Actors have voted to refuse digital scanning to prevent their likeness being used by artificial intelligence in a pushback against AI in the arts.

Members of the performing arts union Equity were asked if they would refuse to be scanned while on set, a common practice in which actors’ likeness is captured for future use – with 99% voting in favour of the move.

The general secretary, Paul Fleming, said: “Artificial intelligence is a generation-defining challenge. And for the first time in a generation, Equity’s film and TV members have shown that they are willing to take industrial action.

“Ninety per cent of TV and film is made on these agreements. Over three-quarters of artists working on them are union members. This shows that the workforce is willing to significantly disrupt production unless they are respected, and [if] decades of erosion in terms and conditions begins to be reversed.”

The vote was an indicative ballot designed to demonstrate the strength of feeling on the issue, with more than 7,000 members polled on a 75% turnout. However, actors would not be legally protected if they refused to be scanned.

The union said it would write to Pact, the trade body representing the majority of producers and production companies in the UK, to negotiate new minimum standards for pay, as well as terms and conditions for actors working in film and TV.

Equity said it may hold a formal ballot depending on the outcome of the negotiations, which, if backed, would give actors legal protection if they were being pressed to accept digital scanning on set.

The decision comes after months of debate and growing concern about performers’ rights as AI becomes embedded in the creative industries, with high-profile actors urging Equity members to support the push to stop digital scanning.

Adrian Lester, Hugh Bonneville and Harriet Walter have backed the union’s campaign to ensure AI protections for performers are written into union agreements.

Bonneville said actors’ likenesses and voices should not be “exploited for the benefit of others without licence or consent”, while Lester said actors at the start of their careers often found it difficult to push back against body scanning.

In October, Olivia Williams told the Guardian that performers were routinely pressed to have their bodies scanned on set without having a say over how the data was later used.

The Dune star argued that actors should have as much control over data harvested from body scans as they do over nudity scenes. She said some contracts included clauses that appeared to give studios carte blanche over a performer’s likeness “on all platforms now existing or yet to be devised throughout the universe in perpetuity”.

The arrival of the first AI “actor”, Tilly Norwood, further heightened concerns and demands for formal agreements on what is and is not permissible.

In 2023, concerns over AI were at the heart of the Hollywood writers’ strike, with writers and actors warning that unchecked use of the technology could radically reshape the industry and undermine their roles.

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Building anything of value is hard anywhere in the world. In Africa, it is harder.  The Builders’ List recognises people doing it anyway.

Beyond shipping products, Africa’s technology ecosystem constantly navigates unreliable power, fragmented logistics, weak public infrastructure, and regulatory uncertainty—often all at once. Progress is rarely linear, and success is usually hard-won. 

Founders alone do not make the industry. It is sustained by people doing a variety of work, some of it invisible but critical to the industry’s success. To recognise them, TechCabal is launching The Builders’ List: an annual index of the most consequential people shaping Africa’s technology ecosystem in the calendar year. It is a record of who’s building, and what their work reveals about the system they are building within. 

For the inaugural edition, our selected Builders  are grouped across five categories:

• Operators: Those who make systems work at scale.
• Innovators: Those creating new products, models, or technical possibilities.
• Enablers:  The individuals and institutions lowering the cost of building for others.
• Organisers:  Those connecting people, capital, and opportunity.
• Keepers: The stewards of trust, continuity, and institutional memory.

Together, these roles offer a more complete map of how the ecosystem functions.

The Builders’ List is an editorial project led by the TechCabal newsroom, informed by independent reporting and conversations with founders, operators, investors, policymakers, and long-time ecosystem observers across the continent and the diaspora. 

Our selections were based on our assessment of what materially changed within the calendar year, from infrastructure to policy or scale, rather than reputation or momentum alone. Where work is still emerging, progress was evaluated within the realities of the sector, market, and country in which it occurred.

Candidates were assessed comparatively and contextually. Starting from over 600 deeply researched names spanning all 54 African countries, we weighed outcomes against each builder’s operating environment—geography, regulation, capital access, impact and institutional maturity. Context that applies in Lagos doesn’t automatically translate to Kigali or Dakar.

Final decisions were made through editorial review. While external perspectives informed our reporting, the list reflects TechCabal’s independent editorial judgment.

This process, as our first, has been a critical learning curve. It reminded us that Africa’s technology ecosystem is far broader than funding headlines suggest—spanning hardware engineers in Cairo, beekeepers in rural Kenya, ministers rewiring infrastructure, and documentarians building institutional memory.

We learned that in 2025, the builders who matter most are no longer defined by capital raised or growth velocity, but by what they’ve made durable. This list revealed an ecosystem maturing past obsessions with scale and spectacle, toward the quieter work of building things that last—profitable businesses, regulatory frameworks, talent pipelines, and infrastructure others can build on.

The Builders’ List will return in 2026, and the patterns will shift. But the commitment remains: to document not just who is building, but what their work reveals about the system taking shape.

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Apple announced it will allow alternative app stores in Japan and will permit developers to process payments for digital goods and services outside of its own in-app purchase system in iOS. The iPhone maker is not making these changes because it wants to be more open; it’s being forced — in this case, to comply with the country’s Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), which is now going into effect.

