标签： North America

北美洲

Trump endorses Paxton in Texas, gambling on a challenger with baggage in a crucial race

With just one week remaining until Texas’ critical Republican Senate primary runoff, former President Donald Trump has thrown his full weight behind state Attorney General Ken Paxton, launching a direct challenge to three-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn, a longstanding fixture of the Republican Party establishment.

The endorsement marks the latest chapter in Trump’s ongoing effort to purge the GOP of lawmakers who do not align unwaveringly with his political movement. While Paxton has been one of Trump’s most loyal allies throughout his political career, he also carries a decades-long trail of ethical controversies and legal battles that have made him a deeply polarizing figure even within his own party.

As the state’s top law enforcement officer, Paxton famously threw his weight behind Trump’s failed 2020 bid to overturn the presidential election results. More recently, he traveled to New York City to rally in support of Trump during the former president’s 2024 hush-money criminal trial, which ended in a conviction on all counts. Like Trump, Paxton has built a political brand as a scandal survivor: he faces a lingering reputation for ethical misconduct, having settled a high-profile federal corruption indictment in 2024 without admitting any wrongdoing, survived a 2023 impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives over allegations of fraud and obstruction of justice, and was recently caught up in a public divorce after his wife filed for separation amid revelations of multiple extramarital affairs.

“I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a winner!” Trump shared in a post on his Truth Social platform. “John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.” His endorsement hinges on resentment over Cornyn’s delayed endorsement of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid: the incumbent waited until January 2024, more than a year after Trump entered the race, to publicly back his candidacy.

Cornyn, who has served in Senate Republican leadership from 2012 to 2024 and boasts a voting record that aligns with Trump’s agenda more than 99% of the time, pushed back against the attack in a post on X. “It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about,” he wrote.

During the campaign, Paxton has attacked Cornyn for his past votes in favor of expanded gun safety regulations and accused him of failing to take aggressive enough action to enforce immigration controls along the U.S.-Mexico border. Cornyn’s campaign has in turn centered its messaging on Paxton’s long list of legal and personal scandals, framing him as too toxic to win the general election in November.

This endorsement is not an isolated incident: it fits into a broader pattern of Trump backing primary challengers against incumbent Republican senators who have broken with him. Just days before, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump during his 2021 second impeachment trial, lost his renomination bid to a Trump-endorsed challenger. On the same day Trump announced his Paxton endorsement, voters in Kentucky were heading to the polls to choose between incumbent Congressman Thomas Massie – who irked Trump by opposing key parts of his legislative agenda – and a challenger personally recruited by the former president.

Cornyn’s candidacy has drawn broad support from sitting Senate Republicans, who have served alongside the Texan for decades and view him as a reliable ally. The endorsement of Paxton has sparked widespread dismay among the Senate GOP caucus, with multiple high-profile senators openly criticizing the choice. Maine Senator Susan Collins labeled Paxton “ethically challenged,” while Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said she was “supremely disappointed” by Trump’s decision.

For Democratic operatives across the country, the prospect of a Paxton nomination is widely viewed as a rare opportunity to flip a longtime Republican Senate seat in Texas. It has been 32 years since a Democratic candidate won a statewide election in the deep-red state, but former Congressman Beto O’Rourke came within just 215,000 votes of unseating Senator Ted Cruz in 2018, and polling ahead of the 2026 general election already points to a competitive race. Democrat James Talarico, a state legislator who secured his party’s nomination outright earlier this spring, is already positioned to face the runoff winner. While Trump carried Texas by 14 percentage points in 2024, public polling suggests the general election will be a tight contest regardless of which Republican advances.

Early voting is already underway across Texas, and polling has consistently shown the runoff race is a dead heat. In the initial March primary, Cornyn finished a fraction of a percentage point ahead of Paxton, but fell just short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff, despite outspending his challenger by more than $65 million. Political analysts now widely believe that Trump’s late endorsement could deliver a decisive blow to Cornyn’s chances of holding onto his seat, reshaping the balance of power in the U.S. Senate ahead of the 2026 general election.

