Jun 24, 2025

Can you satisfy my query now? Verizon launches Gemini-powered AI customer service with 90% accuracy

Verizon has launched an AI-powered customer service assistant built on Google's Gemini technology, designed to handle complex customer inquiries through the revamped My Verizon app. The initiative represents a significant shift toward AI-driven customer support while maintaining human oversight, as the telecom giant seeks to streamline service operations and improve customer experience efficiency. What you should know: The new Verizon Assistant can manage a wide range of customer tasks that traditionally required human representatives. Customers can use the AI tool to manage upgrades, add new lines, ask billing questions, and find savings opportunities through the My Verizon app. The system...

read Jun 24, 2025

Only 32 countries have the computing power to build advanced AI as Africa hopes to catch up

New research reveals that artificial intelligence is creating a stark global digital divide, with just 32 countries possessing the computing power necessary to build cutting-edge AI systems. The uneven distribution of AI infrastructure is fracturing the world between nations with advanced data centers and those forced to rely on remote access, fundamentally reshaping global power dynamics in the digital age. The big picture: The European Union leads with 28 AI-capable data centers, followed by the US with 26 and China with 22, collectively housing more than half of the world's most powerful facilities mapped in the Oxford University study. The...

read Jun 24, 2025

Huawei’s CloudMatrix-Infer outpaces Nvidia H100 with 384 AI chips

Huawei unveiled CloudMatrix-Infer, a massive AI inference system featuring 384 Ascend 910C NPUs and 192 Kunpeng CPUs interconnected through a 2.8Tbps Unified Bus architecture. The system represents Huawei's most ambitious challenge to Nvidia's AI infrastructure dominance, offering superior throughput performance while demonstrating the company's complete vertical AI stack from silicon to software. What you should know: CloudMatrix-Infer delivers impressive performance metrics that outpace Nvidia's H100 chips on similar workloads. The system achieves 6,688 tokens/sec prefill and 1,943 decode/sec per NPU, surpassing Nvidia H100 performance on comparable tasks. Huawei compensates for individual chip limitations by networking five times more processors than...

read Jun 24, 2025

Online training wheels come off as Google DeepMind launches cloudless robot AI

Google DeepMind has released Gemini Robotics On-Device, a new AI model that enables robots to operate completely offline without requiring cloud connectivity. This standalone vision-language-action (VLA) model represents a significant step toward truly autonomous robots that can perform complex tasks like tying shoes or folding shirts while maintaining privacy and reliability in environments with poor internet connectivity. What you should know: The new on-device model eliminates the cloud dependency that limited previous versions of Google's robotics AI. Unlike the hybrid system that required both local and cloud-based processing, this standalone model runs entirely on the robot itself. The model maintains...

read Jun 24, 2025

CIOs shift from mass AI experiments to focused deployment strategy

CIOs are abandoning the "shotgun approach" to AI experimentation, dramatically reducing the number of proof-of-concept projects they launch after experiencing high failure rates and disappointing returns on investment. Organizations that previously ran hundreds of AI pilots are now focusing on just 30 strategic initiatives, with individual business units limiting themselves to three to five targeted experiments that align closely with operational needs. The big picture: The era of widespread AI experimentation is giving way to a more disciplined approach as companies realize that focused, outcome-driven deployments deliver better results than casting a wide net. An April 2024 IDC survey found...

read Jun 24, 2025

Augmented Retail: Walmart built internal AI platform serving 1.5M associates daily

Walmart has built Element, an internal AI foundry platform that now serves 1.5 million associates across its operations, handling 3 million daily queries from 900,000 weekly users. Rather than buying enterprise AI solutions, the retail giant created a manufacturing-style approach to AI development that treats applications like products rolling off an assembly line, fundamentally changing how large enterprises can deploy artificial intelligence at scale. What you should know: Element's foundry model eliminates traditional AI deployment cycles by standardizing the entire development process from conception to production. The platform is LLM-agnostic, allowing Walmart to select the most cost-effective model for each...

