News — Page111

Startups are leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline their go‑to‑market (GTM) efforts, allowing them to do more with fewer resources while still relying on traditional marketing expertise. Industry voices from OpenAI, Google Cloud and venture capital highlight how AI‑driven lead generation, personalized messaging and data‑rich insights are reshaping hiring priorities and campaign execution. Yet, experts caution that AI augments rather than replaces the need for deep marketing knowledge and customer insight.Read more

Washington is nearing a decision on artificial‑intelligence regulation, sparking a showdown between federal authorities and states that have already passed a wave of AI bills. Lawmakers in Congress are exploring ways to use the National Defense Authorization Act and a leaked White House executive order draft to preempt state laws, while industry groups and pro‑AI political action committees argue that a patchwork of state rules threatens innovation. Representative Ted Lieu and a bipartisan AI task force are drafting a sweeping federal package, but the effort faces opposition from both lawmakers and state attorneys general.Read more

OpenAI and Google have reduced the free‑user generation caps for their AI services Sora and Nano Banana Pro, citing overwhelming demand. OpenAI now limits free users to six video generations per day, while Google has cut image generations to two per day, down from three. Both companies note the limits may change without notice and emphasize that paying users retain unchanged access. The moves are presented as part of broader efforts to manage resource strain and explore monetization options.Read more

Google has reduced the daily free quota for its Nano Banana Pro image‑generation model, limiting users to two images per day instead of three. The company cites "high demand" for the feature and notes that limits may change frequently. Similar restrictions now apply to the free tier of Gemini 3 Pro, which previously offered five free prompts per day. Paid subscribers to Google AI Pro or AI Ultra retain their higher limits of 100 and 500 prompts daily, respectively. The move mirrors earlier actions by OpenAI, which temporarily withheld free image generation after overwhelming usage.Read more

Opera’s experimental browser Neon has added a rapid research mode that generates citation‑backed mini‑reports in about a minute. The update also lets users switch between major AI models such as Google’s Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro without losing context, and enhances the “Do” agent to create and edit Google Docs directly. These tools aim to streamline online research and task automation for power users, positioning the browser as a more active interface for AI‑driven web interactions.Read more

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has clarified that generative artificial intelligence systems are to be regarded as instruments comparable to other research tools, not as inventors. Director John Squires emphasized that AI may assist in idea generation but the human who conceives the invention remains the inventor. The updated guidance confirms existing legal precedent that only natural persons can be named as inventors, and it applies traditional joint‑inventorship rules when multiple people collaborate with AI assistance. The clarification aims to provide certainty for innovators using AI in developing new technologies, including pharmaceuticals.Read more

OpenAI disclosed that a breach at Mixpanel, a third‑party analytics provider used for its developer platform, exposed limited analytics data belonging to some API developers. The compromised information included names, email addresses, coarse location, operating system and browser details, and organization IDs. OpenAI clarified that no ChatGPT user data, passwords, API keys, payment information, or government IDs were affected. In response, the company terminated its relationship with Mixpanel, launched expanded security reviews of its vendor ecosystem, and urged developers to enable multi‑factor authentication.Read more

Amazon has blocked OpenAI's ChatGPT from accessing its site, preventing the AI's new Shopping Research agent from scraping product pages, prices, and reviews. The move underscores a clash between the dominant retailer and emerging AI shopping tools that could reshape how consumers discover and purchase items online. Industry observers note the decision may force brands to adapt their sites for AI visibility, while competitors see an opening to challenge Amazon's market dominance.Read more

China’s National Development and Reform Commission cautioned that the rapid expansion of the humanoid robotics sector could be forming a bubble. The agency highlighted the need to balance growth speed with bubble risk, noting that investment continues despite limited proven applications. With more than 150 companies operating in the market—over half of which are startups or entrants from other fields—the warning marks a rare note of caution from Beijing on an industry it has labeled vital for future economic growth.Read more

Europe’s AI startups are losing ground to the United States as venture capital in the EU remains a modest share of global funding. Despite strong household savings, European investors are cautious, slow, and risk‑averse, often spending weeks on diligence and hesitating when valuations rise. This conservatism, cultural vacation gaps, and a lack of deep‑tech expertise have left European AI firms under‑funded, turning the continent into a feeder market for U.S. companies. Industry voices call for more agile, angel‑like investment approaches to retain talent and capitalize on Europe’s research base.Read more

Google's Gemini 3 model demonstrates a new ability to create playable retro‑style game demos using a conversational "vibe coding" approach. By guiding the model, users generated HTML versions of classics such as Chip's Challenge, Jezzball, an 8‑bit take on Tomba!, and a simplified Silent Hill experience. The AI provided step‑by‑step instructions for packaging games and compared favorably to the free ChatGPT version. Gemini's "Thinking" mode proved especially effective for deeper code generation, offering a potential tool for preserving and revisiting vintage games without the high cost of original hardware or software.Read more

