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Netflix has a bonkers new anime movie that has proven to be a smash hit, as critics and audiences across the globe race to stream the viral animation.Since dropping on June 20, KPop Demon Hunters has shot to the top of the streamer's charts, becoming the number one most-watched movie worldwide. The new Netflix movie has also topped the charts in a variety of countries and is sitting comfortably in the top 10 everywhere that one of the best streaming services is available.It’s hardly surprising considering critics are rating it among the best Netflix movies currently streaming, with the film earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics.From directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and produced by Spider-Verse stable Sony Pictures Animation, the film tells the story of fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x and their battle with rival boy band the Saja Boys, who are secretly demons, naturally.The band, consisting of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) may spend much of their time selling out stadiums, but unbeknownst to their legions of fans, the trio are also part of an ancient order of badass demon hunters who use their singing voices – and great big swords – to maintain a barrier between our world and that of the demons known as the Honmoon. However, when one band member begins to lose their voice as a result of a dark secret, the Honmoon begins to weaken as an ancient evil plots to conquer our world.Since its release, the film has become a viral sensation, not only due to the eye-popping animation and bonkers demon slaying action, but also the music, which as you can imagine, consists of K-pop banger after K-pop banger."I’ve always thought of K-pop as the most theatrical genre of pop” says the film’s executive music producer Ian Eisendrath, “and so I was just instantly excited by the possibilities of what could happen in a narrative context with the K-pop songs [and] incorporating actual, hit-making K-pop artists. I just felt like everything was really set up to be a special musical and narrative experience.”To ensure the film felt authentic to its K-pop world, Kang and Appelhans enlisted the services of some of the genres biggest producers including Teddy Park, Lindgren, Stephen Kirk and Jenna Andrews, who between them have produced tracks for the likes of Blackpink, BTS, TWICE and Together X Tomorrow.The film boasts a whole heap of original K-pop style songs that both perfectly fit the action on screen and will get stuck in your head for days afterwards, with at least a couple likely to feature on your Spotify Wrapped come December.What are the critics saying about KPop Demon Hunters?(Image credit: Netflix)As you’d expect from such a high Rotten Tomatoes score, critics are loving KPop Demon Hunters, with redditor 'Common Sense Media' saying: “What's not to like about an animated superhero tale set against the world of K-pop music?” while Mashable praised the writing, stating “What makes KPop Demon Hunters so effective isn’t just that it nails the aesthetic; it gets the emotions right.”'InSession Film', meanwhile, warn that the film may just make you a fan of the musical genre: “Kang and Appelhans’ film more than deserves your attention, and could act as a gateway to the incredible, highly imaginative world of KPop. You may never be the same after the credits roll.”The lively animation has also received plenty of acclaim, with Screen Rant calling the film “stunning” while Decider applauded the “striking visuals”.What's the subscriber's verdict?Subscribers have been equally vocal in their praise, with the flick boasting a very respectable 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.On Reddit, one user said “I love it so freaking much,” calling it their “all time favourite movie of 2025” while another said “It was amazing. Great animation, I loved most of the songs, and the vibe was off the charts.”The music, in particular, has been a hit with audiences as Redditors praise the "absolutely phenomenal” songs, calling them “catchy” tracks which "absolutely banged.”A few detractors have shared their thoughts on plot aspects they wish were further developed, however, with one user saying “I kinda wished the demons had been more complex" while another said “I wish they would have explained Rumi’s parents more.”Comment from r/netflixBy all accounts, it seems Sony Pictures Animation have once again delivered an instant classic, so if you’re in the mood for a bonkers, uplifting movie that will leave you toe tapping for days afterwards, head over to Netflix and stream KPop Demon Hunters right now.You might also likeNetflix has 3 new movie franchises coming in July 2025Squid Game season 3 was going to end differentlyNetflix will start streaming NASA content soon

