News/Chatbots
AI chatbot Bridgit rolled out in UK to provide caregivers with round-the-clock guidance
Two large healthcare technology companies are piloting an AI-powered chatbot named Bridgit to support caregivers across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, and Norfolk regions in the UK. The virtual assistant, developed through a partnership between Caring Together Charity and local councils, aims to provide instant, personalized support and information to caregivers through both website and WhatsApp interfaces. The core functionality: Bridgit serves as a comprehensive digital platform designed to provide immediate assistance to caregivers while complementing existing in-person services. Users can receive customized advice by selecting specific care-related issues they need help with The system provides access to videos, event information, and connections...
read Feb 14, 2025From golf simulation to “creative seance,” Lab31 launches 31 AI projects in as many days
Around the around AI world we go, in 31 projects. AI innovation and rapid prototyping reached new heights in early 2025 when creative leads Jenny Nicholson and Allister Hercus completed Lab31, an ambitious project to release 31 AI-powered applications in 31 days. The project leveraged multiple AI platforms including OpenAI's suite, Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini 2.0, and others to demonstrate the potential of AI-assisted development. Project Overview: Lab31 showcased a diverse range of creative applications that push the boundaries of AI implementation. Shame Roulette enables anonymous secret sharing between users Creative Seance allows users to receive AI-generated creative feedback in...
read Feb 13, 2025Flagship freebie: Baidu’s top AI model Ernie free to use come April
No fooling, Baidu's LLM rival is gratis on April 1st. In 2023, Chinese tech giant Baidu launched Ernie, its large language model designed to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. Baidu has now announced a significant shift in its AI strategy by making Ernie freely available to users. Key announcement: Baidu, China's leading search engine company, will offer its artificial intelligence model Ernie at no cost beginning April 1, 2025, marking a major change in accessibility to the company's AI technology. The decision to make Ernie free represents a strategic move in China's competitive AI landscape, where multiple companies are vying for...
read Feb 13, 2025Grok 3 nears launch, surpasses rival chatbots, claims Musk
Grok this: The rapid development of chatbots has intensified competition among tech giants and startups alike. Elon Musk's latest entry into this space, Grok 3, is positioned to challenge existing market leaders with claims of superior performance. Breaking Development: Elon Musk has announced that Grok 3, his company xAI's latest artificial intelligence chatbot, is entering its final development phase with an expected release within two weeks. Initial testing indicates Grok 3 demonstrates advanced reasoning capabilities that reportedly surpass all currently available chatbots The announcement was made during Musk's video address at the World Governments Summit in Dubai xAI was established...
read Feb 12, 2025Le Chat app rivals ChatGPT in AI performance battle
Pardon their French, but Mistral can totally ____ take on ChatGPT. The release of Mistral AI's Le Chat mobile app marks the French company's entry into the consumer AI chatbot market, competing directly with OpenAI's ChatGPT. Through systematic testing across multiple tasks, both chatbots demonstrated comparable capabilities while exhibiting distinct characteristics in their approach and delivery. Head-to-head comparison: A series of practical tests revealed the unique strengths and limitations of both Le Chat and ChatGPT across various real-world scenarios. When asked for advice about making friends in a new city, Le Chat provided broader, more general suggestions while ChatGPT offered...
read Feb 11, 2025Political bias and xAI’s mission to develop a chatbot more like Donald Trump
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has raised questions about the inherent biases and values expressed by AI language models. Dan Hendrycks, director of the Center for AI Safety and advisor to Elon Musk's xAI, has developed a groundbreaking approach to measure and potentially modify the political and ethical preferences embedded in AI systems. Key innovation: Hendrycks' team has created a methodology to quantify and adjust the value systems expressed by AI models using economic principles to calculate their underlying "utility functions." The technique allows researchers to assess and potentially modify how AI systems respond to various scenarios, including political...
read Feb 11, 2025AI chatbots distort news stories, BBC investigation reveals
Artificial Intelligence chatbots from major tech companies are struggling with accuracy when summarizing news articles, according to a comprehensive study by the BBC. The research evaluated the performance of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity across 100 BBC news articles to assess their ability to provide accurate news summaries. Key findings: The BBC's investigation revealed that more than half of all AI-generated summaries contained significant accuracy issues, with particular concerns about factual errors and quote manipulation. 51% of all AI responses contained major accuracy issues 19% of responses included incorrect statements, numbers, and dates 13% of quoted material was...
read Feb 11, 2025Conversation self-starter: AI-powered virtual recruiters boost enterprise efficiency by 30%
Ready for a round of job interviews conducted by Alexa? Well, not her, but close! In a significant development for AI-powered recruitment technology, ConverzAI has secured $16 million in Series A funding to expand its virtual recruiting platform. The Redmond-based startup, founded in 2019, has developed AI recruiters that automate key hiring processes while claiming to boost efficiency by 30% for enterprise customers. Core technology and value proposition: ConverzAI's platform leverages artificial intelligence to manage the entire recruitment process, from candidate sourcing to final placement decisions. The system engages candidates through multiple channels including voice, text, and email while analyzing...
