Author: BBC

Artificial intelligence (AI) giant Anthropic saw its revenue surge by 45% to $16.8bn (£12.7bn) in the three months to the end of September, the BBC understands.The figures were revealed by the Claude-developer in a briefing for prospective investors on Wednesday as it lays the groundwork for a stock market listing, which is expected to take place before the end of the year.It comes as some tech stocks, including firms that make the chips and other hardware that power data centres, have fallen in recent days over concerns about the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on AI infrastructure.An Anthropic…

A new emergency department (ED) at Altnagelvin hospital remains a priority project but there is currently no funding for it, Northern Ireland’s health minister has said.Robbie Butler, who visited the Londonderry hospital on Wednesday, said a new ED would be “incredibly high on the project list if the money becomes available”.A new ED is one of two Western Health and Social Care Trust priority capital projects and has an estimated cost of around £73m.Altnagelvin’s emergency department – the oldest one operating around-the-clock in Northern Ireland – was designed to treat about 40,000 patients a year but is now dealing with…

One recently employed trainee accountant, who didn’t want us to use his real name, told the BBC he’d applied for 50 graduate jobs and used AI in every application. But he says it was only for researching roles, tidying up his CV and generating mock practise questions for video interviews. While he says he would never use the tech to cheat on assessments he knows people who would. “I know people who have applied for 100 jobs and after a while they become desperate. If they see everyone else is using AI, they think how can I compete?”According to the…

During his appearance on BBC Breakfast, Goodburn called for more resource to be put into research and care, and for clinical trials happening elsewhere to be brought to the UK.”Please establish a national brain cancer lead and give us a chance to fight for our lives because the things that patients are going through out there are unbelievable and so unjust,” he said.”There are clinical trials around the world, in the US, in Australia, in China, that could change lives. We are not seeing them in the UK and it is unfair and unjust.”Please invest and make the difference. I’m…

Shares in dating app Bumble soared by almost 50% on Monday following reports it is in advanced takeover talks valuing the business at $1bn (£757m).Ithaca Holdings, a technology investment firm, could announce a deal to buy the Texas-based company as early as this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.The jump in Bumble’s shares pushed its stock market valuation to over $580m but that is still far below a peak of more than $14bn it reached after listing on the Nasdaq in 2021.Bumble is one of the world’s most downloaded dating apps, operating in a crowded market where growth has…

Available for over a yearWe investigate the growing business of full-body MRI scans. The clinics argue they can spot diseases and problems early before people feel unwell – but critics say it’s a waste of thousands of pounds and creates unnecessary anxiety about things that may never become a problem. Laura visits a clinic to learn more and also hears about the risks. Also this week, new research shows strokes are increasing among black African and black Caribbean people in the UK at a faster rate in than in white people – and it’s mainly being driven by high blood…

Milk and washing machines are currently more regulated than AI, the president of Microsoft has said.Brad Smith said there needed to be global safety rules in place, including a legal obligation to tell a “victim” if their system is breached by a rogue AI agent as well as deciding when outside evaluators should sign off on an AI product before it is released.His comments put him at odds with President Donald Trump, who said the sector should regulate itself so US firms don’t lose out to Chinese rivals.But Smith said: “Right now, your washing machine is subject to more safety…

Prof Bob Phillips, a paediatric oncologist, says it’s key for parents to look out for clusters of symptoms that may be persisting, getting worse or bigger.Consider contacting a doctor over the following:Cancer in children develops much more quickly than in adults – effectively due to them growing. Experts like Phillips at CCLG, the Children and Young People’s Cancer Association, are urging people to follow a national campaign aiming to raise awareness and improve diagnosis times.It includes a rule-of-three for professionals: If a child has had three persistent symptoms, or has visited their doctor three times, or has had three weeks…

King Charles III has warned of the challenges disinformation and other “hostile online activity” pose to trust and security in the digital age.The comments, made in a letter to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to mark its 10th anniversary, spoke of “malicious actors” continuing to “evolve their tactics by using automated technologies”.”From threats to our international order, to the need to balance the risks and opportunities of powerful new technologies, strong cyber security is fundamental to making the online environment safer and more resilient,” he wrote.Last month, the King warned AI executives of the “existential dangers” posed by the…

People struggling with their mental health and wellbeing are being encouraged to access free support ahead of World Mental Health Day.East Riding of Yorkshire Council said its Wellbeing for Us programme, aimed at residents aged 18 and over, was designed to help people build confidence and make meaningful social connections, while reducing isolation.The programme includes face-to-face workshops and informal peer support social groups and covers a range of topics, including managing anxiety and stress and boosting self-esteem.The council said the programme also aimed to help residents access wider support, including community organisations, NHS referrals and other health services.Workshops are currently…