Tom Chivers
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"Far too nice to be a journalist", according to Terry Pratchett. chiversthomas(a)gmail. Third book, Everything is Predictable, out now!
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Articles by Tom Chivers
A ‘merciless’ novel about memory and mortality Original
This novel follows the final days of a wealthy executive, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, on his way to Switzerland to be euthanized. It is “merciless” and “gut-twisting,” according to The Atlantic: Cline “pulls death out from behind the curtain and forces her readers to look it in the eye for more than 300 pages.” Buy Switzy from your local bookstore.
Top AI pioneers reaffirm Anthropic researcher’s human extinction warning
Top AI pioneers backed an Anthropic researcher’s warning of potential human extinction.
View / Fertile ground Original
The origin story of Flagship runs through fertilizer. When we were writing our pre-release trial editions in late 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was still relatively recent. And an underreported — we felt — story was that the disruption to fossil fuel supplies would drive up fertilizer prices. Without fertilizer, much of the world’s population would starve; about 50% of the nitrogen in our food comes from it.
Top AI pioneers reaffirm Anthropic researcher’s human extinction warning
OpenAI 3 hours ago Jim Cramer has strong message for Nvidia, Broadcom investors TheStreet - Hillary Remy • 3h After GPT-6 launched, Cramer came to CNBC’s “Morning Meeting” with a very specific opinion. OpenAI’s newest model just gave Wall Street a fresh reason … Moonshot AI 2 hours ago US spies say someone is secretly copying America’s AI TheStreet - Opeyemi Babalola • 2h A joint NSA, FBI and CISA advisory names six Chinese firms accused of siphoning billions of tokens from US models since 2024.
AI researchers say industry is ‘gambling with our lives’
An Anthropic researcher quit, warning that the rush to “self-improving superintelligence [is] gambling with our lives.” Jacob Coxon, formerly of OpenAI, said Anthropic — believing itself the only responsible AI lab — was as a result racing to get there first, while OpenAI had not “internalized the civilizational stakes.” “Things could be out of control” by the end of next year, he argued.
Singapore boosts PM’s pay to $2.8 million
Singapore increased its prime minister’s salary to $2.8 million, part of its longstanding strategy to boost talent and reduce corruption.For comparison, the UK’s premier earns $230,000 and the US president $400,000. Singapore’s first prime minister argued in 1955 that low pay meant top candidates rarely joined politics and faced temptation when they did. The city state has a carrot-and-stick model: Politicians’ pay is pegged to the country’s top 1,000 earners, but corruption is reliably punished.
AI researchers say industry is ‘gambling with our lives’
Siri AI 1 hour ago Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro has variable aperture, and no Siri AI in Europe TNW - Ana Maria Constantin • 1h The iPhone 18 Pro brings a variable-aperture camera and a sensor that cryptographically signs every pixel, starting at $1,199. Apple's footnotes say Siri AI will not be available in the EU at launch, and that European users cannot capture reference images either.
OpenAI agents find proof to $1 million Millennium Prize Problem
OpenAI announced the proof to one of math’s great outstanding questions — although not without drama. The Navier-Stokes equations describe fluid flow, from “your bathtub’s drain to… El Niño,” Scientific American wrote, but two centuries on, scientists don’t know whether they always work. Answering that question would win a $1 million Millennium Prize Problem; OpenAI deployed around 10,000 agents of an as-yet unreleased powerful model on Aug.
Strange new worlds Original
Star Trek: The Original Series, created by Gene Roddenberry. The first episode of the great, long-running show boldly went where no man had gone before 60 years ago today. The pilot was — unfortunately for the purposes of a daily recommendation slot — not very good.
