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Google may drop Samsung modems for MediaTek in Pixel 11 series
Google is reportedly considering dropping Samsung's modem technology entirely for its upcoming Tensor G6 chip, potentially switching to MediaTek's new M90 modem for the Pixel 11 series. This shift could address longstanding connectivity and battery drain issues that have plagued Google's Pixel phones, marking a complete break from Samsung hardware after years of partnership complaints. What you should know: Google has already moved Tensor G5 chip production from Samsung to TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) for the Pixel 10 series but retained Samsung's Exynos modem technology. According to leaker Mystic Leaks, Google is now evaluating MediaTek's M90 modem, which was...
read Oct 6, 2025Netherlands delivers 150+ THeMIS combat robots to Ukraine
Milrem Robotics will deliver over 150 THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles to Ukraine as part of a Dutch-funded defense initiative, with assembly operations being established at VDL Defentec's facility in the Netherlands. This marks one of the largest deployments of unmanned ground vehicles to support Ukraine's defense capabilities, building on the proven battlefield effectiveness of 15 THeMIS units already operating in the country since 2022. Key details: The donation was formally announced on October 6, with Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans joining Milrem Robotics and VDL for a signing ceremony at VDL's Born facility. VDL Defentec, a Dutch defense contractor, is...
read Oct 6, 2025Parents use AI chatbots to entertain kids for hours—experts warn of risks
Parents are increasingly using AI chatbots like ChatGPT's Voice Mode to entertain their young children, sometimes for hours at a time, raising significant concerns about the psychological impact on developing minds. This trend represents a new frontier in digital parenting that experts warn could create false relationships and developmental risks far more complex than traditional screen time concerns. What's happening: Several parents have discovered their preschoolers will engage with AI chatbots for extended periods, creating unexpectedly lengthy conversations. Reddit user Josh gave his four-year-old access to ChatGPT to discuss Thomas the Tank Engine, returning two hours later to find a...
read Oct 6, 2025ChatGPT now connects to Spotify, Zillow, and 5 other apps directly
OpenAI has launched app integrations for ChatGPT that allow users to access third-party services like Spotify and Zillow directly within the chatbot interface. The feature represents what OpenAI calls an "evolution of ChatGPT" toward becoming more like an operating system, enabling users to interact with apps through conversation while displaying interactive interfaces within the chat. What you should know: The app integrations go beyond traditional plugins by allowing direct access within ChatGPT prompts and displaying interactive elements like maps, playlists, and presentations. Users can query ChatGPT to access Spotify for listing and playing tracks, or search Zillow for property listings...
read Oct 6, 2025Talent agency WME blocks all clients from OpenAI’s new Sora video features
WME has opted all of its clients out of OpenAI's latest Sora update, which adds sound effects, dialogue, and a "cameos" feature that allows users to insert human likenesses into AI-generated videos. The decision reflects deepening anxiety in Hollywood over AI's potential to exploit talent without proper compensation or consent, as the industry grapples with technology that could reshape entertainment production. What you should know: WME's head of digital strategy sent a company-wide notice on October 1st declaring that all clients would be excluded from Sora's newest capabilities. The agency's position is that "artists should have a choice in how...
read Oct 6, 2025China deploys 300K robots to compensate for manufacturing workforce shrinkage
China installed nearly 300,000 new industrial robots last year—accounting for over half of all global robot installations—as the nation deploys automation to counter a shrinking population that has declined for three consecutive years. This robotic surge is sustaining China's manufacturing dominance despite losing about 2 million people in the latest count, fundamentally reshaping global supply chains and industrial competition. The big picture: China's demographic crisis is driving an unprecedented automation revolution that's keeping factories operational while the working-age population shrinks by tens of millions over the next decade. The country's operational robot stock has surpassed 1 million units, far outpacing...