With this update, Apple’s App Store revenues are being impacted in another major market due to anticompetition laws and regulations. The company already has to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which previously required the tech giant to allow for alternative app stores and other changes.

In the U.S., Apple has been strong-armed into changing its in-payments system by way of the courts, after a lawsuit from Fortnite maker, Epic Games. Though it was not declared a monopoly, the court decided Apple needed to give developers the right to process payments outside of its system if they chose. (The specifics around that order are still being worked out after an appeal partially reversed an earlier ruling.)

As usual, in its announcement about the changes in Japan, Apple warned that alternative app marketplaces and payments open up “new avenues for malware, fraud, scams, and privacy and security risks.” To mitigate those risks, the company said it worked with Japanese regulators to require an authorization process for app marketplaces (“Notarization”), which it says is designed to protect children specifically from inappropriate content and scams.

The fact that Apple has come up with a process to dial back the risk for alternative app stores indicates there has always been a technical solution at hand to balance the needs for both openness and security.

As in the EU, Apple has come up with a complex fee structure to ensure it doesn’t lose much in the form of App Store revenue, while seemingly complying with the letter of the law.

APPLE

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, of course, was not silent on this matter, saying Fortnite will still not return to iOS in Japan because Apple is charging a 21% fee on third-party in-app purchases.

In a post on X, he wrote, “Apple was required to open up iOS to competing stores today, and instead of doing so honestly, they have launched another travesty of obstruction and lawbreaking in gross disrespect to the government and people of Japan. Apple chose poorly. Again.”

Sadly, Fortnite will not return to iOS in Japan in 2025 as promised. Apple was required to open up iOS to competing stores today, and instead of doing so honestly, they have launched another travesty of obstruction and lawbreaking in gross disrespect to the government and people… pic.twitter.com/7hu5eGMQX6

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) December 18, 2025

He also pointed out the difference between Apple and other game store providers, like Microsoft, by asking, “Can you imagine the gamer and regulator uproar that would ensue if Microsoft required all games from Steam and Epic Games Store to call its commerce surveillance API and report all transactions back to Microsoft?”

“That’s what Apple just announced in Japan,” he added.

Apple noted that developers will need to agree to the latest update to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement, which includes the new options for Japan, by March 17, 2026.

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For a lot of creators, dropping a link on Facebook is almost muscle memory. You post, add the link to your product, affiliate offer, or newsletter, and hope it pulls people off the platform and into your world. That small action might soon come with a price tag.

Meta is testing a change that could limit how many links some users can share on Facebook. According to a screenshot shared by social media strategist Matt Navarra, creators who were part of this test received a notification recently from Meta stating: “Starting December 16, certain Facebook profiles without Meta Verified, including yours, will be limited to sharing links in 2 links in two organic posts per month.”

Image credit: Matt Navarra

Anything more than two links would require a Meta Verified subscription, which starts at $14.99 per month.

On paper, this looks like a simple experiment. In reality, it cuts right to the heart of how many creators use Facebook as a traffic engine. Affiliate marketers, small business owners, coaches, and writers often rely on frequent links to drive sales or leads elsewhere. Limiting those links forces a rethink of how, or even whether, Facebook still works for them.

A Meta spokesperson has framed the test to Engadget as a way to understand “whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links adds additional value for Meta Verified subscribers.”

That explanation fits a broader pattern. Platforms are under pressure to monetise creators more directly, and one of the easiest levers to pull is access. Once free features become gated, especially when they encourage users to leave the app.

This test comes at a very interesting time, as Meta recently released its Transparency report for Q3 2025, which states, “98.1% of the views in the US during Q3 2025 did not include a link to a source outside of Facebook. For the 1.9% of views in posts that did include a link, they typically came from a Page the person followed.” That data suggests links are not central to most people’s Facebook experience, which makes it easier for Meta to treat them as a premium feature rather than a default one.

For creators, the impact could be dire. Fewer links mean fewer chances to test offers, fewer campaign touchpoints, and more pressure to compress everything into one or two posts. It also creates a clear fork in the road: pay for Meta Verified, drastically limit how you use Facebook, or start investing more heavily in platforms where linking is still unrestricted, or better still, build your own community.

This isn’t a Meta-only instinct. In 2023, X removed headlines from news links, arguing that it improved aesthetics while quietly reducing the emphasis on outbound clicks. Across the industry, the signal is consistent. Platforms want users to stay put, scrolling longer, and interacting inside the app, not leaving it.

Whether Meta rolls this test out widely is still uncertain. But even as an experiment, it signals how creators are increasingly viewed: not just as users, but as revenue opportunities. If link limits become normalised, Facebook may shift from being a traffic hub to a gated space where reach and flexibility depend on how much you’re willing to pay.

For creators who built their businesses on free distribution, that would be a fundamental change, and one that forces hard decisions about where their time, content, and money are best spent.

Facebook News is being scrapped as Meta scales back news and political content

According to Meta, the number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. dropped by over 80% in 2023.

Updated

December 18, 2025

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Chris VallanceSenior technology reporter

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One in three adults in the UK are using artificial intelligence (AI) for emotional support or social interaction, according to research published by a government body.

And one in 25 people turned to the tech for support or conversation every day, the AI Security Institute (AISI) said in its first report.

