News/New Launches
Sora vs. Veo 3, Fight! OpenAI readies Sora 2 with audio to challenge Google
OpenAI is reportedly preparing to release Sora 2, the next iteration of its text-to-video AI model, setting up a direct confrontation with Google's Veo 3 model. This battle represents more than just visual quality—it's about creating complete audiovisual experiences that could define the future of AI-generated content creation. The big picture: While OpenAI's original Sora impressed with high-quality visuals, it produced silent videos, whereas Google's Veo 3 already integrates synchronized audio, speech, and environmental sounds. Veo 3 can generate videos where viewers hear "the gentle splash of liquid, the clink of ceramic, and even the hum of a diner around...
read Jul 23, 2025Samsung’s 43-inch AI smart monitor drops to $400 with 4K and gaming hub
Samsung has launched its most affordable large-screen smart monitor yet, offering the 43-inch M7 Smart Monitor (M70F) at $399.99, marking its first significant discount since the June release. This $100 price reduction makes the AI-powered 4K display the largest and most budget-friendly option in Samsung's 2025 Smart Monitor lineup, potentially attracting consumers seeking premium features without the flagship price tag. What you should know: The M7 Smart Monitor combines traditional display functionality with smart TV capabilities and AI-powered enhancements. The 43-inch 4K model regularly retails for $500 but is now available for $399.99 at both Samsung and Amazon, representing the...
read Jul 23, 2025Proton launches Lumo, a privacy-first AI chatbot with end-to-end encryption
Proton has launched Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot that promises end-to-end encryption and zero data logging to compete with ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The service positions itself as the first major AI assistant that prioritizes user privacy by storing conversations locally on devices rather than on company servers, appealing to users concerned about data security in AI interactions. What you should know: Lumo operates under Proton's established privacy framework, ensuring conversations remain encrypted and inaccessible to the company or third parties. Chats are stored locally on user devices and don't sync across multiple devices, even for logged-in users. All queries...
read Jul 23, 2025Google’s Aeneas AI helps historians decode ancient Latin inscriptions
Google DeepMind has launched Aeneas, an AI system designed to help historians decode and contextualize ancient Latin inscriptions carved in stone. The tool analyzes weathered engravings to determine when and where they were originally created, while also providing researchers with historical parallels from a database of nearly 150,000 catalogued inscriptions spanning from modern-day Britain to Iraq. How it works: Aeneas processes partial transcriptions alongside scanned images of inscriptions to reconstruct missing text and provide historical context. The system can fill in damaged portions of text—for example, completing "...us populusque Romanus" by suggesting "Senat" to form "Senatus populusque Romanus" ("The Senate...
read Jul 22, 2025Intuit launches 4 AI agents saving mid-market finance teams 20 hours monthly
Intuit has expanded its AI agent suite to the mid-market, introducing four specialized agents for finance, payments, accounting, and project management within its Enterprise Suite. The deployment targets companies generating $2.5 million to $100 million in annual revenue, potentially saving finance teams 17-20 hours per month while addressing the unique challenge of delivering intelligent automation across fragmented business structures without requiring expensive platform consolidation. What you should know: Mid-market organizations operate fundamentally differently from both small businesses and large enterprises, creating distinct AI deployment challenges. Small businesses typically run on seven applications, while mid-market companies juggle 25 or more disconnected...
read Jul 21, 2025Textron deploys AI to help aircraft mechanics access decades of repair knowledge
Textron has successfully deployed a generative AI solution called TAMI (Textron Aviation Maintenance Intelligence) across its global service centers, helping aircraft mechanics access decades of maintenance knowledge through natural language queries. The initiative, led by global CIO Todd Kackley, demonstrates how aerospace manufacturers can bridge critical knowledge gaps as experienced technicians retire while reducing aircraft downtime and improving repair efficiency. The big picture: Textron's approach bypassed traditional corporate AI implementation hurdles by starting with a targeted use case and proving value before seeking major investments. Kackley launched the initiative without dedicated budget, team, or technology resources, relying instead on organizational...
read Jul 21, 2025Synth you’ve been gone: DuckDuckGo launches AI image blocker to combat synthetic search results
DuckDuckGo has launched a new feature that allows users to block AI-generated images from their search results, addressing growing frustration with "AI slop" cluttering image searches. The privacy-focused search engine admits the tool "isn't perfect" but promises to "greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see," using manually curated open-source blocklists to filter synthetic content. How it works: The feature relies on established content-blocking technology and offers multiple ways to access cleaner search results. Users can toggle the AI image filter on or off through a dropdown menu in DuckDuckGo's Images tab after conducting a search. For consistent AI-free...
