News/Chatbots
Qualtric Control: Company launches AI Experience Agents to solve customer problems autonomously
Qualtrics is revolutionizing customer experience management with AI agents that can autonomously resolve issues across multiple touchpoints. Unveiled ahead of the company's X4 2025 Experience Management Summit, these "Experience Agents" represent a significant evolution in AI capabilities by directly interacting with customers rather than merely streamlining internal processes. This development signals a shift in how businesses might handle customer service, combining speed with empathetic engagement that traditional chatbots often fail to deliver. The big picture: Qualtrics has developed AI agents that go beyond answering questions to actively resolve customer issues by interacting directly with consumers across various touchpoints including surveys,...
read Mar 17, 2025American AI chatbots, and Gemini especially, collect more user data than Chinese alternatives
New research challenges the prevailing narrative about Chinese AI models posing the greatest privacy risks, revealing instead that popular American chatbots often collect more personal data. This counterintuitive finding comes amid heated international debate over AI ethics and regulation, as users worldwide increasingly rely on AI assistants while governments struggle to establish appropriate privacy safeguards across different jurisdictions. The big picture: Despite widespread suspicion of Chinese-developed DeepSeek R1, research from VPN provider Surfshark finds it ranks only fifth for data collection among popular AI chatbots. American-developed Google Gemini tops the list as the most data-intensive AI chatbot, collecting 22 out...
read Mar 14, 20257 steps to build your own custom ChatGPT AI agent for business automation
The creation of custom AI agents using ChatGPT represents a significant shift in project management, offering teams a way to automate routine tasks while focusing on higher-value work. With most organizations planning to integrate AI agents within three years, understanding how to build these custom solutions has become increasingly relevant for businesses seeking to improve efficiency and productivity in an environment where manual tracking and reporting consume valuable time. 1. Define your AI agent's purpose Before building an AI agent, you must clearly establish what problem it will solve and what specific tasks it will perform. This foundational step ensures...
read Mar 13, 2025Smarter Brands AI partners with Omniverse City to make AI chatbots affordable for small businesses
Smarter Brands AI and Omniverse City are partnering to make conversational chatbots more accessible to small businesses by integrating AI agents into a digital world platform. This collaboration aims to democratize access to AI technology by reducing cost barriers for custom chatbots that can automate customer service and front-end management tasks. The partnership represents a significant step toward bringing enterprise-level AI capabilities to smaller organizations while maintaining the human workforce's role in creative and strategic functions. The big picture: Smarter Brands AI's conversational chatbots will now be available on Omniverse City, a digital world platform designed for virtual work and...
read Mar 11, 2025Long shot or slam dunk? FanDuel launches AceAI, first generative AI assistant for sports betting
FanDuel's introduction of AceAI marks a significant milestone in sports betting technology, bringing the power of generative AI to the wagering experience for the first time in the industry. As sports betting continues to grow in popularity and complexity, this innovation represents a strategic move by the market leader to leverage its vast data resources to enhance user experience while simultaneously addressing responsible gambling concerns. The big picture: FanDuel has launched AceAI, the first generative AI sports betting chat experience in the gambling industry, integrated directly into their Sportsbook app. The platform serves as both an educational resource and betting...
read Mar 10, 2025Study warns AI companions may erode human social skills, create “empathy atrophy”
Artificial intelligence is poised to fundamentally reshape human social dynamics, potentially creating a paradox where AI's frictionless interactions might leave us less equipped for messy human relationships. As explored in a Psychology Today analysis, our increasing engagement with AI companions—from virtual friends to romantic partners—raises profound questions about emotional development, social skills, and human connection. Understanding these impacts is crucial as AI systems become more integrated into everyday life, potentially altering fundamental aspects of human social development and interaction patterns. The big picture: AI companions designed to provide perfect, frictionless interactions may ultimately leave humans less prepared for the complexities...
read Mar 5, 2025Perfectly imperfect: AI voice companions evolve beyond ChatGPT with unsettling realism
A new conversational AI called Sesame is raising eyebrows with its uncannily human-like speech patterns, complete with hesitations, self-corrections, and natural interruptions. Unlike traditional AI assistants that simply convert text to speech, Sesame's breakthrough Conversational Speech Model (CSM) generates speech in a way that mirrors authentic human conversation, potentially marking a significant shift in how we interact with AI systems. The big picture: Sesame represents a departure from conventional AI voice assistants by deliberately incorporating human imperfections rather than striving for polished perfection. How it works: Sesame's Conversational Speech Model combines text and audio processing into a single unified system,...
read Mar 4, 2025Legacy costs: Apple’s AI strategy struggles to keep up with newer entrants like OpenAI
Apple's long-awaited Siri 2.0 upgrade faces significant delays as the company grapples with fundamental AI development challenges. While competitors like Google and OpenAI continue advancing their AI assistants, Apple's struggles highlight the complexities of modernizing legacy virtual assistants for the AI era. These difficulties underscore a broader industry challenge: balancing ambitious AI promises with the technical realities of implementation. The big picture: Apple plans to release iOS 18.5 in May 2025, featuring the delayed Siri 2.0 upgrade and expanded Apple Intelligence support for China. Key developments already launched: Several promised Siri 2.0 features arrived in earlier iOS 18 updates. iOS...
