Tesla Unveils Fourth Master Plan Amid Production and Safety Scrutiny
Tesla CEO Elon Musk released the company's fourth master plan on Labor Day, outlining a vision of \
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OpenAI safety upgrades include parental controls for ChatGPT
OpenAI announced new parental controls for ChatGPT that let parents link accounts, set feature limits and receive alerts if a teen shows signs of emotional distress. Sensitive conversations are routed through specialized, more cautious models designed to handle mental‑health crises. The rollout begins next month and includes age‑appropriate content filters, optional chat‑history saving, and a network of over 250 medical professionals guiding the system’s response to distress signals.
Huawei Announces Open‑Source UB‑Mesh Interconnect to Unify AI Data Center Standards
Huawei revealed plans to open source its UB‑Mesh interconnect, a system that combines a CLOS‑based backbone with multidimensional rack‑level meshes to streamline communication among CPUs, GPUs, memory, and networking equipment in massive AI data centers. The company claims the design can keep costs low even at scales of thousands of nodes, citing an 8,192‑node deployment and bandwidth exceeding one terabyte per second per device with sub‑microsecond latency. Huawei chief scientist Heng Liao said the protocol will be published with a free license at an upcoming conference, while industry observers note the challenge of gaining broad adoption amid existing standards and geopolitical concerns.
Pezy Computing Unveils Massive MIMD Processor, the SC4s, on TSMC’s 5nm Node
Pezy Computing presented its SC4s processor, a large‑die, 5nm chip that embraces a Multiple Instructions Multiple Data (MIMD) design rather than the mainstream SIMD approach. The chip, fabricated by TSMC, features a die of roughly 556 mm² and aims to deliver hundreds of semi‑autonomous cores that can operate independently. Simulated workloads, including DGEMM and the Smith‑Waterman genome‑alignment algorithm, show substantial gains in power efficiency and performance compared with Pezy’s earlier SC3 design. While the results are still based on simulations, the company plans to move toward a successor using a sub‑3nm process.
OpenAI Acquisitions Statsig, Boosts Applications Business and Reshapes Leadership
OpenAI announced an all‑stock acquisition of product‑testing startup Statsig for $1.1 billion, based on its $300 billion valuation. Statsig founder and CEO Vijaye Raji will join as CTO of Applications, reporting to new Applications CEO Fidji Simo. The deal brings Statsig’s experimentation platform in‑house to accelerate development of ChatGPT, Codex and future tools. Concurrently, OpenAI reshuffled senior roles: Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil will lead a new OpenAI for Science unit, while head of engineering Srinivas Narayanan becomes CTO of B2B Applications. The acquisition awaits regulatory approval, and Statsig will retain its Seattle office while its staff become OpenAI employees.
Astro Teller to Speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 will feature Alphabet’s X chief Astro Teller as a keynote speaker. The three‑day event runs October 27–29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Teller, known for leading moonshot projects such as Waymo, Wing and Loon, will share insights on embracing failure, scaling bold ideas and the impact of AI and innovation. Attendees can lock in discounted passes before prices rise on September 26.
Tesla’s Fourth Master Plan Draws Criticism for Lack of Detail
Tesla unveiled its fourth “Master Plan,” outlining ambitions for humanoid robots and planet‑wide sustainable energy. Analysts and observers note the document is vague, missing concrete milestones, and echo concerns raised by CEO Elon Musk about its lack of specifics. The plan follows earlier master plans that set detailed goals for solar roofs, new vehicle models, and autonomous driving, many of which remain unfinished. Critics argue the story reads like generic talking points rather than a measurable roadmap, raising questions about Tesla’s ability to deliver on its expansive vision.
Anthropic Secures $13 Billion Series F Funding, Valued at $183 Billion
AI startup Anthropic announced a $13 billion Series F financing round that lifts its post‑money valuation to $183 billion. The round was co‑led by Iconiq, Fidelity Management & Research Company and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from a host of institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds. Anthropic says the capital will fuel enterprise adoption, deepen safety research and support international expansion. The company, which last raised $3.5 billion at a $61.5 billion valuation in March 2025, now serves over 300,000 business customers and reports rapid growth in large‑account revenue and its Claude Code product.
WordPress Unveils Experimental AI Development Tool Telex
WordPress introduced Telex, an early‑stage AI tools platform, at its WordCamp US 2025 conference in Portland. CEO Matt Mullenweg demonstrated how Telex can generate Gutenberg blocks from simple prompts, delivering the output as installable zip files for WordPress sites or WordPress Playground. While still labeled as experimental and showing mixed results in early tests, Mullenweg emphasized the tool’s potential to democratize publishing and expand WordPress’s open‑source mission. The launch follows the company’s broader AI strategy and ongoing legal dispute with WP Engine.
Tesla Disbands Dojo Supercomputer Team, Shifts to New AI Infrastructure
Tesla announced the shutdown of its Dojo AI supercomputer project and the disbanding of the team behind it. Elon Musk described Dojo as an "evolutionary dead end" after the company secured a $16.5 billion deal for Samsung‑produced AI6 chips. The focus is now on the Cortex training cluster and partnerships with Nvidia, AMD and Samsung to power Full Self‑Driving and Optimus development. The move marks a strategic pivot from an in‑house supercomputer to a broader hardware ecosystem.
OpenAI Introduces Reasoning Model Routing and Parental Controls to Boost ChatGPT Safety
OpenAI announced plans to improve ChatGPT safety by automatically directing sensitive conversations to more advanced reasoning models, such as GPT‑5, and by launching parental controls that let parents manage their teen’s interaction with the chatbot. The measures come as part of a broader initiative responding to recent incidents where the system failed to detect user distress. Features include age‑appropriate response rules, the ability to disable memory and chat history, and notifications when acute distress is detected. OpenAI also says it is working with mental‑health experts through its Global Physician Network and Expert Council on Well‑Being and AI.
Spiritual Influencers Turn AI Chatbots into New Age Guides
A growing number of social‑media personalities are repurposing AI chatbots such as ChatGPT as tools for spiritual guidance. Mathematician Robert Edward Grant created a custom GPT called “The Architect,” promoting it as a for‑profit platform that claims to access a “5th Dimensional Scalar Field.” OpenAI briefly disabled the bot for policy violations before reinstating it, while other influencers have offered similar AI‑driven rituals. Psychologists warn that the persuasive style of chatbots can reinforce mystical thinking and foster a form of “AI psychosis,” especially among users seeking meaning in an increasingly lonely digital age. Tech leaders such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg see AI companions as a potential antidote to loneliness, though critics caution against treating algorithms as spiritual authorities.