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 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, 2025UK launches Isambard-AI, Britain’s most powerful supercomputer
The UK's most powerful supercomputer, Isambard-AI, has been made fully operational in Bristol, with Technology Secretary Peter Kyle officially launching the machine as part of the government's expanded AI strategy. The supercomputer will join Cambridge's Dawn machine to form the UK's "AI Research Resource," designed to tackle public challenges like reducing NHS waiting lists and developing climate change solutions while positioning Britain as an "AI maker rather than an AI taker." What you should know: Isambard-AI represents a significant leap in the UK's public AI computing capacity, built with cutting-edge hardware and substantial government investment. The supercomputer uses more than...
read Jul 17, 2025ChatGPT “agent mode” transforms AI from chat to active task completion
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT agent mode, a new capability that allows ChatGPT to perform complex, multi-step tasks autonomously rather than just providing text-based responses. Available to Pro, Plus, and Team users, the feature enables the AI to navigate websites, compile research, create presentations, and complete real-world assignments while maintaining user control and approval throughout the process. What you should know: ChatGPT agent mode transforms the AI from a conversational assistant into an active task executor that can work across multiple platforms and applications. Users can ask ChatGPT to review calendars and summarize upcoming meetings, plan recipes and purchase ingredients, or...
read Jul 17, 2025MaVila AI helps factories see problems and talk to machines in real time
California State University Northridge researchers have developed MaVila, an AI model specifically designed for manufacturing environments that combines image analysis and natural language processing to detect problems, suggest improvements, and communicate with machines in real time. The NSF-supported project addresses AI's limited adoption in manufacturing by creating a tool that can "see" factory operations and "talk" to both workers and machines, potentially revolutionizing how U.S. factories operate in an increasingly competitive global market. What you should know: MaVila takes a fundamentally different approach from conventional AI systems by training exclusively on manufacturing-specific data rather than relying on internet information. The...
read Jul 17, 2025Mistral’s Le Chat adds voice features to compete with OpenAI
French AI startup Mistral has launched new features for its chatbot Le Chat, including voice interaction and research capabilities, as it attempts to compete with dominant US rivals like OpenAI and Google. The updates bring Europe's AI champion closer to feature parity with American competitors, though Mistral continues to lag significantly in market share and revenue despite its $6.2 billion valuation. What you should know: The new features make Le Chat more competitive with established US chatbots by adding voice interaction and research tools. Users can now speak to Mistral's AI through its "Voxtral" model instead of only typing messages....
read Jul 17, 2025Google’s new AI news summaries threaten publisher traffic
Google has launched a new AI feature that automatically summarizes trending news stories within its mobile search apps, displaying tiny publisher logos while discouraging users from clicking through to original articles. This development threatens to further devastate an already struggling journalism industry that has seen significant traffic declines from Google's previous AI initiatives, potentially accelerating what experts call "Google Zero"—a future where the search giant stops sending traffic to news sites entirely. The big picture: Google's AI summaries represent the latest escalation in the tech giant's systematic reduction of referral traffic to news publishers, following the controversial rollout of AI...
read Jul 17, 2025Adobe launches AI filmmaking tools with voice-powered sound generation
Adobe has launched new generative AI filmmaking tools that allow users to create sound effects using voice recordings of silly noises and control video generation with reference footage. The tools, available in beta on the Firefly app, provide filmmakers with more intuitive ways to generate custom audio and video content compared to traditional text-only prompts. How the sound effects tool works: The Generate Sound Effects feature lets users record onomatopoeia-like sounds that are synchronized with video footage to create realistic audio effects. Users can play a video of a horse walking and simultaneously record "clip clop" noises in time with...