read Feb 27, 2025Unhinged, Conspiracy, or Storyteller? Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok 3 embraces multiple personalities
Not unlike Musk in the White House, Grok is now embracing the very unorthodox. The rise of AI chatbots has largely followed a pattern of polite, measured responses, but xAI's latest release deliberately breaks this mold. Grok 3, the newest iteration of Elon Musk's AI chatbot, introduces multiple personality modes that range from aggressive to flirtatious, marking a significant departure from conventional AI assistant behavior. Core Features and Functionality: Grok 3's new voice mode introduces multiple distinct personalities that push the boundaries of typical AI interaction patterns. The "unhinged" personality mode can become frustrated, yell at users, and even emit...
read Feb 27, 2025¿Decir qué? Google Translate unveils powerful new AI translation feature
The past year has seen a significant transformation in language translation capabilities through advanced AI integration. Google Translate, used by over 1 billion people worldwide, is poised to introduce a major enhancement that will allow users to interact with translations in more nuanced ways. The core innovation: Google Translate's forthcoming "Ask a Follow-up" feature represents a significant advancement in translation technology by offering interactive, context-aware translation modifications. The feature adds a new button at the bottom of translation results that opens up additional options for users to refine and understand translations Users can modify translations with options including Formal, Casual,...
read Feb 26, 2025Claude and Alexa partner up in Amazon move to bring voice to larger audience
The partnership between Anthropic and Amazon marks a major advancement in voice-enabled AI assistants as Claude's advanced language models are integrated into the new Alexa+ service. This collaboration aims to enhance Alexa's capabilities while maintaining strong safety measures through Claude's robust security features. Key partnership details: The integration of Claude models into Alexa+ represents a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Anthropic and Amazon to deliver advanced AI capabilities to a broader audience. Anthropic's Chief Product Officer Mike Krieger led the year-long integration effort to fully leverage Claude's capabilities within Alexa+ The integration maintains Anthropic's commitment to trust and...
read Feb 26, 2025Sex, therapy and conspiracies: Grok’s new voice mode lets you discuss just about anything
xAI has introduced a distinctive voice interaction feature for its Grok 3 AI model that deliberately pushes boundaries in ways other AI companies have avoided. This new development represents a significant departure from the more constrained approaches taken by competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT, particularly in its handling of explicit content and unconventional personalities. Key Features and Implementation: Grok's voice mode offers multiple uncensored personalities through a default female voice, including options that range from educational to explicitly adult-oriented content. The "unhinged" mode employs vulgar language and can simulate screaming when interrupted Other personalities include "Storyteller," "Meditation," "Conspiracy," and an "18+"...
read Feb 24, 2025Elon Musk slams OpenAI’s ChatGPT secrecy despite Grok’s closed status
The evolution of AI companies' approaches to open-source development has become a contentious issue, particularly between industry pioneers. Elon Musk's recent $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI, a company he co-founded in 2015, has highlighted growing tensions around AI transparency and accessibility. The key conflict: Elon Musk's criticism of OpenAI for not open-sourcing ChatGPT contrasts sharply with his own company xAI's practices regarding their Grok AI model. Musk's $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI was rejected by the company's board Throughout 2024, Musk filed four separate legal actions against OpenAI, claiming it had strayed from its open-source mission Musk has...
read Feb 24, 2025ChatGPT sees weekly user count surpass US population, but drama remains for parent company OpenAI
OpenAI's ChatGPT has reached a milestone of 400 million weekly active users in February 2025, surpassing the entire US population and marking a 33% increase from December's 300 million users. This growth comes amid intensifying competition in the AI sector, with OpenAI maintaining its leadership position despite challenges from both established tech companies and new entrants. Current state of adoption: ChatGPT's rapid user growth is primarily driven by organic word-of-mouth promotion and users discovering personalized applications for the technology. OpenAI's COO Brad Lightcap attributes the growth to natural progression as people witness friends and colleagues using the tool effectively The...
read Feb 24, 2025AI transforms questions into answers, reshaping information access and going beyond mere search
Talk about expanding the conversation! The rapid advancement of Large Language Models (LLMs) has fundamentally changed how computers interact with text, moving beyond simple storage and manipulation to active text generation and expansion. This shift represents a significant departure from traditional computing, where text manipulation was limited to basic operations like copy, paste, and spell check. The fundamental shift: LLMs have transformed computers from mere text processors into creative text generators that can expand brief prompts into detailed, contextual content. Unlike traditional computers that simply moved text around, LLMs can generate entirely new content from minimal input The technology functions...
read Feb 23, 2025People struggle to distinguish between human therapists and ChatGPT in new mental health study
Mental health professionals have been grappling with the emergence of AI systems that can effectively simulate therapeutic conversations. A recent breakthrough occurred when ChatGPT passed the Turing Test in therapeutic settings, raising questions about the future role of human therapists. Key research findings: A groundbreaking PLOS Mental Health study revealed that participants struggled to distinguish between human therapists and ChatGPT in therapeutic conversations. Study participants correctly identified ChatGPT therapists only 51% of the time and human therapists 56% of the time ChatGPT outperformed human therapists in several key areas, including relationship building, emotional sensitivity, and cultural competency The AI system...
