AI/News
Turning chaos to clarity: Our intelligent curation system analyzes thousands of sources daily — from blogs and social media chatter to podcasts and research hubs — synthesizing essential insights into plain English you can actually use.
New method tracks how AI models actually make predictions after scaling
AI researcher Patrick O'Donnell has introduced "landed writes," a new method for understanding how large language models make predictions by tracking how internal components actually influence outputs after normalization scaling. The approach addresses a critical gap in current AI interpretability tools, which measure what model components intend to write rather than what actually affects the final answer after the model's internal scaling processes. The core problem: Most AI interpretability tools completely miss how transformer models internally reshape component contributions through RMSNorm scaling, which can amplify early-layer writes by up to 176× while compressing late-layer contributions. When a neuron writes +0.001...
read Jul 22, 2025xAI recorded 200+ employee faces for “Project Skippy” to train Grok
Internal documents reveal that over 200 xAI employees were asked to have their faces recorded for "Project Skippy," designed to train Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok on facial expressions. The controversial request sparked privacy concerns among staff and raised questions about potential connections to xAI's recently announced AI companions, including anime-style personas that some employees fear could be based on their recorded likenesses. What happened: xAI launched Project Skippy earlier this year, requiring staff to participate in 15- to 30-minute recorded conversations with colleagues while answering unusual questions. Employees were asked provocative questions including how to "secretly manipulate people to...
read Jul 22, 2025AI data centers drive optical transport market to $19B by 2029
After a challenging 2024 that saw the optical transport market contract by 9%, the telecommunications infrastructure sector is poised for a significant rebound. The catalyst driving this recovery isn't traditional telecom growth, but rather the explosive expansion of artificial intelligence computing infrastructure. The optical transport market—which encompasses the fiber-optic cables, switches, and networking equipment that carry data across long distances—is projected to grow at a steady 5% annually through 2029, reaching $19 billion by the end of the forecast period. This turnaround represents a dramatic shift from the broader telecom industry slowdown that characterized much of 2024. AI data centers...
read Jul 22, 2025Alibaba’s Qwen3 model outperforms rivals while cutting hardware costs by 70%
Alibaba has released Qwen3-235B-A22B-2507-Instruct, an open-source large language model that outperforms rival Chinese AI startup Moonshot's Kimi-2 and Claude Opus 4's non-thinking version on key benchmarks. The model comes with an FP8 version that dramatically reduces compute requirements, allowing enterprises to run powerful AI capabilities on smaller, less expensive hardware while maintaining performance quality. What you should know: The new Qwen3 model delivers substantial improvements across reasoning, coding, and multilingual tasks compared to its predecessor. MMLU-Pro scores jumped from 75.2 to 83.0, showing stronger general knowledge performance. GPQA and SuperGPQA benchmarks improved by 15-20 percentage points for better factual accuracy....
read Jul 22, 2025Follow-through failures: Google’s AI overviews cut website clicks by 50%, Pew study finds
A new Pew Research Center study confirms what many website owners suspected: Google's AI Overviews are significantly reducing clicks to other websites, with searches featuring AI summaries generating nearly half the click-through rates of traditional search results. The findings challenge Google's repeated claims that AI Overviews don't harm web traffic, providing concrete evidence of how artificial intelligence is reshaping information consumption and potentially starving content creators of visitors. The numbers: The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research organization, analyzed data from 900 users and found stark differences in click behavior between traditional and AI-enhanced search results. Searches without AI Overviews...
read Jul 22, 2025Concrete results: Meta uses AI to create 35% lower-carbon concrete for data centers
Meta and Amrize have developed an AI-optimized concrete mix specifically designed for Meta's data center construction in Rosemount, Minnesota. The collaboration, which includes the University of Illinois, produced a concrete formulation that reduces carbon emissions by 35% while meeting the structural requirements for data center infrastructure. What you should know: The partnership combines Amrize's materials science expertise with Meta's open-source AI models to create high-performance, low-carbon concrete. The AI-designed ECOPact mix delivers high strength, controlled set time, and a reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional concrete formulations. University of Illinois researchers contributed critical lab-generated data to train the AI models...
read Jul 22, 2025Leaked messages show Anthropic CEO acknowledges $100B+ Middle East funding helps “dictators”
Leaked Slack messages reveal Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei acknowledging that accepting funding from Middle Eastern governments would benefit "dictators," despite his company's commitment to ethical AI principles. The revelations expose how even AI companies that have built their reputations on ethical practices are abandoning those values to secure the massive capital needed for AI infrastructure expansion. What you should know: Anthropic has long positioned itself as the ethical alternative to OpenAI, with its chatbot Claude guided by principles based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The company was founded by former OpenAI members with a stated commitment to advancing...
read Jul 22, 2025Microsoft brings screen-scanning AI to millions of Windows 11 PCs
Microsoft is preparing to transform Windows 11 into a more AI-integrated operating system with a comprehensive update that brings advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to millions of PCs worldwide. The rollout, which begins this month and continues through the next several weeks, represents one of the most significant expansions of AI functionality in Windows history. At the center of this update is Copilot Vision, Microsoft's screen-scanning AI tool that can analyze everything displayed on your computer screen. Unlike traditional AI assistants that only respond to specific queries, Copilot Vision continuously monitors your desktop environment and can answer questions about any content...
