Latest news with #SXSWLondon
New Statesman
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
Inside the race to succeed Sadiq Khan
Photo byfor SXSW London. Only a year has passed since Sadiq Khan won a record third term as Mayor of London. That victory – which plenty doubted – is one he can still relish ('it's looking good for Susan Hall' has become a familiar election meme). This week has seen Khan confirm plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street after a public consultation found what he called 'North Korean' levels of support. But what of his future? When I last interviewed the mayor I was struck by his caution on the question of standing for a fourth term. 'Let's wait and see,' he said, abandoning any hint of braggadocio (Khan has often quipped that he intends to serve six terms). This remains City Hall's official line. 'Sadiq hasn't decided yet if he's standing again at the next mayoral election,' a spokesman told me. 'This is the same as the last election cycle when he didn't announce his decision until much later in the mayoral term.' But friends of Khan tell me that he has privately indicated that he does not expect to stand for a fourth term. Some attribute this to the strain of being the most heavily guarded person in the country after the King and the Prime Minister. 'Hand on heart, had I known when I first began this journey what it involved for my family, I can't unequivocally say I would have done this,' Khan reflected last year. And while there might not be a vacancy there is always a contest. Dawn Butler, a close friend of Khan's (the pair bonded as new MPs in 2005), has already announced her intention to stand when the mayor steps down. In Labour circles the other candidates typically discussed include Rosena Allin-Khan (who represents Khan's former seat of Tooting), Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy and Vauxhall and Camberwell MP Florence Eshalomi. For the first time, this unspoken contest has now been polled. A survey by Survation for LabourList gave Allin-Khan a net favourability rating of +18 among London party members, with Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould in second on +14 and Eshalomi in third on +13. The poll, a former City Hall strategist suggests, proves that 'there's no appetite in London for some kind of celebrity candidacy' and that 'attempts to try to make that happen will fail'. James Corden, who has expressed interest in the mayoralty, languishes on -62 (Idris Elba, who joined Keir Starmer at a knife crime summit last year, is on a more credible +6). Perhaps the clearest trend is a preference for relative newcomers. Creasy, who entered parliament in 2010 and stood for the deputy leadership in 2015, is on -7 and Butler is on -3. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Allin-Khan's status reflects an enduring base in the party (she finished second to Angela Rayner in the last deputy leadership contest). Though not from Labour's left, as some have suggested, she has nurtured a reputation for independent-mindedness – typically a premium in London contests. 'Having a candidate that can credibly distance themselves from the government when necessary is absolutely critical,' a former Khan aide told me. 'That's how Boris [Johnson] survived in 2012 and Ken [Livingstone] won in 2004.' After a sometimes fraught relationship with Starmer's office, Allin-Khan resigned as shadow mental health minister in 2023, stating that the leader did 'not see a space for a mental health portfolio in a Labour cabinet'. 'Rosena is focused on delivering for the residents of Tooting as well as continuing to work shifts as an A&E doctor,' a spokesperson told me when I asked about Allin-Khan's intentions. 'We have a fantastic Labour Mayor of London in Sadiq who is delivering for London. Rosena is 100 per cent behind Sadiq in his role and the work he's doing including tackling violent crime, building affordable homes and free school meals.' (A loyal response that rules nothing out.) A potential candidate who many in Labour believe would be more amenable to No 10 is Eshalomi. The former London Assembly member was previously a councillor in Lambeth, crossing over with Morgan McSweeney who served as chief of staff to borough leader Steve Reed (now Environment Secretary), and endorsed Liz Kendall in the 2015 Labour leadership election. As chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government committee, Eshalomi is free to speak out on a defining London brief. Gould, the MP for Queen's Park and Maida Vale, has similarly deep roots in the capital: she served as leader of Camden council from 2017-24, where she pioneered 'mission-led government', and chaired the London Councils association. That both her and Eshalomi enjoy organic support – neither has publicly expressed interest in the mayoralty – shows their potential. Should Khan stand down as anticipated, Labour's next candidate will face a new challenge: incumbency. The party's support in London has fallen by 13 points since the last election (to 30 per cent) and Khan, a long-standing Starmer ally, offered unusually blunt criticism of the government after the Spending Review accepted none of his major transport demands (such as Docklands Light Railway and Bakerloo line extensions). 'I think she has made a colossal mistake in pitting London against the rest of the country,' Khan declared of Rachel Reeves. The mayor has privately warned that Labour could one day lose London just as it lost the 'Red Wall' and Scotland – former fiefdoms where voters came to feel taken for granted. Recalling how the Liberal Democrats made gains against New Labour in urban centres in 2005, some fear the potential of an 'eco-populist' Green Party. Should Khan depart undefeated in 2028, his task in the years ahead will be to provide his successor with a legacy they can champion. [See also: Labour is heading for war over welfare cuts] Related
