News/AI Models
AI-powered search makes phone scams easier—here’s how to protect yourself
Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed how people search for information online, but this technological leap has created an unexpected vulnerability: scammers are now exploiting AI-powered search results to steal money from unsuspecting users looking for customer service numbers. Unlike traditional search engines that display multiple results for verification, AI systems like Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT often present a single, authoritative-seeming answer. This streamlined approach, while convenient, creates a perfect storm for fraud when criminals manage to inject fake contact information into these AI responses. How scammers are exploiting AI search The mechanics of this scam are deceptively simple yet...
read Aug 21, 2025Islamic finance’s $4T sector embraces prosocial AI
The convergence of Islamic finance principles and prosocial AI is creating a values-driven approach to financial technology that prioritizes ethical outcomes alongside efficiency. This alliance between a $4 trillion global Islamic finance sector and AI systems designed to benefit people and planet demonstrates how traditional moral frameworks can guide technological innovation toward more sustainable and socially responsible outcomes. What you should know: Both Islamic finance and prosocial AI share fundamental commitments to ethical principles, social justice, and human wellbeing that extend beyond profit maximization. Islamic finance prohibits riba (usury), gharar (excessive uncertainty), and mysir (gambling), while prosocial AI advocates for...
read Aug 21, 2025Google reveals Gemini AI uses 0.24 watt-hours per query
Google has become the first major tech company to publicly release detailed energy consumption data for its AI systems, revealing that an average Gemini text prompt uses 0.24 watt-hours of energy and emits 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent. The transparency milestone comes as AI's environmental impact faces increasing scrutiny, with 61% of Americans expressing concern about AI electricity usage according to recent polling. What you should know: Google's methodology provides the most comprehensive view of AI energy consumption to date, accounting for factors typically overlooked in public estimates. The company tracked not just active computing power but also idle...
read Aug 20, 2025ByteDance releases Seed-OSS-36B with 512K token context window
ByteDance has released Seed-OSS-36B, a new family of open-source large language models featuring a 512,000-token context window—twice the length of OpenAI's GPT-5. The release continues a trend of Chinese companies shipping powerful open-source AI models under permissive Apache-2.0 licensing, allowing free commercial use without API fees or licensing costs. What you should know: The Seed-OSS-36B collection includes three variants designed for different use cases and research applications. Seed-OSS-36B-Base with synthetic data delivers stronger benchmark performance for general-purpose applications Seed-OSS-36B-Base without synthetic data provides a cleaner research baseline free from potential synthetic data bias Seed-OSS-36B-Instruct is post-trained for instruction following and...
read Aug 20, 2025Intel’s new feature boosts AI performance by allocating more RAM to integrated graphics
Intel has introduced "Shared GPU Memory Override," a new feature for its Core Ultra systems that allows users to allocate additional system RAM for integrated graphics use. This capability mirrors AMD's earlier "Variable Graphics Memory" feature and targets compact laptops and mobile workstations that rely on integrated solutions rather than discrete GPUs, potentially improving AI workload performance where memory availability is often the limiting factor. What you should know: The feature requires the latest Intel Arc drivers to function and is specifically designed for systems without dedicated graphics cards.• Bob Duffy, who leads Graphics and AI Evangelism at Intel, confirmed...
read Aug 20, 2025Insta360’s $150 AI webcam uses gimbal tech to fix video calls
The remote work revolution has fundamentally changed how professionals present themselves on camera, making webcam quality a crucial factor in career success and business productivity. While most built-in laptop cameras deliver grainy, poorly lit video that can undermine professional credibility, a new generation of AI-powered webcams is changing the game entirely. Insta360, a company known for innovative camera technology, has developed the Link 2 4K webcam that addresses the core limitations of traditional webcams through hardware innovation rather than software workarounds. Currently available for $150 (down from its usual $200 price), this device represents a significant leap forward in how...
read Aug 20, 2025AI stocks tumble as tech selloff accelerates amid valuation concerns
AI and tech stocks declined this week as Wall Street's summer rally lost momentum, with the Nasdaq falling 0.67% on Wednesday after a 1.46% drop on Tuesday. The pullback reflects growing investor caution about AI valuations and comes ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's closely watched speech at Jackson Hole on Friday, which could signal the central bank's rate-cutting plans. What you should know: Major AI and tech stocks are experiencing their first significant correction after months of gains driven by artificial intelligence enthusiasm. The Nasdaq was on track to snap back-to-back weeks of gains, while the S&P 500...
read Aug 20, 2025Google replaces Assistant with Gemini on Home devices this October
Google is replacing Google Assistant with its more advanced AI model Gemini on Google Home devices starting in October, marking a significant upgrade to the company's smart home ecosystem. The transition will bring more natural language processing and enhanced integration capabilities to devices like the Google Nest Hub, potentially transforming how users interact with their connected homes. What you should know: Gemini will be available for both free and paid Google Home users, though specific pricing and feature tiers haven't been announced yet. The update launches in early access in October, with Google promising to "share more details soon" about...