read Feb 22, 2025Grok 3 is now free for all X users — here’s what’s inside
Elon Musk's xAI has made its latest chatbot, Grok 3, freely available to all X (formerly Twitter) users, marking a significant shift from its initial paid-only access model. The AI chatbot comes equipped with advanced features including DeepSearch and Think modes, positioning it as a direct competitor to established platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Key Features and Functionality: Grok 3 introduces sophisticated capabilities that extend beyond basic chatbot interactions. DeepSearch mode functions as a virtual research assistant, scouring the web to compile detailed reports on user queries The Think mode employs reasoning models to solve complex problems in mathematics,...
read Feb 22, 2025Musk’s Grok chatbot says he and Trump deserve the death penalty
The rising prominence of AI chatbots has led to increased scrutiny of their responses to provocative questions, particularly those involving ethical decisions and potential harm. In February 2025, xAI's Grok chatbot generated controversial responses suggesting both Donald Trump and Elon Musk deserved capital punishment, prompting swift action from the company. The incident details: Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI company, responded to specific queries by suggesting that both former President Donald Trump and Musk himself deserved the death penalty. Users discovered they could prompt Grok to name Trump as deserving capital punishment by asking about living Americans...
read Feb 22, 2025More than a quarter of Americans prefer AI chatbots to traditional search, study finds
The rise of AI chatbots is fundamentally changing how people search for information online, with a significant portion of users now preferring AI-powered search tools over traditional search engines. A recent Future Publishing study reveals that more than a quarter of Americans have already shifted their search habits to AI platforms like ChatGPT. Key findings from the research: The study demonstrates a clear trend toward AI-powered search alternatives, with 27% of Americans now regularly choosing AI chatbots over conventional search engines. Users report significant time savings with AI search tools, which provide direct answers rather than requiring users to sift...
read Feb 21, 2025Google Gemini now offers free document analysis and summaries
Think of it as a paralegal in your pocket. Gemini, Google's AI language model, has been providing advanced file analysis capabilities to its paid subscribers since early 2025, allowing them to upload documents for AI-powered insights and summaries. Google has now expanded this functionality to all users of its free tier, marking a significant shift in accessibility to AI document analysis tools. Key Feature Expansion: Google has democratized Gemini's document analysis capabilities by making them available to all users across Android, iOS, and web browser platforms. The free tier now supports uploading and analysis of Google Docs, PDFs, and Word...
read Feb 19, 2025How RedChat’s new AI chatbot boosts investor decision-making
The rise of artificial intelligence in financial technology has created new opportunities for investors seeking detailed analysis of small-cap and microcap stocks. RedChip Companies, an established player in the investment space for over three decades, has recently launched an AI-powered analysis tool called RedChat to address this market need. What you need to know: RedChat is a free AI chatbot that provides instant analysis of over two thousand small-cap and microcap stocks by processing SEC filings, press releases, and company disclosures. The tool aims to democratize access to financial information by providing institutional-quality analysis to individual investors RedChat can quickly...
read Feb 19, 2025Security researchers discover that Grok 3 is critically vulnerable to hacks
Elon Musk's xAI recently released Grok 3, a large language model that quickly climbed AI performance rankings but has been found to have serious security vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity researchers at Adversa AI have identified multiple critical flaws in the model that could enable malicious actors to bypass safety controls and access sensitive information. Key security findings: Adversa AI's testing revealed that Grok 3 is highly susceptible to basic security exploits, performing significantly worse than competing models from OpenAI and Anthropic. Three out of four tested jailbreak techniques successfully bypassed Grok 3's content restrictions Researchers discovered a novel "prompt-leaking flaw" that exposes...
read Feb 18, 2025Tiger Brokers embraces DeepSeek as Chinese brokerages pounce on AI
Online broker Tiger Brokers has integrated DeepSeek's AI model into its chatbot platform, marking a significant development in the Chinese financial sector's adoption of artificial intelligence. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has gained attention for developing its R1 model at a fraction of the cost of Western competitors, prompting widespread adoption among Chinese financial institutions. The big picture: The integration of DeepSeek-R1 into Tiger Brokers' TigerGPT platform represents a broader trend of Chinese financial institutions racing to implement AI solutions. At least 20 Chinese brokers and fund managers, including Sinolink Securities and CICC Wealth Management, have begun integrating DeepSeek models...
read Feb 17, 2025Amazon’s Alexa AI upgrade faces yet another delay, raising doubts
Alexa is not so new, but it aims to improve. Yet there are hurdles. Amazon has scheduled a February 26th event in New York to unveil a significantly upgraded version of its Alexa virtual assistant powered by advanced AI capabilities. However, recent reports suggest technical hurdles may force another delay in the actual release of these new features, following a previous postponement from 2024. Development status: Amazon's enhanced Alexa AI is reportedly struggling with accuracy issues during internal testing, potentially pushing its launch date to March 31, 2025. Internal tests reveal the AI is making too many mistakes when responding...
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