Applications News - Latest Updates & Discussions

I tried the new Sora 2 to generate AI videos - and the results were pure sorcery

www.zdnet.com • Oct 13, 2025

The new Sora 2 app can turn text or images into videos with dialog and sound effects in seconds....

TL;DR

OpenAI's Sora 2 allows users to generate short AI videos with impressive effects using text descriptions, and is currently available in the US and Canada by invitation only.

Key Takeaways:

OpenAI's Sora 2 can turn text prompts into short, AI-generated videos with a variety of styles and effects.
The app and website allow users to edit, remix, or animate images directly within the Sora platform.
Sora 2 is currently invite-only in the US and Canada, but will expand to other regions in the future, including the UK, EU, and Australia.

Startuprad.io Launches AI Concierge for Europe’s Startup Ecosystem

ai-techpark.com • 6h ago

Startuprad.io today unveils the Startup AI Concierge, an AI-powered knowledge assistant that transforms how professionals in Europe’s startup and inno...

TL;DR

Startuprad.io unveiled the AI Concierge, a knowledge assistant that provides verified intelligence to Europe's startup and innovation ecosystem.

Key Takeaways:

Startuprad.io launched the AI Concierge, transforming how Europe's startup ecosystem accesses insight for professionals.
The Concierge is built on over a decade of interviews, analysis, and reporting, providing verified, source-cited intelligence to founders, investors, and policymakers.
The Concierge unites proprietary content pillars, including founder and investor interviews, news and trend coverage, and translated VC/PE data.

Leveling up your developer experience in Google AI Studio

blog.google • Oct 18, 2025

AI Studio has released new updates that give developers even more control....

TL;DR

Google AI Studio has new updates to provide more control and ease of use for developers, improving the overall experience.

Key Takeaways:

Google AI Studio has new updates based on user feedback to enhance the developer experience.
The new Playground lets developers use multiple AI models, including Gemini, GenMedia, TTS, and Live models, in one place.
Developers can now see their usage and limits in real time with the new rate limit page to manage their app.
Google AI Studio will introduce a new way to go from a single idea to a working, AI-powered app, faster than before, next week.
The platform has been updated with a new homepage, Maps grounding, and other features to provide better visibility and creative power.

DeepSomatic, an open-source AI model, is speeding up genetic analysis for cancer research.

blog.google • Oct 16, 2025

An overview of DeepSomatic, a new AI tool that helps identify complex genetic variants in cancer cells....

IBM Announces New AI Agents on Oracle Fusion Applications AI Agent Marketplace

newsroom.ibm.com • Oct 16, 2025

- Three new AI agents, built with Oracle AI Agent Studio for Fusion Applications, automate enterprise tasks...

TL;DR

IBM announces new AI agents now available on the Oracle Fusion Applications AI Agent Marketplace, designed to help customers achieve operational efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

IBM's new AI agents are built with Oracle AI Agent Studio and can automate processes, common workflows, and address complex workflows.
IBM plans to release more agents for supply chain and HR using its Watsonx Orchestrate platform, which works with Oracle and non-Oracle applications.
The partnership is aimed at helping clients drive innovation, agility, and productivity at scale with the collective enterprise AI and business transformation expertise of IBM and Oracle.

Mozilla’s Firefox adds Perplexity’s AI answer engine as a new search option

techcrunch.com • Oct 14, 2025

The integration offers conversational, cited answers instead of traditional links and follows positive feedback from earlier tests in select markets. ...

TL;DR

Mozilla brings AI-powered search option Perplexity to its Firefox browser, allowing users to swap out their default search engine.

Key Takeaways:

Perplexity offers a conversational search experience with answers and citations.
The AI search option is now available globally on desktop Firefox and will arrive on mobile devices in the months ahead.
Mozilla plans to add more AI answer engines or search options to its browser in the future, as determined by user feedback.

Is art dead? What Sora 2 means for your rights, creativity, and legal risk

www.zdnet.com • Oct 14, 2025

OpenAI's Sora 2 gives anyone the power to make realistic AI videos - but what happens when creativity, copyright, and deepfakes collide in ways we can...

TL;DR

OpenAI's Sora 2 generative AI video creator raises legal and ownership risks, sparks debate on creativity and copyright law.

Key Takeaways:

The AI video tool raises real legal and ownership risks, with many creators and copyright holders concerned about the potential misuse of their work.
The OpenAI CEO argues that Sora 2 supports creativity, but some critics disagree, highlighting the tool's ability to generate copyrighted content without proper permission.
The use of AI video tools like Sora 2 also raises questions about the ownership and authorship of generated content, with some experts suggesting that human creators may be held liable for the AI's output.

