Last spring, the clothing brand Levi Strauss & Co. announced plans to introduce 'customized AI-generated models' into its online shopping platforms. These 'body-inclusive avatars' would come in a range of sizes, ages, and skin tones and would help Levi's create a more 'diverse' lineup in a way the company considered 'sustainable.' A lot of (real) people were appalled. Why not give those jobs to actual humans of the sizes, ages, and skin tones Levi's sought' Was 'sustainable' just PR-speak for 'cheaper'' Levi's later affirmed its 'commitment to support multicultural creatives behind and in front of the camera.' But it didn't bail on the partnership with the Amsterdam-based company that created the models, Lalaland.ai. (It's just on pause until Levi's can formulate internal AI guidelines.) That controversy put Lalaland on the map'and got more big brands looking to it for generated models, says Duy Vo, Lalaland's creative director. WIRED sat down with him to find out how you get an algorithm to smile just right'and not sprout extra fingers....

Two judges at the High Court in London today said Assange can officially challenge his extradition order from the United Kingdom in the long-running dispute over the leaking and publication of military secrets. Following a two-hour hearing, at which Assange was not present due to health issues, the judges allowed Assange to appeal his extradition on freedom of speech and freedom of expression grounds. The decision, the latest in a years-long legal battle, follows a UK High Court ruling in May that asked the US government to provide more 'assurances' about the conditions Assange would face if he were extradited. In that instance, the court said it required more convincing that Assange would have free speech protections, that his Australian nationality would not prejudice him in any trial, and that he would not later be sentenced to death. The judges, Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson, have now considered arguments from both sides on the three issues and decided to allow Assange to appeal the 'assurances' about how his trial would be conducted and First Amendment grounds. (Assange's team did not contest assurances from the US government that he would not be given the death penalty.)...

Five fish species, including the iconic Chinese sturgeon, have gone extinct, or will soon be extinct, because of dams on the Yangtze River in China, according to a paper released on 10 May in Science Advances1. The findings have reignited a long-running debate among Chinese scientists about the best way to rescue the species in the Yangtze, with some saying that the analysis is flawed. The Yangtze River is a mighty 6,300-kilometre-long waterway and a global biodiversity hotspot that runs through 11 Chinese provinces. But over the past 50 years, six major hydropower dams and more than 24,000 smaller hydropower stations have been built in the river's main stream and branches ' with even more on the drawing board. The dams were built to help generate electricity, provide flood protection and make the river easier to navigate. But dams can block migratory fishes and damage their habitat. To mitigate the effects of the dams, fish-rescue programmes have been in place in various forms since 1982, when the first dam was being constructed....

Every so often, Samsung hosts a big ol' seasonal sale with deals on various gadgets and gizmos. The Discover Samsung Summer Sale is the latest opportunity, with discounts on smartphones, TV sets, projectors, and home appliances, and the sale runs through May 26. There are daily deals, so you'll find new discounts every day, and we've linked to third-party retailers also offering killer deals on Samsung goods. Our product testers recommend plenty of Samsung hardware, as you'll see in our product guides, like the Best Android Phones, Best Folding Phones, Best Tablets, and Which Samsung Galaxy S24 Should You Buy. Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra (7/10, WIRED Review) can cost as much as $3,000 if you go for the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor. That's expensive, but if you are OK with the less powerful but still good Core Ultra 7 instead, you can save on the Galaxy Book4 lineup. There are some quirks with this laptop'our reviewer didn't love the trackpad, and the machine takes a long time to boot. But it has fantastic performance, a huge display, and great battery life....