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The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
OpenAI launches personal assistant capable of controlling files and web browsers
Users of ChatGPT will be able to ask an AI agent to find restaurant reservations, go shopping for them and even draw up lists of candidates for job vacancies, as the chatbot gains the powers of a personal assistant from Thursday. ChatGPT agent, launched by Open AI everywhere apart from the EU, not only 'thinks' but also acts, the US company said. The agent combines the powers of AI research tools with the ability to take control of web browsers, computer files and software such as spreadsheets and slide decks. It follows the launch of similar 'agents' by Google and Anthropic as interest grows in AI models that can handle computer-based tasks by judging which software is best to use and toggling between systems to autonomously complete assignments like drafting travel itineraries or carrying out work research. 'The hope is that agents are able to bring some real utility to users – to actually do things for them rather than just outputting polished text and sounding impressive,' said Niamh Burns, senior media analyst at Enders Analysis. But Open AI has acknowledged that allowing an AI agent even limited reign over computer systems meant that 'with this model there are more risks than with previous models'. While it is intended to help people with everyday tasks, its potential power means OpenAI has felt the need to introduce safeguards to ensure no agents enable the creation of biological hazards. 'While we don't have definitive evidence that the model could meaningfully help a novice create severe biological harm,' the company said, 'we are exercising caution and implementing the needed safeguards now.' The model has been trained to confirm with the user before it takes any kind of destructive or irreversible action. The company said in a blog: 'You're always in control. ChatGPT requests permission before taking actions of consequence, and you can easily interrupt, take over the browser, or stop tasks at any point.' The launch of the agent also triggered speculation the tech company could hope to earn revenues if the agents guide users to retail checkouts. The OpenAI chief executive, Sam Altman, has previously said it could charge a 2% fee on sales generated through its 'deep research' software. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Burns, an independent analyst, said: 'It's easy to say the system will require your approval before making a purchase, but what goes into the process of that system finding the products? Would there be commercial deals where brands pay to be featured by assistants, or cases where they might feature their own products more than competitors? 'These AI companies are under growing pressure to monetise their products, so some version of ads or sponsored placement feels inevitable.' OpenAI said the agent does not include sponsored product recommendations and there are no plans to change that. A demonstration of the software this week showed it being asked to look at a user's Google calendar, pick a weeknight when they were free between 6pm and 9pm, seek available tables at Italian, sushi or Korean restaurants with ratings of at least 4.3 stars, and give the user some options. The task took between 10 and 15 minutes and, as with a human assistant, the user could interrupt and set the AI agent off in a different direction. Equally the agent can ask the user for clearer instructions. Another key risk is that the agent falls victim to malicious prompts that may be hidden on websites its visits, which could, for example, demand the agent hands over some of the user's data. OpenAI said it ran multiple safety checks and trained the agent to reject certain suspicious requests including demands for bank transfers. The system will initially be available to users who pay monthly subscriptions to access the 'pro', 'plus' and 'teams' versions of the model.
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Guardian announces Douglas McCabe as chief strategy and business development officer
Douglas McCabe has been appointed as the Guardian's chief strategy and business development officer. He will join the Guardian later this year from Enders Analysis, where he has served as CEO for 12 years. Douglas brings a vast amount of media industry experience to the Guardian, having produced hundreds of influential reports and advised publishers in the UK and beyond on topics from technology disruption to collaboration opportunities and journalism revenue models. In his new role as chief strategy and business development officer, Douglas will be responsible for strategic initiatives and global transformation projects as well as overseeing partnerships with global platforms and other partners. He will join the executive committee as part of the senior team at the Guardian. Anna Bateson, chief executive officer, Guardian Media Group said: 'We are delighted to have Douglas joining the Guardian. At this crucial time for news, we are growing globally and continuing to invest in our journalism. Douglas's vast knowledge of the media industry will be invaluable as