News/AI Implementation
Near-miss between commercial flight and B-52 bomber sparks AI air traffic control debate
A SkyWest commercial flight narrowly avoided colliding with a B-52 bomber while approaching Minot International Airport in North Dakota on July 20, with the pilot making an "aggressive maneuver" to prevent disaster. The incident highlights critical gaps in air traffic control systems and raises questions about whether AI could prevent similar near-misses, particularly at smaller airports that lack radar technology and rely on visual monitoring by controllers. What happened: SkyWest Flight 3788's pilot aborted his approach after spotting a military aircraft on a converging course, despite air traffic control instructions to turn right. The pilot told passengers he saw the...
read Jul 21, 2025AI sonar “AquaEye” helps Texas dive teams find flood victims 80% faster
Dive teams in Central Texas are using AI-powered sonar devices called AquaEye to search for victims in flood recovery operations following deadly floods that killed at least 135 people and left over 100 missing. The handheld devices use artificial intelligence to distinguish between debris and human bodies underwater, with search teams reporting an 80-90 percent reduction in search times compared to traditional methods. Why this matters: Recovery efforts face severe challenges from poor visibility, debris-filled rivers, and ongoing flash flooding along the Guadalupe River, making traditional search methods nearly impossible in conditions with only 6-inch visibility. How it works: The...
read Jul 18, 2025WhatsApp replaces support forms with AI-powered chat system
WhatsApp has replaced its traditional support form with an AI-powered chat system that directly connects users to automated assistance. The change eliminates the anxiety-inducing process of filling out contact forms and waiting indefinitely for human support, instead providing immediate, conversational help that can escalate to human agents when necessary. How it works: The new system guides users through a streamlined support experience using natural language processing. Users navigate to Settings > Help > Help Center > Contact Us to access a chat window where a support bot attempts to understand their issue and search WhatsApp's help documentation. The AI assistant...
read Jul 18, 20254 AI agents successfully organize – though with hands held – world’s first AI-coordinated live event
If they could give themselves a pat on the back, they would. Four AI agents from the AI Village successfully organized the world's first AI-coordinated event, bringing together 23 people in San Francisco to celebrate their collaborative story "Resonance." The milestone demonstrates how autonomous AI systems can execute complex, multi-step projects involving real-world logistics, human coordination, and creative collaboration. What you should know: The four agents—Claude Sonnet 3.7, o3, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and GPT-4.1—operated autonomously for two hours daily over 26 days to plan and execute the event. They wrote the story, created slides and promotional materials, found a venue,...
read Jul 18, 2025San Jose cuts bus commute times 20% with AI traffic lights, hopes to become AI capital
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is positioning the Silicon Valley city as a leading AI capital by implementing artificial intelligence solutions in city operations and working to retain local tech talent. The initiative comes as San Jose already serves as a burgeoning AI hub, with the mayor now focusing on scaling successful pilot programs and integrating AI more deeply into government services. What you should know: San Jose has successfully deployed AI-powered traffic optimization systems that have significantly improved public transportation efficiency. Nearly 150 stoplights across the city are equipped with AI tools designed to optimize bus routes and reduce...
read Jul 18, 2025Google upgrades AI Mode with chat history and sharing features
Google is working on significant updates to AI Mode within its Android app, including improved chat history management and conversation sharing capabilities. An APK teardown reveals these features could make AI Mode more accessible and user-friendly while bringing it closer to Gemini's functionality. What you should know: Google plans to consolidate AI Mode chat history with regular search history and bookmarks under a unified Activity tab. Currently, AI Mode history is accessed through a button on the top-right of the interface, but the new system would integrate it with standard search functions. The modified interface shows only the three most...
read Jul 18, 2025Netflix has strong second-quarter while moving into live sports, AI experimentation
Netflix exceeded Wall Street's second-quarter expectations with strong performance driven by popular returning shows and live programming, while providing optimistic guidance for the rest of 2025. The streaming giant's strategic expansion into live sports, events, and AI-powered content creation signals its evolution beyond traditional on-demand viewing as it seeks new growth avenues after dominating the first phase of the streaming wars. What you should know: Netflix's financial performance surpassed analyst predictions, though shares dipped slightly in after-hours trading despite a remarkable 128% stock surge over the past year to around $1,253 per share. The company maintained its content spending guidance...
read Jul 18, 2025Accenture’s AI agent platform cuts VPN setup time by 93%
Accenture has built the Accenture Advanced Technology Agent (AATA), an agentic AI-powered integration platform that orchestrates IT operations across the global consulting firm's complex technology infrastructure. The platform, which earned the company a 2025 CIO 100 Award in IT Excellence, addresses the challenge of maintaining diverse technology portfolios while competing for increasingly rare technical talent. What you should know: AATA serves as an orchestration layer between Accenture's human workforce and technology platforms, enabling IT teams to resolve issues without filing tickets or connecting to agents. The platform currently operates more than 100 active agents and supports Accenture's roughly 800,000 employees...
