Technology
Neighbors outraged as LA airport becomes ground zero for AI-driven flying taxis
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Archer Aviation, a leading developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, just made one of its boldest moves yet. The company agreed to acquire Hawthorne Airport for $126 million in cash.
According to Archer’s latest shareholder letter, the deal includes the remaining 30 years on the airport’s master lease and an exclusive option to take a controlling stake in the on-site fixed-base operator, subject to city approval.
This historic 80-acre site includes about 190,000 square feet of terminals, office space and hangars. Its location near LAX and major Los Angeles destinations makes it a prime spot for an air taxi network that aims to change how people move in crowded cities.
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PENNSYLVANIA BILL SEEKS TO LEGALIZE FLYING CARS
Archer’s development plans for Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles. (Archer Aviation)
Why Hawthorne Airport matters for the new air taxi network
Archer Aviation plans to use the airport as the main operational hub for its LA air taxi network. The company also plans to prepare the site to support transportation during the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This includes managing everything from takeoff scheduling to ground operations. In its shareholder letter, Archer frames Hawthorne as a “plug-and-play” anchor hub for its LA28 Olympic plans, saying it expects to ramp up aircraft testing, storage, maintenance and charging on-site as it prepares for commercial service.
The airport will also become a testbed for next-generation AI-powered aviation systems. These tools will help Archer develop smarter air traffic management, faster turnaround times and safer operations in crowded airspace.
Archer outlines a two-phase plan in the letter: Phase 1 focuses on redeveloping up to 200,000 square feet of hangars and locking in control of the FBO, while Phase 2 layers in AI air traffic and ground management, smart sensor-embedded runways and a more digital, streamlined passenger experience.
United Airlines CFO Michael Leskinen praised the move and said, “Archer’s trajectory validates our conviction that eVTOLs are part of the next generation of air traffic technology that will fundamentally reshape aviation. Their vision for an AI-enabled operations platform isn’t just about eVTOLs, it’s also about leveraging cutting-edge technology to better enable moving people safely and efficiently in our most congested airspaces. Through United’s investment arm, United Airlines Ventures, we’re investing in companies like Archer that pioneer technologies that will define and support aviation infrastructure for decades to come.”
Meanwhile, Hawthorne Mayor Alex Vargas celebrated the deal on social media, writing “WELCOME ARCHER TO THE CITY OF HAWTHORNE!”
Archer plans to turn Hawthorne Airport into the main hub for its LA air taxi network. (Archer Aviation)
Neighbors outraged over ‘AI air taxi’ takeover
Not everyone is cheering Archer’s plan to turn Hawthorne into a flagship hub for AI-guided flying taxis. A local group called Hawthorne Quiet Skies, made up of residents living around the airport, says they were blindsided by the $126 million takeover and that no one from the company or city bothered to engage them before announcing a “test bed for AI-powered aviation technologies” over their homes.
Neighbors who live just across the street and within a couple of blocks of the runway describe Hawthorne as one of the most tightly packed airports in the country, with homes on three sides and years of complaints about deafening jet and helicopter noise. The city’s own 2021 noise study identified more than 160 homes and roughly 480 people already exposed to unhealthy noise levels, yet residents say there has been “zero progress” on mitigation even as the airport shifted from small private planes to commercial traffic and now an around-the-clock eVTOL hub.
The group is also raising alarms about Archer’s AI ambitions, pointing to academic research that current machine-learning systems in aviation still struggle to handle unusual conditions and lack formal safety guarantees.
They argue that whatever the promises of cleaner, futuristic air taxis, Hawthorne is being used as a live test site without clear safeguards, updated federal noise rules or any serious plan to compensate families if nonstop eVTOL traffic makes their homes too loud to live in.
CHINA’S FIRST MASS-PRODUCED FLYING CAR DEBUTS
How Archer Aviation is funding growth and expanding its air taxi program
Alongside the airport news, Archer reported major financial momentum. The company raised an additional $650 million in equity, which boosted its total liquidity to more than $2 billion. The company’s Midnight aircraft also hit new flight milestones, including a 55-mile flight at over 126 mph and a climb to 10,000 feet.
Archer also expanded its global technology footprint. It completed the acquisition of Lilium’s patent portfolio, which pushes Archer’s total intellectual property to more than 1,000 global assets. Those patents cover ducted fans, high voltage systems, flight controls and other key technologies.
International expansion is underway, too. Archer began test and demo flights in the UAE and secured new partnerships with Korean Air and with Japan Airlines and Sumitomo’s JV in Osaka and Tokyo.
The airport will serve as a testbed for next generation AI aviation systems designed to manage busy airspace more safely. (Archer Aviation)
What this means for you
Archer’s airport deal suggests that air taxis are moving closer to everyday use. This shift could mean shorter trips across major cities at a fraction of today’s travel time. It could also bring quieter aircraft over neighborhoods compared to helicopters.
For Los Angeles residents, Hawthorne Airport may become a central point for fast point-to-point travel once certification moves forward. Visitors flying in for major events like the LA28 Olympics could see air taxis as a smooth alternative to gridlocked freeways.
Businesses may gain new options for rapid transport across the region. The move also signals more investment and jobs in advanced aviation, automation and clean electric travel.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Archer’s acquisition of Hawthorne Airport marks a major milestone in the race to build a real air taxi network, giving the company the aircraft, funding and prime location it needs to push the industry forward. Its focus on AI-driven operations shows how automated aviation may soon play a much bigger role in daily life, even as regulators are still working out how to safely integrate these aircraft into crowded cities. At the same time, the move is already sparking backlash from neighbors who worry about more noise, safety risks and being turned into a test site for AI-guided aircraft without a real say. If Archer can win over regulators, investors and the communities living just beyond the fence line, this step could make the future of urban flight feel much closer, for better or worse.
If air taxis become a real option in Los Angeles by 2028, would you try one for your daily commute or stick to the ground? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show
Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.
There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:
The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.
That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).
While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.
Technology
300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions
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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.
They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.
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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What you need to know about fake AI extensions
Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.
Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.
These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.
While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:
- AI Assistant
- Llama
- Gemini AI Sidebar
- AI Sidebar
- ChatGPT Sidebar
- Grok
- Asking ChatGPT
- ChatGBT
- Chat Bot GPT
- Grok Chatbot
- Chat With Gemini
- XAI
- Google Gemini
- Ask Gemini
- AI Letter Generator
- AI Message Generator
- AI Translator
- AI For Translation
- AI Cover Letter Generator
- AI Image Generator ChatGPT
- Ai Wallpaper Generator
- Ai Picture Generator
- DeepSeek Download
- AI Email Writer
- Email Generator AI
- DeepSeek Chat
- ChatGPT Picture Generator
- ChatGPT Translate
- AI GPT
- ChatGPT Translation
- ChatGPT for Gmail
FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE
These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)
How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works
These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.
Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.
In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.
The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.
Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.
If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.
We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”
BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK
Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions
If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.
1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions
On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.
2) Change your passwords
If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.
3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords
A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active
Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Use an identity theft protection service
Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.
6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated
Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.
7) Use a personal data removal service
Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
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Kurt’s key takeaway
Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.
Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance
Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.
It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.
In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”
He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)
The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.
Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”
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