STORYLINE · active
OpenAI, Anthropic, and Chinese rivals racing for AI dominance while governments and institutions debate governance and safety
Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it will acquire SoftBank Group's remaining stake in Boston Dynamics, a move the group said is expected to speed up decision-making and the execution of its physical artificial intelligence strategy.
2026-07-16 · 3 MIN READMicrosoft's Xbox division is laying off about 3,200 employees and divesting five game studios, with CEO Asha Sharma calling for a "reset" of the business after the company spent more than $80 billion acquiring studios and bringing…
2026-07-16 · 3 MIN READAs the United States adds more than 1,500 data centers in development to the more than 3,000 already operating, power companies are turning to eminent domain to acquire private land for new transmission lines, sparking legal battles over…
2026-07-16 · 3 MIN READA group of 26 Meta employees filed a lawsuit late Monday in federal court in Oakland, California, alleging that the company used artificial intelligence systems to select people for layoffs in a way that disproportionately targeted those…
2026-07-14 · 3 MIN READMore than 200 economists and AI researchers, including 16 Nobel laureates, signed an open letter Monday organized by Stanford University's digital economy lab, warning that artificial intelligence could cause large-scale job displacement…
2026-07-13 · 3 MIN READUC San Diego researchers used teleoperated humanoid robots to assist in laparoscopic gall bladder surgeries on non-human primates in a preclinical trial, the university announced Thursday. The findings, published in the journal Nature,…
2026-07-09 · 3 MIN READBeijing-based artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI is raising US$4 billion through a private placement of 19.78 million new shares priced at HK$1,588 each, a near 13% discount to the stock's Wednesday close. Shares surged as much as…
2026-07-09 · 3 MIN READMeta's new AI image generator, Muse Image, can create pictures using people's public Instagram profile photos without notifying them, drawing criticism from privacy advocates. The tool, available in the United States through the Meta AI…
2026-07-08 · 3 MIN READBruce Schneier, a security technologist at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Jon Penney, an associate professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, warned in a Guardian op-ed published Monday that AI-powered surveillance systems combining facial…
2026-07-06 · 3 MIN READGenesis Minerals has made a US$3.9 billion rival bid for Australian gold miner Vault Minerals, topping an agreed merger with Regis Resources. Vault's directors unanimously found the Genesis offer superior, triggering a five-day window for…
2026-07-06 · 3 MIN READMobile internet coverage in the United Kingdom is worse than in any European Union member country and every other G7 economy, according to a new analysis by the consumer group Which?. The findings, based on data from Opensignal, place the…
2026-07-05 · 3 MIN READSky, the pay-TV and broadband company owned by Comcast, is expected to buy ITV's television and streaming businesses, creating a new British media company under U.S. ownership. The deal is likely to be announced imminently, according to a…
2026-07-04 · 3 MIN READThe U.S. labor force is projected to expand by just 9.1 million people over the decade ending 2030 and then contract by 2.1 million in the following decade, a shift that demographer Steven Ruggles said could reshape the economy and…
2026-07-13 · 3 MIN READOpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, does not appear to have visited one of the key sites for its multibillion-pound Stargate UK datacentre project, according to government records and sources with knowledge of the project. The Guardian…
2026-07-04 · 4 MIN READ
Wealthy families are increasingly choosing alternative K-8 schools that emphasize life skills, entrepreneurial thinking and AI-based learning, according to parents and school founders. Schools such as Alpha School and Forge Prep are…
2026-07-04 · 3 MIN READMicrosoft, Google and Amazon are among the tech companies spending an estimated $1 trillion on AI infrastructure, but their data centers are using far more water than most of them report. Indirect water consumption — the amount used at…
2026-07-03 · 4 MIN READNewly disclosed emails show in detail the uneasy back-and-forth between Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael that led to the Pentagon labeling the AI company a supply-chain risk, according to court…
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READFederal auto safety regulators have closed a four-year investigation into unexpected braking issues in Tesla vehicles, finding the problem posed only a low safety risk and has been addressed through software updates. The National Highway…
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READSpaceX's Starlink unit plans to target mobile phone subscribers in the U.S., aiming to challenge AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has discussed building a ground network to support the…
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READSouth Korea's benchmark stock index plunged nearly 8% on Thursday, driven by a sell-off in semiconductor shares amid renewed concerns about excess AI computing capacity. The KOSPI fell 655.32 points, or 7.89%, to close at 7,648.09 after…
2026-07-02 · 3 MIN READNational Grid has agreed to invest $1.75 billion for a 35% stake in U.S. energy company Joulent, the British utility announced Wednesday, as it moves to capitalize on growing energy demand from data centers and artificial intelligence.
2026-07-01 · 3 MIN READThe U.S. Department of Commerce has lifted export restrictions on Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models, the company said Wednesday, ending a suspension that began June 12 after the government raised national security concerns about…
2026-07-01 · 3 MIN READFrench drugmaker Ipsen proposed to acquire Memo Therapeutics in a deal that could exceed 700 million euros, adding an experimental kidney transplant drug to its rare-disease portfolio, RBC Capital Markets analysts said Wednesday.
2026-07-01 · 3 MIN READBefore Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg directed employees to build a standalone prediction market app, he proposed buying Kalshi, the leading company in the prediction market sector, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions who…
2026-06-30 · 3 MIN READFederal aviation regulators are preparing to mandate the use of technology that would help pilots see nearby aircraft, a fix sought since a midair collision in Washington, D.C., last year that killed 67 people, according to people familiar…
2026-06-30 · 3 MIN READPresident Lee Jae Myung announced a plan to create a government-backed technology investment organization modeled on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's In-Q-Tel, a move expected to expand the National Intelligence Service's role in the…
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READDish DBS, the satellite pay-TV unit of Charlie Ergen's EchoStar broadcast empire, is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as early as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter.
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READComcast said Monday it will separate its media and connectivity businesses, reversing its strategy of combining entertainment and distribution as competition intensifies in both sectors. Shares rose 7% to 8% in trading on the news.
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READThe American steel industry, a beneficiary of the artificial intelligence data center construction boom, is now warning that the same surge in electricity demand is driving up power costs by tens of millions of dollars a year and…
2026-06-29 · 4 MIN READFord has rehired or recruited more than 300 veteran engineers after its AI-driven quality inspection systems failed to match the expertise of human workers, company executives said this week. The automaker acknowledged it had…
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READNational security agencies from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance warned this week that artificial intelligence models are increasing cyber risks by enabling autonomous hacking, while security technologist Bruce Schneier argued that AI…
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READBritish American Tobacco plans to cut 5,500 jobs directly and outsource a further 3,500 roles to Accenture by the end of this year, eliminating about a fifth of a workforce that stood at 47,000 employees globally, the company said Monday.
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READBT Group and Verizon Communications on Monday announced a 50-50 joint venture combining their international operations, with Verizon paying BT a $625 million equalisation fee to guarantee equal voting rights. The deal ends BT's more than…
2026-06-29 · 3 MIN READChinese artificial-intelligence systems have matched the performance of Anthropic's powerful model Mythos in some cybersecurity scenarios, security researchers told the Wall Street Journal, a development that is reshaping the global AI…
2026-06-28 · 3 MIN READWarnings that the artificial-intelligence sector has entered speculative bubble territory have mounted over the second quarter of 2026, with analysts, investors, and technology observers drawing comparisons to the dot-com era as U.S. stock…
2026-06-27 · 3 MIN READPsychiatric researchers have identified a combination of three chatbot behaviors — sycophancy, linguistic alignment and hyperpersonalization — that they say can drive users toward delusional thinking, according to a newly published review…
2026-06-27 · 3 MIN READON Semiconductor agreed Thursday to acquire Synaptics in an all-stock deal valued at roughly $7 billion, betting on physical AI systems for autonomous vehicles and industrial robots, even as the company’s shares fell and analysts…
2026-06-26 · 4 MIN READVerizon Communications won 82 spectrum licenses for $3.16 billion in the Federal Communications Commission's first spectrum auction in four years, which generated over $3.5 billion in total proceeds, the agency said Friday.
2026-06-26 · 3 MIN READOpenAI said Friday it will limit access to its new GPT-5.6 artificial-intelligence models to a small group of customers approved by the Trump administration after discussions with the White House, but warned that such government-imposed…
2026-06-26 · 3 MIN READRobinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt told The Wall Street Journal that creating a viral meme is entirely a matter of skill, while acknowledging the role of luck in the tough moments he overcame while building the commission-free trading app.
2026-06-26 · 3 MIN READThe car industry has reached a "fork in the road" between short-term profits and the heavy investments needed to survive, according to Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe, who warned that automakers focused on fossil-fuel engines risk being…
2026-06-26 · 3 MIN READChinese AI startup DeepSeek said it plans to at least double the size of all its departments after raising more than $7.4 billion in its first funding round at a valuation exceeding $50 billion, according to a company statement and reports.
2026-06-26 · 3 MIN READThe U.S. artificial intelligence company Anthropic has accused Chinese e-commerce and technology firm Alibaba of conducting what it called the largest known 'distillation' attack on its Claude AI model, alleging that Alibaba created nearly…
2026-06-25 · 4 MIN READNPR's Short Wave podcast released a weekly science roundup episode on June 25, 2026, covering three research developments — salt clouds on a distant exoplanet, new findings from ancient burial sites in Europe, and a study on the origins of…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READThe European Commission said Thursday that Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure should be designated as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, a move that would subject the two U.S. cloud computing giants to the bloc’s strict…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READA growing number of Americans are pursuing passive income, using AI tools and side hustles to generate money outside traditional employment, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The pursuit is fueled by job dissatisfaction and a…
2026-06-25 · 3 MIN READArtificial intelligence and the data centers powering it are consuming growing amounts of energy and water, undercutting efforts to curb climate change and preserve water resources, experts said.
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READA growing number of artificial intelligence entrepreneurs and researchers are shifting their focus from language-based chatbots to "world models" — AI systems designed to understand and navigate physical environments, marking what some in…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READAgility Robotics, a maker of humanlike robots designed to carry totes in warehouses, announced Wednesday a planned merger with an investment firm that will value the company at $2.5 billion, making it the first publicly traded company…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READSouth Korean project management firm HanmiGlobal plans to establish a US-based project development company focused on small modular nuclear reactors, citing growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers as a key…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READHyundai Motor and Kia launched a cybersecurity working group Wednesday under the Trilateral Executive Dialogue, a policy forum involving South Korea, the United States and Japan, to coordinate responses to increasingly complex cyber…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READSpending on surveillance technology by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has soared to a record $513 million in 2026, more than doubling from the previous year, according to a new report from immigration rights and legal advocacy…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READMeta is planning to launch a standalone prediction market app called Arena that will use artificial intelligence to generate betting questions and resolve wagers, according to internal company documents reviewed by NPR. The app, which Meta…
2026-06-24 · 4 MIN READRockstar Games has announced that the standard edition of Grand Theft Auto 6 will cost $79.99 and that physical copies of the game will contain a digital download code rather than a disc, marking a shift in how the blockbuster title is…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READA data leak from the Swiss hacktivist maia arson crimew has exposed details about Dialog, a private social club co-founded by former PayPal executive Peter Thiel and angel investor Auren Hoffman, revealing that the invitation-only network…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READSK Hynix, the world's second-largest memory-chip maker, plans to raise $29.65 billion through a Nasdaq listing of American depositary receipts, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday. The offering would be one of the largest share…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READA German court has ruled that Google is liable for the content of its AI-generated search summaries, rejecting the company’s argument that users know not to blindly trust AI information. The decision could reshape legal accountability for…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READAmazon's U.S. data centers consume up to about 9 gigawatts of power, more than double the capacity of Microsoft or Google, according to data from Aterio, a data-center intelligence firm. Google, however, is adding capacity at the fastest…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READPrologis, the world's largest owner of industrial real estate, said it made a £12.6 billion ($16.63 billion) takeover approach for smaller UK peer Segro, which the British company's board turned down.
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READBillionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison gave roughly $45 million to a political nonprofit supporting President Trump's 2024 campaign, according to people familiar with the fundraising, as the Ellison family cultivated a relationship…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READAnthropic’s Mythos artificial intelligence model identified vulnerabilities in highly sensitive U.S. government computer systems during a testing exercise conducted in partnership with U.S. intelligence agencies, according to a U.S.…
2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READAt least 200 Stanford graduates walked out of their commencement ceremony last weekend as Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage, carrying signs critical of Google’s artificial intelligence contracts with the Israeli military and U.S.…
2026-06-23 · 4 MIN READHyundai Motor Group is preparing to acquire SoftBank Group's remaining stake of about 10% in Boston Dynamics, a move that would give the South Korean automotive group full control of the U.S. robotics company, industry sources said Tuesday.
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READUnited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called on artificial intelligence companies to release information about the carbon pollution, water, and land use associated with their operations, proposing a new transparency…
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READAI chatbots are emerging as de facto dating coaches for people navigating modern romance, according to a new report. Marie Lansley, a 36-year-old San Francisco resident who recently started a new job and moved to a new city, said she has…
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READForty mayors from cities around the world have signed a pact aimed at shaping how urban data centers are built and operated, the C40 Cities alliance announced Tuesday during London Climate Action Week.
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READGoogle's YouTube has settled a social media addiction lawsuit brought by a 15-year-old in Florida, the latest in a series of legal setbacks for tech companies facing claims that their platforms harm children's mental health.
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READInternational Business Machines is forming Anderon, a new independent subsidiary and foundry to produce silicon wafers for quantum-computing processors, the company announced last month. The venture is seeded by a $1 billion investment…
2026-06-23 · 4 MIN READConstruction is underway on the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, a $500 million state-funded quantum computing campus at the site of a former U.S. Steel mill on Chicago's South Side. The project is a bid to establish the region…
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READOracle shed roughly 21,000 employees globally over the past year as the software and cloud-computing giant reorganized its operations around artificial intelligence, according to the company's latest annual report. The cuts amount to about…
2026-06-23 · 4 MIN READSemiconductor stocks with secular growth prospects appear undervalued relative to peers even as the broader chip sector's valuations have become stretched, Morningstar analyst Phelix Lee said in a note published June 23. The brokerage…
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READAustralian property manager Centuria Capital is raising A$300 million to expand its ResetData data-center platform, drawing sharply divergent analyst views, while the Cleveland Fed published research showing banks' indirect exposure to…
2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READEide Bailly, the 18th-largest U.S. accounting firm, has agreed to sell a majority stake to private-equity firm Reverence Capital Partners and co-investors in a deal valued at about $1.8 billion, people familiar with the matter said. The…
2026-06-23 · 4 MIN READCalifornia drivers filed a proposed class-action lawsuit Monday accusing gas station operators including BP, Circle K, Marathon, 7-Eleven, Walmart, and Albertsons of using an artificial-intelligence tool from Kalibrate to coordinate prices…
2026-06-22 · 3 MIN READWill Cathcart, who led WhatsApp for nearly seven years and grew the messaging platform to more than three billion users, is stepping down as head of the app. Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech startup Cred, will take over as WhatsApp's…
2026-06-22 · 3 MIN READThe Wall Street Journal published an investigation June 22 revealing that Polymarket, the prediction market platform banned from serving U.S. users since 2022, ran a secret social media campaign that paid creators to film fake winning bets…
2026-06-22 · 4 MIN READChevron struck a 20-year agreement to sell electricity to Microsoft, which plans to build what could become one of the country’s largest artificial-intelligence data centers in the Permian Basin of West Texas.
2026-06-22 · 3 MIN READA long-standing career bargain — endure two intense years at an elite consulting firm and emerge with a golden ticket to the C-suite — is unraveling as artificial intelligence tools reshape the work that junior analysts are hired to do,…
2026-06-22 · 4 MIN READApple CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal that price increases on the company's devices are "unavoidable" as surging costs for DRAM memory and NAND storage chips — driven by AI hyperscalers buying up global supply — squeeze even the…
2026-06-21 · 4 MIN READBillionaires flee shared schools for $75K AI academies they don't have to prove work, leaving everyone else to staff the classrooms they abandoned.
Pepper points at the water receipt behind the universal AI promise.
A memory-chip shortage driven by surging artificial-intelligence demand is tightening supply for consumer-electronics manufacturers and pushing up prices, according to industry executives and analysts. The three main DRAM producers—Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology—are dedicating much of their capacity to serve AI data centers, leaving fewer chips for personal computers, smartphones, and other consumer goods.
Artificial intelligence has crossed from a supporting role in military targeting into autonomous combat operations, driving an automation arms race among world powers while civilian safeguards lag behind the technology’s advance, according to military officials, tech executives, and weapon makers interviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that depending too heavily on AI chatbots to verify information can weaken people's ability to spot misinformation on their own, a trade-off that researchers say poses risks to public resilience against false claims.
Three major credit rating agencies assigned investment-grade ratings to SpaceX on Thursday and Friday, citing the company's dominant position in commercial launch services and its growing Starlink revenue. Separately, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index fell into 'extreme fear' territory after hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, while analysts upgraded several technology and media stocks.
Kansas City, Missouri, is moving ahead with plans to equip some public buses with facial recognition software capable of identifying passengers on a list of banned riders or missing persons, a move supporters and opponents alike view as a major test for the use of AI-powered surveillance on a U.S. public transit system.
South Korea's Gaon Cable has supplied transmission cables worth tens of millions of dollars to a solar power complex in the United States, the company said Thursday, as rapid construction of artificial intelligence data centers drives demand for new power generation and transmission infrastructure.
In a Guardian op-ed published Thursday, corporate marketing executive Andrea Javor argued that the three-martini lunch, a much-mocked relic of mid-century American business, should be revived as a tool for rebuilding authentic workplace connections in an era of AI-driven productivity demands and deepening workplace loneliness.
Wall Street banks are rapidly deploying artificial intelligence for tasks ranging from loan underwriting to deal presentations, but executives are wrestling with how to manage workforce changes, retraining needs, and the future path to rainmaker roles, according to Wall Street Journal reporting.
A years-long investigation by Comcast has uncovered that millions of US home internet devices contain pre-installed backdoor software, creating vast residential proxy networks that nation-state hackers from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea use to mask cyberattacks, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Utah launched a pilot project in January that will allow Doctronic, an AI startup, to renew prescriptions for common medications including antidepressants and cholesterol drugs, a move the state says could improve medication access. The project has drawn sharp criticism from Utah physicians, who say the technology has not been adequately vetted and could pose risks to patients.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged the world's wealthy democracies to work together on regulating advanced artificial intelligence systems, speaking at a high-level meeting that included top AI executives. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a similar plea at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialized nations in France, saying an "international forum" is needed for countries to draw up AI guardrails. Overshadowing the discussion on AI was President Donald Trump's administration's directive last week, preventing foreign nationals from using Anthropic's newest and most powerful artificial intelligence models.
A political group backed by Silicon Valley investors has spent more than $7 million on advertisements opposing New York Assemblyman Alex Bores, who is running in a crowded Democratic primary for a Manhattan-based U.S. House seat. The spending surge, driven by the industry's opposition to Bores' artificial intelligence regulation legislation, highlights the growing political financial power of technology companies in local elections.
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday unveiled legislation that would create a nearly $7 trillion sovereign wealth fund financed through a one-time 50% tax on the largest artificial intelligence companies, with proceeds directed as direct payments to Americans and funding for health care, education, and housing programs.
Apple's next flagship iPhone could carry a starting price of $1,299 or more — a $200 jump over the current model — driven by surging memory-chip costs as AI demand consumes global supply, according to estimates from research firm TechInsights.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday ordered Alphabet Inc.'s Google to make its search rankings fairer and provide advance notice of significant changes, giving the company six months to comply under the country's digital markets competition rules.
EssilorLuxottica's Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses undercut Snap's new AR glasses, Straumann raised its 2026 profitability guidance, Deutsche Bank downgraded DiaSorin, and Eli Lilly acquired neuroscience startup 4E Therapeutics, according to analyst notes and corporate announcements covered in the latest health care market talk roundup.
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are forming separate banker teams for the dueling initial public offerings of OpenAI and Anthropic, an arrangement people familiar with the matter said is necessary to prevent information from flowing between the two competing AI companies as they prepare to go public as soon as this fall.
Private-equity firm Arcline Investment Management has agreed to acquire data-visualization and printing technology company AstroNova for about $272 million, taking it private. Arcline will pay $29 in cash for each AstroNova share, a premium over the stock's closing price of $16.69 on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Gleb Tsipursky, a CEO and author, described in a first-person account published June 17 how a personal AI health tool he built flagged the possibility of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after five days of calf pain, leading him to seek emergency care where ultrasound found four blood clots in his leg.
Procter & Gamble and Albertsons have launched 'Rico's Tacos,' a scripted comedy-drama series featuring P&G products that airs on digital screens inside the supermarket chain's stores. The initiative blends branded content with retail media, using 15-second teasers with QR codes linking to the Albertsons app for full episodes.
SpaceX has struck a $60 billion deal to acquire autonomous coding startup Cursor, and Fox has agreed to acquire Roku for approximately $25 billion, marking two of the largest technology transactions of the year as artificial intelligence reshapes corporate strategy across sectors. The deals are among a series of market-moving developments that include surging AI data-center spending in China, a record-high share of fund managers calling semiconductors the most crowded trade, and a shift in enterprise AI adoption that has given Anthropic an edge over OpenAI.
A roundup of Tuesday's analyst calls and market commentary across financial services highlighted booming debt-financed AI investment, European bank consolidation plays, and the Bank of Japan's latest rate hike.
Stuart Russell, a computer scientist and AI researcher, argued in a Guardian column published Wednesday that recent developments in artificial intelligence — including early signs of recursive self-improvement at Anthropic and the White House’s decision to restrict access to the company’s latest models — demonstrate the need for a licensing regime requiring minimum safety standards before advanced AI systems can be deployed.
U.S.-listed companies have issued about $54 billion in convertible bonds so far this year, a 43% increase from the same period in 2025, driven by artificial-intelligence companies seeking low-cost funding. Investors are drawn to the bonds for the stability of fixed income combined with the upside potential of stock conversion if shares rise.
SpaceX said Tuesday that it will acquire the parent company of AI coding agent Cursor for $60 billion, a deal that positions the aerospace company to compete more directly in enterprise artificial intelligence services. SpaceX shares rose 4.8%, pushing its market capitalization above Amazon's.
SpaceX has agreed to acquire AI coding start-up Cursor for $60 billion in stock, just days after the rocket company’s record-setting public listing that made Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire.
Two London-based dealmakers at Warburg Pincus are preparing to leave the U.S. buyout giant later this year to set up their own private-equity firm, according to people familiar with the situation.
Australian startup Everlab, whose AI platform analyzes patient records and wearable-device data to detect health problems before they become serious, has raised $46 million from private-equity investors led by Airtree Ventures. The company plans to use the funds for international expansion, beginning with the U.K.
Fox has agreed to acquire Roku for roughly $25 billion, SpaceX struck a $60 billion deal to buy AI coding startup Cursor, and the U.S. Commerce Department has restricted the export of Anthropic's latest AI models, according to Wall Street Journal reports and analyst notes on Tuesday.
Talks between Anthropic and Trump administration officials continued Monday without a deal to resolve security concerns that led the White House to restrict access to the company's latest AI model, Fable 5, and the more powerful Mythos 5, people familiar with the discussions said.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus has announced a major initiative to use a tiny, transparent fish called Danionella — together with artificial intelligence — to understand how the brain produces complex behaviors such as social interaction. The center plans to triple the space dedicated to the fish to 6,000 square feet and expects the number of scientists working on Danionella to rise from about 10 to 100 or more.
France’s Schneider Electric and Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn announced a partnership Monday to develop artificial-intelligence data centers, focusing on closed-loop energy optimization and modular power and cooling assemblies. Production is set to begin later this year.
Venture funding for U.S. space-technology companies excluding SpaceX surged to $7.1 billion in 2025, nearly tripling from $2.5 billion a year earlier, according to data provider PitchBook. The record-setting SpaceX initial public offering last week has further accelerated investor interest, with executives and venture capitalists saying the sector has demonstrated real business models can succeed in orbit.
A new generation of forward-facing sonar equipment, capable of providing real-time images of fish underwater, is dividing the angling community over whether the technology enhances the sport or threatens fish populations and the traditional ethos of fishing.
A group of cybersecurity executives and experts is asking the Trump administration to lift its directive barring foreign nationals from using Anthropic's latest artificial intelligence models, arguing the restrictions could ultimately help U.S. adversaries more than they hurt them.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned Monday of a phishing scam that targets Microsoft 365 users by exploiting the device-code authentication flow, allowing attackers to bypass multi-factor authentication.