read Jul 18, 2025Netflix deploys AI for first time in original production to create visual effects for “The Eternauts”
Netflix has used generative artificial intelligence to create visual effects on screen for the first time in one of its original productions, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos. The streaming giant deployed AI technology to generate a building collapse scene in the Argentine science fiction series "The Eternauts," marking a significant milestone in the entertainment industry's adoption of AI-generated content. What you should know: Netflix's use of generative AI represents the first time the company has incorporated AI-created visual effects into final footage for an original series or film. The AI technology was used specifically to create a scene showing a...
read Jul 17, 2025Roblox launches AI age verification for teens amid safety concerns
Roblox is rolling out new safety features that use AI to scan video selfies of teens to verify their ages, enabling access to unfiltered chatting through a new "Trusted Connections" system. The platform aims to keep users engaged while addressing mounting concerns about child safety, following reports of at least 24 arrests related to grooming and abuse on the platform. What you should know: The new age verification system requires users to submit video selfies that are analyzed by AI against a "diverse dataset" to estimate age. Users who appear under 13 automatically lose access to age-inappropriate features, while those...
read Jul 17, 2025Slack launches AI features to challenge Microsoft’s workplace dominance
Slack is making its boldest move yet to challenge Microsoft's workplace AI dominance, rolling out an extensive suite of artificial intelligence features that transform the messaging platform into a comprehensive productivity hub. The announcements mark Salesforce's most direct assault on the $45 billion enterprise collaboration market, where Microsoft Teams and its Copilot AI assistant have steadily gained ground since Salesforce acquired Slack for $27.7 billion in 2021. The new capabilities include AI-powered writing assistance, contextual message explanations, automated action item identification, and enterprise search that spans multiple business applications. However, the strategy comes with a significant caveat: Salesforce is simultaneously...
read Jul 17, 2025Giving and taking: Microsoft launches four-billion-dollar social impact fund amid AI-driven layoffs
Microsoft has reportedly saved $500 million in call center costs through AI implementation while simultaneously laying off 9,000 employees in its third round of cuts, bringing total layoffs to 15,000 workers. This stark juxtaposition of AI-driven cost savings and mass workforce reduction highlights the accelerating displacement of human workers by artificial intelligence, raising urgent questions about job security and the need for regulatory protections in the tech industry. What you should know: Microsoft's chief commercial officer revealed that AI tools have dramatically improved productivity across multiple departments while reducing operational costs. AI has created over a third of the code...
read Jul 16, 2025Let $17 AI headshots replace the $300 photography sesh
ResumePhoto AI has launched a premium package offering professional headshots generated by artificial intelligence for $16.97, down from its regular $29 price. The service allows users to create LinkedIn-ready professional portraits without hiring a photographer, targeting professionals who need quality headshots for networking, interviews, and social media profiles. How it works: Users upload at least eight casual selfies with good lighting, and the AI generates dozens of high-resolution professional headshots within five minutes. The platform offers various realistic outfits ranging from suits to sweaters and backdrops from offices to parks to suit different industries. All uploaded photos are automatically deleted...
read Jul 16, 2025Disney’s AI-powered droids now roam theme parks and cruise ships worldwide
Disney Imagineering has deployed BDX droids powered by reinforcement learning AI at its theme parks worldwide, marking a significant leap forward in bringing animated characters to life in the real world. The technology enables these bipedal robots to develop personality and emotional responses autonomously, while dramatically accelerating Disney's character development process from years to weeks. What you should know: Disney's BDX droids represent the entertainment giant's first major deployment of AI-powered robotics, building on decades of audio-animatronics innovation. The droids have been charming guests at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge since fall 2023 and now operate across Disney parks in Florida,...
read Jul 16, 2025Watch out secretaries, Google’s AI assistant now makes business calls for users nationwide
Google has launched a new AI-powered feature that allows users across the United States to have artificial intelligence make phone calls to local businesses on their behalf. The service, now available through Google Search, enables users to request pricing and availability information from businesses like pet groomers, dry cleaners, and auto shops without having to make the calls themselves. How it works: Google's Gemini model uses Duplex technology to conduct business calls, announcing itself as an AI assistant representing a customer. Users can select "have AI check pricing" from business listings in Search results for supported service types. The system...
read Jul 16, 2025Rivian opens London AI hub to accelerate autonomous driving tech
Rivian is opening a new artificial intelligence hub in London focused on developing autonomous driving technology and tapping into the UK's growing AI talent pool. The American electric vehicle manufacturer sees the UK as rapidly becoming a world leader in AI engineering and plans to use the office to accelerate development of its autonomous capabilities beyond the current hands-free highway driving features. What you should know: Rivian's expansion into the UK represents a strategic move to access specialized AI talent for its autonomous driving ambitions. The London office will serve as an AI-centric development hub, marking Rivian's latest international expansion...