read Jun 24, 2025

Seattle’s new AI travel assistant speaks 45 languages for global tourists

Visit Seattle has launched Emerald, an AI-powered travel planning tool developed in partnership with GuideGeek technology from Matador Network, a travel media company. The AI assistant provides personalized recommendations and itinerary planning for Seattle visitors, leveraging extensive local data and supporting over 45 languages to enhance accessibility for international travelers. What you should know: Emerald serves as Visit Seattle's digital concierge, trained on comprehensive destination data and enhanced by GuideGeek's award-winning technology platform. The AI tool draws from Visit Seattle's extensive database of landmarks, festivals, restaurants, and hidden gems, plus over 1,000 travel information integrations from GuideGeek. Visitors can access...

read Jun 24, 2025

Persona blocks 75M deepfake attempts as AI hiring fraud targets US companies

San Francisco-based identity verification platform Persona has expanded its workforce screening capabilities to combat AI-powered hiring fraud, introducing new tools specifically designed to detect deepfakes and fake candidates during remote interviews. The enhanced solution addresses a growing crisis where foreign actors, including North Korean state-sponsored groups, use sophisticated AI tools to infiltrate American businesses through fraudulent job applications. The big picture: Remote work has created an unprecedented vulnerability in corporate hiring, with AI-generated fake candidates now capable of passing video interviews and fooling HR professionals into extending job offers. Persona blocked over 75 million AI-based face spoofing attempts across its...

read Jun 24, 2025

Think locally, scrape globally: Web scraping gets easier with Oxylabs’ 175M proxy pool and AI tools

ZDNET's David Gewirtz tested Oxylabs, a web scraping proxy service that offers over 175 million residential proxies across 195 countries, significantly outpacing competitors like IPRoyal (32 million) and MarsProxies (1 million). The platform combines extensive proxy infrastructure with AI-powered data parsing tools, positioning it as a comprehensive solution for enterprise-scale web scraping operations. What you should know: Oxylabs distinguishes itself through both scale and ethical sourcing practices in the competitive proxy services market. The company maintains 175 million residential proxies across 195 countries, dwarfing competitors' offerings. Residential proxy access is obtained ethically by paying computer owners small amounts for bandwidth...

read Jun 24, 2025

Why AI robots struggle with basic tasks that toddlers master easily

The tech industry stands at a potential inflection point where AI-powered robotics could finally deliver on decades-old promises of household automation and physical assistance. While consumer robotics remained largely unfulfilled during previous computing revolutions, experts now believe AI capabilities may bridge the gap between digital intelligence and physical world applications, potentially addressing labor shortages in caregiving and domestic work. The big picture: Industry leaders frame this moment as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where AI-enabled robots could perform complex physical tasks like household chores and elderly care. Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, describes this transformation as...

read Jun 24, 2025

Google expands AI Mode to India as first international market

Google has expanded its AI Mode search experience to India, marking the first international rollout of the advanced AI-powered search tool since its March announcement. This expansion follows the wide US launch at I/O 2025 and represents Google's push to bring more sophisticated AI search capabilities to international markets, starting with one of its largest user bases. What you should know: AI Mode offers significantly more advanced capabilities than traditional Google Search or AI Overviews. The tool is powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.5 and uses a "query fan-out technique that breaks your question into subtopics and issues...

read Jun 24, 2025

Google to launch 50+ AI satellites for 15-minute wildfire detection

Google has partnered with nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance and satellite manufacturer Muon Space to launch Fire Sat, a constellation of specialized wildfire-tracking satellites that will use AI to detect fires in their earliest stages. The initiative aims to deploy 50+ satellites by 2029, capturing images of fire-prone areas every 15 minutes and processing the data through Google's machine learning systems to distinguish actual fires from false positives like hot roofs or reflected sunlight. What you should know: Fire Sat represents Google's ambitious entry into space-based wildfire monitoring, combining satellite technology with AI processing to transform early fire detection. The first...

