The Artificial Intelligence Act aims to protect citizens by regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the EU. But while the European Parliament voted overwhelming to approve the first-of-its-kind regulation, which comes into force next month, critics say it is incomplete, ambiguous and stifling for the tech industry.

What does the act do?
The act classifies different types of AI by risk. "Minimal risk" uses, such as. AI-powered spam filters, will be exempt from the regulation, while "limited risk" systems, such as chatbots, will be subject to "light regulation", including transparency requirements. A "high-risk" category includes AI systems used by law enforcement, including biometric identification, as well as systems used to access public services. Developers of such systems will have until August 2027 to comply with rules around human oversight.

A further "unacceptable risk" category bans all systems that "threaten citizens' rights", said The Verge. This includes AI used to deceive or manipulate humans, or profile them as potential criminals. Companies have until February next year to comply with this ban or face a fine of 7% of their global annual revenue, or €35 million (£29.5 million).

What are the criticisms?
The release of ChatGPT in 2022 "upended" progress on the legislation, said the Financial Times. Generative AI models, which create text or images based on prompts, had parliamentarians "rushing to rewrite the rules". Regulators "couldn't agree on them and it was easier to compromise", said an aide involved in drafting the "rather vague" law.

Critics warn that the act lacks clarity on who is responsible for AI-generated content, and does not specify who might enforce the rules in member states. Tech companies also bemoan the cost of compliance. Many say the law could stymie smaller start-ups in the EU and hinder larger ones from competing with the US and China.

What next?
Officials are "frantically trying to plug the holes in the regulation", before it comes into force, said the FT. The bloc still needs "between 60 and 70" pieces of secondary legislation to support implementation, which will be done in stages over the next two years. "The devil will be in the details," said a diplomat who took a leading role in drafting the act. "But people are tired and the timeline is tight."

A lawsuit alleging that the owner of Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid uses a "predatory business model" to keep users hooked is the latest wave in an "ocean of dissatisfaction" with dating apps, said The Observer.

Although "online dating is now a permanent fixture of our social landscape", the latest legal entanglement involving Match Group's dating apps has "stimulated a new round of debate over their potential to harm mental health".

Breaking up with online dating
The "current techlash", said Jason Parham in Wired, is a reaction to the "environment dating apps have contributed to over the past decade", in which the highs and lows of pursuing romantic love are "flattened through machined exchanges". After years on apps that have "turned socialising into something of a competitive sport", it's no wonder that burnt-out singles are now "longing for a simplification of the dating pool".

A "perfect storm of pandemic-induced loneliness coupled with serious dating-app fatigue" is reviving the fortunes of in-person mingling opportunities, said Avery Stone in The Cut, turning sports leagues and gyms "into the hottest places to date".

Hope on the horizon
The market value of Bumble and Match Group has plummeted by more than $40 billion since 2021, but a handful of apps are bucking the trend. Hinge has seen a "huge surge in paying users", according to Quartz, and Grindr continues to thrive as a dating and hook-up app for men seeking men.

Some dating apps are also trying to capitalise on users' growing preference for real-world activities. Hinge recently awarded a Brooklyn-based running club $25,000 to expand in-person events, signalling a shift towards "IRL" (in real life) matchmaking.

Ultimately, "it's hard to find your soulmate, however you do it", said The Observer, but for all their flaws, dating apps spark many millions of new relationships each year. "Better to work to improve the apps, and to learn from them, than to vilify them."

The world's biggest arts festival kicks off on 2 August, bringing another year of shows spanning stand-up to drama and just about everything in between.

Here are some of the highlights of this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival:

"Every Brilliant Thing"
Duncan Macmillan's "funny and beautiful" monologue is returning to the Fringe, said Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out. The "unmissable" show charts a seven-year-old boy's attempts to ease the suffering of his depressed mum by making her a list of everything in the world worth living for.

"My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)"
This "joyous, life-affirming" show recreates the amateur childhood productions of its "charismatic" writer, Rob Madge. Nominated for an Olivier Award in 2023, the performance is coming to Scotland following its West End success.

"I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial Musical''
Inspired by the "surreal" court case between the Goop founder and a retired optometrist over a collision on the Utah ski slopes, this musical parody is "packed with camp references, choreography from Arlene Phillips and a cracking cast", said The Stage.

"Woof!"
Reports from early stagings of "Woof!" – Hannah Gadsby's hotly anticipated follow-up to the hugely influential "Nanette" – suggest it's a "less epochal but still zesty stand-up show", said Dominic Maxwell in The Times, and covers everything from Taylor Swift to panic attacks.

"Forgive Me, Father"
The "effortlessly able" Ania Magliano, nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award last year, turns her attention to her boyfriend's ex and her parents' divorce in this show at Pleasance Courtyard.

Strictly Come Dancing isn't the problem – men are
Katie Edwards in The Independent
The "deepening" abuse scandal engulfing "Strictly Come Dancing" suggests something "more insidious at play" than simply the accused pro dancers' "desire to win", says Katie Edwards. "Behind the shimmer, shine and sequins", the show belongs to the "world we live in", in which women are often "scared" to speak up about abuse. That Strictly will likely "survive" the scandal unscathed reveals "ugly truths about attitudes to women and abuse".

Musk and the GOP like to trash California. But they couldn't get by without us
The Los Angeles Times editorial board
Elon Musk's "threat" to move SpaceX and X from San Francisco to Texas is "the latest example of the rich and powerful trying to score political points by bashing the Golden State", said the LA Times. Republicans and business "tycoons" might not like California's "liberal-leaning policies", but the state's "economic strength" means it has "too much to offer" for the GOP's "California bashers" to ever actually "quit us".

The Irish elite would rather destroy their country than reduce immigration
Michael Murphy in The Telegraph
Protesters in the north Dublin suburb of Coolock have launched "bricks, petrol bombs and fireworks" at riot police outside a building set to house asylum seekers, writes Michael Murphy. It's the "latest escalation of political violence" in so-called "'Treasure Ireland'", which has welcomed asylum seekers while "already thin housing and services are being stretched further" in deprived areas. With communities like Coolock "left out to dry", the "frustration was ripe" to erupt into a riot.