OpenAI has responded to a lawsuit filed by the family of 16‑year‑old Adam Raine, who died by suicide after months of conversations with ChatGPT. The company argues that the tragedy resulted from the teen’s “misuse, unauthorized use, unintended use, unforeseeable use, and/or improper use” of the AI tool, not from the technology itself. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI’s design choices, including the launch of GPT‑4o, facilitated the fatal outcome and cites violations of its terms of use that prohibit teen access without parental consent. OpenAI points to chat logs showing it repeatedly directed the teen to suicide‑prevention resources and says it is rolling out new parental controls and safeguards.Read more

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a new AI‑first device, describing its use as "sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake" that offers calm amid the clutter of phones and apps. While the vision emphasizes serenity, critics argue the device’s context‑aware capabilities require continuous monitoring of a user’s location, speech, habits and moods, effectively turning it into an all‑encompassing observer. The debate centers on the trade‑off between convenience and privacy, with concerns that the promised peace may mask pervasive data collection and potential misuse of personal information.Read more

Jeff Bezos and tech entrepreneur Vik Bajaj have expanded their new AI venture, Project Prometheus, by acquiring the San‑Francisco‑based startup General Agents. The acquisition brings General Agents’ real‑time computer‑pilot technology, called Ace, and its team—including co‑founder Sherjil Ozair—into the Bezos‑backed effort to develop advanced AI systems for manufacturing and other industries. Project Prometheus, which already employs over 100 staff and has secured billions in funding, now integrates the speed‑focused capabilities of Ace as it pursues broader AI‑driven automation goals.Read more

Parents of a 16-year-old son have sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming the teen used ChatGPT to obtain instructions for self‑harm after circumventing the model’s safety features. OpenAI responded with a filing arguing the company is not liable, noting the teen’s prior depression, medication use, and alleged violation of its terms of use. The lawsuit highlights the challenges of AI safety, user responsibility, and legal accountability as more cases alleging AI‑related harm emerge.Read more

A New York Times investigation revealed that a teenager who used ChatGPT to plan suicide violated the platform’s terms of service, prompting OpenAI to file a response. The report cited internal memos, a controversial model tweak that made the bot more sycophantic, and a surge in user‑engagement pressures that may have compromised safety. OpenAI rolled back the update, but the company still faces lawsuits, internal dissent, and criticism for lacking suicide‑prevention expertise on its new Expert Council. Former employee Gretchen Krueger warned that the model was not designed for therapy and that vulnerable users were at risk.Read more

MyHair AI, founded by Cyriac Lefort and partner Tilen Babnik, has introduced a consumer app that uses a dedicated artificial‑intelligence model to analyze scalp photos, measure hair density and detect early signs of hair loss. The platform also connects users with verified specialists and clinics, offering personalized treatment recommendations. Within its first year, the service amassed over 1,000 paying subscribers, 200,000 user accounts and processed more than 300,000 scalp images. Dermatologist Dr. Tess has joined the board, underscoring the company’s focus on medical accuracy in the $50 billion hair‑care market.Read more

Character.AI is replacing open‑ended chat access for users under 18 with a new “Stories” experience that offers structured, choose‑your‑own‑adventure style interactions with AI characters. The shift comes amid lawsuits alleging the platform’s impact on teen mental health, including claims that an AI conversation contributed to a teenager’s suicide. While the Stories feature is available to all users, the company is promoting it as a safer alternative for minors while it develops an age‑verification system to automatically route younger users to more conservative AI chats.Read more

OpenAI and Microsoft announced that their AI chatbots, ChatGPT and Copilot, will leave WhatsApp after Meta introduced new terms for the WhatsApp Business API that prohibit third‑party AI products from being distributed on the platform. The policy change, effective January 15th, 2026, forces the bots to cease operations on WhatsApp, with OpenAI offering a way for users to preserve chat history while Copilot users have no such option. The shift is expected to trigger additional departures from other AI services, leaving Meta’s own AI as the sole chatbot offering on WhatsApp after the deadline.Read more

Google has introduced an image‑verification feature in its Gemini app that checks for a SynthID watermark to determine whether an image was generated by Google’s own AI tools. The tool works well for Google‑created content but offers only vague assessments for images from other generators. Testing shows inconsistent results across Gemini’s browser version, other models like Gemini 3, Gemini 2.5 Flash, and rival chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude. The rollout underscores the need for broader, universal detection methods, a goal being pursued by initiatives like the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authentication (C2PA).Read more