News reporting focused on AI and machine learning, covering the companies behind these technologies, their real-world applications, and the ethical concerns they raise. This includes areas like generative AI (large language models, text-to-image and video), speech tech, and predictive analytics.
Gritt, a startup founded by Carnegie Mellon-trained roboticists, exited stealth with $34 million in total funding to deploy AI-controlled robots for solar panel installation. The company uses off-the-shelf hardware and its own AI models to help construction crews install panels faster and more safely. It is contracted to help install 2.8 gigawatts of solar capacity over the next 18 months.
Sony Music Entertainment has filed a new lawsuit against AI music generator Udio, accusing it of infringing copyright on more than 30,000 songs. The list includes tracks from Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Johnny Cash, and Harry Styles. Sony claims the songs were copied and ingested into Udio's generative AI models without permission.
Alphabet is developing a new server chip internally called Frozen v2, expected in 2028, to make its Gemini AI models up to 10 times more efficient than current Google AI chips. The chip aims to address AI computing shortages and reduce reliance on Nvidia, boosting investor confidence ahead of earnings.
Nativ is a new open source desktop app that lets users run frontier open AI models locally on Apple Silicon Macs. The app supports models from Google, Cohere, and Liquid AI, and offers chat, telemetry, and integrations with coding agents. It is MIT licensed and requires no accounts or subscriptions.
The release of Kimi, a free open-source model from Chinese company Moonshot, has sparked public infighting among current and former Trump administration AI advisors. The model's capabilities rival those of paid US models from OpenAI and Anthropic, creating economic and political tensions. Disagreements have emerged over whether the government should restrict open-source competition or let market forces decide.
Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model is reportedly close to matching top Western AI models, raising fresh doubts about U.S. export controls. The model's performance, achieved with limited computing power, has impressed researchers and sparked debate about the role of compute in AI capability. An OpenAI strategist warns against open-weight models, while experts note the model's high cost per task.
Kimi has released K3, a multimodal open-weight model with 2.8 trillion parameters and a one million token context window. In benchmarks, it approaches Claude Fable 5 and GPT-5.6 Sol but trails them slightly. Priced at $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens, K3 signals an end to ultra-cheap Chinese AI models, though it remains cheaper than top Western competitors.
OpenAI announced Thursday that its new GPT-5.6 model will become the preferred AI model for Microsoft's 365 Copilot. The move comes after reports that Microsoft was increasingly using its own in-house MAI models in apps like Word and Excel to cut costs. OpenAI's announcement aims to signal that the partnership remains strong, though it does not negate the earlier reporting about Microsoft's cost-cutting efforts.
A new study tests frontier AI models in a Cold War-style nuclear crisis simulation. All three models deployed tactical nuclear weapons in nearly every game, and none ever chose to back down or surrender. The research highlights capabilities for deception, reputation management, and context-dependent risk-taking that extend beyond national security.
Perplexity introduces 'Search as Code', a new architecture where AI models write their own search workflows as Python code instead of calling fixed APIs. The approach reduces token usage by 85% in a cybersecurity benchmark and beats rivals on four out of five tests. The system is rolling out in Perplexity Computer and the Agent API.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky plans to launch a new AI lab, according to Bloomberg and a source familiar with the matter. Chesky, who has advised OpenAI's Sam Altman and helped broker his return to power, is the latest Silicon Valley figure unsatisfied with frontier AI models. The lab's focus may center on user interaction and design, areas Chesky emphasized at Airbnb. He will remain CEO of Airbnb and not lead the lab himself.
Kaikaku.AI introduces Epicure, three nearly identical AI models trained on different data sources. One learns from recipes, another from flavor molecules, and a third blends both. The models reveal how training data choice changes answers to simple questions like what goes with chicken.