OpenAI is reportedly considering a major investment in Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup co-founded by Sam Altman and Alex Bania. The move intensifies the rivalry between Altman and Elon Musk, whose Neuralink holds a significant lead. The startup aims for an $850 million valuation.
Google has removed its 2018 commitment to avoid using AI for weapons or harmful purposes, drawing criticism from former ethical AI leaders. The move follows a broader industry trend, including OpenAI's similar policy change. Critics warn of potential lethal technology development.
Security researchers at Wiz discovered a publicly accessible DeepSeek database containing user chats and internal secrets. The exposure, which required no authentication, was closed within an hour of alerting the company. Experts warn the incident highlights serious maturity gaps in the AI startup's security posture.
Astronomer CEO Andy Byron resigned after a Coldplay concert Jumbotron captured him with the company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot. The board accepted his resignation and named cofounder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. Cabot remains employed but is reported to be on leave.
An investigation by Nikkei Asia uncovered 17 academic papers on arXiv containing invisible prompts intended to manipulate AI review tools into giving positive evaluations. The findings highlight a growing battle between researchers and AI-driven peer review, with authors offering conflicting justifications for the practice.
Two UK academics propose equipping robots with an 'ethical black box' modeled on aviation flight recorders to log decisions and sensory data, enabling accident investigations as machines move into human environments. They join a broader push for AI oversight, including industry partnerships and the Asilomar AI Principles.
Jürgen Schmidhuber, a pioneer in deep learning, predicts that by the 2050s, AI-managed, self-replicating robot factories will operate in the asteroid belt, and that AI could eventually colonize the galaxy. His vision, presented at WIRED2016, highlights AI's potential to revolutionize resource gathering and scientific discovery, with humans playing a diminished role.
Google has acquired Eyefluence, a startup specializing in eye-tracking interfaces, a move that could enhance its upcoming Daydream VR platform. The technology enables hands-free control of head-mounted displays through eye movements, potentially transforming user interaction in virtual and augmented reality.
The University of Chicago Law School is banning phones, tablets, and laptops in first-year classes as part of a curriculum overhaul aimed at making learning more resilient to generative AI. The policy, announced Thursday, also includes in-class exams without internet access and oral discussions on research papers. Officials stress the move is not a total AI ban but an effort to promote deliberate and effective use of the technology.
President Trump acknowledged the emergence of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek as a challenge to US tech dominance, calling for increased competitiveness. The low-cost R1 model, developed for under $6 million, has rattled markets and prompted a reassessment of billion-dollar AI infrastructure investments.