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
After Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Google AI CEO Demis Hassabis too disagrees with Anthropic CEO's AI job warning
After Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang 's recent dismissal of apocalyptic job-loss predictions, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has also dismissed the pessimistic predictions made by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei . Recently, Amodei warned of significant white-collar job displacement, Hassabis and Huang present a more optimistic point of view. Speaking at the SXSW London festival, Hassabis stated that AI will disrupt traditional roles but also emphasised that it will also create valuable and new jobs, particularly for those with STEM skills and technical fluency. Hassabis has asked the students and professionals to embrace AI tools and also build foundational knowledge in math, physics, and computer science, calling them essential for navigating the AI-driven future. AI job warning: What Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said about Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that artificial intelligence could eliminate 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years, potentially driving US unemployment to 20%. The stark prediction comes as AI technology rapidly advances, with sectors including technology, finance, law, and consulting facing the greatest disruption. "We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming," Amodei told Axios in an interview published Wednesday. The 42-year-old CEO emphasized that most people remain unaware of the impending transformation, calling it a reality that "sounds crazy, and people just don't believe it." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Co-Founder of Google Brain, Andrew Ng, Recommends: "These 5 Books Will Turn Your Life Around" Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says Anthropic CEO is very wrong Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expressed sharp disagreement with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's predictions about AI-driven job automation during a press briefing at VivaTech in Paris. Huang specifically challenged Amodei's recent claim that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years, dismissing the notion as overly alarmist. 'I pretty much disagree with almost everything [Amodei] says,' Huang stated, critiquing three key points he attributed to Amodei: that AI is so dangerous only a select few should develop it, that it's too costly for widespread development, and that its power will lead to massive job losses. 'If you want things to be done safely and responsibly, you do it in the open … Don't do it in a dark room and tell me it's safe,' Huang added, advocating for transparent and collaborative AI development. Google AI CEO Demis Hassabis said about AI job warning Google AI CEO Demis Hassabis has also expressed less concern about widespread job displacement due to AI. While acknowledging that AI will inevitably transform roles and that humanity is undergoing a shift even greater than the Industrial Revolution, Hassabis remains optimistic about human adaptability. He believes AI will lead to the emergence of "new very valuable jobs," particularly benefiting "technically savvy people who are at the forefront of using these technologies." Hassabis's primary concern regarding AI lies not in job loss, but in its potential misuse by malicious actors. He stresses the urgent need for global regulation and an international framework to govern AI, likening it to a "digital Geneva Convention," to prevent powerful AI systems from falling into the wrong hands. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
News18
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus Says AI Is ‘Great' For Ideation, But It's ‘Bad At Lyrics'
Last Updated: ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus said, 'A misconception is that AI can write a whole song. It's lousy at that — very bad. And thank God!' At a time when the world is concerned about the dominance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Swedish pop band ABBA's musician Bjorn Ulvaeus isn't too bothered by it. During a panel discussion at SXSW London titled 'The Future of Entertainment", the 80-year-old singer-songwriter shared that he used AI, which helped him in partially composing a musical. Bjorn said, 'It is such a great tool," as quoted by the Hollywood Reporter. The musician shared that it is unthinkable that a machine or software can help people by giving them ideas about a topic, which can 'go in various different directions." While Bjorn did not share many details about the music on which he took help from AI, he did reveal that the song is three-quarters done, and AI acted as 'another songwriter in the room," noting that it did not write the whole song. 'A misconception is that AI can write a whole song. It's lousy at that — very bad. And thank God! It's very bad at lyrics as well. But it can give you ideas," the ABBA member said. He further explained his statement, highlighting that if someone is stuck after writing a lyric or anything else and doesn't know which direction to go about, then AI comes in handy in such cases. He mentioned, 'You can prompt the lyric and the style you want, asking, 'Where would you go from here?' And it usually comes up with garbage, but sometimes there is something in it that gives you another idea. That's how it works." Further in the conversation, the artist even cracked a joke, saying that AI won't be able to write an ABBA song. 