You're tuned in to Tech Beat, and here's what's moving in the world of technology today.
A screen at Cherwell Valley motorway services in the UK has done what many of us wish we could — it stopped working and asked for help. The Windows-powered roadside display ground to a halt, flashing an error message instead of travel information, prompting one sharp-eyed observer to note that UK roads often tell tired drivers to take a break. Apparently, the display took that advice literally.
Meanwhile, in the animation world, a genuine human story is pushing back against the AI tide. Director Sylvain Chomet, the four-time Oscar nominee behind The Triplets of Belleville, is firmly denying that generative AI had any role in his new short film for Dior, which features the voices of Robert Pattinson and Rihanna. Chomet says everything was drawn by hand, and that distinction, in this moment, matters enormously to working artists.
On a lighter note, researchers at the University of Southern California have designed a lollipop-shaped oral sensor that makes saliva testing genuinely appealing for children. The device collects health data through something kids actually want to put in their mouths, which could change how we think about pediatric diagnostics entirely.
That's your update for now. Keep surfing. Tech Beat out.