19 5 月, 2026
What we know about the San Diego mosque attack suspects

On a violent Monday that shattered the peace of a Southern California Muslim community, a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego left five people dead, including the two young suspects who died from self-inflicted wounds after the attack. Law enforcement officials have launched a full investigation into the assault, which they are treating as a likely hate crime rooted in targeted extremism, even as the full scope of the perpetrators’ planning and ideology remains under review.

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl has laid out a clear timeline of the tragedy that unfolded on the day of the attack. Roughly two hours before the first shots were fired at the mosque, at approximately 9:40 a.m. local time, the mother of one of the suspects contacted authorities to make an urgent report. She told police that her 17-year-old son had fled her home, stealing her firearms and her car, and warned that he was potentially suicidal and was accompanied by a friend. She also noted that he was wearing full camouflage clothing, a detail that could have allowed officers to locate the pair earlier if resources had been deployed immediately.

Just over two hours after that initial warning, at 11:43 a.m., local emergency dispatch received the first report of an active shooter at the mosque. Responding officers arrived on the scene within four minutes, a fast response that still came too late for three men who were already fatally shot outside the building. As first responders activated active shooter protocols to secure the area, they received a second report of shots fired from a vehicle nearby: the suspects had opened fire on a local landscaper, who escaped the attack without injury.

Less than a quarter of a mile from the mosque, officers located the suspects’ vehicle and found both young attackers — the 17-year-old and his 18-year-old accomplice — dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Authorities have not officially released the suspects’ identities to the public, though multiple major U.S. media outlets have published their names unofficially.

The three victims of the attack, all regular community members tied to the mosque, have been formally identified by representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Diego (CAIR-SD). The first victim, Amin Abdullah, was a veteran security guard at the mosque and a father of eight children who had served the community for more than a decade. Chief Wahl confirmed that Abdullah’s quick, brave intervention stopped the attack from escalating into an even deadlier massacre, saying “It’s fair to say [Abdullah’s] actions were heroic. Undoubtedly, he saved lives today.”

CAIR-SD spokesperson Tazheen Nizam paid tribute to Abdullah, describing him as a beloved, constant presence at the mosque who greeted every visitor and child with a warm smile. “Amin was loved by everybody, he stood there day after day, always smiling, welcoming everybody, welcoming the kids who came to the school,” Nizam told the BBC. “He was a shining light. He is a true hero, a martyr.”

The two other victims were also deeply embedded in the mosque community. Nader Awad raised his children at the center, and his wife works as a teacher at the mosque’s on-site school. The third victim, Mansour Kaziha, supported the community by maintaining the mosque’s grounds and working in its on-site convenience store.

Investigators have uncovered early evidence pointing to the attack being ideologically motivated by hate. Multiple law enforcement sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to CNN, confirmed that hate speech was found scrawled on one of the weapons used in the attack. A suicide note left by the suspects also contained writings promoting racial supremacy, the outlet reported. Chief Wahl confirmed that investigators have identified hate rhetoric as a core component of the attackers’ motivation, cementing the decision to open a hate crime investigation.

19 5 月, 2026
Three Canadian off-duty officers arrested in Spain over ‘serious’ allegations

A high-profile incident involving three Canadian law enforcement officers has sparked scrutiny after the group was criminally charged during a personal vacation in Barcelona, Spain, Toronto Police Service has confirmed. In an official emailed statement to the BBC, Toronto police acknowledged that the accusations against the trio are severe in nature. One of the three officers has already returned to Canada and has been placed on administrative suspension immediately pending the outcome of the legal process. The remaining two officers are set to return to Canada in the coming days, and will also be suspended as soon as they re-enter the country, according to department officials.

Toronto Police have declined to release the identities of the three officers, noting that no further comment will be provided while the cases work through the Spanish judicial system. Initial reporting from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), citing sources within Spanish law enforcement, indicates the charges center on acts of violence. The BBC has reached out to local Spanish authorities to request additional context and comment on the case, but has not yet received a response.

Beyond confirming the officers’ employment with Toronto Police and that the trip was strictly personal leisure travel with no official law enforcement mandate, the department has released few additional details. More specific reporting from CBC outlines the individual charges: two of the three officers face counts of sexual assault and assault that resulted in bodily injury, while the third officer is charged with assaulting a public authority agent. The alleged incident is reported to have taken place inside a Barcelona taxi and involved a sex worker, according to Canadian media accounts.

