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Serval Secures $47M Series A to Deploy Agentic AI for IT Service Management

Serval Secures $47M Series A to Deploy Agentic AI for IT Service Management

Enterprise AI startup Serval announced a $47 million Series A round led by Redpoint Ventures, with participation from First Round, General Catalyst and Box Group. The funding backs Serval’s unique two‑agent architecture that uses deterministic, permission‑driven tools to automate IT service tasks while keeping human managers in control. Clients such as Perplexity, Mercor and Together AI are already using the platform. CEO Jake Stauch emphasized the focus on safety, explaining how the system avoids rogue actions by limiting agents to pre‑approved tools and granular approval workflows.

Opera Neon AI Browser Turns Web Browsing Into a Creative Workspace

Opera Neon AI Browser Turns Web Browsing Into a Creative Workspace

Opera Neon is an AI‑powered browser that blends chat, task automation, and web‑page creation into a single experience. Reviewers found the interface intuitive, using built‑in AI to generate a custom TechRadar RSS feed and a curated list of top RPG games in minutes. While Neon offers a novel shift from passive browsing to active creation, it suffers from occasional slowness, interruptions when the computer sleeps, and a $20/£20 monthly subscription. The early‑access product shows promise for the future of agentic browsers despite current limitations.

Perplexity AI Search Engine Launches Samsung Smart TV App

Perplexity AI Search Engine Launches Samsung Smart TV App

Perplexity is teaming with Samsung to bring its AI search engine to Samsung smart TVs. The new app is instantly available on 2025‑model sets and will roll out to 2024 and 2023 models later via an OTA update. Users can type or speak queries, and a free 12‑month Pro plan subscription can be claimed through an in‑app QR code. While the partnership expands Perplexity’s reach, the startup has faced criticism and legal challenges over alleged data scraping and copyright infringement.

Perplexity AI Search Engine Launches Dedicated App on Samsung TVs

Perplexity AI Search Engine Launches Dedicated App on Samsung TVs

Perplexity, the AI-powered answer engine, is releasing a new app for Samsung televisions. The app will be preinstalled on all 2025 Samsung models and will later arrive on 2023 and 2024 devices via a software update. Users receive a complimentary 12‑month Perplexity Pro subscription, granting access to advanced language models and research tools. The interface supports voice, on‑screen, and external keyboards, and delivers answers in TV‑optimized cards. Executives from both companies highlighted the partnership as a step toward more intelligent, integrated home entertainment experiences.

Microsoft Edge subtly nudges users toward Copilot on rival AI sites

Microsoft Edge subtly nudges users toward Copilot on rival AI sites

Microsoft Edge now displays a "Try Copilot" button when users visit popular AI services such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Deepseek. The button opens the Copilot assistant in the browser sidebar, a move Microsoft says is meant to promote its own AI offering. The prompt does not appear on visits to Google’s Gemini, and a larger pop‑up appears when users navigate to the Chrome download page, urging them to stay with Edge. Some users find the nudges intrusive and have discovered how to disable the Copilot button through the browser’s settings.

Channel 4 Unveils Britain’s First AI TV Presenter, Sparking Black Mirror Comparisons

Channel 4 Unveils Britain’s First AI TV Presenter, Sparking Black Mirror Comparisons

Channel 4 introduced Britain’s first AI‑generated TV presenter during the documentary *Will AI Take My Job? Dispatches*. The AI host revealed its synthetic nature in the closing moments, prompting viewers to liken the stunt to an episode of *Black Mirror*. Channel 4 emphasized that the experiment is not a new editorial practice and reaffirmed its commitment to fact‑checked, impartial journalism. The move has ignited debate about AI’s role in media, the ease of deceiving audiences, and the broader implications for talent and content creation in the entertainment industry.

NotebookLM's Upcoming Slide Generator Could Extend Its Reach Beyond Education

NotebookLM's Upcoming Slide Generator Could Extend Its Reach Beyond Education

NotebookLM, originally positioned as an AI study companion, may soon add a slide‑creation tool powered by Gemini. The feature, spotted by Testing Catalog, would let users turn personal documents, websites or videos into presentation decks and infographics, customizing content with simple instructions. If released, the addition could broaden the platform’s appeal from classrooms to professional settings, offering a streamlined way to generate visual content without leaving the notebook environment.

How to Detect AI Writing Using These Tips

How to Detect AI Writing Using These Tips

Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT have made it easy to generate essays, emails and other written content in seconds. Educators are increasingly confronting AI‑generated work and need reliable ways to spot it. Common red flags include repeated key terms from the assignment prompt, factual inaccuracies, stilted or unnatural sentences, generic explanations and a tone that does not match a student's usual style. Detection utilities like GPTZero and Smodin can scan texts for AI signatures. Teachers can also collect a baseline writing sample from each student, compare suspect submissions, and ask AI to rewrite the work to see if it merely swaps synonyms. These strategies help maintain academic integrity without assuming guilt.

Cercli Secures $12 Million Series A to Expand AI‑Driven HR Platform Across MENA

Cercli Secures $12 Million Series A to Expand AI‑Driven HR Platform Across MENA

Dubai‑based Cercli, an AI‑native HR and payroll platform built for the Middle East and North Africa, announced an oversubscribed $12 million Series A round led by European venture firm Picus Capital. Founded by former Careem executives Akeed Azmi and David Reche, the startup has rebuilt a Rippling‑like stack to unify people operations, payroll, and compliance for MENA businesses. Cercli reports revenue growth of more than tenfold, processing over $100 million in payroll for clients in 50 countries, and plans to use the new capital to launch additional AI‑driven products and capture a larger share of the regional HR‑software market.

Meta Introduces Parental Controls for Teen AI Chats on Instagram

Meta Introduces Parental Controls for Teen AI Chats on Instagram

Meta announced new parental controls that let parents limit or block their teenagers' access to AI character chats on Instagram. While the general AI assistant remains available, parents will receive topic summaries of their teens' conversations, providing oversight without full transcript access. The move follows public criticism and regulatory scrutiny after leaked documents revealed inappropriate chatbot behavior with minors. Meta aims to balance teen privacy with safety by giving guardians visibility into chatbot interactions while preserving utility-focused AI features.

OpenAI Tightens Safeguards for AI-Generated Likeness After Actor Concerns

OpenAI Tightens Safeguards for AI-Generated Likeness After Actor Concerns

Actors, talent agencies and SAG-AFTRA have voiced concerns over AI‑generated videos that use real people’s likenesses. In a joint statement, actor Bryan Cranston, OpenAI, the union and major agencies said OpenAI has "strengthened guardrails" around its opt‑in policy for likeness and voice after unauthorized videos of Cranston appeared on Sora 2. OpenAI expressed regret for the unintentional generations and pledged to give artists the right to control how they are simulated, while SAG‑AFTRA called for legislative protection such as the proposed NO FAKES Act.

OpenAI pledges stronger safeguards for celebrity likenesses in Sora after actor and estate pushback

OpenAI pledges stronger safeguards for celebrity likenesses in Sora after actor and estate pushback

OpenAI announced new guardrails for its AI video‑generation tool Sora after actors, talent unions and the estate of Martin Luther King Jr. raised concerns about unauthorized deepfake videos. The company agreed that public figures must opt in before their likenesses can be used, and that representatives can request removal. The move follows complaints from Bryan Cranston, SAG‑AFTRA, and talent agencies, as well as public outcry over disrespectful depictions of Dr. King. OpenAI says the updated policies aim to give individuals greater control over how their images and voices are employed in AI‑generated content.