Tech and Hosting News Round-Up

May 23, 2025 / Technology News

News

Welcome to our latest round-up of news from the technology and hosting world. Here’s what we’ve discovered this month.

Plasma Propulsion

US aerospace firm, Howe Industries, has developed a groundbreaking plasma engine that could transform future space travel. Experts believe that the Pulsed Plasma Rocket could significantly reduce travel times between planets, cutting the time it takes to reach Mars from six months to just two.

Unlike traditional rocket engines that use combustion, the new engine utilises plasma, a superheated gas that conducts electricity to provide exceptional thrust and energy efficiency – up to 100,000 newtons of thrust with a high specific impulse (Isp) of 5,000 seconds. That amount of power would potentially enable spacecraft to travel at speeds of up to 500,000 mph.

The plasma engine’s ability to provide continuous thrust, and do so with significantly less fuel than standard engines, also makes asteroid mining and exploring distant moons more practical. Meanwhile, the excitement created by this discovery has led some experts to look into possible uses for plasma propulsion on Earth, including for vehicles.

AI Layoff Woes

Despite growing concern that AI will result in significant human redundancies, a recent study by UK workforce software firm, Orgvue, has shown that 55% of British companies that replaced employees with AI now regret it. Among those that made AI-related redundancies, 39% experienced workforce confusion, staff leaving and lower productivity, the opposite of what they expected.

The report also highlights a significant knowledge gap for companies in the future, with 38% of business leaders saying they don’t fully understand how AI will impact their operations, and 25% not knowing which jobs are most at risk of automation. As a result, managers are more cautious, with only 48% now expecting AI to take over some jobs, down from 54% last year. With investment in AI still increasing, businesses will need to integrate AI carefully, alongside human expertise, to avoid unexpected problems.

AI Targets Stalkers

Cheshire Police has become the first in the UK to use AI for tackling stalking, using the technology to spot suspect behaviours early and provide better protection for victims. The force’s Harm Reduction Unit, which deals with about ten stalking cases a day, hopes the technology will speed up investigations by quickly identifying stalking behaviour patterns.

Created in partnership with the universities of Warwick and Leeds and paid for with a £300,000 grant from the Police STAR Fund, the AI analyses reports in real time for signs of stalking, even where the word ‘stalking’ isn’t used.

With the technology up to 25 times more effective than individual detectives, Cheshire Police hope it will increase the number of cases that lead to charges and offer faster victim protection. If successful, the project could be used more widely across other police forces.

AI Coding Trend

At Meta’s recent LlamaCon event, Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, claimed that the company now creates 20-30% of its code using AI, with the figure expected to grow. The trend has also been adopted by Google, with CEO, Sundar Pichai, stating that more than 25% of Google’s internal code is written by AI, and that this will increase in future. Mark Zuckerberg went even further, forecasting that AI could take on half of Meta’s development tasks within the next year.

The growing use of AI in coding indicates a major shift in software development, following years of skills shortages. While still highly sought after, developers may find their roles under threat from AI and may need to adapt by concentrating on areas where human insight and creativity are essential, such as with languages like C++ that AI struggles with.

Public Sector Digital Lag

A recent study by SolarWinds shows that just 6% of UK public sector organisations have finished their digital transformation, despite 60% seeing it as a key priority. The survey found that many still depend on old, outdated systems, with 60% using traditional in-house data centres. Moreover, 42% planned to keep doing so for at least the next three years, highlighting the lack of progress.

The sector also suffers from skills shortages, with 75% of organisations reporting a shortage of talent as a major issue, especially the Ministry of Defence. Key hurdles for the sector include security concerns and budget limits, both of which have slowed down digital projects.

With the UK government estimating that outdated technology costs taxpayers £45 billion a year, projects like the AI Opportunities Action Plan are being introduced to improve services across various departments. However, SolarWinds found that only 30% of public sector IT leaders focus on AI, with many more prioritising system monitoring and observability. It concluded that proper investment and support are essential to narrow the gap between the public sector’s digital goals and the progress made so far.

Visit our website for more news, blog posts, knowledge base articles and information on our wide range of hosting services.

Author

  • niraj

    I'm a SEO and SMM Specialist with a passion for sharing insights on website hosting, development, and technology to help businesses thrive online.

    View all posts
Sharing