Spanish law enforcement took two of the officers into custody on May 13, Canadian media sources confirm. The third officer was arrested days later following a police chase in the coastal resort city of Palma de Mallorca, located on the Balearic Islands off Spain’s eastern coast. All three officers made their initial court appearance in Spain on May 15.

19 5 月, 2026
‘Not a big fan’ – Top Senate Republican breaks with Trump on $1.8bn compensation fund

A high-stakes political rift has emerged within the Republican Party, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune has become the most prominent member of former President Donald Trump’s own party to publicly oppose the newly unveiled $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a initiative created to compensate people the Trump administration claims were unfairly targeted by prior U.S. presidential administrations.

Thune’s public criticism marks the most significant intraparty pushback against the plan to date. Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, the top Senate Republican made his stance clear: he is “not a big fan” of the fund and sees no clear justification for its existence. He added that he remains uncertain of the fund’s intended use, and called for a rigorous full vetting process by congressional lawmakers, noting that the widespread backlash following the announcement guarantees the proposal will face intense scrutiny moving forward.

The fund was announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice, as part of a deal that saw Trump drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the 2020s leak of his personal tax returns to national media outlets. Under the terms of the agreement, Trump, his adult sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization — all named plaintiffs in the original suit — will receive a formal apology from the agency, but no direct financial compensation. The $1.776 billion funding amount was intentionally chosen to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ 1776 declaration of independence from Great Britain.

Governance of the fund will fall to a five-member commission, four of which will be directly appointed by the U.S. Attorney General, a structure that has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers across the aisle. Democrats have already decried the initiative as an unaccountable “slush fund” designed to direct taxpayer dollars to Trump’s political allies, including many who faced criminal charges or convictions for their role in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund during a Tuesday congressional hearing, pushing back against Democratic claims of partisan bias. Blanche argued the initiative is explicitly non-partisan, stressing that no groups are barred from filing claims, including Democrats. While he acknowledged the fund structure is unusual, he noted it is not without precedent in U.S. governance.

Democratic lawmakers rejected Blanche’s defense, with senior Washington Senator Patty Murray calling the initiative open, blatant political corruption. “Trump and his cronies cash it. American taxpayers who are already being whacked with high prices are going to foot the bill,” Murray said during the hearing.

The controversy has already sparked personnel upheaval: just hours after the fund was announced on Monday, Brian Morrissey, general counsel for the U.S. Treasury Department, resigned abruptly after just seven months on the job. Morrissey has not publicly shared his reason for stepping down, but a Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed his departure, noting he served the agency with “honour and integrity.”

19 5 月, 2026
Trump: White House ballroom to be ‘drone-proof’ with military complex

In a recent announcement that has drawn widespread attention across U.S. political circles, former President Donald Trump has revealed plans for a major new development connected to the White House: a fully ‘drone-proof’ ballroom that will be integrated into a broader on-site military complex. The project, which Trump has framed as a lasting ‘gift’ to the American people, is designed to address growing security concerns around unmanned aerial systems that have emerged as a persistent threat to high-profile government sites in recent years.

Beyond the hardened, drone-resistant event space, the proposed complex will also include a full-service on-site hospital and dedicated cutting-edge medical research facilities, according to Trump’s remarks. The integration of military and medical infrastructure is intended to enhance the White House’s ability to respond to emergency scenarios, from security incidents to public health crises, that could impact the executive branch leadership.

The announcement comes amid ongoing conversations about the modernization of security infrastructure for the nation’s top government facilities. As drone technology has become more accessible and sophisticated, federal security agencies have repeatedly identified the need for upgraded counter-drone measures to protect the White House compound and other critical sites. Trump’s proposal frames this upgrade as a proactive step that combines ceremonial space with practical national security and public health capabilities, all wrapped into a single development that he says will serve the country for generations.

