News

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Qualcomm Unveils New Snapdragon Chips to Power AI Agents on Mobile and PC

Qualcomm announced a new generation of Snapdragon processors designed to enable AI agents on smartphones and laptops. The chips feature upgraded Oryon CPUs, higher token‑processing speeds, and increased AI TOPS performance, allowing on‑device large language models to run faster and more efficiently. Executives highlighted the potential for personalized assistants that can access local documents, images, and apps, improving productivity and accessibility. While the hardware advances remove a major barrier, Qualcomm emphasizes that manufacturers must still integrate the AI‑agent interfaces into their products.

10/15/2025

How to Spot AI-Generated Videos from OpenAI’s Sora 2

OpenAI’s upgraded text‑to‑video model, Sora 2, creates short clips that look increasingly realistic, making it harder to tell what is real. While the technology improves on earlier giveaways such as blurs and odd hand shapes, subtle flaws remain. Viewers can look for mismatched physics, strange background details, off‑kilter movement, compression artifacts, and inconsistencies in source accounts. Slowing down, checking emotions, and cross‑referencing with reputable outlets are recommended ways to verify authenticity. Developing these skills is essential as AI‑generated video becomes more convincing.

10/15/2025

New Advocacy Group SAVE‑US Pushes for Stricter Self‑Driving Car Regulations

A newly formed advocacy group called Safe Autonomous Vehicles Everywhere in the United States (SAVE‑US) is urging state lawmakers to adopt tougher regulations for autonomous vehicle technology. The group focuses on Tesla's vision‑only approach, calling for clearer disclosures, public crash reporting, and the use of multiple sensor types. Led by physicist Shua Sanchez and former Zoox engineer Bob Somers, SAVE‑US aims to influence legislation in large states such as Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. The effort comes amid a federal investigation of Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving software and broader concerns about safety standards across the industry.

10/15/2025

Microsoft Hints at Major Voice‑Driven Windows 11 Update

Microsoft’s official Windows account posted a cryptic message promising "something big" on Thursday, October 16, and hinted that it will give users’ hands a break. Executives David Weston and Pavan Davuluri have recently spoken about the future of Windows moving away from mouse and keyboard toward voice interaction. The tease aligns with existing Voice Access, voice dictation in Word, and AI‑powered features on Copilot+ PCs, suggesting a forthcoming major advancement in voice‑controlled Windows 11 functionality.

10/15/2025

How to Disable AI Features on Google Pixel Phones

A step‑by‑step guide shows Pixel owners how to mute, minimize or remove AI-driven functions across the device. It covers uninstalling or disabling AI‑centric apps, adjusting settings in Google Photos, Messages, Phone, and the Pixel launcher, and reverting from Gemini back to Google Assistant. The instructions help users retain control over their Pixel experience without the built‑in AI enhancements.

10/15/2025

Facial Recognition Systems Leave People with Facial Differences Behind

A growing number of individuals with facial differences report repeated failures when using AI‑driven facial verification tools. From DMV photo booths to credit‑score checks and government portals, the technology often cannot match their selfies to official IDs, leaving them locked out of essential services. Advocacy groups such as Face Equality International are urging companies and agencies to provide alternative verification methods and to improve training for staff handling these cases. While some agencies claim to offer fallback options, many users say the process remains stressful and dehumanizing.

10/15/2025

OpenAI Announces Customizable ChatGPT with New Adult Mode

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a forthcoming version of ChatGPT that will behave more like the earlier GPT‑4o model. The update will let users customize tone, personality and emoji usage, and will introduce an adult‑only mode that permits verified adults to generate erotica and other mature content. Altman said the changes aim to balance greater flexibility with stronger safeguards after a period of restrictive policies focused on mental‑health concerns. The move reflects OpenAI’s shift toward more personalized AI experiences while maintaining age‑gating tools to address safety and ethical considerations.

10/15/2025

Apple Intelligence Enables Priority Notifications on Select iPhones

Apple Intelligence-powered iPhones such as the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 lineup, and iPhone 17 lineup can now surface important alerts through Priority Notifications. Introduced with iOS 18.4, the feature places selected app notifications in a dedicated section on the lock screen, keeping them visible above routine updates. Users activate it via Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications and choose which apps receive priority status. While the feature highlights key messages, users can still swipe up to view the full notification list. Priority Notifications currently work only on Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone models.

10/15/2025

OpenAI Plans to Relax ChatGPT Restrictions and Introduce Age‑Gated Adult Content

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company will ease some of the mental‑health guardrails on ChatGPT after recent mitigation efforts. The changes include parental controls, teen‑friendly versions, and an upcoming age‑gated system that could allow erotic content for verified adult users. Altman also hinted at a new version of the chatbot with a more engaging personality. These moves come amid increasing regulatory scrutiny, new state laws targeting AI companions, and a federal investigation into AI companies.

10/15/2025

Microsoft Unveils MAI-Image-1, a New In‑House Text‑to‑Image AI Model

Microsoft has introduced MAI-Image-1, its latest text‑to‑image AI model that creates photorealistic images from user prompts. Though not yet released commercially, the model is available for testing on the community platform LMArena, where it currently ranks among the top ten AI image generators. Microsoft says the tool is engineered to avoid repetitive or generic outputs and to deliver fast, high‑quality results, with particular strength in realistic lighting and landscape rendering. The company plans to integrate MAI-Image-1 into its broader Copilot and Bing Image Creator services after further development.

10/15/2025

Microsoft Unveils MAI‑Image‑1, Its First In‑House Text‑to‑Image Model

Microsoft has introduced MAI‑Image‑1, its inaugural text‑to‑image generator built internally. Designed for speed, photorealism, and flexibility, the model aims to avoid the repetitive visual patterns common in other AI art tools. It has already entered the top ten on the LMArena leaderboard and will soon be integrated into Microsoft Copilot and Bing Image Creator. By curating training data and working with professional creatives, Microsoft hopes the model will deliver realistic images that fit directly into documents, ads, and presentations, strengthening its broader AI ecosystem.

10/15/2025

DirecTV to Deploy AI-Generated Ads on TV Screensavers by 2026

DirecTV announced plans to roll out AI‑driven advertising on its television screensavers, allowing viewers to see personalized ads that can even incorporate their own faces. Partnering with Glance, the service will let users create short AI‑generated videos featuring their avatars and select brands directly from the screensaver interface. The move is positioned as a way to boost revenue as the company faces declining subscriber numbers, while also offering new content‑discovery features such as real‑time weather and sports scores. The initiative can be disabled by users who prefer an ad‑free experience.

10/14/2025