AI funding rounds, acquisitions, partnerships and leadership changes, plus regulation, copyright lawsuits and big compute deals.
Apple just banned employees from using ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot over concerns that confidential code or project data could be leaked or sucked into model training. Even with chat history turned off, OpenAI keeps conversations for 30 days. Apple now joins the likes of JPMorgan and Amazon in locking down generative AI on the job.
Meta just introduced its first custom silicon for artificial intelligence, the Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA). Designed specifically for deep learning recommendation models and integrated with PyTorch, the chip is up to three times more power-efficient than GPUs per watt. While it trails Nvidia GPUs on more complex neural networks, it signals Meta's serious push to design its own compute infrastructure.
Telecom giant BT just announced plans to slash up to 55,000 jobs by 2030, reducing its total workforce from 130,000 down to a much leaner operation. Up to a fifth of those cuts will hit customer service roles replaced by AI and automated tech. Chief executive Philip Jansen noted that generative AI tools like ChatGPT give the company confidence to automate faster.
Google is preparing to deploy its new PaLM 2 model across its advertising engine and YouTube, according to internal documents reported by CNBC. Advertisers will be able to automatically generate media assets, while YouTube creators can get AI-suggested video concepts and titles. Faced with cooling revenue growth, Google is racing to turn generative AI into a direct moneymaker.
A Texas college professor gave zero marks to over half his graduating class after pasting their essays into ChatGPT, which falsely claimed it had generated them. ChatGPT was never built to detect AI content, forcing the university to step in and confirm no students would actually fail or lose their diplomas.
OpenAI is now going after developers who put "GPT" in their domain names. A developer revealed on Hacker News that brand protection firm BrandShield sent a takedown notice over an unused domain containing "GPT". OpenAI warns that putting model names directly in site titles or URLs risks confusing consumers, meaning projects can only use phrases like "Powered by GPT".
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman just called for strict government regulation in a Senate hearing. He proposed a licensing and registration system for powerful AI models, alongside mandatory safety evaluations before release. It is a proactive push by OpenAI to shape the emerging legal playbook.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just pushed back against Elon Musk's claim that Microsoft controls OpenAI through its multibillion-dollar investment. Nadella clarified that Microsoft only holds a non-controlling interest and commercial partnership, while a non-profit board steers the startup. He added that smaller players still have plenty of room to take on tech giants.
Elon Musk just claimed in a CNBC interview that he is the reason OpenAI exists, arguing he came up with the name, recruited key talent, and invested roughly $50 million. Musk also warned that the startup no longer prioritizes AI safety and is effectively controlled by Microsoft, an assertion Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella strongly denied.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman just testified before a Senate subcommittee for the first time, urging lawmakers to create dedicated regulatory agencies and licensing systems for advanced AI models. Senators pledged not to repeat the past mistakes made with social media, praising Altman's cooperative stance as night and day compared to other Big Tech executives.
Google just teamed up with Taito to announce SPACE INVADERS: World Defense, an AR mobile game launching later this summer. Powered by ARCore and Geospatial Creator, it turns your local neighborhood, landmarks, and weather into a 3D alien shooting gallery.
Wendy's just teamed up with Google to launch 'Wendy's FreshAI,' an automated chatbot built to take drive-thru orders. Trained on internal slang like 'JBC,' the bot begins pilot testing at a Columbus, Ohio location in June with human workers monitoring the line.
Spotify just yanked tens of thousands of tracks generated by AI startup Boomy, wiping out about 7% of the platform's catalog. The takedown came after Universal Music flagged suspicious bot activity aimed at inflating play counts and siphoning streaming royalties. Spotify confirmed it took action to protect honest artists from artificial streaming scams.
Google just partnered with implant maker Cochlear and hearing research groups to develop personalized hearing devices using AI. The technology isolates and separates specific voices from background chaos, making conversations much easier to follow in crowded restaurants and transit.
Geoffrey Hinton just warned that artificial intelligence poses an existential risk that could end up being more urgent to humanity than climate change. Unlike global warming, where the fix is simply stopping carbon emissions, Hinton argued that no one currently knows how to control advanced AI. While calling proposals for a development pause completely unrealistic, he stressed that massive resources must be poured into finding solutions immediately.
Warren Buffett just compared the rise of AI to the creation of the atomic bomb at Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting. After getting a ChatGPT demo from Bill Gates, the legendary investor warned that once such disruptive technology is unleashed, it can never be un-invented—forever altering the modern world.
Google is working on "Project Magi" to transform its search engine beyond the classic 10 blue links, adding conversational AI and short-form video content. Facing pressure from ChatGPT and TikTok, the new design focuses on queries with no single right answer. It will initially test with one million U.S. users.
Microsoft is reportedly teaming up with AMD to boost the AI capabilities of AMD GPUs, offering engineering resources to help break Nvidia’s near-monopoly on hardware. A more competitive hardware market could dramatically slash server costs for running large generative models. Microsoft, however, flatly denied that AMD is involved with its internal Athena AI chip.
Hollywood screenwriters just walked off the job, with artificial intelligence sitting right at the center of the dispute. The Writers Guild of America proposed strict bans on studios using AI to write scripts or train models, but studios countered with an offer of mere annual check-ins. Why it matters: Writers fear studios will use AI to churn out cheap first drafts and hire humans at bargain rates to polish the mess.
Vice President Kamala Harris is summoning the CEOs of Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic to the White House this Thursday for a frank discussion on AI risks. Top administration officials will push for guardrails and ethical standards to mitigate potential fallout. Basically, Washington wants proof that these models are safe before they are unleashed to the wider public.