The report is based on two years of testing the abilities of more than 30 unnamed advanced AIs – covering areas critical to security, including cyber skills, chemistry and biology.

The government said AISI’s work would support its future plans by helping companies fix problems “before their AI systems are widely used”.

A survey by AISI of over 2,000 UK adults found people were primarily using chatbots like ChatGPT for emotional support or social interaction, followed by voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa.

Researchers also analysed what happened to an online community of more than two million Reddit users dedicated to discussing AI companions, when the tech failed.

The researchers found when the chatbots went down, people reported self-described “symptoms of withdrawal”, such as feeling anxious or depressed – as well as having disrupted sleep or neglecting their responsibilities.

Doubling cyber skills

As well as the emotional impact of AI use, AISI researchers looked at other risks caused by the tech’s accelerating capabilities.

There is considerable concern about AI enabling cyber attacks, but equally it can be used to help secure systems from hackers.

Its ability to spot and exploit security flaws was in some cases “doubling every eight months”, the report suggests.

And AI systems were also beginning to complete expert-level cyber tasks which would typically require over 10 years of experience.

Researchers also found the tech’s impact in science was also growing rapidly.

In 2025, AI models had “long since exceeded human biology experts with PhDs – with performance in chemistry quickly catching up”.

‘Humans losing control’

From novels such as Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot to modern video games like Horizon: Zero Dawn, sci-fi has long imagined what would happen if AI broke free of human control.

Now, according to the report, the “worst-case scenario” of humans losing control of advanced AI systems is “taken seriously by many experts”.

AI models are increasingly exhibiting some of the capabilities required to self-replicate across the internet, controlled lab tests suggested.

AISI examined whether models could carry out simple versions of tasks needed in the early stages of self-replication – such as “passing know-your customer checks required to access financial services” in order to successfully purchase the computing on which their copies would run.

But the research found to be able to do this in the real world, AI systems would need to complete several such actions in sequence “while remaining undetected”, something its research suggests they currently lack the capacity to do.

Institute experts also looked at the possibility of models “sandbagging” – or strategically hiding their true capabilities from testers.

They found tests showed it was possible, but there was no evidence of this type of subterfuge taking place.

In May, AI firm Anthropic released a controversial report which described how an AI model was capable of seemingly blackmail-like behaviour if it thought its “self-preservation” was threatened.

The threat from rogue AI is, however, a source of profound disagreement among leading researchers – many of whom feel it is exaggerated.

‘Universal jailbreaks’

To mitigate the risk of their systems being used for nefarious purposes, companies deploy numerous safeguards.

But researchers were able to find “universal jailbreaks” – or workarounds – for all the models studied which would allow them to dodge these protections.

However, for some models, the time it took for experts to persuade systems to circumvent safeguards had increased forty-fold in just six months.

The report also found an increase in the use of tools which allowed AI agents to perform “high-stakes tasks” in critical sectors such as finance.

But researchers did not consider AI’s potential to cause unemployment in the short-term by displacing human workers.

The institute also did not examine the environmental impact of the computing resources required by advanced models, arguing that its task was to focus on “societal impacts” that are closely linked to AI’s abilities rather than more “diffuse” economic or environmental effects.

Some argue both are imminent and serious societal threats posed by the tech.

And hours before the AISI report was published, a peer-reviewed study suggested the environmental impact could be greater than previously thought, and argued for more detailed data to be released by big tech.

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A who’s who of the nation’s most powerful politicians and tech tycoons are forcing through a proposal for a massive data center in rural Michigan as locals from across the political spectrum have come out in force against it, with one calling it “uniquely evil”.

Saline Township, Michigan, residents fear the $7bn center would jack up energy bills, pollute groundwater, and destroy the area’s rural character. The 1.4 gigawatt center would consume as much power as Detroit, and would help derail Michigan’s nation-leading transition to renewable energy.

Responding to resident pressure, Saline Township’s board of trustees in September voted down the plans, but the data center’s powerful backers – including Donald Trump, Open AI’s Sam Altman, Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, utility giant DTE Energy, and Stephen Ross, the real-estate billionaire and Trump donor who owns Related Co – fought back.

A fallen sign on the curb near the site of the soon-to-be-built data center.

Related Digital sued, and, vastly outgunned, the township board quickly folded and reversed its decision over strong resident objections. Now the project’s backers are trying to avoid minimal regulatory scrutiny on energy costs and pollution.

The controversy over the data center is representative of the David v Goliath fights playing out across the US, pitting working- and middle-class residents against the interests of billionaires and the political establishment.

“This is part of an experience that America and the world is having around tech billionaires who are seizing power and widening the gap between those have much too much … and the working and middle classes,” said Yousef Rabhi, a former Democratic state legislative leader and clean energy advocate who opposes the plans.

“That’s what these data centers are symbolic of, and they’re the vehicle for is the furtherance of this divide,” Rabhi added.

Yousef Rabhi speaks at a rally held in Saline Township in opposition to the data center. Photograph: Courtesy of Yousef Rabhi

The proposal is part of the broader “Stargate” project composed of five data centers backed by the Trump administration, which granted $500bn in federal subsidies for them. It’s the largest project in Michigan history in terms of investment, and it also received subsidies on taxes that could have gone to roads and schools, among other uses, Rabhi said.