read Jun 24, 2025

Newsweek’s AI Impact Summit showcases how 130 leaders implement AI across industries

Newsweek's AI Impact Summit 2025 brought together 130 industry experts and leaders to discuss AI implementation, scaling, and governance across organizations. Google Cloud COO Francis deSouza emphasized that AI will touch every part of companies, requiring strategic workforce development and placing a premium on employee curiosity and experimentation skills. What you should know: The summit focused on demonstrating practical AI value rather than extreme predictions about AI's future impact. Newsweek Contributing Editor Marcus Weldon opened by explaining how AI conversations typically fall into extremes of either saving or ending humanity, with the goal being to "find rational value" without being...

read Jun 24, 2025

Mood reading, translation and more: 5 AI capabilities Hollywood normalized but tech hasn’t mastered yet

Artificial intelligence in popular culture has long promised capabilities that remain tantalizingly out of reach. From the prescient HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey to the empathetic Samantha in Her, Hollywood has painted a picture of AI that seamlessly integrates into human life, anticipating needs and responding with almost supernatural intelligence. While today's AI systems can generate human-like text, recognize images, and even create art, they still fall short of the intuitive, context-aware assistants that populate our screens. The gap between cinematic AI and current technology reveals fascinating insights into both our aspirations for artificial intelligence and the complex...

read Jun 24, 2025

Maing it personal: Google facilitates AI Mode prompts using your search history

Google is now personalizing AI Mode prompt suggestions based on users' search history to encourage more people to try the feature. This targeted approach replaces the generic prompts previously shown to all users, making the suggestions more relevant and likely to drive engagement with Google's AI-powered search experience. What you should know: The personalized prompts appear under "Based on your Google activity" and refresh each time users visit the "Meet AI Mode" page through various entry points. Previous generic suggestions included prompts about gym offers, mattress comparisons, and staycation ideas that were identical for all users. The new system generates...

read Jun 23, 2025

Autodidactic tactic: MIT researchers create AI that teaches itself by generating training data

Researchers at MIT have developed SEAL (Self-Adapting Language Models), a framework that enables large language models to continuously learn and adapt by generating their own training data and update instructions. This breakthrough addresses a critical limitation in current AI systems, allowing models to permanently absorb new knowledge rather than relying on temporary retrieval methods—a capability that could transform enterprise AI applications where agents must constantly evolve in dynamic environments. How it works: SEAL uses reinforcement learning to train LLMs to generate "self-edits"—natural-language instructions that specify how the model should update its own weights. The framework operates on a two-loop system...

read Jun 23, 2025

Salesforce launches Agentforce 3 with real-time monitoring tools

Salesforce has launched Agentforce 3, a major upgrade to its AI agent platform that introduces comprehensive observability tools and support for emerging interoperability standards. The release addresses critical enterprise challenges around AI agent deployment at scale, with new features including a Command Center for real-time monitoring and native Model Context Protocol (MCP) support that enables secure connections across hundreds of business tools without custom coding. What you should know: Enterprise adoption of AI agents is accelerating rapidly, with Salesforce reporting 233% usage growth in six months and over 8,000 customers now deploying the technology. Early adopters are seeing measurable returns:...

read Jun 23, 2025

What do the Lakers have to do with loving BBQ ribs? Deloitte, AWS use AI to decode sports fan behavior

Deloitte and AWS are leveraging AI to analyze sports fandom and consumer behavior through Deloitte's Converge service, which synthesizes massive amounts of data to create highly personalized fan profiles. The collaboration demonstrates how AI-powered analytics can unlock deeper insights into consumer preferences across multiple industries, with media and entertainment identified as the next frontier for expansion. What you should know: Converge by Deloitte uses AI and propensity modeling to create granular profiles of sports fans, helping brands understand the intersection of team loyalty, league preferences, and consumer behavior. The service targets what marketers call "that Venn diagram of the team,...

