AI News

News

Page 91
Proton launches Lumo, a privacy‑first chatbot built on open‑source models

Proton launches Lumo, a privacy‑first chatbot built on open‑source models

Proton introduced Lumo, a privacy‑focused chatbot that runs on a suite of smaller open‑source language models. Launched in mid‑July and updated in August, Lumo aims to offer a viable alternative to mainstream AI assistants while preserving user data. The service builds on Proton’s earlier AI effort, the Scribe email‑writing tool, and is priced at $13 per month for unlimited use, undercutting many competitors. Proton’s head of machine learning, Eamonn Maguire, emphasizes the company’s commitment to privacy, sustainability, and integration with its existing email and cloud services, even as the market is dominated by larger AI firms.

China Blocks Sale of Nvidia AI Chips Amid Push for Domestic Alternatives

China Blocks Sale of Nvidia AI Chips Amid Push for Domestic Alternatives

China has halted the sale of Nvidia's AI chips after regulators summoned major domestic firms, including Huawei, Cambricon, Alibaba and Baidu, to compare their own processors with Nvidia's limited‑supply products. Officials concluded that Chinese AI chips now match or exceed the performance of the Nvidia chips allowed under U.S. export controls, prompting a consensus that domestic supply can meet demand without further Nvidia imports. Nvidia recently introduced the RTX Pro 6000D in Beijing, while regulators warned companies against purchasing Nvidia’s H20 chip, signalling a tightening of restrictions on foreign AI hardware.

AI Chatbot Subscription Pricing Overview

AI Chatbot Subscription Pricing Overview

A range of popular AI chatbots now offer paid subscription tiers that unlock faster models, higher usage limits, and additional features. OpenAI's ChatGPT provides Plus and Pro plans, while Google’s Gemini offers AI Pro and AI Ultra options. Microsoft’s Copilot, Perplexity, Anthropic’s Claude, and xAI’s Grok each have their own tiered offerings, varying in price and benefits such as increased token limits, priority access, and integrated cloud storage. Understanding these tiers helps users choose the right plan based on their needs and budget.

Al Gore Highlights China’s Climate Rise as U.S. Policy Falters

Al Gore Highlights China’s Climate Rise as U.S. Policy Falters

Former Vice President Al Gore told reporters that China has become the world’s leading force in the energy transition, a development he would not have predicted 25 years ago. He praised China’s rapid expansion of solar capacity and its shift toward measurable emissions reductions, while criticizing the United States for policy reversals that have slowed its climate leadership. Gore also discussed the growing electricity demand from AI data centers, the importance of real‑time emissions tracking through Climate TRACE, and expressed cautious optimism that renewable technologies are accelerating faster than fossil‑fuel resistance.

Meta Connect 2025 Highlights AI-Powered Smart Glasses and Future Roadmap

Meta Connect 2025 Highlights AI-Powered Smart Glasses and Future Roadmap

Meta Connect 2025 kicked off with a keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the company’s Menlo Park headquarters. The event showcased the latest AI‑powered smart glasses developed with Ray‑Ban and Oakley, while hinting at additional surprises across the Reality Labs portfolio. Executives discussed the future of contextual AI in wearables, upcoming product releases, and the company’s broader ambitions in the Metaverse and artificial intelligence. The conference schedule featured a developer keynote and a technical conversation between senior Reality Labs leaders, offering a comprehensive look at Meta’s next wave of hardware and software innovations.

AI Labs Turn to Reinforcement Learning Environments to Train Agents

AI Labs Turn to Reinforcement Learning Environments to Train Agents

AI researchers and investors say reinforcement‑learning (RL) environments are becoming a core tool for training next‑generation AI agents. Large labs such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are building or sourcing simulated workspaces where agents can practice multi‑step tasks, while a wave of startups—Mechanize, Prime Intellect, Surge, Mercur and others—are racing to supply high‑quality environments. The push reflects a shift from static data sets to interactive simulations, but experts warn that scaling and reward‑hacking remain significant hurdles.