The plan’s supporters say the center would provide essential AI infrastructure, in part for national security, and create a few hundred jobs. Huge sums of money are at stake for the tech and utility companies.

Ross’s Related Digital is the data center’s developer, while OpenAI, which produced ChatGPT, and Oracle will use the center to house its AI infrastructure.

In a statement, Related Digital alleged company the township’s decision violated zoning laws, and the spokesperson stressed the suit was filed jointly with three Saline Township property owners who are selling their property to Related.

“Thankfully, we were able to reach a settlement agreement with the township to allow this project to move forward,” the spokesperson said. They noted Related is also making about $14m in donations to local causes.

Saline Township is a small community of about 4,000 just outside Ann Arbor. The Stargate project is one of around a dozen data center proposals in Michigan over the last year that are strongly opposed at the local level. It’s one of four proposed near Ann Arbor – last week, plans for a second a few miles away in a neighboring town surfaced.

Some municipalities have been successful in derailing plans, while others have lost the fight.

A new data center being built along US Route 12 in Saline Township. Photograph: Sarah Rice/The Guardian

In Saline Township, former US marine Kate Haushalter and her husband are raising five children in a farmhouse next to the data center site. They bought and renovated the once-dilapidated home so they could live in a bucolic area, and Haushalter said she was not about to cede ground even though the township did.

“Maybe because I was in the Marine Corps, but I would rather stay and fight,” Haushalter said. “I’m sure the chances are slim, but it’s worth fighting for, and I don’t want to teach my kids to roll over.”

‘We were dealt the cards we were dealt’

Big tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Open AI, which often own data centers, typically have enough political support at the state and federal levels that inexperienced local leaders who are comparatively poorly resourced are left on their own to defend their town from the centers.

Saline Township supervisor Jim Marion conveyed that challenge when he told angry residents during a contentious November discussion that the township’s “hands were tied”.

“This township doesn’t have the money to fight these big companies. You got to understand that,” Marion told the crowd. “We were dealt the cards we were dealt.”

A sign warns of ‘construction ahead’ on US Route 12. Photograph: Sarah Rice/The Guardian

Some municipalities have utilized zoning laws to block the centers. Beyond that, there’s little local officials can do, and state and federal level regulations on the centers are virtually non-existent.

Still, residents are growing more organized. A first protest on 1 December drew about 200 people, who Rabhi described as “truly a cross-section of American society”. The next week, 800 people participated in a state-level public input session, and organizers are pressuring state environmental regulators to hold up the project’s required wetland permits.

Among residents leading the pushback is Josh LeBaron, whose home sits about 500 yards from the site, where crews have broken down.

He characterized the project as “uniquely evil” because of the environmental risks, and because, he and others allege, the companies and government have been secretive about their plans. In response to questions about accusations of nimby-ism leveled against local residents by the project’s supporters, LeBaron said he would not be opposed to other developments.

A sign protesting against the new data center in Saline Township. Photograph: Sarah Rice/The Guardian

He noted that Michigan is full of former industrial sites that would be more appropriate for the 575-acre property.

“I would be at home reading a book if it were a subdivision,” LeBaron said.

A Related spokesperson told the Guardian the company “explored sites across Michigan before deciding on this site, which is ideal as it’s a contiguous flat area”, and is set close to a major road and transmission lines.

Higher bills and the end of Michigan’s climate laws

Local opponents’ best hope for holding up the project lies in the arcane utility regulatory process on the massive amount of power the data center would require.

DTE Energy claims the data center’s power demands and need for expensive new infrastructure will not increase residential electricity prices.

But it doesn’t want to show its math.

DTE filed a petition with the Michigan Public Services Commission (MPSC), the state agency that regulates utilities, asking the MPSC to fast-track the plan’s approval. DTE’s request for an “ex parte” case requires limited scrutiny of its claim that the center won’t destroy the climate laws, or increase electricity bills.

In response, Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel and consumer advocacy groups filed a legal petition with the MPSC, calling for a “contested case” that would require much closer regulatory review of DTE’s claims.

The MPSC is helmed by Whitmer appointees, and the governor has strongly backed the project, raising suspicions among opponents that the agency will approve the ex parte request.

Studies from across the country have shown data centers often increase rates, and DTE and regulators “cannot claim transparency while shutting the public out of the only process that requires DTE to support its claims with actual evidence”, said Bryan Smigielski, Michigan campaign organizer for the Sierra Club, which is intervening in the regulatory battle.

In a statement, a DTE spokesperson said: “To be clear, these data center customer contracts will NOT create a cost increase for our existing customers.”

Saline Township is a small community of about 4,000 just outside Ann Arbor. Photograph: Sarah Rice/The Guardian

DTE has said the project won’t derail Michigan’s transition to clean energy, but state data and DTE’s plans suggest otherwise.

Michigan, in late 2023, passed nation-leading climate laws that require utilities to transition to renewable energy by 2040. But the law included an “off-ramp” that allows utilities to continue running or building fossil fuel plants if renewable sources cannot handle the energy grid’s load.

At its peak, DTE’s grid already demands about 9.5 gigawatts of power, while the grid’s capacity is 11gw.

In July, DTE told investors it is in negotiations with big tech companies to provide 7gw of power for several proposed data centers.

