OpenAI will soon retire GPT-4, an AI model it launched over two years ago, from ChatGPT, according to a changelog posted on Thursday. Effective April 30, GPT-4 will be “fully replaced” by GPT-4o, the current default model in ChatGPT, OpenAI said. GPT-4 will remain available for use via OpenAI’s API. “In head‑to‑head evaluations, [GPT-4o] consistently surpasses GPT‑4 in writing, coding, STEM, and more,” wrote OpenAI in the changelog. “Recent upgrades have further improved GPT‑4o’s instruction following, problem solving, and conversational flow, making it a natural successor to GPT‑4.” GPT-4 was rolled out in March 2023 for ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot on the web. Several versions of GPT-4 had multimodal capabilities, allowing them to understand both images and text — the first for a widely deployed OpenAI model. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that GPT-4, reportedly massive in size, cost more than $100 million to train. It was succeeded by GPT-4 Turbo in November 2023, a faster and cheaper model. GPT-4 is one of the models at the heart of copyright disputes between OpenAI and publishers that include The New York Times. Publishers allege that OpenAI trained GPT-4 on their data without their knowledge or consent. OpenAI claims that fair use doctrine shields it from liability. GPT-4’s coming retirement will likely follow the release of new models in ChatGPT. According to reverse engineer Tibor Blaho, OpenAI is readying a family of models called GPT-4.1 — GPT-4.1-mini, GPT-4.1-nano, and GPT-4.1 — as well as the o3 “reasoning” model the company announced in December, and a new reasoning model called o4-mini.

Chicago-based 3D printing quality assurance software developer Phase3D has introduced a new inspection system designed to improve quality assurance (QA) in cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM).  Supported by $1.25 million in funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the system, called Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray, uses structured light to capture surface data in real time during the spray process. It was tested at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and later validated in an operational environment at Ellsworth Air Force Base. CSAM has long presented challenges in maintaining consistent quality due to the nature of the material deposition process. Phase3D’s system addresses these challenges by providing real-time data that allow for immediate identification of surface-level defects such as cracking, cratering, and pitting.  The system also evaluates the flatness and overall shape of the deposited surface, offering technicians the opportunity to adjust process parameters dynamically, thereby reducing material waste and improving efficiency. “The successful completion of this project underscores the importance of real-time inspection in additive manufacturing, ”said Niall O’Dowd, Founder and CEO of Phase3D. “The deployment at Ellsworth AFB proves that structured light inspection is a game-changer for cold spray applications. This technology not only ensures higher-quality repairs but also delivers significant cost and time savings for the Air Force.” Fringe Inspection : Cold Spray attaches to the robotic control arm and scans cold spray deposits during the printing process. Photo via Phase3D. Validated through real-world testing The Fringe Inspection : Cold Spray hardware is mounted to a robotic arm, where it collects millions of measurement points related to layer thickness, roughness, and shape. Phase3D developed and deployed both the hardware and its accompanying software suite, Fringe Operator, which is used to interpret inspection data and document part-specific quality metrics.  Working with Air Force engineers, the team established data-driven benchmarks for acceptable and unacceptable deposition quality, drawing on cold spray samples created with helium and nitrogen as carrier gases. These examples informed the creation of a go/no-go threshold system to evaluate parts during the manufacturing process. To validate this approach, Phase3D conducted a blind test using the quality thresholds it had developed. Components were evaluated using real-time data collected during the build process, and defects such as uneven spray patterns and surface discontinuities were identified and categorized.  The successful classification of test specimens further confirmed the utility of the system for in-situ inspection in cold spray environments. This project was conducted under the STTR Phase II Proposal F2-16465 – In-Situ Monitoring for Blown Powder Additive Manufacturing contract. A separate case study involving a laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) component 3D printed on an EOS M270 machine further demonstrated the practical benefits of Fringe Inspection technology.  An undisclosed aerospace manufacturer faced part failures caused by inconsistent porosity and internal geometries, traced to powder buildup on the recoater blade that intermittently dropped onto the build surface, an issue technicians suspected but couldn’t confirm using standard imaging tools. After installing Fringe Inspection on the machine, the issue became immediately visible through high-resolution heightmaps. The system detected powder drops of up to 200 µm, four times the normal layer thickness, falling onto the melt pool.  