Is Perplexity’s $34.5bn bid for Google Chrome strictly a power move? August 17, 2025 Artificial intelligence start-up Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited $34.5bn (£25.4bn) all-cash offer for Google’s Chrome browser, in a move that some analysts say is as much about signalling intent as it is about striking a deal. The San Francisco-based company revealed the bid on Tuesday, reported Reuters, claiming it had secured backing from several [...]
Peter Kyle defends UK free speech record after US report attacks Online Safety Act August 14, 2025 Tech secretary Peter Kyle has pushed back against a damning US government report accusing the UK of backsliding on human rights and curbing freedom of expression under Labour. The annual State Department dossier, published on Tuesday, warned that Britain’s human rights record had “worsened during the year” amid “serious restrictions on freedom of expression”, and [...]
Here are five British tech startups to look out for August 14, 2025 A new cohort of Future Fifty tech firms is demonstrating exponential growth and attracting significant investment, reinforcing London’s position as a hub for dynamic scale-ups in this space. These companies are making headlines across diverse sectors, from AI to environmental technology. The talent is emerging from UK universities, but the challenge for these firms is [...]
Rank Group: Grosvenor casino owner posts strong profit as UK gambling reforms boost outlook August 14, 2025 Grosvenor casino owner Rank Group has posted a sharp jump in profit on the back of double-digit growth across its venues and online arm, with fresh government gambling reforms set to boost future earnings. For the year to 30th June 2025, like-for-like net gaming revenue climbed 11 per cent to £795.3m, while underlying operating profit [...]
US giant Anthropic poaches British AI firm founders in OpenAI rivalry August 13, 2025 Anthropic has hired the three cofounders of London-based AI startup HumanLoop, along with most of its engineering and research staff, in its latest move to bolster AI talent in Europe. As Sifted reported on Tuesday, the hires include chief executive Raza Habib, chief tech officer Peter Hayes and chief product officer Jordan Burgess, all of [...]
Facial recognition vans rolled out across England in crime crackdown August 13, 2025 An additional seven police forces in England will be using ten new live facial recognition (LFR) vans to track suspects wanted for serious crimes, including sexual offences, violent assaults, and homicides. The rollout, announced by the Home Office, will see Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and Hampshire police share the vehicles. [...]
Musk threatens Apple with legal action in escalating feud with Altman’s OpenAI August 13, 2025 Elon Musk has threatened to sue Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of unfairly favouring ChatGPT developer OpenAI in its App Store rankings and listings. In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, the Tesla and SpaceX chief claimed Apple was making it “impossible” for any other AI company to reach the number one position [...]
UK workers feel uncomfortable being managed by AI August 12, 2025 Less than a third of UK workers are comfortable being managed by an AI Agent, according to new research shared exclusively with City AM. New research from Workday found that more than three-quarters of UK organisations are moving to implement AI Agents in everyday management functions, with 40 per cent actively rolling out AI agents, 25 [...]
PageGroup profits slide as UK recruitment slowdown bites August 12, 2025 Recruiter PageGroup has posted a sharp drop in first half profits as subdued hiring across the UK and Europe weighed on performance, but the group stuck to its full year targets and pledged to press ahead with cost cuts. The Surrey-headquartered FTSE 250 firm saw operating profit tumble to £2.1m in the six months to [...]
Entain cashes in as BetMGM partnership pays off August 12, 2025 Gambling giant Entain has posted first-half year results ahead of expectations, driven by a strong recovery in its online division and an accelerating performance from its US joint venture, BetMGM. The FTSE 100 operator behind brands like Ladbrokes and Coral reported its total Group Net Gaming Revenue (NGR), including its 50 per cent share of [...]
