After Grok, should the UK opt for an Australia-style social media ban? January 13, 2026 When, in December, Australia enacted a nationwide ban of social media platforms for under-16s, critics called it heavy-handed, and easy to bypass. This week, as Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok flooded the social media platform, X, with AI-generated explicit photos of women and girls, some even involving minors, that argument begins to lose its legs. [...]
Games Workshop shares slip despite Warhammer sales surge January 13, 2026 Games Workshop has dished the cash back to its shareholders after a record-breaking half-year performance driven by a surge in global demand for its Warhammer miniatures. The £6bn gaming giant – which entered the FTSE 100 in December 2024 – reported a 10.9 per cent increase in revenue, breaking £332m for the half-year ending 30 [...]
Uber drivers plot exodus as platform swerves ‘taxi tax’ January 13, 2026 Uber is staring down the barrel of a potential driver exodus as members of its fleet threaten to jump ship to rival apps or return to black cabs, following a new year contractual overhaul designed to swerve a huge VAT bill. Documents seen by Morning Wire show a wave of fury in private messaging groups, [...]
OpenAI could face more hurdles for IPO than Anthropic January 12, 2026 As artificial intelligence giants inch towards the public markets, copyright litigation is becoming an increasingly influential factor in how investors assess risk. And with that in mind, Anthropic appears to be starting from a less complicated position than its larger rival, OpenAI. Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence have said the Claude founder faces “significantly less legal [...]
Ofcom investigation launched into Grok AI deepfakes on X January 12, 2026 The media and online safety watchdog has announced an investigation into Elon Musk’s X, to determine whether the platform has done enough to protect Brits from explicit deepfakes generated by its Grok AI. Ofcom pointed to “deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images [...]
AI and defence demand for chips sends IQE shares soaring January 12, 2026 Shares in semiconductor giant IQE surged 25 per cent to 9.18p on Monday morning, after the wafer supplier said it expects its full year results to hit the upper end of its guidance, thanks to a recovery in AI and defence-related demand. The Cardiff-based company now forecasts 2025 revenue of around £97m, and adjusted earnings [...]
Trump official warns UK on ‘Russia-style’ X ban after Grok row January 11, 2026 A key Trump administration official has sent the UK a firm warning following speculation Elon Musk’s X platform may face a ban after a scandal around AI-generated images. Sarah Rogers, under-secretary for public diplomacy at the US State Department, issued a series of messages criticising the UK on the rumoured ban. Rogers said the UK [...]
Musk hits out at ‘fascist’ UK as row over X and its Grok AI escalates January 10, 2026 Elon Musk has accused Keir Starmer’s Government of being “fascist” after ministers stepped up threats to ban social media site X over AI-generated sexualised images. The tech tycoon claimed critics of his X platform “want any excuse for censorship” as he appeared defiant despite the outcry over the use of the Grok artificial intelligence feature [...]
UK job applicants double amid AI-driven squeeze January 9, 2026 Britain’s hiring market has become more competitive than any major economy, Morning Wire understands, as workers and recruiters struggle to adapt to AI in recruitment. Britain’s job market is entering an AI-driven bottleneck, with the number of applicants per open role having more than doubled since Spring 2022, according to data shared by LinkedIn. The [...]
UK threatened with sanctions if Starmer blocks Musk’s X January 9, 2026 The UK has been warned it could face US sanctions if Sir Keir Starmer attempts to block Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, amid mounting concern over its AI tool generating sexualised images of women and children. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican Congresswoman and ally of Donald Trump, said she was drafting legislation that would [...]