we further expand digitally and internationally, funded by our audiences and advertising. We are excited to have him on board as we navigate the challenges and opportunities as a global, trusted news brand available to all.' Douglas McCabe said: 'I have long been passionate about the Guardian's mission - with its unique position in the industry and its ground-breaking journalism. I am thrilled to be joining the team to help navigate the Guardian's next wave of innovation and growth.' Notes for editors Guardian News & Media press office: About Guardian Media Group Guardian Media Group is amongst the world's leading media organisations. Its core business is Guardian News & Media (GNM), publisher of one of the largest English-speaking quality news websites in the world. In the UK, Guardian Media Group publishes the Guardian newspaper six days a week, first published in 1821. Since launching its US and Australian digital editions in 2011 and 2013, respectively, traffic from outside of the UK now represents around two-thirds of the Guardian's total digital audience. The Guardian also has an international digital edition and a new European edition that launched in 2023, with an expanded network of more than 20 European correspondents, editors and reporters.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
'Dodgy' Fire Sticks users issued warning by Amazon over 'hidden dangers' - after report claims illegal streamers are 'costing broadcasters and sports bodies billions per year
Amazon have warned of a the 'hidden dangers' of using 'dodgy' Fire Sticks to illegally stream live sport. A report published last week by Enders Analysis claimed that 'industrial scale theft of video services, especially live sport, is in the ascendance.' Enders accused major technology companies of 'ambivalence and inertia' in tackling piracy of live sporting events. The report claimed that the Amazon Fire Stick has been a 'piracy enabler', alleging the device has been used to access illegal streams. One common way of accessing illegal streams is by using devices like the Amazon Fire Stick - an entirely legal piece of technology in its original form. But the stick can be easily modified (or 'jailbroken') to allow users to access apps which show pirated sports content. The report stated that around 59 per cent in the UK who own Fire Sticks have used them for these illicit purposes in the past 12 months. Amazon, who are also a broadcaster of live sport, claimed to the Sun that it has made changes to its Fire TV devices to make it more difficult to stream pirated content. The company has also issued a warning to those using pirated content, highlighting the risk of using apps from unknown sources. 'Pirated content violates our policies regarding intellectual property rights, and compromises the security and privacy of our customers,' a spokesperson told the Sun. 'We work with industry partners and relevant authorities to combat piracy and protect customers from the risks associated with pirated content. 'Our Appstore prohibits apps that infringe upon the rights of third parties and we warn customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources.' Following repeated alerts from the Premier League, there has been a major focus on tackling illegal streaming. This has led to a string of arrests, including one man based in Halifax earlier this year, with Sonny Kanda jailed for two years after cheating legitimate providers out of more than £108,000 across an 18-month period between 2020 and 2022. Sky and DAZN are said to be two of multiple other companies worried about the soaring rise in the rate of TV piracy. So many people are watching these illegal streams that it is now comparable to stealing on an 'industrial scale', according to Enders. The report went on to state that a single high-profile event, such as a live football match, can draw 'tens of thousands' of viewers away from legitimate streams and towards pirated content. Research in 2023 by the Intellectual Property Office claimed that nearly four million people in the UK had illegally streamed live sport in the previous year. Meanwhile, in France, Arcom, a regulatory body, released a study that said the sports sector had lost €240m (£200m) from audi-visual privacy. Fans will argue that this phenomenon is due to the exponential rise in monthly subscription fees for streaming services. In the 2023-24 season, it is estimated that fans had to pay around £870 each year in TV subscriptions if they wished to see all televised Premier League games. Assuming not every UK household is full of sports fanatics alone, their TV bill would be much higher. Cinema, documentary, and children's TV packages would add to this £870 fee, meaning some homes would see their bill run well over £1000. Meanwhile, the argument of major broadcasting companies - like Sky, TNT or DAZN - is that they pay huge sums of money to broadcast live football and other sporting events. People pay for a monthly subscription to access these services, so when viewers are redirected to free illegal sites, these big companies lose money.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'NATO for News': Is a Joint Effort by Media Companies the Way to Go in the Age of AI?
