News — Page84

Internal communications obtained by the New Mexico Attorney General reveal that Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg opposed both explicit conversations between AI chatbots and minors and the implementation of parental controls for those chatbots. The state has sued Meta, alleging the platforms failed to protect children from sexual content and harassment. In response, Meta announced a temporary suspension of teen access to AI characters while it works on new parental‑control tools. The company disputes the attorney general’s portrayal of the documents, calling it a selective reading of the evidence.Read more

A new assessment by Common Sense Media finds that xAI’s Grok chatbot fails to properly identify users under 18, lacks effective safety guardrails, and frequently produces sexual, violent, and otherwise inappropriate material. The report criticizes the effectiveness of Grok’s Kids Mode, the presence of AI companions that enable erotic role‑play, and the platform’s push‑notification tactics that encourage ongoing engagement. Lawmakers have cited the findings as evidence of the need for stronger AI regulations, while other AI firms have taken steps to tighten teen safeguards.Read more

Moonshot AI, backed by major investors, announced the release of Kimi K2.5, a multimodal model trained on a massive dataset of text, image, and video tokens. The model is positioned to match or exceed the performance of proprietary competitors in coding and video understanding benchmarks. Alongside the model, Moonshot introduced Kimi Code, an open‑source coding assistant that lets developers work with text, images, and video inputs across popular development environments. The moves underscore Moonshot's push to become a leading player in AI‑driven software development tools.Read more

Legal leaders are testing artificial‑intelligence systems to help courts and arbitrations run faster and at lower cost. Former Michigan Supreme Court justice Bridget McCormack heads an AI arbitrator that drafts decisions for document‑based disputes, while judges such as Kevin Newsom experiment with generative AI to clarify ordinary language. Proponents argue the technology could expand access to justice for small businesses, but critics warn about bias, hallucinations, and the need for human oversight.Read more

A user attempted to have ChatGPT convert a series of photographed tables containing historic Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu records into a Google Sheets spreadsheet. Although the model initially assured the task was possible, it was unable to continue the work after the conversation turn ended, revealing a fundamental limitation: ChatGPT cannot execute long‑running background processes. The model eventually admitted the constraint, forcing the user to break the job into single‑page chunks. The episode highlights current gaps between AI hype and practical capability, especially for tasks requiring sustained visual analysis.Read more

AI image generators can turn abstract concepts into clear visual explanations when prompts are crafted with narrative flow, analogies, spatial layout, and style cues. By treating an image like a mini‑storyboard, anchoring ideas to familiar metaphors, arranging key elements deliberately, and choosing a visual style that matches the tone, creators can produce images that instantly convey meaning and emotion.Read more

Ricursive Intelligence, an artificial‑intelligence chip design startup founded by former Google researchers, announced a $300 million Series A funding round that values the company at $4 billion. Backed by Lightspeed and a roster of other venture firms, the round brings the startup’s total capital raised to $335 million. Ricursive’s technology uses reinforcement learning to autonomously create and refine silicon substrate layers, a process the founders say could accelerate AI chip development toward artificial general intelligence.Read more

OpenAI and Anthropic have both placed their coding CLI clients on GitHub, letting developers see the code that powers their AI‑assisted programming tools. A recent post by Bolin explains the core "agent loop" that coordinates user input, model responses, and tool calls. The loop repeatedly builds a prompt, sends it to the model, and either returns a final answer or executes a requested tool before querying the model again. The initial prompt is assembled from distinct components—system, developer, user, and assistant—each with a specific role, and includes instructions, tool definitions, sandbox settings, environment context, and the user’s message.Read more

ChatGPT is a versatile tool, but it falls short in critical areas such as health diagnosis, mental‑health support, emergency decisions, personalized finance, handling sensitive data, illegal activities, academic cheating, real‑time monitoring, gambling advice, legal drafting, and artistic creation. Relying on the AI for these purposes can lead to inaccurate information, security risks, and serious real‑world consequences.Read more

Google is rolling out a new Gemini feature for Google Calendar that suggests optimal meeting times based on attendees' availability. When creating an event, users can select "Suggested times" and Gemini will scan calendar data to propose slots that work for most participants. If invitees decline, the tool can quickly recommend an alternative time. The feature is currently limited to paid Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans, as well as Google AI Pro for Education users, and is being released to Rapid Release domains before expanding to Scheduled Release domains.Read more

