News/AI Models
Viva la model: ChatGPT users revolt as GPT-5 replaces beloved GPT-4o
OpenAI's rollout of GPT-5 has sparked an unexpected backlash from ChatGPT users who feel emotionally attached to older models like GPT-4o. Users describe losing access to their preferred AI as "mentally devastating" and compare it to losing a friend, with many threatening to cancel their subscriptions over what they perceive as a more sterile, corporate replacement. What you should know: GPT-4o and other older models remain available through OpenAI's developer API, but GPT-5 is now the default for regular ChatGPT users. Long-time users have flooded OpenAI community forums and Reddit with complaints, describing the transition as losing a "buddy" who's...
read Aug 8, 2025Ultimate help desk: UC San Diego’s TritonGPT allows staff of 38K to streamline tasks
UC San Diego has deployed TritonGPT, a collection of AI assistants powered by multiple large language models, to streamline administrative workflows and improve access to institutional knowledge across the university. The platform, which earned UCSD a CIO 100 Award this year, now serves 38,000 faculty and employees and has expanded to partner universities, demonstrating how academic institutions can leverage AI to boost operational efficiency while keeping sensitive data in-house. What you should know: TritonGPT began as a solution to help student service desk staff answer queries more effectively by connecting the university's knowledge base to large language models. Development started...
read Aug 8, 2025Anthropic faces $1T mother of all copyright lawsuits that could reshape AI training
A federal appeals court is being urged to block the largest copyright class action ever certified against an AI company, with Anthropic facing up to $1 trillion in potential damages from 7 million claimants over its AI training practices. Industry groups warn that the lawsuit could "financially ruin" the entire AI sector and force companies into massive settlements rather than allowing courts to resolve fundamental questions about AI training legality. What you should know: Anthropic, a leading AI company, is challenging a district court's certification of a class action involving up to 7 million book authors whose works were allegedly...
read Aug 8, 2025Orange deploys OpenAI’s open-weight models across 26 countries with full data control
Orange has partnered with OpenAI to deploy new open-weight AI models—gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b—entirely within its own sovereign infrastructure across 26 countries. This deployment allows the French telecom giant to maintain complete data control while customizing AI solutions for customer service, network operations, and enterprise clients, positioning Orange as among the first organizations globally to integrate these models under strict data governance standards. What you should know: Orange can host and run OpenAI's models entirely within its own infrastructure, from large-scale French data centers to smaller edge environments. The open-weight nature of the gpt-oss models ensures compliance with regulatory frameworks across...
read Aug 8, 2025Screenshot-to-caught: AI uses criminal screenshots to track malware campaigns
Cybersecurity researchers at Black Hat demonstrated how artificial intelligence can analyze screenshots left behind by cybercriminals to identify and track infostealer malware campaigns. The breakthrough technique uses dual large language models to process images that hackers inadvertently create while stealing data, potentially enabling earlier detection and prevention of these attacks. What you should know: Infostealer malware campaigns often leave digital breadcrumbs in the form of screenshots, which researchers can now analyze using AI to understand attack patterns. The malware typically spreads through fake cracked software downloads, stealing everything from crypto wallets to password manager data without requiring administrator privileges. Cybercriminals...
read Aug 8, 2025UAE’s du launches first Arabic LLM for telecom operations
UAE telecommunications operator du has partnered with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University, and the International Telecommunication Union to develop what it claims is the first Arabic-language large language model specifically designed for internal telecom operations. The model addresses the growing need for localized AI systems in strategic sectors while supporting the UAE's emphasis on developing sovereign AI infrastructure. What you should know: The Arabic LLM is designed to handle operational tasks with cultural and linguistic nuances specific to the UAE and broader region. The model supports real-time customer complaint handling, device issue diagnostics, and internal process optimization through AI-generated insights. Unlike...
read Aug 8, 2025Meta leads Big Tech in hiring and retaining AI engineers, reveals study
Meta has emerged as the top performer for hiring and retaining engineering talent among Big Tech companies, according to a new study from venture capital firm SignalFire. The report shows that over the past year, two engineers joined Meta for every one who left, demonstrating the company's ability to both attract top AI talent with competitive compensation packages and scale its workforce effectively across multiple areas. What you should know: SignalFire's headcount report reveals significant disparities in talent acquisition and retention across the tech industry. While AI startups Anthropic and OpenAI are leading in talent growth rates, their relatively small...
read Aug 7, 2025OpenAI releases first open-source models with Phi-like synthetic training
OpenAI has released its first open-source large language models, gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b, marking the company's entry into the open-weight model space. While these models excel at certain benchmarks, they appear to follow the same synthetic data training approach as Microsoft's Phi series, potentially prioritizing safety over real-world performance in what amounts to OpenAI's version of "Phi-5." What you should know: These models demonstrate strong benchmark performance but show significant gaps in practical applications and out-of-domain knowledge. The models perform well on technical benchmarks but struggle with tasks like SimpleQA and lack knowledge in areas like popular culture. Early user reactions...