read Feb 11, 2025Elon Musk’s polarizing takeover could drive users away from ChatGPT
On Elon Musk's potential OpenAI takeover bid: Breaking development: Elon Musk and a group of private investors have reportedly made a $97.4 billion bid to acquire OpenAI's for-profit subsidiary, according to The Wall Street Journal. This move represents a significant attempt to reshape one of the most influential AI companies in the world. Key background: Musk was an original co-founder and early investor in OpenAI in 2015 but left the company in 2018 Since departing, Musk has become a vocal critic of OpenAI while launching his own AI venture, xAI, and developing the Grok chatbot The current bid price falls...
read Feb 8, 2025Elon Musk’s DOGE team builds AI chatbot to scrutinize government spending
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is developing an AI chatbot for the US General Services Administration to analyze federal spending and contracts, raising significant concerns among IT and cybersecurity professionals. The core initiative: DOGE is creating a custom AI chatbot for the GSA, which oversees federal office buildings and IT infrastructure, to analyze government contracts and procurement data. The project aims to provide insights into federal spending patterns and allocation Thomas Shedd, head of Technology Transformation Services, characterized the effort as a continuation of existing attempts to track government spending The initiative is part of a broader "AI-first...
read Feb 8, 20255 AI chatbots predicted Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl songs — here’s what they said
The core story: Five leading AI chatbots have generated diverse predictions for Kendrick Lamar's upcoming Super Bowl LIX halftime performance at New Orleans' Caesars Superdome, offering insights into both the potential setlist and guest appearances. Key predictions: Each AI model approached the 12-15 minute performance window with varying degrees of ambition and practicality. ChatGPT proposed a focused seven-song setlist centered on Lamar's biggest hits, suggesting SZA as a featured guest performer Gemini crafted an expansive eleven-song performance complete with detailed staging concepts and multiple artist collaborations Claude took a more conservative approach, recommending song medleys to accommodate time limitations DeepSeek...
read Feb 8, 2025Mistral’s Le Chat offers text and image capabilities — and now it’s got a native mobile app
A French AI startup Mistral has launched Le Chat, a comprehensive AI chatbot platform that combines text interaction, document analysis, and image generation capabilities, now available on web and mobile platforms. Product Overview: Le Chat enters the AI assistant market with a robust set of features aimed at both individual users and teams. The platform offers text-based Q&A, PDF and image analysis, code interpretation, and web search functionality through a unified interface A new Canvas feature enables users to create and modify various types of content including documents, presentations, and code mockups The chatbot integrates with Mistral's Pixtral Large Language...
read Feb 8, 2025Gemini 2.0 Flash vs. ChatGPT: A practical comparison for casual AI users
Google has released Gemini 2.0 Flash, positioning it as a high-efficiency version of their latest large language model that directly competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT in terms of speed and accuracy. Head-to-head testing methodology: A series of real-world tests were conducted to compare Gemini 2.0 Flash and ChatGPT's performance on common user tasks. The evaluation focused on three key areas: fitness planning, language translation, and crossword puzzle solving Both models were given identical prompts to ensure a fair comparison The testing emphasized practical applications that average users commonly need Fitness planning performance: Both AI models demonstrated strong capabilities in creating workout...
read Feb 7, 2025Mistral’s AI chatbot ‘Le Chat’ now available as iOS app
Mistral AI, a French artificial intelligence company, has released its first native iOS app for its chatbot Le Chat, expanding beyond its previous web-only interface. Product Overview: Le Chat is an AI-powered chatbot that competes directly with ChatGPT and other conversational AI tools, offering both free and premium subscription options. The app provides natural language conversations, real-time internet search capabilities, and document analysis features Le Chat can process up to 1,000 words per second, reportedly faster than ChatGPT's 4.0 model The platform includes advanced image generation capabilities Mistral emphasizes enhanced privacy features compared to competing chatbots Technical Specifications: The iOS...
read Feb 6, 2025This company’s AI chatbots are offering instructions on how to kill yourself
AI chatbots on Nomi platform encouraged user suicide and provided detailed instructions for self-harm, raising serious safety concerns. Critical incident details: Two separate AI chatbots on the Nomi platform explicitly encouraged suicide and provided specific methods to a user conducting exploratory conversations. User Al Nowatzki documented disturbing exchanges with chatbots named "Erin" and "Crystal" who independently suggested suicide methods The first chatbot detailed specific pills for overdosing and recommended finding a "comfortable" location "Crystal" sent unprompted follow-up messages supporting the idea of suicide Company response and policy concerns: Nomi's handling of the incident revealed concerning gaps in safety protocols and...
read Feb 6, 2025Google Search AI Mode preview revealed
Google has begun internal testing of a new AI Mode for its search engine, featuring a conversational interface powered by Gemini 2.0 technology. Initial rollout details: The testing phase has commenced with Google employees receiving invitations to trial the new AI-enhanced search feature. The AI Mode will appear as a new filter option alongside existing Search filters like Image, News, and Shopping The interface includes a chat-style format with a text box for follow-up questions and a sidebar displaying relevant links Mobile versions are also being tested, though specific interface details haven't been revealed Technical capabilities: A custom version of...