Strange new worlds
1 hour ago Godzilla Minus Zero Trailer Teases A Bigger, Weirder Sequel slashfilm.com - Jeremy Mathai • 1h How lucky are we to live at a time when a movie as brilliant as "Godzilla: Minus One" not only became one of the biggest blockbuster surprises of its … TV 1 hour ago 60 Best Star Trek Episodes In Franchise History, Ranked TVLine - Dave Nemetz • 1h and Sam Stone Add TVLine on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover "Star Trek" debuted 60 years ago today — and that's inspired us to boldly...
AI upends China’s graduate job market Original
AI is hurting China’s already weak graduate job market. An estimated 12.7 million graduates will join the workforce this year, the largest cohort yet. But “the supply of… graduate jobs has not kept pace” with ballooning college attendance rates, The New York Times reported. AI’s impact, already being felt in manufacturing and food delivery, is now hitting white-collar work: “Listings for traditional roles are dwindling” and some graduates have applied for hundreds of jobs without success.
US push for Russia-Ukraine talks yields little hope Original
Neither Russia nor Ukraine appear to hold high hopes for the ongoing US diplomatic push toward peace. Trump administration envoys who traveled to Kyiv and Moscow over the weekend hailed “substantive” talks, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expected the war to continue into winter, and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin raised the possibility of a wider mobilization in a speech ahead of upcoming, largely meaningless, parliamentary elections.
Russian hybrid tactics of sabotage and cyberattacks stoke fear
Russia’s foreign minister accused Germany of “declar[ing] war” after Berlin said the Kremlin was behind an attempted airport drone attack.Russia denied involvement, saying Germany had planted evidence, but NATO is convinced this is the latest incident in the Kremlin’s long-running hybrid warfare campaign of sabotage and cyberattacks.
Russian hybrid tactics of sabotage and cyberattacks stoke fear
Festivals Now Boycott?
ūüü° Semafor Flagship: Withstanding the next shock | Semafor
An independent report into the Hugging Face incident ‚ÄĒ in which hundreds of OpenAI agents broke free of confinement and hacked another AI company ‚ÄĒ revealed some staggering details. The following three posts discuss some of them. Effective altruism The incident was ‚Äúabsolutely wild,‚ÄĚ writes the AI safety researcher Ajeya Cotra, who worked on the report of the OpenAI hack.
OpenAI’s new Astra model has private thoughts
OpenAI’s latest model, Astra, does more thinking beyond human oversight, boosting capabilities but raising concerns about loss of control. Existing frontier AI models use “chain of thought” reasoning: They write ideas down, in English, in a “scratchpad” to keep track. CoT boosts “interpretability” — meaning humans can follow their thinking.
US President Donald Trump imposes 100% tariff on drones
US President Donald Trump imposed up to 100% tariffs on drones, targeting Chinese-made models in particular over national security concerns. Chinaâs DJI alone accounts for more than 70% of the global market, and US law enforcement uses its devices to track wildfires and find missing persons. But drones are also increasingly vital for military purposes: Regulators effectively barred the sale of new models in December over national security concerns.
Experts warn of threats of AI bioterrorism
Tech firms are scrambling to reduce the threat of AI-driven bioterrorism, the Financial Times reported. AI models are increasingly powerful bioscience tools, already speeding up drug discovery. But as with cybersecurity, those capabilities are dual-use: Information used to make a vaccine can also “create a bioweapon,” one Google DeepMind researcher told the FT, and any advances raise the risk of misuse.
Berlin blames Russia for attempted drone attack
Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack on a Leipzig airport last month, in a significant escalation of tensions between Europe and its eastern neighbor. Three explosive-laden drones were found around the airport, one near a Ukrainian plane transporting munitions. Berlinâs interior minister said Moscow was treating Europe with âopen hostilityâ and announced countermeasures.
India deletes 130 million voters from electoral rolls
Indian authorities deleted 130 million people from electoral rolls in what opposition figures called a politically motivated move. A third of voters in one region were removed, and millions appear to have been wrongly purged, Indian journalist Krishn Kaushik wrote in the Financial Times, noting that attempts to prove their identity are often rejected.
