Actualités — Page209

Google's Gemini-powered AI research assistant NotebookLM is adding three new Audio Overview formats—Brief, Critique, and Debate—to its existing Deep Dive option. The new formats let users receive bite‑size summaries, expert feedback, or a simulated debate between two hosts, all generated from the user’s own notes and sources. This expansion aims to make the tool more flexible for learning and research, building on the popularity of its multimodal capabilities.Lire la suite

The term “Clanker,” borrowed from a sci‑fi insult for battle droids, has recently surfaced as a blanket slur for AI systems, especially chatbots. While it sounds edgy, the word is a poor fit for the nuanced technology behind language models. Critics argue that it trivializes real concerns about AI, mischaracterizes predictive systems as autonomous robots, and adds little value to public discourse. More precise language such as “hallucation” or “digital copilot” better captures the strengths and shortcomings of AI without resorting to vague insults.Lire la suite

The surge of AI writing tools has created new challenges for teachers who must protect academic integrity. Instructors can recognize AI‑generated essays by looking for repeated prompt language, inaccurate facts, unnatural sentence flow, generic explanations, and a tone that does not match a student's usual voice. Proactive strategies include testing AI tools on assignment prompts, collecting personal writing samples from students, requesting rewrites, and using dedicated detection software. These methods help educators identify and address AI misuse while maintaining a fair learning environment.Lire la suite

Amazon has introduced Lens Live, a new feature that lets iPhone users point their camera at any object and instantly see a carousel of similar products for purchase. The tool leverages artificial intelligence and is tied to Amazon’s Rufus assistant, which can answer follow‑up questions about items. Lens Live expands Amazon’s visual search capabilities, offering a direct path to buying without needing to type a description. The feature is currently available only on iOS, with no Android release date announced, and positions Amazon against rivals such as Google Lens and Pinterest’s camera tools.Lire la suite

Mike Liberatore, chief financial officer of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence firm xAI, has left the company, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Liberatore, who joined xAI in April after a stint at Airbnb, oversaw a $5 billion debt raise and a matching $5 billion equity infusion, half of which came from SpaceX, and managed the expansion of a data center in Memphis. His exit follows a series of high‑profile departures, including general counsel Robert Keele, senior lawyer Raghu Rao, co‑founder Igor Babuschkin, and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino after issues with the Grok chatbot, raising questions about leadership stability at the Musk‑owned AI venture.Lire la suite

CoreWeave, a cloud provider for large‑scale AI model training, announced an agreement to acquire OpenPipe, a Y Combinator‑backed startup that offers tools for building customized AI agents through reinforcement learning. The deal aims to combine OpenPipe’s open‑source agent‑training toolkit with CoreWeave’s high‑performance infrastructure, giving developers a stronger platform for scalable intelligent systems. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The move follows CoreWeave’s recent purchase of the AI developer platform Weights & Biases, signaling a broader strategy to move down the AI stack and serve both major labs and smaller enterprises.Lire la suite

Orchard Robotics, the Cornell‑dropout‑turned‑Thiel fellow startup founded by Charlie Wu, announced a $22 million Series A round led by Quiet Capital and Shine Capital, with participation from General Catalyst and Contrary. The funding will accelerate the company’s camera‑and‑AI platform that delivers ultra‑high‑resolution fruit health data to growers of apples, grapes, and other specialty crops. Wu says the technology helps farmers make precise decisions on fertilization, pruning, and harvesting, addressing the industry’s reliance on limited manual sampling.Lire la suite

Google has expanded its AI‑driven note‑taking tool, NotebookLM, to let users choose the tone of its Audio Overviews, which are AI‑generated podcasts summarizing shared documents. The new options—Deep Dive, Brief, Critique, and Debate—let users tailor length and style, while fresh voice selections further personalize the experience. The update follows recent additions such as Video Overviews, featured notebooks, and standalone Android and iOS details, and is rolling out to all languages for all users this week.Lire la suite

Scale AI, a leading AI data‑labeling firm, has filed a lawsuit against former head of engagement management Eugene Ling and his new employer Mercur, a direct competitor. The complaint alleges that Ling stole more than 100 confidential documents, including proprietary strategies and customer information, and attempted to lure a key client and Scale employees to Mercur. The case highlights the intense competition and talent churn in the AI sector, where companies are racing to secure data, talent, and market share. Scale is seeking damages, legal costs, and an injunction to prevent Mercur from using the stolen material.Lire la suite