The discovery led to a simple fix: adding a fixed blade at the recoater’s home position to prevent powder buildup. After implementation, powder-related build failures stopped entirely, reducing annual losses of $63,000 by over 90%, not including indirect engineering and troubleshooting costs. Following these successful implementations, Phase3D plans to expand the application of its structured light inspection systems beyond cold spray. The company is currently engaging with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and private-sector partners to explore additional use cases and support broader adoption of real-time quality monitoring in additive manufacturing. The case study is based on reported findings and represents a real set of events. No confidential figures were used, and all data has been recreated to protect customer privacy. Quality Chart output from Fringe Inspection identifying when the process is out of control during the process. Visualized in Fringe Qualification. Image via Phase3D. Quality assurance in 3D printing In-situ quality assurance is essential for industries like aerospace and space, where standards are high, prompting many AM companies to develop their own novel solutions. For example, Siemens Energy and risk management firm DNV partnered to develop a new industrial quality assurance platform by integrating Siemens’ AM Cockpit with DNV’s Independent Quality Monitor (IQM). The platform enables real-time monitoring, digital validation, and comparison of 3D printed parts against approved models.  It provides automated certification and aims to support zero-defect manufacturing, particularly in powder bed fusion processes. Developed under the EU-funded InterQ project, the combined system is designed to strengthen confidence in AM for critical sectors like energy, with Siemens highlighting its role in enabling gas turbines to operate on low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen. During the Formnext 2022, MakerVerse and ZEISS introduced enhanced quality assurance tools on the MakerVerse platform through the integration of ZEISS’s specialized metrology solutions. These additions included Tactile CMM, Optical 3D Scanning, Industrial CT and X-Ray capabilities, along with surface roughness measurement. MakerVerse CEO Dr. Markus Seibold emphasized that this alliance “is the perfect solution for our customers needing industrial-grade quality inspections and reports for their AM parts.” What 3D printing trends should you watch out for in 2025? How is the future of 3D printing shaping up? To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook. While you’re here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays. Featured image shows Fringe Inspection : Cold Spray attaches to the robotic control arm and scans cold spray deposits during the printing process. Photo via Phase3D. Ada Shaikhnag With a background in journalism, Ada has a keen interest in frontier technology and its application in the wider world. Ada reports on aspects of 3D printing ranging from aerospace and automotive to medical and dental.

Dubai’s Vertical Forest | © Stefano Boeri Architetti As ecological crises deepen and cities face mounting pressure to mitigate their environmental impact, architecture is increasingly being called to act as a regenerative agent. Few typologies exemplify this shift more than Stefano Boeri’s Vertical Forest, which merges high-density living with vertical biodiversity. This model is being reimagined for one of the world’s most extreme climates—Dubai. Presented at COP27 and currently under development, this project marks a significant evolution in the Vertical Forest series. It introduces a new paradigm for integrating architecture with ecological systems in the Middle East and North Africa region. Dubai’s Vertical Forest Technical Information Architects1-8: Stefano Boeri Architetti Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Project Year: 2022 – Ongoing Images: © Stefano Boeri Architetti The idea of building a tower completely surrounded by trees came to me in early 2007 in Dubai – one of the cradles of the new oil and financial capitalism. – Stefano Boeri Dubai’s Vertical Forest Photographs Model | © Stefano Boeri Architetti © Stefano Boeri Architetti © Stefano Boeri Architetti © Stefano Boeri Architetti Contextualizing the Vertical Forest in the MENA Region The Vertical Forest’s location in Dubai is far from incidental. It positions the project within one of the planet’s most environmentally and politically charged urban territories. Defined by vertical growth and resource-intensive development, Dubai represents both a cautionary tale and a unique laboratory for speculative urbanism. Introducing a Vertical Forest into this context asks pressing questions about the viability of ecological architecture in hyper-arid environments. Unveiled at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh—just one year ahead of Dubai’s hosting of COP28—the project was not merely an architectural announcement, but a symbolic gesture. It offered a prototype of what the future city in the MENA region might look like if environmental goals are integrated into the DNA of urban design rather than appended as technological afterthoughts. This is also the first Vertical Forest explicitly conceived for an arid climate. The departure from temperate zones, such as Milan, necessitates reconsidering both botanical strategy and environmental performance. This version is not a carbon copy, but a regionally attuned reinterpretation, raising vital questions about the adaptability of iconic ecological models across divergent environmental and cultural landscapes. Architectural Design and Spatial Strategies The