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A former chief executive of Google has warned about the ‘extreme risk’ posed by terrorists or rogue states using artificial intelligence.

Eric Schmidt called for governments to have oversight of private tech companies, citing fears of terrorists using the tech for ‘evil goals’.

‘The real fears that I have are not the ones that most people talk about AI – I talk about extreme risk,’ Mr Schmidt told the BBC, naming North Korea, Iran or Russia.

Mr Schmidt, who held senior positions at Google from 2001 to 2017, said the technology could be used to create biological weapons.

‘I’m always worried about the ‘Osama Bin Laden’ scenario, where you have some truly evil person who takes over some aspect of our modern life and uses it to harm innocent people,’ he said.

With private companies leading the way in AI development, Mr Schmidt called for careful monitoring and regulation by governments.

‘It’s really important that governments understand what we’re doing and keep their eye on us,’ he said.

His comments follow a two-day summit on AI in Paris at which the UK joined the US in not signing a communique about the future direction of the disruptive technology.

The declaration on ‘inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence for people and the planet’ was signed by 57 countries, including India and China, as well as the Vatican, the EU and the African Union Commission.

The UK said at the close of the summit on Tuesday that it had declined to back the joint communique because it failed to provide enough ‘practical clarity’ on ‘global governance’ of artificial intelligence or address ‘harder questions’ about national safety.

Asked on Sky News whether it was a decision to side with the new US administration, Communities minister Alex Norris said: ‘No (…) that’s not how we make decisions. We make decisions based on what’s best for the British people.

‘That’s what we’ve done in this situation, as we would do in any situation global or domestic, and that’s what we’ve done here.’

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There would be only seconds to prepare before the fireball strikes.

A ‘city-destroying’ asteroid is currently on a path towards Earth and could hit as soon as 2032.

Now experts have modelled what the possible impact of 2024 YR4 – equal to 15,000,000 tons of TNT – could look like.

Scientists currently calculate there is a 2.3% chance, or one in 43, that the flying comet could collide with Earth and wreak havoc.

The potential for impact and scale of this asteroid strike is causing such fear among experts it was given a hazard-measuring Torino scale of 3.

This is the second highest rating ever given.

If it were to hit Earth, the energy released would be 100 times more powerful than the ‘little boy’ atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

An asteroid collision of this size would wipe out central London, with destruction reaching as far as Billericay and Guildford.

2024 YR4 was first picked up by scientists operating the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) station last December.

Then, experts gave the asteroid only a 1% chance of colliding with Earth, but in February analysis bumped that up to 2.3%.

But now scientists have made an even more chilling prediction about the asteroids course – it could plough straight into the moon.

Dr David Rankin, operations engineer for the University of Arizona’s Catalina Sky Survey, warned on Bluesky there is roughly 0.3% chance of 2024 YR4 striking the moon.

This collision could take place at a speed of 31,000 miles per hour, unleashing 343 times the size of the nuke dropped on Hiroshima.

As devastating as this sounds, scientists have actually said a lunar explosion of this kind could generate a beautiful meteor shower on Earth.

Gareth Collins, a professor of planetary science at Imperial College London, told New Scientist: ‘The impact flash of vaporised rock would be visible from Earth, even in the daytime.’

The staggering visuals of Asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth were modelled by Alvaro Gracia Montoya, who specialises in 3D animation under the name MetaBallStudios.

He said: ‘I don’t think it’s going to happen, but certainly this kind of news generates a lot of speculation.’

Sixty-six million years ago, a 10 and 15 kilometres wide asteroid crashed into the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

The consequences were a devastation and planetary-wide disruption which wiped out the dinosaurs for good.

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We might already be too late to knock ‘city killer’ asteroid 2024 YR4 out of the way with a tested method, a scientist has warned.

The space rock has a 2.3% chance of hitting Earth in in 2032, according to current estimates,

Nasa is trying to get a better idea of its intended route by looking at it with the James Webb space telescope, but with only eight years before its possible hit, we could already be short on time.

Dr Robin George Andrews, author of How to Kill an Asteroid, gave an unsettling warning that to properly mount a planetary defence mission, you need at least a decade to plan and execute it.

An emergency situation might come down to either evacuating the potential impact site, or blasting the asteroid with a nuclear bomb in space, he said.

The science journalist and author told Metro that the only method we’ve currently ever used to deflect an asteroid nudged it only slightly at first. If we did the same with YR4, it could take a long time to amount to a significant change in trajectory.