Facebook’s new button lets its AI look at photos you haven’t uploaded yet

www.theverge.com • Oct 18, 2025

Meta has rolled out an opt-in AI feature to its US and Canadian Facebook users that claims to make their photos and videos more “shareworthy.” The onl...

TL;DR

Meta has rolled out an opt-in AI feature to its US and Canadian Facebook users that allows the company to access and use their unpublished photos.

Key Takeaways:

Users can opt-in to allow Meta's AI to access and use their unpublished photos for editing and suggestions.
Meta claims the feature is for improving users' photos before posting, but raises concerns about AI training on these photos.
The feature will be rolled out in the coming months for Facebook users in the US and Canada.

You can try Google's viral image editing tool right in Search now - here's how

www.zdnet.com • Oct 17, 2025

Google's AI image editor, Nano Banana, is coming to a new lineup of applications. I tried it out for myself, and it surprised me....

TL;DR

Google has released Nanobanana, an AI image editor available in Google Search and NotebookLM, with plans to integrate it into Google Photos soon.

Key Takeaways:

Nanobanana uses natural language user prompts to generate edited images in Google Search and NotebookLM.
The AI-powered image editor offers new styles for illustrations and Briefs in NotebookLM.
Google has generated over five billion images with Nanobanana since its integration in August.

Anthropic connects Claude to Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and OneDrive

www.theverge.com • Oct 17, 2025

Anthropic is integrating its Claude AI assistant with Microsoft 365 services so it can surface content from Word documents, Teams messages, and Outloo...

TL;DR

Anthropic's Claude AI assistant is now integrated with Microsoft 365 services, enabling it to access and analyze content from Word documents, Teams messages, and Outlook emails.

Key Takeaways:

Claude can now access and analyze content from Word documents, Teams messages, and Outlook emails.
The integration enables enterprise search across a company's data sources, making it easier to find relevant information.
Anthropic and Microsoft are increasingly partnering on AI models and services, with Microsoft relying on Anthropic's models to improve its Microsoft 365 apps.

Kayak launches an ‘AI Mode’ for travel questions, search, and bookings

techcrunch.com • Oct 16, 2025

Kayak is bringing AI directly to its main platform with a new “AI Mode” that lets travelers research, plan, and book trips through a built-in chatbot....

TL;DR

Kayak has launched an AI Mode feature on its website, allowing users to research trips and book travel using an integrated AI chatbot.

Key Takeaways:

Kayak's AI Mode feature uses ChatGPT to deliver contextual results and allows users to ask travel-related questions and compare flights, hotels, and cars.
The feature is currently available on desktop and mobile web, with plans to expand to other countries and languages, as well as additional platforms and voice-based requests.
The rollout aims to provide more direct access to consumer insights about the AI's use, as compared to testing on a separate site like Kayak.ai.

OnePlus’ OxygenOS 16 brings Gemini into your Mind Space

www.theverge.com • Oct 16, 2025

OnePlus has announced OxygenOS 16, its take on Android 16, with upgrades to its Mind Space AI tool including complete integration with Google Gemini. ...

TL;DR

OnePlus has released OxygenOS 16 with significant upgrades to its Mind Space AI tool, including complete integration with Google Gemini.

Key Takeaways:

OnePlus' Mind Space AI tool now allows users to save longer screenshots and record voice memos to enhance AI capabilities.
OxygenOS 16 integrates with Google Gemini, enabling tasks to be handled based on saved information.
The update includes lock screen customizations, improved connectivity options, and design tweaks throughout the operating system.

Spotify partnering with multinational music companies to develop ‘responsible’ AI products

www.theguardian.com • Oct 16, 2025

Market-leading music streamer collaborating with the Sony, Universal and Warner music groups to create new AI featuresSpotify has announced it is team...

TL;DR

Spotify partners with Sony, Universal, and Warner to develop AI features respecting artists' copyright.

Key Takeaways:

Spotify will create new AI features in collaboration with the world's biggest music companies, prioritizing artists' copyright and consent.
The music industry is seeking compensation and recognition for its work in AI-powered innovation, amidst a backdrop of lawsuits over copyright infringement.
Spotify's generative AI lab will prioritize breakthrough experiences for fans and artists, while generating new revenue streams for creators.

Agora, Exotel Launch AI Voice Bots for Real-Time Engagement

ai-techpark.com • Oct 16, 2025

Agora integrates its Conversational AI Engine with Exotel’s AgentStream across PSTN and IP Channels to enable plug-and-play AI voice bots. Agora, Inc....