The Saline center’s 1.4gw may not cause an exceedance of the 11gw threshold, especially because DTE is planning to build battery storage. But the Saline center along with any of the other proposed centers likely would trigger the off-ramp.

DTE appears to be planning for that likelihood: DTE Energy executives said the company would likely need to build new gas plants to accommodate the data centers’ demand.

Saline Township ‘will never be the same’

Haushalter’s kids were born in the renovated farmhouse and are homeschooled there.

She and her husband try to teach the kids to respect nature. The family manages beehives, watches the geese and plant trees for wood to use in their wood-burning stove. At night, they take the kids outdoors for bonfires to look at the stars. “We’re not a big screen family,” Haushlater said.

Kate Haushalter photographed in her family’s home. Photograph: Sarah Rice/The Guardian

The noise, light and air pollution is already disrupting the life the family built over 13 years. The center, if it is fully built, would fully destroy it, Haushalter said.

“We are really passionate about nature and teaching our kids about it and I can’t believe the biggest construction project in Michigan is landing literally in my backyard, and there’s no recourse for the little guy,” she said. “It’s going to crush us.”

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As retailers hype what they claim are the hottest Christmas toys of 2025, I turned to a far more honest expert: my three-year-old daughter.

My daughter, Amelia, tested each toy the way only a toddler can, without instructions, without expectations and with zero interest in whether it was supposed to be popular.

I, however, scoured lists of must-have toys for this holiday season, meticulously reading reviews and watching product videos to see which ones were expected to top wish lists.

While the toys had to be fun and colorful, they also had to spark imagination. 

Studies show that simple, open-ended, imagination-driven toys like blocks, dolls, and pretend-play sets boost children’s brains by improving memory, self-control, spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and language skills. 

They also enhance social-emotional growth, support neural development, activate areas linked to empathy more than screen time, and lay the foundation for future learning.

During the review, Amelia kept asking the same question: ‘You want to play with that?’ 

By the end, it became clear that the toys were not just the trendiest ones, but were the ones that invited her to imagine, invent and play alongside me 

CONNETIX magnetic tiles lets the imagination run wild, coming with 102 pieces. They easily attach, are sturdy, light-weight and beautifully colored

CONNETIX Rainbow Creative Pack 102 pc

Price: $169 

I had seen other children playing with CONNETIX magnetic tiles and always thought they would be perfect for Amelia.

The moment we opened the box, her imagination ran wild. She built a dollhouse one minute and a castle the next. 

With squares, triangles, and a mix of bright colors, the possibilities for creations seem endless. 

While building, Amelia practiced fitting pieces together and imagining the layout of her castle, which really stretched her problem-solving and planning skills.

I joined her for a while, and it was nearly impossible to get her to stop for bed because she wanted to keep playing.

The next morning, she woke up early, grabbed the box and picked up exactly where she left off. 

The tiles are lightweight yet sturdy, snap together easily, and are perfect for travel. 

Since Amelia is not allowed screens yet, these tiles will be a lifesaver for keeping her entertained when we are out to dinner or even on an airplane.

While building, Amelia practiced fitting pieces together and imagining the layout of her castle, which really stretched her problem-solving and planning skills

The Bluey Supermarket Playset comes with over 15 pieces, including a grocery cart, pretend food and other fun items

Bluey Supermarket Playset 

Cost: Up to $49.99

Amelia, like most children her age, loves the cartoon Bluey. 

On my hunt for the hottest toys, the Bluey Supermarket Playset seemed to appear on every list. 

When we opened the box, Amelia’s eyes lit up, and she immediately began exploring the multi-level supermarket, loading tiny carts, riding the escalator and announcing her own grocery adventures over the built-in intercom.

The expansive playset includes more than 15 play pieces, along with exclusive Bluey and Bingo figures, and is packed with 24 sounds and phrases.

The interactive sound effects, detailed shelves and exclusive Bluey and Bingo figures kept her engaged for hours, sparking creativity and encouraging imaginative storytelling. 

When we opened the box, Amelia’s eyes lit up, and she immediately began exploring the multi-level supermarket, loading tiny carts, riding the escalator and announcing her own grocery adventures over the built-in intercom

She was not just pretending to shop, but she was recreating scenes from the show, inventing her own adventures, and even practicing problem-solving as she navigated the store’s different levels.

Amelia also pretended that Bingo and Bluey were shopping at the Hammerbarn.

I appreciated the thoughtful design, which supports cooperative play, hand-eye coordination and imaginative thinking. 

Micro Maxi Foldable LED Scooter

Cost: $169.99

I was looking for a scooter for Amelia and stumbled upon M-cro. The scooter has adjustable handles, allowing Amelia to ride it until she’s at least 12 years old

We live in a city, and it feels like every kid has a scooter, so I knew this would be a hot toy for Christmas. 

Amelia will be four in a few months, so I initially thought the Micro option would suit her perfectly.

However, Kris, who works for the company, suggested we go a level up.

The Micro Maxi can grow with her and be used all the way up to around 12 years old. 

The adjustable handlebar means she will not outgrow the scooter anytime soon, and the three-wheel design gives her extra stability as she learns to balance.

Other scooters were cheaper, but the Micro Maxi immediately felt sturdier and higher quality than the budget options. 