‘It’s not like you’re playing pool, and you hit the cue ball into something and it flies off in the other direction,’ he said. ‘Eight years is tight, basically.’

If hitting it wouldn’t be enough to safely knock it off course, there is the nuclear option… literally.

‘This has never been tested in space because it’s technically illegal, and it would cause tensions,’ Dr Andrews said.

‘But if you put a nuclear weapon next to an asteroid – chased it through space, basically – and detonated it, it would give it an even bigger push.

‘If the choice was to evacuate the area or maybe use a nuke to deflect it… I imagine people are talking about that as a possibility.’

This woud break a current taboo against the use of nuclear weapons, but the explosion itself would not have negative consequences for us as ‘it would be so far away that we wouldn’t even see it.’

Such a drastic method ‘would never be a first resort,’ though.

Nasa’s DART mission in 2022 was the first and only time humans ever deflected an asteroid, when 160m-wide Dimorphos was hit causing its orbit time to shrink by 33 minutes.

Dr Andrews said that this method, where the asteroid was slammed into by a spacecraft the size of a van, had risks: ‘You don’t want to deflect it so it hits somewhere else on Earth, or breaks up into fragments that are still big and may hit random spots.’

The asteroid known as YR4 is smaller than Dimorphos, so there is a good chance we could alter its trajectory at least by some degre.

And don’t forget there’s a good 97.7% chance the asteroid will miss the Earth altogether, and no deflection will be needed.

If it really starts to look like a direct hit, though, governments and space organisations will speed up efforts to deflect it. One option could be developing a more powerful deflection spacecraft than the one used in the DART mission.

‘If you can hit it more aggressively with a bigger spacecraft, you could give it a bigger push in the other direction,’ Dr Andrews said.

‘I cannot see a situation where SpaceX would sit it out, and they’re good at making things quickly.’

The scientist wrote a thread on X outlining what he sees as the potential difficulties in any planetary defence misson, which made headlines for its warning that we can’t just bash into any asteroid heading our way and be sure of success, particularly if time is short.

If an asteroid is hit too hard, it might shatter causing problems in itself: ‘As I often say, it’s like turning a cannonball into a shotgun spray.’

The James Webb telescope, which is the most powerful ever made, should be able to tell us more about YR4’s size, and possibly its composition too.

It will have another couple of months to make its observations and work out how much we need to worry, before the asteroid heads too far from our neighbourhood to be seen. After that, if we still don’t know, we’ll have to wait until it’s next back in 2028.

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We are facing a crisis – and one threatening democracy itself.

Elon Musk’s actions on social media and the inaction of tech giants like Meta has seen disinformation spread rapidly. This isn’t just about viral conspiracy theories or misleading tweets; the damage is far deeper and more widespread than we realise.

Musk’s influence has grown well beyond his role as the CEO of a tech company – he’s now a global figure shaping political discourse, societal narratives, and artificial intelligence.

His recent moves, such as the dismantling of USAID and his bid to buy OpenAI, highlight the concentration of power in his hands. These developments should make us all pause and reflect on the significant impact this one individual is having on our society.

During the 2024 General Election, while campaigning in Islington North, I saw firsthand how disinformation divides communities, quickly seeping from online into the real world.

False claims on platforms like Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), undermine democracy’s integrity and cause real harm.

Musk’s decisions, from promoting conspiracy theories to minimising moderation on his platform, show how one individual’s reach can destabilise political discourse and deepen divisions.

His new direction for X has amplified disinformation, allowing unfounded claims to flourish unchecked.

And his closeness to Donald Trump is influencing others to drop their safeguards, with Meta, owners of Facebook and Instagram, deciding to remove fact-checkers in the US. It reflects how the business model of social media companies is becoming intertwined with a fractured, divisive environment.

Musk’s unchecked power has broader consequences too. His controversial remarks and support for extremist figures deepen societal divides.

These words don’t just stir online debates; they fuel real-world consequences, inflaming tensions.

His growing influence on public figures, including politicians across the UK, is reshaping conversations that should be led by facts, not fiction. Disinformation is not harmless – it is putting democracy at risk.

The recent controversy in Southport highlights just how dangerous misinformation can be. A completely false claim can quickly spread online, leading to confusion and public outrage. This case underscores how easily fabricated stories can gain traction, damaging reputations and endangering lives before the truth has a chance to emerge.

