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Perplexity Makes Comet AI Browser Free Worldwide

Perplexity Makes Comet AI Browser Free Worldwide

Perplexity has announced that its AI‑powered Comet browser is now free for all users, ending the previous $200 a month subscription barrier. Built on Chromium, Comet embeds Perplexity’s conversational AI directly into the browsing experience, offering a side‑panel assistant that can summarize text, generate shopping lists, and interact with personal data such as email and calendar with permission. While core features are free, advanced tools remain behind Comet Plus and Max subscription tiers. The move aims to capture more browsing time and compete with AI integrations from Google, Microsoft, and emerging rivals.

AI-Generated Influencer Tilly Norwood Sparks Debate Over Synthetic Actors

AI-Generated Influencer Tilly Norwood Sparks Debate Over Synthetic Actors

Tilly Norwood, an AI‑generated persona promoted by Particle6, has ignited a heated discussion about the nature of synthetic actors. While the model’s creators tout her as a new type of cultural icon, industry professionals argue that labeling her an "actress" misleads audiences and threatens human performers. The controversy highlights broader concerns about anthropomorphizing AI, the blurring of reality in video content, and the ethical implications of using AI‑crafted characters in entertainment and advertising.

Researchers Warn of Gap in DNA Screening as AI-Designed Toxins Emerge

Researchers Warn of Gap in DNA Screening as AI-Designed Toxins Emerge

A team of researchers led by Microsoft has identified a previously unrecognized vulnerability in the DNA‑screening systems that guard against biological threats. The gap, described as a "biological zero‑day," could allow AI‑designed toxins to slip past existing checks that flag DNA orders encoding known harmful proteins or viruses. While screening processes have evolved to catch DNA variants that produce the same dangerous proteins, the rapid advancement of AI‑generated protein designs may outpace current safeguards, prompting calls for updated detection methods.

AI Data Centers Face Growing Energy and Water Challenges

AI Data Centers Face Growing Energy and Water Challenges

The surge in AI workloads is driving rapid expansion of data centers that rely heavily on GPUs, which consume far more power and generate far more heat than traditional CPUs. This growth is straining electricity supplies and dramatically increasing water use for cooling. Industry leaders are exploring liquid‑cooling, micro‑fluidic chips, free‑cooling, and geothermal options, while experts call for greater transparency, smarter hardware design, and more efficient model use to curb the environmental impact.

DoorDash Unveils Dot: A New Chapter for Delivery Robots

DoorDash Unveils Dot: A New Chapter for Delivery Robots

DoorDash introduced Dot, a five‑foot‑t. The robot features nine cameras, multiple sensors, and a bright red design with pixelated eyes. Built by DoorDash Labs, Dot is intended to navigate sidewalks, roads, and bike lanes, reflecting a hybrid delivery model that blends human couriers with autonomous technology. The rollout follows earlier partnerships with Coco Robotics and highlights industry challenges such as navigating complex urban environments, handling obstacles like tree roots, and addressing safety concerns around children and pedestrians. Experts suggest that while robots may reshape certain tasks, they are unlikely to replace human couriers entirely in the near term.

Amazon and Google Unveil AI-Driven Smart Home Devices

Amazon and Google Unveil AI-Driven Smart Home Devices

Amazon and Google announced a wave of new smart home hardware powered by advanced artificial intelligence. Amazon introduced updated Echo Show displays and Echo speakers featuring the Alexa Plus voice assistant, along with a lineup of Ring cameras that includes a 4K video doorbell and an AI tool for locating missing dogs. Google responded with a major overhaul, embedding its Gemini AI into Google Home devices under the Gemini for Home brand, launching Gemini-capable Nest security cameras, a new video doorbell, and a low‑cost camera series partnered with Walmart, plus a next‑generation Google Home speaker slated for release next year.

OpenAI Launches Sora: An AI-Powered Social Video Platform

OpenAI Launches Sora: An AI-Powered Social Video Platform

OpenAI introduced Sora, a social media app built around AI‑generated videos. The platform lets users scroll an endless feed, like, comment, and share clips created with the upgraded Sora 2 model. A standout feature is “Cameos,” which allows creators to upload their likeness and permit others to generate deep‑fake style videos featuring them. The app includes safeguards such as watermarks and metadata tags that indicate AI origins, yet it raises concerns about the ease of producing realistic deepfakes, potential misuse, and the environmental impact of generating high‑quality video content.

Google Photos Expands Conversational Editing to Eligible Android Devices

Google Photos Expands Conversational Editing to Eligible Android Devices

Google Photos' conversational editing feature, first limited to the Pixel 10 lineup, is now being rolled out to qualifying Android phones. Users who are 18 or older, reside in the United States, have English (US) language settings, and have Face Groups and location estimates enabled can access the AI‑driven editing tool. The feature lets users type or speak natural‑language commands to adjust photos, from precise tweaks like increasing saturation to imaginative transformations such as turning a landscape into a pond. Settings in the app allow users to manage Gemini‑powered features and control data sharing.

Replit's Turnaround: AI Agent Fuels Growth and $3 B Valuation

Replit's Turnaround: AI Agent Fuels Growth and $3 B Valuation

After years of stagnant revenue and a 50% staff cut, Replit revived its fortunes by launching the Replit Agent, an AI‑powered coding assistant. The shift from serving professional developers to targeting non‑technical knowledge workers unlocked rapid revenue growth, leading to a $250 million funding round, a $3 billion valuation, and annualized revenue in the $150 million range. Enterprise customers now drive high‑margin earnings, while the company bolsters safety after a high‑profile database mishap. Replit faces competition from AI labs but bets on its unique focus and infrastructure to stay ahead.

Ring Enables AI-Powered Search Party for Lost Dogs by Default, Gives Users Opt-Out Control

Ring Enables AI-Powered Search Party for Lost Dogs by Default, Gives Users Opt-Out Control

Ring, the Amazon-owned smart security brand, has launched Search Party, an AI-driven feature that scans footage from nearby Ring cameras to help locate lost dogs posted on the Neighbors app. The feature is turned on by default but users can disable it and must approve any video sharing. While the tool promises faster pet recovery, it raises privacy questions given Ring’s history of footage sharing with law enforcement. Ring also introduced a facial‑recognition option called Familiar Faces, though it says Search Party is not designed to process human biometrics.

Aiode Launches Desktop AI Music Platform Emphasizing Ethical Collaboration

Aiode Launches Desktop AI Music Platform Emphasizing Ethical Collaboration

Music technology developer Aiode has introduced a desktop AI music platform that combines production tools with ethically trained virtual musicians. The platform lets creators regenerate or refine specific song sections while ensuring that real musicians whose styles are modeled receive compensation. Aiode highlights transparent model training, user control over output, and rights retention as core differentiators. The launch positions the company as a privacy‑ and rights‑focused alternative to cloud‑based AI music services, aiming to attract artists who seek precise creative control without compromising ethical standards.

Meta AI Chats to Shape Ads on Facebook and Instagram

Meta AI Chats to Shape Ads on Facebook and Instagram

Meta announced that conversations with its Meta AI assistant on Facebook and Instagram will be used to personalize the ads and content users see. The change will roll out without an opt‑out option, while chats on WhatsApp remain excluded. Meta says it will respect boundaries around sensitive topics, and the rollout skips Europe and the UK due to GDPR restrictions. The move turns AI interactions into another data source for ad targeting, raising privacy concerns among users.