19 5 月, 2026
Watch: Crews battle blaze as thousands evacuated near Los Angeles

A fast-moving wildfire, dubbed the Sandy Fire, has broken out in Simi Valley, just outside of Los Angeles, triggering mass evacuations and forcing emergency crews into a desperate battle against the advancing flames. As of Tuesday’s latest official updates, the out-of-control blaze has already charred 1,364 acres (roughly 550 hectares) of dry brush and vegetation, with containment efforts falling far short of halting its spread. Regional emergency management authorities confirmed that thousands of local residents have been ordered to leave their homes as a precaution, moving to designated evacuation centers set up by local government agencies to shelter those displaced. Firefighters from across Ventura County and surrounding regions have been deployed to the fire line, working around the clock to establish containment lines and protect residential neighborhoods from the advancing inferno. Unseasonably warm temperatures and dry, gusty winds in the area have created dangerous fire conditions, helping the blaze expand rapidly since it first ignited and complicating suppression efforts. Emergency officials have warned residents to remain alert, advising that evacuation orders could be expanded if the fire continues its uncontrolled spread toward more populated areas near the Los Angeles county line.

19 5 月, 2026
Watch: Can a Republican win an election while at war with Trump?

A high-stakes Republican primary race in Kentucky has emerged as a critical test case for a question roiling the U.S. conservative movement: can a GOP candidate win elected office while openly clashing with former President Donald Trump? At the center of this fight is Thomas Massie, the incumbent congressman who gained national attention earlier this year for spearheading efforts to force the release of previously sealed court documents connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Now, Massie faces a fierce challenge from a political opponent who has secured the full endorsement and active support of Trump, a move that has amplified national attention on this down-ballot contest. The race is being closely watched by political strategists across the ideological spectrum, as it will offer key insights into the depth of Trump’s hold over the modern Republican Party. For years, intra-GOP challengers backed by Trump have ousted incumbent lawmakers who broke with the former president on key issues, from policy to personal loyalty. Massie’s high-profile push to unseal the Epstein files, a move that has put pressure on political figures from both major parties, has made him a test case for whether GOP voters will still back an incumbent who has not aligned fully with Trump’s agenda and political preferences. The outcome of the primary will have ripple effects for future GOP contests, as incumbent lawmakers weigh the political risks of breaking with the party’s dominant figure ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

19 5 月, 2026
Two new California wildfires seen from space

Two massive, entirely uncontained wildfires are tearing across Southern California, with satellite imagery from NASA laying bare the alarming scope of the blazes that have forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes. The first, named the Sandy Fire, sparked early Monday morning near Simi Valley, a city located just northwest of Los Angeles, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Local satellite captures taken shortly after noon on Monday show a thick, towering plume of dark smoke billowing thousands of feet into the atmosphere just south of the city limits. As of Tuesday morning, firefighting operations are in full swing: 750 frontline firefighters are backed by specialized night-flying water-dropping helicopters, which allow crews to target dangerous hotspots even after the sun sets, a critical capability that slows the fire’s spread when ground crews can no longer operate.

Initial investigation into the cause of the Sandy Fire points to a mechanical accident, local law enforcement confirmed. The Simi Valley Police Department received reports that a person operating a tractor struck a rock, creating a spark that ignited dry vegetation and quickly grew into the raging inferno now sprawling across 1,364 acres (550 hectares) of land. As of Tuesday, no portion of the fire has been brought under containment, and data from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) shows active burn hotspots shifted steadily southward overnight into Tuesday.

The mass evacuation order issued for the region covers more than 10,000 homes across Simi Valley and its adjacent communities, with an additional 3,500 homes placed under mandatory evacuation warning that extends into neighboring Los Angeles County. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stressed that city officials do not currently forecast the blaze will reach Los Angeles proper, but warnings were issued as a proactive precaution “out of an abundance of caution.” A spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection noted that unseasonably strong high winds on Monday morning fanned the fire’s rapid spread, though wind speeds dropped significantly later in the day, giving crews a small window of opportunity to gain ground.

In response to the ongoing emergency, the Simi Valley Unified School District canceled all classes across every campus in the district for Tuesday, as multiple schools were being used as emergency evacuation shelters for displaced residents. This outbreak of wildfire comes just 16 months after a devastating series of fast-moving blazes ripped through the Los Angeles area in January 2025, killing roughly 30 people and destroying more than 10,000 structures, a disaster that left a lasting mark on the region’s emergency preparedness frameworks.