design comprises two towers, rising to 190 and 150 meters respectively. Their proportions follow a principle of visual counterbalance while maximizing surface area for vegetation. The towers are not standalone monoliths but vertically orchestrated ecosystems. Their façades operate as living membranes, embedded with planters that accommodate 2,640 trees and 27,600 shrubs—creating a layered landscape from ground to sky. Spatially, the towers reflect a porous organization, with interstitial spaces where architecture and vegetation coexist. The integration of hydroponic gardens and greenhouses further challenges the conventional zoning of vertical structures. These programmatic insertions suggest a hybrid building typology—part residential, part agricultural infrastructure. Crucially, this vegetation is not an applied surface treatment. Instead, it is embedded into the logic of the architecture. The façade becomes a mediating threshold, negotiating between environmental exposure and interior comfort. From a spatial perspective, the vegetated envelope offers dynamic shading, enhanced privacy, and contributes to reducing urban heat through evapotranspiration. The result is a tower that functions not only as a container of domestic life but also as a scaffold for ecological processes. It shifts the conversation from verticality as a purely densifying strategy to one offering environmental reciprocity. Material Ecology and Technological Innovation Beyond its botanical ambitions, the Dubai Vertical Forest proposes a complex integration of renewable technologies and circular systems. Photovoltaic surfaces across the towers are projected to generate 5,100 kWh of clean energy harvested and stored using hydrogen batteries. This approach to energy independence is forward-looking, particularly in a region where fossil fuel dependency still defines the economic and infrastructural landscape. Water management, perhaps the most critical issue in this context, is approached with equal innovation. The towers employ desalination systems and greywater recycling to minimize water demand while maximizing reuse. These technologies are not peripheral systems but constitutive elements of the building’s performance and identity. From a material standpoint, the project remains in development, with ongoing research into construction technologies and material systems suited for the site’s climatic and ecological demands. The challenge lies in selecting systems that balance thermal resistance, structural efficiency, and environmental impact—particularly in light of the embodied carbon inherent in construction within the Gulf region. Integrating energy, water, and waste systems into the architectural narrative reflects a broader ambition: to dissolve the boundary between infrastructure and form. This convergence invites architects to consider the building as an active participant in its environment, rather than a static object. Dubai’s Vertical Forest Image Gallery About Stefano Boeri Architetti ​Stefano Boeri Architetti, founded in 1993 and based in Milan with offices in Shanghai and Tirana, is an international architectural firm renowned for integrating living nature into urban design. Their multidisciplinary approach encompasses architecture, urban planning, and interior design, strongly emphasizing sustainable development and urban regeneration. Notable projects include the Vertical Forest in Milan, a pioneering model of biodiversity in architecture. ​ Credits and Additional Notes Founding Partner: Stefano Boeri Director: Hana Narvaez Design Team: Yulia Filatova, Silvia Raiano Client: Impact One Botanical Consultant: Vannucci LCA (Life Cycle Assessment): ESA Tower Heights: Tower 1: 190 meters; Tower 2: 150 meters Vegetation: 2,640 Trees; 27,600 Shrubs; Integrated hydroponic gardens and greenhouses

Brought to you by: Architect: Gluck+Location: New York CityCompletion Date: 2025“Architecture is frozen music,” a quotation attributed to Goethe, might be one of the profession’s worst cliches. However, at a new school in Upper Manhattan, the analogy applies literally. Building above an existing parking garage, GLUCK+, a New York City–based practice, has created an 8-story tower to house the WHIN Music Community Charter School. To reflect the centrality of music to the school’s pedagogy, the building’s facade resembles sheet music with alternating window heights representing individual notes. The WHIN School’s educational model is derived from Venezuela’s El Sistema program, which seeks to uplift underprivileged students through musical training. Founded in 2018, the institution offers tuition-free education awarded through a lottery system to children in the Washington Heights-Inwood area (hence the acronym WHIN). The school was temporarily co-located within a public school on 164th Street before decamping to a former Catholic Church on 162nd. Its new facility boasts significant programmatic improvements from previous locations, such as expanded classroom space, as well as a large gymnasium and new concert hall. Located on a narrow residential block, the new building is a radical departure from the surrounding architecture. (Here and Now Agency) GLUCK+ has been involved with the project from the beginning, assisting the school in its site selection process. The team considered a number of locations, but ultimately settled on a lot in Washington Heights occupied by a 3-story parking garage built in 1914. The architect’s scheme for the project involved maintaining the structure of the garage and building five additional