News — Page153

The Browser Company has made its AI-driven browser, Dia, freely downloadable for any Mac that runs macOS 14 on an M1 chip or newer. The rollout follows a private beta that began in June after the product’s initial reveal last year. Dia embeds a chatbot in every tab, enabling web searches, site comparisons, on‑page question answering, copy‑editing and summarization without leaving the page. The company, known for its earlier Arc browser, shifted full focus to Dia after CEO Josh Miller said Arc lacked cohesion. An acquisition by Atlassian, valued at roughly $610 million and set to close by the end of 2025, is expected to accelerate Dia’s expansion, though a Windows version has not yet been announced.Read more

The International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England have cautioned that the rapid rise in AI‑related equities could signal a bubble poised to burst. Both institutions highlighted stretched valuations, especially for technology firms centered on artificial intelligence, and warned that disappointing AI adoption or heightened competition could trigger a sharp market correction. The warnings come amid a wave of investment sparked by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s multibillion‑dollar partnership and a broader rush of capital into AI hardware and software ecosystems.Read more

Fans of Taylor Swift have voiced concerns that promotional videos for her latest album may have been created with generative artificial intelligence. Observers pointed to visual inconsistencies such as mismatched shadows and garbled text, sparking a backlash on social media under the hashtag #SwiftiesAgainstAI. The controversy has drawn comments from AI detection experts and highlighted broader debates about the impact of AI on artistic creation, environmental resources, and misinformation. Swift and her representatives have not publicly addressed the accusations, leaving the discussion unresolved.Read more

Google has extended its AI‑powered Search mode to 40 more countries and 35 additional languages, bringing the feature to over 200 nations and territories. The rollout follows the initial US launch on June 27 and showcases the growing capabilities of Google’s Gemini models. According to Hema Budaraju, vice president of Google Search product management, the expansion lets users ask questions in their preferred language and benefits from the system’s improved natural‑language understanding and multimodal features.Read more

A recent survey finds that children as young as kindergarten are experimenting with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Usage rates increase with age, reaching 15% among 11- to 12‑year‑olds, while 40% of parents report their under‑12 children using voice assistants like Alexa or Siri. Overall screen engagement remains high, with television, tablets and smartphones dominating daily use. Parents acknowledge difficulty managing this new digital frontier, especially after OpenAI introduced parental controls following a lawsuit alleging a chatbot’s role in a teen suicide. Experts urge parents to educate themselves about AI risks and to guide children on responsible interaction.Read more

A new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) of more than 20,000 U.S. workers shows that while many tasks can be automated, only a small fraction of jobs are truly at risk of displacement by generative AI. The study highlights that non‑technical barriers such as client preferences, legal constraints, and cost considerations limit automation, especially in roles that require human interaction. Industries like health care and personal care remain largely insulated, whereas computer‑based occupations show higher automation potential. The findings suggest a gradual reshaping of work rather than a sweeping job loss.Read more

Google Gemini is positioning itself as a direct competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT by offering deep integration across Google services, real‑time information access, and native support for files, images, and audio. The assistant operates within Chrome, Android, Workspace, and other Google products, allowing users to ask questions about PDFs, Docs, images, and short audio clips without extra steps. Gemini also taps into Google’s vast data ecosystem, offers image generation through the Nano Banana model, and can orchestrate tasks across Maps, messaging, and calendars. While praised for its polished design and multimodal capabilities, some users voice concerns about data privacy. Visits to Gemini have risen sharply, indicating growing interest.Read more

OpenAI’s new Sora app, an AI‑powered video‑creation platform with a social remix feed, quickly rose to the number‑one spot on the U.S. App Store. Within two days it logged more than 164,000 installs, surpassing other AI apps despite being limited to invited users. The app combines a cutting‑edge video model, watermarking, and strict content guardrails, and its rapid adoption hints at a potential new revenue pillar for OpenAI.Read more

The Bank of England has cautioned that AI‑related stock valuations have reached their highest levels since the dot‑com surge of the late 1990s. While current price‑to‑earnings ratios appear less extreme when based on future profit expectations, the central bank notes that increasing concentration within market indices leaves equity markets especially vulnerable if enthusiasm for AI wanes. The BoE draws parallels to the 2000 dot‑com peak, highlighting the rapid rise and steep fall of the Nasdaq during that era and warning that similar dynamics could unfold for AI‑focused equities.Read more

The Google Pixel Watch 4 impresses with its domed glass design, bright 3000‑nit display, and Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chipset. Health tracking is accurate, offering sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, ECG, and fall detection. The new Gemini AI powers a more conversational assistant, with raise‑to‑talk activation. Battery life reaches a day and a half under typical use, and fast charging restores over 50 percent in 15 minutes. While the included band is considered dull and charging accessories are limited, the watch stands out as a repairable, feature‑rich option for Android users at $349.Read more