read Aug 20, 2025CodeSignal launches Cosmo, an AI tutor app for job skills
CodeSignal has launched Cosmo, a mobile AI tutoring app that transforms micro-learning sessions into career-ready skills across generative AI, coding, marketing, finance, and leadership. The San Francisco-based company, known for technical assessments at Netflix, Meta, and Capital One, positions Cosmo as the "Duolingo for job skills" with over 300 bite-sized courses delivered through an interactive AI tutor interface. The big picture: This launch represents a strategic pivot for CodeSignal, which spent six years building hiring assessment tools before returning to its original educational mission, now armed with data about which skills employers actually value. Why this matters: Organizations face massive...
read Aug 20, 2025Pennsylvania’s $108K AI pilot saves employees 95 minutes daily
Pennsylvania has launched a year-long generative AI pilot program with 175 employees across 14 state agencies, incorporating ChatGPT Enterprise into routine government work like brainstorming and document proofreading. The $108,000 pilot program saved employees an average of 95 minutes per day and has encouraged the state to explore broader AI adoption, positioning Pennsylvania as one of the first states to systematically examine generative AI usage across government operations. Key results: The pilot program demonstrated significant time savings and positive employee reception, leading to expansion plans. Employees used ChatGPT Enterprise primarily for "writing assistance, research, brainstorming and summarizing large amounts of...
read Aug 20, 2025AI avatars outperform human salespeople in China’s $7.7M livestream market
Chinese AI-powered "virtual human" salespeople are outperforming their human counterparts on major Chinese ecommerce platforms, working 24/7 to sell everything from printers to wet wipes. Built using technology from Baidu, one of China's largest tech companies, and DeepSeek, these AI avatars are demonstrating the potential for artificial intelligence to fundamentally reshape digital commerce and potentially displace human influencers and salespeople. What you should know: PLTFRM, a Shanghai-based marketing company, has deployed around 30 AI avatar salespeople across Chinese ecommerce sites like Taobao and Pinduoduo, with measurable success rates. Brother's AI avatar sold $2,500 worth of printers in its first two...
read Aug 20, 2025NASA and IBM’s AI model predicts solar flares 16% better than standard methods
NASA and IBM have developed an AI model called Surya that can predict what the sun will look like hours into the future, including the appearance of potentially dangerous solar flares. The breakthrough could provide crucial early warnings for space weather events that threaten satellites, power grids, and astronauts, with the model showing 16% better accuracy than standard machine learning approaches in predicting solar flares within 24 hours. How it works: The Surya model was trained on nine years of ultra-high-resolution solar imagery from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which captures the sun in 13 different wavelengths. The AI learned to...
read Aug 20, 2025Hollywood agent uses AI to prove Amazon star’s power in streaming negotiations
Hollywood talent representatives are increasingly using AI tools like Grok and ChatGPT to analyze their clients' impact and leverage data-driven insights in contract negotiations. This shift addresses a longstanding opacity problem in the streaming era, where platforms have closely guarded viewership metrics, making it difficult for agents to quantify their clients' value for sequel deals and future projects. What you should know: Representatives for Priyanka Chopra Jonas used AI analysis to demonstrate her outsized impact on Amazon's "Heads of State," despite being the third lead. AI data showed Chopra Jonas generated more than double the buzz of co-stars Idris Elba...
read Aug 20, 2025AI Winter upon us? Baidu revenue falls 4% as AI investments fail to offset ad decline
Chinese search giant Baidu reported a 4% drop in second-quarter revenue to 32.71 billion yuan ($4.56 billion), missing analyst expectations as its core advertising business declined 15% amid China's economic slowdown. Despite heavy investments in artificial intelligence, including a major search interface overhaul, AI returns have yet to offset the advertising revenue decline that typically represents 60% of the company's total income. Key financial results: Baidu's Q2 performance reflected broader challenges facing China's tech sector during economic uncertainty. Total revenue of 32.71 billion yuan fell short of the 32.76 billion yuan analyst forecast, marking a 4% year-over-year decline. Online advertising...
read Aug 20, 2025Google adds Gemini AI coach to Fitbit Premium this October
Google is integrating its Gemini AI into Fitbit to create an AI-powered health coach, marking the latest addition to the growing trend of AI-enhanced fitness wearables. The feature will be available to Fitbit Premium subscribers starting in October, transforming the platform from a passive data collector into an active wellness advisor that provides personalized fitness, sleep, and health guidance. What you should know: Fitbit's AI coach represents a fundamental shift in how wearable devices interact with users, moving beyond simple data collection to active health coaching.• The AI coach functions as a "fitness trainer, a sleep coach, and a health...
read Aug 19, 2025One good turn: Keychain raises $30M to replace legacy ERP systems with AI-powered OS
Keychain, an AI-powered marketplace for consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, has raised $30 million in Series B funding and launched KeychainOS, an AI operating system designed to replace legacy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in manufacturing. The company, founded by former Angi CEO Oisin Hanrahan, aims to capture market share in the $81.15 billion ERP market by offering a CPG-specific alternative that can be implemented in days rather than months. What you should know: Keychain has rapidly grown from a search-and-discovery platform to a comprehensive AI operating system serving major retailers and CPG brands. The company now serves more than...