Proton has joined a US lawsuit against Apple over anti-competitive practices The suit seeks both changes in the App Store ecosystem and monetary damagesOn April 30, 2025, a US judge found Apple guilty of violating the 2021 Epic Games case federal injunction over illegal monopolySwiss privacy firm Proton has sued Apple over anti-competitive practices that, the company warns, undermine freedom and democracy, hurt privacy-first companies, and lead to a worse user experience.The provider behind one of the best VPN, secure email, encrypted calendar, and password manager services, Proton, has joined an existing class-action lawsuit in the US against Apple on Monday, June 30, 2025.The suit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks changes in the App Store ecosystem as well as monetary damages. The latter, Proton said, will be donated to organizations fighting for democracy and human rights via the nonprofit behind the company, Proton Foundation.Why Proton is suing Apple"Apple’s monopoly control of software distribution on iOS devices presents a myriad of problems for consumers, businesses, and society as a whole," wrote Proton in a blog post."Anti-monopoly laws exist because the power gifted by monopoly status inevitably leads to abuse. In the case of oligarchic tech giants, these abuses have wide implications for society, and it’s vital to the future of the internet that they be addressed now."Specifically, Proton claims that Apple's policies favor a surveillance capitalism model that hurts privacy and privacy-first companies.Apple not only requires all developers to pay an annual fee to be in the App Store, but it also takes a 30% cut from all subscription payments made through iOS apps.On April 30, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found this behavior to violate her federal injunction over illegal monopoly issued in 2021 in the Epic Games case.The Big Tech giant was indeed supposed to halt anti-competitive practices by giving third-party developers more power to redirect users to cheaper non-Apple payment options.On that occasion, Proton's Founder and CEO, Andy Yen, said that the company could lower its pricing by up to 30% if Apple were finally forced to remove its tax on the App Store.In response to the recent court ruling in the US against Apple's illegal in-app purchase monopoly, @ProtonPrivacy will finally be allowed to let iOS users purchase subscriptions outside of the app store. No Apple tax means we will lower prices for users by up to 30%.May 1, 2025Proton also warns that Apple's total control of the App Store endangers app distribution across different markets."Apple argues this control is necessary for security reasons. But the reality is that this has made Apple the single point of failure for free speech and a tool of dictatorships," said the provider.In 2024 alone, for example, Apple has removed at least 60 VPN apps from Russia's App Store at the request of authorities, for a total of nearly 100 applications unavailable in Apple's market in Russia.We are seeking to permanently end anti-competitive behavior on the App StoreProtonResearchers at AppleCensorship also found a staggering 11,026 unavailable apps in China's App Store, which affect sensitive categories like virtual private network (VPN) – ProtonVPN included – other privacy software (like ProtonMail, Signal, and DuckDuckGo), news apps, social media, and even dating applications.Proton also accuses Apple of "intentionally crippling third-party apps that compete with Apple services," ultimately delivering Apple users a worse internet experience.For example, Apple allegedly prevents users from using the Proton Calendar app as a default option, Proton said, despite this interoperability being available for email services.What's next?As mentioned earlier, Proton has joined an existing lawsuit that was filed on May 23 against Apple by a group representing Korean app developers.Yet, the lawsuit isn't just about money. The decision to join this legal action against such a tech behemoth, Proton said, stems from the commitment to improve the state of the internet by changing Apple App Store policies once and for all."We are seeking to permanently end anti-competitive behavior on the App Store, and we are joining this lawsuit to ensure that any future settlement enforces real changes to Apple’s practices and policies to benefit all consumers, developers, and competition, and not just cosmetic changes," said Proton.We approached Apple for comments, but we're still waiting for a response at the time of publication.You might also likeProton threatens to quit Switzerland over new surveillance lawApple fined over €150 million in France for discriminatory consent practices surrounding its ATT frameworkIs the App Store about to undergo a big change? Not so fast, says Apple

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #1255).Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.Quordle today (game #1256) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1256) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.Quordle today (game #1256) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.Quordle today (game #1256) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:Quordle today (game #1256) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• D• E• G• ERight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.Quordle today (game #1256) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1256, are…DANCEEYINGGLAZEEGRETI only just completed Qourdle today, after making two rookie errors.I failed to check before typing out “glade” and ignored that the letter D had already been ruled out for this word. And then I gambled on a double letter with “greet”. Still, both mistakes led me to the correct answers, so I’m not too disappointed in myself.