News — 2026-03-25

Google announced the launch of Lyria 3 Pro, an upgraded AI music generation model that lets users create tracks up to three minutes long, compared with the 30‑second limit of the original Lyria 3. The new model offers finer creative control, allowing prompts that specify song sections such as intros, verses, choruses and bridges. Lyria 3 Pro is being rolled out to the Gemini app for paid subscribers, as well as to Google Vids, ProducerAI, Vertex AI, the Gemini API and AI Studio. Google says the model was trained on partner data and permissible YouTube and Google content, and that any generated track is marked with a SynthID to indicate AI involvement. Read more

OpenAI has added an AccuWeather app to ChatGPT, allowing users to receive real-time weather conditions, hourly updates, multi‑day forecasts, and advanced features such as MinuteCast, RealFeel, and live radar directly within the chat. The integration lets users connect the app through the ChatGPT Apps section and query weather information by mentioning AccuWeather, streamlining the experience and reducing the need to switch between separate weather services. Read more

Anthropic has begun previewing a new "auto mode" inside Claude Code, offering a middle ground between the default safety‑first behavior and fully autonomous operation. The feature uses a classifier to allow Claude to perform actions it deems safe while steering away from potentially dangerous commands, such as mass file deletions or malicious code execution. Anthropic cites recent high‑profile AI‑related outages as motivation, and warns that the system is not flawless. The mode is initially available to team‑plan users, with broader Enterprise and API rollout planned in the coming days. Read more

OpenAI’s nonprofit arm announced a $1 billion investment over the next year aimed at accelerating disease cures, examining AI’s impact on employment, and strengthening AI resilience, including biosecurity. Founder Sam Altman emphasized that the rapid advance of artificial intelligence also creates novel societal risks that no single company can manage alone, calling for a coordinated, society‑wide response. The plan forms part of a broader long‑term commitment to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. Read more

Disney has terminated its planned $1 billion partnership with OpenAI, citing concerns surrounding the AI video tool Sora. While talks about alternative collaboration continue, the split follows heightened legal pressure on OpenAI and a shift in Hollywood’s focus to competing AI video apps. Disney has issued cease‑and‑desist letters to firms it accuses of using its intellectual property without permission, and has threatened legal action against companies it believes trained on its copyrighted works. The move reflects growing tension between traditional media owners and emerging AI technologies. Read more

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announced a bill that would place a moratorium on the construction and upgrade of new and existing data centers used for artificial intelligence until legislation safeguards public health, the environment, and AI safety. The proposal targets facilities above a certain energy load and calls for shared wealth from AI, export restrictions on computing hardware, and protections against higher electricity bills. The move follows growing public opposition, state-level moratoriums, and bipartisan concerns over the rapid expansion of data centers. Industry groups argue the moratorium could harm jobs and tax revenue, while progressive groups see it as a necessary check on AI growth. Read more

A study published in Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence finds that leading AI chatbots such as Gemini, GPT and Llama often generate overlapping ideas when tasked with creative problems. Testing more than twenty models from various companies against over one hundred human participants, researchers observed that AI outputs clustered tightly while human responses covered a much broader space. Efforts to increase randomness or prompt the models for greater imagination produced only modest gains and often reduced coherence. The findings suggest that while AI can produce impressive individual suggestions, widespread reliance on these tools may compress the overall diversity of ideas. Read more

A new Chrome extension called GPTDisguise lets users disguise the ChatGPT web interface as a Google Docs document. The creator, citing personal social anxiety about using AI in public, designed the tool to give the chatbot a familiar, non‑suspicious look. The extension is purely cosmetic—it adds document‑style toolbars, margins, and formatting while the underlying ChatGPT functionality remains unchanged. Users install the extension, activate the camouflage, and can continue typing to the AI without drawing attention. The developer emphasizes that the tool does not create real Google Docs and is intended solely to address a social, not technical, concern. Read more

The nonprofit that controls OpenAI, now called the OpenAI Foundation, announced a plan to invest at least $1 billion in its four new program areas—life sciences, jobs and economic impact, AI resilience, and community initiatives. The commitment is described as the first tranche of a larger $25 billion pledge linked to the foundation’s equity stake following the 2023 recapitalisation that valued the for‑profit arm at roughly $130 billion. New senior hires will lead the expanded grantmaking effort, marking a dramatic shift from a $7.6 million grantmaker in 2024 to a major philanthropic player. Read more

Anthropic has launched an auto mode for its Claude Code tool, allowing the AI to act on users' behalf while reducing the risk of unwanted actions. The feature flags and blocks potentially risky operations, prompting the model to retry or request user intervention. Currently available as a research preview for Team plan users, Anthropic plans to extend access to Enterprise and API users in the coming days. The company emphasizes that the tool remains experimental and recommends use in isolated environments. Read more

OpenAI is rolling out two new features for ChatGPT that make handling uploaded files easier. A Recent files option appears in the attachment menu, letting users quickly reuse the most recent documents. A new Library tab in the web sidebar serves as a central hub for all uploaded and generated files, offering browsing, search, and one‑click attachment to new chats. The updates target Plus, Pro, and Business subscribers and are expected to reach additional regions soon, signaling OpenAI’s push to turn ChatGPT into a more robust productivity tool. Read more

During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin questioned the Department of Defense’s decision to label AI developer Anthropic a supply‑chain risk, describing it as an apparent attempt to cripple the company after it sought limits on military use of its Claude tool. Anthropic has filed lawsuits alleging illegal retaliation, and the judge is considering a temporary injunction that could pause the designation. The case highlights tensions over AI use in the armed forces, First Amendment concerns, and the Pentagon’s authority to restrict contractors. Read more