A second, far larger wildfire is also burning uncontained dozens of miles off the Southern California coast on Santa Rosa Island, part of the protected Channel Islands National Park. US National Park Service officials confirmed the fire has already charred 14,600 acres (6,000 hectares) of the island, with satellite imagery confirming the blaze has pushed northeast over the weekend and is now spreading deeper into the island’s interior.

First reported to authorities on Friday, the Santa Rosa Island fire remained 0% contained as of Monday evening. At least 70 firefighters alongside trained park rangers have been deployed to battle the remote blaze, working under challenging conditions with limited access to the island’s rugged terrain. In a separate operation linked to the fire, the US Coast Guard confirmed it successfully rescued a 67-year-old man who was stranded along the island’s shoreline, though details on the man’s condition have not yet been released.

Santa Rosa Island is the second-largest of the five Channel Islands located off Southern California’s coast. It is almost entirely uninhabited by permanent human residents, but it hosts one of the most unique and biodiverse ecosystems in the continental United States, home to dozens of rare and endemic plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. Conservation experts are already sounding alarms about the potential long-term impact of the massive burn on the island’s fragile native habitats.

19 5 月, 2026
Father-of-8 security guard hailed as hero in San Diego mosque shooting

A devastating shooting attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego has left three community members dead, including a long-serving security guard hailed as a hero for actions that authorities confirm saved countless lives. In the wake of the Monday violence, investigators have confirmed the attack is being probed as a hate crime, with evidence linking the assailants to harmful hate rhetoric.

The fallen security guard has been identified as Amin Abdullah, an 88-year-old father of eight who had served the San Diego mosque community for more than a decade, according to Tazheen Nizam, spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego (CAIR-SD). Speaking at an official press conference hours after the attack, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl called Abdullah’s actions unequivocally heroic, emphasizing that his quick, brave response prevented an even higher death toll. “Undoubtedly, he saved lives today,” Wahl stated.

Joining Abdullah in the fatal casualties were two other mosque community members, named by CAIR-SD as Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad. The two attackers, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old who have not yet been publicly identified, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds shortly after the shooting, located in a vehicle just a few blocks from the mosque.

The timeline of the tragedy began earlier Monday, when the mother of one of the teenage attackers contacted local police to report her son had run away with a friend and was potentially suicidal. As law enforcement launched a citywide search for the pair, officers discovered the three gunshot victims outside the mosque grounds hours later. Within minutes of that discovery, they located the two deceased suspects nearby.

Friends and community members who knew Abdullah have paid tribute to his lifelong commitment to serving others. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, a family friend, told the Associated Press that Abdullah intentionally took on the security guard role specifically to protect innocent community members. Sam Hamideh, who knew Abdullah through mosque activities, told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that Abdullah’s kindness extended to everyone who crossed his path. “It didn’t matter who walked up… any random person could just walk up and, [Abdullah] would greet them, make sure they are OK,” Hamideh said. “Whether they were homeless off the street looking for something, whether it was a child or elderly.”

Tributes have poured in across social media, with dozens of community members describing Abdullah as “the nicest man you’ll ever meet.” In an official statement released after the attack, the Islamic Center of San Diego honored his sacrifice, saying: “[He was] a courageous man who put himself on the line for the safety of others, who even in his last moments did not stop protecting our community.”

Chief Wahl confirmed that investigators have already uncovered ties to hate rhetoric tied to the attack, confirming the case will move forward as a formal hate crime investigation.

19 5 月, 2026
Zoe Kleinman: Why the AI industry is the real winner of the Musk-Altman trial

For weeks, a high-profile legal battle in Oakland, California, has pulled back the curtain on the cutthroat power struggle unfolding between the most influential men at the peak of the global artificial intelligence industry. When the gavel fell on the case pitting billionaire Elon Musk against OpenAI, the verdict sent a clear message: fierce competition and profit-driven ambition in the fast-growing AI sector are just standard business practice, even as Musk walked away with a technical defeat that leaves his original claims unaddressed.