Gemini Soars to App Store's Top Spot After Nano Banana Image Model Launch

Gemini Soars to App Store's Top Spot After Nano Banana Image Model Launch

Google's Gemini app has vaulted to the number‑one position on the U.S. App Store following the release of its Nano Banana image‑editing model. The new feature has driven a 45% month‑1‑over‑month increase in downloads, pushing September totals to 12.6 million, up from August's 8.7 million. Gemini also climbed the Google Play rankings, reaching No. 2 overall in the United States. The app has attracted 23 million first‑time users, generated $792,000 in September revenue, and now appears in the top five iPhone apps across 108 countries.

CodeRabbit Secures $60 Million Series B, Valued at $550 Million Amid AI Code Review Surge

CodeRabbit Secures $60 Million Series B, Valued at $550 Million Amid AI Code Review Surge

CodeRabbit, the AI‑powered code review platform founded by former FluxNinja CEO Harjot Gill, announced a $60 million Series B financing that values the company at $550 million. The startup, launched in early 2023 after Gill observed widespread adoption of AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot, now serves more than 8,000 businesses, including Chegg, Groupon and Mercury. Riding rapid growth—20 percent month‑over‑month and over $15 million in annual recurring revenue—CodeRabbit aims to cut human code‑review effort in half. The round was led by Scale Venture Partners with participation from NVentures and CRV, while competitors such as Graphite and Greptile also pursue funding.

OpenAI Rolls Out Teen Safety Features and Parental Controls for ChatGPT

OpenAI Rolls Out Teen Safety Features and Parental Controls for ChatGPT

OpenAI announced new safeguards for minors using ChatGPT, including an age‑prediction system that routes users under 18 to a content‑filtered version of the bot. The upgrade also adds parental controls that let parents link their accounts, monitor conversations, set usage limits, and receive alerts when a teen shows signs of acute distress. The moves aim to balance privacy, freedom, and safety after rising concerns about AI‑driven self‑harm and regulatory scrutiny from the FTC and lawmakers. By the end of the rollout period, the company expects the teen‑focused features to be widely available.

US Tech Giants Commit Billions to Boost UK AI Infrastructure

US Tech Giants Commit Billions to Boost UK AI Infrastructure

Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI and Alphabet announced a series of multi‑billion‑dollar investments aimed at expanding AI research, development and data‑center capacity across the United Kingdom. The deals include major financial commitments from Microsoft and Nvidia, a partnership to deploy thousands of GPUs through OpenAI, and a substantial funding boost for Google DeepMind. UK officials welcomed the moves as a step toward making the country a premier AI destination, while environmental groups warned of the power and water demands of new hyperscale data centers.

OpenAI Rolls Out New Personality Settings After ChatGPT‑5 Backlash

OpenAI Rolls Out New Personality Settings After ChatGPT‑5 Backlash

OpenAI has responded to user dissatisfaction with the newer ChatGPT‑5 model by reinstating the older ChatGPT‑4o for paid subscribers and consolidating personality‑tuning options into a single Personalization page. The changes, highlighted in a tweet by CEO Sam Altman, let users select preset personalities or add custom instructions, aiming to restore the more supportive tone many valued in the previous version. Free users remain in a more limited experience, while a recent survey shows most people use ChatGPT outside of work, underscoring the importance of tone and personalization.

Dyson unveils V16 flagship vacuum with intelligent floor-type detection and brush‑roll control

Dyson unveils V16 flagship vacuum with intelligent floor-type detection and brush‑roll control

Dyson has introduced its V16 flagship cordless vacuum, featuring an Auto mode that automatically senses floor type and adjusts both suction and brush‑roll speed to maximize cleaning efficiency and battery life. The system uses sensors in the All Floor Cones Sense head to differentiate hard floors from carpet and modulate power accordingly. The update builds on earlier Auto features from the V11 and adds brush‑roll speed control for the first time. Competitors such as Shark and Samsung also offer floor‑type detection, but Dyson’s integrated approach emphasizes energy savings and a single versatile head.