News

A developer using Claude Code noticed a consent prompt for telemetry even in projects that lack any Vercel configuration. Investigation revealed that the Vercel plugin injects system‑level instructions, captures full Bash command strings, device identifiers, OS details and other usage data, and transmits them without an explicit opt‑in. Disabling the data collection requires manual changes to environment variables or configuration files, steps that are not presented during installation. Vercel has not responded to requests for comment. Read more

Google has expanded its Gemini AI chat tool with a new feature that creates interactive visualizations instead of static images. Users can ask Gemini to "show me" or "help me visualize" a topic, then click a button to launch a dynamic simulation with sliders and adjustable views. The capability, demonstrated with a moon‑orbit model and a car‑engine animation, is now available worldwide for Pro‑model users, though it remains excluded from Education and Workspace accounts. Anthropic recently introduced a similar function for Claude, but Gemini currently lacks a save option for the visuals. Read more

Anthropic announced that its AI assistant Claude is now available as a Microsoft Word add‑in. The beta‑tested feature is free for customers on the company’s Team or Enterprise plans and lets users generate and edit documents, respond to comments, and even negotiate contract language. Claude joins a growing list of workplace integrations that includes Google Workspace, Slack and the Claude Cowork desktop app, positioning the tool as a direct competitor to Microsoft’s own Copilot. Read more

OpenAI announced Monday that it has bought Hiro Finance, an AI‑driven personal finance startup founded by serial entrepreneur Ethan Bloch. The deal, confirmed by both parties, will see Hiro shut down its consumer app and transfer its roughly ten‑person team to OpenAI. Backed by Ribbit Capital, General Catalyst and Restive, Hiro offered users scenario‑based budgeting powered by a model trained for financial math. While terms remain undisclosed, the acquisition signals OpenAI’s push to deepen its foothold in the fintech space and expand talent ahead of its next growth phase. Read more

Developers from London have unveiled Pixel Societies, a proof‑of‑concept platform that uses customized large‑language‑model agents to mimic a person’s speech, interests and mannerisms in virtual interactions. The system, built during a University College London hackathon, lets users create digital twins that converse with other agents to surface potential colleagues, friends or romantic partners. While still experimental, the team hopes the technology could streamline the early stages of relationship building by running countless high‑fidelity simulations in minutes. Read more

A former programmer’s impassioned address to the Ravenna, Ohio, city council has gone viral after he warned that a proposed AI data center would drain local water supplies, surge power demand and deliver few jobs despite generous tax breaks. The clip, which has amassed tens of thousands of likes on Reddit, spotlights growing community resistance to AI infrastructure and forces officials to weigh environmental costs against promised economic benefits. Read more

Anthropic has added its Claude AI assistant to Microsoft Word, rolling it out in beta for Teams and Enterprise customers. The integration promises document‑level assistance such as instant citations, formatting‑preserving edits, and a tracked‑changes mode that fits naturally into review workflows. Claude can also pull data from open Excel files and respond to comment threads, aiming to streamline work for lawyers, finance teams and other document‑heavy users. The move follows Anthropic's recent expansions into Excel and PowerPoint, signaling a broader push to embed its AI across the Microsoft Office suite. Read more

College instructors say AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are turning inboxes into a parade of generic, soulless papers. The writing often repeats prompt keywords, includes factual errors, and lacks the personal voice students usually display. Faculty are adopting detection software and new grading tactics to spot the "Wikipedia voice" and protect academic integrity. Read more

College instructors are scrambling to protect coursework from large‑language‑model tools that can complete quizzes and essays with a single prompt. While oral exams and supervised handwritten work remain largely immune, they are impractical for asynchronous online classes that serve students with disabilities, rural learners, and working adults. The dilemma pits academic integrity against the need for flexible, accessible education, forcing schools to rethink assessment design or risk abandoning the very formats that broaden access. Read more

Meta is testing an artificial‑intelligence replica of CEO Mark Zuckerberg to communicate with staff, part of a broader push to embed AI characters across the company. The digital twin, built from the executive’s images and voice, will appear in internal tools that let employees experiment with AI‑driven workflow assistants. The effort follows Meta’s earlier rollout of celebrity‑styled chatbots and a new AI Studio that lets creators build their own virtual personas. While the project aims to boost productivity, it also raises questions about privacy and the future of work at the social‑media giant. Read more