Amazon and Google have introduced new AI‑driven versions of their smart home voice assistants—Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home—built on generative AI and large language models. Both companies say the upgrades will make the assistants more conversational, better at understanding context, and capable of proactive actions. Early access programs are already testing the technology, but the firms acknowledge hurdles such as reliability, response speed, cloud dependence, and convincing users to pay for advanced features. The rollout marks a major shift in the smart‑home market, with both firms betting on AI to revive growth.Read more

Germany has announced it will not support the EU's Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, commonly known as "Chat Control," which would require mandatory scanning of private messages for illegal content. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig emphasized that random monitoring must remain taboo in a constitutional state, calling the move a major victory for digital privacy. The decision follows weeks of mixed signals and pressure from various ministries. Privacy advocates, including former Pirate Party MEP Patrick Breyer, hailed the rejection, while officials warned the fight against child exploitation will continue. The EU Council is set to meet with the Justice Minister to determine the proposal's future.Read more

Digital actress Tilly Norwood, created by AI firm Particle 6, has drawn fierce criticism from Hollywood after the company announced plans to secure traditional representation for the virtual performer. CEO Eline Van der Velden described the project as “a piece of art,” but actors such as Melissa Barrera warned that AI talent threatens human careers. Particle 6 is also launching a new agency, Xicoia, to manage AI creations, intensifying the debate over whether artificial characters should be judged on their own merits or compared directly with human performers.Read more

A campaign promoting the AI‑powered "Friend" necklace on New York subway stations has sparked intense backlash. Critics argue the device exemplifies surveillance capitalism and exploits a growing loneliness epidemic, citing a Harvard study that links technology to increased isolation among adults aged 30‑44. Founder Schiffman defends the product as a supplement to human relationships, emphasizing its potential to boost emotional intelligence. Sales remain modest, with only a few thousand units sold. In response, activists created a website allowing users to digitally vandalize the ads, posting thousands of altered images that range from humor to stark warnings about mental‑health risks.Read more

Elon Musk has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by four former Twitter executives—Parag Agrawal, Ned Segal, Vijaya Gadde, and Sean Edgett—over more than $128 million in unpaid severance. The settlement, filed in the U.S. Northern District Court of California, is contingent on Musk meeting unspecified conditions. The dispute originated after Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter, which the executives allege was closed early to deny them stock option vesting. The agreement postpones existing deadlines and may be rescinded if conditions are not satisfied.Read more

ChatGPT offers a fast, structured way to draft resumes by synthesizing user‑provided information into professional formats. Users start by feeding the model details about their education, experience, and skills, then guide it with prompts to arrange sections, adjust layouts, and avoid sharing sensitive personal data. While the AI can generate clean drafts and suggest improvements, users must review for accuracy, remove any fabricated details, and add final touches like contact information. The tool serves as a helpful partner rather than a complete replacement for human oversight.Read more

SoftBank is purchasing ABB’s robotics division for $5.4 billion, a move the company says will cement its focus on "Physical AI." Founder Masayoshi Son described the acquisition as a step toward a new frontier in artificial intelligence. The deal, which still requires regulatory approval, adds to SoftBank’s existing robotics holdings, including stakes in Skild, AutoStore Holdings and Agile Robots, and aligns with its broader investment strategy in chips, data centers, energy and generative AI technologies.Read more

At the IFA 2025 exhibition in Berlin, a surge of AI branding dominated product announcements, with companies like Samsung, SwitchBot, Roborock, Hisense and Lepro labeling a wide range of features as “AI.” While some devices incorporate genuine generative AI and large‑language‑model capabilities, many rely on basic algorithms or voice assistants rebranded as AI. The trend has left consumers and reviewers questioning which AI functions truly add value, how they differ from traditional smart‑home features, and whether the marketing hype outweighs practical benefits.Read more

A federal judge has approved a settlement that allows authors whose books were allegedly downloaded from LibGen and PiLiMi to train Anthropic's AI model to file claims for compensation. The settlement, valued at $1.5 billion, provides eligible copyright owners up to $3,000 per work. Claimants must verify their inclusion on the official works list, receive a notice with a unique ID, and submit a claim by the March 2026 deadline. The approval follows an initial hold by the court to ensure authors have sufficient time to participate.Read more

Waze has begun rolling out its Gemini AI-powered Conversational Reporting feature to a broader audience after a year of limited beta testing. The voice‑based tool lets drivers report road incidents without tapping screens, but many users report pop‑up prompts, interruptions to music or podcasts, and occasional misrecognition of reported events. Some suggest restarting the app to resolve issues. While the feature promises a safer, more convenient experience, early bugs remain a focus for future fixes.Read more