read Jun 23, 2025

Rise of the AI wingman, er, person: 26% of US singles now use AI for dating assistance

A recent survey reveals that 26% of single U.S. adults—and nearly half of Gen Z—are now using artificial intelligence to enhance their dating lives, from crafting messages to selecting photos. This surge in AI-assisted romance comes as traditional dating apps face declining revenue and user fatigue, potentially forcing the industry toward a fundamental transformation that could paradoxically drive people back to in-person connections. What you should know: AI is becoming the digital wingperson many singles didn't realize they needed, with users leveraging the technology across multiple aspects of online dating. People are using AI to select attractive photos, write clever...

read Jun 23, 2025

Cruz’s AI regulation ban survives Senate vote despite GOP pushback

Senator Ted Cruz's proposal to penalize states that regulate artificial intelligence has survived a key procedural hurdle but faces significant Republican opposition and has been substantially weakened. The Senate parliamentarian ruled that Cruz's modified plan can move forward without requiring 60 votes, though the provision now only threatens to cut states off from a new $500 million AI fund rather than the entire $42 billion broadband deployment program. What you should know: Cruz's original proposal would have imposed a devastating 10-year moratorium on state AI laws by blocking access to federal broadband funding. The Texas senator initially wanted to make...

read Jun 23, 2025

Judge weighs in on OpenAI’s $6.5B Jony Ive partnership and trademark dispute

OpenAI has temporarily removed all mentions of its $6.5 billion partnership with legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive from its website following a federal judge's ruling in favor of a trademark dispute. The legal challenge comes from IYO, an AI hardware startup that claims OpenAI's "io Products" branding infringes on its trademark, forcing the tech giant to halt marketing efforts for the high-profile collaboration until an October hearing. What you should know: U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ruled that IYO has a strong enough case to proceed, issuing a temporary restraining order against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and Jony Ive. The...

read Jun 23, 2025

Lexicon 101: Six AI terms every content creator needs to know in 2025

The content creation landscape has fundamentally shifted. Artificial intelligence now powers everything from Instagram caption generation to podcast transcription, yet many creators still approach these tools like mysterious black boxes. Understanding AI terminology isn't about becoming a computer scientist—it's about unlocking strategic advantages that can transform how you create, scale, and monetize content. The creators thriving in this new environment share a common trait: they speak AI fluently enough to extract maximum value from these tools. They understand not just what buttons to press, but why certain approaches work better than others. This knowledge gap between AI-fluent creators and those...

read Jun 23, 2025

Psychology professor warns AI dependency mirrors addiction—here’s why that matters

A Psychology Today analysis examines how AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are reshaping individual behavior through the lens of behavioral psychology, arguing that while AI provides instant gratification, it may be undermining critical thinking and authentic communication skills. The big picture: AI systems reinforce certain behaviors while inadvertently discouraging others, potentially creating what Michael Karson, a psychology professor, describes as a drug-like dependency where users get immediate satisfaction but miss developing essential life skills. What gets reinforced: AI strengthens the pleasure of discovery and knowledge-sharing behaviors that have biological survival value. Richard Feynman's concept of "the pleasure of finding...

read Jun 23, 2025

Huawei unveils 6 strategies to dial in 5G-A networks monetization

Telecom operators worldwide face a familiar challenge: they've invested billions in 5G infrastructure, but generating meaningful revenue from these networks remains elusive. Now, Huawei's carrier business group is pushing a new strategy centered on 5G-Advanced (5G-A)—an enhanced version of 5G that promises faster speeds, lower latency, and more sophisticated network management capabilities. Speaking at MWC Shanghai 2025, James Chen, president of Huawei's carrier business group, outlined how operators can finally unlock the revenue potential of their 5G investments. His message was clear: the window for 5G-A monetization is open, but success requires strategic focus on differentiated services, industry-specific solutions, and...

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