stories above. To circumvent reliance on the garage’s existing columns, which were too weak to support the planned extension, a 100-foot-long truss was constructed on the eighth floor of the tower. The floors beneath—five through seven—are hung from the massive truss. Because of the truss’s height requirements, the eighth floor is a double-height space that serves as the school’s gymnasium. Structural Diagram (Courtesy GLUCK+) Inside the gymnasium, the truss was painted blue to represent the school colors. (Here and Now Agency) The facade of the building was conceived as a symbol of the school’s unique educational mission. GLUCK+ took inspiration from Gregorian sheet music, particularly “neumes,” a square notation that indicates individual musical notes. The tower’s punched window openings were conceived as neumes, while the structure’s metal wall panels feature horizontal ribs that represent the musical staff, the five lines that organize a compositional sequence. Across the width of the facade, the punched windows jog up and down in height, mimicking the rise and fall of notes on the page. This sequence of alternating height was particularly difficult to achieve across the exsiting elevations on the first three floors. Here the existing window openings of the garage were edited, shifted up and down slightly through infill and enlargement, to create the desired pattern. The rhythm of the facade increases in complexity and variation as the building rises, corresponding to the organization of the school. Younger students are taught in classrooms on the lower floors, while older students capable of more complex music are taught on the floors above. Existing window openings across the facade of the garage were adjusted to create the desired pattern. (Courtesy GLUCK+) Set against a metallic background, the school’s window frames pop with color. (Courtesy GLUCK+) The school’s focal point, a 400-seat concert hall, is positioned front and center on the first floor of the building and is visible via a glazed corridor that connects to the lobby and street-facing entrance. Directly above this is the school’s music department, where 450 wood cubbies were created for students to store their instruments. Upper floors contain the cafeteria and classrooms, and throughout GLUCK+ added touches of blue and yellow, the school colors. At the WHIN School, students begin choir and orchestra classes in Kindergarten. (Here and Now Agency) Since welcoming its first class of full-time students less than a decade ago, the WHIN School has proven a success, no small feat in a city where public and private schools alike have faced closure due to a lack of enrollment and funding. The new building stands as a testament to this, while also laying the ground work for the institution’s future. Project Specifications Architect: GLUCK+ Structural Engineer: TYLin SOE/Shoring Engineer: JK Blum MEP Engineer: GEA Consulting Engineers Code/Expeditor: JM Zoning Geotechnical Engineer: Geo-Technology Associates Facade: Forst Consulting & Architecture Elevator: IROS Elevator Acoustics: Harvey Marshall Berling Associates Specifications: Construction Specifications Lighting: Lux Populi FF&E: Whalen Berez Group Metal Panels: Morin by Kingspan Finishes: Sherwin Williams Hardware: Fecara Aluminum Systems, Elvial Fabricator: Advanced Aluminum Solutions

All images courtesy of Richard Haining, shared with permission Melding Craft and Sustainability, Richard Haining Sculpts Sleek Vessels from Reclaimed Wood April 11, 2025 Grace Ebert Renewal is at the center of Richard Haining’s practice. The Brooklyn-based artist and designer (previously) sculpts supple vessels and functional goods from reclaimed wood sourced from local workshops or buildings destined for demolition. Intrigued by signs of wear and former uses, Haining has a deep reverence for the material and its history. In his ongoing STACKED series, small offcuts nest together in intuitively laid grids. An angle grinder and hand tools help to smooth any jagged edges and create the soft, sleek forms Haining is known for. The artist shares that his inspiration comes from a wide array of sources, “from Classical Antiquity to East Asian design (to) 17th-century European Craftsmanship.” His holy trinity, though, is beauty, craftsmanship, and mindfulness for the environment. He adds: By juxtaposing repurposed ‘low-value’ materials with ‘high-art’ forms, I invite viewers to reconsider what is truly valuable. Ultimately, I hope to spark a conversation about sustainability, showing that art, craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility can coexist—and that beauty can emerge from the most unexpected places. Haining is participating in two group exhibitions in New York, one at Lyle Gallery through April 20 and Paraphernalia Exhibition: Desire opening on May 7. Follow the latest on Instagram. Next article

