Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to tighten regulations on AI chatbots and other online tools, while Chinese tech giant ByteDance is curbing its AI video app Seedance following legal threats, and six companies linked to Sarah Ferguson are being dissolved, according to reports. These developments come as Royal Mail staff report delayed letter deliveries due to parcel prioritization, and the CEO of Lloyds Banking Group addresses concerns over the use of staff data in pay negotiations.
Starmer, the Prime Minister, announced his intention to respond more quickly to close loopholes in laws designed to protect children online, according to BBC Technology. He stated the government would address AI bots, mirroring their response to X, formerly Twitter, after threats over its AI assistant Grok. Government proposals also include requiring tech giants to preserve all data on a child's phone if they die.
Meanwhile, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is curbing its AI video-making tool Seedance after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Disney, as reported by BBC Technology. Disney and other entertainment giants accused the platform of copyright infringement. Videos made using Seedance have proliferated online, sparking alarm from Hollywood studios.
In other business news, six companies linked to Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, are being wound down, according to documents filed with Companies House, as reported by BBC Business. Ferguson is the director of all six businesses, which are due to be struck off the register in ten days unless legal cause is shown. The firms' activities are unclear, though one is related to public relations and another to retail.
Royal Mail is also facing scrutiny. Postal workers told the BBC that letters are sitting undelivered for weeks as parcels are prioritized, according to BBC Business. More than a dozen postal staff from different delivery offices claim rounds are being missed daily. The union representing them describes Royal Mail as "a company in crisis." Hundreds of people have contacted BBC Your Voice to express frustration over delayed mail. Royal Mail responded, stating they want to reassure customers that the vast majority of mail is delivered.
Finally, the chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group, Charlie Nunn, acknowledged concerns over the use of staff data in pay negotiations, according to BBC Business. The bank was criticized for comparing employees' spending habits to the wider public. Nunn said "we have definitely listened" after the revelation had "created some concern."
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