read Oct 6, 2025Jargon-heavy AI ads blanket San Francisco, leaving non-techies scratching their heads
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Carl Nolte observes how artificial intelligence advertising has dramatically transformed the city's visual landscape, with AI company ads now dominating public transportation and subway stations. The ubiquitous presence of these cryptic, tech-focused advertisements signals San Francisco's latest reinvention as it emerges from recent challenges with a new identity centered around AI innovation. What you should know: AI advertising has become inescapable across San Francisco's public transportation system, featuring messages that would have been incomprehensible just a year ago. Muni buses display ads for AI code review tools like "Code Rabbit," while entire subway stations are covered...
read Oct 6, 2025Sen. Chuck Grassley demands answers from federal judges over AI court ruling errors
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is demanding answers from two federal judges about whether they used artificial intelligence to draft court rulings that contained serious errors. The Republican senator from Iowa sent letters Monday to judges who withdrew flawed orders in July, marking the first high-profile congressional inquiry into potential AI misuse by the federal judiciary itself. What you should know: Grassley targeted U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals in New Jersey and U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate in Mississippi, both of whom withdrew written rulings after lawyers identified factual inaccuracies and other serious errors.• The senator asked...
read Oct 6, 2025Evernote V11 adds OpenAI search features at $130 annual price
Evernote has released Version 11, its first major update since being acquired by Italian company Bending Spoons in 2023, introducing AI-powered search and transcription features developed with OpenAI. The update focuses on helping users better organize and find information within their existing notes rather than generating new content, positioning the service as a "second brain" for personal knowledge management. What you should know: Evernote's AI assistant emphasizes search and organization over content generation, taking a different approach than many AI-powered writing tools. The AI assistant uses conversational chat to help users find relevant notes through natural language queries, combining Evernote's...
read Oct 6, 2025It’s not over until…an artist creates an AI opera using OpenAI’s terms as lyrics
Artist Jake Elwes has created "Terms & Conditions Opera: A Legalese Libretto," an AI-generated satirical opera that transforms OpenAI's terms of service into operatic performances across multiple musical genres. The absurdist work, featured in London's "Subject to Change" exhibition, represents a growing movement of artists using AI to critically examine the technology's impact on creativity and intellectual property rights. What you should know: Elwes fed OpenAI and Suno's legal fine print into Suno's AI music generator, creating an opera that shifts between classical, reggae, hip-hop, and barbershop quartet styles. The opera transforms mundane legal language like "We've updated our usage...
read Oct 6, 2025Study finds AI health messages in Africa no better than traditional campaigns
A new study comparing AI-generated health messages with traditional campaigns in Kenya and Nigeria found that neither approach proved superior for communicating about vaccines and maternal healthcare. The research analyzed 120 health messages and revealed that while AI was more creative in incorporating cultural references, it often produced shallow or inaccurate content, while traditional campaigns remained authoritative but rigid and sometimes reinforced colonial-era communication patterns. What the study found: Researchers from The Conversation analyzed 80 traditional health messages from ministries and NGOs alongside 40 AI-generated messages, focusing on vaccine hesitancy and maternal healthcare communication. AI-generated messages included more cultural references...
read Oct 6, 2025Maine launches first robotics symposium to prepare students for automated future
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics hosted its first robotics symposium in Waterville, bringing together families, students, and STEM organizations to introduce Maine's youth to robotics opportunities. The event underscores Maine's growing focus on preparing students for the state's evolving industrial landscape, where automation and robotics play increasingly important roles beyond the traditional agriculture and tourism sectors. What you should know: The symposium aimed to demonstrate that STEM education and careers can thrive in Maine, not just promote the specialized school itself. Robert Constantine, executive director of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, emphasized that "you can do...
