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Amazon Pushes Law Enforcement Sales of Cloud AI Tools

Amazon Pushes Law Enforcement Sales of Cloud AI Tools

Amazon is actively courting police departments and other law‑enforcement agencies to adopt its cloud‑based artificial‑intelligence and surveillance services. Emails from the company's law‑enforcement and safety team show a concerted effort to capture a share of the burgeoning $11 billion police‑tech market. Amazon is positioning its Amazon Web Services platform as a hub for third‑party tools such as vehicle‑tracking systems, license‑plate readers, gun‑detection software and AI‑driven reporting solutions. Privacy advocates warn that the move could expand authoritarian surveillance capabilities and amplify existing concerns about AI accuracy and misuse.

OpenAI Unveils Sora 2, a Video‑Synthesis Model With Synchronized Audio and New iOS Cameo App

OpenAI Unveils Sora 2, a Video‑Synthesis Model With Synchronized Audio and New iOS Cameo App

OpenAI announced Sora 2, its second‑generation video‑synthesis AI that can generate videos with synchronized dialogue and sound effects, marking the company’s first foray into audio‑enabled video generation. The launch also introduced a new iOS social app that lets users insert themselves into AI‑generated videos through a feature called “cameos.” Sora 2 demonstrates visual consistency improvements, the ability to follow complex multi‑shot instructions, and more realistic physical movements such as gymnastics routines and triple axels. OpenAI describes the release as a “GPT‑3.5 moment for video,” positioning it as a major step forward from the original Sora model.

Opera Unveils AI‑Focused Neon Browser

Opera Unveils AI‑Focused Neon Browser

Opera announced the launch of Neon, an AI‑centric browser designed to let users create and run AI‑driven workflows through features called Cards and Tasks. The service will initially be offered to a limited group of users for a monthly fee. Neon combines a traditional chatbot with more advanced capabilities, such as summarizing content, generating code snippets, and automating tasks across tabs and external apps. The launch positions Opera against other AI‑enhanced browsers from companies like Perplexity and The Browser Company, while targeting power users who rely heavily on AI in daily workflows.

California Gov. Newsom Signs Landmark AI Safety Bill SB 53

California Gov. Newsom Signs Landmark AI Safety Bill SB 53

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 53, a first‑in‑the‑nation law that imposes new transparency and safety reporting requirements on large AI labs such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta and Google DeepMind. The measure mandates disclosure of safety protocols, establishes whistleblower protections, and creates a reporting channel for critical safety incidents to California’s Office of Emergency Services. While Anthropic backed the bill, Meta and OpenAI opposed it, with OpenAI even issuing an open letter urging the governor not to sign. The legislation arrives as other states, including New York, consider similar AI safeguards.

DeepSeek AI Chatbot Surges to Prominence Amid Global Competition

DeepSeek AI Chatbot Surges to Prominence Amid Global Competition

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab, has vaulted into mainstream awareness as its chatbot app climbs to the top of major app stores. Backed by High‑Flyer Capital Management, the company has released a series of models—including DeepSeek‑V2, DeepSeek‑V3, and the reasoning‑focused R1—that claim strong benchmark performance and low inference costs. The rapid rise has drawn attention from industry giants, regulators, and governments, prompting both integration into platforms like Microsoft’s Azure AI Foundry and bans on government devices in several jurisdictions.

OpenAI Launches Instant Checkout for ChatGPT, Bringing In‑Chat Shopping to U.S. Consumers

OpenAI Launches Instant Checkout for ChatGPT, Bringing In‑Chat Shopping to U.S. Consumers

OpenAI has introduced an Instant Checkout feature that lets ChatGPT users in the United States buy directly from Etsy and upcoming Shopify merchants without leaving the conversation. The tool surfaces product details, reviews, and pricing, then allows users to confirm orders, shipping, and payment through options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, or credit cards. OpenAI describes the product results as organic and unsponsored, and it will charge merchants a small fee for completed purchases. The move positions OpenAI as a new gatekeeper in e‑commerce, challenging established platforms like Google and Amazon.

