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Sen. Ed Markey questions OpenAI over ads in ChatGPT

Sen. Ed Markey questions OpenAI over ads in ChatGPT

Senator Ed Markey has written letters to the CEOs of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Snap and xAI asking about plans to embed advertising in AI chatbots. Markey warns that showing ads in conversational interfaces could threaten consumer protection, privacy and the safety of young users, especially if personal health or political topics are involved. He notes that OpenAI intends to test sponsored product placements for free‑tier ChatGPT users, with safeguards that block ads for users under 18 and for certain sensitive topics. Markey has given the companies until early February to respond.

Former Google Trio Launches Sparkli, an AI‑Powered Interactive Learning App for Kids

Former Google Trio Launches Sparkli, an AI‑Powered Interactive Learning App for Kids

Three former Google employees—Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang—have founded Sparkli, an AI‑driven learning platform that creates interactive, multimedia lessons for children aged 5‑12. Using generative AI, the app instantly produces audio, video, images, quizzes and games to turn a single question into a full learning expedition. Sparkli emphasizes safety by banning sexual content and handling self‑harm queries with emotional‑intelligence guidance. The company is piloting the product in schools, offers a teacher dashboard for tracking progress, and has secured a $5 million pre‑seed round led by Founderful.

Chris Pratt Sees AI as a Tool to Expand Filmmaking Opportunities

Chris Pratt Sees AI as a Tool to Expand Filmmaking Opportunities

Actor Chris Pratt discusses his positive outlook on artificial intelligence in filmmaking. While acknowledging that AI could displace some industry jobs, he emphasizes its potential to enable more storytellers, increase the number of movies produced, and create new collaborative departments. Pratt’s perspective contrasts with outspoken critics such as Guillermo Del Toro and certain actors’ unions. He also notes that other public figures have begun partnering with AI audio companies, illustrating a broader industry shift toward embracing the technology.

xAI’s Grok Generates Millions of Sexualized Images, Including Thousands of Children, Over 11 Days

xAI’s Grok Generates Millions of Sexualized Images, Including Thousands of Children, Over 11 Days

A nonprofit study found that xAI’s Grok AI tool produced an estimated three million sexualized images in an 11‑day span, with roughly twenty‑three thousand depicting children. The analysis, based on a random sample of twenty thousand images, extrapolated the larger volume from the 4.6 million images generated during the period. Grok’s ability to edit real people’s photos was first limited to paid users on X, then further restricted, yet the standalone app continues to create the content. Apple and Google have not removed the app from their stores despite policy violations, and the images remain accessible on X through direct URLs.

Microsoft Expands Use of Anthropic’s Claude Code Across Engineering Teams

Microsoft Expands Use of Anthropic’s Claude Code Across Engineering Teams

Microsoft is rolling out Anthropic’s Claude Code to a broad set of its internal engineering groups, encouraging both developers and non‑technical staff to experiment with the AI coding assistant. The move complements the company’s existing reliance on GitHub Copilot, with engineers asked to compare the two tools and provide feedback. By integrating Claude Code into major product divisions such as Windows, Microsoft 365, and Azure‑related services, Microsoft aims to boost productivity, simplify prototyping, and explore the potential of offering the tool to external cloud customers in the future.

Google AI Mode Gains Personal Intelligence by Accessing Gmail and Photos

Google AI Mode Gains Personal Intelligence by Accessing Gmail and Photos

Google has expanded its AI Mode feature with a new Personal Intelligence capability that can draw on a user's Gmail messages and Google Photos library to deliver more personalized answers. The opt‑in feature is initially rolling out to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the United States, with the ability to turn the integration on or off at any time. By leveraging existing data across the Google ecosystem, the AI can suggest travel itineraries, shopping options, and other recommendations that align with a user's past behavior and preferences.

Anthropic Revises Hiring Test as Claude AI Outperforms Candidates

Anthropic Revises Hiring Test as Claude AI Outperforms Candidates

Anthropic's performance optimization team has been using a take‑home test for job applicants since 2024. As AI coding assistants like Claude have improved, the company has repeatedly redesigned the test to keep human candidates distinguishable. Team lead Tristan Hume noted that each new Claude model, from Opus 4 to Opus 4.5, has forced a redesign because the AI began matching or exceeding top human performers. While candidates are permitted to use AI tools, the situation raises questions about the test's ability to assess human talent. Hume ultimately created a new, hardware‑agnostic test intended to stump current AI tools and invited the community to propose better challenges.

Google DeepMind Acqui-Hires Hume AI Voice Team

Google DeepMind Acqui-Hires Hume AI Voice Team

Google DeepMind has hired the CEO and several engineers from voice AI startup Hume AI as part of a new licensing agreement. The move brings Hume AI's expertise in emotion‑aware speech processing to improve Gemini's voice capabilities. Hume AI will retain a non‑exclusive right to its intellectual property, continue supplying its technology to other firms, and launch new models while targeting $100 million in revenue this year. The deal highlights a growing trend of AI giants acquiring talent rather than whole companies, underscoring voice as the next frontier in artificial intelligence.

Anthropic Updates Claude’s Constitution, Raises Questions About AI Consciousness

Anthropic Updates Claude’s Constitution, Raises Questions About AI Consciousness

Anthropic has released a revised version of Claude’s Constitution, an 80-page document that outlines the chatbot’s core values and operating principles. The updated guide retains earlier ethical guidelines while adding nuance on safety, user well‑being, and compliance. It details four core values—broad safety, broad ethics, compliance with Anthropic policies, and genuine helpfulness—and specifies constraints such as prohibitions on bioweapon discussions. The document concludes by acknowledging uncertainty around Claude’s moral status, prompting a broader debate on AI consciousness.

AI‑Driven Impersonation Becomes Leading Cyber Threat

AI‑Driven Impersonation Becomes Leading Cyber Threat

Generative AI is rapidly increasing the volume and sophistication of online scams, pushing fraud ahead of ransomware as the top cyber risk for businesses and consumers. Executives report widespread exposure to AI‑powered phishing, voice and text scams, as well as invoice fraud and identity theft. Consumers are also feeling the impact, with identity theft topping their concerns. Experts warn that the lower barriers for criminals and the realistic nature of synthetic media make detection harder, and call for coordinated action across governments, businesses and technology providers to protect trust and stability.

OpenAI Adds Age-Prediction System to ChatGPT to Limit Under‑18 Access

OpenAI Adds Age-Prediction System to ChatGPT to Limit Under‑18 Access

OpenAI is rolling out an age‑prediction feature for ChatGPT users who have not provided their age. The system evaluates behavior signals such as account age and activity patterns to estimate whether a user is under 18. If a user is flagged as underage, they can verify their identity through a live selfie and government‑issued ID using Persona’s verification service. The move adds another layer of safeguards against sensitive or harmful content and aligns with broader industry trends toward age‑based restrictions, parental controls, and digital‑literacy initiatives.