read Oct 6, 2025Got AI? Merck’s collars for dairy cows predict illness 48 hours before symptoms appear
Dairy farmers are now using high-tech collars equipped with movement sensors, Wi-Fi, and AI to monitor cow health and optimize milk production. These wearable devices, manufactured by Merck, a healthcare company, can predict illness up to 48 hours before symptoms appear, allowing farmers like Tony Louters in California to intervene early and prevent costly milk losses. What you should know: The collars represent a major evolution in livestock monitoring technology, transforming from basic pedometers in 2013 to sophisticated AI-powered health monitoring systems. Each of Louters's 700 cows wears a collar that continuously tracks biometric data and sends alerts to his...
read Oct 6, 2025When the backlash is Swiftie: Tay Tay grilled over alleged AI use in album promo videos
Taylor Swift is facing criticism on social media for allegedly using artificial intelligence to create promotional videos for her new album, "The Life of a Showgirl." The controversy centers around a viral marketing campaign featuring QR codes leading fans to discover "orange doors" across 12 cities, with eagle-eyed observers spotting visual inconsistencies in the videos that suggest AI generation. What you should know: The "Orange Door" marketing campaign included videos showing hidden lounge areas and puzzles with visual clues and messages typical of Swift's easter egg marketing style.• Fans found QR codes in 12 cities including Melbourne, London, Chicago, Nashville,...
read Oct 6, 2025Experts predict Musk’s Mars robots will become “dead husks”
Elon Musk plans to deploy Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots to Mars as early as 2026, positioning them as advance scouts to explore terrain and build infrastructure before human colonization. However, leading robotics experts are raising serious concerns about whether these AI-powered machines can survive Mars' extreme conditions, with some predicting they'll become "dead husks" shortly after arrival due to the planet's harsh environment. The big picture: Musk envisions Optimus robots as the vanguard of his Mars colonization strategy, launching via SpaceX's Starship to scout landing sites and assemble basic habitats before humans arrive. The plan represents a convergence of Musk's...
read Oct 6, 2025AI travel tools send tourists to real-sounding but fake, dangerous destinations
AI travel planning tools are sending tourists to dangerous, nonexistent destinations, with recent incidents including hikers searching for a fictional "Sacred Canyon of Humantay" in Peru's Andes Mountains. These AI hallucinations are creating serious safety risks as 24 percent of tourists now rely on artificial intelligence for trip planning, according to a 2025 Global Rescue survey. The big picture: AI models are generating convincing but completely fabricated travel destinations by combining real images and location names, leading unsuspecting travelers into hazardous situations without proper preparation or safety measures. Key safety incidents: Multiple dangerous situations have emerged from AI-generated travel misinformation....
read Oct 6, 2025Survey finds AI sparks hiring wave, not job losses in tech sector. Even in data entry.
Despite widespread fears that artificial intelligence will eliminate jobs across industries, recent employment data tells a markedly different story. Two comprehensive surveys reveal that technology hiring remains surprisingly resilient, with AI actually driving increased demand for both permanent employees and contract workers. This contradiction between public anxiety and market reality reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how AI transforms work rather than simply replacing it. While automation handles routine tasks, the complexity of implementing, managing, and refining AI systems creates entirely new categories of human work. The result is a labor market where technical skills remain in high demand, though the...
read Oct 6, 2025Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu unveils roadmap to artificial superintelligence
Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu announced the company's "Roadmap to Artificial Superintelligence" at the Alibaba Cloud conference in Hangzhou, making Alibaba the first major Chinese tech giant to explicitly invoke artificial general intelligence (AGI) and artificial superintelligence (ASI). This marks a notable shift in China's AI strategy, challenging Western perceptions that Chinese companies focus primarily on practical AI applications rather than pursuing advanced AI capabilities that could rival or surpass human intelligence. What you should know: Wu's presentation outlined Alibaba's vision for developing AI systems that match and then exceed human cognitive abilities. "Achieving AGI — an intelligent system with general...