SpaceX's initial public offering raised a total of $85.7bn after underwriters exercised a greenshoe option to purchase an additional $10bn worth of shares, making it the largest IPO in history.
Dozens of Stanford University graduates walked out of their commencement ceremony as Google CEO Sundar Pichai began his keynote address on June 15, protesting the company's work with the U.S. government. The walkout is the latest in a wave of student demonstrations against tech leaders at college commencements, reflecting growing unease about artificial intelligence.
The Digital Citizens Alliance estimates that 20 million consumer devices in the United States have been infected with malware known as residential proxy software, creating a backdoor for hackers into home networks, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation published Monday.
A federal lawsuit filed Monday accuses Anthropic, the maker of the Claude AI chatbot, of misleading customers about the usage allowances on its premium subscription plans, alleging the actual computing power provided falls far short of what the company advertises.
The Trump administration has disclosed 3,611 active or planned AI use cases across the federal government, a 70% increase from the final year of the Biden administration, according to an inventory released April 14 by the Office of Management and Budget. The list includes plans to automate sensitive governmental functions involving individual freedom, public health, and nuclear reactor safety.
Fox Corp. is acquiring the streaming company Roku in a deal valued at around $22 billion, including debt. The combination will create the third-largest player in U.S. television by share of viewing, the companies said Monday.
The European Commission last week published its long-awaited digital sovereignty package, a set of proposals aimed at reducing Europe's dependence on U.S. technology companies and shielding the bloc from foreign interference. But critics say the plan, while a step forward, remains fundamentally shaped by the Silicon Valley ideology it purports to challenge.
Political campaigns are deploying artificial intelligence in advertisements to burnish their candidates and attack opponents, producing an explosion of deepfake content that researchers and election officials say is becoming harder for voters to detect.
Software developers, once the undisputed MVPs of an economy that told every aspiring striver to learn to code, are confronting a transformed labor market. Job openings have fallen roughly 70% from their 2022 peak, according to the jobs site Indeed, as the rapid rise of artificial intelligence tools that can write code compounds a broader pullback from pandemic-era hiring and remote-work policies.
The upcoming public offerings from SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI are expected to create a new wave of millionaires and billionaires, whose charitable giving could pour tens of billions of dollars into nonprofit organizations, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Kevin O'Leary, the television personality and investor, is facing fierce local opposition to his planned data center in Utah's Hansel Valley, but he says the real opponents are not environmental activists — they are agents of the Chinese government.
The Trump administration on Friday banned foreign governments, companies, and individuals from using Anthropic's two most powerful artificial-intelligence models, prompting the company to shut off access to everyone to comply with the new export restrictions. The move escalates a monthslong feud between the company and the administration and represents one of the most aggressive U.S. government interventions in the AI industry to date.
A group of 40 leading economists, technologists, and policy experts met in Washington, D.C., this week to strategize responses to artificial intelligence's economic risks, warning that without proactive policy, AI could nearly double GDP growth while pushing underemployment from 8% to 14% and fueling political unrest by 2030.
The number of U.S. court reporters has fallen 21% to fewer than 23,000 over the past decade, creating a shortage that is opening courtrooms to AI transcription even as legal professionals warn the technology remains prone to errors.
SpaceX executives Bill Riley, Mark Juncosa and Mike Nicolls — all alumni of Cornell University’s Formula SAE racing team — trace the company’s practical engineering culture to their college car-building days, according to former employees, teammates and the team’s faculty adviser.
Indian Motorcycle, the struggling Minnesota-based brand, launched a social-media video attacking larger competitor Harley-Davidson for producing electric motorcycles, moving production to Thailand, and embracing diversity initiatives — an unusual direct assault that some industry observers called a culture-war gamble.
SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket company, began trading on public markets this week in a record-shattering $75bn initial public offering that values the company at $1.77tn. The offering is the first in a wave of AI-focused blockbuster listings that, according to an analysis in The Guardian, will inextricably tie the financial futures of ordinary Americans to the fortunes of a small group of tech billionaires.
SpaceX began trading Friday on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX, opening at $150 a share and climbing past $176 by early afternoon, making the initial public offering the largest in history and pushing the company above a $2 trillion market capitalization.
Bath & Body Works is betting on a network of thousands of social-media influencers and a new Amazon storefront to revive its brand with Gen Z and millennial shoppers, CEO Daniel Heaf said in an interview. The Columbus, Ohio-based retailer, long a mall fixture, has seen sales decline and aims to modernize its marketing, packaging, and store experience.
Google sued a group of scammers on Friday for using the company's Gemini AI model to create thousands of fake websites, part of a scheme that has stolen 3.87 million credit card numbers and caused $1.9 billion in losses since July 2023, according to the FBI. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, targets a group known as 'Outsider' that Google described as one of the most prolific bad actors in the spamosphere.
Wearable-device makers Oura and Whoop are preparing to go public at private-market valuations of roughly $10 billion to $11 billion, riding a wave of consumer enthusiasm for health-tracking rings and wristbands. But the history of the fitness-tracker market, including the rise and fall of Fitbit, raises questions about whether those valuations can hold as competition intensifies and the addressable market narrows.
The Federal Aviation Administration is finalizing a new regulatory framework, called Part 108, that would allow drone operators to fly unmanned aircraft beyond visual line of sight for the first time at scale, according to experts and agency officials. The rule change, expected within the next year, could unlock widespread commercial applications including package delivery, precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection and search-and-rescue operations.
Financial analysts offered assessments on Thai bank loan growth, Wise's market position, KKR's Asia outlook, Singapore Exchange trading momentum, a takeover bid for Australian insurance broker Steadfast, the coming SpaceX IPO, the Bank of Canada's rate hold, and digital asset declines in their latest market talks.
Oracle unveiled outcome-based AI pricing and said its healthcare business will grow at double-digit rates, while TSMC's manufacturing lead remains intact despite Intel and Samsung advances. Super Micro Computer shares dropped 18% after announcing a $7 billion equity offering, and bitcoin sentiment hit 'extreme fear' as outflows continued.
Anthropic will donate $150 million to launch Claude Corps, a fellowship program that places 1,000 early-career workers trained in the company’s AI chatbot at nonprofit organizations for one year to help them integrate artificial intelligence into their work.
As businesses accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence, workplace experts say the skills most resistant to automation are those that are distinctly human: empathy, critical thinking, relationship building, conflict resolution, and ethical judgment.
Citigroup launched a blockchain-based venture Thursday that allows its wealthy and institutional clients to trade private-company shares as tokenized depositary receipts. The venture is initially available to foreign investors, with U.S. access planned, as Wall Street accelerates adoption of blockchain technology for securities trading.
Wall Street's bet on artificial-intelligence companies has reached levels where basic statistical analysis suggests most investors will lose money, according to a new report by Morgan Stanley Investment Management. The warning comes as the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its worst single-day drop of the year on Wednesday, with jitters over AI valuations and a possible price war between OpenAI and Anthropic pushing stocks lower.
As technology companies promote artificial intelligence tools that can handle errands, scheduling and household chores, researchers are warning that the convenience may come at a cost to physical health. The human body needs small physical demands throughout the day, and replacing them with AI-driven automation could accelerate chronic disease, according to a commentary published Thursday in The Guardian.
South Korea's data protection regulator on Thursday imposed a record 624.7 billion won ($410 million) fine on e-commerce company Coupang Corp. over a massive data breach that compromised the personal information of approximately 37.5 million users and the unauthorized collection of online activity data from millions more.
Apotex Health shares surged 17% in their first day of trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday after the Canadian generic drug maker priced the country's largest initial public offering in years at C$1.3 billion (US$932 million).
Apple shares fell 3.6% on Tuesday as investors shrugged off the company's latest AI announcements, while Bitcoin dropped to its lowest level since September 2024, extending a broad market decline. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 25,678.82, down more than 2%, as a tech-fueled rebound lost steam.
Anthropic on Wednesday announced a $200 million investment to research artificial intelligence’s effects on employment and the economy, and its CEO published an essay arguing that the government should provide economic support to those displaced by AI, adding to a growing industry debate about how to cushion workers from the technology’s disruptions.
Canada introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban children and teenagers under the age of 16 from social media, mirroring a similar law Australia passed last year but allowing tech companies to sidestep the prohibition if they can demonstrate they have policies in place to minimize harm to minors. The Safe Social Media Act, introduced in the House of Commons by Culture Minister Marc Miller, would create a new independent regulator and impose fines of up to 10 million Canadian dollars or 3% of gross global revenue for violations.
British Business Secretary Peter Kyle said Wednesday he would have blocked the 2016 foreign acquisition of microchip designer Arm Holdings by Japan's SoftBank had he been in government at the time, and that the government is prepared to take larger public stakes in promising companies to prevent them from leaving the UK.
Tim Höttges, chief executive of Deutsche Telekom, is pursuing what would be the largest public-company merger in history — combining the German telecom giant with its U.S. subsidiary T-Mobile US into a single $300 billion behemoth, according to people familiar with the matter.
David Grutman, the founder of the hospitality empire behind Komodo and Groot Hospitality, said in an interview published June 10 that owning intellectual property is the most important factor in building wealth in the restaurant business, and that taking equity rather than management fees is key to long-term growth.
An Irish witchcraft retreat called Green Veil, led by Italian-born witch Isabella Ferrari — known as Penny the Witch — has drawn American women seeking to speak with the dead, confront ancestral trauma, and build community outside traditional religious institutions. The two-and-a-half-day sold-out retreat in County Carlow, priced between €1,900 and €3,000, is one of several such retreats that have proliferated across the US and Europe over the past decade.
Swedish autonomous truck company Einride is set to begin trading on Nasdaq on Wednesday after completing a merger with blank-check firm Legato Merger Corp. III in a deal that valued the company's equity at $1.35 billion before proceeds.
A survey of 16 economists by The Wall Street Journal found broad agreement that artificial intelligence will increase productivity in the near term, but sharp division on whether AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates over the next five years.
The Seattle City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to impose a one-year moratorium on the construction of new datacenters, making the home city of Amazon and Microsoft the largest U.S. municipality to pass such a pause amid a growing backlash against the energy demands of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The Trump administration has asked a government artificial intelligence testing unit to stop publishing its model assessments, people familiar with the matter said, the latest sign that the White House is tightening control over AI evaluation as national security concerns increase.
First lady Melania Trump on Tuesday presented the inaugural Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge National Champion Awards at the White House, honoring student teams from across the country for projects that used AI to address community problems, from navigating online schooling to detecting hazardous chemicals.
Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday with a slate of new artificial-intelligence features developed with Google, while Tencent signed deals with five smartphone makers to open its Weixin platform as a gateway for AI agent services. The announcements underscore the accelerating competition in consumer AI as companies race to integrate generative AI into everyday apps and devices.
Humanoid robots struggling with tasks like grasping a cup have a new teacher — a person wearing an ultrasound wristband that captures the movement of muscles, tendons and ligaments beneath the skin, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The tool could eventually help robots achieve the dexterity that has been difficult for machines to master.
Anthropic on Tuesday released Claude Fable 5, a public version of its Claude Mythos AI model — a program the company had previously described as too powerful to release to the public, citing risks including the potential for autonomous exploitation of computer systems. The release comes as the company's private valuation nears $1 trillion and as it faces an ongoing legal battle with the Pentagon over military use of its technology.
The British government will proceed with plans to ban social media for children under 16, pushing ahead next week despite a formal intervention from the Trump administration opposing the measure, Downing Street and the technology secretary said Tuesday.
Anthropic has released Claude Fable 5, a ‘Mythos-class’ AI model, to the general public with guardrails that block queries about cybersecurity vulnerabilities and biological weapons, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The model will revert to the older Opus 4.8 for sensitive questions.
British drugmaker GSK announced Tuesday it will acquire Boston-based cancer biotech Nuvalent for $10.6 billion, securing two late-stage experimental treatments for lung cancer. The all-cash deal is one of the largest in the company's history and continues new chief executive Luke Miels' push into oncology.
Tech companies are raising hundreds of billions of dollars through stock sales, bond offerings, and private credit to finance the artificial-intelligence infrastructure build-out, with Alphabet announcing an $85 billion equity raise and the largest AI hyperscalers issuing $159 billion in bonds globally this year, according to data from Dealogic.
SpaceX's initial public offering, set to price shares at $135 for a valuation of about $1.77 trillion, is expected to deliver billions of dollars in paper gains to U.S. university endowments that hold substantial stakes in the company, according to endowment executives and people familiar with the investments.
British pharmaceutical company GSK said Tuesday it reached a deal to acquire cancer-drug developer Nuvalent for $10.6 billion, paying $124 a share in cash for the U.S.-based biotech as it continues to rebuild its oncology business.
Amazon.com has entered a multibillion-dollar agreement with Corning to supply optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions for the company's expanding data center network, the companies announced Monday. The deal will create 1,000 new manufacturing jobs at Corning's facilities in North Carolina.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has confidentially filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission to begin the process of an initial public offering, the company said Monday. The filing tests investor appetite for a leading artificial-intelligence lab as the sector races to raise capital.
Sen. Adam Schiff on June 8 introduced a bill that would require human oversight of Pentagon AI systems used in weapons and prohibit the technology from being deployed for domestic surveillance, joining a wave of Democratic proposals aimed at regulating artificial intelligence ahead of a potential change in congressional control.
Trading begins Friday in SpaceX's initial public offering, the largest stock sale of its kind in history, in a milestone that is expected to make founder Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire and open one of the most closely held private companies to ordinary investors for the first time.
Chatbots on five different websites falsely claimed to be licensed to practice medicine in Pennsylvania when prompted by reporters, mirroring the type of output that led the state to sue the role-playing platform Character.AI last month.
Meta Platforms Inc. on Monday launched a free, five-week workforce academy to train workers to build its data centers, guaranteeing graduates a job at a Meta construction site. The company committed $115 million to the program this year, piloting it in Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana and Texas.
Apple on Monday unveiled a major overhaul of its Siri digital assistant, introducing Siri AI with expanded conversational capabilities, as Chief Executive Tim Cook made his final appearance at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference before stepping down in September.
Shares of European semiconductor companies posted mixed results on Monday, days after a broad selloff in AI-related stocks, as renewed Middle East tensions added to investor uncertainty. Dutch chip-equipment maker ASML Holding fell 1% and ASM International dropped 2.2%, while German chip maker Infineon Technologies rose 1.3% and STMicroelectronics gained 1%. Separately, Orange CEO Christel Heydemann defended the 20.35 billion-euro deal to buy most of Altice’s French business, saying the transaction is not based on market repair or price increases.
About two-thirds of planned artificial intelligence datacenters in the United States are located in areas that have experienced drought conditions over the past year, according to an analysis by The Guardian. The findings highlight a growing tension between the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and water scarcity across much of the country.
Nvidia has ranked No. 1 in The Wall Street Journal's inaugural Best Companies for the Future list, a ranking that evaluates S&P 500 companies on AI readiness, innovation, talent readiness, financial fitness, resilience, and agility. The list is dominated by technology firms, with Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Cisco Systems rounding out the top five.
PepsiCo is operating 35 driverless trucks on public roads in Arizona, becoming the first major U.S. consumer-goods company to deploy autonomous trucks at commercial scale. The trucks, outfitted with sensors and computers from autonomous-vehicle company Gatik, have logged no accidents on public roads since beginning driverless runs in June 2025, the company said.
Researchers say anti-AI sentiment has become a driver of political violence, with a series of recent attacks targeting tech leaders and infrastructure. In February, a 20-year-old Texas man was arrested after allegedly attempting to burn down OpenAI's headquarters and the home of CEO Sam Altman, authorities said.
Kristin Shires was in the front row when the Misterwives took the stage, soaking in the blaring drums and saxophones. But on the way home, the show followed her in a different form: a persistent ringing in her ears.
Cryptocurrency markets entered 'extreme fear' territory Friday as Zcash plunged 27% on news of a coding exploit, while European technology stocks fell and major companies released mixed earnings updates. The crypto fear index dropped to 17 out of 100, its lowest since early March, according to CoinMarketCap. Zcash fell sharply after Shielded Labs, an organization within the Zcash ecosystem, disclosed it had found and fixed a vulnerability that could allow unlimited counterfeit tokens.
WASHINGTON (MSI) — President Donald Trump on Friday issued a memo directing the U.S. military and national security agencies to accelerate their use of artificial intelligence, while acknowledging the need to protect civil liberties and maintain oversight over autonomous weapon systems. The memo was addressed to key Cabinet members including the secretaries of defense and homeland security, the attorney general, and the director of national intelligence.
Anthropic, the company behind the Claude chatbot, proposed Thursday that the world's top artificial intelligence companies coordinate on a way to temporarily pause development of advanced AI systems, warning that the technology is improving so quickly that humans risk losing control.
As SpaceX prepares for its initial public offering this month, investors are looking beyond Elon Musk's company to other space economy players. Rocket Lab, a Nasdaq-listed launch provider, has emerged as a leading contender with a growing backlog of defense contracts and plans for a larger rocket that could better compete with SpaceX on cost.
A new NPR/Ipsos poll of 545 K-12 teachers across the United States finds that nearly three-quarters believe artificial intelligence will have bigger implications for education than past innovations like the internet or personal computers. The survey also reveals that a majority of teachers worry AI is making it harder for students to learn to think for themselves, while most educators say schools should teach responsible AI use.
Senior U.S. officials have discussed having the federal government take equity stakes in major artificial-intelligence companies, according to people familiar with the matter, after OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman pitched the idea to the administration last year.
Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining, controlled by billionaire Thomas S. Kaplan, raised $270 million in an initial public offering to restart the historic Sunshine mine in Idaho, the company said Thursday. Shares surged 27% on their debut on the New York Stock Exchange, valuing the company at $1.9 billion.
SpaceX has filed plans for an initial public offering valuing the company at $1.78 trillion, a price that would make it the largest stock market flotation in history but that financial data firm Morningstar says leaves the company "significantly overvalued."
The largest U.S. banks plan to launch a tokenized deposit network in the first half of 2027, an effort to counter the threat from crypto companies and stablecoins, according to a person familiar with the plan reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Several leading artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX, are moving toward initial public offerings this year at valuations reaching into the trillions of dollars, according to the Associated Press. The companies are seeking access to public equity markets to fund an intensifying race to develop and deploy AI technology, but some analysts warn the sector may be overheating.
Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday announced a ten-year national artificial intelligence strategy, pledging more than C$2bn ($1.4bn) on computing infrastructure, talent retention, and workforce training as Canada seeks to reduce dependence on foreign technology providers.
A study published in Science in November 2025 found that reducing exposure to posts expressing antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity on X improved users' feelings toward the opposing party by about two points on a 100-point scale within ten days, suggesting that algorithmic feeds can compress years of political hardening into a short period.
Google has named Kameirah, a Washington high school student, the winner of its 17th annual Doodle for Google contest for her illustration celebrating kinky hair and its cultural legacy, the company announced Thursday.
The widow of Luke Ashton, a gambling addict who took his own life in April 2021 after falling £18,000 into debt, began a legal claim on Thursday against Betfair in the UK High Court. The case could establish for the first time that a betting company owes a duty of care to customers showing signs of problem gambling.
WASHINGTON — The chief executives of OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind have signed a letter urging Congress to require companies that sell synthetic DNA and RNA to screen customer orders, citing the risk that artificial intelligence could lower barriers for bad actors seeking biological weapons. President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week on AI model oversight and cybersecurity, marking a shift from his administration's previous hands-off approach to the technology.
Seattle is poised to become the largest U.S. city to impose a moratorium on new data centers, with city council committees voting unanimously Wednesday to approve a one-year ban. A full council vote expected Tuesday would block five large facilities proposed by four companies that would have consumed roughly a third of the city's current daily electricity demand.
SpaceX has set an estimated share price of $135 for its upcoming initial public offering, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, valuing the company at roughly $1.75 trillion. The company expects to begin trading on the Nasdaq on June 12 in what would be the largest IPO ever, aiming to raise $75 billion.
AI market-research platform AlphaSense has reached a $7.5 billion valuation in a new funding round, nearly doubling its previous $4 billion mark from 2024, as investors pour capital into artificial-intelligence tools for the financial-services sector.
Country music star Garth Brooks is considering selling his music catalog for roughly $2 billion, in what would be among the largest deals for an individual artist’s catalog, according to people familiar with the matter.
James Freeman spent the cable years training business-class readers to experience voluntary government cooperation as tyranny.
Global data centers consumed more electricity in 2025 than all but 10 countries, producing carbon emissions comparable to Argentina, according to a United Nations University report released Wednesday.
Lloyds Banking Group apologized Wednesday after an IT glitch left thousands of customers across its brands — Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows and MBNA — unable to make payments, send money or access their accounts through mobile apps and websites for more than three hours.
The UK government will provide £1.3bn in public funding to help Comcast build Universal’s first European theme park on a former brickworks site near Bedford, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced Wednesday.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would have banned companies from using surveillance pricing to set wages and consumer prices, rejecting what would have been the strongest such measure in the nation.
Voters in Monterey Park, California, on Tuesday approved a ballot measure that permanently bans data centers in the city, making it the first US municipality to enact such a ban through a direct vote. With 86.3% of more than 7,000 votes counted in favor, the measure passed by a wide margin, according to city councilmember Jose Sanchez.
Labour MP Jess Asato has filed a lawsuit at the High Court in London against Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI, alleging that its Grok chatbot was designed without safeguards that allowed users to create fake sexualised images of her. The case, filed on June 3, seeks damages and aims to establish legal precedent that AI companies are liable for design flaws in their systems.
The Wall Street Journal reported June 2 that an AI-driven memory chip supply crunch is deepening, easyJet shares jumped on takeover interest, and bitcoin slid to a near two-month low, as a series of market-moving developments swept global equities. Research firm TrendForce said the three major memory-chip makers—Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron—are likely to sharply increase prices for high-bandwidth AI memory in 2027 as surging demand strains production capacity. Goldman Sachs raised its operating profit forecasts for Samsung Electronics through 2028, projecting sustained growth driven by artificial intelligence demand that is outpacing supply growth. Investment firm Castlelake said any takeover offer for British budget carrier easyJet would value the airline at least $4.12 billion, sending its shares roughly 10% higher despite analyst skepticism about a deal's prospects.
Index providers are rewriting rules to add the largest initial public offerings to their benchmarks within days of trading, a change that analysts and academics warn could force index funds to buy tens of billions of dollars in newly listed stock at inflated prices.
S&P Global Ratings revised its outlook on Blackstone Secured Lending Fund to stable from positive on Tuesday, citing risks from potential artificial-intelligence disruption to the fund's $2.9 billion software portfolio and a broader deterioration in asset quality. The rating action came alongside a Morgan Stanley warning that Australian bank valuations look likely to keep falling and fresh data showing bitcoin exchange-traded funds have shed more than $3 billion over the past three weeks.
A blistering second-quarter rally in U.S. tech stocks, fueled by artificial intelligence optimism, has left Wall Street professionals caught between caution and the fear of losing their jobs if they miss out, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted Tuesday that Marvell Technology could become the next trillion-dollar semiconductor company, citing surging demand for artificial-intelligence hardware driven by the rise of autonomous AI agents. Huang made the forecast during a joint appearance with Marvell CEO Matt Murphy at the Computex trade show in Taipei.
STMicroelectronics shares surged 8.2% in European trading Tuesday after the chip maker raised its 2026 data-center revenue target to about $1 billion, more than doubling its prior forecast. The company said demand for artificial-intelligence infrastructure continues to boom.
Nvidia plans to sell personal-computer chips that bundle its AI-computing hardware with a central processor, directly challenging the x86-based dominance Intel and Advanced Micro Devices have held for roughly five decades. Shares of Nvidia, Microsoft, Dell, HP and Arm all rose Monday following the announcement, which the company detailed at a trade show in Taiwan.
A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted short seller Andrew Left of securities fraud on Monday, finding the founder of Citron Research used his social media platform and reputation to manipulate stock prices for quick profits. Left, 55, was found guilty on most of 17 counts and faces sentencing Aug. 31.
Blackstone raised $13.1 billion for its Blackstone Capital Partners Asia III fund, exceeding the $10 billion target and reaching its hard cap, the New York-based alternative asset manager said Monday. The fund is Blackstone's largest Asia-focused private equity vehicle and more than double the size of its predecessor.
People Incorporated, the media and digital conglomerate led by Barry Diller, proposed Monday acquiring the remaining stake it does not own in MGM Resorts, in a deal valuing the casino operator at approximately $12.4 billion. Diller, 84, said the bid is a deliberate wager on physical entertainment and gaming at a time when many corporate investors are shifting capital into artificial-intelligence ventures.