Anthropic is close to securing final court approval for a historic settlement that resolves claims that its Claude AI model was trained on pirated books. Nearly 100,000 authors have filed claims, and the company has agreed to pay a total of $1.5 billion, with $3,000 allocated to each qualifying work. The settlement includes a certification that no pirated content will be used in future Claude releases and a commitment to destroy existing pirated copies. The court is set to consider the final approval motion in late April, marking a significant milestone in AI‑related copyright litigation. Read more

The city of Baltimore has filed a municipal lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI, alleging that its AI chatbot Grok and the X social network were marketed without warning about the risk of harmful deepfake images. The complaint cites the platform’s image‑generation tool, which was used to create millions of sexualized images, including thousands involving minors, and argues that this violates Baltimore’s Consumer Protection Ordinance. City officials say the action is intended to protect residents from emerging AI‑related harms and hold technology companies accountable. Read more

Anthropic has introduced an "auto mode" for its Claude Code AI, allowing the system to automatically execute actions it deems safe while blocking those that appear risky. The feature, now in research preview, adds a safety layer that checks for dangerous behavior and prompt‑injection attacks before any action runs. Auto mode works with Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6 and is recommended for isolated, sandboxed environments. The rollout targets Enterprise and API users and follows Anthropic’s recent releases of Claude Code Review and Dispatch for Cowork, reflecting a broader industry move toward more autonomous coding tools. Read more

OpenAI announced it will shut down its Sora video‑generation app and API, a move that also ends the high‑profile licensing partnership with Disney. Executives said the decision follows internal discussions about research priorities and resource allocation, noting that Sora required extensive compute power that limited other teams. The company reiterated its focus on core products such as ChatGPT, Codex and the AI browser, while hinting at a forthcoming “superapp” strategy. The announcement caught many employees by surprise and signals a shift away from experimental side projects toward practical adoption. Read more

OpenAI announced it will de‑prioritize the Instant Checkout feature that let users purchase items directly within ChatGPT. Launched in September, the checkout tool failed to attract significant use, prompting the company to pivot toward enhancing product discovery and detailed consumer information. Merchants can still integrate their own checkout experiences through apps in the chatbot, while OpenAI develops its Agentic Commerce Protocol with Stripe to serve as a centralized hub for product research. Read more

OpenAI announced a set of open‑source, prompt‑based safety policies aimed at helping developers protect teenage users of AI applications. Developed with Common Sense Media and everyone.ai, the policies target five categories of potential harm, including graphic violence, harmful body ideals, dangerous challenges, romantic or violent role‑play, and age‑restricted goods. The move comes amid multiple lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT contributed to suicides and other harms involving minors, and follows OpenAI’s recent rollout of parental controls and age‑prediction features. The company frames the policies as a baseline safety floor for the broader developer ecosystem. Read more

OpenAI announced a new set of open‑source prompts designed to help developers build AI applications that are safer for teenagers. The prompts address a range of risky content, including graphic violence, sexual material, harmful body ideals, dangerous challenges, and age‑restricted services. By providing clear, operational safety policies, OpenAI aims to give developers a practical foundation for protecting younger users, while acknowledging that the broader challenges of AI safety remain complex. Read more

Google Labs introduced Stitch, an AI‑driven design tool that lets users create website and app interfaces through natural‑language prompts. Leveraging Gemini models, Stitch supports text and voice input, offers real‑time design critiques, and allows on‑the‑fly edits such as moving buttons or changing colors. Currently in beta, the platform can generate multi‑page layouts, extract design systems from URLs, and export rules via a markdown file. Early testers reported impressive visual results but noted occasional glitches typical of a beta product. Read more

BNESIM, a global provider of travel eSIM and digital communications, says artificial intelligence is reshaping its industry by compressing development cycles and enhancing both operational efficiency and customer experience. The company’s CEO Luca Mattei highlights AI’s role in fraud detection, support automation, procurement, and market analysis, while emphasizing a collaborative approach that blends human judgment with machine capabilities. BNESIM’s dedicated AI and automation team works across departments to embed intelligent tools into everyday workflows, aiming for faster, more precise responses to the dynamic needs of travelers, remote professionals, and connected devices. Read more

Apple is reportedly testing a standalone Siri app, a refreshed interface and an "Ask Siri" button that would make the voice assistant more visible across its devices. The changes, aimed at turning Siri into a full‑featured AI chatbot similar to ChatGPT, are expected to debut with iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 after a preview at WWDC 2024. Apple has not confirmed the details, but the reported overhaul could mark the company's most significant AI push for Siri since its launch more than a decade ago. Read more

OpenAI announced the shutdown of Sora, its AI-powered social video platform that sought to blend TikTok-style feeds with deepfake technology. Launched as an invite‑only service, the app generated buzz but failed to sustain user interest, leading the company to end the product without providing a timeline or detailed explanation. While the underlying Sora 2 model remains available through ChatGPT, the decision marks the end of OpenAI's experiment with an AI‑first social feed and raises questions about the future of deepfake‑centric applications. Read more

Google has expanded its Gemini AI assistant into retail by partnering with Gap Inc., allowing users to browse and purchase items from Gap’s brands directly within the chatbot using Google Pay and the Universal Commerce Protocol. At the same time, OpenAI is stepping back from its built-in checkout feature in ChatGPT, focusing instead on improving product displays, side‑by‑side comparisons, and overall relevance. The move reflects a broader trend of retailers and AI developers experimenting with conversational commerce while reassessing what shopping experiences resonate with users. Read more