Application - AI news 2025-08-08

RIP, Microsoft Lens, a simple little app that’s getting replaced by AI

techcrunch.com • Aug 08, 2025

Microsoft is killing Lens, a handy mobile scanning app with over 90 million downloads....

TL;DR

Microsoft is discontinuing its Microsoft Lens mobile document scanner app and directing users to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app instead.

Key Takeaways:

Lens will be retired from iOS and Android devices starting September 15, 2025, and removed from app stores on November 15, 2025.
Existing users will be able to continue to use the app's scanning capabilities through December 15, 2025.
Lens has been downloaded 92.3 million times since January 2017 and remains popular with over 322,000 new downloads in the past 30 days.

Pinterest CEO says agentic shopping is still a long way out

techcrunch.com • Aug 08, 2025

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready talks about the agentic web and where the social network will fit in the AI era....

TL;DR

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready described the company as an 'AI-enabled shopping assistant', but downplayed the possibility of an imminent 'agentic web' where AI agents shop on users' behalf.

Key Takeaways:

Pinterest is exploring AI-powered features, including recommendation and personalization systems, visual search experiences, and conversational search, to enhance the user experience.
The company is competing in the war for AI talent by emphasizing its commitment to using AI for good and responsibly.
Gen Z accounts for over half of Pinterest's monthly users, and male users have increased by 95% year-over-year, according to the company's Q2 earnings report.

The Vibes-Based Pricing of ‘Pro’ AI Software

www.wired.com • Aug 08, 2025

In this episode of Uncanny Valley, we're talking about why some chatbot subscriptions are so expensive and how these premium prices were determined on...

TL;DR

Vibes-based pricing may determine the pricing of premium AI chatbot subscriptions, with some companies settling on a $200 monthly price tag, despite unclear profitability.

Key Takeaways:

Companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others offer premium chatbot subscriptions at around $200/month, with varying features and capabilities.
These subscriptions are marketed as providing more powerful AI models and features, but the pricing may be based on vibes rather than clear financial justification.
Some users, such as power users and developers, may see value in these subscriptions, while others may find them too expensive, and it remains to be seen whether these prices will stick or increase over time.

Former Googlers’ AI startup OpenArt now creates ‘brain rot’ videos in just one click

techcrunch.com • Aug 08, 2025

OpenArt launched a new feature to help creators make AI-generated brain rot videos....

TL;DR

OpenArt launches a new 'one-click story' feature in open beta, allowing users to easily create AI-generated videos with a story arc.

Key Takeaways:

OpenArt has 3 million monthly active users and recently reached $5 million in funding, with a goal of $20 million in annual revenue.
The company's new 'one-click story' feature poses risks of intellectual property (IP) infringement due to the types of characters it offers.
OpenArt aims to differentiate itself by maintaining character consistency and has raised concerns about imitating other artists' styles and intellectual property rights.

The Google Finance page is getting an AI makeover

www.theverge.com • Aug 08, 2025

Google’s apparent quest to bring AI features across all of its apps has just extended to one of its most mundane: Google Finance. The company announce...

TL;DR

Google Finance is getting a chatbot-powered AI makeover with new charting tools, market data, and a live news feed.

Key Takeaways:

Google Finance will include an AI-powered chatbot to answer finance-related questions and provide AI-generated answers.
The revamp will offer new charting tools, including technical indicators and candlestick charts, to help users visualize market data.
A toggle will allow users to revert to the classic Google Finance experience if they prefer.