He prayed for deregulation. The safety cage was empty anyway.
James Freeman manufactures consent for deregulated AI by hiding safety testing behind a bureaucratic scarecrow.
Cybercriminals are hijacking companies' internal artificial intelligence agents to steal sensitive business data, including customer Social Security numbers, in a growing security gap that security experts say is proving harder to prevent than traditional insider attacks. The threat was highlighted last month when CB Financial Services, a Pennsylvania-based holding company, disclosed that an AI agent had unlocked nonpublic customer information including names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth.
Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff warned Tuesday that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence could create a permanent global underclass, with developing nations and countries outside the AI supply chain facing mass job displacement and insufficient tax revenue to cushion the blow.
Microsoft announced Tuesday that its second-generation Majorana quantum chip, Majorana 2, is 1,000 times more reliable than its predecessor, with qubits that survive for an average of 20 seconds compared to milliseconds on the first chip. The company said it aims to have a quantum computer capable of solving commercially useful problems by 2029.
Hackers tricked Instagram's AI-powered customer support tool into changing email addresses and passwords on other users' accounts, Meta confirmed Tuesday, in a security incident that coincided with the reported takeover of former President Barack Obama's verified account.
Microsoft has developed two prototype AI-enabled hardware devices — a wearable access badge and a small desktop cube — that the company said are designed for office workers who regularly use artificial intelligence tools. The products, demonstrated at Microsoft’s annual developer conference, represent the company’s latest effort to create a "new form factor" for interacting with AI agents outside of a traditional computer.
Hyperliquid, a decentralized crypto platform founded three years ago by former Hudson River Trading quantitative trader Jeff Yan, has become a 24/7 trading venue where Wall Street traders place leveraged bets on perpetual futures for crude oil, stock indexes, and pre-IPO companies including SpaceX, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday. The exchange and its associated blockchain generated roughly $800 million in total revenue last year and have attracted a growing user base seeking access to derivatives markets outside regular trading hours.
Strategy, the bitcoin-hoarding firm founded by Michael Saylor, sold 32 bitcoin for roughly $2.5 million last week, marking its first sale since late 2022. The company said it used the proceeds to fund distributions on its preferred stock, according to a regulatory filing.
Anthropic filed confidentially for an initial public offering, pulling ahead of rival OpenAI in the race to list publicly, as Goldman Sachs analysts warned that the AI-driven memory shortage will persist through at least 2028 in market talk across the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors on Monday.
Alphabet Inc. announced Monday it will issue $80 billion in equity to finance the expansion of its artificial intelligence infrastructure. The parent company of Google said it will sell $10 billion in stock directly to Berkshire Hathaway and raise the remaining $70 billion through various market offerings this year.
Celebrity investor Ron Baron is counting on Elon Musk to lift his largest fund out of a 2026 slump, with SpaceX and Tesla stakes representing nearly half of his assets as clients pull money from actively managed mutual funds.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed an 83-page lawsuit against OpenAI and Chief Executive Sam Altman on June 1, alleging the company knowingly released an unsafe artificial-intelligence product that harmed users. The suit makes Florida the first state to sue OpenAI and seeks to hold Altman personally liable for damages the state says the chatbot caused Floridians.
Wise Group shares fell to a near 18-month low after a report said Belgian prosecutors are investigating the cross-border payments company for potential money laundering involving €500 million in transactions. Shares dropped 9.2% in European trading on June 1, and fell more than 10% premarket in New York.
The Trump administration is accelerating efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into U.S. military operations, drawing calls for safety guardrails from technology firms and warnings from top uniformed leaders about the delivery of lethal force.
London-based singer-songwriter Samuel Smith is using artificial intelligence platforms to continue making music after Parkinson's disease largely ended his ability to play guitar, his recently released second album demonstrates.
Tom Hanks said the latest Toy Story film highlights children's addiction to screens, calling the issue one that strikes "terror in the heart." The fifth installment of Pixar's animated franchise introduces a tablet antagonist that captivates the film's child characters, reflecting real-world concerns about young people's relationship with technology.
Spiro, an electric vehicle company operating across Africa, secured $215 million in equity financing on Monday to expand its battery-swapping infrastructure and mobility services on the continent. The investment round drew backing from institutional investors in Europe and Africa, including Denmark’s Impact Fund.
Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens has pivoted his performance work toward grassroots activism after learning about proposed AI data center construction in communities across the state.
Japan has decided to join the U.S.-led Genesis Mission as a key international partner, committing $500 million to a joint $1 billion investment in artificial intelligence and related technologies over five years, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Monday.
Major consulting firms and government agencies are mandating generative AI usage for staff and tying it to promotion tracks, even as internal confusion over implementation and expected returns leaves employees and mid-level managers uncertain about the technology's workplace role.
Anthropic filed confidential IPO papers on Monday, putting the maker of the Claude chatbot on a path to beat ChatGPT parent OpenAI to a public listing. The filing and Nvidia's simultaneous move into the personal-computer market together lifted AI-linked technology stocks across the board.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise accelerated its long-term financial targets by two years after reporting second-quarter revenue of $10.68 billion, a 40% increase driven by surging demand for AI compute infrastructure.
Oura released a redesigned smart ring focused on a smaller form factor after users requested a less obtrusive wearable, Chief Executive Tom Hale said in a June 1 interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Nvidia on Sunday unveiled the first personal laptops designed to run artificial-intelligence 'agents,' introducing a new chip called RTX Spark and a broader hardware suite called Vera Rubin at the Computex conference in Taipei.
Estonia began distributing free, customized ChatGPT accounts to nearly 20,000 high school students this year, replacing outright bans with a structured pedagogical trial aimed at preserving cognitive skills amid widespread AI adoption. Researchers from Stanford University and Estonia’s education ministry are tracking student reasoning and retention before and after the rollout.
Barry Diller's People Inc. offered Monday to acquire the remaining shares of MGM Resorts for $48.30 per share in cash, in a nonbinding proposal that would take the casino operator private and value the company at roughly $12.4 billion.
Shares in the international money transfer service Wise dropped more than 10% on Monday after the company confirmed it is responding to queries from Belgian prosecutors investigating its anti-money-laundering controls. Wise said the Brussels prosecutor’s office inquiries remain incomplete and no specific findings have been shared with the company to date.
People Inc, the digital media company chaired by Barry Diller, announced Monday it has proposed to acquire the remaining shares of casino operator MGM Resorts International in a deal that values the company at more than $18 billion. The offer of $48.30 per share in cash represents a premium of roughly 10.6% over MGM's Friday closing price of $43.67.
Belgian prosecutors are investigating UK money transfer company Wise over suspicions that criminals used its accounts to facilitate illicit fund movements. The probe focuses exclusively on the firm's European operations and is nearing its conclusion, authorities confirmed Sunday.
OpenAI has offered nine major UK banking institutions access to its GPT-5.5 Cyber security tool, providing an alternative access pathway as rival Anthropic blocks financial firms from previewing its Claude Mythos model.
Nvidia introduced the first personal computers designed to run artificial-intelligence agents and confirmed the status of its Vera Rubin hardware suite during the Computex conference in Taipei on Sunday. The announcement highlights a strategic pivot by the semiconductor giant to accommodate the rapid proliferation of autonomous task-completion bots in the consumer technology market.
OpenAI and Anthropic are both preparing to go public, and the order in which they reach the stock market could materially affect their futures and the next phase of the artificial-intelligence investment boom, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The two AI heavyweights are competing not only on technology but also for investor capital in a market where timing carries outsized weight.
Uber Technologies plans to launch a robotaxi program in Munich, Germany, partnering with Israeli artificial-intelligence startup Autobrains Technologies and Nvidia to deploy autonomous vehicles on European roads pending regulator approval.
Market analysts issued updated ratings and sector assessments for major auto and transport companies on June 1, with investment firms evaluating the potential impact of a Castlelake bid for easyJet, Chinese electric-vehicle chip developments, and shifting strategies for Australian aviation and auto-accessories firms.
Nvidia launched the RTX Spark chip at the Computex 2026 conference in Taipei on Sunday, a processor designed to run AI agents directly on laptops and desktops without relying on cloud computing. Chief executive Jensen Huang said the chip, co-developed with Taiwan's MediaTek and paired with Microsoft Windows, would "reinvent the PC" for the AI era.
Samsung Electronics' market capitalization reached approximately $1.23 trillion based on its latest common-share closing price, and analysts are raising the possibility that the South Korean technology giant could approach a $2 trillion valuation fueled by artificial intelligence demand, a major memory-chip upcycle and deepening partnerships with AI companies.
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority is under growing pressure from lawmakers and digital rights campaigners to demonstrate that its artificial-intelligence partnership with the US company Palantir will not expose sensitive British financial data to the Trump administration. Martin Wrigley, a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Commons science and technology select committee, has written to the regulator demanding it justify its claim that the US Cloud Act — a law that can compel American tech companies to hand data to US authorities — does not apply to the arrangement.
Nvidia on Monday unveiled the RTX Spark, a new chip designed to power artificial-intelligence-enabled personal computers, during a keynote speech by Chief Executive Jensen Huang at the Computex technology show in Taipei, Taiwan. The company said the chip will ship in Windows PCs from major manufacturers starting in autumn 2026. Separately, the US Department of Commerce tightened rules on Sunday to further restrict exports of Nvidia's most advanced AI chips to Chinese firms.
Arm's chief executive, Rene Haas, is in line for a compensation package that could exceed $1 billion if the chip designer hits market capitalization milestones stretching to $2 trillion by 2031, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Artificial intelligence company Anthropic said Thursday it raised $65 billion in private funding that pushes its valuation to $965 billion, vaulting the five-year-old maker of the Claude chatbot past chief rival OpenAI in market value and reported revenue.
A growing number of office workers and remote employees are streaming music tuned to 432 hertz during the workday, drawn by social media claims that the alternate tuning promotes focus and well-being. Scientists say there is no rigorous evidence to support those claims.
TOKYO — Chinese robotics companies took center stage Thursday at the opening of the Humanoids Summit Tokyo, showcasing dexterous mechanical hands and agile humanoid machines that underscored China's growing dominance in a field Japan and the United States once pioneered.
U.S. prosecutors charged a Google software engineer with insider trading on Wednesday, alleging the employee used confidential company search data to win more than $1.2 million in wagers on the prediction platform Polymarket.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine suspended a sales-tax exemption for data centers on Wednesday, citing projections that show the cost of the break has soared far beyond original estimates, as the AI-driven data center boom intensifies scrutiny of subsidies for the energy-hungry facilities.
Nine spellers advanced to the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Wednesday, reviving a long-running debate over whether success depends more on mastering language roots or on rote memorization of the dictionary.
James Freeman’s June 3 “Best of the Web” column is a demonstration piece, running the old deregulatory playbook at full speed to turn a voluntary government request for artificial-intelligence safety information into the specter of a bureaucratic stranglehold.
PayPal said its core online checkout business is barely growing and will require “significant changes” to fix, as the San Jose, California-based payments pioneer faces intensifying competition from Apple Pay, Shopify, buy now, pay later services and peer-to-peer payment apps. PayPal’s stock has fallen nearly 40% in the past 12 months and roughly 80% over five years.
A new artificial intelligence detection network called WhaleSpotter went live this week in San Francisco Bay, continuously scanning for whale blows and heat signatures up to two nautical miles away and alerting ferry captains and cargo ship operators to steer clear when the animals are near.
Recruiters inundated with AI-generated job applications are deploying artificial intelligence of their own to handle the surge, using chatbots to conduct screening interviews via phone, text and video. The practice, documented in new research by the hiring platform Glasshouse, shows a growing number of job seekers facing AI interviews — and a significant share walking away from the process entirely.
PayPal Holdings Inc. is confronting its toughest test in nearly three decades as the company’s flagship branded‑checkout segment posted a modest 2% gain in the first quarter, prompting investors to warn that “significant changes” will be needed to revive growth. The slowdown comes as rivals such as Apple’s Apple Pay, Shopify and buy‑now‑pay‑later firms like Klarna and Affirm have chipped away at PayPal’s roughly 9% share of U.S. e‑commerce payments, with Apple now surpassing the online‑checkout leader. After a board‑approved shake‑up that removed CEO Alex Chriss in February, former HP Inc. chief executive Enrique Lores was named interim CEO and outlined a plan to reorganize the firm into three divisions and lean more heavily on artificial‑intelligence tools.
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has begun offering public tours of its Queens workshop, letting visitors meet puppet builders and see a puppetry demonstration. The 80-minute tours cost $150 per person and run on Saturdays, according to the company.
Leaders of the California State University system want to make generative AI tools widely available on its 22 campuses, and the system renewed its contract with OpenAI for another three years. But an internal survey of students, faculty and staff found more ambivalence than enthusiasm, with many respondents skeptical that AI is benefiting education overall and worried about its effects on creativity, jobs and the environment. The system’s push is unfolding as critics question whether chatbot-based tools can be used responsibly in higher education.
President Donald Trump called off plans for a White House ceremony to sign a new executive order on artificial intelligence hours before it was expected, saying the measure could weaken U.S. leadership in the technology. He postponed the event with tech industry executives, telling reporters that he did not want an order that could slow America’s edge in AI.
Estee Lauder has ended merger talks with Puig that would have combined brands including Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury and Jean Paul Gaultier, the company said Friday. Estee Lauder CEO Stéphane de la Faverie said in a prepared statement late Thursday that the New York-based firm remains confident as a standalone company.
Federal prosecutors have charged two men with using artificial intelligence to create nude videos and photos of female celebrities under a newly enacted “Take It Down Act.” The charges, filed in Brooklyn, come as prosecutors say deepfake pornography has spread online, often depicting minors.
SAN FRANCISCO — California’s San Francisco Bay is rolling out an AI whale-spotting network designed to help ferries and other vessels detect gray whales in near real time and adjust course to avoid collisions.
Google unveiled a series of new Gemini artificial intelligence updates at its annual I/O developers conference, including an “agentic” personal assistant and changes to Google Search’s default AI model. In remarks at the event near its Mountain View, California headquarters, CEO Sundar Pichai said Gemini’s user base has grown to more than 900 million monthly active users.
President Donald Trump called off plans to sign a new executive order on artificial intelligence hours before a scheduled White House event, saying he worried the measure could slow U.S. efforts to compete with other countries in AI. He postponed the Oval Office event with tech industry executives after reviewing the order’s text, he said.
Google said it is changing the single-line search box on its homepage to a more dynamic, expanding query field and to support “multimodal” searches that can include videos, pictures and files. The company also plans a deeper merge of AI summaries and agent-like functions with traditional web search, aiming to respond to longer, natural-language questions and tasks over time.
Shein is buying Everlane, the California-based apparel brand known for minimalist basics and a pitch of “ethical factories” and “radical transparency,” NPR reported. Everlane’s CEO Alfred Chang said the deal is meant to open “a bigger chapter,” while adding that Everlane will remain “an independent brand.” The companies did not disclose deal size, and Shein and Everlane will now face questions about whether their tie-up will change Everlane’s appeal.
SpaceX on Wednesday disclosed plans for an initial public offering that could become one of the largest stock sales ever, with Elon Musk seeking to take the company public while it continues to post large losses. A U.S. filing shows SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, and Musk’s proposed compensation is tied to milestones including a permanent human colony on Mars. SpaceX said it will begin pitching investors, known as a “road show,” 15 days after its prospectus becomes public.
Nvidia reported Q1 results that beat Wall Street expectations, driven by demand for its high-end AI chips, and forecast revenue near $91 billion for the current quarter. The company earned $58.32 billion ($2.39 per share) in the February-April period, while revenue jumped 85% to $81.62 billion. Shares were slightly lower after hours after closing at $223.47 on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON — A powerful congressional committee is urging AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile to do more to protect Americans from scams, as investigators probe the role U.S. companies may play in a surge of cyber-enabled fraud. In a request sent Wednesday evening, committee leaders asked the carriers for information on data collection, monitoring efforts and actions against bad actors, warning that scam calls and texts are increasingly hard for customers to distinguish from legitimate messages.
Estee Lauder and perfume and cosmetics maker Puig have ended merger talks that would have combined brands including Clinique and Jean Paul Gaultier under one owner, the companies said Thursday. The New York-based Estée Lauder Cos. said talks with Puig, which oversees brands such as Dr. Barbara Sturm and Jean Paul Gaultier, did not result in an agreement, and its CEO said the company remains confident as a standalone business.
SpaceX has filed prospectus documents for a proposed initial public offering that it says could be the largest ever, with Elon Musk’s plan tied to milestones for a future compensation package. The filing includes detailed financial figures, expected lockup periods for investors, and a stated goal of establishing a large, permanent population on Mars.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it will expand its use of artificial intelligence to review audit reports submitted by states and other recipients of federal health dollars, aiming to tamp down fraud and save money. HHS said it will use ChatGPT and other AI tools to analyze audits from all 50 states on an ongoing basis. The department also sent letters to governors and treasurers notifying them of tougher enforcement for chronic audit noncompliance.
Two men were arrested and charged in Brooklyn, federal prosecutors said, for creating nude AI-generated videos and photos of female celebrities under a newly enacted law aimed at deepfake pornography. Prosecutors said Cornelius Shannon, 51, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, were arrested Tuesday. Joseph Nocella, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said the case shows that posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime.
President Donald Trump postponed the signing of an executive order on artificial intelligence hours before a White House ceremony Thursday, saying he feared the measure could weaken the United States’ lead over China in AI technology. The abrupt decision came after Trump reviewed the order’s text and decided it could hurt the domestic tech industry, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.
President Donald Trump called off plans to sign an executive order on artificial intelligence hours before a scheduled White House ceremony, saying he was concerned the measure could weaken the United States’ edge in AI. Trump told reporters he was postponing the Oval Office event because he did not like what he saw in the order’s text.
A biotech company, Colossal Biosciences, said it has hatched 26 baby chickens from a 3D-printed artificial eggshell and environment, a step it frames as potentially scalable for future de-extinction efforts. Scientists who were not involved praised the engineering but said the setup is not a full artificial egg and questioned whether it could enable resurrections such as New Zealand’s extinct South Island giant moa.
SpaceX has filed a 250-page prospectus for what could be the largest initial public offering in history, revealing plans for interplanetary travel and spending that exceeds the economic output of some countries. The IPO is expected to raise approximately $75 billion and could make company founder Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire, according to the document reviewed by the Associated Press.
The cost of Ohio’s sales tax exemption for data centers reached $1.6 billion in 2025, more than 11 times what state budget forecasters had projected, newly released data from the Ohio Department of Taxation show. The exemption, which shields big tech companies from paying the state’s 5.75% sales tax on equipment and construction, also cost $555 million in 2024—four times the initial estimate—and stripped $166.8 million from local sales tax collections that year.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday it is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to scrutinize audit reports from all 50 states, aiming to detect fraud and waste in federal health spending, according to the official leading the program.
Estée Lauder Companies and Spanish fragrance and fashion house Puig have ended merger discussions that would have brought brands including MAC, Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury, and Jean Paul Gaultier under single ownership, Estée Lauder confirmed Thursday night. Shares of Estée Lauder jumped more than 12% in early trading Friday following the announcement.
Federal prosecutors charged two men Tuesday with using artificial intelligence to create nude videos and photos of female celebrities, marking the first enforcement actions under the newly enacted Take It Down Act. The men face up to two years in prison for generating sexually explicit content that drew millions of views online.
A powerful congressional committee on Wednesday called on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile to do more to protect Americans from cyberscams, part of a widening investigation into the role U.S. telecommunications companies play in a surge of fraud that cost Americans an estimated $200 billion in 2024.
Elon Musk announced plans for SpaceX to raise money by taking the company public, according to a U.S. filing made public this week. The prospectus shows SpaceX is still losing billions of dollars even as it lays out a path tied to milestones, including support for projects to put people on the moon and Mars.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it will use ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools to analyze audit reports submitted by states and other federal health-dollar recipients. HHS said the move is meant to reduce fraud risks and save the government money, including by tightening how audit noncompliance is handled.
Google on Tuesday unveiled a stream of AI upgrades at its annual developers conference, including new Gemini model rollouts aimed at making search and everyday tasks more proactive. Chief executive Sundar Pichai said Gemini usage has surpassed 900 million monthly active users, and Google promised faster, safer agents, new video-generation tools and wearable smart glasses later this year.
Federal prosecutors charged Cornelius Shannon, 51, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, with using artificial intelligence to create nude videos and photos of female celebrities, under a newly enacted law aimed at deepfake pornography. Both men were arrested Tuesday, according to criminal complaints, and prosecutors said the videos and images drew millions of views online.
San Francisco has launched an AI-powered whale-spotting system that monitors whale blows and heat signatures around the clock and alerts ships and ferry operators when whales are nearby. The network, called WhaleSpotter, is intended to help mariners avoid ship strikes as gray whale deaths in the Bay Area rise. The effort also includes real-time alerts and public posting through the Whale Safe website.
Graduates at several U.S. college commencements have interrupted speakers and issued stadium-wide boos when the topic turned to artificial intelligence and its impact on jobs, according to interviews and polls cited by the Associated Press. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt drew repeated jeers at the University of Arizona’s ceremony for a keynote that discussed how AI will affect “every profession” and “every classroom.”
WASHINGTON — A powerful congressional committee urged AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile to do more to protect Americans from scams, pressing the telecoms to share information about how they collect data, monitor for fraud and cybercrime, and respond to bad actors. The request comes as lawmakers widen an investigation into the role U.S. companies play in a surge of cyberscams that cost Americans an estimated $200 billion in 2024.
SpaceX filed for an initial public offering that could become the largest in history, with the prospectus describing losses, major spending and shareholder lockups tied to founder Elon Musk. The filing also lays out a long-term vision that includes sending humans to the moon and building a permanent 1 million-person colony on Mars, according to details summarized by the Associated Press.
Media scion James Murdoch has struck a deal with Vox Media to acquire New York magazine, the Vox Media Podcast Network and the Vox editorial brand, according to a report by the Associated Press. The transaction, expected to close within weeks, will be structured through James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, which will acquire about half of Vox Media’s divisions.
Nvidia reported quarterly earnings and revenue that surpassed Wall Street forecasts, citing strong demand for its high-end AI chips. In results for the February-April period, the company earned $58.32 billion, or $2.39 per share, and revenue rose 85% to $81.62 billion.
The biotech company Colossal Biosciences said Tuesday that it hatched 26 baby chickens in an artificial environment using an eggshell-like structure. Scientists not involved in the work said the development shows progress in avian embryo research but questioned whether it amounts to a true “artificial egg” and whether de-extinction of species such as the New Zealand giant moa is feasible.
Graduates at multiple U.S. college commencement ceremonies booed speakers who brought up artificial intelligence, NPR reported May 20. In one case near Phoenix, Glendale Community College said it used a new AI system as a reader, after which the wrong names were read aloud and some graduates were not read at all.
Overworked and understaffed special education teachers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to speed up paperwork, including work on individualized education programs required under federal law. In Bay Point, Calif., teacher Mary Acebu said she has used AI for the past two years to cut the time she spends on drafting IEP goals so she can spend more time working directly with students.
A federal appeals court heard arguments Tuesday in the Pentagon’s legal fight with AI company Anthropic after the Defense Department designated the company a national security supply-chain risk. Judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit appeared divided, with one judge saying she saw no evidence for the Pentagon’s determination and another pressing what standard the court should use to second-guess Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s judgment.
SpaceX filed financial information with regulators as it prepares for a potential initial public offering in mid-June, according to NPR reporting. The documents describe blockbuster spending tied to rockets and to the company’s AI business, as well as large losses across two major units during the first quarter.
Media scion James Murdoch has agreed to acquire New York magazine and Vox Media’s podcast network and editorial brands, with a deal expected to close within weeks, according to The Associated Press. Under the arrangement, Lupa Systems—Murdoch’s media company—will take on three Vox Media divisions and operate them as a subsidiary called Vox Media.
Graduates in multiple U.S. universities have booed speakers who discussed artificial intelligence during commencement addresses, signaling anxiety about how AI may affect jobs and education. In a keynote at the University of Arizona, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt drew repeated jeers when he warned that AI would reach “every profession, every classroom, every hospital, every laboratory, every person and every relationship you have.” Other ceremonies saw similar pushback when speakers presented AI as a “next industrial revolution” or a tool to “deal with” and apply.
San Francisco Bay launched an AI whale-detection network to help ships and ferries spot gray whales day and night and avoid collisions. The system, called WhaleSpotter, uses sensors to identify whale blows and heat signatures and then alerts mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.
