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Meta rejects EU AI code, calls it innovation-stifling overreach
Meta Platforms has declined to sign the European Union's artificial intelligence code of practice, with global affairs chief Joel Kaplan calling it an overreach that will "stunt" companies. The rejection comes as the EU's AI compliance framework prepares to take effect next month, highlighting growing tensions between Big Tech and European regulators over AI governance. What you should know: Meta joins a growing list of companies pushing back against Europe's new AI rulebook, which aims to improve transparency and safety around AI technology. The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, published the final iteration of its code for...
read Jul 18, 2025San Jose cuts bus commute times 20% with AI traffic lights, hopes to become AI capital
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is positioning the Silicon Valley city as a leading AI capital by implementing artificial intelligence solutions in city operations and working to retain local tech talent. The initiative comes as San Jose already serves as a burgeoning AI hub, with the mayor now focusing on scaling successful pilot programs and integrating AI more deeply into government services. What you should know: San Jose has successfully deployed AI-powered traffic optimization systems that have significantly improved public transportation efficiency. Nearly 150 stoplights across the city are equipped with AI tools designed to optimize bus routes and reduce...
read Jul 18, 2025Not at all shook up: London’s AI-enhanced Elvis show flops without the King’s charisma
Elvis Evolution, a new immersive show at London's Excel Waterfront complex, attempts to bring the rock icon back to life through AI-enhanced video footage and recreated sets. The experience fails to capture the energy and charisma that made Elvis legendary, delivering a lackluster spectacle that feels more like a theme park attraction than a meaningful tribute to the King of Rock and Roll. What you should know: Elvis Evolution represents a growing trend of immersive entertainment experiences that blend theater, amusement park attractions, and interactive spectacles. The show takes place at Immerse LDN and has been heavily advertised across London's...
read Jul 18, 2025Google upgrades AI Mode with chat history and sharing features
Google is working on significant updates to AI Mode within its Android app, including improved chat history management and conversation sharing capabilities. An APK teardown reveals these features could make AI Mode more accessible and user-friendly while bringing it closer to Gemini's functionality. What you should know: Google plans to consolidate AI Mode chat history with regular search history and bookmarks under a unified Activity tab. Currently, AI Mode history is accessed through a button on the top-right of the interface, but the new system would integrate it with standard search functions. The modified interface shows only the three most...
read Jul 18, 2025Netflix has strong second-quarter while moving into live sports, AI experimentation
Netflix exceeded Wall Street's second-quarter expectations with strong performance driven by popular returning shows and live programming, while providing optimistic guidance for the rest of 2025. The streaming giant's strategic expansion into live sports, events, and AI-powered content creation signals its evolution beyond traditional on-demand viewing as it seeks new growth avenues after dominating the first phase of the streaming wars. What you should know: Netflix's financial performance surpassed analyst predictions, though shares dipped slightly in after-hours trading despite a remarkable 128% stock surge over the past year to around $1,253 per share. The company maintained its content spending guidance...
read Jul 18, 2025NYPD taps FDNY to bypass facial recognition ban
The NYPD circumvented its facial recognition ban by using the New York Fire Department to identify a pro-Palestinian protester at Columbia University, according to court documents and a recent lawsuit. The arrangement allowed police to access Clearview AI facial recognition technology and DMV records that are typically restricted under NYPD policy, raising significant concerns about surveillance oversight and government accountability. What happened: Fire marshals used Clearview AI to identify Zuhdi Ahmed, a 21-year-old CUNY pre-med student, after he was accused of throwing a rock at a pro-Israeli protester during April 2024 demonstrations at Columbia University. The FDNY searched social media...
read Jul 18, 2025Accenture’s AI agent platform cuts VPN setup time by 93%
Accenture has built the Accenture Advanced Technology Agent (AATA), an agentic AI-powered integration platform that orchestrates IT operations across the global consulting firm's complex technology infrastructure. The platform, which earned the company a 2025 CIO 100 Award in IT Excellence, addresses the challenge of maintaining diverse technology portfolios while competing for increasingly rare technical talent. What you should know: AATA serves as an orchestration layer between Accenture's human workforce and technology platforms, enabling IT teams to resolve issues without filing tickets or connecting to agents. The platform currently operates more than 100 active agents and supports Accenture's roughly 800,000 employees...