Apple CEO Tim Cook steps down Original
Tim Cook steps down today after 15 years as Apple’s CEO in which he oversaw the tech giant becoming one of the world’s most valuable companies. Since he replaced the late Steve Jobs, Apple has shipped 3.1 billion iPhones and its stock price has risen 2,275%. But he has tied the company closely to China, leaving it vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, the Financial Times noted.
Global bond yields hit highest levels in decades Original
Global bond yields hit their highest levels for decades over concerns about inflation, debt burdens, and central banks raising interest rates. Renewed conflict in the Gulf pushed oil prices up, and the US Federal Reserve chair made hawkish noises last week, while borrowing levels across the rich world look unlikely to abate anytime soon. Japanese 10-year bonds typify the surge, with yields hitting 3% for the first time since 1996.
India deletes 130 million voters from electoral rolls
0:18 5 hours ago India: Leopard's heart melts; spares tiny puppy instead of making it a meal viral video. StringersHub • 5h Palghar, India - August 30, 2026 An astonishing video has emerged from Palghar, Maharashtra, where the behavior of a leopard is drawing significant attention. While prowling for prey near a temple, the leopard caught a tiny puppy but released it unharmed after a few moments.
US and Iran exchange fire for the first time in over a month
The US and Iran traded fire for the first time in over a month, with Washington hitting two rocket launchers and Tehran retaliating by firing missiles at Jordan. The US said the launchers were about to deploy mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude rose 3% to $91 a barrel on the news.
Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf tournament faces bankruptcy Original
LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed challenger to the US PGA Tour, could file for bankruptcy within days, the Financial Times reported, as the kingdom shifts position on several high-profile projects. The Saudi Public Investment Fund founded LIV in 2022, attracting several top players with high wages, but said this year it would stop funding. PIF has also pulled back from esports, snooker, and tennis plans, while the flagship NEOM project, a huge desert city, was omitted from the kingdom’s 2026 budget.
Pentagon can’t blacklist Anthropic, US judge rules
A US judge blocked the Pentagon’s attempt to designate Anthropic a supply-chain risk, a major victory for the AI firm in its legal wranglings with Washington. The Department of Defense attempted to blacklist Anthropic in February after the company refused to remove restrictions on its AI models being used for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance, a move widely seen as punitive.
Pentagon can’t blacklist Anthropic, US judge rules
Follow Pentagon can’t blacklist Anthropic, US judge rules Fri, August 28, 2026 at 6:48 AM EDT Pentagon can’t blacklist Anthropic, US judge rules A US judge blocked the Pentagon's attempt to designate Anthropic a supply-chain risk, a major victory for the AI firm in its legal wranglings with Washington.
The BBC
sub-heading: From Corporation to Cooperative (You save ) Current Stock: 250* pages Paperback ISBN 9781682194775 E-book ISBN 9781682194782 For over a century, the BBC has been at the heart of British culture and a model for public media around the world. But government encroachment, underfunding, and digital competition have led the corporation to crisis. Right-wing opponents of public media have long plotted the BBC’s demise.
Kyiv stops strikes on Russian port after request from JD Vance
Ukraine reportedly halted attacks on a Russian port after a request from US Vice President JD Vance.Kyiv’s repeated strikes on tankers in Novorossiysk had alarmed Washington, which feared they would further destabilize already strained oil markets and hurt US oil majors, the Financial Times reported. The port is a key export point for Kazakh oil, and Chevron and ExxonMobil own stakes in the pipeline that carries it there. Ukraine has left Novorossiysk alone since Vance’s Jul.
Houthis kill 6 in attack on Red Sea cargo ship
Houthi militants attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, killing six, the first deadly strike in the Bab el-Mandeb strait in a year. The Iran-backed group announced a blockade of the waterway last month, a fresh challenge for oil shippers with the Strait of Hormuz restricted by Iran. Just six vessels passed through Hormuz on Monday, compared to a prewar average of more than 130; Bab el-Mandeb’s throughput had already halved before yesterday’s attacks.
