Pew Research Center just found that while 58% of U.S. adults are familiar with ChatGPT, only 14% have actually tried it themselves for work, learning, or entertainment. Awareness is significantly higher among college graduates and adults under 30. Among those who have used the chatbot, roughly four-in-ten say it has been somewhat useful.
Opera just launched Aria, a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant baked directly into its browser sidebar. Unlike vanilla ChatGPT, Aria can pull real-time information from across the web and answer technical questions using Opera's support database. It's Opera's direct answer to Microsoft Edge's Copilot sidebar, letting users summarize pages, draft copy, and write code without leaving the browser.
Microsoft just announced it is adopting OpenAI's open plugin standard across its entire Copilot lineup, while making Bing the default search engine inside ChatGPT. Developers can now build a single plugin that works across ChatGPT, Bing, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, backed by new Azure AI tooling and safety services. Why it matters: It unifies the two biggest AI ecosystems, making building and distributing AI tools far simpler.
OpenAI just launched its ChatGPT iPhone app, and Apple is already pocketing its standard 30% cut on every $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus subscription through in-app purchases. Analysts estimate Apple could easily rake in hundreds of millions annually from rival AI breakthroughs without even having to build a frontier model of its own.
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.
OpenAI just launched the official ChatGPT app for iOS, bringing the chatbot straight to mobile. The free app syncs conversation history across devices and integrates Whisper for voice input. It is rolling out first to US users, with broader international availability and an Android version coming soon.
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.
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.
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.
OpenAI just opened up web browsing and over 70 third-party plugins to all ChatGPT Plus subscribers as the feature enters public beta. Users can delegate tasks across travel, shopping, and PDF analysis, running up to three plugins simultaneously in a single chat. It essentially gives ChatGPT live internet access and external app hooks.
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.
Amazon is working to give Alexa a generative AI makeover using its own internal large language models, according to leaked documents. The upgraded voice assistant aims to move beyond simple database queries to spin up personalized bedtime stories from toys in view and track down TV shows from vague descriptions. Why it matters: After heavy hardware layoffs, Amazon is betting that conversational AI can finally make Alexa proactive and profitable.
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.
Digital artist Rhett Dashwood just turned a $69 budget and zero coding experience into a $50M meme coin called $TURBO using GPT-4. The AI guided the tokenomics, drafted the white paper, and wrote the Solidity smart contracts, while Midjourney generated the mascot. It serves as a wild proof of concept for non-technical creators building projects with AI.
Inflection AI just launched Pi, an AI chatbot built to feel more like a supportive, witty conversational partner than an automated work tool. Founded by DeepMind and LinkedIn veterans, the startup explicitly designed Pi to avoid coding or essay generation, focusing purely on day-to-day dialogue and high emotional intelligence. Why it matters: as the race heats up around workplace productivity bots, Pi is betting that people really want an empathetic sounding board that constantly reminds them it's actually an AI.
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.
Nextdoor just teamed up with OpenAI to test generative writing tools, including an Assistant feature that polishes community posts. The platform is also experimenting with using ChatGPT to automatically rephrase unkind comments before they go live. Basically, it wants AI to keep neighborhood drama from spiraling out of control.