read Jul 18, 2025xAI explores Gulf data center partnerships for cheaper AI infrastructure
Elon Musk's xAI is in talks with data center companies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE to lease computing capacity, as the billionaire seeks to expand his AI startup in regions with cheaper energy and more favorable regulations. The move reflects the growing global competition for AI infrastructure, with Gulf nations positioning themselves as key players in the artificial intelligence race through strategic investments and partnerships. What you should know: xAI is exploring multiple partnerships across the Gulf region to support its AI operations and Grok chatbot development. In Saudi Arabia, xAI is considering two potential partners: Public Investment Fund-backed...
read Jul 18, 2025Study reveals 12.8B-image AI dataset contains millions of personal documents
A new study reveals that DataComp CommonPool, one of the largest open-source AI training datasets with 12.8 billion samples, contains millions of images with personally identifiable information including passports, credit cards, birth certificates, and identifiable faces. The findings highlight a fundamental privacy crisis in AI development, as researchers estimate hundreds of millions of personal documents may be embedded in datasets used to train popular image generation models like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney. What you should know: Researchers audited just 0.1% of CommonPool's data and found thousands of validated identity documents and over 800 job application materials linked to real people....
read Jul 18, 2025ChatGPT may watermark AI images for free users only
OpenAI is testing watermarks on AI-generated images in ChatGPT, with evidence found in the Android beta version suggesting the feature may be limited to free users. The move could represent a significant shift in how AI companies monetize their image generation services, potentially forcing users to upgrade to paid plans to avoid watermarked content. What you should know: The watermark feature was discovered through code references and beta testing, though its final implementation remains unclear. Android Authority spotted a "save without watermark" option in the latest ChatGPT beta for Android, originally identified by X user Tibor Blaho who found "image-gen-watermark-for-free"...
read Jul 18, 2025Docker adds AI agent support to compose files for streamlined development
Docker has positioned itself as the central orchestration platform for AI agent development, extending its compose specification to include a new "models" element that allows developers to define AI agents, large language models, and Model Context Protocol tools within standard YAML files. This integration eliminates the fragmented development experience that has plagued enterprise AI projects, enabling teams to deploy complete agentic stacks with a single "docker compose up" command and treating AI agents as first-class citizens alongside traditional containerized applications. The big picture: Docker's strategy centers on supporting multiple AI agent frameworks simultaneously rather than favoring a single solution, integrating...
read Jul 18, 20251 in 3 Britons are fine with sharing sensitive data with AI chatbots
Nearly one in three Britons are sharing confidential personal information with AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, according to new research from cybersecurity company NymVPN. This widespread oversharing includes sensitive health, banking, and financial data, despite 48% of respondents expressing privacy concerns about AI tools, highlighting a concerning gap between awareness and behavior that extends into workplace environments. What you should know: The research reveals alarming patterns of data sharing across both personal and professional contexts. 30% of Britons have provided AI chatbots with confidential personal information, including health and banking data. 26% admitted to disclosing financial information related...
read Jul 18, 2025Netflix deploys AI for first time in original production to create visual effects for “The Eternauts”
Netflix has used generative artificial intelligence to create visual effects on screen for the first time in one of its original productions, according to co-CEO Ted Sarandos. The streaming giant deployed AI technology to generate a building collapse scene in the Argentine science fiction series "The Eternauts," marking a significant milestone in the entertainment industry's adoption of AI-generated content. What you should know: Netflix's use of generative AI represents the first time the company has incorporated AI-created visual effects into final footage for an original series or film. The AI technology was used specifically to create a scene showing a...
read Jul 18, 2025Meta poaches 2 Apple AI researchers for Superintelligence Labs team
Meta Platforms has hired two Apple AI researchers, Mark Lee and Tom Gunter, for its Superintelligence Labs team, according to Bloomberg. The recruitment follows Meta's recent poaching of Apple's AI chief, signaling an intensified talent war between the tech giants as they compete for top artificial intelligence expertise. What you should know: The hirings represent Meta's continued efforts to strengthen its AI capabilities by targeting Apple's research talent. Mark Lee has already started at Meta after leaving Apple in recent days, while Tom Gunter will begin work in the near future. Both researchers will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs team, which...
read Jul 18, 2025“Nobody could convince me it wasn’t her.” AI voice cloning scam costs Florida mom $15K.
