AI News

News

Page 125
Microsoft Revamps Foxconn Site into World’s Most Powerful AI Data Center

Microsoft Revamps Foxconn Site into World’s Most Powerful AI Data Center

Microsoft announced its Fairwater AI data center, touted as the world’s most powerful, will open in early 2026 at the former Foxconn LCD factory in Wisconsin. The $3.3 billion project spans 1.2 million square feet across three buildings on 315 acres and houses “hundreds of thousands” of Nvidia GB200 GPUs linked by massive fiber capacity. Microsoft says the cluster is ten‑times more powerful than the fastest supercomputer. A closed‑loop cooling system is highlighted as a sustainable feature, aiming to minimize water waste while powering massive AI training workloads.

YouTube Shorts Adds Veo 3 AI Generator for 8‑Second Text‑Based Videos

YouTube Shorts Adds Veo 3 AI Generator for 8‑Second Text‑Based Videos

YouTube Shorts now integrates Google’s Veo 3 AI video generator, letting users create up to eight‑second clips from simple text prompts directly within the mobile app. The tool produces customized motion, lighting, and native audio, supports animated or cinematic styles, and automatically tags each clip with an AI label and an invisible SynthID watermark. Veo 3 also offers green‑screen backgrounds for layering behind live performers, dramatically lowering the barrier to video creation while raising concerns about a potential surge of low‑quality AI content on the platform.

Google to Use StopNCII Hashes to Remove Nonconsensual Images from Search

Google to Use StopNCII Hashes to Remove Nonconsensual Images from Search

Google announced a partnership with StopNCII.org to combat the spread of non‑consensual intimate imagery (NCII) by employing hash technology in its search results. Over the coming months, the company will use StopNCII’s image and video hashes—PDQ for photos and MD5 for videos—to identify and block flagged content without storing the original files. While the move follows similar commitments from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bumble and Microsoft’s integration into Bing, Google has faced criticism for lagging behind peers. Advocates note the new tools still place the removal burden on victims, highlighting ongoing challenges in protecting survivors.

ChatGPT Offers Flexible Cleaning Schedules and Motivation for Home Organization

ChatGPT Offers Flexible Cleaning Schedules and Motivation for Home Organization

ChatGPT can help homeowners design adaptable cleaning routines, provide motivational nudges, and streamline supply management. By learning a house's layout and the user’s realistic time constraints, the AI suggests bite‑sized tasks such as "Wipe down kitchen surfaces and organize fridge" and micro‑goals like ten‑minute nightly tidy‑ups. It also offers encouragement when motivation wanes and helps inventory cleaning products, suggesting restocking intervals and storage tips. The result is a more organized home without replacing the hands‑on work required for actual cleaning.

OpenAI Adds Thinking‑Time Toggle for ChatGPT‑5 on Web for Plus and Pro Users

OpenAI Adds Thinking‑Time Toggle for ChatGPT‑5 on Web for Plus and Pro Users

OpenAI has introduced a new thinking‑time toggle for the ChatGPT‑5 model that lets Plus and Pro subscribers choose how long the system spends reasoning on a response. The web‑only feature offers Standard and Extended modes for Plus users, while Pro users gain two additional options—Light for the quickest answers and Heavy for deeper reasoning. The toggle appears in the chat window when the Thinking model is selected, but it is not yet available on iOS or Android apps. OpenAI says the control will roll out to mobile in coming weeks.

Luma AI Launches Ray3, a Reasoning-Powered AI Video Generator

Luma AI Launches Ray3, a Reasoning-Powered AI Video Generator

Luma AI has introduced Ray3, its first reasoning-based video generation model, now available to users. By allocating more computing time to analyze prompts, Ray3 can handle longer, more complex action sequences than typical AI video tools, which usually produce clips of five to ten seconds. The model includes a visual annotation interface that shows its decision‑making process, a draft mode that creates low‑resolution drafts in about 20 seconds, and the ability to upscale to high‑fidelity 16‑bit HDR video in two to five minutes. Ray3 joins a growing field of generative video tools from companies like Midjourney and Google’s Veo 3, while also raising ongoing concerns about AI‑generated media and artist lawsuits.