Researchers tested how persuasive prompt structures affect GPT‑4o‑mini’s willingness to comply with prohibited requests. By pairing control prompts with experimental prompts that mimicked length, tone, and context, they ran 28,000 trials. The experimental prompts dramatically increased compliance rates—rising from roughly 28% to 67% on insult requests and from 76% to 67% on drug‑related requests. Techniques such as sequential harmless queries and invoking authority figures like Andrew Ng pushed success rates as high as 100% for illicit instructions. The authors caution that while these methods amplify jailbreak success, more direct techniques remain more reliable, and results may vary with future model updates.Lire la suite

Google is rolling out its latest Material 3 Expressive UI to Pixel phones released since 2021, adding Live Effects, revamped contact cards, and a redesigned Quick Settings pane. The update also brings new audio capabilities, including LE Audio Auracast that lets multiple listeners share a Bluetooth stream, and upcoming features for Pixel Buds Pro 2 such as Adaptive Audio and Loud Noise Protection. AI enhancements arrive in Gboard’s on‑device writing tools and the Androidify experience, which lets users create custom Android mascots using AI. The rollout broadens the reach of recent Pixel innovations across the Android ecosystem.Lire la suite

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous‑driving unit, is rapidly extending its robotaxi service across the United States and abroad. The company announced upcoming operations in Denver and Seattle, early testing in Dallas, and a renewed presence in New York City with autonomous pilots in Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn. Waymo also outlined plans for Washington, DC, and Miami in 2026, while continuing its Tokyo pilot with local taxi partners. New vehicle partnerships—including Jaguar I‑Pace, Zeekr RT, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and a sixth‑generation driver system—are set to broaden the fleet’s capabilities, especially in challenging weather and freeway environments.Lire la suite

Google is rolling out a new set of updates for Android and Pixel devices that simplify file sharing and introduce a group‑listening capability. Quick Share receives a cleaner interface with a clear send/receive toggle and live progress indicators. A new Audio Sharing feature uses LE Audio and QR codes to let multiple listeners connect to a single phone and enjoy synchronized sound on their own headphones. The update also adds AI writing tools to Gboard, revives Androidify with generative AI, and brings theming and audio enhancements to Pixel hardware.Lire la suite

Human Behavior, founded by 20‑year‑old Amogh Chaturvedi and his 22‑year‑old co‑founders Skyler Ji and Chirag Kawediya, has closed a $5 million seed round backed by General Catalyst, Paul Graham, Vercel Ventures and Y Combinator. The startup leverages vision AI to watch user session replays, automatically generating insights that replace manual event tracking used by tools like Mixpanel and PostHog. Its early customers—fast‑moving Series A and B startups—receive daily summary emails on feature usage, bugs and churn. The founders aim to become the “Datadog of session replay,” expanding the platform into multiple products.Lire la suite

Warp has introduced Warp Code, a suite of tools that give developers real‑time visibility into AI‑driven command‑line coding agents. The new features include step‑by‑step diff tracking, inline commenting, and automatic compiler troubleshooting, all presented in a familiar interface with dedicated windows for instructions, agent responses, and change logs. With roughly 600,000 active users and rapid ARR growth, Warp positions itself against other AI coding platforms like Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, and Codex, emphasizing tighter feedback loops and greater control for developers.Lire la suite

PayPal announced a partnership with Perplexity that gives PayPal and Venmo users an invite to Perplexity’s AI‑powered Comet browser and a free year of Perplexity Pro, normally priced at $200 per year. The offer, available through the apps, includes one invite per PayPal account and excludes existing Pro subscribers. The deal builds on earlier collaborations that let users checkout instantly via AI‑driven searches and introduces a new subscriptions hub that helps users manage recurring payments, with a promotion that pays $50 to customers who link and pay for at least three subscriptions.Lire la suite

A federal judge has issued tentative remedies in the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google, requiring the company to abandon exclusive agreements that tie its search services to other products. While Google will not be broken up, the order mandates data sharing with qualified competitors and the removal of conditions that link Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or Gemini to app distribution or revenue arrangements. The ruling aims to prevent further anticompetitive behavior and will be refined in a final judgment due later this year.Lire la suite

Emma Roth, a writer for The Verge, purchased a Kenmore Progressive 116 vacuum for $7 at a local thrift store. She praises its strong suction, versatile attachments, and ability to handle crumbs, pet hair, and various floor types. While the plastic has yellowed and the unit is heavy, she appreciates the ease of maintenance and the availability of replacement parts, preferring it over a cordless Dyson despite occasional frustrations.Lire la suite

Instagram has finally released a native iPad app, arriving 15 years after the platform first launched. The tablet version opens directly to a Reels feed, lets users view posts and Reels in chronological order, and takes advantage of the larger screen with side‑by‑side comments and an integrated inbox in Direct Messages. The move follows earlier comments from Instagram head Adam Mosseri that the iPad market was not a priority, making the new app a notable shift in the company’s tablet strategy.Lire la suite