A Florida woman was conned out of $15,000 by scammers who used artificial intelligence to clone her daughter's voice, convincing her that her daughter had killed someone in a car accident. The sophisticated scam highlights the growing threat of AI-powered voice cloning technology in criminal schemes, where scammers can now replicate loved ones' voices with alarming accuracy to exploit family bonds and trigger panic-driven financial decisions. How the scam unfolded: Sharon Brightwell received a call last Wednesday from what appeared to be her daughter April Monroe's phone number, with an AI-cloned voice claiming she had hit a pregnant woman while...
read Jul 18, 2025Meta taps AI executive Connor Hayes to lead Threads come September
Meta is handing off Threads to Connor Hayes, a longtime AI executive, marking the first time someone outside Instagram will lead the text-based social app. The leadership change, effective September 2025, signals Meta's growing commitment to treating Threads as a standalone platform rather than just an Instagram sidekick. What you should know: Hayes brings deep AI expertise to a platform that's been experimenting with AI-generated content in users' feeds.• Hayes previously served as head of generative AI product at Meta and was part of the original team that built the first version of Threads.• He's been with Meta since 2011,...
read Jul 17, 2025AI monitoring will become essential as society faces addiction crisis
Josh Mitchell, founder of Overlord, an AI monitoring service, argues that AI-powered 24/7 accountability partners will soon solve humanity's self-control crisis by monitoring behavior and implementing deterrence mechanisms. He believes these "AI Iron Domes" will become essential as society faces unprecedented challenges from job displacement and addictive AI superstimuli. The core premise: Most people's biggest life problems stem from lack of self-control, which could be solved with constant monitoring and gentle deterrence.• Mitchell uses obesity as an example, noting that 40% of Americans are obese and could lose 2 pounds per month simply by having someone suggest "medium fries" instead...
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, 2025Scammers use AI deepfakes of Indian chief minister to promote fake investment scheme
Scammers in India have used AI-generated deepfake technology to create a fraudulent video featuring Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu promoting a fake investment scheme. The incident highlights growing concerns about deepfake misuse in financial fraud, prompting government officials to warn of stern action against cyber criminals exploiting this technology. What happened: Cybercriminals created an AI-generated video of Chief Minister Naidu falsely endorsing an investment scam that promised massive returns for an initial investment of Rs 22,000 (approximately $260). The deepfake video was distributed across social media platforms, claiming that "one of India's most successful entrepreneurs has revealed how...
read Jul 17, 2025Google adds visual song search history to Circle to Search on Android
Google has added Song Search history to Circle to Search on Android, allowing users to view their recent music searches in an organized grid format. The feature, which was previously available only on iOS, provides a more visual way to track music identification history compared to the existing text-based activity log. What you should know: The new history feature appears as a clock icon in the top-right corner of Circle to Search's music interface. After tapping the music icon in Circle to Search, users can access "Recent song searches" showing cover art, song titles, artists, and search dates. The grid...
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, 2025Candy Crush maker King fires 200 workers to replace them with AI they built
Two major gaming companies recently demonstrated how not to handle AI-driven workforce changes, with King (maker of Candy Crush) laying off 200 employees to replace them with AI tools those same workers had built, and Microsoft's Xbox division posting AI-generated artwork for new job openings just after conducting layoffs. These incidents highlight a growing concern about how companies communicate and implement AI-driven changes while maintaining employee trust and morale. What happened at King: The mobile gaming giant announced layoffs affecting approximately 200 staff members, primarily targeting middle management and UX and narrative copywriting roles. Multiple sources inside King alleged that...
read Jul 17, 2025Digital health expert claims AI is colonizing human thought, likens it to a garden without weeds
A new essay by John Nosta, a digital health expert, explores how large language models are quietly reshaping human cognition through what he calls "cognitive colonization." Unlike traditional colonization through force, AI systems integrate into daily life by offering irresistible convenience and efficiency, gradually displacing natural thought processes and creativity. The big picture: Nosta argues that AI colonization happens without malice or intent, simply through the magnetic pull of systems that are "so smooth and endlessly accommodating" they naturally draw human thinking into their orbit. How cognitive colonization works: The process begins innocuously with small requests for help, but gradually...
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