Author: admin@primenews

Long before ChatGPT came along, governments were keen to use chatbots to automate their services and advice. Those early chatbots “tended to be simpler, with limited conversational abilities,” says Colin van Noordt, a researcher on the use of AI in government, and based in the Netherlands. But the emergence of generative AI in the last two years, has revived a vision of more efficient public service, where human-like advisors can work all hours, replying to questions over benefits, taxes and other areas where the government interacts with the public. Generative AI is sophisticated enough to give human-like responses, and if…

One of Hollywood’s oldest companies, Paramount Global, has agreed to merge with independent film studio Skydance Media. Under the deal, Paramount’s non-executive chair Shari Redstone will sell her family’s controlling stake in the company in a complex transaction that will result in a new firm worth around $28bn (£21.9bn). It marks the end of an era for the Redstone family, whose late patriarch, Sumner Redstone, transformed a chain of drive-in cinemas into a vast media empire. As well as Paramount, the group includes the television networks CBS, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV. “Our hope is that the Skydance transaction will…

Global trade “is not having the best of times at the moment”. That is the admission of the director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. “We are seeing increasing protectionism, some undermining of the WTO rules, and some of this is leading to fragmentation,” she tells the BBC. “Global trade is really part of the lifeblood for making countries resilient – and also for underpinning growth, so we are concerned about that.” In recent weeks and months these fragmentations have come to the fore with the EU imposing provisional tariffs of up to 37.4% on imports of Chinese…

China’s biggest electric car maker BYD has agreed a $1bn (£780m) deal to set up a manufacturing plant in Turkey, as it continues to expand outside its home country. The new plant will be able to produce up to 150,000 vehicles a year, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu. The facility is expected to create around 5,000 jobs and start production by the end of 2026. The deal was signed at an event in Istanbul attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and BYD’s chief executive Wang Chuanfu. BYD did not immediately respond to a BBC request for further details…

Justin Bieber has become the latest in a string of international stars to perform for the son of India’s richest man and his wife-to-be as they celebrate their upcoming wedding. The Canadian singer flew in to perform for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant – along with their guests – in Mumbai at the weekend. He had a lot to live up to. The couple’s first pre-wedding party featured Rihanna, while the second – a cruise around the Mediterranean – had performances from 90s teen heartthrobs The Backstreet Boys, singer Katy Perry and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. So it is with…

Australia has appointed a special envoy to combat antisemitism and preserve “social cohesion”, amid rising community tension over the Israel-Gaza war. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced lawyer and businesswoman Jillian Segal would consult with community leaders and discrimination experts to advise the government. It follows in the footsteps of countries like the US, Canada, Greece and the UK, which have all had similar positions for years. A special envoy for addressing Islamophobia will also be appointed soon, Mr Albanese added. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has become a volatile political issue in Australia. It has resulted in protests…

A day of mourning is being observed in Ukraine after one of the worst waves of Russian missile strikes in months, with at least 41 people killed and 166 injured. The main children’s hospital in the capital Kyiv was among buildings hit in cities across the country on Monday. Two people died when a missile flattened part of the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital – Ukraine’s biggest paediatrics facility – and a search for survivors beneath the rubble continued into the early hours of Tuesday. Elsewhere, the governor of Russia’s southern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said four people had died in Ukrainian strikes…

Two pistols owned by the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, with which he once intended to kill himself, have been sold at auction for €1.69m (£1.4m). The weapons, which were created by the Paris gunmaker Louis-Marin Gosset, had been expected to fetch between €1.2m and €1.5m. They were sold at the Osenat auction house on Sunday – next to the Fontainebleau palace where Napoleon tried to take his own life following his abdication in 1814. The pistols’ sale comes after France’s culture ministry recently classified them as national treasures and banned their export. This means the French government now has 30…

Four teams are preparing for the semi-finals of Euro 2024, with Spain set to face France on Tuesday while England take on the Netherlands the following day. Spain are seeking to win the tournament for the fourth time, having most recently triumphed in 2012. France last won it 24 years ago while the Dutch triumphed in 1988 – and England are of course hoping to end their wait for a first European Championship. So who is looking in the best shape for their semi-final, and who could win it all? BBC Sport asked experts from each country for their views,…

The chief organiser of a religious gathering in northern India, where 121 people were killed in a crush, has surrendered to the police, his lawyer says. The incident, which took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district last week, is one of the deadliest such disasters in the country in more than a decade. Nearly all those killed were women and children, who were attending the satsang – a Hindu religious gathering. On Thursday, police said they had arrested six people who were part of a group that organised the event. On Friday night, police said they had arrested Devprakash Madhukar,…