They wanted to save us from a dark AI future. Then six people were killed

How a group of Silicon Valley math prodigies, AI researchers and internet burnouts descended into an alleged violent cult

Years before she became the peculiar central thread linking a double homicide in Pennsylvania, the fatal shooting of a federal agent in Vermont and the murder of an elderly landlord in California, a computer programmer bought a sailboat.

The programmer was known to friends, foes and followers as Ziz. She had come to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2016 as part of an influx of young people arriving to study the dangers that artificial intelligence could pose to humanity.

Topics

Chicago Teen Killed Six People Over Nine Months in 2020, Prosecutors Say

The Cook County prosecutor said Antonio Reyes was 16 when he fatally shot the first of six people, targeting “complete strangers” in all but one of the killings.
The New York Times - 6d
How to save the future of federal data

President Trump’s executive orders on diversity, climate, gender and perhaps more to come, could lead to major changes in how future data is collected and published.
The Hill - 6d
Amazon bets savings from automation can help fuel AI spending boom

US tech giant expected to spend as much as $25bn on warehouse automation in broader efficiency drive
Financial Times - Feb. 26
‘I want him to be prepared’: why parents are teaching their gen Alpha kids to use AI

As AI grows increasingly prevalent, some are showing their children tools from ChatGPT to Dall-E to learn and bond. Jules White used to believe his 11-year-old son needed to know how to code to be ...
The Guardian - 4d
Saving Nevada's dark skies - one license plate at a time

Nevada is one of very few places left in the country where there is so little artificial light the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye.
CBS News - 4d
Power struggle: will Brazil’s booming datacentre industry leave ordinary people in the dark?

While millions live with regular blackouts and limited energy, plants are being built to satisfy the global demand for digital storage and processing – piling pressure on an already fragile system ...
The Guardian - 1d
From pills to new uses, here's what Eli Lilly’s top scientist sees as the future of weight loss drugs

Eli Lilly Chief Scientific Officer Dan Skovronsky spoke to CNBC about obesity pills and more on the future of weight loss.
CNBC - Feb. 20
‘Our people were so innovative’: Māori art celebrated in landmark book

Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous history of Māori art showcases creative work across a diverse range of mediums. A new landmark book celebrating Māori art has clocked up a couple of impressive firsts: ...
The Guardian - 5d
DOGE Claims Credit for Killing Contracts That Were Already Dead

Elon Musk’s group claimed credit for canceling procurement agreements that had been completed years earlier, the latest in a string of public errors on its site.
The New York Times - 3d

More in World

At Ukraine’s Trump-Themed Cafe, Patrons Demand a Name Change

At a pizza and coffee joint in Kyiv named for the U.S. president, patrons are having second thoughts about its moniker after President Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine.
The New York Times - 35m
Protests turn violent as Greece's government battles censure motion over deadly train crash

Protesters have launched gasoline bombs and fireworks in clashes with police outside Greece's parliament
ABC News - 58m
Clip of Indonesian oil executive 'demonstrating petrol mixing scheme' bears AI signs

Yahoo News - 59m
As Israel cuts off food and supplies to Gaza, aid groups say they are scrambling

Three days into Israel's Gaza aid freeze, one aid group says a resumption is imperative: "With humanitarian needs sky high, more aid access is required, not less."
CBS News - 1h
Senate Democrats condemn Russia over Ukraine war and dare Republicans to object – live

Democrats introduce resolutions on Senate floor, as Trump veterans affairs chief defends plans to cut 80,000 staff. Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau will speak today, Reuters reports, citing a ...
The Guardian - 1h

They wanted to save us from a dark AI future. Then six people were killed

Topics

Related

Chicago Teen Killed Six People Over Nine Months in 2020, Prosecutors Say

How to save the future of federal data

Amazon bets savings from automation can help fuel AI spending boom

‘I want him to be prepared’: why parents are teaching their gen Alpha kids to use AI

Saving Nevada's dark skies - one license plate at a time

Power struggle: will Brazil’s booming datacentre industry leave ordinary people in the dark?

From pills to new uses, here's what Eli Lilly’s top scientist sees as the future of weight loss drugs

‘Our people were so innovative’: Māori art celebrated in landmark book

DOGE Claims Credit for Killing Contracts That Were Already Dead

More from The Guardian

Macron warns Russian aggression ‘knows no borders’ in televised address

Trump posts fresh ultimatum to Hamas as US enters direct talks with group

Trump temporarily spares carmakers from US tariffs on Canada and Mexico

Canada goose fights off bald eagle in rare, symbolism-laden battle on ice

Harvey Elliott stuns PSG as Liverpool weather storm to snatch dramatic win

More in World

At Ukraine’s Trump-Themed Cafe, Patrons Demand a Name Change

Protests turn violent as Greece's government battles censure motion over deadly train crash

Clip of Indonesian oil executive 'demonstrating petrol mixing scheme' bears AI signs

As Israel cuts off food and supplies to Gaza, aid groups say they are scrambling

Senate Democrats condemn Russia over Ukraine war and dare Republicans to object – live