read Jul 22, 2025DroneDeploy’s Progress AI turns drone photos into instant construction reports
DroneDeploy has launched Progress AI, an artificial intelligence tool that analyzes drone imagery and 360-degree photos to generate instant construction progress reports. The AI tool transforms routine aerial mapping into premium analytics services, calculating completion percentages for every trade and floor in minutes rather than the days typically required for manual progress tracking. What you should know: Progress AI processes existing drone maps and 360-degree panoramas to create color-coded progress reports without requiring BIM model alignment or manual heat map creation. The system answers voice or chat queries like "How far along is Level 4 drywall?" by reading its "photographic...
read Jul 22, 2025Apple brings back AI notification summaries with stronger error warnings
Apple has reintroduced AI-powered notification summaries for news and entertainment apps in the fourth iOS 18 developer beta, months after temporarily disabling the feature due to accuracy issues with BBC headlines. The return comes with enhanced warnings about potential errors, signaling Apple's cautious approach to deploying Apple Intelligence features that could misrepresent critical information. What you should know: Apple Intelligence notification summaries are back with stronger disclaimers about their limitations. Users installing the new beta see a splash screen where they can opt into summarized notifications for News & Entertainment apps. Apple displays a prominent red warning stating "Summarization may...
read Jul 22, 2025NotebookLM transforms business documents into searchable AI workspaces
Google's NotebookLM has quietly emerged as one of the most practical AI productivity tools for business professionals, yet many remain unaware of its capabilities. Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini that draw from vast internet datasets, NotebookLM functions as a personalized AI research assistant that works exclusively with documents and sources you provide. This focused approach addresses two critical concerns that prevent many professionals from fully embracing AI tools: unreliable information and data security risks. NotebookLM eliminates hallucinations—instances where AI generates false information—by restricting responses to your uploaded materials, while offering enterprise-grade security for sensitive business documents....
read Jul 22, 202537% of small businesses use AI with Gen Z leading adoption and satisfaction
Small businesses across America are embracing artificial intelligence at an accelerating pace, with 37% of owners currently using AI tools and 71% of current users planning to increase their investment, according to a new CNBC|SurveyMonkey survey. This grassroots adoption is reshaping Main Street operations and workforce decisions, with younger entrepreneurs leading a generational divide in both AI adoption and its impact on employment. The generational divide: Younger business owners are driving AI adoption at dramatically higher rates than their older counterparts. Gen Z and millennial small business owners report current AI usage at 59% and 51% respectively, compared to just...
read Jul 22, 2025Amazon acquires Bee’s $49.99 AI wearable for conversation tracking
Amazon is acquiring Bee, a startup that makes a $49.99 AI-powered wearable device that continuously listens to and transcribes conversations to generate daily summaries and insights. The acquisition signals Amazon's push into personal AI wearables, though the device has faced accuracy challenges in distinguishing real conversations from background media. What you should know: Bee's wearable functions like a Fitbit but focuses on audio processing rather than fitness tracking. The device transcribes conversations between users and people around them, creating personalized daily summaries, reminders, and suggestions through the Bee app. Users can grant the device access to emails, contacts, location data,...
read Jul 22, 2025AI’s energy demand drives $29B in US utility rate hikes, elicits complaint from UN
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on major tech companies to transition to 100% sustainable energy to power their AI operations, warning that current energy demands could strain global capacity. The appeal comes as US utilities requested a record $29 billion in rate increases during the first half of 2025—double last year's level—largely driven by surging data center energy needs that are being passed on to customers. The big picture: AI's explosive growth is creating an energy crisis that's forcing difficult choices between technological advancement and environmental sustainability. Data center energy consumption is expected to double by 2030 to 945 terawatt-hours,...
read Jul 22, 2025Open Philanthropy shifts university AI safety funding to Kairos
Open Philanthropy has ended its university AI safety group funding program and transferred financial support for most university AI safety groups to Kairos, an AI safety field-building organization. The move reflects Open Philanthropy's broader strategy of transitioning small grants programs to specialized organizations better positioned to provide active support and guidance. What you should know: Open Philanthropy's GCR Capacity Building team announced the immediate closure of their university group funding program as of the publication date. Kairos will now handle monetary support for most university AI safety groups, leveraging what Open Philanthropy describes as "a strong team and a substantive...
read Jul 22, 2025xAI seeks $12B to buy Nvidia chips for Grok mecha-expansion
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI is working to raise up to $12 billion in new funding through investment firm Valor Equity Partners, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The massive capital raise would fuel xAI's expansion plans, specifically to purchase advanced Nvidia chips for a new data center designed to train and power its AI chatbot Grok. Key details: Valor Equity Partners, an investment firm led by founder Antonio Gracias who maintains close ties to Musk, is negotiating with lenders to secure the funding. The $12 billion would be used to acquire a substantial supply of advanced Nvidia...