To test it, Amelia scooted around my office, easily gliding through the halls and kicking off with confidence.

 It’s solid, lightweight, and folds up easily, making it convenient to carry and store.

And even more, the wheels light up. 

Little Live Pets Ouchies Retriever 

Cost: $59.00 

The sweet playful walking pup has developed a limp. Inside the plush pup’s carrier is a ‘magic cast’ for kids to apply to help Cooper heal back to his happy self – they can even personalize the cast with their own designs.

Although the dog’s official name is Cooper, Amelia quickly renamed her Lucy

It took us a few minutes to figure out how the Little Live Pets Ouchies Retriever works, so I’d recommend reading the instructions first. Once we did, Amelia was instantly hooked.

Although the dog’s official name is Cooper, Amelia quickly renamed her Lucy. 

The interactive toy encourages nurturing play, giving children the chance to care for their very own ‘pet.’

Lucy arrived with an injured paw, and Amelia eagerly got to work wrapping it in bandages, gently petting her while the cast dried. 

The moment the cast came off, Lucy barked happily and began strutting around the room.

As Amelia watched Lucy parade about, it was clear how proud she felt of helping her new friend heal.

While Lucy is a robotic toy, she’s covered in a surprisingly soft coat and is about the size of a small puppy, making her easy for little hands to hold and cuddle.

The interactive pooch sounds and reacts like a real puppy, barking when she’s happy, whimpering when she’s sad. 

At six inches tall for Bluey and just under that for Bingo, the figures are the perfect size for little hands 

Each figure talks when its nose is pushed, delivering 10 fan-favorite phrases

Bluey and Bingo Chat Mates

Cost: $15.00 each

The Bluey and Bingo talking figures were an instant hit.

With just a push of the nose, each character comes to life, repeating familiar phrases from the much-loved animated series, and Amelia immediately recognized them.

Hearing Bluey say lines like ‘I’ve got an idea’ and ‘Beep twice if we can be friends’ made the figures feel just like the show, turning playtime into a mini episode of Bluey at home. 

Amelia especially loved pressing the noses over and over to hear what they would say next.

At six inches tall for Bluey and just under that for Bingo, the figures are the perfect size for little hands. 

They’re sturdy, easy to use, and simple enough for toddlers to play with independently, making them a fun and engaging choice for young Bluey fans this Christmas.

GUI GUI

Cost: Starting at $9.99

Amelia, like most kids, is a huge fan of making slime

The multi-step ‘get ready’ routine starts with unboxing to reveal the slime, then ‘get glowing’ by mixing in the booster, decorating with the included charms and beads

While GUI GUI is primarily marketed toward tweens and teens, Amelia is a huge fan of slime, so we couldn’t resist putting this kit to the test.

When we first opened it, the slime was extremely sticky, but after mixing in the included booster, it quickly transformed into a soft, dough-like consistency that was much easier for little hands to manage. 

Amelia loved watching the texture change, which made the process feel like part of the fun rather than a setup step.

The kit follows a multi-step ‘get ready’ routine that starts with unboxing the slime, then ‘getting glowing’ by mixing in the booster.

From there, kids can decorate the slime with the included charms and beads, reveal the adorable mini figure hidden inside, and finish things off with a final sparkle using the glitter mix.

Although designed for older kids, the hands-on, sensory play kept Amelia fully engaged, making it a surprisingly fun option for younger slime lovers with adult supervision.

Tin Can

Cost: $75 

It’s a thoughtful option for families looking to introduce communication without screens, distractions or scrolling

Amelia loves talking on the phone with her grandparents, so I thought the Tin Can would be a fun and age-appropriate way for her to stay in touch with family.

While she’s still a bit young to fully appreciate everything it offers, I see Tin Can as a clever bridge between toy and technology, one that delays the need for a smartphone while still allowing real communication. 

The WiFi-based, screen-free device is designed specifically for kids and comes with a parent app that allows for easy contact management, quiet hours, and built-in 911 support. 

Parents can also choose between plans that allow calling only other Tin Can devices or standard phone numbers.

Beyond the functionality, there’s something delightfully nostalgic about it. 

Using Tin Can brought back memories of my own childhood, answering calls on a landline and feeling very grown-up in the process. 

It’s a thoughtful option for families looking to introduce communication without screens, distractions, or scrolling.

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As 2025 draws to a close, the wave of layoffs that shook the African tech ecosystem in 2023 and 2024 appears to be easing. They’re still happening, but less frantically than in the past two years.

African founders are learning to adjust to the market realities, including reduced funding and high costs. Startups are also learning that the teams they built during the boom years are too expensive to maintain in a slower market. 

Our coverage of layoffs this year showed that most founders are treating job cuts as a way to stay alive rather than a sign that a business is failing. Venture capital is hard to secure, investors are more cautious, and there’s far less patience for growth without revenue. 

Reducing headcount is helping companies stretch their cash, focus on what actually makes money, and buy time in an uncertain environment. 

This shift is changing the mood of the ecosystem. Hiring is slowing, workers are thinking twice about jumping ship, and the idea of tech as a fast and easy route to opportunity is fading. Yet startups are growing more careful, expansion is more deliberate, and spending is under closer watch. As attention turns to 2026, the emphasis is on building businesses that can survive tough years, not just thrive in good ones.