The impact of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, on the media and entertainment industries was a topic of debate at the Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London on Tuesday. Organized by Deloitte and Enders Analysis, the event featured a panel entitled 'News and media in the AI age,' featuring panelists Anna Bateson, CEO of Guardian Media Group, Rich Caccappolo, CEO of DMG Media, Anna Jones CEO of the Telegraph Media Group, which has agreed to be acquired by RedBird, Jon Slade, the CEO of the Financial Times, and ITN CEO Rachel Corp. More from The Hollywood Reporter Netflix EMEA Content Boss Touts 'Adolescence,' Debunks a "Myth," Talks Ted Sarandos' Acting Debut Paolo Sorrentino to Receive Sarajevo Film Festival Honor and Retrospective Disney+ Europe Exec on Why Free-to-Air Partners Are "Incredibly Important for Our Business" Bateson emphasized that it was wrong to assume that a 'compromise' on existing copyright and intellectual property protections was needed to ensure technological innovation. Jones suggested media companies could 'collaborate on our own technology.' Corp echoed that, sharing: 'We want to protect our brands while working together.' Slade brought a comparison to an international defense alliance into play at that stage. 'Someone described it as a kind of NATO for news,' he said. 'At the moment, we're all spending an enormous amount of money, each incremental to last year's budget, in just trying to hold stuff back. So there's a good argument for a lot more collaboration around all aspects.' Meanwhile, 'we haven't signed any [AI] deals yet,' Caccappolo shared. 'We are ready. We are willing to do it.' But he emphasized that the terms have to be right and copyright has to be valued. Would he be up for a 'NATO for news'? 'I hadn't used that terms before, but that might be the thing that cracks open the dam,' he suggested. 'What I'm most interested in now is a way for us to prove that if AI companies work with us, we can help train their models faster, more efficiently, more accurately. And that's worth something, and that should be the catalyst.' The panelists on Tuesday also agreed that a proposed opt-out rule in the U.K. approach to AI, allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works unless the holder actively opts out, is not the right approach. Instead, they agreed that an opt-in approach should be used. The panel came after Lisa Nandy, U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the Labour Party government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, promised the London media conference earlier in the day that the government was focused on a win-win approach to AI policies and regulation. 'We are determined to find a way forward that works for the creative industry and creators, as well as the tech industries,' she said. Later in the conference day, Vanessa Kingori, managing director of technology, media, and telecoms at Google, will also discuss AI. Tuesday's conference also featured top executives from the likes of the Walt Disney Co., the U.K. public broadcaster BBC, streaming giant Netflix, and Comcast-owned Sky and Sky Studios. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BBC boss supports ‘reform' to funding of broadcaster
BBC director-general Tim Davie has said he supports 'reform' in the way the corporation is funded. The Government is set to launch the review of the BBC's Charter, looking at how it should be funded, after committing to increasing the licence fee in line with inflation each year until 2027. In April, there was a rise from £169.50 to £174.50 in the household charge, after years in which the licence fee was first frozen and then increased at a slower rate than the BBC expected, leaving the corporation increasingly cash-strapped amid rising inflation. At the Media and Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference, from Enders Analysis and Deloitte, in London on Tuesday, Mr Davie said: 'I want to justify the value that we have. I want that protected. 'I think there is reform (needed) in terms of potential (changes to the) licence fee, how progressive it is, and you'll debate the enforcement question.' He added that he does 'not want the same system' in the future, but said: 'I do want universal funding, and I want a proper investigation of begrudging, grinding cuts that we've seen over the last 10 years, which has just not helped.' Mr Davie also told the event, at Convene Sancroft in the St Paul's area, that he is concerned about the people who 'don't care' about the BBC and are 'disengaged', rather than people who criticise the corporation. He said he wants to 'celebrate the fact that people care', as the BBC features heavily on 'front pages' in the UK. Mr Davie also indicated he was positive about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), before saying the BBC has 'very big ambition around the media supply chain' including the 'need for muscular partnerships with the big American technology companies'. Later, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the event she is 'determined to find a way forward that works for the creative industry and creators' and technology companies after Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney criticised the Government's AI plans. She added that 'there are no easy solutions, but this Government is determined to work with you to find a solution with transparency and trust as its foundation'. 'We are a Labour Government, and the principle that people must be paid for their work is foundational,' the MP for Wigan added. 'And you have our word that if it doesn't work for the creative industries, it will not work for us. People are at the heart of this industry.' She also promised that the BBC Charter review will be launched 'later this year to support a BBC that is empowered to continue to deliver a vital public service funded in a sustainable way'. Ms Nandy said: 'Later this month, we'll publish a creative industries sector plan to turbo-charge the growth of creative industries right across the UK, to support film and TV clusters from Birmingham to Belfast, to tap into the huge potential of the growth that exists across our country.' She also committed to no 'new taxes' or 'levies', after calls for a levy on streaming companies to protect UK broadcasters, and said the Government wants to 'ensure that we have a regulatory framework that incentivises inward investment, that creates opportunities for businesses, both big and small'. In another session at the same conference, Kevin Lygo, managing director of ITV's media and entertainment division, spoke about the need for 'prominence' for the UK's national broadcasters amid their increased competition with streaming companies. He said: 'I think you have to go back to first principles, because all this discussion is based on the programme itself being worth watching. So I think that's the key for major broadcasters is to never lose sight of making them.' Mr Lygo also appeared to confirm that the hit ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which shone a greater spotlight on the Horizon IT scandal, is starting to become a commercial success, following multiple actors, including Toby Jones, saying that they took a pay cut to be on the show. Mr Lygo said it is 'harder and harder to find the budgets', and admitted that at first, it was difficult to explain a series 'about a computer hitch in the British Post Office' to foreign buyers. 'The UK is in this wonderful position when a show really works in the UK, everybody across the world knows about it and wants a piece of it,' he said. 'So, yes, I'm sure, I don't know exactly (the profit) by the production company, but I'm sure they've got their investment back.'