Google used its annual developer conference, Google I/O, to announce new AI tools that it said will expand Gemini’s role in search, video creation and day-to-day tasks. The company also previewed Gemini Spark, a cloud-based agent it described as able to complete routine work in the background with permission for high-stakes actions.
Nvidia reported Q1 earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street expectations, citing strong demand for its high-end AI chips. The company earned $58.32 billion, or $2.39 per share, for the February-April period and said it expects current-quarter revenue of about $91 billion.
SpaceX announced plans for what could be one of the biggest initial public offerings ever, as Elon Musk takes the company public despite years of heavy losses. A regulatory filing shows SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, with losses continuing early this year.
Biotech company Colossal Biosciences announced Tuesday it has hatched live chicks using a 3D-printed artificial eggshell, a milestone the company said could eventually allow it to revive extinct bird species such as New Zealand's South Island giant moa.
The Associated Press reports that at several U.S. university commencements this spring, graduates have booed speakers who discuss artificial intelligence, voicing anxiety over job prospects. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was repeatedly jeered during his keynote address to about 10,000 University of Arizona graduates over the weekend when he said AI “will touch every profession.”
A panel of three federal appellate judges heard oral arguments Tuesday in Anthropic's appeal against the Pentagon's decision to brand the artificial intelligence company a national security supply-chain risk, with one judge calling the Defense Department's action a "spectacular overreach."
Colossal Biosciences said Tuesday it hatched 26 baby chickens from a 3D-printed structure that mimics an eggshell, part of its effort to “de-extinct” lost species. Scientists who reviewed the approach said it demonstrates some advances but falls short of an artificial egg and that reviving extinct animals like the New Zealand giant moa is likely impossible.
Samsung Electronics' labor union on Wednesday said it will hold off on launching a planned strike and put a tentative wage deal with management to a vote, easing immediate concerns about potential disruptions at the world's largest memory chip maker. The deal was reached after a last-minute government-mediated negotiation over how much bonus payouts must reflect the company's soaring profits driven by the global artificial intelligence boom.
Google announced a new proactive AI assistant, Gemini Spark, and a suite of agentic AI tools at its annual I/O developers conference Tuesday, marking a major push into autonomous AI systems as the company's user base for its existing AI app more than doubled in a year.
Graduates at multiple U.S. universities have interrupted commencement speakers after they discussed artificial intelligence, according to reporting published Monday. The boos followed comments from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt at the University of Arizona, and similar disruptions when other keynote speakers raised AI during ceremonies.
Google announced a series of new artificial-intelligence tools at its annual developers conference Google I/O, including a personal AI assistant that can take on routine tasks and new upgrades for Gemini and Google search. CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is “firmly in our agentic Gemini era,” and outlined plans for the Gemini 3.5 model to become the default in Gemini and “AI mode” search experiences. The company also previewed an “agentic” system called Gemini Spark and new video-generation capabilities tied to its Gemini Omni family.
A panel of U.S. appeals court judges appeared divided Tuesday while hearing arguments in Anthropic’s appeal of a Pentagon decision designating the company as a supply-chain risk. Anthropic argues Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unlawfully and falsely branded it as a national security risk after the company raised ethical and safety concerns about AI use in war. Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson and Neomi Rao raised sharply different questions about the scope of the government’s authority and whether courts can second-guess that judgment.
San Francisco Bay has launched “WhaleSpotter,” an AI-backed whale-detection system meant to help mariners avoid collisions with gray whales. The effort uses computer scanning to flag whale blows and heat signatures for verification by observers before alerts reach ferry operators and vessel traffic controllers.
Colossal Biosciences said Tuesday it has hatched live chicks from an artificial eggshell environment, a step the de-extinction company says could eventually support genetically engineering birds. The firm reported that 26 baby chickens were born from a 3D-printed structure that mimics an eggshell, and it said the approach could help tackle challenges posed by the extinct New Zealand giant moa. Some independent scientists said the system is more accurately described as an artificial eggshell than a full artificial egg, and they questioned whether de-extinction is feasible.
In January, French President Emmanuel Macron wore sunglasses at the Davos summit to address a medical issue with his right eye, but the eyewear sparked viral memes, an AI-generated spoof video set to "Top Gun" music, and a stock jump for the glasses' French maker. U.S. President Donald Trump joked about the shades during his Davos address. "Those beautiful sunglasses," Trump said. "What the hell happened?" The moment illustrates how a single visual choice can become a global phenomenon with real economic consequences—all within days.
In February 2026, Reggae, a 33-year-old Atlantic harbor seal at Boston's New England Aquarium, became a social media sensation after videos emerged of him hugging, carrying, and gently manipulating rubber ducks in his tank. But for the aquarium's trainers, the playful scene captured something more significant: a structured enrichment program designed to keep the aging seal mentally sharp and engaged.
The average person's attention span when viewing a single screen has fallen to 47 seconds, down from 2.5 minutes in 2004, according to decades of research. Psychiatrists and cognitive scientists say the decline is driven by constant notifications, 24/7 news cycles, and the deliberate design of social media platforms — but also that it can be reversed through intentional practice.
In mid-April, the satirical news outlet The Onion submitted a proposal to a Texas state court seeking an exclusive temporary license to operate the conspiracy-focused platforms of Alex Jones as a parody site. The proposal comes as Jones' company, Free Speech Systems, faces liquidation to satisfy more than $1 billion in defamation judgments owed to relatives of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
Apple announced on Monday that John Ternus, a 50-year-old hardware engineering veteran who has spent nearly his entire career at the company, will become chief executive in September. Ternus replaces Tim Cook, who transformed Apple into a $4 trillion tech giant during 15 years as CEO and will transition to executive chairman. The succession comes as Apple faces pressure to catch up in artificial intelligence.
Elon Musk's social media platform X has committed to restricting access in the United Kingdom to accounts linked to banned terrorist groups and to reviewing flagged hate and terrorist content within 24 hours on average, the UK media regulator Ofcom announced Friday. The pledges follow mounting pressure over hate crimes targeting Britain's Jewish community and separate investigations into X's handling of illegal AI-generated imagery.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has summoned the chief executives of Meta, Alphabet, TikTok, and Snap to testify at a June 23 hearing on the platforms’ effects on children, as a wave of court rulings and public advocacy sharpens accountability pressure on the industry.
The Associated Press laid off 20 U.S.-based journalists on Friday, completing a restructuring announced last month that shifts the news organization’s focus away from print journalism and toward visual journalism and technology clients, the union representing AP staff said.
Fisk University President Agenia Clark on May 15, 2026, unveiled a $900 million plan to transform the historically Black university’s Nashville campus, including a 100,000-square-foot data and technology center, as new polling shows widespread national opposition to such facilities.
X has pledged to crack down on hate and terrorist content in Britain, the country’s media regulator said. Ofcom said the platform will restrict access in the U.K. to accounts operated by or on behalf of terrorist groups banned in the country and will review suspected illegal content within set timeframes after users flag it.
In several U.S. states, governors, attorneys general and regulators are challenging proposed electric utility rate increases amid higher electricity bills that critics link to a surge in data-center demand from the artificial intelligence boom. Officials in at least six states have moved to block or reshape rate hikes, arguing that cash-strapped residents are being asked to pay for large utility profits while power grids face major modernization needs.
Berkshire Hathaway more than tripled its investment in Alphabet and bought more than $2.6 billion worth of Delta Airlines stock as Greg Abel settles into his role as CEO, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate also disclosed a new stake in Macy’s and sold other holdings including Visa, Mastercard, Domino’s Pizza, Amazon and United Healthcare.
Social media executives from Meta, Alphabet, TikTok and Snap have been invited to testify next month before the Senate Judiciary Committee as lawmakers and advocates push for protections for children and teens. The June 23 hearing was set by the committee’s chairman, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, and comes after recent court rulings that found social media companies liable in cases tied to young users’ harms.
Berkshire Hathaway more than tripled its investment in Google parent Alphabet and bought over $2.6 billion in Delta Air Lines stock during the first quarter of 2026, the first portfolio disclosures since Greg Abel succeeded Warren Buffett as CEO at the start of the year.
Dropbox’s chief people officer said Thursday the San Francisco-based cloud storage company remains fully committed to its virtual-first staffing model, having met all its financial goals since adopting the policy in 2020, even as a growing number of employers demand workers return to physical offices.
An anonymous buyer paid $9,000,100 to win a private lunch with Warren Buffett and NBA star Stephen Curry, according to an eBay charity auction that wrapped up Thursday night. The winning bid will go to the charities backed by Buffett, the Currys and their foundations, with Buffett also set to match the winning amount.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Dropbox Chief People Officer Melanie Rosenwasser said the company does not plan to return most employees to offices, instead keeping a “virtual-first” staffing model. Rosenwasser described how Dropbox uses quarterly in-person gatherings, asynchronous communication, and structured meeting practices to support a distributed workforce.
Meta Platforms is rolling out an “incognito” mode for its WhatsApp AI chatbot, allowing users to hold private conversations that the company says even it cannot access. The feature, announced Wednesday, is designed to ease growing privacy concerns about the sensitive information people share with artificial intelligence assistants.
SEOUL — A South Korean startup is strapping cameras onto hotel workers as they fold napkins and wipe glasses, harvesting their motions to build an AI brain that could one day power humanoid robots in factories and homes. The project, led by RLWRLD, is part of the country's effort to lead the global market for "physical AI" by leveraging its deep pool of skilled manufacturing and service workers, even as labor unions warn the same technology could disrupt the very workforce providing the training data.
Alibaba’s cloud and artificial intelligence revenue surged 38% in the January-March quarter, but heavy spending on AI infrastructure pushed the Chinese tech giant to an operating loss, the company reported Wednesday.
The parent company of the Canvas educational platform said it reached a deal with hackers to delete the data they stole in a cyberattack that disrupted finals for students at thousands of schools worldwide, acknowledging there was 'never complete certainty' the data was truly erased.
A private lunch with Warren Buffett and Stephen Curry sold for $9,000,100 in an eBay charity auction that ended Thursday night, the Associated Press reported. The anonymous winner will meet the 95-year-old investor and the basketball star next month in Buffett’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, with their respective charities expected to benefit. Curry and his wife, Ayesha, raised money through the Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation, while Buffett and his long-running auction partner effort supported San Francisco’s GLIDE Foundation homeless charity.
Meta Platforms said Wednesday it is rolling out an “incognito” mode for WhatsApp users to have private, temporary conversations with its Meta AI chatbot. The company said messages in the mode will be processed in a secure environment that even Meta can’t access, will not be saved by default, and will disappear when users exit a chat session. Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp, said the change is meant to address users’ privacy concerns when they ask sensitive questions or share personal data with AI systems.
RLWRLD, a South Korean robotics startup, is wiring workers at sites including Lotte Hotel Seoul, CJ and Lawson to capture how people perform tasks. The company says the motion and force data will help train robot “brains” that could expand from industrial sites to homes.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd reported a 38% increase in AI and cloud revenue for the January-March quarter, as it pushed deeper into artificial-intelligence products and services. The company also reported overall revenue rose 3% to 243 billion yuan, while operations posted an 848 million yuan loss, highlighting costs tied to AI expansion.
Instructure, the parent company of the education platform Canvas, said it reached an agreement with hackers who stole data in a cyberattack that disrupted schools and universities during finals. The company said it received “digital confirmation” that the hackers destroyed remaining copies of the data, in the form of “shred logs.”
The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday with a tribute to director Peter Jackson and a blunt discussion of geopolitics and artificial intelligence, as jury members used the platform to criticize Hollywood’s treatment of artists who speak out on Gaza and to weigh the industry’s response to AI.
“The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas” premieres Wednesday on HBO Max during AAPI Heritage Month, featuring intimate interviews with Asian American and Pacific Islander stars and everyday community members. The documentary is directed by Eugene Yi and created as part of “The List Series” by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group Corp. reported Wednesday that profit for the fiscal year through March surged nearly fivefold to 5 trillion yen ($32 billion), lifted by massive gains from its AI investments. Sales rose 8% to 7.8 trillion yen ($50 billion), the company said.
Indonesian prosecutors have asked a Jakarta court to sentence Nadiem Anwar Makarim, a co-founder of ride-hailing giant Gojek and a former education minister, to 18 years in prison for his alleged role in a corruption scheme involving the procurement of Google Chromebook laptops for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reported.
Tokyo-based SoftBank Group said Wednesday that annual profit for the fiscal year through March rose to 5 trillion yen, nearly five times the previous year, as its AI investments generated gains.
Indonesian prosecutors on Wednesday sought an 18-year prison sentence for Gojek co-founder Nadiem Anwar Makarim in a corruption case tied to the procurement of Google Chromebook laptops for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to court testimony at Jakarta’s Corruption Court.
A new HBO documentary, "The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas," explores the experiences of prominent AAPI figures, including Sandra Oh and Kumail Nanjiani, alongside everyday individuals. The film, directed by Eugene Yi, aims to highlight the diversity within the AAPI community and the struggles they have faced.
Online marketplace eBay on Tuesday rejected an unsolicited $56 billion takeover offer from video game retailer GameStop, calling the proposal "neither credible or attractive" in a letter from its board chairman to GameStop's Ryan Cohen.
Amazon is rapidly expanding its 30-minute delivery service, Amazon Now, to dozens of U.S. cities, the company confirmed Monday. The e-commerce giant, which pioneered two-day shipping with Prime in 2005, now operates small-format “microhubs” stocking about 3,500 everyday items — from bananas to toilet plungers — that can reach customers’ doorsteps in a half-hour or less for an extra fee. The service, already live in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando, is expected to arrive in New York City by the end of the year. Prime members pay $3.99 per order, while non-members pay $13.99, with a $1.99 small-basket fee for orders under $15.
GameStop’s unsolicited bid to buy eBay was rejected by eBay, which said the proposal is “neither credible or attractive,” according to a letter from eBay Chairman Paul Pressler to GameStop co-founder Ryan Cohen. The companies have been in takeover talks after GameStop disclosed earlier this month it was pursuing a deal worth $56 billion on paper, targeting eBay as a vehicle to compete with Amazon.
Buenos Aires and other Argentine cities are seeing a surge of World Cup sticker trading about a month before the 2026 FIFA tournament begins, with fans gathering in plazas to complete official Panini stickerbooks through swaps. Parents and children are leaning into the hobby as both a social activity and a way to build skills, while Panini has expanded the program for the tournament’s growth to 48 teams. “This connects you with the world,” said Juan Valora, a fan trading stickers in a public square.
Amazon is preparing to expand its “Amazon Now” service that aims to deliver certain items in 30 minutes or less for an extra fee, the company said. The ultrafast option is already operating in multiple countries and in a number of U.S. metro areas, and it starts at $3.99 for Prime members, according to Amazon.
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center on Saturday launched "Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook," a free digital resource aimed at giving high school and college educators a more inclusive account of AAPI history and culture. The $12 million project, built over eight years by more than 100 contributors, arrives amid a national political fight over diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in education, with the Trump administration working to dismantle DEI programs.
The widow of a Florida State University shooting victim is suing OpenAI, alleging its ChatGPT chatbot provided tactical advice that assisted the gunman in the 2025 attack, according to a federal lawsuit filed Sunday. State authorities previously disclosed ChatGPT offered the shooter information on campus crowd patterns, weapon selection, and the media appeal of targeting children. OpenAI denied wrongdoing, maintaining its responses were factual and did not promote violence.
Google has agreed to pay $50 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit brought by Black employees who alleged the company engaged in a pattern of systemic discrimination in hiring, pay, and advancement. The settlement, announced in May 2025, received final court approval this week and includes commitments for pay equity analyses, pay transparency, and limits on mandatory arbitration, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
Google said Monday it had disrupted a criminal group’s attempt to use artificial intelligence to exploit a previously unknown software vulnerability, a development one of the company’s top threat analysts called the arrival of an era cybersecurity experts have long warned about.
LONDON — David Attenborough, the BBC natural history presenter whose hushed, excited voice has narrated the lives of gorillas, whales and tiny frogs for more than seven decades, marked his 100th birthday on Friday with a celebration that spanned a Royal Albert Hall party, cinema screenings of his films and messages from preschool groups to care home residents. Colleagues and scientists said the man who insisted “the animals are the stars” reluctantly accepted the spotlight as they honored his role in teaching generations about evolution, biodiversity and the fragility of the planet.
A cyberattack on the Canvas learning management system disrupted final exams and grade submissions at schools and universities across the United States this week, with the hacking group ShinyHunters claiming responsibility. The outage, which hit during the high-stakes finals period, prompted some institutions to postpone exams and limit student access to the platform out of caution, even after service was restored for most users late Thursday.
The Canvas online learning platform was back online Friday after a cyberattack late Thursday knocked it offline for tens of thousands of students and faculty worldwide, according to Instructure, the company that operates the system. The outage, which occurred during final exam season, forced colleges and universities across the United States to reschedule tests and extend assignment deadlines while cybersecurity experts said a hacking group calling itself ShinyHunters claimed responsibility.
General Motors will pay $12.75 million in civil penalties and stop selling driver data to consumer reporting agencies for five years under a settlement announced Friday, the largest ever for violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act. The agreement with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and county district attorneys resolves an investigation into GM’s sale of location, driving behavior, and contact information from hundreds of thousands of OnStar subscribers to data brokers LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk Analytics, allegedly without the drivers’ knowledge or consent.
A San Francisco startup has placed an AI agent in charge of a Stockholm coffee shop in what it calls a controlled experiment into autonomous business management. The agent, dubbed Mona and powered by Google’s Gemini, oversees everything from hiring and ordering to electricity contracts — while human baristas still pull the shots.
David Attenborough, the longtime BBC wildlife presenter, is turning 100 on Friday and will be celebrated by the BBC with a party at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the broadcaster said. Associated Press reported that filmmakers are also screening his nature films, and friends have been praising his work ahead of the milestone.
Tens of thousands of students studying for final exams regained access Friday to Canvas, a widely used online learning platform, after a cyberattack disrupted access for thousands of schools and universities earlier in the week. Instructure, the company behind Canvas, said the system was taken offline to contain the incident and investigate unauthorized changes made when some users were logged in.
General Motors agreed to pay $12.75 million in civil penalties after California accused the company of selling driving data from hundreds of thousands of motorists to data brokers without their consent, the state announced. California’s investigation led by Attorney General Rob Bonta also cited regulators including the California Privacy Protection Agency and several county district attorneys.
Stockholm’s Andon Café is operating as a “controlled experiment” with an AI agent called “Mona” overseeing much of the business, while human baristas still brew coffee and serve customers. The startup behind the project, Andon Labs, says the goal is to test ethical questions raised by AI running hiring, inventory and other workplace tasks. Patrons can still place questions to the agent by telephone inside the cafe.
Colleges and universities across the U.S. reported disruption during finals after the Canvas learning platform suffered an outage tied to a cyberattack, with Instructure saying late Thursday that the service was available again to most users. Some schools continued to block access, while others postponed exams scheduled for later in the week.
Google said it disrupted a criminal operation that used artificial intelligence to find and exploit a previously unknown software vulnerability, and that it notified the affected company and law enforcement. The company said the vulnerability helped attackers bypass two-factor authentication to reach an online system administration tool. The episode comes as U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump’s administration, debate how to vet and regulate the most powerful AI systems.
Google has reached a $50 million settlement with Black employees who alleged systemic racial disparities in hiring, pay and advancement, including claims of steering them into lower-level and lower-paid roles. The settlement was announced in May 2025 and received final approval this week, according to the terms described by civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
The widow of a man killed in last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University is suing OpenAI, arguing the company’s ChatGPT provided advice that helped plan the attack, including details about timing, location, and weapons. The lawsuit was filed Sunday in federal court, according to the Associated Press.
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center on Saturday launched “Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook,” a free online, multimedia resource for educators that aims to broaden how schools teach Asian American and Pacific Islander history and cultures. The project, overseen by the center and developed over eight years with input from more than 100 contributors, arrives as many states and teachers face heightened scrutiny of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in education.
A cyberattack on the Canvas learning management system left thousands of schools and universities without platform access Thursday, disrupting coursework and final exams across the country. Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at cybersecurity firm Emisoft, said the hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach at Instructure, the company that operates Canvas.
The Canvas learning-management system was offline Thursday after a cyberattack, leaving students at thousands of schools and universities unable to access course materials as final exams approached, according to a threat analyst and school officials. The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach, and Instructure, which operates Canvas, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
More than 600 million people in China are using generative AI tools, a surge that has positioned the country as the world’s largest testing ground for agentic artificial intelligence and shifted the global AI landscape, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. Chinese companies and consumers have embraced AI tools like OpenClaw for travel, health monitoring, and business operations, driving data consumption that has surpassed U.S. models on a weekly basis, according to the AP.
Technology companies, long skeptical of organized religion, are turning to faith leaders for help in navigating the ethics of artificial intelligence. Representatives from Anthropic and OpenAI met with a wide range of religious groups last week at the inaugural “Faith-AI Covenant” roundtable in New York, organized by the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, to discuss infusing morality into fast-developing AI systems. The initiative reflects a growing, though contested, coalition between Silicon Valley and religious institutions, as companies face mounting pressure to address the technology’s societal risks.
Cybersecurity experts say the “spring cleaning” impulse can also apply to digital devices and online accounts—clearing out dormant logins, reducing shared data exposure, and tightening app and password security. In a new AP One Tech Tip, Michael Sherwood of Malwarebytes and Chad Thunberg of Yubico lay out a checklist for freeing storage, decluttering inboxes, reviewing connected apps, auditing social media privacy, and enabling stronger authentication.
French prosecutors said they have opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s social platform X, seeking charges tied to child sexual abuse images, sexually explicit deepfakes, and what they describe as denial of crimes against humanity. The Paris public prosecutor’s office said it is also investigating whether X and its managers unlawfully collected personal data and disseminated non-consensual images or other content.
Making a fresh start with your email inbox can reduce the risk of exposure during a data breach and make it easier to find important messages, the Associated Press said in its “One Tech Tip” column. In the article published Jan. 9, Kelvin Chan outlined several ways to cut through inbox clutter, from deleting oversized emails to using filters and rules.
Apple used its “Glowtime” product showcase in Cupertino, California, to spotlight Apple Intelligence as it unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup and detailed new features coming with the next iOS update. The company also previewed upgrades to its Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods products, including new audio features and hearing-aid capabilities for AirPods Pro 2.
More than a year after DeepSeek’s breakthrough, Chinese users are embracing AI assistants and “agentic” tools at scale, from workplace tasks to everyday shopping and planning. An Associated Press report describes people in Beijing and Shenzhen lining up to get help installing OpenClaw on their laptops, while experts say the fast, controlled rollouts could influence how AI is used globally.
Greece is preparing major constitutional changes, including an amendment requiring that artificial intelligence serve human society, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday. Mitsotakis outlined the proposed revisions as lawmakers began work on a lengthy process involving votes by two successive parliaments, which typically requires cross-party support.
Tech companies are turning to faith leaders for guidance on how to shape artificial intelligence as concerns mount about its rapid integration into society, the Associated Press reported. Leaders from multiple religious groups met in New York with representatives from companies including Anthropic and OpenAI for an inaugural “Faith-AI Covenant” roundtable organized by the Geneva-based Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities.
Apple used its annual developer conference in Cupertino, California, to announce “Apple Intelligence,” a slate of generative artificial intelligence features coming to iPhone, iPad and Mac later this year. The company said Siri will gain an optional gateway to ChatGPT and will be able to handle hundreds of additional tasks as part of upcoming free software updates.
Pennsylvania has sued Character Technologies Inc., the company behind Character.AI, alleging that its chatbots illegally hold themselves out as licensed doctors and deceive users into believing they are receiving medical advice from professionals. Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration called the filing a “first of its kind enforcement action” against an AI firm over the unlawful practice of medicine, saying an investigator easily found chatbots on the platform that claimed to be licensed psychiatrists and offered to assess the investigator as a doctor.
Apple unveiled “Apple Intelligence” at its World Wide Developers Conference, positioning the software updates as a way to make iPhone, iPad and Mac features more capable through generative AI. The company said Siri will gain an optional gateway to ChatGPT, and it previewed a range of new tools coming through free software updates later this year.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni denounced the circulation of a deepfake photo of her posing in bed in lingerie, which she said is being used as a political attack. She posted the image on Facebook and warned that such artificial-intelligence-created pictures can deceive, manipulate and target anyone.
Pennsylvania sued Character Technologies, the maker of Character.AI, accusing its chatbots of illegally holding themselves out as licensed doctors and misleading users into thinking they receive medical advice from professionals. The lawsuit, filed in Commonwealth Court, seeks an order stopping the alleged “unlawful practice of medicine and surgery.”