The real-world consequences of toxic misinformation are undeniable. Lies online feed absurd and sometimes violent behaviour in the real world. Politicians in the UK are increasingly targeted by online lies, leading to threats, harassment, and physical attacks.

So, what can we do about it? The answer lies in holding tech giants accountable.

Platforms like Meta and X must take proactive measures against disinformation, not just reactive ones after the damage is done. We must also address the unchecked influence of billionaires like Musk, whose sway over public opinion is dangerously unregulated.

To do this, we need a comprehensive, robust response that treats disinformation as a direct threat to democracy itself, not as a secondary issue.

The Online Safety Act is a step in the right direction, creating a framework for regulating online platforms. The recent case of the Southport terrorist who was radicalised by violent online content demonstrates how much this is needed.

Ofcom gave social media companies until March this year to review the risk of illegal content on their platform, and start implementing safety measures to mitigate those risks.

But the Act doesn’t go far enough – while there is a long list of illegal content covered, including foreign interference, there is no mention of electoral offences such as disinformation.

And rumours that the Government may be considering watering down the Act in exchange for a tariff deal with Trump do nothing to alleviate the anxieties of online safety campaigners. American tech bros like Musk should not be allowed to ride roughshod over our laws, and the Government should stand firm.

Given the massive influence social media now holds, regulation must match its reach and impact. The UK is in a new era, where digital platforms have far more influence than traditional media, yet they must not remain the least regulated spaces.

We’re already seeing how online lies lead to offline consequences. Misinformation doesn’t stay confined to the digital world; it fuels violent behaviour and deepens political divides.

We can no longer afford to ignore how disinformation is eroding the very fabric of democracy. The time to act is now – because truth matters.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

The ‘city killer’ asteroid (possibly) heading our way might spare us and slam into the Moon instead, scientists said.

The space rock known as 2024 YR4 has a 2.1% chance of hitting Earth based on current observations.

If it came down anywhere populated, that would be very bad, flattening an area miles wide if it’s on the larger side of estimates.

But another possibility is that the Moon would take the hit, according to David Rankin of the Catalina Sky Survey asteroid hunting group, who put the chance of it whacking our satellite at 0.3%.

While that sounds alarming, it actually wouldn’t be a bad outcome, as it would save us from being pummeled ourselves.

Dr Robin George Andrews, science journalist and author of How to KIll an Asteroid, told Metro: ‘The Moon would barely notice. It would be like a mosquito hitting a windshield.’

Here on Earth we might get a good display though as it slammed into the surface at 50,000kph.

Dr Andrews, who wrote about the possible moon strike in New Scientist, told Metro: ‘’The Moon doesn’t have an atmosphere to slow the asteroid down, so it wouldn’t explode in the air; it would hit the surface for sure.

‘The estimate is it would hit the near side, so we would all get to see it. Some people say that it wouldn’t be bright enough, and some say it would be brighter than the full moon.’

While we might get a fireworks display, he said it would take a ‘hilariously colossal’ asteroid hitting the Moon for things like tides on Earth to be affected.

How big is Asteroid 2024 YR4?

We still don’t know the exact size of YR4, but it is thought to be in the region of 40m to 90m wide, putting it in the category of potential city killer, rather than planet killer (like the huge one which killed the dinosaurs).

It has a small chance of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032.

Another question is what it’s actually made of, which could affect planetary defence missions. Some asteroids are solid rock or iron, but others are more like rubble bound together by gravity, which would crumble apart into boulders when hit, potentially creating dangerous debris.

Nasa’s James Webb telescope will now study the asteroid to try and learn more about it before it goes too far away again for us to analyse, in time for us to work out if we need to try and stop it.

The asteroid was first identified as a potential problem by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile on December 27 last year.

What would happen if it hit the moon?

If the Moon ‘bravely’ came between us and the asteroid, the impact would likely cause a crater, because it would be a direct hit.

Any debris thrown up by the impact would either stay there or drift into space, Dr Andrews said.

There would only be a small possibility of any coming our way, and if it did, it would burn up in the atmosphere.

While the asteroid’s possible path is cause for concern, It’s important to note there is still a very low chance of it actually harming us.

Even if we were unlucky enough for it to hit, it would be much more likely to come down above an ocean or desert than a populated area.

But if it did hit the Moon, we could thank our celestial bodyguard for diving in front to save us.

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If you’ve ever ended up with so many photos you resorted to extra Cloud storage, this one is for you.

There is a very simple, yet underused, way to quickly free up space without worrying about losing valuable memories with a blanket ‘delete’.