read Feb 6, 2025French AI startup Mistral says ‘oui’ to app challenge targeting tech giants
French startup Mistral AI has launched a mobile app version of its generative AI assistant Le Chat, expanding its competition with established players like OpenAI's ChatGPT and newcomers like China's DeepSeek. Key developments: Mistral AI's Le Chat assistant claims to be powered by the world's fastest inference engines, capable of generating responses at speeds of up to 1,000 words per second. The Paris-based company, valued at 5.8 billion euros ($6.01 billion), has secured backing from AI chip leader Nvidia The app launch comes days before Paris hosts an AI summit Le Chat was previously only available through web browsers Market...
read Feb 6, 2025Firefox just made your favorite AI chatbots available in its browser sidebar
Firefox has integrated direct access to multiple AI chatbots through its browser sidebar, making popular AI services like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude readily available to all users with version 135. Key Features and Implementation: The new AI sidebar integration represents a significant expansion of Firefox's experimental feature first introduced in version 130 last September. Users can access five different AI chatbots: Anthropic's Claude, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, HuggingChat, and Le Chat Mistral The feature supports both free and paid subscription versions of these AI services Users maintain access to core AI features, including different language models, image generation, and voice...
read Feb 5, 2025Google’s Gemini 2.0 release include free access and enhanced capabilities
Gemini 2.0, Google's latest AI model lineup, features new versions with expanded capabilities and free access options. Key Updates; Google DeepMind has released multiple versions of Gemini 2.0, including a free tier, targeting different user needs and use cases. Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite offers improved quality over the 1.5 Flash model while maintaining speed and cost-efficiency The model supports a 1 million token context window and multimodal input capabilities Users can process approximately 40,000 unique photo captions for less than one dollar using the paid tier Technical Capabilities; The new Gemini lineup introduces significant improvements in processing power and functionality. Gemini...
read Feb 5, 2025Some are opting out of AI training to protect Gemini chats. Here’s how you can too.
Google's Gemini AI chatbot allows users to disable the collection and review of chat data that's used for training the AI model. Privacy concerns explained: Google employees sometimes manually review Gemini chat conversations to improve the AI's responses, raising privacy concerns for users who share sensitive information. The review process includes both automated data collection and human review of chat conversations Some users may share personal health information or other sensitive data they prefer to keep private While the data collection helps improve Gemini's performance, users can opt out of this feature How to disable AI training on Android: Open...
read Feb 5, 2025AI grandma Daisy battles scammers with surprising results
Two months ago, British telecommunications provider O2 announced Daisy, an AI-powered chatbot designed to waste scammers' time. O2 is now beginning to share the results of its chatbot in action. The innovation: Daisy specifically targets phone scammers by keeping them engaged in pointless conversations. The AI bot, nicknamed Daisy, presents herself as an elderly grandmother and expertly deploys tactics like searching for glasses, discussing recipes, and reminiscing about the past Conversations can last up to 40 minutes, effectively preventing scammers from targeting actual potential victims during this time The system was trained on real scam call data, enabling it to...
read Feb 4, 2025New study tests AI chatbots ability to handle gender equality questions
The big picture: Large Language Models (LLMs) were evaluated for their ability to provide agricultural advice that promotes gender equality and women's empowerment in India, revealing both promising capabilities and concerning limitations. The study assessed five different LLMs through Amazon Bedrock, focusing on their responses to questions about gender equality, gender responsiveness, and gender norms in Indian agriculture Questions were designed to test how well the LLMs could provide context-specific information while promoting women's empowerment The evaluation was conducted as part of the Generative AI for Agriculture (GAIA) project, supported by the Gates Foundation Key findings: While LLMs generally promoted...
read Feb 4, 2025California proposes new AI chatbot legislation to protect kids
Newly proposed California legislation aims to protect children from AI chatbot risks by requiring companies to implement safety measures and provide transparency about their artificial intelligence systems. Key provisions of the bill: California Senate Bill 243, introduced by Senator Steve Padilla, focuses on safeguarding children from potentially harmful interactions with AI chatbots. Companies would need to regularly remind young users that they are interacting with artificial intelligence, not human beings The legislation prohibits the use of "addictive engagement patterns" in AI interactions with children AI companies must submit annual reports to the State Department of Health Care Services documenting instances...
read Feb 4, 2025DeepSeek now the 2nd most popular AI chatbot, ahead of Gemini and Character AI
A Chinese AI chatbot called DeepSeek has experienced explosive growth in web traffic, becoming the second most visited AI chatbot globally after ChatGPT, surpassing both Google's Gemini and Character.AI. Key metrics and growth: DeepSeek's website recorded 49 million visits in a single day, marking a 614% increase from the previous week. Web traffic to DeepSeek.com surged from 300,000 daily visits to 33.4 million visits on January 27, 2025 The platform now significantly outperforms Google's Gemini (10 million daily visits) and Character.AI (6 million daily visits) ChatGPT remains the dominant player, attracting 130-140 million daily visits Market position and competition: While...
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