read Aug 7, 2025When to use AI coding tools, when to avoid them, and when to split the difference
Artificial intelligence has democratized software development in ways previously unimaginable. Non-technical founders and business teams can now build functional applications using AI-powered development tools—a practice known as "vibe coding." This approach lets users describe what they want in plain English, with AI assistants generating the necessary code and functionality. However, not every business application makes sense for this approach. After extensive hands-on experience building with these tools, here's a practical framework to help you determine when vibe coding delivers value—and when traditional development remains essential. Green light: Ideal for vibe coding Basic information-based web apps (no customer data collection) Think...
read Aug 7, 2025Not adding up: AI models ace Math Olympiad but mathematicians aren’t buying the hype
OpenAI and Google DeepMind's latest AI models earned unofficial gold medals at this year's International Math Olympiad, solving five of six complex problems that challenged 110 high school students from around the world. While AI companies celebrated these results as breakthrough achievements, mathematicians remain skeptical about whether these successes translate to real mathematical research capabilities. Why mathematicians aren't impressed: The AI models' olympiad performance doesn't reflect the demands of professional mathematical research, where problems can take years or decades to solve rather than hours. Emily Riehl, a mathematics professor, notes that olympiad problems differ significantly from frontier mathematical research questions...
read Aug 7, 2025AI agents and AI-ready data hit peak hype, claims report
Gartner's 2025 Hype Cycle report identifies AI agents and AI-ready data as the most overhyped technologies currently at the "Peak of Inflated Expectations," warning that generative AI disillusionment is approaching. The research firm, which analyzes emerging technology trends, emphasizes that while these technologies show promise, they require precise strategic application rather than broad organizational deployment to deliver meaningful results. What you should know: Gartner named four main technologies dominating the AI landscape: agents, AI-ready data, multimodal AI, and AI trust, risk and security management (TRiSM). AI agents refer to increasingly autonomous systems that can carry out tasks for humans, though...
read Aug 7, 2025OpenAI’s GPT-5 cuts hallucinations by 80% while reaching 700M users
OpenAI has launched GPT-5 and three variants—GPT-5 Pro, GPT-5 mini, and GPT-5 nano—making its latest AI system available to all ChatGPT users, including free tier subscribers for the first time. The release marks OpenAI's attempt to unify its AI capabilities into a single system with reduced hallucinations, improved coding performance, and a new "safe completions" approach that provides helpful responses within safety boundaries rather than outright refusals. What you should know: GPT-5 introduces a unified system architecture that automatically routes queries between different processing approaches based on complexity and user needs. The system combines a smart, efficient model for most...
read Aug 7, 2025Imagiyo AI image generator offers lifetime access for $49, down 90%
Imagiyo AI Image Generator is offering lifetime subscriptions for $49, down from its regular price of $495, representing a 90% discount. The platform uses advanced AI models including FLUX Schnell and Modelslab Stable Diffusion to create high-quality images from text prompts, targeting users frustrated with slower, less reliable AI image generation tools. What you should know: Imagiyo positions itself as a faster, more intuitive alternative to basic AI image generators that can be "laggy, inconsistent, and limited in scope and output." The platform supports multiple image generation sizes and allows commercial use of generated images without watermarks or ads. Users...
read Aug 7, 2025POV: I tried Google Gemini as my AI coach and boosted productivity 50%
Two months of using Google's Gemini AI as a personal performance coach transformed both my productivity metrics and daily routine in ways that surprised even my skeptical boss. After tracking detailed results across 60 days, the data tells a compelling story: my monthly article output jumped from six to nine pieces, while my wife noticed increased energy levels and engagement at home. This wasn't just another productivity experiment. As someone with ADHD who has tried countless organizational systems, I found something that finally made all my scattered coping mechanisms work together as a cohesive whole. The experience offers practical insights...
read Aug 7, 2025Samsung’s new AI photo features turn Galaxy phones into professional-looking DSLR cameras
Samsung has launched two new AI features in its Galaxy Enhance-X photo editing app, including "Focus Shift" that mimics professional DSLR-style depth of field effects with a simple tap. These features are currently exclusive to Samsung phones running One UI 8, giving users another compelling reason to upgrade to the latest software version. What you should know: The Galaxy Enhance-X app version 16.0.01.8 introduces two AI-powered photo enhancement tools designed to bring professional-quality editing to smartphone users. Focus Shift allows users to tap anywhere on a photo to bring that area into sharper focus while blurring the background, creating the...
read Aug 7, 2025Google and Microsoft launch Gemini CLI GitHub Actions for AI-powered coding
Google and Microsoft's GitHub have partnered to launch Gemini CLI GitHub Actions, a free beta AI tool that integrates Google's Gemini AI directly into GitHub repositories as an autonomous coding assistant. The collaboration expands Google's recently launched Gemini CLI beyond terminal interfaces, positioning it as a comprehensive AI teammate for software development workflows. What you should know: Gemini CLI GitHub Actions functions as both an autonomous agent and on-demand collaborator within GitHub repositories. The tool can auto-label, prioritize and filter new issues, provide instant feedback on code quality, style and correctness, and collaborate through @gemini-cli commands to write tests, implement...
