Amid signs of a stagnating economy, the UK is going all-in on AI. On Monday, British Minister Keir Starmer announced a new AI Opportunities Action Plan. At the center of the initiative are AI Growth Zones, which the government plans to establish in de-industrialized areas throughout the country.In these areas, the Labour government will fast-track planning approvals for data centers and offer better access to the national energy grid. Starmer said the UKs first AI Growth Zone would be established in Culham, Oxfordshire, home to the countrys Atomic Energy Authority. More zones will be announced in the summer.At the same time, Starmers government plans to increase state-owned compute capacity by a factor of 20, starting with the immediate construction of a new supercomputer with enough AI power to play itself at chess half a million times a second. As of November 2024, the UK has 14 supercomputers on the TOP500 list, putting it behind by a significant margin the US and China.Additionally, the plan will see the government establish a National Data Library, which it says will make the country more attractive to investors by allowing private industry to safely and securely unlock the value of public data. Finally, a new AI Energy Council will work with energy companies to meet the power demands of the AI industry in a way thats in line with the governments clean energy strategy.Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people, Starmer said. But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that wont sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by.Over the next 10 years, Starmers government estimates that its strategy could generate as much as 47 billion ($57 billion) in annual economic growth. The announcement comes after the UK economy failed to grow in the third quarter of last year. From that perspective, making the country more attractive to outside investment isnt the worst idea especially with companies like Microsoft planning to spend $80 billion on new data centers this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/uk-to-fast-track-data-center-approvals-as-part-of-ai-action-plan-163753744.html?src=rss

These pillars for practical GenAI implementation can help businesses simplify this complex technology.

A U.K. government minister told CNBC it's important for the U.K. to "do our own thing" when it comes to regulating powerful artificial intelligence models.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) takes fans on an exclusive journey into the haunting world of Alien: Romulus. From the terrifying Xenomorphs and sinister Facehuggers to meticulously crafted spacecraft and atmospheric environments, ILMs mastery in visual effects is on full display.This special breakdown will feature the seamless blend of practical effects and cutting-edge CGI that brings the eerie, immersive universe of Alien: Romulus to life. With ILMs attention to detail and technological prowess, every scene captures the spine-chilling essence of Ridley Scotts iconic franchise and pushes the boundaries of sci-fi storytelling. Prepare to experience the terror like never before!The post Behind the Magic: The Visual Effects of Alien: Romulus appeared first on Vfxexpress.

TikToks future in the United States now lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, and the odds dont look good for the app.The ban is officially slated for January 19, 2025, when the app could vanish from app stores, leaving new users unable to download it. What happens beyond that remains uncertain, but the possibility of a TikTok-free future feels increasingly real. With the clock ticking, many users are now scrambling to save their content before its potentially too late.Unfortunately, TikTok doesnt offer a way to download all your videos in one go, making the process especially tedious for users with hundreds or even thousands of posts. The platform does, however, allow users to save their videos one at a time. If using TikTok on a desktop, videos created by a logged-in account or with privacy settings permitting downloads can be saved as .mp4 files by right-clicking on the video and selecting Download Video. If this option isnt available, its likely the creator has disabled third-party downloads.Mobile users can also tap the Share button in the bottom-right corner of a video, then select Save Video. From there, they can choose to save the file locally, email it as an attachment, or upload it to cloud storage like Google Drive. While time-consuming, these methods ensure content is backed up ahead of a potential ban.Third-party tools are also stepping up with solutions. Repurpose.io allows users to download their entire video library straight to Google Drive, no manual effort required, as well as repurpose selected content across multiple platforms. Another option, myfaveTT is a Chrome extension that exports all liked and favorited TikTok videos as .mp4 files. As an extra step, it also organizes them into folders that match how you saved them in the app.Triller, once a TikTok rival, is also hoping to capitalize on the potential TikTok ban in the U.S. The company has now launched a website, SaveMyTikToks.com, which promises to back up all your TikTok videos by uploading them to Triller. The process involves linking your TikTok account, granting Triller access to your videos, and creating a Triller account. Once done, theyll email you with further steps to transfer your content.While its unclear exactly how a ban would play out for the TikToks 170 million U.S. users, it likely wouldnt vanish overnight. Still, nows the time to prep for life post-TikTokjust in case.

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MacworldWant to get into IT or cybersecurity? The field may be competitive, but it doesnt always take a 4-year degree to land an interview. Instead, you could train for a professional certification like those offered by CompTIA. The tests are tough, but an affordable way to study is by checking out the Complete 2025 CompTIA Certification Training Super Bundle, and its only $49.99 (reg. $493).CompTIA has certifications spanning a range of skills, and this bundle covers a ton of them. Beginners can start with IT fundamentals before moving onto prep courses geared toward specific certification exams. The Core courses help you prep for the A+ general certifications, but you can also study project management, Linux, cloud computing, penetration testing, CASP, and a whole lot more.There are 17 courses in total, spanning over 300 hours of material. Its a lot to study, but theres no time limit. All course material is yours for life.Ready to get started?Get the Complete 2025 CompTIA Certification Training Super Bundle while its on sale $49.99.The Complete 2025 CompTIA Certification Training Super Bundle by IDUNOVA $49.99See DealStackSocial prices subject to change.

Ahead of its annual shareholders meeting, Apple has asked investors to vote against a proposal that the company should abandon its diversity hiring practices.Apple ParkApple's 2025 shareholders' meeting is on February 25, and as ever will be a mix of regular business and accounting issues, plus proposals by the various shareholders. These proposals have proved controversial before, even Apple usually gets the votes it wants, but this time a topic will be DEI.As firms including Meta scale back or abandon their Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring, Apple says that it wants to continue. According to BBC News, shareholders in the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) say that DEI policies expose firms to "litigation, reputational and financial risks." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Former CD Projekt RED veterans Rebel Wolves debut titleThe Blood of Dawnwalkerhas been in the works for some time now, and as announced last month, the AAA open world action RPG has now been fully unveiled. The studio and publisher Bandai Namco have premiered a lengthy cinematic trailer that showcases the games dark fantasy setting. You can view it below.The trailer is set in the Carpathian Mountains in the 14th century, and reveals the protagonist, a young man named Coen who is turned into a Dawnwalker, and must embark on a quest to save those he loves. As the games name indicates, vampires will be central inThe Blood of Dawnwalker, with players also having access to a drove of vampiric abilities.The Blood of Dawnwalkers debut trailer shows in-engine cinematic footage, while its final seconds also showcase a few glimpses of pre-alpha gameplay footage, offering brief looks at how the game is leveraging Unreal Engine 5. A full gameplay reveal is set for sometime this Summer.The Blood of Dawnwalkeris in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. A release date or window have yet to be announced.