News

AI Adoption Surges Amid Growing Privacy and Security Concerns, Deloitte Survey Finds

A Deloitte survey of U.S. consumers shows that while more than half are experimenting with or regularly using generative AI, a majority also express strong worries about privacy and security. About four in ten respondents pay for AI services, yet concerns about data misuse, inaccurate results, and companies’ focus on competition over problem solving persist. Users increasingly verify AI outputs and remain reluctant to share personal data, highlighting a trust gap that tech firms must address.

Hundreds of Prominent Figures Call for a Ban on AI Superintelligence Development

Over 700 high‑profile individuals, including AI pioneers and celebrities, have signed a statement demanding a halt to the creation of artificial superintelligence until it can be proven safe. The petition warns that unchecked AI could threaten freedom, national security, and even human survival. A recent poll shows a clear public desire for stricter regulation, with a majority opposing rapid, unregulated AI progress. The movement reflects growing unease about the pace of AI advances and calls for stronger oversight before further development.

Amazon's New AI Shopping Tool 'Help Me Decide' Will Assist You in Choosing What to Buy

China’s New Five-Year Plan Targets Technological Self‑Reliance

China has unveiled a draft five-year plan that emphasizes technological self‑reliance and reduced exposure to foreign pressure. The proposal highlights development in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, while seeking to boost domestic consumption and lessen reliance on exports. It builds on the previous plan launched during the earlier U.S. administration and reflects ongoing trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Microsoft Expands Edge Copilot Mode Amid AI Browser Race with OpenAI's Atlas

Microsoft introduced a fresh set of capabilities for its Edge browser’s Copilot Mode, positioning it as an AI‑driven companion that can view and reason over open tabs, summarize content, and perform actions like filling forms or booking hotels. The rollout, which follows a similar launch of OpenAI’s Atlas browser, adds new “Actions” and “Journeys” features and builds on the earlier July debut of basic Copilot functionality. The move underscores a growing competition to embed artificial intelligence directly into web browsers.

Microsoft Introduces ‘Mico’, a Human‑Centered Animated Assistant for Copilot

Microsoft is adding a visual, animated companion named Mico to its Copilot AI in Windows 11. Designed as an expressive, customizable blob with a face that reacts to user interactions, Mico aims to make the chatbot feel more human‑centered. The move recalls earlier Microsoft assistants such as Clippy, Microsoft Bob, and Rover, but ties the familiar visual style to modern large‑language models and voice controls. Microsoft hopes the new interface will overcome past criticisms of its digital assistants by providing richer context awareness and a friendlier user experience.

OpenAI Acquires Mac Automation App Sky Developer Software Applications Inc.

OpenAI announced it has purchased Software Applications Incorporated, the creator of the Mac automation app Sky. Sky, which leverages agentic AI to understand screen content and act across applications, will be integrated into ChatGPT. The acquisition also brings the entire Software Applications team into OpenAI. The move follows Apple’s recent work on Siri enhancements and comes shortly after OpenAI released its first web browser, ChatGPT Atlas, and bought the personal‑investing app Roi.

Reddit Sues Perplexity and Data Scrapers Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

Reddit has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against AI search developer Perplexity and three data‑scraping firms—Oxylabs UAB, AWMProxy and SerpApi—accusing them of illegally harvesting Reddit content and violating the platform’s copyright protections. The complaint alleges the firms bypassed technical barriers, accessed billions of search‑engine result pages, and traced the scraped data back to Perplexity, which had previously received a cease‑and‑desist letter. Reddit, which hosts over 110 million daily active users and more than 22 billion posts and comments, has previously licensed its data to OpenAI and Google and has taken legal action against other AI companies over similar concerns.

Microsoft Unveils Mico, an AI Avatar for Copilot, Echoing Clippy

Microsoft introduced Mico, a visual avatar for its Copilot AI chatbot, at the company’s Copilot fall release event. Designed as a warm, customizable "blob" that reacts to user interaction, Mico offers an expressive face for the AI, complete with color changes and an Easter‑egg that transforms it into the classic Clippy. Available initially in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Mico supports voice mode, long‑term memory, and a new "Real Talk" personality mode that mirrors users without being overly sycophantic. The rollout signals Microsoft’s push to humanize AI while expanding Copilot’s productivity features.

Anthropic Unveils Enhanced Memory Capabilities for Claude Chatbot

Anthropic announced a major upgrade to its Claude chatbot, adding an enhanced memory feature set for paying users. The new capabilities let Claude remember past conversations, learn user preferences, and compartmentalize information through a Projects feature that creates separate memory spaces. Users can edit, import, or export Claude’s stored context, and the company emphasized transparency by showing a synthesis of what the model retains. Anthropic also reported extensive safety testing to curb sycophancy and harmful outputs. The optional feature is available now for Max subscribers, with Pro access slated for the near future.

Microsoft Unveils Mico, an AI‑Powered Visual Companion for Copilot Voice Mode

Microsoft introduced Mico, an expressive, customizable visual avatar designed to accompany the Copilot voice assistant. Positioned as a modern take on the classic Clippy, Mico appears as a responsive blob that changes color and expression based on user interaction. The AI companion aims to provide respectful, supportive guidance, even pushing back when needed. Integrated with Copilot’s new Learn Live feature, Mico serves as a Socratic tutor, guiding users through concepts with questions, visual cues, and an interactive whiteboard. Initially available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, users can enable or disable the visual presence at will.

Anthropic Introduces Enhanced Memory Capabilities for Claude AI

Anthropic has rolled out a new memory feature set for its Claude AI chatbot, allowing the model to retain context across conversations and create distinct memory spaces for different projects. The upgrade is optional and initially available to paid subscribers, with broader rollout planned for Pro users. Claude’s memory is transparent, letting users view and edit stored information, and supports import/export with other AI platforms. Anthropic emphasized extensive testing to maintain safety and reduce sycophancy, positioning the update as a step toward more personalized and secure AI interactions.