What many have framed as a watershed moment for the industry does more than resolve one dispute between two former collaborators. It has torn away the carefully cultivated public image of unified collective action that top AI firms have long presented to the public. For years, industry leaders have positioned themselves as collaborative partners working together to advance safe, inclusive AI research for the good of humanity. But this trial has exposed the deep cracks running through that carefully constructed facade.

This is not the first time the veil of unity has been pulled back. Earlier this year, at a global AI summit hosted in New Delhi by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tech leaders were invited on stage to hold hands in a show of collective purpose. Among them were Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, and Dario Amodei, head of rival AI firm Anthropic – one-time colleagues at OpenAI who are now bitter industry competitors. Rather than clasp hands as directed, both men clenched their hands into tight fists to avoid any physical contact, a small but loaded act that laid bare their deep personal and professional animosity.

The same brand of dramatic, ego-fueled tension played out across the California courtroom over the course of the trial. No party emerged from the proceedings looking like a hero: the entire spectacle laid bare the oversized personal ambitions that drive many of the men vying for control and profit in the multibillion-dollar AI sector.

For OpenAI, the verdict comes at a critical moment. The company has burned through hundreds of millions in investor capital in its race to scale its AI products, and has recently brought on Denise Dresser, a veteran executive from workplace communication platform Slack, as its new chief revenue officer to build out sustainable income streams. In a recent meeting, Dresser declined to comment on the trial, but outlined OpenAI’s plan to split future revenue equally between consumer users and enterprise clients. She also highlighted the company’s underdiscussed coding tool Codex, which she described as her internal “chief of staff” for day-to-day work.

Prior to the ruling, economist and author Sebastian Mallaby projected that OpenAI faced a 50% chance of collapsing into bankruptcy by 2027, driven by its massive spending and mounting competitive pressure. Avoiding a multibillion-dollar damage payout to Musk has drastically improved those odds, and clears the way for OpenAI to move forward with its long-rumored initial public offering, which insiders hint could value the company at as much as $1 trillion. Amid widespread market concerns that the AI sector is a overinflated bubble poised to burst, the court outcome has arguably bought the industry vital time to prove its long-term value.

For Musk, the technical loss is unlikely to cause lasting damage. The world’s richest man has a long history of high-stakes courtroom battles, and his well-documented tendency to hold grudges means he will almost certainly continue to attack OpenAI and Altman via his social media platform X. While the two AI titans have been distracted by their legal clash, competing firms have surged ahead. Anthropic has drawn global attention with its latest large language model Claude Mythos, which the company claims has advanced hacking capabilities – a claim dismissed by some as empty hype but hailed by others as a defining turning point for AI capability. Meanwhile Google, whose early AI advances originally prompted Musk, Altman and other founders to launch OpenAI as a competitor, continues to rapidly integrate generative AI across its most popular consumer and enterprise services.

Industry analysts and policy experts say the trial leaves far more questions unanswered than it resolves. “The trial served as a reminder of how much the future of AI still depends on a remarkably small group of powerful tech figures and their personal rivalries,” explained Sarah Kreps, director of the Cornell University Tech Policy Institute. The ruling’s focus on a legal technicality “leaves a lot of questions and debates unresolved,” she added, ranging from how cutting-edge AI systems should be regulated to who gets to capture the massive economic gains the sector is projected to generate. The case also highlighted a wider gap between the small group of people building AI technology and the much larger global population that is now expected to live and work alongside increasingly capable systems, Kreps noted.

Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher argued the spectacle has done lasting damage to public trust in the AI industry. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s *Today* programme, Swisher noted that widespread mistrust of AI, particularly among younger generations, has only been amplified by the trial’s drama. “Right now the brand of AI has just been trashed and this certainly doesn’t help,” she said. “When you look at these testimonies of people who are very petty, there’s a lot of weird drama, obsession with money… the whole thing feels weird and dramatic.”

On balance, the verdict confirms that the global AI sector still holds enormous market value. But it has also definitively exposed the oversized personal egos and cutthroat competition that are driving its fastest growth – a reality that industry leaders have spent years working to hide from public view.

19 5 月, 2026