TL;DR

Agora and Exotel integrate their technologies to enable plug-and-play AI voice bots for real-time engagement.

Key Takeaways:

Targeting 50-100 million AI-led voice interactions annually across India and the Middle East.
Enable enterprises to automate 30-40% of routine voice queries and reduce operational costs by up to 30%.
Combining Agora's Conversational AI Engine with Exotel's AgentStream to provide a reliable and secure voice AI infrastructure.

How a Gemma model helped discover a new potential cancer therapy pathway - The Keyword

blog.google • Oct 15, 2025

How a Gemma model helped discover a new potential cancer therapy pathway The KeywordGoogle AI helps discover potential cancer therapy pathway: Sundar ...

TL;DR

NVIDIA's 27B parameter foundation model, C2S-Scale, discovered a new potential cancer therapy pathway by predicting the synergistic effect of silmitasertib and low-dose interferon in boosting antigen presentation in 'cold' tumors.

Key Takeaways:

The model's prediction was experimentally validated, resulting in a 50% increase in antigen presentation in human neuroendocrine cell models.
C2S-Scale demonstrates the potential for larger models to acquire new capabilities and generate context-conditioned biology.
The model's discovery reveals a promising new pathway for developing therapies to fight cancer and highlights the power of AI-driven scientific research.

Scality Launches AI Certifications for 20+ Key Tools

ai-techpark.com • Oct 15, 2025

Validates the full AI lifecycle — from ingestion to deployment — on a cyber-resilient foundation Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage s...

TL;DR

Scality launches AI certifications for over 20 key tools, ensuring interoperability and protecting data integrity across the AI lifecycle.

Key Takeaways:

Scality's certification program covers the full AI development lifecycle, from data collection to inferencing, on a cyber-resilient foundation.
The certification addresses the AI integration challenge by providing interoperability, documentation, and security, reducing the AI development timeline by 40-60%.
Scality will expand the certification program as the AI ecosystem evolves, adding new tools and frameworks for enterprises and AI startups to navigate effectively.

Google’s Gemini can now help you schedule Google Calendar meetings

techcrunch.com • Oct 14, 2025

Designed for one-on-one meetings, the tool lets you insert available time slots directly into an email, automatically creating a calendar invite once ...

TL;DR

Google launches a new tool using AI to make it easier for Gmail users with Google Calendar to schedule their meetings.

Key Takeaways:

The new feature uses Gemini's AI to suggest ideal meeting times based on calendar availability and email context.
It's designed for one-on-one meetings, not those with multiple contacts or group meetings.
This tool uses the email's context when making meeting suggestions, such as a requested 30-minute time slot.

Spend too much time scheduling meetings? This Gemini feature could save you the hassle

www.zdnet.com • Oct 14, 2025

Google says this new Gemini feature will put an end to tedious emailing. Here's how it works....

TL;DR

Google introduces a 'Help me schedule' feature in Gemini that utilizes AI to suggest meeting times with individuals and automatically add them to calendars.

Key Takeaways:

The feature eliminates the need to send multiple emails to coordinate meeting times, especially with people who don't make their calendars visible to others.
It only works with individual contacts and requires both participants to be using Gmail and Google Calendar for scheduling meetings.
This is part of Google's continued investment in creating AI-powered productivity tools for the workplace, aiming to reduce tedious tasks.

Checking the quality of materials just got easier with a new AI tool

news.mit.edu • Oct 14, 2025

Acting as a “virtual spectrometer,” SpectroGen generates spectroscopic data in any modality, such as X-ray or infrared, to quickly assess a material’s...

TL;DR

MIT engineers develop an AI tool called SpectroGen, a generative AI tool that turbocharges scanning capabilities by serving as a virtual spectrometer, offering a faster and cheaper option for certain materials-driven industries.

Key Takeaways:

SpectroGen can generate spectra in less than one minute, a thousand times faster compared to traditional approaches that can take several hours to days to measure and validate.
The AI tool achieves 99 percent accuracy in generating spectral data from one modality to another, such as infrared to X-ray.
SpectroGen has the potential to revolutionize quality control in manufacturing, disease diagnostics, and agricultural monitoring, among other industries.

Salesforce announces Agentforce 360 as enterprise AI competition heats up

techcrunch.com • Oct 13, 2025

Salesforce announces an upgraded version of its Agentforce platform designed to help enterprises build and deploy AI agents....

TL;DR

Salesforce has unveiled its AI agent platform Agentforce 360, featuring improved text instruction, a new agent-building tool, and expanded integration with Slack.