DeepSeek Unveils Sparse‑Attention Model to Halve API Inference Costs

DeepSeek Unveils Sparse‑Attention Model to Halve API Inference Costs

DeepSeek announced a new experimental AI model featuring Sparse Attention technology that dramatically lowers inference costs for long‑context tasks. The model, released on Hugging Face and accompanied by a research paper on GitHub, uses a lightning indexer and fine‑grained token selection to focus computational resources on the most relevant excerpts. Preliminary tests suggest API call prices can be cut by as much as 50 percent in long‑context scenarios. The open‑weight release invites third‑party validation and positions DeepSeek as a notable player in the ongoing effort to make transformer‑based AI more cost‑effective.

AI App Builder Anything Raises $11M at $100M Valuation, Targeting Full‑Stack Solutions for Non‑Technical Users

AI App Builder Anything Raises $11M at $100M Valuation, Targeting Full‑Stack Solutions for Non‑Technical Users

Startup Anything, founded by former Google engineers Dhruv Amin and Marcus Lowe, announced an $11 million financing round that values the company at $100 million. The San Francisco‑based firm offers an AI‑driven platform that lets non‑technical users create complete web and mobile applications, handling everything from databases to payment processing. Within two weeks of launch the service recorded $2 million in annualized run rate, and early adopters have already published functional apps to the App Store, some of which are generating revenue. Investors include Footwork, Uncork, Bessemer Venture Partners and M13, reflecting strong confidence in the company’s end‑to‑end approach to vibe‑coding.

Microsoft Introduces AI‑Powered Agent Mode for Word and Excel

Microsoft Introduces AI‑Powered Agent Mode for Word and Excel

Microsoft has rolled out an AI feature called Agent Mode for Word and Excel, powered by Microsoft 365 Copilot. The tool helps users create professional documents and spreadsheets by handling drafting, formula creation, and refinements, even for those with limited experience. An Office Agent in Copilot chat also assists in building PowerPoint decks from simple prompts. Agent Mode is available through the Frontier program for Microsoft 365 Copilot customers and Personal or Family subscribers, currently on the web with desktop versions coming soon.

Anthropic Launches Claude 4.5 with Enhanced Capabilities and Safety Features

Anthropic Launches Claude 4.5 with Enhanced Capabilities and Safety Features

Anthropic has made its new Claude 4.5 model available through the API and its web interface, keeping pricing identical to Claude Sonnet 4 at $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. The model can maintain focus for 30 hours on multistep tasks and now includes built‑in code execution, file creation, and the ability to generate spreadsheets, slides, and documents directly in chat. A five‑day research preview called “Imagine with Claude” showcases real‑time software generation. Claude Code receives checkpoints, a refreshed terminal, and a native VS Code extension, while the API adds context‑editing and memory tools. Anthropic also highlights reductions in sycophancy, deception, power‑seeking, and delusional prompting.

OpenAI Plans AI-Only TikTok‑Style Social App Powered by Sora 2

OpenAI Plans AI-Only TikTok‑Style Social App Powered by Sora 2

OpenAI is preparing a standalone social media app that mirrors TikTok’s vertical video feed but will feature only AI‑generated content. The app will be driven by the upcoming Sora 2 video model, limit clips to ten seconds or less, and include identity‑verification tools that let users’ likenesses be used in generated videos. Copyright safeguards will block certain content, and rights holders can opt out of having their material appear. Analysts suggest the move may capitalize on ongoing regulatory uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s U.S. operations.

SleepSpace AI App Offers Personalized Sleep Tracking and Coaching

SleepSpace AI App Offers Personalized Sleep Tracking and Coaching

SleepSpace is an AI‑driven sleep app that tracks nightly rest using a phone’s microphone and motion sensor, optionally integrating data from wearables such as Apple Watch or Oura. Users can start a seven‑day trial, after which they may subscribe for $25 per month or $99 per year. The app’s chatbot, Dr. Snooze, provides instant, science‑based recommendations and, when needed, connects users with human sleep experts. Early testers report clearer insights into wake‑ups, sleep quality scores and actionable tips that helped reduce nighttime interruptions.