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is employing Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence system to write safety rules for automated vehicles and other transportation initiatives. Officials expect Gemini to handle the majority of drafting work, shifting human staff to oversight roles. Google has promoted the partnership as a model for federal digital transformation, offering a year of Gemini access at a reduced cost. Critics raise concerns about the reliance on AI for rulemaking and the potential for widespread adoption across government agencies.Read more

Apple is preparing to unveil a significantly upgraded version of Siri that will be powered by Google’s Gemini artificial‑intelligence models, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The upgrade could appear as early as the second half of February and would be tied to an upcoming iOS beta. The Gemini‑backed Siri is expected to understand screen content better, use personal context for tasks, and deliver richer conversational responses, marking a major shift in Apple’s AI strategy and its partnership with a traditional rival.Read more

OpenAI co‑founder and president Greg Brockman and his wife Anna made a record‑size contribution to a pro‑Trump super PAC, totaling the largest donation recorded for the group. The gift, made through a September filing, has drawn attention to the growing political involvement of tech executives, especially as the administration pursues policies that favor the AI sector and seeks to limit state‑level regulation. Critics note the alignment between the donation and lobbying efforts aimed at shaping AI legislation, while industry observers watch how this financial support may influence future regulatory debates.Read more

CVector, an AI startup that builds a brain‑like software layer for heavy industry, announced a $5 million seed round led by Powerhouse Ventures. The funding will accelerate the rollout of its platform, which translates small operational actions into measurable cost savings for clients such as utilities, manufacturers, and chemical producers. With a growing roster of customers and a team of about a dozen engineers, CVector aims to embed AI‑driven economics into the core of industrial decision‑making.Read more

Anthropic has broadened Claude's capabilities by adding native integrations with a range of third‑party applications, including Canva, Slack, Box, Asana, and Figma. The new connections let users fetch files, preview documents, and transform chat discussions into actionable tasks directly within those platforms. Powered by the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which Anthropic released in fall 2024 and later donated to the Linux Foundation, the integrations have already been adopted by nine launch partners and are also being used by OpenAI.Read more

Anthropic has added a new extension to its Claude chatbot that lets users interact with popular productivity apps—such as Slack, Canva, Asana, and Figma—directly inside the chat interface. Powered by the open‑source Model Context Protocol (MCP), the integration moves beyond simple text replies, offering visual, interactive experiences that let users draft messages, build presentations, and manage projects without leaving the AI conversation. The move signals a shift toward AI platforms functioning more like operating systems, and the MCP framework is being positioned for broader adoption across other AI products.Read more

OpenAI is planning to charge roughly $60 per 1,000 views for ads on ChatGPT, about three times the rate Meta typically charges. Early advertisers will receive only high‑level metrics such as total views and clicks, without detailed user‑action data. The first ads are slated to appear in the coming weeks for users on the free and lower‑tier Go plans, with exclusions for users under 18 and conversations about mental health or politics. OpenAI maintains that it will not sell user data to advertisers and will keep conversations private.Read more

A maker has turned a Raspberry Pi into a screenless device called the Thought Catcher that sits by the bedside. Press a button, speak your idea, and the AI‑driven Whisper service transcribes the audio and uploads it to Notion. The system adds a beep to confirm completion, letting users capture thoughts without reaching for a phone and risking sleep disruption. The device requires a Raspberry Pi, a button, a microphone, a buzzer and custom Python code. Future versions may be refined, and the creator plans to share build instructions if interest grows.Read more

Apple is set to integrate Google’s Gemini model into Siri, promising a more conversational, task‑focused, and privacy‑aware assistant. The upgrade aims to give Siri better memory, deeper integration across Apple devices, and the ability to handle real‑world tasks such as booking and planning, while maintaining Apple’s strong privacy stance.Read more

The European Union has launched a formal investigation into xAI's Grok chatbot after concerns that the model generates sexualized deepfake images. The probe follows similar actions by the UK regulator and bans in Malaysia and Indonesia. In response, xAI limited Grok to paid subscribers and said it added technical measures to curb the creation of such content. Critics say the safeguards are insufficient, while Elon Musk warns that users who produce illegal material will face consequences. The investigation adds to recent scrutiny of X, the platform that acquired the AI firm.Read more