News — Page148

ByteDance’s Doubao app has overtaken DeepSeek to become the most popular AI chatbot in China, drawing tens of millions of monthly active users. Designed with a friendly avatar and deep integration with Douyin, Doubao offers text, audio, video, image generation and customizable agents. Analysts credit ByteDance’s expertise in viral app design and seamless cross‑platform sharing for Doubao’s rapid growth, while DeepSeek remains a more minimalist text‑only service. The company is now exploring extensions of Doubao into smart glasses, cars and other devices, signalling an ambition to broaden the AI assistant beyond smartphones.Read more

Spotify announced a partnership with the three major record labels—Sony, Universal and Warner—along with digital‑rights groups Merlin and Believe to develop AI‑driven music tools that prioritize artists. The initiative, outlined in a blog post, emphasizes responsible AI use, fair compensation, and direct artist‑fan connections. It follows Spotify’s recent effort to clean up unauthorized AI‑generated tracks on its platform and builds on its own AI features such as the AI DJ, personalized daylist, and AI‑generated playlists. The company frames the collaboration as a proactive step to shape the future of music innovation responsibly.Read more

OpenAI announced two major updates to its AI video generation tool Sora 2. All users can now create videos up to 15 seconds, while Pro subscribers can generate clips up to 25 seconds and gain access to a new Storyboard tool that lets them combine multiple scenes. The upgrades aim to give users more creative flexibility and strengthen Sora 2’s position as a leading AI video platform.Read more

Anthropic has introduced Claude Haiku 4.5, a new AI model that prioritizes speed and cost efficiency while delivering performance close to its larger sibling, Claude Sonnet. Marketed as a sub‑agent that can handle small, targeted tasks under the direction of larger models, Haiku 4.5 becomes the default option for all Claude free‑tier users. The model promises double the latency speed of previous small models, lower sycophancy, and tighter integration with Anthropic’s tool ecosystem, offering a faster, cheaper entry point for developers and everyday users alike.Read more

Pinterest is rolling out new settings that let users dial down AI‑generated images in specific categories such as art, architecture, beauty and more. The "refine your recommendations" feature targets image pins, allowing people to limit AI content without removing it entirely. Labels for AI‑created material will become more prominent, and the tools are already live on desktop and Android, with iOS support arriving soon. The move aims to address user complaints about the platform’s susceptibility to AI "slop" while preserving quality content generated by humans.Read more

Website publishers, from news outlets to investment banks, are pushing back against Google’s AI Overviews, claiming the feature cuts click‑through traffic and affiliate revenue. Studies cited by publishers show click rates dropping from fifteen percent to eight percent, and revenue losses of more than a third. Google’s head of search disputes the findings, saying overall organic click volume remains stable. The dispute has escalated to a lawsuit by Penske Media Corporation, which owns The Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone, alleging significant financial harm from the AI summaries.Read more

Walmart and OpenAI have introduced Instant Checkout, a new feature that lets shoppers complete purchases through ChatGPT conversations. The AI accesses Walmart's catalog to confirm orders and handles payment via existing checkout infrastructure. Executives say the service aims to simplify everyday buying and position both companies ahead of rivals in conversational commerce. The integration builds on Walmart’s existing AI tools and expands OpenAI’s e‑commerce capabilities beyond smaller merchants.Read more

Google announced upgrades to its Flow AI video‑generation tool, adding new controls for shadows and lighting, expanded audio capabilities, and a feature that can extend or remove elements from a clip. The enhancements are tied to the Veo 3.1 update, available through a paid preview of the Gemini API. Users can now create videos using “Ingredients to Video,” bridge images with “Frames to Video,” and lengthen scenes with “Scene Extension,” all with generated audio. The updates aim to make AI‑generated videos look more realistic and easier to edit.Read more

Maj. Gen. William "Hank" Taylor told reporters that his command, the Eighth Army, is regularly employing artificial‑intelligence tools, including chat‑based models, to streamline reporting, improve predictive logistics analysis, and develop decision‑making frameworks for both personal and operational choices. He emphasized AI’s role in modernizing paperwork and supporting readiness, while noting the need for careful model building to aid individual judgment.Read more

Google has rolled out Veo 3.1, an upgrade to its AI video‑generation model that improves prompt adherence and adds the ability to convert images into video while simultaneously generating audio. The new model is accessible via the Gemini API and powers the Flow video editor, where it introduces features like Frame to Video, letting users upload start and end frames and have the system fill in the motion. While the output still varies in realism, Veo 3.1 marks a shift toward tools useful for professional video creation rather than casual social‑media content.Read more