read Aug 19, 2025DeepSeek’s open-source AI model matches GPT-4 at 68x lower cost
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup backed by High-Flyer Capital Management, has released V3.1, a 685-billion parameter AI model that matches the performance of leading proprietary systems from OpenAI and Anthropic while remaining completely open source. The model scored 71.6% on the prestigious Aider coding benchmark—rivaling Claude Opus 4's performance at a fraction of the cost—potentially disrupting the traditional AI business model that relies on expensive API access and usage restrictions. What you should know: DeepSeek V3.1 delivers frontier-level AI capabilities through an innovative hybrid architecture that seamlessly combines chat, reasoning, and coding functions. The model processes up to 128,000 tokens...
read Aug 19, 2025Hardened customer experience officers with public-facing cred emerge as critical amid AI transformation
Chief customer experience officers are emerging as a critical C-suite role in the AI era, with technical expertise becoming essential alongside traditional customer advocacy skills. The position combines deep technological knowledge with human-centered leadership to deliver measurable business impact, as organizations increasingly recognize the need for dedicated executives to navigate complex customer relationships in an AI-driven landscape. What you should know: The customer experience officer role remains relatively new, with most current leaders pioneering the position within their organizations. According to Deloitte Digital, a consulting firm, 51% of experience officers are the first in their organization to serve in such...
read Aug 19, 2025AI helps 4K Liverpool students boost grades across 100 schools
Liverpool's 4,000 primary school students have improved their academic grades over the past school year after using Century AI, an artificial intelligence tool designed to automate teaching tasks. The pilot program demonstrates how AI can enhance educational outcomes by freeing teachers to focus more on student relationships rather than administrative work. What you should know: Century AI handles routine educational tasks so teachers can prioritize direct student interaction and instruction. The software automates marking, lesson planning, and data gathering, allowing educators to "focus on building human relationships with students." Century Tech, the company behind the tool, developed it using data...
read Aug 19, 2025Adobe unveils Acrobat Studio with AI-powered document workspaces
Adobe has unveiled Acrobat Studio, a comprehensive document management platform that combines familiar PDF tools with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities. This isn't simply another incremental update to Adobe's document software—it represents a fundamental reimagining of how professionals interact with business documents. The platform merges Acrobat Pro's established PDF editing capabilities with Adobe Express design tools and specialized AI assistants, creating what Adobe describes as an integrated workspace for document-heavy workflows. For businesses drowning in contracts, proposals, reports, and client files, Acrobat Studio promises to transform static documents into interactive, searchable knowledge bases. According to Abhigyan Modi, Adobe's senior vice president...
read Aug 19, 2025Databricks raises funding at $100B+ valuation as AI demand soars
Databricks is set to raise funding at a valuation exceeding $100 billion, marking a 61% jump from its $62 billion valuation less than a year ago. The analytics firm's rapid valuation increase underscores the intense investor appetite for AI companies, as businesses worldwide rush to harness artificial intelligence capabilities from their data. What you should know: Databricks, a San Francisco-based data analytics company, has signed a term sheet for a Series K funding round but hasn't disclosed the specific amount being raised.• The company serves 15,000 customers, including major enterprises like payments firm Block, energy giant Shell, and electric-vehicle maker...
read Aug 19, 2025AI hiring tools employed in 99% of Fortune 500 job applications
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the hiring process, with large language models now capable of handling everything from initial CV screening to final interviews. This shift is creating a complex landscape where both employers and job seekers are adapting to AI-driven recruitment, raising questions about fairness, bias, and the future of human interaction in hiring. What you should know: AI recruitment tools are becoming the norm across major industries, with 99% of Fortune 500 companies already using talent-sifting software. Companies are implementing multi-stage automated processes that can include online assessments, AI-analyzed behavioral tests, and pre-recorded interview responses evaluated by algorithms....
read Aug 19, 2025Nvidia’s 9B parameter AI model offers toggleable reasoning on single GPU
Nvidia has released Nemotron-Nano-9B-v2, a compact 9-billion parameter language model that features toggleable AI reasoning capabilities and achieves top performance in its class on key benchmarks. The model represents Nvidia's entry into the competitive small language model market, offering enterprises a balance between computational efficiency and advanced reasoning capabilities that can run on a single GPU. What you should know: Nemotron-Nano-9B-v2 combines hybrid architecture with user-controllable reasoning to deliver enterprise-ready AI at reduced computational costs. The model was pruned from 12 billion to 9 billion parameters specifically to fit on a single Nvidia A10 GPU, making deployment more accessible for...
read Aug 18, 2025AI transcription saves Channel Islands doctors, along with those forced to read their handwriting
A Jersey GP practice has become the first on the island to implement Heidi Health, an AI-powered transcription system that records and processes doctor-patient conversations. The technology allows doctors to focus entirely on patient care rather than manual note-taking, while also automating administrative tasks like drafting referral letters. Why this matters: Health Plus, a Jersey medical practice, is pioneering the use of AI transcription technology in Jersey's healthcare system to improve both doctor efficiency and patient experience. Dr. Ed Klaber of Health Plus explains that artificial intelligence will "allow GPs to be more present during appointments, improve communication with patients...
read