'It says, 'No, we can't do that,'" Bjorn said before playfully adding that AI is 'quicker and does exactly what you tell it," unlike his ABBA co-write,r Benny Andersson. While Bjorn Ulvaeus is not concerned about AI and has used it in his music, not everyone in the industry is of the same opinion as his. Back in April 2024, 200 artists, including Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Imagine Dragons, Jonas Brothers, and Zayn Malik, were among the artists who signed an open letter criticising 'AI-music generation technology". A part of their petition read, 'We, the undersigned members of the artist and songwriting communities, call on AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to cease the use of artificial intelligence to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists." First Published:
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SXSW London: Man hoping to bring dodo and mammoth back to life teases Jurassic Park collaboration
The man working on bringing the dodo and woolly mammoth back to Earth has hinted at the SXSW London event at a collaboration between his bioscience lab Colossal and the Jurassic Park films. The entrepreneur Ben Lamm, founder of Colossal Biosciences, has long been asked about the parallels between his work and the films of Jurassic Park, but has insisted returning the dinosaurs to Earth isn't possible at present due to the lack of available DNA. Dodos and mammoths died out more recently and DNA is available from fossils. Speaking at the SXSW London event in Shoreditch, Lamm teased a future partnership. During a panel discussion with the actor Sophie Turner, Lamm said he was 'very excited about Jurassic Park, and maybe there's future things coming. Not in the dinosaur world, but with those guys.' Lamm has always insisted his 198 employees at Colossal Biosciences are nothing like the fictitious world of Jurassic Park. Speaking to The Guardian earlier this year when asked about the comparison, he said: 'People have to remember that that was a movie, right?' Jurassic World Rebirth, the sixth film in the franchise, arrives in UK cinemas on 2 July. Colossal Biosciences has used genetic engineering processes to bring back to life the dire wolf, an extinct species that lived around 10,000 years ago. The three dire wolves are in a private 2,000-acre ecological preserve somewhere in the US, although the location has not been revealed. They are named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi, inspired by the TV series Game of Thrones. Also at the SXSW London event, Lamm revealed he hoped to share further news about Colossal's journey to returning the Dodo to Earth this summer. SXSW London features panels and events with entrepreneurs, film-makers, musicians and thought leaders and runs in Shoreditch until 7 June. Mayor Sadiq Khan opened the event, which originated in Texas in 1987, by pitching London as an international AI hub. Read more:
See - Sada Elbalad
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Zawe Ashton Refers to Tom Hiddleston as Her Husband in Second Pregnancy Reveal
Yara Sameh Zawe Ashton has revealed more than one surprise when she announced her second pregnancy over the weekend. Just after walking the red carpet at the closing of SXSW London on Saturday, June 7, the actress, 40, shared the news with Vogue that she and Tom Hiddleston are expecting a second child together. The outlet referred to Hiddleston,44, as her husband in the pregnancy announcement, seeming to confirm that they are married. Ashton joined Hiddleston at the festival for the premiere of his new movie, "The Life of Chuck". The pair held hands as they posed for photos on the carpet, and Ashton showcased her baby bump in an Emilia Wickstead sky-blue silk crepe gown detailed with ruffles and topped with a matching cape. Ashton and Hiddleston first met while co-starring in a 2019 revival of Harold Pinter's play "Betrayal in London," followed by a run on Broadway in New York City, and got engaged in March 2022. At the time, a source close to the production of the play said that Ashton and Hiddleston always had "lovely" chemistry together while working on the project. "They were very private publicly, but behind the scenes, you could just see a lovely chemistry," the source recalled. "There were twinkles in both of their eyes." After more than two years of dating, the couple seemingly confirmed their romance in September 2021 when they attended the Tony Awards together, marking their first public outing as a couple. They first sparked engagement rumors in March 2022 after the BAFTAs, when Ashton was spotted wearing a diamond ring on that finger in a photo shared on Instagram by AJ Odudu. PEOPLE confirmed the engagement shortly. In June of that same year, Ashton revealed that she was pregnant and expecting her first baby with Hiddleston. Similar to her latest pregnancy announcement, the actress made the big reveal on the red carpet while attending a New York City screening of her film "Mr. Malcolm's List". Months later, in October, the baby had arrived. 'Tom and Zawe are loving being new parents and are filled with joy,' a source told Us Weekly at the time. Though the pair has kept their relationship under wraps, Hiddleston gave Ashton a sweet shout-out on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in November 2023. While chatting about the second season of his Marvel series "Loki", he took a moment to gush about Ashton's recent role in another MCU project, "The Marvels". 'My other half is in The Marvels, and I'm very proud of her," he said. "So there you go. That's out this weekend." read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