Here are some of the startups and tech firms that cut jobs in 2025 amid tighter capital, shifting strategies, and a stronger push toward profitability.

Metro Africa Xpress (MAX), Nigeria

MAX, a Nigerian mobility financing startup, began the year by laying off about 150 employees, roughly 30% of its workforce. The company said the restructuring was necessary to support a revised business model and cut operating costs as it pivoted to focus exclusively on financing electric vehicles. The terminations took effect immediately, with no monetary severance offered. While MAX has not previously carried out mass layoffs, it has undergone several major pivots since its founding in 2015, shifting from deliveries to ride-hailing and now to vehicle financing.

54 Collective, South Africa

Venture firm 54 Collective announced layoffs in February following the end of its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and the shutdown of its Africa-focused venture studio. The firm said it was unable to secure alternative funding to sustain its operations.

Vendease, Nigeria

Vendease, a Nigerian YC-backed food procurement startup, laid off 120 employees, cutting its workforce by 44% in February 2025. This marked the company’s second major round of layoffs in five months, following the dismissal of 68 employees in September 2024. The company said the cuts were necessary to extend its runway and push toward profitability amid naira depreciation and persistent inflation.

Bento, Nigeria

In February, Bento dismissed its entire 10-person technology team in an abrupt and contentious episode. The layoffs followed protests over delayed salaries and were compounded by leadership instability after the resignation of the company’s CEO. The incident unfolded against the backdrop of allegations of tax and pension fraud, with the founder deactivating staff access shortly after the protest.

eBee Africa, Kenya

Although announced in August, eBee issued redundancy notices as early as February, affecting most of its roughly 50 employees. The Kenyan mobility startup, which had set out to put one million electric bicycles on African roads by 2030, was left with a skeletal team before the remaining staff exited voluntarily. The layoffs were driven by declining revenues, rising costs, and slower-than-expected adoption of electric bikes in Kenya, where cheaper alternatives continued to dominate. The company was already under pressure following leadership changes and tax disputes.

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Meta, Africa

Meta’s Africa operations were affected in February after the company laid off an undisclosed number of staff as part of a global performance-based restructuring. The cuts formed part of a wider round that affected about 3,600 employees worldwide and were linked to Meta’s push for efficiency and increased investment in artificial intelligence and core products.

Tala, Kenya

Digital lender Tala laid off 28 employees in Kenya in April as part of a recalibration of its regional operations. The company cited the need to streamline teams, align costs with lending performance, respond to changing customer repayment behaviour, and strengthen risk management in a tighter credit environment. Tala had initially planned to cut 55 roles, but later revised the number downward.

Twiga Foods, Kenya

Twiga Foods laid off more than 300 employees in May as part of a major restructuring that included the creation of a new holding company. The cuts were aimed at streamlining operations and improving efficiency following the acquisition of three Kenyan FMCG distributors. Twiga had previously laid off 59 employees in August 2024 and has carried out several rounds of cuts in recent years.

Sabi, Nigeria

Sabi, a Nigerian B2B e-commerce startup, laid off about 50 employees, representing roughly 20% of its workforce, in June. The company said the cuts were tied to a strategic pivot away from general merchant services toward a minerals traceability and commodities-focused business. The move followed earlier operational scale-backs as Sabi adjusted to changing market conditions. 

Flutterwave, Kenya and South Africa

Flutterwave cut about half of its workforce in Kenya and South Africa in mid-2025, with the layoffs reported in July. The payments company cited cost optimisation and a renewed focus on profitability as it positions itself for a potential IPO. The cuts followed an earlier round in 2024, when about 3% of staff were let go.

Businessfront, Nigeria

Businessfront, the publisher of Techpoint Africa, Finance in Africa, Energy in Africa, and Intelpoint, laid off a small but undisclosed number of staff in October. The company said the move was aimed at ensuring long-term sustainability and sharpening strategic focus. The layoffs reflect broader pressure across African tech media, where declining advertising revenues and shifting audience habits have forced similar cuts at peers.

Jumia, Nigeria

E-commerce company Jumia cut about 7% of its workforce in November, reducing headcount to roughly 2,010 employees. The company said the layoffs were part of ongoing efficiency measures, including greater use of AI in customer service and marketing, as it prioritised profitability over expansion.

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Photo by Julian O’hayon / Unsplash

You’ve probably put off buying that new phone or laptop. You compare prices, read reviews, and wait for the moment when the numbers finally make sense. If you missed out on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, Croma’s year-end sale opens another window to upgrade without paying full price.

Running from December 15, 2025, to January 4, 2026, in India, the Tata-owned retailer is rolling out discounts across smartphones, laptops, TVs, and home appliances. Bank offers, cashback deals, and easy EMI options further soften the cost, making higher-end gadgets easier to justify. For many shoppers, it’s one of the last big chances of the year to upgrade tech or pick up early holiday gifts.

Top Black Friday 2025 Tech Discounts: The Best Phones, Laptops and Tablets to Buy

Looking for the best Black Friday 2025 tech deals? Here are the biggest price drops on popular phones, MacBooks, Windows laptops, and more.