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Daily Sequence today (game #1256) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1256, are…ZEBRAMINCESTOOPTOWELQuordle answers: The past 20Quordle #1255, Wednesday, 2 July: INANE, SCOUR, ELITE, ULCERQuordle #1254, Tuesday, 1 July: REBAR, YEARN, FORTH, CROWDQuordle #1253, Monday, 30 June: INGOT, INFER, TAPIR, CLUEDQuordle #1252, Sunday, 29 June: MIRTH, APTLY, SCRUB, SMACKQuordle #1251, Saturday, 28 June: AWOKE, SMOKY, DEVIL, SWINGQuordle #1250, Friday, 27 June: SPEAK, EAGLE, AVERT, SUINGQuordle #1249, Thursday, 26 June: SLUMP, REBUS, GUAVA, MONEYQuordle #1248, Wednesday, 25 June: SOGGY, CLASH, MODEM, SQUADQuordle #1247, Tuesday, 24 June: QUALM, SQUIB, AXIAL, FLACKQuordle #1246, Monday, 23 June: PIXEL, FJORD, STEAL, EXISTQuordle #1245, Sunday, 22 June: WREST, CRAZE, PAPAL, SCIONQuordle #1244, Saturday, 21 June: BUDDY, GROUT, BEGIN, MADAMQuordle #1243, Friday, 20 June: BRAID, DULLY, HASTE, LURIDQuordle #1242, Thursday, 19 June: BRUSH, ISLET, FRUIT, PRIVYQuordle #1241, Wednesday, 18 June: MEDIA, SHARK, GUPPY, MOURNQuordle #1240, Tuesday, 17 June: LEAPT, PRISM, ADMIN, WHINEQuordle #1239, Monday, 16 June: RETRY, SCALD, DINGO, FEIGNQuordle #1238, Sunday, 15 June: SHOCK, STEIN, BROIL, COVENQuordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONICQuordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRY

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #752).Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Connections today (game #753) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…CONTACTNUMBEREXCHANGEINSURANCEARRIVALCOLLEGEMARKETPOSITIONALMANACFLIGHTDEALINGSTEAMGATETANDESTINATIONINTERACTIONNYT Connections today (game #753) - hint #1 - group hintsWhat are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: CommunicatingGREEN: Crucial at the terminalBLUE: Player informationPURPLE: Preceded by a profession that rhymes with “llama”Need more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…NYT Connections today (game #753) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: CORRESPONDENCE GREEN: AIRPORT BOARD INFO BLUE: PRO ATHLETE DATA PURPLE: FARMERS' THINGS Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Connections today (game #753) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #753, are…YELLOW: CORRESPONDENCE CONTACT, DEALINGS, EXCHANGE, INTERACTIONGREEN: AIRPORT BOARD INFO ARRIVAL, DESTINATION, FLIGHT, GATEBLUE: PRO ATHLETE DATA COLLEGE, NUMBER, POSITION, TEAMPURPLE: FARMERS' THINGS ALMANAC, INSURANCE, MARKET, TANMy rating: HardMy score: 3 mistakesMy first two mistakes came trying to put together AIRPORT BOARD INFO including POSITION and then NUMBER instead of ARRIVAL. It seems obvious now, of course, but the word “time” after “arrival” would have helped.Next, I struggled to see what was left from the eight remaining words and landed at PRO ATHLETE DATA through some fortunate shuffling. I had never heard of several of these FARMERS’ THINGS before, but can see now why a farmer’s TAN could be a unique thing, as it indicates someone who works outside a great deal. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, July 2, game #752)YELLOW: KNOCKOFF BOOTLEG, COPY, FAKE, REPLICABLUE: WORDS AFTER "T-" MOBILE, PAIN, REX, SHIRTGREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH FREUD DREAMS, ID, OEDIPUS, SLIPPURPLE: STARTING WITH HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE ABBREVIATIONS FRESHWATER, JUNIPER, SENECA, SOPHOCLESWhat is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #486).Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Strands today (game #487) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… ... Beyond vanillaNYT Strands today (game #487) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.MARCHBROWNBORESTRETCHSCOTCHCROWNNYT Strands today (game #487) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 8 lettersNYT Strands today (game #487) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: bottom, 3rd columnLast side: top, 4th columnRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Strands today (game #487) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #487, are…CHERRYCOFFEEBUTTERSCOTCHBROWNIEPISTACHIOSPANGRAM: ICE CREAMMy rating: TrickyMy score: 1 hintIn many ways this was my perfect Strands game. It was tricky, but not too tricky. The spangram was of a standard, acceptable length. There were no disputable words. Most of all, it made me think about my favorite treat for a few minutes.I forget that I’m lactose intolerant when it comes to ICE CREAM (in case anyone wants an argument, my theory is that every human is lactose intolerant) and especially when it comes to PISTACHIO ice cream.I’d been under the impression that it was a relatively rare flavor, but here it is rubbing shoulders with the other top alternatives to the ice cream flavor mafia of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. The Salted Caramel team are going to be really annoyed they didn’t make into this puzzle.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, July 2, game #486)FEATHERTWIGWOOLGRASSLEAFFLUFFMOSSSPANGRAM: NESTING MATERIALWhat is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Wireless Account Lock is now available for AT&T consumer and business users alikeFree feature that can be toggled in the myAT&T appThe feature prevents SIM-swapping and similar attacksAT&T has introduced a new feature to protect consumer and business accounts from SIM-swapping attacks.Wireless Account Lock will be able to disable several key account changes, a key part of SIM-swapping, which can give attackers control of a victim’s phone number and lets them intercept SMS-based two-factor authentication app codes.