Published April 11, 2025 10:00am EDT close How to free up space on your Android Three simple tricks to free up valuable space on your device. You're about to run out of the house, and suddenly your phone is nowhere to be found. Or you get in your car after being at the store, and your phone's not in your bag.Does this scenario sound familiar? Whether you're someone who loses or misplaces your phone frequently or just once in a blue moon, we've all been there.Unfortunately, finding your phone is not so easy. Perhaps you try calling it, but your ringer is on silent. Or it fell into the cracks somewhere, and you can't see the screen light up. Luckily, there's another way to find your Android phone if you're unsure where you last left it. iPhone users, be sure to check out four ways to find your lost iPhone, with and without other devices.STAY PROTECTED & INFORMED! GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS – SIGN UP FOR KURT’S ‘THE CYBERGUY REPORT’ NOW A man looking at his smartwatch (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)1. Ping your phone using your smartwatchOne way to find your Android phone if you're not quite sure where you last left is to rely on your smartwatch, which you can use to ping your phone. This feature sends a signal to your phone, making it ring loudly even if it's on silent, helping you locate it quickly.Open the watch app: On your Android watch (such as a Samsung Galaxy watch), swipe down to access the quick settings menu.Find the Find My Phone icon: Look for an icon that resembles a phone with sound waves around it.Ping your phone: Tap the icon, and your phone will start ringing, making it easier to find.2. Use your Google Account to ‘Find My Device’If you have access to a device connected to your Google account, such as a laptop, tablet or another smartphone, you can use it to find your Android phone. This feature is part of Google's ecosystem and allows you to locate your phone through the Google Play Store or any web browser.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?To use Google's Find My Device feature, a few things must have been set up on your Android phone before it was lost:Your phone must be signed into your Google accountLocation Services must be turned onThe Find My Device feature must be enabled:Go to Settings → Security → Find My Device and ensure it's onYour phone must be powered on and connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi for real-time tracking(Optional but helpful) Your device should be visible on Google Play. You can check this at play.google.com/settings and ensure visibility is turned onIf these conditions are met, you can use any device (such as a laptop, tablet or another phone) connected to the internet to find your lost Android phone:zOn any device, open a web browser or the Google Play Store appLog insame Google account linked to your lost phoneIn the web browser, go to Find My Device. If using the Google Play Store, open the menu and select Find My DeviceGoogle will display your phone's last known location on a mapYou can also use options to make it ring, lock it or erase its data to protect your personal information Find My Device map (Google)3. Utilize the old-school methodIt may go without saying, but with all this convenient technology, sometimes the tried-and-true methods are easily forgotten. If you happen to lose your Android, consider retracing your steps: call the places you visited within the last few hours, ask employees if anyone found their phone, and check all the nooks and crannies in your car, bag, etc. You can also try calling your phone to see if anyone answers, and if they're honest, you can find a safe, public place to meet up. Also, if you happen to lose your phone in a ride-share, those apps have methods to communicate with the driver in order to get your phone back.What to consider if you lose or misplace your AndroidAnyone can lose their phone at some point. Therefore, be careful what apps and security you have on your phone. For instance, if you have banking apps, notes with your passwords listed or private messages and emails, you'll want to have an extra layer of security on your phone, like a keypad lock or biometric security. This way, if your phone is placed in the wrong hands, they can't access your sensitive data.Even if you have those security features on your Android, if you call your phone and someone happens to answer, be wary of what information you give them. Though one would hope the finder would be honest, you never know. They could set you up for a scam, so trust your gut.Other tips to protect your Android phone: Essential accessoriesTo minimize the risk of damage happening to your Android phone, whether that damage is from when you lost or misplaced it, it may be worth investing in some protective gear and tools. Here are some must-haves for any smartphone owner.1. Install strong antivirus software to keep your Android safeThe best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.2. Invest in a durable phone caseA sturdy phone case can prevent damage from drops, bumps and scratches. Consider cases from reputable brands offering shock absorption, reinforced corners and raised edges to protect the screen and camera. Look for materials such as silicone, TPU or hybrid constructions that combine multiple layers for enhanced durability. Additionally, some cases come with added functionalities like kickstands or cardholders, making them both protective and practical.3. Opt for a high-quality chargerUsing a high-quality charger ensures your phone charges efficiently and safely. Look for chargers that offer fast charging capabilities and are certified by your phone's manufacturer. Plus, investing in a reliable charger can save you from the frustration of slow charging times and potential damage to your device. It’s always worth having a dependable charger on hand, especially for those busy days when you need a quick power boost.