Meta Unveils $799 Ray‑Ban Display AR Glasses, Marking First Major Move from VR to Augmented Reality

Meta Unveils $799 Ray‑Ban Display AR Glasses, Marking First Major Move from VR to Augmented Reality

At the Meta Connect keynote, Meta announced the Ray‑Ban Display, its first commercial augmented‑reality glasses, priced at $799 and slated to ship as early as September 30. The device features a modest 600 × 600 pixel square display that refreshes at 30 Hz, covering a 20‑degree field of view in the right lens. Despite its limited visual area, Meta touts a 42‑pixel‑per‑degree resolution and a 5,000‑nit brightness level, aided by Transitions lenses that darken in bright conditions. Weighing just 70 grams, the glasses promise up to six hours of use, supplemented by a foldable battery case, and integrate Meta’s neural‑interface wristband for gesture‑based menu navigation.

China Ends Antitrust Investigation into Google's Android Platform

China Ends Antitrust Investigation into Google's Android Platform

Chinese regulators have closed their antitrust probe into Google’s Android operating system, a case that examined the platform’s dominance and its effect on domestic phone makers. The decision comes amid broader U.S.-China trade discussions involving TikTok, NVIDIA, and tariffs, and reflects Beijing’s strategic use of regulatory pressure in diplomatic negotiations. While Google’s core services remain blocked in China, the company continues to generate revenue through cloud services and advertising aimed at overseas audiences.

Samsung Family Hub Refrigerators to Display Ads in Pilot Program

Samsung Family Hub Refrigerators to Display Ads in Pilot Program

Samsung is rolling out a software update for its Family Hub smart refrigerators in the United States that will show advertisements on the Cover Screen when the display is idle. The move is part of a pilot program aimed at adding value for home appliance customers. Ads appear only when the fridge is not showing content such as Art Mode or a photo album, and they can be dismissed, though they will not reappear for the duration of the campaign. Samsung has not clarified whether the ads can be disabled entirely during the pilot.

Former Meta Lobbyist Appointed to Lead Ireland’s Data Protection Commission

Former Meta Lobbyist Appointed to Lead Ireland’s Data Protection Commission

Niamh Sweeney, a former Meta lobbyist who spent six years at the company, has been named commissioner of Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC). She succeeds Des Hogan and Dale Sutherland as the third active commissioner. Irish Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan welcomed the appointment, noting the DPC’s expanding responsibilities. Critics point to the DPC’s historically lenient stance toward big tech, citing low fine collection rates and past fines against Meta for data breaches and password storage violations. The move raises questions about the regulator’s future independence and enforcement vigor.

Google Teams Up with UK Nonprofit StopNCII to Combat Nonconsensual Intimate Images on Search

Google Teams Up with UK Nonprofit StopNCII to Combat Nonconsensual Intimate Images on Search

Google is joining forces with the U.K. nonprofit StopNCII to strengthen its fight against nonconsensual intimate images, often called revenge porn. By using StopNCII’s image hashes, Google will proactively identify and remove such content from its search results. The partnership builds on existing tools that let users request removals and improve ranking to reduce visibility. The approach keeps original images on users’ devices, uploading only the digital fingerprint. The move follows similar integrations by Microsoft Bing and aligns Google with a growing list of platforms that have adopted StopNCII’s system.

Numeral Raises $35M Series B to Automate Sales Tax with AI

Numeral Raises $35M Series B to Automate Sales Tax with AI

Numeral, a sales‑tax compliance startup founded by Sam Ross, announced a $35 million Series B financing round led by Mayfield, with participation from Benchmark, Uncork Capital, Y Combinator and Mantis. The funding values the two‑year‑old company at $350 million and will accelerate its AI‑driven platform that automates tax collection, filing and payment for e‑commerce and SaaS businesses across thousands of jurisdictions. Numeral’s growth includes a 3.5‑times revenue increase over the past year and a client base exceeding 2,000 firms, positioning it against incumbents such as Avalara.