“The lock forces an extra step before important account changes can be made,” AT&T said of the new tool. “It prevents anyone from buying a device on the account, for example, or conducting a SIM swap – moving a phone number to a SIM in a different device.”Get 55% off Incogni's Data Removal service with code TECHRADAR Wipe your personal data off the internet with the Incogni data removal service. Stop identity thievesand protect your privacy from unwanted spam and scam calls.View DealMalicious insiders and tricked employeesThe feature is now available in the myAT&T app for postpaid consumer wireless accounts. There, users can toggle it on or off, adding an extra step before they can upgrade a device, change a SIM or an eSIM card, initiate a phone number transfer, add a new line, change billing information, change authorized users, or change phone numbers.For business users, there is the Business Account Lock and an AT&T Prepaid wireless account lock with similar functions. For businesses, account admins can find the lock switch wherever they access the account online.Adversaries typically pull off SIM swapping attacks by tricking or bribing mobile carrier employees, or using stolen personal data to impersonate the victim and convince the carrier to transfer the number to a SIM card they control.Once successful, the attacker can reset passwords and take over sensitive accounts like email, banking, or crypto wallets.Although it might sound far-fetched, these types of attacks happen all the time - most recently, Bitdefender reported a student interning at the Société Générale bank was arrested under suspicion of helping SIM-swapping scammers defraud 50 clients.Via MacRumorsYou might also likeT-Mobile confirms data breach was caused by SIM-swapping attackTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

We’re officially over halfway through the year and Paramount+ is still proving it’s the king of streaming services for classic movies. Amazingly, we’ve got even more added to its hefty binge list from July 2025.Jackass is making a huge comeback to the platform with seven of its unhinged movies dropping this month, while tear-jerkers Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Titanic (1997) will make sure we completely run out of tissues.That’s before we even get to the two big-hitters this month: Dexter: Resurrection and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Strange New Worlds is a sequel of the original series, while Resurrection is technically a sequel of a prequel of its main show.Keeping up? You’ve got some serious binging to do of the best Paramount+ shows.Everything new on Paramount+ in July 2025Arriving on July 1A Soldier's Story (movie)A Walk Among the Tombstones (movie)A Walk on the Moon (movie)Airplane II: The Sequel (movie)Airplane! (movie)An Officer and a Gentleman (movie)Beverly Hills Cop (movie)Beverly Hills Cop II (movie)Beverly Hills Cop III (movie)Boys And Girls (movie)Breakfast at Tiffany's (movie)Chicago (movie)City of God (movie)City of Men (movie)Congo (movie)Cracks (movie)Crisis (movie)Defiance (movie)Don Jon (movie)Downhill Racer (movie)Election (movie)Failure to Launch (movie)Full Metal Jacket (movie)G.I. Blues (movie)G.I. Jane (movie)Gasoline Alley (movie)Girl, Interrupted (movie)Glory (movie)Go (movie)Hamburger Hill (movie)Hit & Run (movie)Jackass 2.5 (movie)Jackass 3 (movie)Jackass 3.5 (movie)Jackass Number 2 (movie)Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (movie)Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 Unrated (movie)Jackass: The Movie (movie)Jarhead (movie)John Grisham's The Rainmaker (movie)Limitless (movie)Looper (movie)Lords of Dogtown (movie)Machete Kills (movie)Major League (movie)Monster Summer (movie)Mud (movie)Pet Sematary (2019) (movie)Rules of Engagement (movie)Saving Private Ryan (movie)Seabiscuit (movie)Set It Off: Director's Cut (movie)Side Effects (movie)Sleepless (movie)South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (movie)Stardust (movie)Staten Island Summer (movie)Stop-Loss (movie)The Aviator (movie)The Book of Henry (movie)The Fighter (movie)The Gunman (movie)The Killer Inside Me (movie)The Lincoln Lawyer (movie)The Patriot (movie)The Presidio (movie)The Quiet American (movie)The Survivalist (movie)The To Do List (movie)The Virgin Suicides (movie)Titanic (movie)Training Day (movie)World Trade Center (movie)Zero Dark Thirty (movie)Arriving on July 2Dora & Diego: Rainforest Rescues special (TV show)Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (TV show)Dora season 3 (TV show)Arriving on July 8White Famous season 1 (TV show)Arriving on July 10The Great Debaters (movie)Big Brother season 27 (TV show)Arriving on July 11Dexter: Resurrection (TV show)Arriving on July 13 Alone in Berlin (movie)Arriving on July 16The Challenge: All Stars season 5 (TV show)Max and the Midknights season 1 (TV show)Arriving on July 17 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 (TV show)Arriving on July 23RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 (TV show)RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked season 16 (TV show)Arriving on July 30CMT Live - Nate Smith at Busch Country: One Night Only (TV show)You might also like MobLand season 2: everything we know so far about the hit Paramount+ show's returnYellowjackets season 3 finale made me shocked, surprised and sad – here are 3 things you may have missedI can’t keep track of all the Yellowstone spin-offs on Paramount Plus and yet another is reportedly in the works