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE A woman with a dead Android (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)4. Consider a privacy screenPrivacy screens can prevent prying eyes from viewing your phone’s display, adding an extra layer of security. They are especially useful in public places. Imagine being on a crowded train or in a busy cafe, these screens can give you peace of mind knowing your personal information stays private. Plus, they can also reduce glare, making it easier to see your screen in bright environments.Kurt's key takeawaysLosing your phone can be a frustrating experience, but with the right strategies and tools at your disposal, you can recover it quickly and efficiently. Whether you rely on your smartwatch to ping your device, utilize Google’s "Find My Device" feature or revert to the classic method of retracing your steps, there are multiple ways to help you locate your Android phone. So, the next time you find yourself frantically searching for your phone, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and tools to handle the situation with confidence.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPWhat strategies or tools have you found most effective for locating your lost phone, and do you have any personal stories to share about your experiences with misplaced devices? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

The Home Office is operating at least eight artificial intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance towers along the South-East coast of England, which critics say are contributing to migrant deaths in the English Channel. As part of a project to map the state of England’s coastal surveillance, the Migrants Rights Network (MRN) and researcher Samuel Story have identified eight operational autonomous surveillance towers between Hastings and Margate where people seeking asylum via the Channel often land, and two more that have either been dismantled or relocated. In response to their freedom of information (FoI) campaign, the Home Office itself has also tacitly acknowledged that increased border surveillance could place migrants crossing the Channel in “even greater jeopardy”. Created by US defence company Anduril – the Elvish name for Aragorn’s sword in The Lord of the Rings, which translates to “flame of the west” – the 5.5 meter-tall Maritime Sentry Towers are fitted with radar as well as thermal and electro-optical imaging sensors, enabling the detection of “small boats” and other water-borne objects in a nine-mile radius. Underpinned by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system marketed primarily to defence organisations, the towers are capable of autonomously piecing together data collected from thousands of different sources (such as sensors or drones operated by Anduril) to create a “real-time understanding of the environment”. As of April 2025, MRN and Storey have identified Anduril towers at Fairlight Coastguard Station, Dungeness Lighthouse, Hythe Ranges East Lookout, Shorncliffe Army Camp, Capel le-Ferne Cliffs, Dover Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Walmer and Kingsdown Golf Club, and Ramsgate Port. While a ninth has been identified just outside Lydd Ranges near Jury’s Gap, and a 10th at Hythes Ranges West Lookout, MRN said these have either been dismantled or relocated. It added that the towers represent a “physical marker of where the Hostile Environment begins”, contribute to the increasing militarisation of borders and push people into taking more dangerous routes. “The towers are not neutral. They are active agents in an increasingly automated system of border apartheid designed to filter, categorise and repel those deemed as ‘undesirable’,” said MRN, adding that in the context of the UK’s forthcoming the Border Security Bill – which seeks to give border authorities counter-terrorism-style powers to deal with migrants – people seeking safety are increasingly framed as a national security threat, leading to their further dehumanisation. “These towers and their AI algorithms do not make seeking asylum safer,” it said. “They enforce border apartheid and exclusion: acting as a first port of entry into the UK’s digital hostile environment. While autonomous surveillance towers and other forms of border securitisation such as drones raise important questions about the potentially deadly consequences for migrants, they should also make us question the wider encroachment and normalisation of surveillance (and tech companies) in our day-to-day lives. “Ultimately, surveillance is being implemented without consent, and we have a right to demand transparency and the ability to scrutinise this technology, and what it means for human rights.” For Storey – who has created and released a film based on his research into the Anduril towers – the biggest remaining question is whether data collected by the towers is used to determine asylum cases and whether, in the context of the upcoming Border Security Bill, it could be used as evidence in criminal prosecutions against migrants. Computer Weekly contacted Anduril regarding the claims made about its autonomous surveillance towers, but received no acknowledgement or response by time of publication.   