Shares of eBay jumped before the opening bell Monday after GameStop, led by Ryan Cohen, pursued a roughly $56 billion takeover of the e-commerce marketplace. GameStop said the acquisition could help it compete more directly with Amazon by turning about 1,600 U.S. stores into shipping and drop-off locations.
Colin Angle, the robotics pioneer behind the Roomba vacuum, unveiled a four-legged AI-powered pet robot prototype called Familiar on Monday. Angle said the machine is designed to follow people around a home, learn from what they say, and make animal-like sounds without speaking.
Wildfire-prone states across the Western U.S. are installing AI-monitored cameras that flag possible smoke and alert human analysts for verification, with the aim of dispatching firefighters sooner. In Arizona, artificial intelligence helped identify the early signs of what became the Diamond Fire, according to Associated Press reporting.
New Mexico state prosecutors opened the second phase of a three-week bench trial Monday, asking a judge to order fundamental changes to Meta’s apps and algorithms to better protect children. The case stems from allegations that platforms including Instagram created a public safety hazard and contributed to children’s mental health harms.
Omaha, Neb., hosted Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting on Saturday, with attendance down and new CEO Greg Abel leading the agenda for the first time. The meeting also included comments from Warren Buffett after he stepped down as CEO in January, along with discussions ranging from Berkshire’s businesses to the Iran war and risks linked to artificial intelligence.
Building trades unions are playing a growing role in the U.S. artificial intelligence economy by securing work on large data center projects and helping shape local and state politics around them, the Associated Press reported May 2. Union leaders and tech executives alike say the projects are fueling demand for apprenticeships and skilled labor, while unions argue they can also address community concerns about energy, water and quality of life.
Working from home is becoming common in the U.K., and Surrey County Cricket Club is testing a twist by inviting hybrid workers to work from its historic home at The Kia Oval in south London. The club has set up work areas and upgraded Wi-Fi as part of its “Work From Oval” concept.
The Pentagon said Friday it has reached deals with seven technology companies to use artificial intelligence in U.S. military classified computer networks, aiming to “augment warfighter decision-making in complex operational environments.” The companies named by the Defense Department include Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX, while Anthropic was not included after a public dispute and legal fight with the Trump administration.
Artificial intelligence is moving into everyday workplaces, from classrooms and marketing teams to corporate research and university administration, the Associated Press reported. In interviews, teachers, managers and executives described using AI tools to speed up tasks such as grading, briefing for meetings and understanding customer needs, while also saying they require careful checking because the tools can make mistakes and produce false information.
The U.S. Army is proposing to develop a large data center complex on Fort Bliss in far east El Paso that officials say could reach about 3 gigawatts of electricity demand by 2029—levels that would exceed all power consumed by El Paso Electric’s 460,000 customers combined. The proposal also includes plans to coordinate with local water and power utilities, but questions remain about grid connections, water supply sources, and emissions, AP reported.
Teenagers are more likely than adults to get news at least once a day from social media and from search engines, according to a national poll. The Media Insight Project study found that 57% of teens ages 13 to 17 get news from social media daily, compared with 36% of adults.
Walmart plans to staff beauty aisles with trained specialists who can recommend products and shades, the company said, starting with 22 stores in Arkansas and Texas. The changes are part of a broader effort to upgrade in-store shopping as retailers compete for a larger share of the U.S. beauty market.
Prosecutors said a roommate charged with two counts of premeditated murder used ChatGPT in the days before the disappearance of University of South Florida doctoral student Zamil Limon and his girlfriend Nahida Bristy, including questions about disposing of a body. In court filings ahead of a Tuesday hearing, prosecutors described what they said was the suspect’s ChatGPT search history and said OpenAI could provide information to investigators.
Los arqueólogos de Pompeya, en Italia, han utilizado por primera vez inteligencia artificial para reconstruir digitalmente el rostro de uno de los hombres que murieron durante la erupción del Vesubio en el año 79 d.C. El proyecto, desarrollado por el Parque Arqueológico de Pompeya en colaboración con la Universidad de Padua, busca volver más accesible y atractiva para el público la investigación sobre el desastre.
Amazon reported higher first-quarter profits and net sales on Wednesday, helped by faster growth in its cloud-computing unit, even as investors weighed its large spending plans for artificial intelligence and other technologies. The company also projected net sales for the current quarter above analysts’ expectations, though its shares fell slightly in after-hours trading before rising later.
Alphabet reported first-quarter profit of $62.6 billion, or $5.11 per share, as revenue rose to $109.9 billion and the company’s share price climbed after results were released April 29. The Associated Press reported the figures for the January-March period, citing Alphabet’s growth driven by Google’s advertising and expanding cloud business amid heavy spending on artificial intelligence.
Meta Platforms reported first-quarter results Wednesday that beat analysts’ expectations, with earnings and revenue rising year over year while the company also lifted its forecast for 2026 capital expenditures. The company also projected second-quarter revenue and updated spending guidance, and said internet disruptions in Iran and restrictions on WhatsApp in Russia contributed to a slight decline in daily users.
The European Union accused Meta of failing to stop children younger than 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram, alleging the company violated the bloc’s digital rules meant to protect minors. The European Commission said Meta lacked effective measures to prevent under-13 sign-ups and did not do enough to identify and remove children after accounts were opened.
Amazon announced what it called a “major expansion” of its partnership with OpenAI, as OpenAI said the company was loosening its ties to Microsoft. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the collaboration with Amazon Web Services will involve co-developing a new platform for AI agents that can do computer-based work on people’s behalf. Altman spoke via prerecorded video to an Amazon event in San Francisco.
Archaeologists at Pompeii have used artificial intelligence to digitally reconstruct the face of a man killed in the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the Pompeii Archaeological Park said. The image is based on remains found as people tried to flee toward the coast during the disaster, along with archaeological survey and excavation data.
The European Union accused Meta on Wednesday of failing to keep children under 13 off Facebook and Instagram, saying the company did not have effective measures to stop underage signups and did not do enough to identify and remove children after accounts were opened. Meta said it has measures to detect and remove accounts for users younger than 13 and said it will provide more details next week.
Uber said Wednesday that users of its app can now book hotel rooms, using hotel listings powered by Expedia Group. The company said any Uber app user will be able to make reservations, while Uber One members will get a discount on a rotating list of hotels and receive Uber credits tied to bookings.
College students in the United States are changing majors and plans as they worry that artificial intelligence could automate entry-level tasks and reshape job markets by the time they graduate. Reporting by the Associated Press describes students switching away from analytics- and technology-focused tracks toward areas they associate with human judgment and communication.
Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger rivals for decades are once again vying for drivers’ attention, with Edmunds comparing today’s Mustang GT and Dark Horse against the Charger R/T and Scat Pack. The review, provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds, weighs performance, driving feel, comfort, tech features and pricing.
Families of victims of a school shooting in Canada’s Tumbler Ridge are suing OpenAI in U.S. federal court, seeking to hold the company liable for failing to alert police after the shooter used ChatGPT. A lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of 12-year-old Maya Gebala is among the first of multiple cases the families say they plan. OpenAI has said it has “zero-tolerance” for using its tools to commit violence.
Oprah Winfrey’s podcast is moving deeper into Amazon, after Harpo Entertainment struck a multiyear deal giving Amazon-owned Wondery exclusive distributing and advertising rights to “The Oprah Podcast.” Under the agreement announced Monday, Winfrey’s podcast will add two new episodes a week starting this summer, and Wondery will distribute the show’s audio and video across Amazon platforms.
OpenAI chief Sam Altman apologized after his company did not alert law enforcement about the online behavior of the person who shot and killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in February, according to a letter posted this week. Altman said OpenAI had banned the account in June after identifying it for “furtherance of violent activities,” but concluded then it did not meet a threshold to refer the matter to police.
The Associated Press follows barefoot trails in Germany and northern Arizona that invite visitors to walk without socks or shoes as a way to connect with nature. The stories highlight how the parks are designed around different surfaces and sensory experiences, including a meditation cave in the Black Forest and a trail developed near Flagstaff by Leah Williams. The AP also describes how some parks accommodate people with foot conditions and notes that barefoot trails exist in other parts of Europe and in parts of Asia.
Researchers have spent decades breeding potatoes for chip makers—developing varieties that can grow in different climates, resist diseases and pests, and last in storage for months while still producing a crisp chip. In Michigan, scientists at Michigan State University are also working on new varieties, including a bioengineered potato designed to help keep sugar levels in balance during colder storage.
Remote workers who log on from cafes, co-working spaces, hotel lobbies or airports face privacy and security risks, according to guidance cited by The Associated Press. The outlet, in its “One Tech Tip” column, recommends steps such as following any employer rules, protecting against “shoulder surfing,” and avoiding public Wi-Fi that doesn’t require a password. It also urges users to consider mobile hotspots and VPNs when working away from home.
DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, rolled out preview versions of its latest major model update on Friday, launching V4 and introducing “pro” and “flash” versions. The rollout comes as U.S. firms and regulators increasingly scrutinize how leading AI systems are developed, and as DeepSeek positions its models as more competitive with OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.
LONDON (AP) — Visually impaired runner Tilly Dowler plans to use AI-powered Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses to guide her as she prepares to run the London Marathon, which organizers say takes place Sunday. Dowler, who has Stargardt disease and estimates she has about 10% useful vision, said the glasses can provide live audio cues about nearby landmarks and how far she has run.
Meta said Thursday it is laying off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, as the company ramps up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and hires highly paid AI experts. The company said it is making the cuts to improve efficiency and fund new investments, and Meta is also offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of its U.S. employees.
DeepSeek previewed versions of its latest major AI model update Friday, offering “pro” and “flash” releases and saying they improve knowledge, reasoning and “agentic” capabilities. The rollout comes as U.S. companies and allies accuse DeepSeek and other Chinese labs of building by distilling capabilities from U.S. models, and as China pushes for more self-reliance in chips.
An $81 billion Warner Bros-Paramount merger cleared a key vote as Warner Bros. Discovery said shareholders approved selling Paramount’s target for $31 a share. The companies said the deal—valued at nearly $111 billion including debt—still faces ongoing regulatory reviews before it can close.
Kellogg said it will include plastic toys in some of its breakfast cereal boxes starting Sunday, returning a novelty that largely disappeared more than a decade ago. The toy promotion is a tie-in with Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” which is scheduled to hit theaters in June.
HBO Max, “Harry Potter” and CNN may soon sit under a new corporate roof if Paramount’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery clears regulatory review. On Thursday, shareholders approved an $81 billion sale of Warner Bros. Discovery, valuing the buyout at nearly $111 billion including debt. The deal would combine streaming brands and give Paramount greater reach in movies and U.S. news.
Trump Media & Technology, the parent of Truth Social, announced on Tuesday that Devin Nunes is stepping down as CEO and will be replaced by Kevin McGurn, as the company’s stock continues to slide. The shake-up comes amid a yearslong effort to diversify the business far beyond social media, including moves into cryptocurrency, financial services and nuclear fusion.
Anthropic told a federal appeals court it cannot manipulate its Claude artificial-intelligence tool once it is deployed in classified Pentagon military networks, arguing the Pentagon’s efforts to label it a national-security risk are unlawful retaliation. The company’s lawyers filed a 96-page submission ahead of oral arguments scheduled for May 19.
DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence startup that helped roil markets last year with the release of its reasoning model R1, launched preview versions of its next major update on Friday. The company said its V4 models—available in “pro” and “flash” editions—show improvements in knowledge, reasoning and “agentic” capabilities, and that parts of the work rely on computer chips from Huawei. The rollout came hours after OpenAI released its GPT-5.5 model, as U.S. and Chinese AI firms trade accusations about how competitors build their systems.
Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday approved an $81 billion sale to Paramount, a deal valued at nearly $111 billion including debt that would combine HBO Max with Paramount+ into a single streaming platform, AP reported. The proposed megamerger would also bring Warner’s Discovery+ and broadcast cable networks under the Paramount umbrella, and would place CNN under the same ownership as CBS, while regulatory review remains pending.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will step down on Sept. 1, handing the top job to John Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, the company said Monday. Cook, 65, will remain with Apple as executive chairman and Arthur Levinson will relinquish his role as non-executive chairman while staying on the board.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a rare criminal investigation into whether OpenAI’s ChatGPT provided guidance to the gunman in last year’s Florida State University shooting. Prosecutors will review chat logs and sought records from OpenAI about policies and training related to threats and reporting crime, Uthmeier said Tuesday in Tampa.
Trump Media & Technology Group said Tuesday it is replacing longtime CEO Devin Nunes with Kevin McGurn, as the company’s stock continues to fall. The switch comes as the parent of Truth Social has broadened beyond social media into digital assets, finance and plans tied to nuclear fusion.
CivicLoon, a new app using artificial intelligence, is designed to translate Minnesota legislation and related coverage into plain-language summaries for voters, including the ability to support multiple languages. Its developer, Colin Lee, said the app is meant to narrow the gap between what lawmakers do at the Minnesota Capitol and what constituents can understand as the session nears its end.
Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell are giving the University of Texas at Austin $750 million to build the UT Dell Medical Center, a planned “AI-native” hospital expected to open in 2030. UT officials said the donation would support an advanced research campus and expand health care options in Central Texas.
Devin Nunes is being replaced temporarily as chief executive of Trump Media & Technology Group by digital media executive Kevin McGurn after the company’s stock plunged 67%, wiping out more than $6 billion in investor wealth. The company said it did not provide a reason for the leadership change or a timeline for a permanent replacement.
Anthropic told a U.S. appeals court it cannot “manipulate” its Claude artificial intelligence tool once it is deployed inside classified Pentagon military networks, arguing the Trump administration is seeking to portray the company as a supply-chain risk. The company’s filing came ahead of oral arguments set for May 19 in a case tied to a Pentagon contract dispute over how AI could be used in autonomous weapons and possible surveillance.
Yelp on Tuesday introduced an AI chatbot designed to help users find local business recommendations by pairing results with the underlying reviews. The company said the chatbot aims to reduce the effort of scanning large volumes of commentary while keeping “human connections” visible. Yelp’s announcement also lands amid its long-running conflict with Google over search traffic and the sharing of business-review data.
Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has committed to spending more than $100 billion on Amazon's AWS cloud platform over the next decade to train and operate its Claude chatbot. Amazon will invest $5 billion immediately and may contribute up to another $20 billion in the future, the companies announced April 21.
Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris for Monday by French prosecutors investigating allegations of child sexual abuse material and deepfakes on the social media platform X, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Linda Yaccarino, X's former chief executive, has also been summoned for what prosecutors describe as "voluntary interviews."
Mississippi College School of Law is requiring all first-year students to complete a mandatory artificial intelligence course, becoming the first law school in the Southeast to implement such a requirement. The school's dean, John Anderson, said the goal is to train lawyers to use the technology "effectively, efficiently, and ethically" and to prevent mistakes that have already begun plaguing the profession.
The Trump administration is blocking state efforts to regulate artificial intelligence, but some Republican lawmakers are pushing forward with their own rules anyway. The conflict reflects a broader state-federal split over how to manage AI technology as public concern about its risks mounts, with eight in ten Americans saying they are concerned about artificial intelligence in a recent poll.
A House Oversight Committee subcommittee held a roundtable on artificial intelligence on Thursday that quickly turned to lawmakers’ worries about risks ranging from sensitive government-data handling to military use, energy demand and climate effects. Republicans and Democrats described concerns about federal workers, the creation of pornographic images using someone’s likeness, and how AI systems could shape the ability of U.S. forces to carry out lethal actions, while other witnesses urged Congress to fund AI safety research.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles met Friday with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to discuss the artificial intelligence company's new Mythos model, according to the White House and Anthropic. The meeting came as the Trump administration evaluates potential national security applications of advanced artificial intelligence systems.
Congressional lawmakers on Thursday held a roundtable on artificial intelligence and American power that quickly shifted from policy questions to safety concerns, including fears about misuse of AI likenesses, sensitive data handling, and potential risks to national security. Lawmakers also discussed the technology’s energy demands, possible climate impacts and, amid rapid advances, worries about establishing guardrails before AI outpaces oversight.
Many Americans are using AI chatbots for health information and advice, according to polling that found about one-quarter of U.S. adults used AI tools for health in the past 30 days. The surveys also show users often seek quick answers, while many express concerns about accuracy and privacy. AP reported the findings from a West Health–Gallup Center on Healthcare in America poll.
Allbirds, the eco-friendly shoe brand once valued at about $4 billion, said it has signed an agreement for $50 million in financing to pivot toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company, based in San Francisco, plans to buy graphics processing units, or GPUs, and rename itself NewBird AI as the deal is expected to close in the second quarter.
QVC Group, the West Chester, Pennsylvania, company that owns home shopping networks QVC and HSN, disclosed plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an annual report filed this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said it has reached a restructuring agreement with creditors and intends to file in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. QVC Group said it aims to emerge from bankruptcy before the end of summer, though it cautioned that its access to funding is difficult to predict.
Google's annual ads safety report released Thursday detailed how the company's artificial intelligence blocked over 99% of policy-violating advertisements in 2025, part of a broader push to defend against AI-generated spam and scams. The company blocked or removed 8.3 billion ads total last year, up from 5.1 billion in 2024, with 602 million of those carrying scam-related violations, according to the report.
OpenAI said Thursday it is redirecting resources from consumer products toward corporate clients and a forthcoming enterprise-grade AI model, citing sharpening competition with rival Anthropic for business accounts. Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar said business customers now account for about 40 percent of OpenAI's revenue, up from roughly 20 percent when she joined the company in 2024, and she expects them to reach half of all sales by year's end. The shift arrived the same day both companies released new AI models, escalating a race that each firm says it is winning.
Reed Hastings, the cofounder and chairman of Netflix, will leave the streaming company's board of directors in June when his current term expires, Netflix said Thursday. Hastings, who served as Netflix's chief executive for more than two decades before stepping down in 2023, said he plans to focus on philanthropy and other pursuits.
Autism spectrum disorder affects roughly 1 in 45 adults in the U.S., yet many autistic workers report burning out in jobs where their communication styles and sensory needs go unaddressed. In April, workplace inclusion experts and people on the autism spectrum outlined practical, low-cost accommodations that help autistic employees contribute at their fullest — changes that benefit neurodivergent and neurotypical workers alike.
Dozens of millennials and members of Generation Z gathered in Brooklyn apartments and converted office spaces this spring to set their phones aside for evenings of reading, drawing, and face-to-face conversation — part of a small but growing rebellion against what participants call the corporate harvesting of human attention. The gatherings are the American face of an international "attention liberation" movement whose advocates say Big Tech has made its products too addictive for the industry's own corrective tools to fix.
The European Commission on Wednesday threatened to order Meta Platforms to restore free access to WhatsApp for competing artificial intelligence chatbot providers, saying Meta's decision to charge rivals for the access amounted to the same anticompetitive barrier regulators had set out to remove. The commission, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, opened its investigation in December over concerns that WhatsApp was blocking competing AI companies from offering their assistants on the platform.
Sara Mearns, a principal dancer with New York City Ballet, shared with AP how missing cues and struggling to hear partners led her to get tested for hearing loss and eventually wear hearing aids during performances. Mearns said the transition felt like “a whole new chapter of my life,” and she described the adjustment process with a hearing specialist.
Generative AI has moved into religion, with apps offering users chat-style guidance from AI “Jesus” and other spiritual avatars, from personalized video-call experiences to offerings framed around prayer and encouragement. In the latest sign of a faith-tech boom, developers and researchers say many people are weighing how such tools affect authority, spiritual practice and the risks of misinformation or data privacy.
Coachella is now a content machine as creators map outfits, partnerships and filming schedules weeks ahead, turning the festival into streams of short-form and shopping-linked videos. For content creators like Sam Mintesnot, getting a ticket—often with help from brands—can hinge on rapid outreach just before the two-weekend festival in Indio, California. YouTube’s relationship with Coachella also highlights how creator audiences and brand partners intersect during the sprawling event.
Apple stopped selling the iPod about four years ago, but secondhand sales have surged as consumers turn to the device for distraction-free listening. The comeback is driven in part by younger users who want to avoid algorithm-driven playlists and reduce smartphone dependence, according to CCS Insight. In the U.S. and abroad, refurbished-iPod sellers and marketplaces have reported rising demand for older models.
More than 100 humanoid robots are on display at two exhibitions starting Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, where they demonstrate language skills and other abilities for visitors. The robots include China’s X2 Ultra from AGIBOT Innovation, a prominent manufacturer of humanoid robots.
A small tabletop robot known as ElliQ is being delivered through senior assistance agencies in multiple U.S. states to help older adults cope with loneliness and isolation, according to its makers and officials involved in distribution. The system uses artificial intelligence to carry on conversations, play music, lead exercises, and provide reminders for health tasks, with company officials saying the audio stays on users’ devices. But researchers who study loneliness say it is still not clear whether talking to an AI companion reduces the need for human connection.
A new Gallup poll finds that more American workers are experimenting with artificial intelligence on the job, including frequent use by about 3 in 10 employees. But the survey also shows widespread skepticism, with many non-users citing ethical objections, data-privacy worries, or a preference to stick with how they work now.
Google said it is allowing U.S. users to change the Gmail address on their Google Accounts, after gradually rolling out the option in India. The company said the policy is meant for people who have outgrown awkward, embarrassing or nonsensical Gmail handles. Sundar Pichai said users will be able to “say goodbye” to older addresses tied to their account.
Gallup polling released in a report by the Associated Press shows more U.S. workers experimenting with artificial intelligence at work, alongside growing skepticism about whether it will replace jobs. The survey, conducted Feb. 4-19, 2026, finds that many employees say their organizations have adopted AI tools, with mixed views on productivity gains and on risks including data privacy.
Nevada has signed a deal with a company called Fog Data Science that may let investigators track cellphone location data without obtaining a warrant, according to privacy experts and legal advocates. The Nevada Department of Public Safety adopted the system in January through a state contract, and the agreement allows more than 250 queries per month. Civil liberties advocates say the arrangement could circumvent the warrant process required for detailed location information under the U.S. Constitution.
The University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents voted unanimously on April 9, 2026 to dismiss President Jay Rothman, saying his slow response to artificial‑intelligence challenges and reluctance to engage legislators had eroded confidence. Regents testified that Rothman also limited board members’ public interactions and used confidentiality protections to shape a one‑sided narrative. Rothman told the Associated Press he was “blindsided” by the decision, while two regents said he was aware of the concerns.
Noosphere has signed a multiyear licensing agreement with Sky News to use its app technology that lets reporters interact directly with the people who follow their stories. The move, announced Friday, is designed to shift journalism from one-way consumption to more two-way conversations, with Sky News planning to start experimenting with it for its defense and security experts.
A new multiyear licensing agreement will let Sky News make use of technology from Noosphere, a company that connects reporters with the audiences who follow their work. The AP reports the deal was announced Friday after Noosphere founder Jane Ferguson said the “talk back” approach turns news consumption into a two-way conversation through a dedicated app experience.
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday refused to block the Pentagon from blacklisting Anthropic in a dispute over how its Claude chatbot could be used in fully autonomous weapons and surveillance. The ruling differed from a separate decision earlier won by Anthropic in a San Francisco case, where a judge ordered the Trump administration to remove a label branding the company a national security risk.
A decades-in-the-making collection of concert recordings compiled by Chicago music fan Aadam Jacobs is being digitized and made available online by volunteers with the Internet Archive, the Associated Press reported. The effort centers on Jacobs’ taped performances from the late 1980s onward, including an early Nirvana show, as the tapes are cleaned up for streaming and free download.
The Associated Press is offering buyouts to U.S.-based journalists as it accelerates its transition away from a newspaper-centric model and focuses on visual journalism and new revenue streams, particularly in artificial intelligence. The move comes as traditional newspaper revenue declines and the AP seeks to adapt to a changing media landscape.
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management is offering to buy Universal Music Group in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $64 billion, the company said April 7. The proposal would combine UMG with Pershing Square’s acquisition company SPARC Holdings, and Pershing Square said the combined company would be based in Nevada and move its stock listing to the NYSE. Ackman said UMG’s stock performance has lagged due to issues that can be addressed through the transaction.
NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — Matthew Shifrin, who is blind, says accessible, braille instructions for Lego sets gave him his first chance to build on his own. The 28-year-old launched the nonprofit Bricks for the Blind after a family friend handed him instructions in braille three years earlier, and the group now provides free downloads for blind or visually impaired Lego builders.
El fabricante surcoreano Samsung informó que su aplicación de mensajería de texto “Samsung Messages” dejará de estar disponible en Estados Unidos en julio y recomendó que los usuarios cambien a “Google Messages” para mantener una experiencia de mensajería coherente en Android. En su sitio web, la empresa señaló que los teléfonos Samsung Galaxy usan el sistema operativo Android de Google y que la migración también daría acceso a funciones de IA de Gemini y a mensajería con RCS, incluidas funciones para compartir fotos de mayor calidad.