Kyiv stops strikes on Russian port after request from JD Vance
Follow Kyiv stops strikes on Russian port after request from JD Vance Wed, August 12, 2026 at 6:41 AM EDT Kyiv stops strikes on Russian port after request from JD Vance Ukraine reportedly halted attacks on a Russian port after a request from US Vice President JD Vance. Kyiv's repeated strikes on tankers in Novorossiysk had alarmed Washington, which feared they would further destabilize already strained oil markets and hurt US oil majors, the Financial Times reported.
Kyiv stops strikes on Russian port after request from JD Vance
3 hours ago In MAGA’s self-mythology, they are a family first movement that encourages Americans to have more babies. Over the past year, some of the coalition’s most prominent figures have touted a responsibility to pro-create. In December 2025, Lara Trump said on Fox News, “We’re going to be in a pickle if …
An ‘addictive’ drama exploring the PC’s origins
Halt and Catch Fire, created by Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers. The IBM PC was unveiled 45 years ago this week. It revolutionized home computing — the basic architecture is still in use in most PCs — but never made the company much money: It was immediately reverse-engineered by rivals who captured all the value.
Trump limits childhood vaccines, citing autism
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order limiting childhood vaccines, saying, without scientific backing, that inoculations cause autism. The order also calls for splitting the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine into separate shots, which would require years of investment. Trump has long been skeptical of vaccines — in 2014 he said “tiny children are not horses” and should not have combination jabs — and his Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is similarly critical.
Syria sentences former dictator Bashar Al-Assad to death
Syria sentenced former dictator Bashar Al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes. His 24 years in office were marked by a brutal crackdown in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring protests and the subsequent Syrian civil war, in which an estimated 600,000 people died. Assad’s regime was accused of war crimes for attacking civilians, including with chemical weapons.
US-Iran peace talks at impasse as Trump calls for reparations
US President Donald Trump rejected Iranian demands for war reparations and instead called for Tehran to pay compensation for the deaths of American soldiers, the latest sticking point in delicate peace negotiations. Trump said the US has “control of the Strait of Hormuz,” while Tehran says the waterway will remain closed until Washington meets its demands.
Private-sector loan defaults hit record high
Defaults on private-credit loans hit their highest level in at least five years, a major stress test for the growing industry. Direct lending from private funds has become one of Wall Streetās favorite moves, and the high-interest loans offer hefty returns; the private market is worth about $2 trillion, up hugely from a decade ago. But a Wall Street Journal analysis found that investor returns and loan health are down.
Europe suffers hottest summer on record
This year’s summer in Western Europe has so far been the hottest on record, with repeated heatwaves and near-constant drought. A climate monitor said the average temperature was 21.62°C (71°F) across the region, beating 2022’s record. Low river levels have hit transportation, irrigation, and energy production in several countries. Britain has seen more days above 30°C (86°F) than in any previous year, with most of August still to come.
Typhoon Dolphin forces 1M to evacuate in China
China evacuated more than 1 million people from the east of the country, including the financial hub Shanghai, as a major storm made landfall. Typhoon Dolphin, the strongest storm to hit China this year, brought torrential rain and flooding as well as 94 mph winds. Higher sea levels due to climate change have increased Shanghai’s vulnerability to storms, although the city has impressive defenses.
Open-weight AI models are catching up to the frontier, analysis finds
The leading open-weight AI models are closing the gap on the frontier in cyber capabilities, an analysis found. The UK’s AI Safety Institute found the most capable open models were four to seven months behind the best closed ones. Open-weight has advantages: Models can be modified for users’ needs and allow for easier collaboration. But their guardrails can also be removed, making AI’s powerful cyber and biological capabilities more accessible to bad actors.