Smartphone Deals on Croma

Photo by Daniel Romero / Unsplash

One of the biggest highlights of the sale is the iPhone 16, available at Rs 66,990, with EMI options starting from Rs 3,153 per month. The iPhone 15 is even more affordable at Rs 67,490. Android users aren’t left out either; the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra comes in at Rs 129,999 with exchange and cashback benefits, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available for an effective price of Rs 216,999. For those looking for something in the mid-range segment, the Vivo V60 starts at Rs 38,999, making it easy to grab a solid upgrade without breaking the bank.

Laptop Deals on Croma

Photo by Dell / Unsplash

For anyone thinking about upgrading their laptop, Croma’s year-end sale has plenty to offer. The MacBook Air with the M4 chip starts at around Rs 95,990, with student discounts and EMIs from Rs 4,519. Next-generation AI PCs are available from Rs 45,999, while gaming laptops with RTX 3050 graphics begin at Rs 59,990. For everyday users, a reliable Lenovo Core i5 laptop is priced from Rs 34,990.

Prices may vary depending on bank offers, cashback deals, and availability, but the range means there’s something for everyone, whether you need a machine for work, gaming, or general use.

Electronics and Home Appliances Deals on Croma

Photo by Kam Idris / Unsplash

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your home entertainment, the sale has you covered. Large-screen TVs see some of the biggest discounts: a 75-inch Samsung Smart UHD TV starts at Rs 230,399, while Croma’s own-brand options make things more affordable—a 55-inch Croma UHD Google TV is available for Rs 27,990, and a 43-inch model starts at Rs 16,494.

Beyond TVs, the sale covers a wide range of home appliances, giving shoppers a chance to grab essential gadgets or appliances for the kitchen and living space. As always, prices can vary based on bank offers, cashback deals, and availability, so it’s worth checking details before making a decision.

Craziest Apple Cyber Monday Deals You Don’t Want to Miss

Here’s some of the best deals across Apple devices and ggadgets for Black Friday 2025.

Conclusion

With discounts across so many categories and the option to pay in easy EMIs, the Cromtastic December Sale makes it simple to finally get the gadgets or appliances you’ve been thinking about. It’s the kind of sale where you can pick up what you need for yourself or your home without overthinking it, just in time for the new year.

Updated

December 18, 2025

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The AI boom has caused as much carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere in 2025 as emitted by the whole of New York City, it has been claimed.

The global environmental impact of the rapidly spreading technology has been estimated in research published on Wednesday which also found that AI-related water use now exceeds the entirety of global bottled-water demand.

The figures have been compiled by the Dutch academic Alex de Vries-Gao, the founder of Digiconomist, a company that researches the unintended consequences of digital trends. He claimed they are the first attempt to measure the specific effect of artificial intelligence rather than datacentres in general as the use of chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini soared in 2025.

The figures show the estimated greenhouse gas emissions from AI use are also now equivalent to more than 8% of global aviation emissions. His study used technology companies’ own reporting and he called for stricter requirements for them to be more transparent about their climate impact.

“The environmental cost of this is pretty huge in absolute terms,” he said. “At the moment society is paying for these costs, not the tech companies. The question is: is that fair? If they are reaping the benefits of this technology, why should they not be paying some of the costs?”

De Vries-Gao found that the 2025 carbon footprint of AI systems could be as high as 80m tonnes, while the water used could reach 765bn litres. He said it was the first time AI’s water impact had been estimated and showed that AI water use alone was more than a third higher than previous estimates of all datacentre water use.

The figures are published in the academic journal Patterns. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said earlier this year that AI-focused datacentres draw as much electricity as power-thirsty aluminium smelters and datacentre electricity consumption is expected to more than double by 2030.

“This is yet more evidence that the public is footing the environmental bill for some of the richest companies on Earth,” said Donald Campbell, the director of advocacy at Foxglove, a UK non-profit that campaigns for fairness in tech. “Worse, it is likely just the tip of the iceberg. The datacentre construction frenzy, driven by generative AI, is only getting started.

“Just one of these new ‘hyperscale’ facilities can generate climate emissions equivalent to several international airports. And in the UK alone, there are an estimated 100-200 of them in the planning system,” said Campbell.

The IEA has reported that the largest AI-focused datacentres being built today will each consume as much electricity as 2m households with the US accounting for the largest share of datacentre electricity consumption (45%) followed by China (25%) and Europe (15%).

The largest datacentre being planned in the UK, at a former coal power station site in Blyth, Northumberland, is expected to emit more than 180,000 tonnes of CO2 a year when at full operation – the equivalent to the amount produced by more than 24,000 homes.

In India, where $30bn (£22.5bn) is being invested in datacentres, there are growing concerns that a lack of reliability from the National Grid will mean the construction of huge diesel generator farms for backup power, which the consultancy KPMG this week called “a massive … carbon liability”.

Technology companies’ environmental disclosures are often insufficient to assess even the total datacentre impact, never mind isolating AI use, said De Vries-Gao. He noted that when Google recently reported on the impact of its Gemini AI, it did not account for the water used in generating the electricity needed to power it.

Google reported that in 2024 it managed to reduce energy emissions from its datacentres by 12% due to new clean energy sources, but it said this summer that achieving its climate goals was “now more complex and challenging across every level – from local to global” and “a key challenge is the slower-than-needed deployment of carbon-free energy technologies at scale”.

Google was approached for comment.

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