According to recent research, nearly half of the FTSE 100 now have a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) – with 42% of those hires happening in just the last year. On paper, this looks like real momentum, as boardrooms recognize the huge transformational potential of artificial intelligence (AI).With investors asking, employees experimenting, and competitors charging ahead, the pressure to ‘do something with AI’ is everywhere. For many organizations, a new C-suite title feels like a signal of intent.But leadership titles alone won’t fix underlying data issues – and in most enterprises, their data isn’t yet AI ready. So, the question is: are CAIOs a sign of strategic evolution, or a symptom of something more reactive?Who owns AI? Balancing responsibilities between CAIOs and CDOs In many organizations, the CAIO steps into an environment that already includes a Chief Data Officer (CDO). In others, CDOs are simply absorbing the AI remit without additional support or clarity. It may tick a box on the surface, but it doesn’t solve the underlying issue: who’s actually accountable for AI success?The result is often blurred lines, overlapping mandates, which can potentially lead to internal friction. CAIOs may be tasked with developing an AI strategy to support technology goals, while the CDO manages data governance, but overlapping responsibilities can sometimes lead to differences over resources and accountability, which may slow the progress of their shared initiatives.What’s needed is more than simply another title. It’s clarity. AI initiatives are far more likely to succeed when there’s clear ownership of the data lifecycle – from ingestion and governance through to analytics and deployment. Without that end-to-end view, AI projects become fragmented and fail to scale.AI ambition meets data reality While boards chase cutting-edge AI strategies, their IT teams are often stuck managing fragmented and outdated data – and legacy systems that weren’t built for AI. IT teams are dealing with dozens of disconnected sources, each with its own structure, format, and security posture. This disconnect between business goals and execution makes it difficult to translate strategy into implementation at scale.The situation is intensified by relentless data growth, increasingly complex regulatory demands, and hybrid environments spanning both cloud and on-premises infrastructure.Traditionally, organizations have turned to point solutions to manage scale and compliance. While these tools can accelerate specific use cases and give the impression of faster time to value, they often introduce their own set of complications. Integration challenges, fragmented workflows, and the need for specialized training can all erode long-term ROI – resulting in long-term complexity. This is effectively imposing a ‘data integration tax’ on organizations, at a time when they want to accelerate AI investment.Many organizations underestimate just how foundational the data layer is. AI requires full visibility into where data lives, how it flows, who has access, and how it’s governed – wherever it resides – whether on-prem, in the cloud, or at the edge. You can’t trust your AI output if you don’t trust your data input.This is why unified data management platforms are so critical. Without a consistent approach to control, access, and lifecycle management, AI models are not being built on a strong enough foundation. This gap between vision and reality is exactly where a CAIO should be equipped to translate complex technical potential into practical solutions.CAIOs don’t have to be deep technologists – but they must be translators Another misconception in the CAIO role is that you need an advanced technical background, like a PhD in machine learning, to do the job. In reality, many of today’s effective AI leaders come from business or operational backgrounds. They understand how to align AI strategy with business outcomes – and just as importantly, how to communicate that strategy to the board.The real value of the CAIO isn’t just technical – it’s also translational. The best one's act as a bridge between data science teams and the wider organization, making sure that AI initiatives are solving real business problems. They know how to ask the right questions, interpret what’s possible, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver impact.Of course, technical literacy is integral. But it’s the ability to integrate this with business outcomes and communicate cross functionally across the business that sets a great CAIO apart.Before businesses hire, they need to ask if they’re readyThere’s no question that CAIOs can add enormous value. But only if the foundations are in place. If the data is fragmented, governance controls are poor, and internal ownership is unclear, even the most visionary AI leader will struggle to deliver results.That’s why forward-thinking organizations need to ask themselves questions before rushing to hire. Do we have full visibility across our data lifecycle? Are we applying governance and security consistently, no matter where our data lives? Is our architecture flexible enough to support AI at scale? And critically, do we have the cultural and operational readiness to embed AI in a way that actually delivers value?In this context, it's not about rushing to appoint someone just to show momentum. It’s about ensuring they have the structure, support, and systems in place to actually make a difference. At the end of the day, it’s not the title that will define a company's AI success – it’s the trust they have in their data.We've featured the best AI chatbot for business.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro