Jun 18, 2025

Google Cloud partners with WWT to centralize NBA player performance data

Google Cloud has partnered with World Wide Technology (WWT), a technology solutions provider, to develop an AI-powered playbook for an unnamed NBA franchise, aiming to unify previously siloed data on player performance and health. The collaboration addresses the need for better data interoperability in professional sports, enabling coaches, medics, and sports scientists to make more informed decisions about game strategy and player workloads. What you should know: The AI platform centralizes data that was previously scattered across different systems, making it easier for team staff to access comprehensive player insights. Team members including coaches, medics, and sports scientists will gain...

read Jun 18, 2025

Firm handshake goes limp: Microsoft to cut thousands of sales jobs amid $80B AI spending

Microsoft is planning to cut thousands of jobs, primarily targeting sales roles, as the tech giant restructures its workforce while dramatically increasing AI investments, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday. The layoffs represent the latest cost-cutting measure as Microsoft allocates $80 billion in capital expenditure this fiscal year, mostly for expanding data centers to support AI services. What you should know: The job cuts follow Microsoft's previous round of layoffs in May, which affected approximately 6,000 employees. The layoffs are expected to be announced early next month, following the end of Microsoft's fiscal year. While sales teams will be the primary focus,...

read Jun 18, 2025

Minnesota State launches first robotics degree and AI master’s program

Minnesota State University has launched a bachelor's degree program in robotics engineering and a master's degree in artificial intelligence, both starting this fall with an expected enrollment of 25 students each. The robotics program represents the first and only robotics degree offered in Minnesota, while the AI master's program is the first graduate-level AI program in the Minnesota State system, positioning the university to address growing industry demand for specialized tech professionals. What you should know: These programs directly respond to workforce shortages in rapidly expanding technology sectors. The robotics engineering bachelor's degree is a four-year program designed to meet...

read Jun 18, 2025

OpenAI researchers fix models, offer rehab for AI that develops “bad boy” personas

OpenAI researchers have discovered how AI models develop a "bad boy persona" when exposed to malicious fine-tuning and demonstrated methods to rehabilitate them back to proper alignment. The breakthrough addresses "emergent misalignment," where models trained on problematic data begin generating harmful content even from benign prompts, and shows this dangerous behavior can be both detected and reversed with relatively simple interventions. What you should know: The misalignment occurs when models shift into undesirable personality types by training on untrue or problematic information, but the underlying "bad personas" actually originate from questionable content in the original pre-training data. Models fine-tuned on...

read Jun 18, 2025

No man is an island, but AI can be. Sensay creates world’s first AI government in the Philippines.

Sensay, a creator of AI-powered digital replicas, has purchased a real island off the Philippines coast and established what it claims is the world's first AI-powered government. The company has appointed historical figures like Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius as president and Winston Churchill as prime minister to run "Sensay Island," positioning this as a demonstration of AI's potential in governance free from political partisanship. What you should know: The AI government consists entirely of digital replicas of historical figures, each trained on their respective writings, philosophies, and speeches. Marcus Aurelius serves as Head of State, with Winston Churchill as Prime...

read Jun 18, 2025

Indian police arrest man for deepfake video targeting chief minister

Odisha police have arrested a construction worker for creating and sharing an AI-generated deepfake video depicting Chief Minister Mohan Majhi in an obscene manner on Facebook. The arrest marks another case in India's growing crackdown on AI-generated content used for defamation and harassment, highlighting the challenges law enforcement faces with synthetic media. What happened: The Cyber Crime Unit of Odisha Crime Branch arrested Kishore Kausalya, a construction company employee from Rayagada district, following a complaint about the morphed video. The fake video was designed to defame the Chief Minister and "tarnish his image in the eyes of the public," according...

read Jun 18, 2025

Older adults eager to learn AI but face access barriers amid $40B scam threat

Age UK workshops revealed that older adults are eager to learn about artificial intelligence but face accessibility barriers rather than disinterest in the technology. The findings challenge assumptions about senior digital literacy and highlight the need for inclusive AI education as deepfake scams targeting vulnerable populations are projected to cost $40 billion by 2027. What you should know: Workshop participants demonstrated surprising familiarity with AI technologies, ranging from sophisticated smart home setups to complete unfamiliarity with basic concepts. One attendee used 10 Alexa devices connected to his doorbell and voice commands for lighting control, showing high digital literacy among some...

read Jun 18, 2025

Edgnex invests $2.3B in 144MW AI data center for Jakarta

Edgnex Data Centers will invest $2.3 billion to build a 144MW AI-focused data center in Jakarta, Indonesia, marking one of Southeast Asia's largest AI infrastructure projects. The facility addresses critical infrastructure gaps in Indonesia while supporting the company's broader strategy to reach over 300MW capacity across Southeast Asia by 2026. What you should know: The new Jakarta facility represents Edgnex's second data center project in Indonesia and is designed specifically for AI workloads. • The site was acquired in March 2025 and is currently in early construction phases, with Phase one expected to go live by December 2026. • Once...

read Jun 18, 2025

Claude Code integrates with third-party tools through MCP connections

Anthropic has expanded its Model Context Protocol (MCP) capabilities by allowing developers to integrate Claude Code with any remote MCP servers. This development builds on the growing industry adoption of MCP, which Anthropic pioneered as an open standard for connecting AI assistants to data systems, and has since been embraced by Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google. What you should know: Claude Code can now access third-party services including development tools and project management systems through MCP integration. Developers can pull information from desired sources securely and efficiently, creating personalized workflows that leverage specific tools or data sources directly within Claude Code....

read Jun 18, 2025

Google’s Veo 3 AI will let creators generate videos inside YouTube Shorts

Google will integrate its Veo 3 AI video generator with YouTube Shorts this summer, allowing creators to produce AI-generated content directly within the platform's short-form video format. The move capitalizes on YouTube Shorts' explosive growth, with viewership increasing 186% over the past year to reach 200 billion daily views. Why this matters: This integration could dramatically expand AI-generated content creation, making sophisticated video generation accessible to millions of creators while potentially transforming how short-form content is produced and consumed. The numbers behind Shorts' success: YouTube Shorts has outpaced the platform's overall growth trajectory, establishing itself as a dominant force in...

read Jun 18, 2025

Tribeca Studios partners with OpenAI for 2026 AI filmmaker program

Tribeca Studios, the film production arm of the renowned Tribeca Festival, has partnered with OpenAI to launch an AI-integrated short film program for the 2026 Tribeca Festival, selecting two filmmakers to create live-action shorts using OpenAI's artificial intelligence tools. The collaboration builds on last year's successful Sora Shorts initiative and positions Tribeca at the forefront of AI-enhanced filmmaking, offering selected participants funding, training, and mentorship alongside access to cutting-edge AI technology. What you should know: The year-long program will culminate with premieres at the 2026 festival, accompanied by discussions about AI's role in filmmaking. Selected filmmakers will receive comprehensive support...

read Jun 18, 2025

Salesforce embeds AI agents across platform with Agentforce Summer ’25 update

Salesforce has rolled out its Summer '25 update for Agentforce, introducing embedded AI capabilities, multimodal support, and industry-specific agents designed to automate enterprise workflows beyond pilot projects. The comprehensive upgrade positions Agentforce as a no-code AI engine woven directly into core business functions, targeting enterprises ready to deploy AI for real-world digital execution across sales, employee support, and industry-specific use cases. What you should know: The Summer '25 release transforms Agentforce from a modular tool into a comprehensive AI platform embedded across Salesforce's entire ecosystem. Sales Cloud now automatically suggests and applies CRM field updates, including "Next Steps" and "Stage"...

read Jun 18, 2025

SandboxAQ releases 5.2M synthetic molecules to accelerate AI drug discovery

SandboxAQ, an AI startup spun out of Google and backed by Nvidia, has released a massive dataset of 5.2 million synthetic molecular structures designed to accelerate drug discovery by predicting how pharmaceutical compounds bind to proteins. This computational approach could dramatically reduce the time and cost of identifying promising drug candidates by using AI to simulate what traditionally required extensive laboratory experiments. What you should know: The dataset represents a breakthrough in computational drug discovery, combining traditional scientific computing with modern AI capabilities. SandboxAQ generated the synthetic molecules using Nvidia's chips and existing experimental data, creating three-dimensional molecular structures that...

read Jun 18, 2025

Airfairness launches AI tool for delayed, cancelled flights that checks compensation claims in 2 minutes

Airfairness has launched Flight Navigator, an AI-powered tool that determines flight compensation eligibility in under two minutes, following the company's acquisition of FlightorFight.ai through an 11-comment LinkedIn exchange. The Toronto-based startup, named Collision 2024's #1 startup to watch in 2025, is positioning itself to capture a share of the $350 million in potential daily flight compensation claims. What you should know: Flight Navigator simplifies the complex process of determining compensation eligibility for delayed or cancelled flights. The tool checks passenger itineraries against international passenger rights legislation in Canada and Europe, informing travelers if they might be eligible for up to...

read Jun 18, 2025

Former Cloudflare exec launches archive of pre-AI human content in time capsule-style move

Former Cloudflare executive John Graham-Cumming has launched lowbackgroundsteel.ai, a catalog that preserves pre-2022 human-generated content from before widespread AI contamination began. The archive draws its name from scientists who once sought "low-background steel" from pre-nuclear shipwrecks to avoid radiation contamination, creating a parallel between nuclear fallout and AI-generated content polluting the internet. The big picture: The project treats pre-AI content as a precious commodity, recognizing that distinguishing between human and machine-generated material has become increasingly difficult since ChatGPT's November 2022 launch. Why this matters: AI contamination has already forced at least one major research project to shut down entirely—wordfreq, a...

read Jun 18, 2025

Shrek-approved: AI app helps visitors identify adopted donkeys at sanctuary

University of Southampton researchers have developed an AI-powered mobile app that can identify individual donkeys at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary using smartphone cameras. The innovation solves a practical problem for visitors who adopt donkeys but can no longer identify their chosen animals after the sanctuary removed name collars for safety reasons in 2023. How it works: The app, called Ask ELVIS (Equine Long-range Visual Identification System), uses machine learning to distinguish between donkeys based on a library of hundreds of photographs taken from every angle. Visitors point their phone camera at a donkey, and the app identifies the...

read Jun 18, 2025

Embrace AI or else? Amazon CEO warns AI will reduce corporate workforce in coming years

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has warned employees that artificial intelligence will reduce the company's corporate workforce over the next few years, urging staff to "embrace AI" or risk being left behind. The memo signals a major shift for one of the world's largest employers, which directly employs over 1.5 million people globally, as tech giants increasingly prioritize AI-driven efficiency over human labor. What you should know: Jassy explicitly told Amazon employees that AI adoption will lead to workforce reductions through efficiency gains. "We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people...

read Jun 18, 2025

 J’accuse: Authors post TikTok videos to prove their books aren’t AI-generated

Authors across TikTok are posting videos of their writing processes to combat accusations of using AI to generate their books, with bestselling author Victoria Aveyard leading the charge by sharing footage of herself editing a 1,000-page manuscript. This digital defense movement reflects growing tensions in the publishing industry as writers struggle to distinguish human-created work from AI-generated content amid an influx of self-published authors and concerns about artificial intelligence infiltrating traditional publishing deals. What you should know: High-profile authors are using social media to prove their work is human-generated after facing AI accusations from readers and fellow writers. Victoria Aveyard,...

read Jun 18, 2025

Newsweek names 38 companies as winners in first AI Impact Awards

Newsweek has announced the winners of its inaugural AI Impact Awards, recognizing 38 companies across 13 categories for their innovative use of artificial intelligence. The awards highlight how AI is transforming industries from healthcare to finance, with companies being celebrated for solving practical challenges through responsible AI implementation. What you should know: The competition drew entries from diverse sectors, with a panel of 56 expert judges evaluating submissions based on real-world impact and innovation. Healthcare led with five winners, followed by education with four recipients. Every Cure, a nonprofit identifying new uses for FDA-approved medications, won both the overall Best...

read Jun 18, 2025

Hands off! Meta offers $100M signing bonuses to poach OpenAI talent

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has offered $100 million signing bonuses to recruit his company's employees, highlighting the intense competition for top AI talent. The aggressive recruitment strategy reflects Meta's push to build its superintelligence unit and catch up with competitors in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape. What they're saying: Altman disclosed the recruitment attempts during an appearance on the Uncapped podcast hosted by his brother. "They (Meta) started making giant offers to a lot of people on our team," Altman said. "You know, like $100 million signing bonuses, more than that...

read Jun 18, 2025

Google Meet adds AI-generated backgrounds powered by Gemini. Here’s how to partake.

Google Meet has quietly rolled out one of its most engaging new features: AI-generated backgrounds powered by Gemini, Google's advanced artificial intelligence assistant. This capability transforms the standard video conferencing experience by letting users create custom, unique backgrounds through simple text prompts rather than choosing from the same tired selection of conference rooms and coffee shops that everyone else uses. For professionals spending significant portions of their workday in virtual meetings, this represents more than just visual novelty. Custom AI backgrounds offer a way to maintain professional presentation standards while adding personality to remote interactions. Rather than cycling through Google...

read Jun 18, 2025

Pokémon goes wellness: Google’s Veo 3 AI-generated ASMR videos rack up millions of views

AI-generated ASMR videos using Google's Veo 3 are gaining millions of views on platforms like TikTok, featuring surreal content like glass fruit being sliced and people eating molten rock. While these videos trigger some viewers' relaxation responses, they lack the human intimacy that traditional ASMR enthusiasts value, creating a divisive new category in the wellness content space. What you should know: Google's Veo 3 Fast has become the most popular AI video generator for creating ASMR content, producing 720p videos at double the speed of standard models. Gemini Pro users can create three videos per day, while Flow Pro users...

read Jun 18, 2025

MIT breakthrough makes gallium nitride chips affordable for everyday electronics

MIT researchers have developed a breakthrough fabrication process that integrates high-performance gallium nitride transistors onto standard silicon chips using a low-cost, scalable method compatible with existing semiconductor foundries. This innovation could significantly improve the speed and energy efficiency of electronics ranging from smartphones to quantum computers by combining the best properties of both materials without the prohibitive costs typically associated with gallium nitride integration. Why this matters: Gallium nitride is the second most widely used semiconductor after silicon, but its high cost and specialized integration requirements have limited commercial adoption despite superior performance characteristics for high-speed communications and power electronics....

read Jun 18, 2025

Canva integrates Google’s Veo 3 AI video generator for $15/month

Canva has integrated Google's Veo 3 AI video generation technology into its design platform, allowing paid subscribers to create eight-second video clips with synchronized audio directly within their projects. The integration extends Canva's AI-powered creative suite and provides users with more affordable access to advanced video generation capabilities compared to Google's direct pricing. What you should know: Veo 3 video generation is now available across all Canva paid plans and the company's Leonardo.Ai platform. Users can generate eight-second video clips complete with synchronized audio that integrates seamlessly into existing Canva projects. The feature is part of Canva's broader AI toolkit,...

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