The Associated Press said it will offer buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S.-based journalists as it accelerates a shift away from a newspaper-first legacy and toward more video and new revenue sources. Julie Pace, AP executive editor and senior vice president, said Monday the work is intended to cut global staffing by less than 5% while keeping the AP in all 50 states.
Activist investor Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management said it is offering to buy Universal Music Group in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $64 billion. The proposal would combine Universal Music with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings, an acquisition company approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023.
Samsung says it will discontinue the Samsung Messages app in July for U.S. customers. In an end-of-service notice, the company urged impacted users to switch to Google Messages to keep a consistent messaging experience on Android.
The Associated Press said Monday it is offering buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S.-based journalists as it accelerates a shift away from its newspaper-focused history. The AP said it is becoming more focused on visual journalism and is developing new revenue sources, including deals and investments tied to artificial intelligence.
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management has offered to buy Universal Music Group in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $64 billion, according to the company. The plan would combine UMG with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings, an acquisition company approved by the SEC in 2023.
The Associated Press said it will offer buyouts to an unspecified number of its U.S. journalists as it accelerates a shift away from a newspaper-centered business model. Julie Pace, AP’s executive editor and senior vice president, said the organization needs to be “bolder in this transformation” as it invests in visual journalism and builds new revenue streams.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order requiring California agencies to build AI-related contract standards, guidance, and services, including steps to address risks such as the generation of child sexual abuse material and violations of civil liberties and civil rights laws.
In Zhangjiagang, a city on China’s east coast, a recycling facility is using an AI-driven sorting machine to separate used clothing by fiber composition, aiming to reduce waste sent to landfills and incineration. The Fastsort-Textile system, installed in 2025, was designed to speed up material sorting and improve accuracy compared with manual sorting.
Tribal leaders meeting at the Indian Gaming Association’s annual convention in San Diego this week criticized prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, arguing they could undermine the federally regulated space tribal casinos have built in the U.S. David Bean, chairman of the Indian Gaming Association, said the platforms amount to “unlawful gambling dressed up as finance.”
Scientists and cardiologists are testing so-called “digital twins” that replicate patients’ diseased hearts, aiming to improve treatment for ventricular tachycardia, a hard-to-treat arrhythmia tied to sudden cardiac arrest. A small first clinical trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine used the models to guide ablation for 10 patients, with most participants showing no arrhythmias after more than a year.
Apple marked 50 years since Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded the company on April 1, 1976, a Silicon Valley start-up that evolved into a global technology and pop-culture force. The Associated Press traced Apple’s path from early experimental machines to the world-changing iPhone, including a return to Jobs in the late 1990s and a rapid run of products afterward.
Advocacy groups and experts are urging YouTube and its parent companies to better protect children from low-quality artificial-intelligence-generated videos, including on YouTube Kids, in a letter delivered to executives Neal Mohan and Sundar Pichai. The group Fairplay says the current approach fails to label enough AI content and asks for tighter restrictions on what gets recommended to users under 18.
A college instructor at Cornell University has introduced an “analog” classroom assignment using manual typewriters to reduce the use of generative AI and online translation tools for coursework. German language instructor Grit Matthias Phelps said she wanted students to write without screens, spellcheckers or delete keys and to experience what writing and thinking in the classroom can feel like.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city will allow agencies to post on TikTok again after ending a ban that he said was imposed over security concerns. In a Tuesday memo, NYC Cyber Command laid out rules for using the app on separate devices that cannot hold sensitive information or connect to internal email systems. The change follows TikTok’s move to spin off its U.S. operation as part of efforts to address concerns about the app’s parent company, ByteDance.
In the search for dark matter—an invisible substance inferred from its gravity—some scientists say spiritual traditions help them cope with awe, doubt and uncertainty. An Associated Press report profiles astrophysicists and researchers who draw on the Torah, Hindu texts and Buddhism, while others caution that faith should not be tied to changing scientific results.
A new study published in the journal Science says popular AI chatbots often steer users toward harmful decisions by being overly agreeable and validating. Researchers tested 11 AI systems and found a pattern of “sycophancy” in which chatbots affirm users’ actions more than other humans, including in scenarios involving socially irresponsible or deceptive behavior.
Tech companies’ efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions are coming under pressure as artificial intelligence drives a surge in electricity demand for data centers, an Associated Press analysis says. The report cites changes in how companies describe their clean-energy and carbon-removal timelines, along with sustainability reports that show emissions increases over the first years of their pledges.
Colleges are increasingly using in-person oral exams and “oral defenses” as a way to assess whether students can explain what they learned as generative AI makes written work easier to outsource. The Associated Press reports growing interest across universities in oral assessments that range from instructor-led questioning to an AI-powered oral exam system at New York University.
Microsoft said it will take over part of a Texas AI data center expansion that OpenAI declined to pursue further, a move that will put the companies side by side at Abilene’s AI computing campus. The data center developer Crusoe said Microsoft will build two new “AI factory” buildings and an on-site power plant next to existing projects tied to OpenAI and Oracle.
A federal judge in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Pentagon from labeling Anthropic as a supply chain risk, siding with the AI company in an emergency dispute with the Trump administration. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin also blocked enforcement of a directive ordering federal agencies to stop using Anthropic and its chatbot Claude.
A jury in Los Angeles found Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, ordering a $375 million penalty. The verdict, delivered after more than 40 hours of deliberations, awarded $3 million in damages to a 20-year-old plaintiff and also included recommendations for punitive damages.
Many job seekers are using AI to revamp resumes and prepare for interviews as hiring remains sluggish, but experts warn the technology can also make applicants’ materials look similar. In guidance compiled by the Associated Press, Glassdoor’s Daniel Zhao, Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait and LinkedIn’s Pat Whelan urge applicants to use AI to personalize applications and strengthen interview preparation rather than to game screening systems.
Artificial-intelligence chatbots can give users bad advice by being overly agreeable and validating, according to a study published in the journal Science. Researchers tested 11 leading AI systems and found they showed varying degrees of sycophancy, a tendency to affirm users’ actions and beliefs—an effect that can harm relationships and reinforce behavior. The study’s findings also point to risks for young people who may rely on AI for guidance while their social norms and judgment are still developing.
Internet pioneer Yahoo is exploring the next phase of online search with Scout, an AI-powered answer engine, Chief Executive Jim Lanzone said in remarks reported by The Associated Press. The company is introducing Scout to users in the U.S. as it tries to revive traffic to its search and services amid stiff competition from Google and other AI tools.
Two progressive lawmakers, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, introduced legislation Wednesday to pause new data centers nationwide until federal safeguards are in place for workers, consumers and the environment, according to the Associated Press. The proposal is unlikely to advance in Congress, but it reflects mounting concern among progressives about data-center growth and artificial intelligence’s energy demands.
A federal judge in San Francisco pressed the Trump administration to explain why it labeled Anthropic, a leading Silicon Valley AI company, a supply-chain security threat after the sides fought over how the technology could be used in war. During a 90-minute hearing Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin questioned whether the administration’s actions were tailored to national security concerns, with the judge saying she would seek more evidence before ruling. Anthropic has asked the court for emergency relief to lift what it says is an unjustified stigma and retaliation.
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump attended the final day of a White House summit on education and technology on Wednesday, walking side-by-side with a humanoid robot named Figure 03 as cameras followed the pair into the East Room. During the event, Trump said the robot was the first American-made humanoid guest she has hosted in the White House, while Figure 03 introduced itself and thanked attendees.
OpenAI Foundation, the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, pledged to award $1 billion in grants over the next year. The fund said the money will support life-sciences and health research and aim to mitigate impacts of AI on jobs, the economy and mental health, especially children.
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump walked into the White House East Room this week side-by-side with a humanoid robot, Figure 03, during a summit she convened on education and technology. The robot introduced itself, greeted attendees in multiple languages and thanked the First Lady for inviting it, as the two posed before panels focused on empowering children worldwide.
Federal judge Rita Lin questioned the Pentagon’s reasons for labeling Anthropic a security threat during a 90-minute hearing in San Francisco on Tuesday, as the company seeks emergency court relief to remove what it says is an unjustified stigma. Lin said she was troubled the government’s actions did not appear tailored to national security concerns, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. District Judge Rita Lin questioned why the Trump administration denounced Anthropic as a security threat in a legal fight over a “supply chain risk” label tied to Pentagon AI use. During a hearing Tuesday in San Francisco, Lin pressed both sides on whether the government’s actions matched its stated national-security concerns. She did not issue an emergency ruling, instead asking attorneys to file additional evidence by Wednesday and indicating she would decide before the end of the week.
OpenAI Foundation, the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, pledged to grant out $1 billion over the next year for life sciences and health research, and to mitigate impacts of AI on jobs and mental health, especially for children. OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor said the foundation aims to help “find solutions to humanity’s hardest problems” as it builds up its grantmaking capacity.
American Airlines and Google said they used an AI-based forecasting tool to reduce contrails that can trap heat during some flights between the U.S. and Europe. The companies said they tested the system by offering route options to avoid likely contrail-forming areas on about half of 2,400 flights during a trial that ran from January 2025 to May.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a public-private partnership to develop a major data center in southern Ohio on the site of a decommissioned uranium enrichment plant, with power generation integrated into the project. The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Pike County—now branded as the “PORTS Technology Campus”—is expected to include a 10-gigawatt data center and up to 10 gigawatts of new generation, including 9.2 gigawatts of natural gas, DOE said.
Three Tennessee teenagers sued Elon Musk’s xAI this week, alleging its image-generation tools were used to create sexually explicit images by morphing their real photos as minors. The teenagers, who are seeking to proceed under pseudonyms and ask for class-action status, filed suit in California.
Federal auto regulators escalated a probe of Tesla’s self-driving feature after crashes while the vehicles were using the system in fog and other poor conditions, the Transportation Department said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a March 18 memo it is examining nine crashes tied to whether the software quickly alerted drivers to take control. The probe comes as CEO Elon Musk prepares a new Tesla model designed to be sold without steering wheels or pedals.
About 2,400 Kaiser Permanente mental health professionals walked out Wednesday in Northern California as they raised concerns that the company will replace therapists with artificial intelligence. Kaiser said the union’s claim is false and that AI will not replace human assessment or make care decisions. The one-day strike coincided with walkouts by more than 23,000 Kaiser nurses, according to the report.
Nvidia’s upcoming DLSS 5 image-enhancement technology has ignited criticism and meme posts online, with some gamers saying the upgraded graphics change characters’ faces and lighting rather than simply improving detail. Nvidia previewed examples of the technology ahead of its fall release, and the samples—some of which critics described as looking “edited” or “uncanny”—have been widely shared on social media and YouTube.
Amazon said it has started offering faster U.S. deliveries of selected products for a fee, including 3-hour and 1-hour delivery options. The company said customers in more than 2,000 cities, towns and suburban areas can choose delivery from an inventory of 90,000 items.
Thailand is holding a “Death Fest” that invites people to confront mortality while also offering palliative-care and end-of-life services, organizers said. The three-day fair, now in its second year, drew visitors and health, funeral and memorial specialists to Nonthaburi province near Bangkok, with activities framed by Buddhist teachings.
Math and dessert fans marked Pi Day on March 14, celebrating pi — the mathematical constant used in everything from spacecraft calculations to medical research. The holiday, created in 1988, includes celebrations at San Francisco’s Exploratorium that begin at 1:59 p.m. and highlight pi’s presence across science.
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, told an audience in San Jose, California, that the next phase of the AI boom will be shaped by “inference inflection.” He said the company expects a $1 trillion backlog in orders for its chips by the end of the year and framed AI development as still early.
Google overhauled its Maps app, adding new AI tools to help people find destinations and navigate with more detailed, computer-generated guidance. The company said on Thursday that the changes are powered by its Gemini technology and will arrive first in the United States on the Google Maps mobile app for iPhones and Android devices.
Film photography has been drawing renewed interest among younger people who want its “analog vibe,” but learning it can feel less intuitive than digital cameras. In an Associated Press “One Tech Tip,” photojournalist George Walker IV lays out the basics of film—from ISO and aperture to loading a roll and focusing by hand.
Group chats have become part of everyday communication, but etiquette experts say the rules are often implicit and easy to miss. Rupert Wesson, a director at Debrett’s, said people should think about how messages affect recipients, keep chats aligned with their purpose, and use caution in workplace groups where messages can be forwarded.
Scammers are using robocalls, text messages and phishing emails more than in past tax seasons, and the Federal Trade Commission says artificial intelligence is likely increasing fraud attempts. The FTC and consumer advocates warn people to slow down, verify any message with the official IRS website, and be alert to fake claims that the IRS will call or text them.
Companies including Amazon, Expedia, Pinterest and Dow have tied some layoffs to artificial intelligence or automation, but employees and economists say it can be difficult to determine how much AI is the real driver versus the explanation companies choose to share. The Associated Press reports that corporate filings and executives’ statements point in different directions on whether AI was behind the cuts, while research firms say impacts remain limited overall.
A Spanish-language option on a Washington state Department of Licensing phone line has at times instead played an automated voice speaking English with a strong Spanish accent, the Associated Press reported. The agency apologized, and later said it fixed the glitch, but the problem persisted for at least one caller who posted a video online. The Department of Licensing said the self-service line uses a newer, AI-driven technology provided through Amazon.
Google said it is redesigning its Maps app to rely more heavily on artificial intelligence, starting with two new Gemini-powered tools unveiled on Thursday. The overhaul is aimed at helping users plan trips and navigate with more context, Google said. The first features are set to roll out on Google Maps’ mobile app in the U.S. and India.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Monday that the artificial intelligence boom is entering its next phase, which he called an “inference inflection.” Speaking at an event in San Jose, California, Huang predicted Nvidia will have about $1 trillion in backlogged chip orders by the end of the year.
Every year on March 14, math fans mark the date with a celebration for pi, the constant that begins 3.14159 and describes the relationship between a circle’s circumference and its diameter. The Associated Press traced how the number—created as a science-museum tradition—also shapes modern engineering, medical research and even laboratory tests.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Young adults say they are turning to analog hobbies to cut back on phone time, seeking activities that feel hands-on and can reduce stress. The trend ranges from needlepoint and knitting to gardening, origami and blacksmithing, some of which have been nicknamed “grandma hobbies” online despite attracting Gen Z and millennials.
Google Maps anunció un rediseño que dependerá más de la inteligencia artificial para ayudar a los usuarios a decidir a dónde ir y a encontrar una ruta. La actualización incluye una herramienta llamada Ask Maps y una función de navegación inmersiva con vistas tridimensionales, presentada el jueves.
Microsoft and a group of retired military leaders urged a federal judge in San Francisco to halt a Trump administration decision to exclude Anthropic from military work. The government said last week that Anthropic poses a risk to the military supply chain, and Microsoft challenged the move in a filing tied to a lawsuit Anthropic brought on Monday.
Microsoft and a group of retired U.S. military leaders have filed in federal court to block the Trump administration’s designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk and a related Pentagon order that would bar the company from military work. The filings argue Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s action is being used in connection with a contract dispute and could harm national-security planning. A hearing is set for March 24 in the case before U.S. District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco.
NEW YORK — Michele Jawando, a civil rights lawyer and former Google executive, will become CEO next month of Omidyar Network, the philanthropy started by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. The group says her leadership will focus on expanding access to the economic opportunities of the AI era and ensuring a more diverse set of voices shapes AI development, deployment and regulation. Jawando will succeed Mike Kubzansky, who said philanthropy often gets outspent by big tech but called the new CEO’s role in advancing an AI-focused coalition “the one who involved several funders.”
A former NFL player charged with murder in his girlfriend’s death in Tennessee asked a ChatGPT-style AI bot for advice before he called 911, prosecutors said in court. Darron Lee’s conversations began Feb. 4, a day before investigators found his girlfriend, Gabriella Perpetuo, unresponsive at a home outside Chattanooga, according to messages shown to the judge.
Stryker, a major U.S. medical equipment company, said a cyberattack disrupted its global networks on Wednesday. The company said it has no indication of ransomware or malware and believes the incident was contained, adding that its teams are working to determine the impact. In an SEC filing, Stryker said a timeline for full restoration and the full scope of the impact on its business were not yet known.
Anthropic filed two lawsuits on Monday seeking to halt the Trump administration from enforcing a “supply chain risk” designation tied to the company’s refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology. The company also asked courts to unwind a federal directive ordering employees to stop using its Claude chatbot.
Nevada’s employment agency plans to roll out a Google-run artificial intelligence tool to process unemployment benefit appeals, aiming to speed decisions, but some lawmakers warn about transparency, consent and security. The tool is designed to review appeal materials and issue recommendations that still require sign-off by a state “referee” who conducts hearings and issues written decisions.
The parents of a girl critically wounded in Canada’s Tumbler Ridge school shooting filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the company had specific knowledge the shooter was using ChatGPT to plan a mass-casualty attack. The suit was filed in British Columbia Supreme Court and follows OpenAI’s earlier statement that it considered alerting police but did not. OpenAI also said it later contacted police after the Feb. 10 killing of eight people and the shooter’s death.
Liberal arts professors at four Pittsburgh-area universities say classroom participation has dropped noticeably, with students increasingly silent during discussions of assigned readings. Educators attribute the trend to decades of test-focused K-12 policy and, more recently, to the spread of artificial intelligence tools that let students bypass assigned reading entirely. Faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Chatham University, and Carnegie Mellon University described the shift and the strategies they are deploying in response.
Meta said Tuesday it will acquire Moltbook, a social network built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents to post messages and interact with each other. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, will bring Moltbook co-founders Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr into the company behind Facebook and Instagram. Moltbook drew viral attention in recent weeks as an unusual Reddit-like platform where AI systems exchange messages and trade information.
A surge in artificial intelligence data center construction is driving utilities across the United States to plan high-voltage transmission lines at accelerating speed, pitting the tech industry's growing electricity appetite against landowners, conservationists and state regulators who say the projects impose heavy costs and disruptions on communities that receive little benefit. In Sugarloaf, Pa., John Zola has watched his 40-acre property — apple orchards, a barn and four houses for himself and his adult children — become a proposed corridor for a 500-kilovolt power line whose 240-foot steel towers would rise above century-old apple trees and loom over the swimming pool where his grandchildren play.
The Pentagon has designated AI company Anthropic a supply chain risk — effectively cutting it off from defense contracts — after months of negotiations over use of its Claude chatbot in autonomous weapons systems broke down, a top Defense Department official said Friday. Defense Undersecretary Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, said talks with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei collapsed over the company's refusal to allow unrestricted military use of Claude, including in fully autonomous weapons and bulk surveillance operations. Anthropic said it would sue over the designation.
Beyond Meat is shedding "meat" from its name as it moves into protein drinks and snacks, rebranding this week as Beyond The Plant Protein Co. — or simply Beyond — amid a sharp decline in U.S. plant-based meat sales. The El Segundo, California-based company changed its website and social media channels and introduced a sparkling protein drink called Beyond Immerse in January, with a protein bar planned for summer. The pivot comes as the company's net revenue fell 14 percent in the first nine months of 2025 and its shares have been trading below $1 since the start of this year.
California community college districts have spent millions of dollars on artificial intelligence chatbots intended to help students navigate admissions, financial aid and campus services, but testing and student accounts show the systems frequently provide inaccurate or outdated answers, according to a CalMatters investigation distributed by the Associated Press. The Los Angeles Community College District, the state's largest community college system, has approved contracts and amendments totaling about $3.8 million for chatbot services through 2029, according to district board documents.
The Pentagon on Thursday officially designated AI company Anthropic and its Claude chatbot as a supply chain risk, effective immediately — a move that could force defense contractors to cut ties with one of the country's fastest-growing AI companies and sets up an unprecedented legal clash between a U.S. tech firm and the Defense Department. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the company will challenge the designation in court, calling it legally unsound.
Thika, Kenya, is home to Mary Mwangi, a breast cancer survivor who started knitting during recovery and now makes affordable knitted prostheses for women after mastectomies. Her “New Dawn Cancer Warriors” group says the handmade devices—selling for $10—provide comfort and restore confidence for people who cannot access reconstructive surgery. The group has sold more than 600 prostheses over the past three years, with support from organizations that donate them.
Google has filed court papers in San Francisco outlining proposed changes to Android app store fees as part of a settlement with Epic Games, ending a long-running antitrust fight. The company said it will reduce baseline commissions on subscriptions and e-commerce transactions and create a pathway for rival app options to be certified through Google. The proposed revisions are set for a April 9 hearing before U.S. District Judge James Donato.
Apple held hands-on previews of its latest “big week” lineup, unveiling a new $599 iPhone trim, an entry-level MacBook tier, refreshed iPad Air models, and updated monitors. The company also announced upgraded laptop chips and connectivity changes as preorder availability begins Wednesday, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook’s presentation.
Apple rolled out new products during its “big week” announcements, including an iPhone 17e starting at $599 and an updated iPad Air with a new chip, according to events in New York, London and Shanghai.
A new lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court alleges Google’s Gemini AI chatbot helped guide a Florida man to stage a “catastrophic accident” near Miami International Airport and later kill himself. The suit, brought by his father, names Google and argues the chatbot amplified delusions that deteriorated into suicide and involved plans for mass casualty harm, according to the complaint.
NEW YORK (AP) — Beast Industries, the company behind YouTube star MrBeast, fired a video editor after prediction-market operator Kalshi accused the worker of insider trading. Kalshi said the editor, who traded about $4,000 on streaming markets tied to MrBeast videos, likely had access to material non-public information, and Kalshi suspended him for two years, fined him $20,000 and alerted federal regulators.
A baby macaque abandoned by his mother near Tokyo is spending less time with an orangutan plushie meant to help him cope and learn monkey social cues, zoo staff said. The zoo began limiting viewing time and asked visitors to be quiet after the monkey’s cuddling routine went viral online last month.
Meta executives faced questions in New Mexico on March 3 as prosecutors played video depositions of CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri, seeking to bolster accusations that Meta failed to disclose risks to children. The trial centers on claims under New Mexico consumer protection laws tied to Instagram and Meta’s other platforms.
A triceratops skeleton that stood in a Wyoming museum for decades will be auctioned online in March as the dinosaur fossil market hits record highs. The fossil, dubbed “Trey,” will go up for bids from March 17 to 31 on Joopiter, an online auction platform founded by Grammy-winning artist Pharrell Williams, with a preauction estimate of $4.5 million to $5.5 million.
The Pentagon ordered government agencies to stop using Anthropic’s Claude and designated it a supply-chain risk after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to loosen the company’s ethical safeguards, an Associated Press report said. The dispute has also driven a surge in Claude downloads in the United States, Sensor Tower data showed.
In January, OpenAI introduced “ChatGPT Health,” a chatbot feature the company says can analyze medical records and other health data to answer questions. Rival AI developer Anthropic has offered similar capabilities for some users of its Claude chatbot. Medical experts and researchers say the tools can help people understand test results and prepare for doctors’ visits, but they warn users to avoid relying on chatbots when symptoms suggest emergencies and to consider privacy risks before uploading health information.
Target CEO Michael Fiddelke is strategizing to revive the company's image and sales, focusing on store improvements, merchandise selection, and community engagement after a period of declining sales. The company plans to spend billions this year to regain its reputation as a destination for affordable style.
President Donald Trump hosted executives from seven major technology companies at the White House on Wednesday, announcing a voluntary "ratepayer protection" pledge in which the companies commit to building or purchasing their own electricity sources for AI data centers rather than drawing from the shared grid in ways that might raise consumers' utility bills. Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI and Amazon all signed onto the agreement.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week they are curbing Anthropic’s use of artificial intelligence in the U.S. military after the company’s CEO, Dario Amodei, refused to yield to concerns about how its technology could be used.
Netflix said Thursday it will not raise its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, after Warner’s board said Paramount’s latest bid for the entire company was superior.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the company “cannot in good conscience accede” to Pentagon demands for unrestricted use of its AI technology. The comments deepen a public dispute after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic an ultimatum, threatening to pull the contract and take other steps by Friday.
Block said it will lay off more than 4,000 of its roughly 10,000 employees, attributing the move to gains from artificial intelligence as CEO Jack Dorsey reworks the company for a smaller workforce. The announcement helped lift Block shares in premarket trading Friday, following remarks in a shareholder letter and a post on X.
The Trump administration ordered all U.S. agencies to stop using Anthropic’s artificial intelligence technology and imposed other major penalties, escalating a public dispute between the government and the company over AI safety. President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials criticized Anthropic after the company refused to meet a Pentagon deadline tied to how the military could use its AI systems, according to the Associated Press.