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, 2025MIT’s CodeSteer boosts LLM accuracy 30% by coaching code use
MIT researchers have developed CodeSteer, a "smart coach" system that guides large language models to switch between text and code generation to solve complex problems more accurately. The system boosted LLM accuracy on symbolic tasks like math problems and Sudoku by more than 30 percent, addressing a key weakness where models often default to less effective textual reasoning even when code would be more appropriate. How it works: CodeSteer operates as a smaller, specialized LLM that iteratively guides larger models through problem-solving processes. The system first analyzes a query to determine whether text or code would be more effective, then...
read Jul 16, 2025Nextdoor’s biggest redesign adds 3 AI features for 100M users
Nextdoor has unveiled its biggest app redesign ever, introducing three AI-powered core features: real-time safety alerts, local news from trusted sources, and neighborhood recommendations. The overhaul aims to transform the platform from a neighborhood bulletin board into a comprehensive local information hub for its 100 million users. The big picture: Nextdoor is leveraging AI to create a more useful and engaging neighborhood app that goes beyond typical social media complaints to provide genuinely valuable local information. What you should know: The redesign centers on three main components that address different aspects of neighborhood life. Real-time safety alerts provide information on...
read Jul 16, 2025Anthropic launches analytics dashboard for Claude Code AI programming assistant
Anthropic has launched a comprehensive analytics dashboard for its Claude Code AI programming assistant, addressing enterprise demand for concrete data on AI coding tool effectiveness. The feature comes as Claude Code has seen extraordinary growth since May, with active users up 300% and run-rate revenue jumping 5.5 times following the introduction of Claude 4 models. What you should know: The dashboard provides engineering managers with detailed metrics to justify AI spending and optimize team productivity. Features include lines of code generated by AI, tool acceptance rates, user activity breakdowns, and cost tracking per developer. Role-based access controls allow organizations to...
read Jul 16, 2025AWS launches comprehensive platform for building enterprise AI agents at scale
Amazon Web Services has unveiled Bedrock AgentCore, a comprehensive platform for building and deploying enterprise AI agents at scale. The new offering, announced at AWS's New York Summit, represents a significant expansion beyond the company's existing Bedrock Agents framework by supporting any agent framework or foundation model—not just those hosted within Bedrock—positioning AWS to compete directly with OpenAI's Agents SDK and Google's Gemini-based platforms in the rapidly growing enterprise AI agent market. What you should know: AgentCore is a modular stack of services designed to move AI agents from prototype to production environments with enterprise-grade security and scalability. The platform...
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, 2025Mistral releases Voxtral, an open-source voice AI that challenges paid alternatives
Mistral has released Voxtral, an open-source voice AI model that goes beyond basic transcription to offer summarization and speech-triggered functions, challenging paid alternatives from companies like ElevenLabs and Hume AI. The Apache 2.0-licensed model comes in 24B and 3B parameter versions, with Mistral claiming it bridges the gap between proprietary speech recognition systems and existing open-source alternatives that often lack semantic understanding. What you should know: Voxtral offers comprehensive voice processing capabilities that extend far beyond traditional transcription services. The model can process up to 30 minutes of audio for transcription or 40 minutes for audio understanding with a 32K...
read Jul 15, 2025Grok AI launches flirty companions “Ani” and “Rudi” for $30 monthly subscribers
Elon Musk's Grok AI app has introduced AI companions called Ani and Rudi, available to SuperGrok subscribers for $30 per month. The feature launches just days after Grok faced criticism for generating antisemitic content, with these new AI avatars displaying notably mischievous and provocative behavior even for basic interactions. What you should know: The AI companions are currently in a soft launch phase with limited availability but will become more accessible soon. Ani is an anime-inspired gothic avatar who speaks in a flirty tone, while Rudi is a cartoony teddy bear focused on storytelling. Both avatars respond to basic questions...
read Jul 15, 2025What’s next, Claude Cash? Anthropic launches Claude for Financial Services with data connectors
Anthropic has launched Claude for Financial Services, a specialized version of its enterprise AI platform designed specifically for the financial sector. The new offering includes pre-built connectors to major financial data providers like FactSet and PitchBook, higher usage limits, and industry-specific prompt libraries to help financial institutions integrate AI more effectively into their workflows. What you should know: Claude for Financial Services builds on Anthropic's existing enterprise platform with three key enhancements tailored for financial institutions. The platform includes pre-built MCP (Model Context Protocol) connectors to financial data providers including FactSet, PitchBook, S&P Capital IQ, and Morningstar, eliminating the need...
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