News — Page129

Tinder is piloting an AI‑driven “Chemistry” feature that examines users’ camera‑roll photos and asks interactive questions to infer interests and personality. Described by parent company Match Group as a tool to ease swipe fatigue by showing fewer, more compatible matches, the feature currently runs in New Zealand and Australia and will expand to other markets. While the rollout is opt‑in, privacy concerns arise over granting an app access to personal photos. Match Group hopes the addition, alongside other AI tools, will reverse a multi‑year decline in paying subscribers.Read more

A growing cultural movement is embracing analog formats—cassette tapes, disposable cameras, rotary phones and flip phones—while questioning the dominance of AI-generated media. Participants, often described as neo‑Luddites, argue that AI’s polished output lacks the texture, errors and spontaneity that make human‑created art memorable. The trend reflects a broader desire for tangible experiences and a resistance to the increasingly sterile aesthetic of algorithmic content.Read more

Brands are increasingly turning to AI‑generated video commercials because they are cheap, fast and endlessly adaptable. While marketers tout benefits such as perfect consistency and freedom from human error, viewers often react with suspicion, describing the synthetic spokespeople as uncanny and untrustworthy. The tension between efficiency and authenticity is prompting a debate over how AI should support, rather than replace, human storytelling in advertising.Read more

A Google analysis of five AI‑developed malware families shows they fail to work effectively and are readily identified by existing defenses. The report counters industry hype suggesting AI‑generated malware is a looming threat. While firms like Anthropic, ConnectWise, OpenAI and BugCrowd note increased accessibility of hacking tools via large language models, Google and OpenAI both report limited success and no breakthrough capabilities. The study also highlights a guard‑rail bypass attempt using a capture‑the‑flag scenario, prompting tighter safeguards. Overall, traditional malware tactics remain the dominant risk.Read more

Snap Inc. announced a $400 million agreement with Perplexity AI to integrate the AI search engine directly into Snapchat’s chat interface. The partnership, slated for early 2026, will let users ask questions and receive conversational answers sourced from verifiable data. Snap expects the deal to start contributing to its revenue in 2026, and CEO Evan Spiegel suggested similar collaborations could follow. The move adds to Snap’s broader AI strategy, which already includes its MyAI chatbot, AI‑powered lenses, and the Snapchat+ subscription service.Read more

Google has expanded its Gemini Deep Research feature to pull information directly from Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Chat. The AI can now analyze emails, documents, spreadsheets, slides, PDFs, and chat logs to generate multi‑step research reports. Users select which data sources to include, allowing the model to blend internal team content with web searches. The feature, initially available on desktop, aims to streamline market analysis, competitor reviews, and other research tasks, with plans to roll out to mobile devices soon.Read more

Apple is reportedly close to finalizing a partnership with Google that would see the iPhone maker pay roughly $1 billion annually for a customized version of Google’s Gemini AI model. The deal would power a major revamp of Siri, using a model with 1.2 trillion parameters—far exceeding Apple’s current 150 billion‑parameter cloud‑based Apple Intelligence. Apple, which traditionally relies on its own technology, evaluated models from Google, OpenAI and Anthropic before choosing Google as a temporary solution until its own AI capabilities catch up. The upgraded Siri is slated for a launch next spring, though timelines could shift.Read more

Kim Kardashian revealed in a Vanity Fair interview that she relied on OpenAI's ChatGPT to study for the First-Year Law Students' Examination, but the AI consistently gave her incorrect answers, leading to repeated failures. She described the chatbot as a "frenemy" and noted that it would respond with vague encouragement when she questioned its mistakes. The actress also touched on a broader AI controversy, referencing Ziff Davis's lawsuit against OpenAI over alleged copyright infringement. Additionally, Kardashian sparked a debate by denying the 1969 moon landing, prompting a corrective response from NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy.Read more

Dennis Crowley, the co‑founder of Foursquare, has introduced BeeBot, an AI‑driven app that delivers contextual audio snippets about people, places and events as users move through their day. Designed to work with AirPods, other headphones and even smart glasses, BeeBot activates when users put on their audio device and deactivates when they remove it. By combining location data with user‑specified interests and contacts, the app’s AI "DJ" provides personalized, on‑demand updates while minimizing interruptions to music, podcasts or calls. BeeBot marks Crowley’s latest venture under Hopscotch Labs, aiming to revive the playful spirit of early Foursquare in a modern, AI‑enhanced format.Read more

Apple is planning to integrate a custom version of Google's Gemini large‑language model into its upcoming Siri update slated for 2026. The partnership will run Gemini on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure to handle Siri’s summarizer and planner functions, while the assistant will still rely on Apple‑built models for other tasks. Apple is expected to pay Google roughly $1 billion annually for the technology and aims to eventually replace Gemini with its own trillion‑parameter cloud model for consumer use.Read more