In the Photos app of iPhones, you can find a folder named ‘Duplicates’ if you scroll down.

It is categorised under ‘Utilities’, and if you didn’t know it was there, the amount inside may surprise you.

One reporter at Metro (cough…) found she had a massive 2,764 duplicates, including videos eating up masses of space, despite regularly attempting to clean up her files.

To remove the duplicates, you can press ‘merge’ so that you only store one of each file –which is probably enough, no?

The feature was introdued in 2022, and although I probably should have known about it, I’m not alone in finding it a surprise, especially with common complaints about the app being confusing to use.

Decluttering your duplicates is simple enough to do on your commute or queuing up in a shop.

If single photos average one megabyte at least, with videos easily 20 megabytes or more, you can see how these excess files could add up to gigabytes of space.

This equates to money for you (if you pay extra cash to store them somewhere), less space on your device, and less damage to the environment from all the energy needed to store the data we don’t digitally declutter.

It’s easy to end up with duplicate files, especially if you get sent files from friends who might have the same images.

This isn’t the same as all the near-duplicates, which are lots of very slightly different versions of the same photo as you tried to get the best version. That’s another story…

How to remove duplicate photos on iPhone?

Open up the Photos app, then scroll down almost to the bottom, where you will see a collection of folders called ‘Utilities’.

One of them is called ‘Duplicates’, with an icon of two squares together.

Open it up, and you will see a long list of all your images and videos you have two, three, four, or even more of.

Next to each you will see a button to merge them into one.

If they have slightly different data such as resolution, the highest quality one will be kept.

You can also do mulltiple images at once by pressing Select in the top right, and selecting as many as you want. In this case, you will see the option to Merge them all at the bottom.

The duplicates will be moved to the Recently Deleted folder, where they will be stored for 30 days before getting erased permanently.

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Scientists and historians finally know why hundreds of human bones are still being pulled from the bottom of the River Thames in a 300-year-old mystery.

Researchers examined 30 skeletons found in London’s famous river to find out why an unusually large proportion keep being found there.

Nicola Arthur, curator at the Natural History Museum, said: ‘Most people – including Londoners! – are quite taken aback to hear that hundreds of human bones have come from the River Thames.

‘They have been encountered fairly regularly in the water places of northwest Europe, but the Thames’ human bones represent a uniquely large assemblage.

‘The big question for these human bones is how they came to be in the river.’

Early theories from the 19th century included the corpses coming from a battle between Celts and Romans.

Others in the 20th century put forward that the bodies have reappeared as the riverbank has eroded and revealed mass burials and drowning victims.

But modern technology has been able to reveal the bodies have come all the way back from the Bronze and Iron ages – from 4,000 BC to 1,800 AD.

Ms Arthur told Live Science: ‘We can now say with confidence that these don’t appear to just be bones that have steadily accumulated in the river through time.

‘There really was something significant going on in the Bronze and Iron Ages.’

Closer examination of the bones revealed evidence of trauma, suggesting the cause of death were injuries sustained in acts of violence.

‘Violence is a particularly common theme for later prehistoric human remains from watery places.

‘We have found patterns of skeletal trauma on the bones of the Thames human remains.’

In 2022, a rower came across a 5,000 year old human bone dating bac to the Stone Age along the banks of the Thames.

Graphic designer Simon Hunt was rowing along the river when he noticed the ‘very old’ human femur lying on the riverbank.

Mr. Hunt said he collected the bone up in a plastic bag and took it home to show his wife. He soon passed it over to the police who sent the bone to a lab to be tested.

Expert analysis revealed it is around 5,000 years old – belonging to a person living in Neolithic Britain between 3516 and 3365BC.

‘It looked very old, but part of me was thinking what if it isn’t?’ Mr. Hunt told the BBC.

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Antarctica’s only native insect could provide inspiration for how humans could travel into deep space.

The tiny midge called Belgica antarctica manages to live in the freezing continent by essentially switching itself off for the coldest seasons, researchers say.

This could hold clues for humans about subjects like cryopreservation, when living things are frozen at very low temperatures far below zero, to come back to normal life again in future.

This might be helpful if we ever get to Mars and then onwards into deeper space beyond our our solar system.

The concept of freezing humans like this featured in science fiction films such as Alien, where crew had to enter tube-like ‘Hypersleep’ chambers after showering to survive lengthy journeys.

Cryopreservation is already used for some tissue, such as embryos used in IVF.

