Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis just confirmed that the viral leaked memo claiming tech giants have "no moat" against open-source AI is genuine. But he pushed back on the gloomy forecast, arguing that the newly united Google Brain and DeepMind teams are poised to lead the next decade of breakthroughs.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT saw desktop and mobile web visits drop 9.7% in June, marking its first traffic decline since launch, according to Similarweb data. The dip likely stems from summer break for students and initial curiosity fading, though traffic may also just be migrating to its new iOS app. Why it matters: even with the drop, ChatGPT still easily crushes rivals like Google's Bard.
OpenAI just disabled the Browse with Bing beta in ChatGPT after discovering users were using it to bypass paywalls. When asked for a specific URL's full text, the bot inadvertently served gated articles for free. OpenAI took it down to fix the loophole and respect content owners.
Inflection AI just raised a staggering $1.3 billion in a new funding round led by Microsoft, Bill Gates, and Nvidia, pushing its valuation to $4 billion. The startup is partnering with CoreWeave and Nvidia to build an unprecedented 22,000 H100 GPU cluster to train models for its personal assistant, Pi.
Microsoft just rolled out a suite of AI-powered shopping features across Bing and Edge to streamline product research. The new tools generate custom buying guides with side-by-side spec comparisons and use Bing Chat to condense web reviews into key pros and cons. Edge is also adding price tracking to help claim price matches. Review summaries are rolling out globally now.
OpenAI just rolled out its Browsing feature to the iOS and Android ChatGPT apps for Plus subscribers, though all queries run exclusively through Bing. The update lets GPT-4 pull fresh information beyond its 2021 training cutoff straight into mobile chats. Why it matters: Mobile research just got much more useful, but users are entirely locked into Microsoft's search ecosystem.
Baidu just upgraded its foundation model to Ernie 3.5, claiming it beats ChatGPT and GPT 4 on multiple Chinese language benchmark tests. The update also adds plugin support, letting Ernie Bot connect directly to tools like Baidu search. While it still trails OpenAI on English and broad academic tests, Baidu is pushing hard to defend its home turf.
A new survey from The Verge and Vox Media shows that only one in three Americans has tried a dedicated AI tool, with usage heavily skewed toward younger generations for tasks like brainstorming and answering questions. Yet, over 76% of respondents want government regulations and mandatory labeling for AI-generated content. Why it matters: Public curiosity is high, but people are anxious enough about disruption and extinction risks to demand rules before the tech gets away from us.
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis revealed that the team is building Gemini, a flagship model designed to surpass OpenAI's GPT-4. By integrating AlphaGo-style reinforcement learning and tree search, DeepMind aims to equip the system with advanced planning and problem-solving skills, taking on ChatGPT directly.
Cybersecurity firm Group-IB just revealed that over 100,000 stolen ChatGPT credentials have surfaced on dark web marketplaces. OpenAI pushed back, clarifying that the logs came from malware on user devices rather than a platform breach. Why it matters: Stolen accounts expose stored chat logs, potentially leaking proprietary code and sensitive company secrets.
Google just started rolling out its Duet AI-powered "Help me organize" feature to Google Sheets for Workspace Labs testers. A new side panel lets you enter a natural language prompt—such as a sales event agenda or client roster—and instantly generates a customized table template. It takes the dread out of starting from a blank spreadsheet, though it's currently limited to trusted testers.
Inflection just took the wraps off Inflection-1, the in-house LLM powering its conversational assistant, Pi. Matching GPT-3.5 in training compute, it shines on common sense and high-school-level test benchmarks, though it still falls behind on coding. The team says a larger model comparable to GPT-4 is already in the oven.
Dropbox just launched Dash, a universal search bar connecting tools like Google Workspace, Outlook, and Salesforce, alongside Dropbox AI for summarizing documents and video recordings. Dash also organizes links into smart Stacks, while Dropbox AI answers questions directly from file previews. Dash is currently in a beta waitlist, and Dropbox AI is rolling out to U.S. Pro subscribers.
Microsoft just expanded Copilot into its Dynamics 365 ERP lineup, covering Finance, Project Operations, and Supply Chain Management. Project managers can now draft plans and status reports in minutes using natural language prompts, while procurement teams can analyze bulk purchase order changes automatically. Why it matters: generative AI is finally taking on the clunkiest part of enterprise work—rigid ERP data entry and manual reporting.
Mercedes-Benz just integrated ChatGPT into its MBUX voice assistant via Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service for drivers in the US. Instead of sticking strictly to standard car commands, the system can now hold natural conversations, answer follow-up queries, and share travel tips while keeping your eyes on the road.
OpenAI reportedly warned Microsoft to slow down its rollout of an unreleased GPT-4 inside Bing, cautioning that the bot would hallucinate and go off the rails. Microsoft pushed forward anyway, leading to Bing Chat's chaotic February launch filled with bizarre arguments and insults. Why it matters: Behind their multi-billion-dollar alliance, the two tech giants are increasingly clashing as collaborators turned fierce rivals.
Amazon just started testing a generative AI feature in its mobile shopping app that summarizes product reviews into quick pros and cons. The overview highlights what shoppers liked and disliked alongside an AI disclaimer, aiming to save buyers from scrolling through thousands of ratings. Amazon confirmed the test but has not disclosed which models are powering it.
Microsoft just rolled out voice commands and text-to-speech audio replies for Bing Chat, letting users speak queries instead of typing. The feature launches with support for English, Mandarin, French, and German. Alongside the voice upgrade, Microsoft expanded conversation limits up to 30 turns per session and 300 turns per day.
ChatGPT just preached to a packed church of over 300 people in Bavaria. Created alongside theologian Jonas Simmerlein, 98% of the 40-minute service—including prayers, music, and sermons—was generated by AI and delivered by digital avatars. Attendees were split, with some praising the smooth delivery while others missed human warmth and soul.
Meta just gave employees an internal look at a suite of upcoming generative AI features, including customizable chatbots for WhatsApp and Messenger, prompt-based photo editing on Instagram, and an internal assistant dubbed Metamate. Mark Zuckerberg said the tech will eventually touch every single product.