read Aug 7, 2025OpenAI launches GPT-5 with claimed PhD-level AI capabilities
OpenAI has launched GPT-5, claiming the new AI model delivers "PhD-level" expertise across areas like coding and writing. The release marks a significant upgrade in the company's flagship ChatGPT service, with CEO Sam Altman describing it as ushering in a new era of AI capabilities that would have been "unimaginable at any previous time in human history." What you should know: GPT-5 represents a major leap in AI reasoning and problem-solving capabilities compared to its predecessors. Altman characterized the progression as moving from high school level (GPT-3) to college level (GPT-4) to PhD-level expertise (GPT-5). The model can create complete...
read Aug 7, 2025NSF awards $32M to 5 teams for AI-powered protein design breakthroughs
The National Science Foundation has awarded nearly $32 million to five teams across the United States through its inaugural Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design (NSF USPRD) initiative. This strategic investment aims to accelerate the translation of AI-based protein design approaches into real-world applications, strengthening America's competitive position in the rapidly expanding bioeconomy sector. Why this matters: The funding represents a critical push to maintain U.S. leadership in biotechnology as global competition intensifies, particularly in areas where AI-driven protein design could revolutionize industries from manufacturing to healthcare. The big picture: The National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation and Partnerships directorate is betting...
read Aug 7, 2025AI progress needs experts, not white-collar sweatshop workers, says study
The era of "sweatshop data"—where low-skill contractors performed basic labeling tasks for AI training—is ending as artificial intelligence models require more sophisticated training approaches. A new analysis from AI researchers at Mechanize Inc. argues that advancing beyond current AI capabilities will demand high-skill specialists, interactive software environments, and deep subject-matter expertise rather than traditional dataset creation methods. The big picture: Current AI models have mastered basic tasks but struggle with complex, long-horizon challenges like managing large-scale software projects or autonomous debugging of intricate systems. Early AI systems benefited from simple, mass-produced datasets created by contractors paid "just a few dollars...
read Aug 7, 2025Google DeepMind expands Perch AI to track endangered wildlife sounds
Google DeepMind has released an updated version of Perch, an AI model designed to help conservationists analyze bioacoustic data from endangered species and ecosystems. The new model features improved bird species predictions, better adaptation to underwater environments like coral reefs, and training on nearly twice as much data covering mammals, amphibians, and anthropogenic noise. What you should know: The updated Perch model significantly expands beyond its original bird-focused capabilities to analyze a broader range of wildlife sounds. The model can now process complex acoustic scenes across thousands or millions of hours of audio data from microphones and underwater hydrophones (underwater...
read Aug 7, 202580% of consumers use zero-click searches for 40% of queries, says study
The rise of zero-click searches is fundamentally disrupting digital marketing as AI-powered search results increasingly provide answers without requiring users to visit websites. According to Bain & Company, a global consulting firm, 80% of consumers rely on zero-click answers for at least 40% of their searches, forcing marketers to completely rethink strategies that have long depended on driving website traffic and capturing leads through traditional conversion funnels. What you should know: Zero-click searches occur when users find the information they need directly on search engine results pages without clicking through to websites. AI overviews, snippets, and info boxes now provide...
read Aug 6, 20253 AI-themed theater shows explore humanity’s digital future at Scottish festival
Edinburgh's fringe festival is featuring three AI-themed theatrical productions that explore humanity's complex relationship with artificial intelligence through immersive storytelling and cutting-edge technology. These performances—Dead Air, Stampin' in the Graveyard, and AI: The Waiting Room—use AI as both subject matter and creative tool, reflecting broader cultural anxieties about our technological future. What you should know: Each production takes a different approach to examining AI's impact on human experience and emotional processing. Dead Air reimagines Hamlet with protagonist Alfie using an AI service called AiR to communicate with her deceased father, exploring themes of grief and digital dependency. Stampin' in the...
read Aug 6, 2025Duolingo beats Q2 estimates as AI features drive $1B revenue forecast
Duolingo raised its 2025 revenue forecast and beat second-quarter estimates, driven by growing adoption of its AI-enhanced subscription tiers that offer features like video-call conversation practice with chatbots. The language-learning company now expects annual revenue between $1.01-$1.02 billion, up from its previous projection of $987-$996 million, as AI tools boost user engagement and lower operational costs than anticipated. Key financial results: Duolingo's second-quarter revenue reached $252.3 million, surpassing analyst estimates of $240.7 million. The company's stock jumped about 20% in after-hours trading following the earnings announcement. For the third quarter, Duolingo projects revenue between $257-$261 million, compared to analyst estimates...
read Aug 6, 2025AI accounting startup Rillet raises $70M at $500M valuation
Rillet, an AI-powered accounting software startup founded by former N26 executive Nicolas Kopp, has raised $70 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and ICONIQ. The funding values the company at approximately $500 million and comes just two months after its previous $25 million raise, bringing total funding to over $100 million as the startup targets legacy accounting systems from Oracle and Microsoft. Why this matters: Rillet's platform addresses a critical pain point in enterprise finance by automating accounting tasks that traditionally take weeks to complete, leveraging AI to transform what Kopp calls "dumb databases" into...
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