persistent” cyber-attacks from AIs, as cutting-edge artificial intelligence models gain advanced capabilities to plan and launch offensives.
‘It will help get mid-budget films made’: why directors are embracing AI
Near the collonaded entrance to Sony Pictures’ historic Culver City film studio, a tech-powered rival has sprung up this summer. The artists at Promise, a new studio feeding off the potential of AI, can glimpse the lots where Singin’ in the Rain and Men in Black were shot, but no longer do they need to get beyond the studio’s high walls to make their visions come true.
The first anti-AI protester to be jailed has a message for OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta: ‘Regain your humanity’
An activist who blocked the entrance to one of the world's biggest AI companies is believed to have become the first person jailed for protesting against artificial intelligence as supporters dub her the "Rosa Parks of AI risk". Wynd Kaufman, 69, surrendered herself on Friday to authorities in San Francisco.
Preventing a possible outbreak through emergency response and remediation
A facilities management team member wraps up their shift on a Friday afternoon when they get an urgent call that the new 4-story ambulatory care facility — scheduled to be opened on the following Monday — experienced a burst hot water pipe and that water has flooded several spaces on the first floor. The contractor who provided this urgent notice also shared that it is likely the pipe burst happened a day or two earlier. What should the team do?
Five things to include in a physical environment mitigation plan
With a deeper appreciation for just how impactful environmental risks are to patients when building materials become compromised or the physical environment is disturbed and fungal spores are released into occupied spaces, it is essential that the facilities management team proactively establishes policies and plans to mitigate and control these risks.
The facilities manager’s role in reducing healthcare-associated infections
Facilities teams must ensure proper containment during inspection, testing and maintenance procedures, such as during airflow testing to verify proper air-change rates. The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.
Lobbying giant filmed offering reporter payment for flattering client coverage in national press
A political lobbying firm founded by the former electoral strategist for David Cameron and Boris Johnson secretly pays journalists to write pieces for British newspapers that are favourable to its clients, a Guardian investigation can reveal.
Lobbying giant filmed offering reporter payment for flattering client coverage in national press
A political lobbying firm founded by the former electoral strategist for David Cameron and Boris Johnson secretly pays journalists to write pieces for British newspapers that are favourable to their clients, a Guardian investigation can reveal.
UK investigation to determine if TikTok fails to protect children from harmful content
TikTok is under formal investigation over concerns it has failed to protect children from harmful content, the UK's online regulator, Ofcom, has announced. The social media platform's approach to checking the ages of users has sparked “particular concerns” at the watchdog, almost a year after measures to protect children from the worst of online content came into effect under the Online Safety Act.
Scotland could freeze datacentre projects in challenge to UK’s AI strategy
The Scottish government is about to consider a sweeping moratorium on building new datacentres, putting a key plank of the UK’s AI strategy at risk. Last Sunday the Scottish National party (SNP)’s national council passed a motion to freeze all new datacentres in Scotland. That motion has been sent to the Scottish government to consider.
Threat prioritisation under limited awareness in social anxiety: a review of masking and suppression paradigms
Advanced search Cognition and Emotion Latest Articles Submit an article Journal homepage Full Article Figures & data References Supplemental Citations Metrics Reprints & Permissions Read this article /doi/full/10.1080/02699931.2026.2689598?needAccess=true ABSTRACT Social anxiety (SA) is characterised by heightened vigilance to socially evaluative threat, yet the extent to which this vigilance operates outside conscious awareness remains understudied.
Labour set to announce crackdown on social media for children within weeks
Labour is expected to announce a social media crackdown within weeks as the prime minister, Keir Starmer, on Tuesday said he would act “very, very quickly” despite splits between campaigners and child safety experts on what the new rules should be.
‘Like tobacco’: Wes Streeting calls for partial social media ban for under-16s
Social media companies should be treated like the tobacco industry, Wes Streeting has argued, as he called for a ban on under-16s accessing certain platforms. Speaking publicly about the prospect of a ban for the first time since he left government, the former health secretary said one was needed because large technology companies were trying to dodge regulations.
‘Social media should be treated like tobacco’: Streeting calls for under-16s ban on certain platforms
Social media companies should be treated like the tobacco industry, Wes Streeting has argued, as he called for a ban on under-16s accessing certain platforms. Speaking publicly about the prospect of a ban for the first time since he left government, the former health secretary said one was needed because large technology companies were trying to dodge regulations.
Palantir hits back at Sadiq Khan after £50m contract with Met Police blocked
Robert Booth UK technology editor Palantir has accused Sadiq Khan of “putting politics above public safety” after the London mayor blocked its £50m contract with the Metropolitan police in a move that has also led to tensions inside Labour over its involvement with the US tech company. The Met had planned to hire Palantir, which was co-founded by the Trump-supporting tech billionaire Peter Thiel, to automate aspects of investigations.
Sadiq Khan sparks row with Met after blocking £50m AI deal with Palantir
Robert Booth UK technology editor Sadiq Khan has blocked a £50m Metropolitan police deal with the controversial US tech company Palantir, sparking a bitter row between the London mayor and Scotland Yard. After the UK's largest police force had agreed to use Palantir's AI technology to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations, Khan intervened, citing “serious concerns” about how the deal had been struck.
AI will help make a Nobel prize-winning discovery within a year, says Anthropic co-founder
Robert Booth UK technology editor An AI system will work with humans to make a Nobel prize-winning discovery within 12 months and tradespeople will be helped by bipedal robots in two years, according to the co-founder of Anthropic.
AI engineer says Google unfairly sacked him after he protested against work for Israel
Robert Booth UK technology editor Google is facing a legal challenge from an AI engineer who claims he was unfairly dismissed after he protested against its work for the Israeli government, in the latest sign of growing concern about the social and ethical impacts of AI.
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