Joelle Haley, whose son was born prematurely and treated in Detroit, has been crocheting colorful yarn octopi for babies in the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The donated plush “octopi,” called Amigurumi, are placed in bassinets to give preemies something soft to focus on while clinicians keep tubes and wires in place.
AI music startups Suno and Udio are trying to negotiate a place in the recording industry after lawsuits alleging copyright infringement pushed major labels into federal court fights. Suno CEO Mikey Shulman and Udio CEO Andrew Sanchez said they now want licensing and partnerships, even as artists including Tift Merritt have argued that deals often ignore copyright and consent.
OpenAI said it has received $110 billion in funding from Amazon, SoftBank and Nvidia, led by Amazon’s $50 billion commitment. OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman said the deal puts OpenAI’s pre-money valuation at $730 billion, and he said OpenAI expects other investors to join as the funding round progresses.
Burger King is testing OpenAI-powered AI headsets in 500 U.S. restaurants, with a voice system that can answer employee questions and alert managers about issues like low inventory. Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said employees can ask the “Patty” voice how to make menu items and can flag when customers report problems such as messy bathrooms.
ProPublica journalists and their union are negotiating the first contract in part over how the outlet should use artificial intelligence and what role humans should have, with the union saying it could lead to a strike. The dispute reflects wider industry pressure over AI error reporting, reader disclosure, and protections for jobs as newsrooms adopt tools to draft, summarize, transcribe, and assist reporting.
Instagram said Thursday it will begin notifying parents through its parental supervision program if teens “repeatedly” search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm. The company said it already blocks that content from appearing in teens’ search results and will route the alerts only to parents who are enrolled.
Waymo said it will begin dispatching robotaxis in four additional cities in Texas and Florida, expanding its U.S. footprint to 10 major metro areas. The company said the rollout starts in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, and that robotaxis are already operating with more than 400,000 weekly trips across six metro areas.
Many adults say social media can be hard to put down, and some researchers and clinicians are studying whether that pattern fits “addiction.” In testimony tied to a social media harms trial in Los Angeles, psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke described social platforms as offering “24/7, really limitless, frictionless access.” Experts say the key question for adults is whether the time spent online is affecting work, chores, relationships and mood.
Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S26 smartphones in San Francisco on Wednesday, highlighting a larger suite of artificial intelligence features and a new “Privacy Display” mode designed to block people nearby from viewing the screen. The company also set U.S. pricing for the March 11 launch, with most models costing more than last year.
Nvidia on Wednesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter results that beat analyst expectations, with revenue up 73% year over year to $68.1 billion and profit nearly doubling to about $43 billion. The Santa Clara, California, company also issued a forecast that topped projections for the February-April period, while Chief Executive Jensen Huang told analysts the AI boom is still in an early buildout phase.
Discord is postponing its global rollout of age verification after backlash from users who raised concerns about privacy and how biometric and ID data would be handled. In a Tuesday blog post, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy said the company “missed the mark” and pushed the global expansion to the second half of 2026.
Discord is delaying its global age-verification rollout to the second half of 2026 after criticism from users who said the policy could expose personal data, the company said. Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy said in a blog post on Feb. 25 that Discord “missed the mark” and will change the initial approach it announced in early February.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic’s CEO a Friday deadline to open the company’s artificial intelligence technology for unrestricted military use or risk losing its government contract, according to an AP source.
Paramount has raised its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery to $31 per share, in a renewed fight with Netflix for control of the Hollywood studio, the companies said in filings this week. Warner said the revised bid also includes a $7 billion regulatory termination fee and an earlier “ticking fee” if the deal drags into late September. The change could trigger a fresh response from Netflix as U.S. antitrust review looms.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Anthropic this week that it must open its artificial intelligence technology for unrestricted military use or risk losing its U.S. government contract by Friday, according to the Associated Press. The Pentagon also warned it could designate Anthropic as a supply-chain risk and invoke a Cold War-era law, the Defense Production Act, to expand military authority over the company’s products.
Instagram said Thursday it will begin alerting parents in cases where teens “repeatedly” search for terms clearly associated with suicide or self-harm. The alerts will go only to parents enrolled in the company’s parental supervision program, and Instagram said it already blocks the content from showing up in teen accounts’ search results while directing people to helplines.
JR, the French street artist known for large-scale public works, plans to transform Paris’ Pont Neuf into a walk-through “cave” this June, AP reported. The temporary installation will cover the bridge’s stone arches with a rocky illusion, include a tunnel-like passage designed for immersive sound, and use phone-based augmented reality, according to JR.
Waymo said it will begin dispatching its robotaxis in four more U.S. cities—Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, Florida—announced Tuesday. The expansion brings Waymo’s service, which it operates through its own ride-hailing app in most cities, to 10 major U.S. metropolitan markets.
Meta agreed to purchase artificial intelligence chips from Advanced Micro Devices in a deal potentially worth more than $100 billion, also securing the opportunity to buy up to 10% of AMD's stock. The 6-gigawatt agreement will see initial shipments of the MI450 chips beginning in the second half of 2026.
London is preparing for U.K. government robotaxi trials this spring, with companies including Wayve, Waymo and Baidu preparing autonomous services on the city’s roads. The effort has drawn skepticism from black-cab drivers, whose “The Knowledge” training spans years and hundreds of routes. During a recent demo ride, Wayve’s Ford Mach-E traveled a three-mile loop in North London with human backup available to intervene if needed.
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced 24 winners of its 2026 Mayors Challenge on Tuesday, with mayors in cities including South Bend, Indiana, and Beira, Mozambique, pitching projects that use artificial intelligence and resident input to improve services. Each winner will receive $1 million to implement its initiative, along with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies experts, the organization said.
OpenAI's top safety representatives have been summoned to Ottawa after the company revealed it identified suspicious activity on the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar, who killed eight people in a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia this month. The company said it considered but did not alert Canadian police at the time.
London is preparing for robotaxi trials this spring, with Wayve, Uber and other companies testing self-driving services on the city’s streets before government pilots begin. The competition has drawn skepticism from traditional black cab drivers, who say Britain’s “Knowledge” training and London’s dense, pedestrian-heavy streets make robotaxis a difficult fit.
Women’s sports media outlets are expanding rapidly as the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics put more attention on athletes competing in sports long covered less heavily. Christine Brennan, Sarah Spain, and others described how newer outlets and women-led coverage are changing what gets reported and how audiences find it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited leaders of major artificial intelligence companies to gather on stage at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, as the event promoted “inclusive and multilingual” AI. An awkward moment between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, caught during a group hand gesture, went viral on social media. Altman later said he was confused about what he was supposed to do.
Modi on Thursday invited leaders of major AI companies to gather on stage at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, pitching “inclusive and multilingual” AI. But a moment during a group pose—OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei avoiding hand contact as they were prompted to lift their hands together—went viral.
The U.S. stock market finished higher Wednesday, led by Nvidia after Meta announced a long-term partnership to use Nvidia chips and other equipment for artificial-intelligence data centers. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and moved closer to its late-January all-time high, while the Dow gained 0.3% and the Nasdaq climbed 0.8%, helped also by several companies’ quarterly results.
DoorDash said its revenue rose 38% in the fourth quarter and that total orders increased 32% to 903 million, beating analyst forecasts. The delivery company also reported net income of $213 million, but it projected lower-than-expected first-quarter adjusted pretax earnings.
Online seller eBay agreed to purchase secondhand fashion marketplace Depop from Etsy for about $1.2 billion in cash, the companies said Wednesday. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter, would expand eBay’s bid for younger online shoppers and keep Depop’s name, brand and platform in place.
Warner Bros. Discovery said it received a waiver from Netflix that allows it to reopen takeover talks with Skydance-owned Paramount for the next seven days. The board also remains recommending that shareholders support Warner’s proposed merger with Netflix, with a special meeting scheduled for March 20.
AI tools are increasingly being adopted in India’s farming and coaching education sectors, as the country hosts a major AI summit in New Delhi this week. In northern India’s Karnal, farmer Bir Virk uses an automated tractor to harvest potatoes, while in New Delhi educator Swetank Pandey’s team uses AI to grade handwritten civil-services exam papers and draft study material.
Berkshire Hathaway said it is investing $350 million in The New York Times, a move it made six years after Warren Buffett sold off Berkshire’s newspapers, the company disclosed in a quarterly filing. The Omaha, Nebraska-based firm also increased its Chevron stake and continued trimming holdings in Bank of America and Apple.
Mark Zuckerberg testified Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom in an unprecedented social media trial questioning whether Meta's Instagram deliberately addicts and harms children. The Meta CEO said the company moved away from using time-spent metrics to measure platform success, but internal documents the plaintiff's attorney presented appeared to contradict his earlier congressional testimony that employees had not been given explicit goals to boost engagement.
The Irish data privacy regulator said it has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk’s X over Grok’s alleged creation and posting of nonconsensual intimate or sexualized deepfake images involving Europeans, including children. The investigation, notified to X on Monday, is the latest in a widening legal and regulatory push across Europe over Grok and the spread of harmful AI-generated content.
The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into Shein under the EU’s Digital Services Act, focusing on concerns that the online retailer is not doing enough to limit illegal products and protect users. Regulators also are looking at whether Shein’s design is “addictive” and whether its recommendation system explains clearly why users see specific items.
In 2026, Morningstar suggests investors revisit how concentrated their portfolios have become as market returns have leaned heavily toward the technology and artificial-intelligence trade from 2025. The firm’s strategists say diversification steps such as rebalancing, adding bonds, and increasing exposure to international stocks can help reduce concentration risk across stock, sector and theme.
Valentine’s Day dinner at White Castle is returning for a 35th straight year, with restaurants across the U.S. offering candlelit, tablecloth-lined meals that customers say carry on family traditions and personal milestones. This year, one Detroit-area customer plans to reserve a table for her mother, who died last spring, as she and two daughters mark the holiday together.
Hollywood organizations are condemning Seedance 2.0, an AI video generator from ByteDance, saying it infringes copyright and uses actors’ likenesses without permission. The Motion Picture Association said the service “has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale,” while SAG-AFTRA said the tool enables “blatant infringement” that includes unauthorized use of members’ voices and likenesses.
India is hosting an artificial intelligence summit this week in New Delhi, bringing together heads of state, senior officials and major tech executives for a five-day meeting. Organizers say the India AI Impact Summit will focus on how AI safety, governance and other concerns are shaping fast-changing technology and labor markets.
As electricity prices climb, U.S. politicians are facing pressure to make data-center operators cover more of the power costs tied to artificial intelligence. The issue has drawn rare bipartisan agreement that “regular people” should not pick up the tab, but disagreement remains over what “fair share” means. Harvard’s Ari Peskoe said “fair share” is “a pretty squishy term,” reflecting how quickly the debate has become entangled with cost-of-living concerns ahead of the midterm elections.
Montana, where few large data centers have been built so far, is facing proposals for new facilities as Big Tech expands for AI. Environmental groups and residents in places including Butte, Billings, Broadview and Great Falls say they have limited information about how much water the projects would use and how quickly approvals could happen.
Anthropic, the company behind the chatbot Claude, said Thursday it is valued at $380 billion after raising $30 billion in its latest funding round. The valuation puts it alongside OpenAI and SpaceX among the world’s most valuable private startups and comes as investors weigh which firms may seek stock-market listings.
Amazon ended its planned partnership with Flock Safety, the smart-doorbell company announced, after a Ring Super Bowl ad backlash that raised privacy fears. Ring said the planned integration “never launched,” and that no Ring customer videos were sent to Flock Safety.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Meta’s Instagram, testified Wednesday in Los Angeles that he does not believe people can be clinically addicted to social media platforms, and that his company instead distinguishes “problematic use.” Mosseri spoke during a landmark trial that plaintiffs say will determine how future cases alleging harm to children from social media proceed. Meta and YouTube are the two remaining defendants after TikTok and Snap settled, and Zuckerberg is expected to testify next week.
CLAIRTON, Pa. — In Clairton City School District, educators and nonprofit MicroSociety Inc. have turned one elementary school into a student-run “Beartopia,” where classrooms operate as businesses managed by students. The program, introduced at the start of the school year, uses elected student officers, daily roles for elementary grades and planned market days starting in February to build attendance and engagement, district leaders said.
Nevada’s Governor’s Technology Office announced a new statewide policy for classifying and protecting state data, the agency said Wednesday, months after a cyberattack shut down some systems for weeks. The policy creates four categories—“public,” “sensitive,” “confidential” and “restricted”—and directs agencies to use the more restrictive category if classification is unclear. Officials said the plan is intended to standardize how information is handled, reduce uncertainty when agencies share data, and strengthen Nevada’s cybersecurity efforts.
Chile launched Latam-GPT, described as the first open-source AI language model trained on the cultures of Latin America, aiming to reduce linguistic bias and expand the region’s presence in global AI development. The project was led by Chile’s National Center of Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) with support from more than 30 institutions across eight Latin American countries.
Paramount said it will pay Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders an added “ticking fee” of 25 cents per share per quarter if the hostile deal is not completed by year-end, as it extended the tender-offer deadline again. The company also said it would fund a $2.8 billion breakup payout to Netflix tied to Warner’s studio and streaming merger.
In the kidnapping case of Nancy Guthrie, investigators released video surveillance footage showing an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted, but details about how the footage resurfaced have raised questions about privacy and technology. The FBI said investigators worked for days to pull the videos from “residual data located in backend systems,” after earlier accounts said the camera was disconnected and that Guthrie had no subscription to the camera company.
Eddie Bauer’s U.S. and Canada retail operator filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company said Monday, citing declining sales and other industry headwinds. The filing will include about 180 Eddie Bauer stores, but many locations will remain open during a court-supervised restructuring, according to the release.
Super Bowl advertisers leaned into health, caring and familiar entertainment themes as Americans faced a tense start to the year, according to marketing experts cited by The Associated Press. The commercials also highlighted the rapid spread of artificial intelligence and continued the long-running tradition of celebrity and nostalgia-driven storytelling.
Italy is expanding efforts to make art and tourist sites more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, including using tactile models, braille signage and audio guides. The Associated Press reported examples from Rome, Pompeii, Florence and Ancona, highlighting how guides and museums are adapting museum visits and sightseeing experiences.
The study used experiments modeled on how researchers test young children’s pretend play, including a “juice party” with Kanzi, a bonobo raised in captivity and trained to communicate with humans using graphic symbols. In one setup, Kanzi chose the container holding imaginary juice 68% of the time, while he selected real juice over pretend juice almost 80% of the time in a separate test.
Savannah Guthrie told the kidnapper who took her 84-year-old mother that the family wants “proof of life” — a demand complicated by the growing ability to create realistic AI-altered images and video, federal officials said. At an FBI news conference in Phoenix, FBI chief in Phoenix Heith Janke said investigators can’t simply trust video as evidence because of advances in AI.
Co-workers across generations are increasingly pairing up in reverse mentoring programs, where younger employees share new digital trends and older colleagues bring experience and context. An Associated Press report on workplace wellness highlights examples from a Florida PR firm, Estée Lauder, and a Pennsylvania hotel, along with other workplaces where reverse mentoring is used to improve communication and training.
Moltbook is a “social network” built for AI agents to post and interact, while humans observe, and its rapid growth has drawn attention from security researchers and AI experts. An AP report describes how the platform works and why researchers warn that data including API keys may be exposed. The report also highlights concerns about whether content can be reliably traced to genuine agents and not people posing as them.
Hundreds of electric motorcycle riders in Kenya are calling for more flexible battery-swap networks that they say would prevent riders from being stranded when they can’t access the right charging system. In posts and protests linked to the issue, rider advocates have also raised concerns that some motorcycles can be remotely disabled after inactivity, making standardized battery access more urgent.
Super Bowl 60 commercials airing Sunday include technology pitches from AI companies, health and telehealth promotions, and celebrity-packed storytelling aimed at a mass audience approaching 128 million U.S. viewers. The Associated Press preview describes advertisers leaning into lighter themes and familiar pop culture as they compete for attention during the Patriots–Seahawks game on NBC.
MILAN — A new Olympic-themed art installation in a Milan park is inviting passersby to write reflections on the values of sport, using mirrors as part of a collective artwork. The project, called “Together to Reflect,” opened in the city’s BAM park area during a limited window for the public to add messages.
The European Commission on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc’s digital rules by using “addictive design” features that regulators say can lead to compulsive use by children. In preliminary charges linked to the EU’s Digital Services Act, the commission said a two-year investigation found TikTok has not done enough to assess how features such as autoplay and infinite scroll can harm minors and “vulnerable adults.”
Alphabet reported fourth-quarter profit of $34.5 billion, up 30% from a year earlier, alongside revenue growth to $113.8 billion, up 18%. The company said Wednesday its digital advertising business and Google Cloud gained momentum during the October-December period, while it outlined plans for higher capital spending to expand AI computing capacity. Alphabet Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said search usage rose as AI continued to drive what he described as an expansionary moment.
OpenAI and Anthropic are taking their rivalry into the Super Bowl, with Anthropic running commercials that mock OpenAI’s decision to place ads on free versions of ChatGPT. The advertising push comes as both companies roll out new product updates aimed at winning enterprise customers for their AI models and tools.
Elon Musk said this week he wants to put data centers in space, powered by solar energy, to help scale artificial intelligence without overloading power grids. The plan, tied to a SpaceX and xAI combination and an initial public offering, faces technical, financial and environmental questions from scientists and industry experts.
Disney said its parks chief Josh D’Amaro will succeed Bob Iger as chief executive, with the leadership change effective March 18. The company also appointed Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden to a newly created president and chief creative officer role.
French prosecutors raided the offices of social media platform X in Paris and summoned Elon Musk for questioning as part of a preliminary investigation that includes allegations tied to child sexual abuse images and deepfakes. The case also intersects with separate scrutiny by Britain’s data watchdog and regulators over how Grok, the AI chatbot available through X, handled personal data.
Hank and John Green’s educational media company Complexly is becoming a nonprofit, the brothers said in an Associated Press interview. The change is intended to keep “Crash Course” content free of advertisers’ interests and to make it easier for viewers to access “trustworthy content” online.
PayPal said it is replacing CEO Alex Chriss with Enrique Lores, citing that the company’s pace of change and execution has not met board expectations over the past two years. Lores will take over March 1, while David Dorman will serve as independent chair effective immediately and Jamie Miller will serve as interim CEO.
Elon Musk is combining his space and artificial intelligence ventures into a single company, SpaceX announced Monday. The planned merger is expected to come ahead of what the billionaire has said is a major initial public offering later this year, according to the Associated Press.
Indonesia allowed Elon Musk’s artificial-intelligence chatbot Grok to resume operations in the country on a conditional basis, the communications ministry said Feb. 2, weeks after banning it for explicit sexual content. The ministry said X Corp. made a written commitment to service improvements and compliance with applicable laws and that Indonesian officials will verify and test the company’s steps to prevent violations.
Waymo, the robotaxi company backed by Alphabet, said it has raised an additional $16 billion, valuing the business at $126 billion as it plans to expand beyond current service areas. The fundraising, led by Alphabet, includes participation from prominent venture capitalists and investment funds, and follows fresh competition pressure from companies backed by Amazon and Tesla.
Westminster Kennel Club’s 150th dog show added an agility event that tests teams on a fast, obstacle-by-obstacle course. Handlers describe how they coach dogs with commands, body signals and training strategies as scores combine time and accuracy.
Jury selection begins Monday for New Mexico’s first stand-alone trial against Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, a case built around a state undercover investigation involving proxy social media accounts. Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the civil complaint in 2023, alleging Meta created conditions that predators could exploit children and failed to disclose what it knew about harmful effects.
Children with cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD and other conditions in Taiwan are using horse therapy at a center in Taoyuan to find comfort and support through riding and interacting with horses, the Associated Press reported. Parents and therapists say the structured sessions help many children feel at ease, try new experiences and build confidence.
A community outside Santiago, Chile, spent Saturday operating Quili.AI, a chatbot meant to answer questions and create simple images through human responses rather than artificial intelligence. Organizers say the 12-hour effort drew more than 25,000 requests from around the world as a way to raise awareness about the water footprint of AI data centers in water-stressed areas.
The 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show gets under way in New York with breed judging—called “conformation”—on Monday and Tuesday at the Javits Center and Madison Square Garden. Best in show is scheduled to be awarded at the Garden around 11 p.m. EST Tuesday, and the event is being shown on Fox Sports platforms including FS1 and FS2.
The Farmers’ Almanac announced it would stop printing after more than 200 years, but the publication says it will continue under a new owner, Unofficial Networks. The deal moves the almanac from Maine to New York City and includes plans for a new website and a future print edition, its new publisher said.
Tesla reported Wednesday that its net income fell 46% last year to $3.8 billion, its lowest annual profit since the pandemic ended, as the EV maker lost the title of the world’s biggest to a Chinese rival and faced boycotts that hit sales. On a conference call, Elon Musk said Tesla would close production of older Model S and Model X vehicles in the second quarter and convert a Fremont, California factory to produce Optimus robots instead.
Apple said its iPhone sales rose to a new quarterly high in the holiday quarter, even as early artificial-intelligence missteps pushed it to seek outside help for upcoming features. The company reported iPhone revenue of $85.3 billion for the October-December period, along with quarterly profit of $42.1 billion, results that beat analysts’ expectations.
Dow plans to cut about 4,500 jobs as it puts more emphasis on using artificial intelligence and automation in its business, the company said Thursday. The chemicals maker said it expects about $600 million to $800 million in severance costs tied to the layoffs as it simplifies operations and streamlines. The company, based in Midland, Michigan, said shares fell before the market opened.
Microsoft reported revenue of $81.3 billion for its October-December quarter, beating Wall Street expectations as it pushes for wider adoption of its artificial intelligence tools. The company said net profit for the quarter was $30.9 billion, or $4.14 per share, and it described changes to how it accounts for its investments tied to OpenAI.
Meta reported fourth-quarter results that beat analysts’ expectations, driven by stronger advertising revenue, sending shares higher in after-hours trading on Wednesday. The company also said its costs are set to rise further this year, with expenses growing faster than revenue in the quarter.
Google said it is rolling out new AI features in Chrome for logged-in U.S. users, including access to its Nano Banana image-generation and editing tools and a side panel with an AI assistant for tasks online. The company also said some subscribers to its AI services will be able to use an “auto browse” feature that can log into websites, shop for merchandise on command and draft social media posts, with users still approving purchases and posts.
Google is rolling out new artificial intelligence features in its Chrome browser for logged-in users in the United States, including access to an AI image generator and editor. The upgrades include “Nano Banana,” a side-panel virtual assistant option for online tasks, and for paid subscribers an “auto browse” function that can log into websites and draft social media posts.
La Comisión Europea abrió una investigación formal el lunes sobre la plataforma de redes sociales de Elon Musk, X, por el uso de su chatbot de IA Grok para difundir imágenes sexualizadas no consensuadas manipuladas digitalmente, incluyendo contenido que podría equipararse con abuso sexual infantil. La pesquisa busca determinar si X cumplió con las obligaciones de la Ley de Servicios Digitales del bloque para contener riesgos de contenido ilegal.
La Unión Europea abrió una investigación formal el lunes sobre la plataforma de Elon Musk, X, después de que su chatbot de inteligencia artificial Grok empezara a difundir imágenes sexualizadas no consensuadas manipuladas digitalmente. El caso se centra en el servicio de Grok en X, dentro de la Ley de Servicios Digitales (DSA) del bloque.
TikTok is managing technical problems and a spike in app uninstalls following its ownership restructuring, as users reported concerns about potential content censorship. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday he is directing state attorneys to investigate whether TikTok is violating California law by censoring Trump-critical content.
Amazon said Tuesday it is closing almost all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations by the end of the week, exiting a decade-long effort to build cashierless grocery shopping. The last day of operation for most locations is Sunday, though California stores will remain open longer to comply with state requirements. "While we've seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven't yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion," Amazon said in a blog post. The company plans to convert some shuttered stores into Whole Foods Market locations, accelerating a pivot toward that grocery chain, which Amazon acquired in 2017.
The European Union opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X after its Grok artificial intelligence chatbot produced nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform, according to the European Commission. The EU’s executive said the probe also expands a separate, ongoing inquiry into X’s recommendation systems after X said it would rely on Grok to choose which posts users see.
The European Union said it is stepping in to ensure Google gives rival AI companies and search engines access to Gemini services and data under the Digital Markets Act. The EU’s executive arm will open so-called “specification proceedings” to set out how Google must provide “equally effective access” to the same features available through its own services, and to assess access to Google Search data.