Microsoft is piloting OpenClaw‑inspired AI agents inside its Copilot suite, aiming to give the productivity assistant an always‑on, autonomous mode. Corporate vice president Omar Shahine confirmed the company is exploring the technology for enterprise use, with prototypes that could monitor Outlook, suggest daily tasks and operate within role‑specific limits. The trial is slated to be demonstrated at the Build conference starting June 2, after a report by The Information on April 13. Microsoft says the approach could address security concerns while recapturing customers lost to rival AI services. Read more

Microsoft is testing a new AI agent that mimics the open‑source OpenClaw tool but runs within its Microsoft 365 Copilot suite. The company says the feature, aimed at enterprise customers, will offer tighter security controls and operate continuously to handle multistep tasks. While the agent could run on local hardware, Microsoft has not confirmed its deployment model. The firm plans to showcase the technology at its Build conference in June, following a series of recent Copilot‑related launches. Read more

A new Stanford University study released Monday shows a widening divide between artificial‑intelligence specialists and the American public. While a majority of experts remain optimistic about AI’s impact on jobs, healthcare and the economy, most citizens express anxiety and doubt, especially about employment prospects and energy costs. The report, which draws on recent Gallup and Pew Research data, highlights generational differences, low trust in government regulation, and a surge in negative sentiment toward AI across the United States. Read more

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called senior executives from the nation’s largest banks to a closed‑door meeting this week, urging them to pilot Anthropic’s newly unveiled Mythos model for spotting security flaws. JPMorgan Chase is the first bank granted access, while Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley are already testing the system. Anthropic says the model is not a dedicated cybersecurity tool but its ability to uncover vulnerabilities has drawn both interest and skepticism, especially as the company fights a Trump administration lawsuit over a DoD supply‑chain risk designation. Read more

Artificial intelligence has moved past answering questions to becoming a constant, creative presence online. Students draft essays with large language models, dating apps generate prompts, and new platforms let users turn simple ideas into interactive experiences. The change is less about what AI can produce and more about how people engage with it, turning passive consumption into a loop of participation and creation. Read more

Anthropic announced on April 9 that its AI‑powered coworking platform Claude Cowork is now generally available on macOS and Windows for all paid plans. The rollout bundles a suite of enterprise features—including role‑based access controls, group spend limits, usage analytics, expanded OpenTelemetry support and tighter connector permissions—aimed at helping larger organizations manage AI usage across departments such as operations, marketing, finance and legal. Read more

Anthropic announced the limited release of Claude Mythos Preview, an AI model that can autonomously discover software flaws and generate working exploits. The company has placed the model in the hands of a select group of tech giants—including Microsoft, Apple, Google, and the Linux Foundation—through a consortium called Project Glasswing. Security experts say the system could dramatically lower the skill bar for creating multi‑stage exploit chains, prompting a reassessment of how organizations develop, patch, and defend software. Government officials are already discussing the potential fallout, underscoring the model’s far‑reaching implications. Read more

OpenAI filed a response on Friday accusing Elon Musk of staging a "legal ambush" as the two sides prepare for a trial set for April 27. The AI firm says Musk’s recent amendments to his lawsuit—aimed at diverting potential damages to OpenAI’s nonprofit arm and removing CEO Sam Altman—are improper and unsupported. The dispute, which began in 2024 over claims that OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission after a partnership with Microsoft, now involves claims for $79 billion to $134 billion in alleged wrongful gains. Both OpenAI and Microsoft deny any wrongdoing. Read more

A new paper from General Reasoning finds that leading AI models, including Anthropic's Claude Opus, OpenAI's GPT, and Google's Gemini, all lost money when tasked with betting on a full season of soccer matches. Each system started with a £100,000 bankroll and ended with significant deficits, some wiping out entirely. The authors say the results expose a gap between hype‑driven claims of AI automation and real‑world performance on long‑term, dynamic tasks. Read more

A fresh OpenAI letter to state attorneys general accuses Elon Musk and his allies of anti‑competitive conduct as the AI rivalry heads to court. Meanwhile, a Department of Justice lawyer admitted to analyzing non‑public voter rolls, sparking concerns over privacy and federal overreach. At the same time, NASA’s Artemis II mission became the first crewed flight to circle the Moon since 1972, breaking distance records and offering a glimpse of the lunar far side. The three stories highlight tension in tech, politics and space exploration. Read more