Computer Weekly also contacted the Home Office about every claim made in the story – including how data generated or captured by the towers is used in asylum cases – but similarly received no response by time of publication. MRN said that although the Home Office has been reluctant to share details of the towers on the basis that it could assist “organised criminal gangs”, it has also tacitly acknowledged the threat that increased border surveillance presents to the safety of migrants. “Disclosure of the requested information could aid the criminals seeking to facilitate these dangerous small boat crossings by informing organised criminal gangs about the technology being deployed against them, enabling them to develop countervailing activity to increase their likelihood of success, support their planning and inform new tactics and routings,” it said in response to one of Storey’s FoI requests. However, it also noted that, if details about the towers were revealed, “migrants may be placed in even greater jeopardy by making them less easy to detect by UK and French patrols engaged in safety of life at sea (Solas) operations”. As a result, the Home Office decided to apply a section 31 law enforcement exemption on everything in the request, which allows state authorities to withhold information if it is “likely to prejudice … the operation of immigration controls”. According to MRN, despite the department’s resistance to transparency, the Home Office’s response to Storey clearly identifies the impact that increased border surveillance has on migrant deaths: “It is no secret that increased surveillance and policing at borders pushes migrants into more remote and dangerous crossing points while forcing them to increasingly rely on intermediaries (so-called people smugglers).” Noting that a record number of people lost their lives attempting to cross the Channel in 2024 (as reported by the UN’s Missing Migrant Project) – as well as the high death-rate at the US-Mexico border, where the Electronic Frontier Foundation has mapped 563 such surveillance towers – MRN added that as autonomous surveillance technologies become “increasingly embedded along the English coastline, the English Channel may emerge as its own lethal frontier”. It said this process has already happened at the US-Mexico border, where the towers form part of a deterrence infrastructure designed to push migration routes into more “rugged and deadly terrain”, and which has led to notable increases in migrant mortality. “It is not difficult to realise that the UK government has utilised these towers as part of a border apartheid strategy, employing this AI surveillance assemblage to further militarise the southern maritime border,” it said. Drawing comparisons between US and UK border practices, Storey added that while the surveillance towers dotted remotely along the harsh terrain of the border with Mexico are actively framed as a deterrent, the surveillance towers in the UK – which can be found in plain sight in relatively quaint English landscapes – are framed around humanitarian assistance of migrants. However, he added that given this framing – as well as the vast array of technologies state authorities can leverage to surveil an area as small as the English Channel – it begs the question of why people are still dying. “What’s the technology really doing? It’s ostensibly being used for humanitarian purposes, but is it actually succeeding in what they’re claiming it’s doing?” he asked, adding that the obvious solution would be for the UK government to open safe and legal routes to the UK, instead of relying on expensive technology such as AI to “enforce a border that keeps people out who are in desperate need”. While the Financial Times covered the Home Office’s Anduril contract when it was announced, MRN and Storey said there has been little to no scrutiny of the towers since, and that they are concerned by the department’s resistance to transparency, even in response to FoIs. Specifically, they cited a lack of information on contract details, the location of the towers (which have been manually identified and logged by Storey), the data sharing agreements underpinning their operation, and how the information collected by the towers may be used to determine asylum cases for those crossing the Channel. So far, the only contract details have been confirmed in an FoI response from the Home Office to researcher Anna Christoforou, which revealed that its Anduril contract – CCTC: Common operating picture and command interface – is valued at £16,087,370, and runs from 22 June 2022 to 22 June 2025. Storey said that, from his experience, the FoI system is more about opacity than transparency, and trying to open up information on border and immigration issues in particular is like a “game of cat and mouse” with the Home Office. “It’s extremely obvious they don’t really have any intention of actually disclosing information that would lead to proper public awareness, discourse, transparency et cetera … there’s no interest in having a public discussion about this surveillance of people,” he said. Commenting on the application of the law enforcement exemption to the information requested by Storey, independent data protection and FoI consultant Tim Turner told Computer Weekly it could have been misapplied if the department did not complete a “prejudice test”, which requires organisations to balance the potentially detrimental impacts of disclosure with the public interest value of the information being released. “The exemption is definitely expressed in a way that implies that it has been done in a blanket way,” he said. “That’s not to say that they haven’t applied the prejudice element, but there’s zero evidence that they have. The exemption doesn’t apply if they haven’t done it.” Read more about technology and immigration UK eVisa system problems persist despite repeated warnings: Travellers are already having issues boarding UK-bound flights, while refugees have been left with no way to prove their immigration status in the UK, just two weeks after the Home Office transitioned to electronic visas. Data sharing