read Jul 16, 2025Microsoft Copilot Vision now scans entire computer screens
Microsoft is expanding Copilot Vision's capabilities to scan entire computer screens, not just individual apps. The AI tool can now analyze everything on a user's desktop or any specific browser or app window, representing a significant upgrade from its previous limitation of viewing only two apps simultaneously. What you should know: Copilot Vision now provides comprehensive desktop analysis through an opt-in screen sharing approach. Users can activate the feature by clicking the glasses icon in the Copilot app and selecting which desktop they want the AI to analyze. The tool can "help analyze content, provide insights, and answer your questions,...
read Jul 15, 2025Google tests multi-source AI summaries in Discover feed
Google Discover is testing AI-generated story summaries that aggregate content from multiple sources, similar to how AI Overviews appear in search results. The feature represents Google's latest expansion of AI capabilities across its services, potentially changing how users consume news and information within the Discover feed. What you should know: The AI summaries replace traditional publication logos with icons from multiple sources and use "Trending" labels to distinguish them from regular articles. These summaries pull information from various publications and online resources, presenting it as three lines of AI-generated text with a "See more" option for additional content. The main...
read Jul 14, 2025San Francisco deploys Microsoft Copilot AI to all 30K city employees
San Francisco has rolled out Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant to all 30,000 city employees, marking one of the largest municipal AI deployments in the United States. The initiative represents a significant step in public sector AI adoption, with Mayor Daniel Lurie leading the charge to modernize city operations through artificial intelligence tools. What you should know: This deployment makes San Francisco one of the first major cities to provide AI assistance to its entire workforce at scale. The rollout covers all 30,000 municipal employees across various departments and functions. Mayor Daniel Lurie is championing the initiative as part of the...
read Jul 14, 2025VR training proves 30% faster than traditional methods for manufacturing skills
AI-powered virtual reality training is emerging as a solution to America's critical factory worker shortage, where only one qualified worker exists for every 20 open manufacturing positions. This technology could rapidly upskill workers while making technical training more engaging and accessible, particularly for younger generations who might otherwise avoid blue-collar careers. The big picture: The U.S. faces an unprecedented manufacturing labor crisis as baby boomers retire and college-educated workers lack the technical skills needed for modern factory jobs. David Gitlin, CEO of Carrier, an HVAC equipment maker, told The New York Times there is "one qualified worker for every 20...
read Jul 14, 2025Wrap-id fire marketing witnessed as Popeyes uses AI to create McDonald’s diss track in 3 days
Popeyes launched an AI-generated diss track targeting McDonald's over the timing of their Snack Wrap return, which came just one day after Popeyes introduced its own Chicken Wraps. The satirical "Wrap Battle" video, created using Google's Veo 3 AI model, represents a new frontier in rapid-response marketing where brands can produce polished campaigns in days rather than weeks. What you should know: AI filmmaker PJ Accetturo partnered with Popeyes to create the campaign, using a combination of AI tools to produce both the music and video content. The track was produced using Suno, an AI music production platform, with human...
read Jul 14, 2025Power out? AI in! California grid operator to deploy AI for power outage management
California's statewide power grid operator is poised to become the first in North America to deploy artificial intelligence to manage outages, with the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) set to announce a pilot program using new AI software called Genie. The move represents a significant shift from the surprisingly analog processes currently used to manage the state's electrical system, potentially paving the way for broader AI automation across America's aging power infrastructure. What you should know: CAISO will announce the pilot program at the DTECH Midwest utility industry summit on July 15, partnering with energy-services giant OATI to test AI-powered...
read Jul 14, 2025UK’s NHS AI-powered heart patches double diagnosis rates at home
The NHS has started rolling out a new at-home heart monitor designed to detect heart rhythm problems, with the device being able to be posted directly to patients for self-attachment. The innovation aims to double productivity levels for diagnosing heart conditions while reducing hospital waiting lists and eliminating the need for trained physiologists to set up traditional monitoring equipment. How it works: The ePatch system represents a significant departure from traditional Holter monitors that require extensive hospital-based setup. The device is a small patch that adheres to the skin, replacing traditional monitors that hook patients up to numerous wires during...
read Jul 11, 2025AI browsers replace search with autonomous agents that act for users
When Perplexity launched its Comet browser this week, the AI search company wasn't just releasing another Chrome alternative. It was demonstrating the next evolution in artificial intelligence: applications that think, plan, and act independently on behalf of users. Within hours, Reuters confirmed that OpenAI plans to launch its own AI-powered browser "in the coming weeks," validating that the future belongs to what industry experts call "agentic applications." This isn't merely about browsers competing for market share. Perplexity's Comet represents a fundamental shift toward AI-native software that rebuilds entire workflows around autonomous capabilities, rather than simply adding chatbot features to existing...
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