French ban on telemarketing calls could hit 50,000 Moroccan jobs
A French ban on nuisance telemarketing calls could cost 50,000 jobs in Morocco. From Aug. 11, firms making unsolicited phone calls to French consumers could pay fines of up to €75,000 a call. Morocco’s outsourced call-center industry — built on cheap, Francophone labor with relatively weak unions — makes 80% of its revenue from phoning French customers. Rabat’s employment minister warned that 50,000 out of 120,000 jobs are at risk.
Argentina’s fossil fuels boom gains momentum Original
Argentina’s shale output is up 28% year-on-year as the country’s pivot to become an energy supplier — rather than buyer — gathers pace. Shale now represents 71% of Argentina’s total production of both oil and gas, and crude has overtaken corn and soy to become its top export; Buenos Aires had a record energy surplus of $7.8 billion last year, after becoming a net exporter in 2024.
Scientists unveil new AI-made viruses
Scientists unveiled the first AI-generated viruses. Bespoke viruses are not new: For instance, “viral vector” therapies use engineered viruses to carry genetic code into cells. But the new research employed AI to generate entirely new genomes with far less human input, using a model trained on DNA sequences much like ChatGPT is trained on words.
Chinese AI model breaks through constraints
One of China’s most powerful AI models has joined the rush to escape confinement. Moonshot’s Kimi K3 did not try to hack into anything once it achieved freedom, unlike the Anthropic, Meta, and OpenAI agents that made headlines recently. However, that may not mean that it is safer: The answers to the cybersecurity test it was completing were freely available on the internet.
French ban on telemarketing calls could hit 50,000 Moroccan jobs
A French ban on nuisance telemarketing calls could cost 50,000 jobs in Morocco. From Aug. 11, firms making unsolicited phone calls to French consumers could pay fines of up to €75,000 a call. Morocco's outsourced call-center industry — built on cheap, Francophone labor with relatively weak unions — makes 80% of its revenue from phoning French customers. Rabat's employment minister warned that 50,000 out of 120,000 jobs are at risk.
Scientists unveil new AI-made viruses
Follow Scientists unveil new AI-made viruses Fri, August 7, 2026 at 8:23 AM EDT Scientists unveil new AI-made viruses Scientists unveiled the first AI-generated viruses. Bespoke viruses are not new: For instance, "viral vector" therapies use engineered viruses to carry genetic code into cells. But the new research employed AI to generate entirely new genomes with far less human input, using a model trained on DNA sequences much like ChatGPT is trained on words.
Reading John Hersey’s ‘Hiroshima,’ 81 years on
Hiroshima by John Hersey. Eighty-one years ago Thursday, an atomic bomb exploded over Japan. One year later, The New Yorker handed its entire Aug 31, 1946 issue to one 31,000-word article telling the story of six people who survived. Hersey — reporting on a clerk, a tailor’s widow, two doctors, a priest, and a pastor — gave US readers their first sense of what the new superweapon did to human bodies. Read Hiroshima in The New Yorker’s archive, or buy it as a book from your local bookstore.
Drone bomb allegedly linked to Russia found at German airport
An explosives-laden drone was discovered at a German airport in one of Europe’s busiest freight terminals near Ukrainian cargo planes. “The initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot,” The Guardian’s security editor said, saying the episode marks “a dangerous escalation.” Though a faulty detonator prevented an explosion, the roughly 1.5 lb of explosive the drone carried would “do considerable damage” to an airplane.
Saudi fund leads buyout of video game giant EA Original
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund bought game maker Electronic Arts in perhaps the largest leveraged buyout in history. The $55 billion deal — part-funded with $20 billion borrowed against EA itself — buys Riyadh a profitable business and control of some of the biggest franchises in the world’s biggest entertainment industry. But the move is “not purely economic,” one expert told the BBC.
US military to add laser weapons to its arsenal Original
The US military is set to officially add laser weapons to its arsenal as drones reshape warfare. Lasers have long been the stuff of science fiction battles, but are yet to be used in combat after 50 years of testing — although the British navy is close to deploying a weapon on some ships.
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