for immigration raids ferments hostility to migrants: Data sharing between public and private bodies for the purposes of carrying out immigration raids helps to prop up the UK’s hostile environment by instilling an atmosphere of fear and deterring migrants from accessing public services. Greek authorities subject refugees to invasive surveillance: Greek border authorities are subjecting asylum seekers to invasive phone confiscations and artificial intelligence-powered surveillance, in another potential violation of European data protection laws. MRN and Storey also expressed similar concerns around the lack of transparency over where the data is ultimately stored, which they believe can most likely be found in Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Oracle infrastructure. They said that, because the Home Office confirmed to MRN via FoI in September 2024 that data from its electronic visa platform are hosted on AWS, it could be the case that this provider is being used to store data collected and processed by the towers. Highlighting the fact that Anduril makes use of AWS Marketplace to conduct tests with LatticeOS for potential customers, MRN said this indicates that AWS is used to host Anduril data once long-term contracts are formalised. According to the Marketplace webpage, “Anduril Lattice Operating System runs on a Kubernetes cluster hosted in EC2”, which is a cloud compute platform offered by AWS. However, Oracle and Anduril also have a partnership to bring Lattice to Oracle’s cloud infrastructure globally. According to an Oracle webpage, “Anduril will deploy Lattice on Oracle Cloud Isolated and National Security Regions, which are Oracle’s air-gapped cloud infrastructure for mission-critical, classified defense, and intelligence workloads. Lattice will also be available in Oracle Cloud Regions, Oracle EU Sovereign Cloud, and Oracle Government Clouds in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.” Computer Weekly contacted both Anduril and the Home Office for confirmation on where data collected by the towers is stored, but did not receive a response from either.  MRN and Storey say they are awaiting further FoI responses related to each of the towers identified, which ask for details of any Data Protection Impact Assessments, Equality Impact Assessments, privacy safeguards, data-sharing agreements and information on the involvement of private companies. MRN is encouraging people to take a range of actions to challenge the Home Office’s use of surveillance towers, including asking those who live in the vicinity of one to write to their local MP expressing concerns, flagging the existence of further towers to MRN or Storey, and setting up local campaigns in opposition to the towers. To understand whether the data collected by the towers are being used to influence or determine the outcome of asylum cases, MRN is also encouraging those that have crossed the Channel after June 2022 to submit subject access requests to the Home Office if they are concerned their data could have been captured.

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What just happened? There's plenty of debate about the definition of AI, but one thing it certainly isn't is a group of humans working away in the Philippines and Romania. Albert Saniger, the founder and former CEO of shopping app Nate, tried to pass off the work of these flesh-and-blood contractors as AI, and has now been charged with defrauding investors by the DoJ. Saniger launched the Nate app in 2018. It promises to act as a universal shopping cart that simplifies online shopping by enabling users to skip the checkout on any retail website by reducing the process to a single tap. The app was advertised as being powered by AI, with the technology entering billing and shipping information and confirming the purchases. But according to the DoJ, it actually relied heavily on hundreds of human workers mostly located in call centers in the Philippines and Romania to manually complete the transactions. Saniger had also repeatedly made assurances that Nate did not use "dumb bots," but in fall 2021, he directed the app's engineering team to develop bots to automate some transactions on the app. These were used alongside the manual teams to complete the purchases, not the promised AI, states the DoJ. Nate had raised over $50 million from investors since launch, raising $38 million in 2021, thanks mostly to Saniger's claims that the app completed purchases without human interaction, except for edge cases where the AI failed to complete a transaction. In 2022, The Information carried out an investigation into Nate. Sources told the publication that during 2021, the share of transactions Nate handled manually rather than automatically ranged between 60% and 100%. // Related Stories The DoJ indictment says that Nate was forced to sell its assets in January 2023 after running out of money, leaving investors with "near total" losses. 35-year-old Saniger, of Barcelona, Spain, is charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. This isn't the first case of human workers being passed off as AI. In December 2023, Presto Automation, which calls itself one of the largest labor automation technology providers in the industry, revealed in an SEC filing that almost three-quarters of orders taken by its fast food voice-ordering products were aided by off-site agents working in areas such as the Philippines. Presto previously claimed that 95% of orders received by its drive-thru chatbots were taken without human intervention.