read Jul 22, 2025Trump’s $500B AI bet trades safety oversight for China competition
The Trump administration's approach to artificial intelligence regulation has fundamentally shifted America's AI policy landscape, prioritizing innovation and competitiveness over safety oversight. Since taking office in January, President Trump has systematically dismantled predecessor policies while positioning the United States for what his administration frames as a critical technological race with China. This transformation culminated Wednesday with the release of the AI Action Plan, a 20-page policy document that emphasizes "promoting innovation, reducing regulatory burdens and overhauling permitting" while notably avoiding contentious issues like copyright protections for AI training data. The plan emerged alongside Trump's speech at a summit featuring leaders...
read Jul 22, 2025Newsweek’s AI Impact Awards recognize 38 companies solving real-world problems
Newsweek announced its inaugural AI Impact Awards 2025, recognizing 38 companies across 13 categories for tackling everyday problems with innovative AI solutions. The awards highlight how artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimental applications into practical tools that address real-world challenges, from combating loneliness to streamlining business operations and establishing ethical frameworks. What you should know: Five companies earned "Best Of" recognition for the most innovative AI technology or service, showcasing diverse applications across human interaction, content generation, and responsible AI implementation. Key winners and their impact: Ex-Human won the Extraordinary Impact in AI Human Interactivity award for creating customizable AI...
read Jul 22, 2025AI may eliminate 50% of jobs by 2045—but the real crisis is psychological
Psychology Today psychologist Michael Mannino argues that widespread AI automation may eliminate jobs but create an existential crisis, as work provides identity, purpose, and community beyond just income. His analysis warns that while universal basic income might address economic needs, it cannot resolve the deeper psychological void left when humans lose their primary source of meaning and social connection. The core argument: Work serves three essential human functions that go far beyond earning money—developing personal capabilities, fostering collaboration, and contributing to society's needs. Drawing from economist E.F. Schumacher's "Buddhist Economics," Mannino argues that viewing work merely as a burden to...
read Jul 22, 2025CMF Watch 3 Pro brings AI coaching and 13-day battery for $99
Nothing's CMF sub-brand has launched the Watch 3 Pro, a $99 smartwatch that includes AI-powered fitness coaching, dual-band GPS, and up to 13 days of battery life. The device represents a significant upgrade from its $69 predecessor, positioning CMF to compete more aggressively in the budget smartwatch market dominated by brands like Amazfit and Xiaomi. Key features: The Watch 3 Pro focuses heavily on health and fitness tracking with several notable improvements over previous models. The device includes 131 different sport modes and features an AI coach that provides post-workout summaries and guidance for improvement, with particular emphasis on running...
read Jul 22, 2025Apple loses key AI leader to Meta amid talent exodus
Apple's AI division is facing major upheaval after losing Ruoming Pang, the respected leader of its foundation models team, to Meta. Pang's departure, along with several key researchers, has created what insiders describe as an "earthquake inside Apple" at a critical moment when the company is already struggling to catch up in the AI race. What you should know: Pang was central to Apple's efforts to build its own large language models and develop on-device AI capabilities for iPhones.• He joined Apple in 2021 from Google DeepMind, a leading AI research lab, and led the team responsible for shrinking large...
read Jul 22, 2025“God this is nuts.” Florida police wrongfully arrest man using 93% AI facial recognition match.
Police in Florida wrongfully arrested Robert Dillon based on a 93% facial recognition match, charging him with attempting to lure a 12-year-old child despite his complete innocence. The case highlights growing concerns about AI-powered policing tools that lack constitutional probable cause standards and enable law enforcement agencies to avoid accountability through jurisdictional buck-passing. What happened: The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Beach Police Department used facial recognition software to identify Dillon as a suspect in a November 2023 child luring case, leading to his arrest in August 2024. AI software flagged Dillon as a "93 percent match" to surveillance footage...
read Jul 22, 2025Former journalists help AI startups craft compelling investor narratives
Outside The Box Ventures has launched Founder's Box, an "accelerator" program that pairs former journalists with AI startups to help them craft compelling narratives for investors and the media. The 10-week program will invest $150,000 in each of 15 accepted AI companies, addressing what managing partner Katie Tarbox calls "a critical gap in the AI market: narrative clarity." Why this matters: Many AI startups struggle to articulate their value propositions clearly, especially when their technical advantages are subtle, making it harder for investors to differentiate between companies in an increasingly crowded market. How it works: The program connects AI founders...
read Jul 22, 20257 AI infrastructure stocks positioned for the boom beyond NVIDIA
The artificial intelligence boom has created a complex investment landscape where traditional tech giants compete alongside specialized infrastructure providers and emerging players across the entire AI value chain. Understanding where to allocate capital requires recognizing that AI's exponential growth demands massive investments in computing power, energy infrastructure, and specialized components that extend far beyond software companies. Smart investors are positioning themselves across multiple layers of the AI ecosystem, from the semiconductors that power machine learning to the data centers that house them. This approach recognizes that AI's infrastructure requirements create opportunities across industries that might not immediately appear connected to...
read