But while it is possible for cells, we are far from ready to revive frozen human beings.

The article in Nature’s Scientific Reports tells how the frozen midge larvae ‘readily survived 32 days of simulated overwintering’.

An international research team, led by scientists at Japan’s Osaka Metropolitan University, found that the flightless midge naturally deals with the seasons during its two-year life cycle by undergoing ‘quiescence’ in its first year and ‘obligate diapause’ in its second.

These are essentially dormant periods when the weather is too cold to function.

The first period comes in immediate response to adverse conditions, and when conditions improve, the organism becomes active again.

Its second quiet period comes from within, when it reaches a fixed point in its life cycle.

This allows the midges to emerge as adults at the same time period, when summer arrives.

Dr Mizuki Yoshida said: ‘As adults, they have only a few days of life and need to find a mate, so this timing mechanism is key to their survival.’

Professor Shin Goto said: ‘We determined that for the Antarctic midge obligate diapause ends with the onset of low temperatures in winter so that the larvae all pupate at the same time and emerge as adults at the same time.’

He added that although such adaptations aren’t known to occur in other creatures, ‘we believe that insects inhabiting harsh environments such as the Arctic and high altitudes might be employing similar strategies.’

They reared midges over a period of six years to find out some of their environmental coping mechanisms, and work out how other species might be able to survive in extreme cold.

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‘Duo’, the Duolingo mascot known for his guilt-tripping ways to get people to learn new languages, is dead. He was 3,025 years old.

His death was confirmed by the language learning company’s social media accounts on Tuesday.

Duolingo, which first hired Duo to be the app’s mascot in 2010, did not list a cause of death but noted the owl had ‘many enemies’.

But Duolingo revealed there has been a major breakthrough in a police investigation into Duo’s death – he was struck in a hit-and-run involving a speeding Tesla Cybertruck.

The Pittsburgh-based company said in an Instagram post: ‘Reward for whoever can identify the driver. Please post any leads on Instagram. Thank you for your patience with us during these trying times.’

Footage showed Duo, full name Duo Keyshauna Renee Lingo, at a car park at an undisclosed location when the Cybertruck hit his left side. An explosion followed as the animal fell to the floor.

Duo’s spirit was seen rising to the heavens and through the abyss around the Milky Way before soaring through Hell.

The police have not issued an official statement on Duo’s death but, according to Duolingo, have said ‘the best way to channel your grief and unlock more about the investigation is to do your lesson’.

‘Together, if we really try, we can bring Duo back,’ it said.

Mourners – and conspiracy theorists – flooded the post, with one writing: ‘Of COURSE it was a Cybertruck! OF COURSE!!! We’ll avenge you, Duo!’

Another added: ‘I think Duo faked his [death] and he’s going to come back with a new album.’

Duolingo initially suggested in a statement confirming Duo’s death that the owl, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, died ‘waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know’.

‘But what do we know?’ the language learning app added. ‘We’re aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask you to refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments.’

Duo Lipa is among those who have weighed in on the tragedy. ‘Til’ death duo part,’ the pop star wrote on X.

The World Health Organisation also wrote on X: ‘May your cause of death be identified ASAP. One thing we know for sure: It’s not smallpox, because the disease has been eradicated since 1980.’

‘If you feel inclined to share, please also share your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory.’

Some handled Duo’s death a little differently. ‘Does this mean no more 6am notifications threatening me because I haven’t done a lesson before I’ve woken up?’ one joked.

Duo is the first Duolingo character to die, according to the fan-made Duolingo Wiki.

A representative for Duolingo previously told The Tab: ‘We can confirm the statements in our recent social posts are true. It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved mascot, Duo the Owl.

‘For years, he tirelessly reminded millions to do their language lessons—sometimes with gentle nudges, sometimes with sheer, unhinged persistence. But even the most relentless of birds can only take so much. Our app icon reflects this tragic loss with “Dead Duo”.

‘There is an ongoing investigation that we cannot comment on extensively at this time.

‘We know no owl as dedicated as Duo just drops dead without a story. Keep an eye on our social channels as we uncover the shocking (and possibly absurd) truth behind his untimely demise.’

It’s a bizarre marketing move, but Duolingo is no stranger to publicity stunts.

Last year in a clip uploaded to TikTok by the official Duolingo account, celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Miami – real name Michael Salzhauer – Duo underwent a consultation, dressed in a hospital gown, with Dr Miami.

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