read Oct 6, 2025Botting the midnight oil: Aramark deploys 24/7 auto-kitchens to feed hospital staff overnight
Aramark has strategically invested in RoboEatz's Autonomous Robotic Kitchen (ARK) technology, partnering with ABB Robotics and WellSpan Health to deploy 24/7 automated meal service in hospitals. This initiative addresses a critical gap in overnight dining options for healthcare workers, nurses, doctors, and hospital visitors who often struggle to find quality food during late-night shifts. What you should know: The ARK system operates within a compact 400-square-foot footprint and can prepare up to four personalized bowl-based meals simultaneously from a selection of up to 80 fresh ingredients.• The robotic kitchen integrates seamlessly with Aramark's existing Point of Sale system, menu management,...
read Oct 6, 2025Deloitte refunds $440K after AI creates fake citations in Aussie government report
Deloitte Australia will refund the Australian government for a report containing AI-generated fake citations and nonexistent research references that were discovered after publication. The consulting firm quietly admitted to using GPT-4o in an updated version of the report, after initially failing to disclose the AI tool's involvement in producing the $440,000 AUD analysis of Australia's welfare system automation framework. What you should know: The fabricated content was discovered by academics who found their names attached to research that didn't exist. Chris Rudge, Sydney University's Deputy Director of Health Law, noticed citations to multiple papers and publications that did not exist...
read Oct 6, 2025Over Overviews? New browser extension lets users hide Google’s AI search features
A new browser extension called "Bye Bye, Google AI" allows users to completely hide Google's AI Overviews and other AI-powered search features from their results pages. Developed by Avram Piltch, former Editor-in-Chief of Tom's Hardware, the tool addresses growing user frustration with AI-generated summaries that have reached over 2 billion monthly users but face criticism for accuracy issues and cluttering search results. How it works: The extension uses CSS (web styling code) to block AI elements from appearing on Google Search, restoring a cleaner, more traditional search experience.• Users can remove AI Overviews (summaries above web results), the AI Mode...
read Oct 6, 2025Consulting firm Emergn appoints first Chief AI Officer to accelerate enterprise solutions
Emergn, a global consulting firm that has been developing AI and machine learning solutions since 2015, has appointed Aldis Erglis as its first Chief AI Officer. This executive appointment signals the company's commitment to accelerating AI-driven product development and positioning artificial intelligence as a core growth engine alongside its established consulting services. What you should know: Erglis brings over two decades of technological innovation experience and will lead Emergn's comprehensive AI strategy across all operations. He previously served as Emergn's Vice President of Technology Strategy, where he supported clients in digital transformation and AI initiatives while leading the Machine Learning...
read Oct 6, 2025“Do you fear me now?” Verizon uses AI to match competitor bills and steal AT&T customers
Verizon has launched an AI-powered "Bring your bill" promotion targeting AT&T and T-Mobile customers, promising to analyze competitor bills and match or beat their pricing. The tool applies promotional credits and discounts to create competitive rates locked in for 36 months, marking Verizon's attempt to shed its premium-price reputation in an increasingly price-sensitive wireless market. The big picture: All three major carriers now offer similar network performance and features, making price and value the primary differentiators in the wireless market. Verizon has traditionally commanded higher prices due to its network quality, but T-Mobile's 5G leadership has shifted competitive dynamics. Rather...
read Oct 6, 2025OpenAI partners with AMD for AI chips, gets option to buy 10% stake
OpenAI has signed a partnership with semiconductor manufacturer AMD to supply high-performance chips for its AI infrastructure, with OpenAI also receiving the option to purchase up to 10% of AMD's shares. The deal positions AMD as a key alternative to Nvidia's dominance in AI computing while highlighting the massive infrastructure demands needed to support advanced AI development. Key details: The agreement centers on AMD's next-generation Instinct MI450 graphics chips, expected to debut in 2026.• OpenAI will purchase chips capable of delivering 6 gigawatts of computing power for its "next generation" AI infrastructure.• The first 1-gigawatt batch is scheduled for deployment...
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