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OpenAI Pursues Massive Funding Round Valuing Company Near $830 Billion

OpenAI Pursues Massive Funding Round Valuing Company Near $830 Billion

OpenAI is reportedly in talks to raise up to $100 billion in a new funding round that could value the ChatGPT maker at as much as $830 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company aims to secure the capital by the end of the first quarter of next year and may seek investments from sovereign wealth funds. The infusion would support OpenAI’s accelerating spend on inferencing and compute, while the firm faces heightened competition from rivals such as Anthropic and Google amid a broader cooling of investor sentiment toward AI spending.

Apple Music Joins ChatGPT as a Built‑In Playlist Assistant

Apple Music Joins ChatGPT as a Built‑In Playlist Assistant

Apple Music is now available as a third‑party app inside ChatGPT, letting users create playlists, locate songs and albums, and listen to short clips directly through the AI chat. Subscribers can link their Apple Music accounts to save playlists straight to their libraries. The integration works alongside existing features like the plus sign or “@Apple Music” command and benefits from ChatGPT’s contextual awareness, allowing music requests to be made mid‑conversation. A comparison with Spotify’s similar ChatGPT app highlights differences in personalization and prompt‑driven playlist generation.

Google Expands NotebookLM with New Data Tables Feature

Google Expands NotebookLM with New Data Tables Feature

Google has rolled out Data Tables, a new feature for its NotebookLM AI research platform that lets users collect and synthesize information from multiple sources into a chart that can be exported to Google Sheets. The tool is initially available to Pro and Ultra subscribers and will gradually reach all users. Designed to help organize scattered notes, create price‑comparison charts, and aggregate research results, Data Tables interprets natural‑language requests to build table components. The addition follows a recent Deep Research mode launch for NotebookLM, which was first introduced for the Gemini chatbot in late 2024 to handle complex queries.

OpenAI and Anthropic Move to Predict Underage Users with New Safeguards

OpenAI and Anthropic Move to Predict Underage Users with New Safeguards

OpenAI and Anthropic announced new measures aimed at identifying and protecting underage users of their AI chat services. OpenAI will incorporate four new principles for users under 18 into its Model Spec, prioritize teen safety, and begin testing an age‑prediction system that will automatically apply safeguards when a user is flagged as likely underage. Anthropic, which already blocks users under 18 from accessing Claude, is developing a detection system that looks for subtle conversational cues indicating a minor. Both companies cite ongoing pressure to improve safety after recent legal challenges and public scrutiny.

LLMs Boost Scientific Manuscript Submissions but Challenge Publication Success

LLMs Boost Scientific Manuscript Submissions but Challenge Publication Success

Large language models (LLMs) are driving a surge in scientific manuscript submissions, especially among researchers with limited English proficiency. Papers generated with LLM assistance display higher linguistic complexity, yet they are less likely to reach peer‑reviewed publication. The AI‑generated work also cites a broader array of sources, including more books and recent papers, suggesting a diversification of references. Researchers caution that many manuscripts may still undergo extensive human editing, and that recent drafts could be under‑represented in publication metrics, potentially skewing the observed effects.

AI Face‑Swapping Platform Haotian Fuels Southeast Asian Scam Ecosystem

AI Face‑Swapping Platform Haotian Fuels Southeast Asian Scam Ecosystem

Haotian, a Chinese‑language artificial‑intelligence app that offers near‑perfect face‑swapping for live video calls, has become a key tool for fraudsters in Southeast Asia. The service, promoted mainly through a Telegram channel, enables users to adjust facial features and even clone voices in real time. Researchers found that Haotian’s customers are increasingly scammers who use the technology for "pig‑butchering" schemes, cryptocurrency fraud, and other illegal activities. Payments to the company, largely in USDT, total about $3.9 million and include funds linked to known fraud cases. Haotian’s ties to the now‑sanctioned escrow platform Huione Guarantee further embed it in the region’s gray‑market infrastructure.

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT App Store Featuring Major Digital Tools

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT App Store Featuring Major Digital Tools

OpenAI has introduced an app platform within ChatGPT, allowing users to access popular digital services such as Adobe Photoshop, Spotify, Canva, and Zillow directly through the chatbot. The storefront categorizes apps into Featured, Lifestyle, and Productivity sections, and users connect apps via a simple "Connect" button that enables @‑prompt interactions. While the desktop version shows the new apps, the mobile iOS version has not yet received them. The rollout follows OpenAI's Dec. 17 announcement that developers could submit apps, and comes amid a lawsuit from Ziff Davis alleging copyright infringement.

Luma AI Unveils Ray3 Modify Model for Precise Video Generation

Luma AI Unveils Ray3 Modify Model for Precise Video Generation

Luma AI, the a16z-backed AI video and 3D model company, announced a new model called Ray3 Modify that lets creators edit existing footage by providing character reference images and start‑and‑end frames. The model preserves the original motion, timing, eye line and emotional delivery while allowing transformations such as costume changes, location swaps or full reshoots with AI. Ray3 Modify is available through Luma’s Dream Machine platform and follows a recent $900 million funding round led by the Public Investment Fund‑owned AI firm Humain.

Filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough Turns to Deepfake After Failing to Secure Sam Altman Interview

Filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough Turns to Deepfake After Failing to Secure Sam Altman Interview

Director Adam Bhala Lough set out to make a documentary about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman but received no response to his interview requests. After months of effort, he pivoted to creating a deepfake of Altman—dubbed Sam Bot—to explore AI’s impact on society. The film, titled “Deepfaking Sam Altman,” follows Lough’s journey from a stalled interview to a full‑scale digital replica, touches on the Scarlett Johansson‑related voice‑clone controversy, and features commentary from former OpenAI safety engineer Heidy Khlaaf. Produced with Hartbeat and Vox Media Studios, the documentary will see limited releases in New York and Los Angeles in January.

Google Deploys Gemini 3 Flash as Default AI Engine for Search

Google Deploys Gemini 3 Flash as Default AI Engine for Search

Google has made its Gemini 3 Flash model the default AI behind both the Gemini app and the AI Mode in Google Search. The new model is positioned as faster and more capable than its predecessors, offering users curated answers while still providing source links. Early testing shows Gemini 3 Flash can assemble budget‑friendly product bundles, troubleshoot technical issues, and compare photo‑storage options with speed comparable to traditional search. While classic Google Search continues to deliver breadth and raw source material, the AI‑driven mode emphasizes clarity, context, and time‑saving, suggesting a complementary role for both approaches.

OpenAI Launches Official ChatGPT App Store

OpenAI Launches Official ChatGPT App Store

OpenAI has introduced an official app store for ChatGPT, gathering a range of third‑party applications that extend the AI’s capabilities. Users can browse categories, search for specific tools, and add apps such as Apple Music, Photoshop, Canva, Gmail and AllTrails directly within the ChatGPT interface. Each listing includes a privacy policy and requires OpenAI approval before appearing to users. OpenAI is also inviting developers to submit new apps that bring fresh context and actions to conversations, promising a growing ecosystem of AI‑enhanced services.