OpenAI announced plans to relax certain restrictions for adult ChatGPT users, including the potential to allow erotica for verified adults and to reduce preemptive pop‑ups for mental‑health topics. While safety tools for crisis situations will remain, the company aims to treat adult users like adults and maintain protections for minors. The changes are part of a broader effort to balance user freedom with safety, following earlier restrictions introduced after lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny.Read more

Scouting America has expanded its merit badge program to include two new technology‑focused awards: an artificial intelligence badge and a cybersecurity badge. The new badges are designed to give scouts hands‑on experience with AI fundamentals, automation, and online safety skills. Both badges emphasize real‑world practice rather than theory. The organization also launched an AI‑powered chatbot called Scoutly, which can provide badge requirements and other assistance. With more than 130 badges already available, the additions reflect Scouting America’s effort to keep its programs relevant to modern life.Read more

Google announced the release of Veo 3, its latest AI video generator, now available to paying Gemini users through Flow, the Gemini API, and Vertex AI. The update adds features such as ingredient‑based video assembly, object insertion, and the ability to create AI‑generated transitions between still images, extending short clips to over a minute. Veo 3 follows earlier launches that integrated synchronized audio and reflects Google’s broader push into generative media, a field currently heated by OpenAI’s Sora and ongoing copyright disputes.Read more

A blend of AI analysis, museum research and veteran DJs reveals why certain songs stick in listeners' heads. ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot highlight hooks, simple melodies and tempo as key factors. A 2014 museum study ranks "Wannabe" and "Mambo No. 5" among the quickest‑recognised tracks. New Jersey DJ Mark Pomeroy and Atlanta DJ Sloan Lee stress emotional connection, beats‑per‑minute and social‑media trends. Together, these perspectives show that catchiness is a mix of musical structure, cultural moments and audience energy.Read more

Anthropic introduced Claude Haiku 4.5, a compact AI model designed to deliver high intelligence and speed at a fraction of the cost of its larger counterparts. Priced at $1 per million input tokens and $5 per million output tokens for API users, Haiku 4.5 undercuts Sonnet 4.5 and Opus 4.1 while matching frontier‑level performance on benchmarks such as SWE‑bench. The model targets real‑time, low‑latency tasks like chat assistants, customer service, and pair programming, and can be combined with Sonnet 4.5 in multi‑model workflows. Documentation and system cards are now available for developers.Read more

Researchers at Oregon State University and Florida State University have created a smartphone‑based artificial‑intelligence tool that can predict avocado firmness with more than 90% accuracy. By analyzing subtle cues in photos, the model tells users when a Hass avocado is perfectly ripe, helping shoppers and retailers avoid the narrow 15‑second window between hard and overripe fruit. The technology targets the massive waste of avocados—estimated at nearly a third of all harvested produce—by giving consumers a reliable way to time consumption, with broader applications envisioned for other perishable foods.Read more

Google announced the launch of Veo 3.1, the latest version of its AI video generator, now available to paying Gemini users through Flow, the Gemini API, and Vertex AI. The update adds asset‑combining tools, object insertion, extended clip length, and AI‑driven transitions between still images. The move comes as OpenAI promotes its Sora video model, sparking debate over deep‑fake risks and copyright challenges in generative media.Read more

VSCO, the long‑standing photo editing and sharing app known for its film‑style filters and creator community, has introduced its first AI‑driven editing feature called “Remove.” The tool lets users erase unwanted elements from images while preserving full‑resolution quality, using Black Forest Lab’s FLUX.1 Kontext model alongside VSCO’s own technology. The feature is part of a new AI Lab suite that also promises an upcoming Upscale tool. Available now for iOS users with a VSCO Pro subscription, the rollout underscores the company’s aim to support photographers with AI without compromising authenticity.Read more

Google announced Veo 3.1, the latest upgrade to its AI video model, promising stronger prompt adherence, higher realism, and improved audio. The new version expands format support to include both landscape and portrait 16:9 video, addressing the surge in vertical content on platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok. A "Fast" variant aims to reduce compute costs, and the model will be integrated across Google’s ecosystem, including the Flow filmmaking tool. While the upgrade raises concerns about distinguishing real from synthetic media, it positions Google more competitively against rivals such as OpenAI's Sora.Read more

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company will allow verified adult users to engage in erotic conversations with ChatGPT starting in December. The move reflects a shift toward a more permissive content model after a period of tighter restrictions aimed at mental‑health safety. Altman said new detection tools will help balance adult freedom with user protection, and developers will also be able to create mature‑content applications once appropriate age‑verification processes are in place.Read more