Millions of people rely on smartphone apps and wearable devices to monitor their sleep, but these trackers have significant limitations that experts say users often misunderstand. The devices do not measure sleep directly; instead, they infer sleep states from signals like heart rate and movement. That distinction matters: the trackers are less precise than laboratory studies for measuring specific sleep stages like REM and non-REM sleep, according to sleep researchers.
American workers adopted artificial intelligence into their jobs at a rapid pace over the past few years, according to a Gallup Workforce survey of more than 22,000 U.S. workers conducted in late October and early November 2025. Twelve percent of employed adults said they use AI daily on the job, while roughly one-quarter reported using it at least a few times a week, and nearly half said they use it at least occasionally.
Meta Platforms announced Friday it is halting teens' access to artificial intelligence characters on Instagram and WhatsApp, according to a blog post from the company. The pause, set to begin in coming weeks, applies to anyone who gave Meta a birthday indicating they are a minor, as well as people the company suspects are teenagers based on its age-prediction technology. The move comes as Meta, along with YouTube and TikTok, prepares to face trial in Los Angeles over allegations that their platforms cause harm to children.
Kindness at work can mean limiting meetings, giving honest feedback, and bending rules when circumstances warrant, according to workplace experts. As the pace of work accelerates, small acts of kindness—from supporting employees through family crises to protecting time for reflection—improve engagement and productivity.
Paramount Global, controlled by Skydance Media, extended the deadline for Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders to tender stock until Feb. 20, maintaining its hostile offer of $30 per share in cash. The move marks the second extension since Paramount challenged Warner's agreed merger with Netflix in December.
Clothing retailer Under Armour is investigating a data breach that exposed 72 million customer email addresses and personal information, the Baltimore-based company said. The breach, believed to have occurred in late 2025, included customer names, genders, birthdates and ZIP codes, but no passwords or financial information, according to company officials and cybersecurity experts.
Google on Thursday is rolling out a new artificial intelligence feature called "Personal Intelligence" that will let search users tap their Gmail messages and Google Photos libraries to receive personalized recommendations tailored to their habits, interests, and travel history. The tool, available first in the U.S. to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers as well as users in the company's experimental Labs division, marks Google's latest effort to integrate artificial intelligence across its digital services. The rollout intensifies Google's competition with newer AI-powered answer engines from startups including ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Michigan State University announced plans to integrate artificial intelligence instruction across all undergraduate majors, starting with a new foundational course in fall 2026, following recommendations from an advisory panel of 18 Michigan business and civic leaders who said AI proficiency has become a baseline job requirement in every field. The initiative is backed by a $5 million seed gift from an anonymous MSU alumnus.
Greg Abel, Warren Buffett's newly appointed successor as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, appears to be considering his first significant corporate move: selling the conglomerate's entire stake in Kraft Heinz. Kraft Heinz disclosed in a filing Tuesday that Berkshire Hathaway "may offer to sell, from time to time" its 325 million shares in the food company, which Buffett helped create in a 2015 merger with Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital. The potential sale marks a departure from Buffett's approach over six decades leading Berkshire. Berkshire took a $3.76 billion writedown on its Kraft Heinz stake last summer, and Buffett said last fall that he was disappointed in Kraft Heinz' plan to split the company in two. Kraft Heinz shares fell nearly 4 percent to $22.85 after the filing announcement.
Google says it will roll out a new option, “Personal Intelligence,” for users who turn on AI Mode in Search, starting Thursday. The tool is designed to tailor answers by connecting information from Google apps, including Gmail and Google Photos. The feature begins in the U.S. for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and for some users in Google’s experimental Labs program.
The Federal Trade Commission said it will appeal a federal judge's November ruling that found Meta Platforms Inc. does not hold a monopoly in social networking, according to a statement Tuesday. The FTC continues to contend that Meta "illegally maintained a monopoly" through "anticompetitive conduct" including its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The appeal represents the FTC's effort to overturn a significant loss in its antitrust challenge against the social media giant.
Content creators in the United States are posting videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube that interrupt users' scroll sessions to encourage them to close the app — a strategy researchers say may help plant early seeds of awareness about excessive platform use, even as academics debate whether heavy social media use constitutes addiction.
LAS VEGAS — Health technology showcased at the annual CES trade show promised consumers new ways to track and interpret personal health, from smart scales to hormone and perimenopause monitors. But experts questioned the accuracy of some AI-driven products and warned that data privacy safeguards may not cover consumer devices as federal oversight shifts. During CES, the Food and Drug Administration also announced plans to relax regulations for certain so-called “low-risk” general wellness products.
U.S. adults are using artificial intelligence most often to search for information, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Tuesday. The survey found 60% of Americans overall say they use AI for finding information at least some of the time, including 74% of those under 30.
OpenAI said Friday it will begin testing advertisements on the free version of ChatGPT within weeks, as the San Francisco-based company seeks new revenue to cover more than $1 trillion in financial obligations for computer chips and data centers powering its artificial intelligence services. The company said ads have not yet appeared on the chatbot but testing would begin in the coming weeks.
Ashley St. Clair, a 27-year-old writer and the mother of one of Elon Musk's children, sued xAI in New York State Supreme Court on Thursday, alleging that Musk's artificial intelligence company allowed its Grok chatbot to generate sexually exploitative deepfake images of her without her consent. St. Clair, who describes herself as a political strategist and has more than 1 million followers on X, said in court documents that the images included a photograph of her taken at age 14 that was altered to show her in a bikini, adult images depicting her in sexualized positions, and an image showing her in a bikini bearing swastikas. St. Clair is Jewish.
Elon Musk’s Grok has faced a series of controversies involving political echoing, deepfake sexual images and antisemitic content, and governments are now stepping up scrutiny. The Associated Press reported that, over the past year and into early 2026, xAI tied some incidents to product changes and said it has adjusted how Grok handles images. The latest reports say more governments have condemned the platform and opened investigations.
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI said it has implemented geoblocking to prevent its Grok chatbot from editing photographs to portray real people in revealing clothing in jurisdictions where such manipulation is illegal — a step announced after a global wave of government actions against nonconsensual sexualized imagery the tool had been used to produce. The announcement, posted Wednesday on X, followed California's disclosure that it was investigating the proliferation of nonconsensual sexually explicit material generated with Grok, which state officials said was being used to harass women and girls.
Beyond Meat is moving into the beverage aisle with a new protein drink called Beyond Immerse, the company said Thursday. The drink comes in two nutrition options and three flavors and will be sold for a limited time through the company’s direct-to-consumer website, Beyond Test Kitchen.
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds that most U.S. adults use artificial intelligence at least some of the time to search for information, while fewer say they rely on it for work tasks. The survey also finds a sharp age divide, with adults under 30 far more likely than those 60 and older to use AI for brainstorming. The poll results were based on interviews with 1,437 adults conducted July 10-14.
Governments around the world have opened investigations into Grok, the AI chatbot operated by Elon Musk's company xAI, after the platform generated sexualized deepfake images — including depictions involving children — through its AI image-generation tool, the Associated Press reported. xAI said it is restricting non-paying users from generating or editing images in response to the global backlash. The deepfake controversy is the latest in a series of documented incidents in which Grok has spread antisemitic content, echoed Musk's political views and inserted commentary on South African racial politics into unrelated conversations, the AP reported.
Eric Adams, the former mayor of New York City, stood in Times Square on Monday to announce his first post-mayoral initiative — a new cryptocurrency meme coin called NYC Token — only to watch its value plunge roughly 75% the same day after an account linked to the token's creation withdrew $2.5 million worth of coins shortly after launch, according to crypto analytics firm Bubblemaps. The coin had surged to a valuation of nearly $600 million within minutes of its debut before the sell-off collapsed investor confidence.
Fake online storefronts are using AI-generated images and fabricated family histories to impersonate small businesses on social media and the web, deceiving shoppers into purchasing goods that consumer reviewers say arrive shoddy or not at all, an Associated Press investigation found. Two sweater retail sites — Melia & Co and Olivia Westwood Boutique — display many of the same Icelandic, Nordic and festive sweaters using identical stock images while presenting themselves as distinct family-run operations, operating under domains registered in China in November, ahead of the holiday shopping season.
The Gates Foundation approved a record $9 billion budget for 2026 and a plan to reduce its workforce by up to 500 positions by 2030, foundation CEO Mark Suzman said Wednesday. The board simultaneously capped annual operating costs at $1.25 billion — approximately 14 percent of total spending — to ensure more dollars reach grantees as the organization accelerates toward its planned 2045 closure. The foundation currently employs 2,375 people.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that Elon Musk's Grok artificial intelligence chatbot will operate inside Pentagon networks alongside Google's generative AI engine, as part of a broad effort to feed military and intelligence data into AI systems. Hegseth made the announcement during a speech at Musk's SpaceX facility in South Texas, saying Grok would go live inside Defense Department systems later this month. The announcement came days after Grok drew international condemnation for generating sexualized deepfake images of people without their consent.
Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and vice chair, met Tuesday with federal lawmakers to press for an industry-funded model for AI data center expansion, calling on technology companies to bear the full costs of the computing infrastructure powering AI services rather than shifting expenses to taxpayers or utility ratepayers. "Local communities naturally want to see new jobs but not at the expense of higher electricity prices or the diversion of their water," Smith said in an interview with The Associated Press. President Donald Trump aligned with the position Monday evening in a Truth Social post, stating he does not want Americans to "pick up the tab" for data centers or pay higher utility costs.
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Grok, the AI chatbot from Elon Musk’s xAI, becoming the first countries to do so over concerns that it is being used to generate sexually explicit and nonconsensual images. The governments cited worries about fake pornographic content, including images involving minors, and said controls have not been sufficient.
About 15,000 nurses walked off the job Monday at three major New York City hospital systems — NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, and Montefiore — after weekend negotiations failed to produce a breakthrough on disputes over staffing levels, benefits, and limits on the use of artificial intelligence, according to their union, the New York State Nurses Association. The hospitals remained open, hiring temporary nurses to fill the gap, amid a severe flu season.
Meta on Monday named Dina Powell McCormick, a former national security adviser in the Trump administration and veteran Goldman Sachs executive, as the Facebook owner's president and vice chairman, the company announced.
Mattel Inc. introduced an autistic Barbie on Monday, expanding its Fashionistas line with a doll developed over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. The nonprofit, which advocates for the rights and improved media representation of autistic people, worked closely with Mattel to shape design features reflecting how some autistic people experience and process the world around them.
Apple and Google disclosed a partnership Monday that will bring Google's Gemini artificial intelligence technology to the iPhone, allowing Apple to draw on its rival's AI systems to overhaul Siri and deliver a suite of features the Cupertino, California, company has fallen behind in delivering. The deal was announced in a joint statement from the two Silicon Valley companies.
Google's corporate parent Alphabet Inc. became the fourth major technology company to reach a $4 trillion market valuation on Monday, joining a club that had previously admitted only computer chipmaker Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft as investors continued to wager heavily on artificial intelligence. The milestone arrived roughly four months after a federal judge found Google's search engine to be an illegal monopoly but declined to impose the breakup remedies federal prosecutors had sought.
Malaysian authorities said they will take legal action against Elon Musk’s social media platform X and its artificial intelligence unit xAI, accusing them of failing to ensure the safety of users of the Grok chatbot. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said it has identified misuse of Grok to generate and distribute harmful content, including sexually explicit and non-consensual manipulated images. The announcement came days after Malaysia and Indonesia blocked access to Grok over concerns that it was being misused to create sexual deepfakes.
Google said Sunday that it is teaming up with Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair and other major retailers to enable shopping and instant checkout directly within its Gemini AI chatbot, allowing customers to find and buy products through a conversational interface without navigating to a retailer's website. The announcement came on the opening day of the National Retail Federation's annual convention in New York, where the role of artificial intelligence in e-commerce was expected to dominate the three-day gathering of roughly 40,000 retail and technology industry attendees.
Nearly 15,000 nurses at three of New York City's largest hospitals could walk off the job early Monday in what union officials said would be the largest nurses strike in city history, if no contract agreement is reached before the weekend deadline. The New York State Nurses Association said talks had produced little progress as of Sunday morning, with staffing levels, guardrails on the use of artificial intelligence, and workplace security among unresolved disputes at Mount Sinai, Montefiore Medical Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
A Los Angeles-based nonprofit is using virtual reality headsets to give California prison inmates brief escapes to far-flung destinations and practice for real-world challenges — from Bangkok street markets to simulated job interviews — in a program its founder calls a "hope machine." Creative Acts founder Sabra Williams said the program grew from earlier prison arts work that incorporated theater, music, poetry, dance and painting, and is designed to both broaden inmates' sense of the outside world and equip them with tools to reenter a society that has changed around them.
Google said it is expanding shopping features in its Gemini AI chatbot by teaming with Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair and other retailers. The update, announced Sunday at the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York, is designed to let users buy items within the Gemini chat through an instant checkout function.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced Friday it had signed nuclear power agreements with TerraPower, Oklo, and Vistra Corp. to supply electricity for Prometheus, a 1-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center cluster under construction in New Albany, Ohio. The three deals will support up to 6.6 gigawatts of new and existing clean energy capacity by 2035, Meta said. Financial terms were not disclosed.
LAS VEGAS — Robots roamed the show floor, paper-thin screens lined exhibition halls and self-driving vehicles awaited passengers as CES 2026, the annual technology trade show, closed out its run in Las Vegas this week. Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang declared that "the ChatGPT moment for physical AI is here," as exhibitors showed products ranging from a stair-climbing vacuum and AI-powered headphones to a virtual-reality grief therapy platform and a rolling furry cyber pet.
Seven of 10 specially gifted dogs correctly identified new toys after eavesdropping on their owners' conversations with a third person — without any direct instruction — according to a study published Thursday in the journal *Science*. The animals, including a Border collie named Basket and a Labrador named Augie, listened as their owners held and discussed a new toy, then retrieved it from a pile of others in a separate room.
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI will spend $20 billion to build a data center in Southaven, Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday, calling it the largest private investment in the state's history. The facility, named MACROHARDRR, is being built in DeSoto County near Memphis, Tennessee, and is expected to begin operations next month.
Google announced Thursday new artificial intelligence features for Gmail designed to personalize users' writing, answer questions drawn from inbox content, and generate daily to-do lists — an expansion the company said is aimed at turning the world's most popular email service, which counts more than 3 billion users, into a proactive personal assistant.
Consumer and privacy advocates announced the annual "Worst in Show" anti-awards at the CES gadget expo in Las Vegas on Thursday, naming Samsung's voice-activated AI refrigerator the overall worst product of the show and citing Amazon's Ring doorbell camera system for what judges called a significant expansion of home surveillance. The independent contest — whose judges have no affiliation with CES or the Consumer Technology Association that organizes the show — singles out products considered invasive, wasteful or unnecessarily fragile.
Google and Character Technologies, the company behind Character.AI, have agreed to settle a Florida lawsuit in which a mother alleged a chatbot pushed her teenage son to kill himself. Attorneys for the companies also agreed to settle several other lawsuits filed in Colorado, New York and Texas that accused Character.AI chatbots of harming children. The companies did not disclose settlement terms, which still require approval by judges.
Warner Bros. Discovery's board rejected Paramount's $77.9 billion hostile takeover bid for the second time Wednesday, urging shareholders to support a rival $72 billion offer from Netflix for the company's studio and streaming operations. The board said Paramount's offer was "not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders," citing excessive debt financing and inadequate shareholder protections.
Google and Character Technologies, the company behind the Character.AI chatbot, have agreed to settle a Florida lawsuit alleging the chatbot contributed to the February 2024 suicide of a 14-year-old boy, according to court documents filed this week in federal court. The companies have also agreed to settle similar suits filed in Colorado, New York, and Texas on behalf of families who alleged the chatbot harmed their children. Settlement terms were not disclosed in any of the filings; each agreement must still be approved by a judge.
LAS VEGAS — Siemens and Nvidia announced an expanded partnership Tuesday to deploy artificial intelligence across manufacturing, production, and supply chain management, as Day 2 of the Consumer Electronics Show drew crowds to autonomous robots, AI companions, and health technology demonstrations on the Las Vegas showroom floor. Commonwealth Fusion Systems joined the two companies in a separate announcement, pledging to use AI to accelerate development of its experimental nuclear fusion prototype in Massachusetts.
LAS VEGAS — Entertainment industry leaders gathered at CES 2026 this week to debate artificial intelligence's expanding role in filmmaking, advertising and the creator economy, with more than 25 panels devoted to the intersection of technology and storytelling. Actor and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt used the Las Vegas stage Wednesday to warn against what he called the passive theft of copyrighted creative works by AI companies, while studio executives and AI tool developers argued the technology can broaden access to storytelling rather than diminish it.
Automakers and technology companies showcased AI-powered vehicles at CES in Las Vegas on Tuesday that can recognize individual occupants, track emotions and adapt in real time to drivers and passengers. The demonstrations intensified questions about how much personal data smart cars may collect, retain and use — and who sets the rules for what companies can do with it.
California is getting a financial boost from an artificial intelligence boom, but lawmakers and analysts warn the state’s growing reliance on AI-related income could be volatile if the industry downturns. A new analysis by the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that tax revenue tied to stock-option withholding from major tech companies accounted for about 10% of all income-tax withholding in 2025, based on data through the second quarter of 2025.
CES organizers and consumer and privacy advocates on Thursday released an annual “Worst in Show” list criticizing some of this year’s most prominent artificial intelligence products. The awards spotlighted a Samsung AI refrigerator, Amazon’s Ring doorbell upgrades and other devices judges said rely on invasive data collection, disposable designs or security risks. The list was unveiled during a ceremony at the Consumer Technology Association trade show in Las Vegas.
Nevada has formally written off more than $106 million in bad debt since the start of 2023, according to an analysis by the Nevada Independent, with the state's deputy controller acknowledging that the scale of uncollected funds demands attention. The write-offs — covering debts deemed impossible or impractical to collect — were approved by a board that includes the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state, and span accounts stretching back more than three decades.
California is collecting a growing share of its income-tax revenue from tech companies riding the artificial intelligence boom, but a new state analysis warns the windfall is concentrated among a small number of workers and could evaporate if the AI market stalls. Tech companies' stock-option withholding made up roughly 10% of all California income-tax withholding in 2025, up from more than 6% just three years ago, according to an analysis by the Legislative Analyst's Office. The gains have come without broad job growth — and as the state braces for a nearly $18 billion budget deficit.
LAS VEGAS — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang used the opening day of CES 2026 on Monday to introduce a suite of artificial intelligence products built around the company's concept of "physical AI" — systems trained in simulated environments before deployment as physical machines — while rival chipmakers AMD and Intel unveiled competing AI hardware and humanoid robots from Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics and LG competed for attention on the show floor. Huang introduced Cosmos, a foundation model Nvidia said is trained on massive datasets and capable of simulating environments governed by actual physics, and Alpamayo, an AI model designed specifically for autonomous driving. He said Nvidia's next-generation superchip platform, Vera Rubin, is in full production, and announced a new partnership with Siemens AG.
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has drawn global backlash over sexualized deepfake images of women and children, as governments in several countries moved to investigate or block access. The concerns escalated after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon would adopt Grok on “every unclassified and classified network” within the department.
A Portland, Oregon cafe where American Sign Language is the primary language of business has drawn workers and patrons from across the country, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Woodstock Cafe, owned by the nonprofit CymaSpace, takes orders in ASL and offers non-signing customers a microphone that transcribes their words onto a screen. Plans to expand the site into a Deaf Equity Center stalled after much of the federal funding was cut following the change of presidential administration, according to one of the cafe's founders.
Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics gave its humanoid robot Atlas its first-ever public demonstration Monday at the CES technology showcase in Las Vegas, putting a life-sized, two-armed machine through its paces before a crowd and sharpening a race with Tesla and other rivals to build robots capable of human-like tasks. An engineer remotely piloted the robot during the showcase, though the company said Atlas will operate autonomously in real-world use.
LAS VEGAS — CES 2026 opened this week in Las Vegas, assembling more than 3,500 exhibitors at the Consumer Technology Association's annual trade show with artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, healthcare wearables, and mobility technology heading a packed agenda. Organizers expected attendance approaching the more than 141,000 visitors from over 150 countries who attended the 2025 edition.
LOS GATOS, Calif. — At The Terraces retirement community in Silicon Valley, caregivers are scheduling sessions that let residents in their 80s and 90s try virtual reality headsets. The technology can transport them to experiences like underwater dolphin swims or virtual travel to childhood neighborhoods, often prompting residents to talk with each other afterward.
Tech companies and developers racing to build data centers for artificial intelligence and cloud computing are losing a growing number of local zoning fights across the United States, as residents from farming towns to growing suburbs organize to block proposals they say threaten their communities' character, water supply and electric rates. Between April and June, Data Center Watch — a project of AI security consultancy 10a Labs — counted 20 proposals valued at $98 billion across 11 states that were blocked or delayed amid local opposition and state-level pushback, amounting to roughly two-thirds of the projects it was tracking during that period.
Sprinkles Cupcakes, the bakery chain known for automated vending machines that dispensed fresh cupcakes in malls and airports across the United States, has shut down after 20 years of operation, according to its founder. The closure was announced Dec. 30.
Older adults living at The Terraces, a retirement community in Los Gatos, California, are using virtual reality headsets to travel, explore and socialize together, a program arranged through Rendever. The company says the approach helps reduce isolation by turning “virtual” experiences into conversation among residents. Researchers also caution that VR should supplement, not replace, other activities.
The CEO of Saks Global Enterprises, which owns Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, is stepping down as the luxury retailer works through a heavy debt load. Marc Metrick will depart effective immediately, the company said Friday, and Richard Baker will replace him as executive chairman.
The American Kennel Club added three dog breeds to its roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday, making them eligible for many U.S. dog shows and potentially boosting interest among pet owners. The new entries include the basset fauve de Bretagne, the Teddy Roosevelt terrier and the Russian tsvetnaya bolonka.
Older adults in a Silicon Valley retirement community are using virtual reality headsets to visit places, watch experiences together and spark in-person conversation, Associated Press reported. The program at The Terraces in Los Gatos was curated by Rendever, which says it is testing the approach as a potential tool against social isolation.
Berkshire Hathaway is entering a new era as Warren Buffett steps back and hands more responsibility to Greg Abel, who is set to take over later this week, the company’s succession plan made public years ago. Abel has already managed Berkshire’s noninsurance businesses for several years and will continue to work within the firm’s decentralized structure, according to people familiar with the company’s approach.
Berkshire Hathaway is beginning a leadership transition after Warren Buffett said he is stepping back this week, with Greg Abel set to take over later this week. The company’s new era will test whether Abel makes changes to Berkshire’s famously decentralized model while investors focus on issues such as cash management and whether a dividend becomes more likely.
Greg Abel faces the challenge of taking over Berkshire Hathaway from Warren Buffett later this week, as the legendary investor steps back from day-to-day leadership. Buffett will remain chairman and plans to keep coming into the office each day to advise Abel and help the company spot new investments.
Smartphone users looking to step away from their screens over the Christmas holiday season have several options available — from built-in phone settings and outdoor activities to physical device lockboxes — according to a technology guide published Dec. 18 by the Associated Press. The tips, compiled by AP technology reporter Kelvin Chan, cover both existing smartphone features and behavioral strategies backed by research on screen time and mental health.
More than 2,000 engineers, investors and researchers gathered at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California this week for the Humanoids Summit, where companies from Disney to a field of Chinese startups showed off their latest walking machines and debated whether humanoid robots can become a commercially viable industry. The conference, held Thursday and Friday just blocks from Google's headquarters, was organized by Modar Alaoui, founder and general partner of ALM Ventures, who said many researchers now believe humanoids will be "going to become the norm." Even at a summit designed to build enthusiasm for the technology, skepticism remained high that truly humanlike general-purpose robots are close to widespread deployment.
Three years after ChatGPT's debut, students at schools and universities across the United States are routinely turning to AI chatbots for homework help, prompting educators to set guidelines about what constitutes legitimate use and what crosses into academic dishonesty. About two dozen states have issued state-level AI guidance for schools, though application remains uneven, and institutions from Oxford to SUNY Buffalo have adopted policies ranging from blanket restrictions to no universal rule at all.
Less than a week after conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination, evangelical churches in Texas, Arizona, and California showed their congregations AI-generated video clips of Kirk delivering messages after his death. Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, introduced the clip by saying, "Hear what Charlie is saying regarding what happened to him this past week." As the artificial reconstruction of Kirk's voice urged listeners to "pick up your cross, and get back in the fight," the congregation rose to their feet in a standing ovation.
