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Google Seeks to Shield AI Ambitions from Antitrust Search Remedies

Google Seeks to Shield AI Ambitions from Antitrust Search Remedies

Google and the Department of Justice met in Washington to fine‑tune a federal court order that curtails the tech giant’s search practices. While the order aims to restore competition in the search market, Google argues that the imposed restrictions should not hamper the rollout of its Gemini AI app, especially when bundled with services like YouTube and Maps. The judge expressed concern that such bundling could give Google undue leverage, but also rejected the most aggressive DOJ proposals. Google maintains that its AI offerings are distinct from its search monopoly and should not be subject to the same remedies.

Google signals new Gemini‑powered Nest Hub amid Amazon’s Echo Show upgrades

Google signals new Gemini‑powered Nest Hub amid Amazon’s Echo Show upgrades

Google Home head Anish Kattukaran confirmed the company remains committed to smart displays and hinted at a forthcoming Nest Hub that will integrate the Gemini AI model. The new device would build on Google’s smart‑display lineage that began in 2018, with the last refresh occurring in 2021. As Google prepares its announcement, Amazon has recently unveiled updated Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 models featuring enhanced 360‑degree speakers. The emerging competition highlights the importance of design, audio quality, and AI integration for the next generation of home smart displays.

Revieve Uses AI and AR to Offer Personalized Beauty Recommendations

Revieve Uses AI and AR to Offer Personalized Beauty Recommendations

Revieve, a Finland‑based software company founded in 2016, leverages artificial intelligence and augmented reality to deliver personalized skincare, makeup, and hair‑care advice. Partnering with retailers such as Boots, the platform analyzes facial images with computer‑vision models trained on millions of photos, generating product recommendations and routine suggestions. The service runs on Google Cloud’s Vertex AI infrastructure and is integrated into both online and in‑store experiences. While the technology provides detailed feedback and real‑time scoring, some users feel the analysis leans toward product promotion rather than a fully objective diagnosis.

The Browser Company Launches AI-Powered Dia Browser for All Mac Users

The Browser Company Launches AI-Powered Dia Browser for All Mac Users

The Browser Company has made its AI-driven browser, Dia, freely downloadable for any Mac that runs macOS 14 on an M1 chip or newer. The rollout follows a private beta that began in June after the product’s initial reveal last year. Dia embeds a chatbot in every tab, enabling web searches, site comparisons, on‑page question answering, copy‑editing and summarization without leaving the page. The company, known for its earlier Arc browser, shifted full focus to Dia after CEO Josh Miller said Arc lacked cohesion. An acquisition by Atlassian, valued at roughly $610 million and set to close by the end of 2025, is expected to accelerate Dia’s expansion, though a Windows version has not yet been announced.

IMF and Bank of England Warn of Potential AI Bubble

IMF and Bank of England Warn of Potential AI Bubble

The International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England have cautioned that the rapid rise in AI‑related equities could signal a bubble poised to burst. Both institutions highlighted stretched valuations, especially for technology firms centered on artificial intelligence, and warned that disappointing AI adoption or heightened competition could trigger a sharp market correction. The warnings come amid a wave of investment sparked by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s multibillion‑dollar partnership and a broader rush of capital into AI hardware and software ecosystems.

Taylor Swift Fans Question Use of AI in Album Promo Videos

Taylor Swift Fans Question Use of AI in Album Promo Videos

Fans of Taylor Swift have voiced concerns that promotional videos for her latest album may have been created with generative artificial intelligence. Observers pointed to visual inconsistencies such as mismatched shadows and garbled text, sparking a backlash on social media under the hashtag #SwiftiesAgainstAI. The controversy has drawn comments from AI detection experts and highlighted broader debates about the impact of AI on artistic creation, environmental resources, and misinformation. Swift and her representatives have not publicly addressed the accusations, leaving the discussion unresolved.

Google Expands AI Mode in Search to 35 New Languages and 40 Additional Countries

Google Expands AI Mode in Search to 35 New Languages and 40 Additional Countries

Google has extended its AI‑powered Search mode to 40 more countries and 35 additional languages, bringing the feature to over 200 nations and territories. The rollout follows the initial US launch on June 27 and showcases the growing capabilities of Google’s Gemini models. According to Hema Budaraju, vice president of Google Search product management, the expansion lets users ask questions in their preferred language and benefits from the system’s improved natural‑language understanding and multimodal features.

AI Chatbot Use Grows Among Young Children, Raising Parental Concerns

AI Chatbot Use Grows Among Young Children, Raising Parental Concerns

A recent survey finds that children as young as kindergarten are experimenting with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Usage rates increase with age, reaching 15% among 11- to 12‑year‑olds, while 40% of parents report their under‑12 children using voice assistants like Alexa or Siri. Overall screen engagement remains high, with television, tablets and smartphones dominating daily use. Parents acknowledge difficulty managing this new digital frontier, especially after OpenAI introduced parental controls following a lawsuit alleging a chatbot’s role in a teen suicide. Experts urge parents to educate themselves about AI risks and to guide children on responsible interaction.

SHRM Survey Finds Limited Job Threat from AI Automation

SHRM Survey Finds Limited Job Threat from AI Automation

A new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) of more than 20,000 U.S. workers shows that while many tasks can be automated, only a small fraction of jobs are truly at risk of displacement by generative AI. The study highlights that non‑technical barriers such as client preferences, legal constraints, and cost considerations limit automation, especially in roles that require human interaction. Industries like health care and personal care remain largely insulated, whereas computer‑based occupations show higher automation potential. The findings suggest a gradual reshaping of work rather than a sweeping job loss.

Google Gemini Expands as Multimodal AI Rival to ChatGPT

Google Gemini Expands as Multimodal AI Rival to ChatGPT

Google Gemini is positioning itself as a direct competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT by offering deep integration across Google services, real‑time information access, and native support for files, images, and audio. The assistant operates within Chrome, Android, Workspace, and other Google products, allowing users to ask questions about PDFs, Docs, images, and short audio clips without extra steps. Gemini also taps into Google’s vast data ecosystem, offers image generation through the Nano Banana model, and can orchestrate tasks across Maps, messaging, and calendars. While praised for its polished design and multimodal capabilities, some users voice concerns about data privacy. Visits to Gemini have risen sharply, indicating growing interest.

OpenAI's Sora App Tops U.S. App Store Charts Despite Invite-Only Access

OpenAI's Sora App Tops U.S. App Store Charts Despite Invite-Only Access

OpenAI’s new Sora app, an AI‑powered video‑creation platform with a social remix feed, quickly rose to the number‑one spot on the U.S. App Store. Within two days it logged more than 164,000 installs, surpassing other AI apps despite being limited to invited users. The app combines a cutting‑edge video model, watermarking, and strict content guardrails, and its rapid adoption hints at a potential new revenue pillar for OpenAI.

Bank of England Warns AI Stock Valuations Mirror Dot‑Com Bubble

Bank of England Warns AI Stock Valuations Mirror Dot‑Com Bubble

The Bank of England has cautioned that AI‑related stock valuations have reached their highest levels since the dot‑com surge of the late 1990s. While current price‑to‑earnings ratios appear less extreme when based on future profit expectations, the central bank notes that increasing concentration within market indices leaves equity markets especially vulnerable if enthusiasm for AI wanes. The BoE draws parallels to the 2000 dot‑com peak, highlighting the rapid rise and steep fall of the Nasdaq during that era and warning that similar dynamics could unfold for AI‑focused equities.