News

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Meta, Google, and Microsoft Triple Down on AI Spending

Three of the largest U.S. technology firms—Meta, Google (Alphabet), and Microsoft—reported record quarterly profits alongside unprecedented capital outlays for artificial‑intelligence infrastructure. Meta forecast capex of $70‑$72 billion, up from its prior range, while Alphabet lifted its 2025 spending outlook to $91‑$93 billion. Microsoft’s quarterly capex rose to $34.9 billion, a 74 percent year‑over‑year jump. All three companies highlighted strong revenue growth in cloud and advertising segments, aggressive AI talent recruitment, and strategic partnerships, even as analysts warn of a possible AI market bubble.

11/4/2025

AI, Commerce, and Controversy: From Chatbot‑Driven Shopping to FTC Complaints and Unexpected Bedbug Outbreaks

Recent developments show artificial intelligence reshaping retail, prompting regulatory uncertainty, and raising mental‑health alarms. Retailers are eyeing chat‑based product discovery while the FTC quietly removes AI‑related blog posts, leaving businesses unsure of policy direction. Protesters have adopted inflatable frog costumes to dodge surveillance, and Google’s New York offices faced a bedbug scare. Most strikingly, the FTC recorded 200 complaints linking ChatGPT to delusions, paranoia and even self‑harm, highlighting a growing concern over AI‑induced psychosis.

11/4/2025

Pinterest Launches AI-Powered Assistant for Visual Search

Pinterest has introduced an AI-driven assistant that helps users find clothing, furniture, and other visual inspiration through voice prompts. The assistant draws on a user’s saved pins and boards, compares tastes with similar users, and delivers tailored visual results. Rolling out in beta to U.S. adults 18 and older, the feature aims to make shopping feel more natural while also addressing concerns about AI‑generated content on the platform.

11/4/2025

Samsung Launches Desktop Version of Samsung Internet Browser with AI Focus

Samsung has introduced a desktop edition of its Samsung Internet browser for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (version 1809 and up). The beta‑available app brings cross‑platform syncing of bookmarks, browsing history and autofill, while emphasizing privacy features such as tracker blocking and a privacy dashboard. More than a simple port, Samsung frames the launch as a step toward an AI‑powered browsing experience, positioning the browser within the growing market for AI‑enabled browsers. The move follows earlier, short‑lived attempts to ship the browser on Windows and underscores Samsung’s broader vision for ambient AI that anticipates user needs.

11/4/2025

Canva Revives Affinity Suite as Free Integrated Design App

Canva has relaunched the former Serif Affinity suite as a single, free‑to‑use desktop application that combines illustration, photo editing, and layout tools. The new Affinity app lets users switch between Vector, Pixel and Layout tabs, integrates Canva's AI features, and requires a free Canva account. While the core functionality mirrors the original separate apps, the shift to a freemium model and tighter integration with Canva's ecosystem marks a significant change for longtime users.

11/4/2025

OpenAI Begins Selling Extra Credits for Sora Video Generation

OpenAI has started offering paid extensions for its Sora AI video‑generation tool. Users can purchase an extra ten video generations for $4 through the Apple App Store, supplementing the existing limit of thirty free generations per day. Company officials say the free quota may be lowered in the future as GPU capacity becomes a constraint. OpenAI also hinted at a broader monetization strategy that would let right‑sholders license their copyrighted characters, artwork, or likenesses for cameo‑style uses, a move that comes amid a trademark lawsuit from Cameo.

11/4/2025

Google Removes Gemma Model from AI Studio After Senator Accuses It of Defamation

Google has taken its open‑source Gemma model offline from the AI Studio platform following a complaint from U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn. The senator claimed the model generated false statements alleging sexual misconduct against her, describing the output as defamatory rather than a harmless hallucination. Google responded that the model was intended for developer use, not for direct public queries, and said it would keep the model available through its API while working to curb erroneous outputs. The episode highlights ongoing political concerns about AI bias and misinformation.

11/4/2025

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Pushes Back on Revenue and IPO Rumors

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman told listeners that the company’s revenue exceeds the $13 billion figure that has been reported, and he brushed off speculation about an imminent public listing. Speaking alongside Microsoft chief Satya Nadella, Altman emphasized the firm’s steep revenue growth, its massive compute‑spending commitments, and the long‑term focus on AI products such as ChatGPT. While acknowledging critics’ concerns, he said the company is well‑positioned and has no concrete plans to go public in the near future.

11/4/2025

Meta Faces Challenges Over AI Spending and Unclear Product Roadmap

Meta is rapidly increasing its AI-related operating and capital expenses, but investors remain uneasy as the company has yet to demonstrate clear revenue‑generating AI products. While Meta AI boasts a large user base and experiments like Vibes and smart glasses have launched, analysts say the spending lacks a concrete product anchor, causing the stock to slide and raising questions about the long‑term payoff of Meta's AI investments.

11/4/2025

ChatGPT Helps User Clear Massive Gmail Inbox Using Google Apps Script

A user overwhelmed by a six‑figure count of unread Gmail messages turned to ChatGPT for assistance. The AI suggested a Google Apps Script that processes the inbox in chunks, marking threads as read while respecting Gmail's bulk‑operation limits. After creating and running the script, the user watched the unread count drop to zero, describing the experience as a successful workaround for Gmail's internal limits. The story highlights how ChatGPT can provide tailored automation solutions for everyday tech problems.

11/4/2025

Adobe Unveils Corrective AI to Transform Voice‑Over Emotion and Audio Separation

Adobe demonstrated a suite of new AI tools at its MAX Sneaks showcase, including Corrective AI, which lets users alter the emotional tone of an existing voice‑over in seconds, and Project Clean Take, which separates audio tracks such as speech, music, and ambient sounds. The features build on recent generative speech capabilities in Adobe Firefly and aim to streamline workflows for video creators, sound designers, and editors by reducing the need for re‑recording or manual audio cleanup. Adobe also previewed AI‑driven sound‑effect generation that automatically matches scene content, highlighting the company’s push toward AI‑enhanced creative production.

11/4/2025

Extropic Unveils Probabilistic Chip XTR‑0 to Challenge Conventional AI Processors

Extropic, a startup founded by former Google quantum‑computing engineers Guillaume Verdon and Trevor McCourt, has introduced its first working probabilistic chip, XTR‑0. The device uses thermodynamic sampling units (TSUs) and probabilistic bits (p‑bits) instead of traditional binary bits, promising far greater energy efficiency than conventional CPUs, GPUs and accelerators from companies such as Nvidia, AMD and Intel. Extropic has shared the hardware with a handful of AI labs, weather‑modeling startups and government representatives. Atmo’s CEO Johan Mathe is testing the chip for high‑resolution weather forecasting, while Extropic also released TRHML software that simulates the chip on standard GPUs. A larger chip, Z‑1, featuring 250,000 p‑bits, is slated for future development.

11/4/2025