Apple executives say Siri is on track for a release next year, highlighting ongoing progress in the company's AI efforts. While the firm has not confirmed any partnership with Google’s Gemini models, industry observers note recent leadership shifts within Apple’s AI team and the long‑standing search deal that pays Google billions annually. Rumors persist that Apple might adopt Gemini to accelerate Siri’s capabilities, but Apple maintains that its own work continues without official disclosure.Read more

Apple is set to enhance Siri by integrating a custom version of Google’s Gemini AI model. The partnership involves Apple paying Google around $1 billion each year for access to the technology, which will run on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. While Gemini will handle many new capabilities, Apple will continue to use its own models for certain Siri functions. The move follows a period of delayed AI feature rollouts and earlier consideration of OpenAI and Anthropic solutions. CEO Tim Cook announced the updated Siri is expected next spring, with openness to further third‑party AI integrations.Read more

On a recent earnings call, Pinterest chief executive Bill Ready explained how the company is turning to open‑source artificial‑intelligence models to slash costs while preserving performance across its visual‑AI features, including personalized recommendations, multimodal search, ad targeting and the new AI‑powered Pinterest Assistant. Ready said tests show open‑source models delivering comparable results at a fraction of the price of proprietary alternatives, offering what he described as orders‑of‑magnitude cost reductions. The company plans to expand the use of these models, while also exploring agentic commerce options and AI‑curated boards. The announcement came as Pinterest’s stock fell more than 21% after a revenue forecast miss.Read more

Tinder is piloting an AI-driven feature called Chemistry that asks users questions and, with permission, scans Camera Roll photos to learn more about their interests and personality. The test is underway in New Zealand and Australia and is described as a major pillar of Tinder’s 2026 product experience. Match Group said the experiment will have a modest negative impact on direct revenue and is part of broader AI efforts, including nudges before potentially offensive messages and photo‑selection assistance. The move comes as Tinder faces declining paying subscribers and a shifting dating market.Read more

Zoe Health’s nutrition app combines AI photo logging, a food‑score system, and a processed‑food risk scale to help users understand the impact of their meals. The app’s chatbot, Ziggie, answers nutrition questions using an evidence‑based library, while gamified features reward consistent logging. A paid Plus tier offers personalized scores and blood‑test uploads, and an upcoming membership will add gut‑health testing. Experts note the app’s potential to raise awareness but warn that scoring and risk labels could trigger guilt, especially for people with disordered eating or specific medical conditions.Read more

Google is integrating its Gemini artificial‑intelligence model into Google Maps, bringing a suite of new driver‑focused features. The upgrade adds conversational voice controls that let users ask for recommendations, report traffic incidents and even add calendar events without leaving the app. Directions become more precise by referencing real‑world landmarks, while proactive alerts warn of road disruptions before a trip starts. A Gemini‑enhanced Lens tool lets drivers identify nearby businesses and receive instant information. The changes roll out on Android and iOS in the coming weeks, with Android Auto slated for later release.Read more

Microsoft researchers, in partnership with Arizona State University, introduced a synthetic environment called the Magentic Marketplace to evaluate the behavior of AI agents. Early experiments involved hundreds of customer‑side and business‑side agents and tested leading models such as GPT‑4o, GPT‑5 and Gemini‑2.5‑Flash. The study uncovered that the agents struggled with overwhelming option sets, could be manipulated by businesses, and faced challenges collaborating toward shared goals. The open‑source platform aims to help the broader community explore and improve agentic AI capabilities.Read more

Sony AI has introduced the Fair Human-Centric Image Benchmark (FHIBE), the first publicly available, consent‑based image dataset designed to evaluate bias across computer‑vision tasks. The dataset features nearly 2,000 volunteers from more than 80 countries, each providing consent for their images and demographic annotations. FHIBE reveals existing biases in current AI models, such as poorer accuracy for certain pronoun groups and stereotypical associations based on ancestry or gender. Sony AI positions FHIBE as a tool for diagnosing and mitigating bias, supporting more equitable AI development.Read more

Disagree Bot, an AI chatbot created by Duke University professor Brinnae Bent, is engineered to push back against user statements rather than agree. Developed as a class assignment, the bot serves as an educational tool for students to explore system vulnerabilities and practice social‑engineering techniques. Unlike mainstream chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini, Disagree Bot delivers reasoned counter‑arguments while remaining respectful. Its design highlights concerns about overly agreeable, "sycophantic" AI and demonstrates a potential path toward more critical, balanced conversational agents.Read more

Google announced Project Suncatcher, a moonshot initiative to explore placing its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) on solar‑powered satellite constellations in low‑Earth orbit. The goal is to scale machine‑learning compute in space by creating swarms of satellites equipped with AI accelerators for tasks such as training, content generation, synthetic speech, vision, and predictive modeling. Google’s senior director Travis Beals highlighted growing AI demand as a driver, while CEO Sundar Pichai noted early tests show TPUs can survive intense radiation, though thermal management and on‑orbit reliability remain challenges.Read more