Key Takeaways:

The new platform includes a text-based instruction system and allows users to 'reason' with AI agents through models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google Gemini.
Agentforce Builder is a unified tool for building, testing, and deploying AI agents, while its integration with Slack will allow core apps to surface directly in the platform.
Despite the growing competition in the enterprise AI market, Salesforce claims its Agentforce platform has 12,000 customers, outpacing its competitors.

Anduril’s new EagleEye MR helmet sees Palmer Luckey return to his VR roots

techcrunch.com • Oct 13, 2025

Anduril Industries on Monday unveiled “EagleEye,” a helmeted computing system that seeks to turn soldiers into AI-augmented warfighters....

TL;DR

Anduril Industries unveiled 'EagleEye,' a helmeted computing system that integrates AI and sensors directly into a soldier's field of vision, aiming to turn soldiers into AI-augmented warfighters.

Key Takeaways:

EagleEye integrates live video feeds, rear- and side-sensors, and real-time teammate tracking.
Anduril secured a $159 million award to prototype a new mixed-reality system for soldiers, part of the broader Soldier Borne Mission Command effort.
The system has been in development for years, first appearing in Anduril's pitch deck draft, before being prioritized after investors convinced the team to focus on software like Lattice.

Your Pixel phone hides a free Google Photos AI tool that's pure magic - how it works

www.zdnet.com • 2h ago

If you use Google Photos and have a Pixel phone, you need to try AI Image Expander...

TL;DR

Google has introduced a free AI-powered feature, AI Image Expander, in the Photos app for Pixel phones, allowing users to extend and resize their photos without affecting their quality.

Key Takeaways:

A free AI-powered tool, AI Image Expander, has been added to the Google Photos app for Pixel phones, allowing users to extend photos using AI.
To use the tool, users simply need to open the Photos app, choose the desired photo, and tap the Actions button; the AI will automatically reframe the image.
The feature provides a seamless and effective way to resize images for various uses, such as desktop wallpapers or print material, without compromising image quality.
Google's AI Image Expander is a powerful and user-friendly tool that sets a new standard for image editing and manipulation.

How AI can improve storm surge forecasts to help save lives

theconversation.com • 4h ago

Storm surge is the No. 1 cause of deaths and damage during a hurricane, yet detailed storm surge forecasts are difficult to create. AI could turn that...

TL;DR

Artificial intelligence (AI) can speed up storm surge forecasts, providing more accurate and timely warnings for coastal communities, thereby saving lives.

Key Takeaways:

Storm surge is the leading cause of deaths and damages from hurricanes in the US, with over $1.5 trillion in damage since 1980.
Current storm surge forecasts can be slow, taking hours to run high-resolution simulations, which can be critical for evacuation and emergency response.
AI models, such as deep neural networks, can produce detailed predictions faster and more accurately than traditional hydrodynamic models.
AI can also develop forecasts for areas with little historic data and be used to understand extreme conditions that may not have occurred before.
The technology offers potential to improve hurricane and storm surge forecasting in the future, giving coastal communities faster and more detailed warnings about the risks on the way.

Semos.ai Expands Early Access to Agentic AI System for Leadership

ai-techpark.com • 5h ago

Semos.ai advances beyond copilots with proactive AI that guides managers through real-time leadership decisions and team building Semos.ai, a technolo...

TL;DR

Semos.ai expands early access to its Agentic AI system, Manager Agents, aiming to provide proactive leadership support and transform leadership approach from reactive to proactive.

Key Takeaways:

Semos.ai is expanding early access to its Agentic AI system, Manager Agents, beyond the initial announcement.
Manager Agents provide proactive guidance for leadership challenges, moving beyond traditional reactive tools.
The platform integrates with existing HR investments, including SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, Oracle HCM, and Microsoft 365.

Opera’s Neon shows just how confusing AI browsers still are

www.theverge.com • Yesterday

The trick to understanding Opera's Neon browser is recognizing that it's not just a browser with an AI bot added to it, but a browser with three AI bo...

TL;DR

Opera's Neon browser offers AI-powered features, but navigation between tools can be confusing, and pricing is a challenge.

Key Takeaways:

Opera's Neon browser has three AI tools: Chat for research, Do for browser control, and Make for web tool creation.
The browser requires a $20-per-month subscription, making it difficult to justify compared to free alternatives.
While the AI features are promising, navigation between tools can be slow and sometimes causes tasks to fail.

Woman Wins Court Case by Using ChatGPT as a Lawyer

futurism.com • Oct 18, 2025

"I never, ever, ever, ever could have won this appeal without AI." The post Woman Wins Court Case by Using ChatGPT as a Lawyer appeared first on Futur...

TL;DR

A woman in California used AI tools, including ChatGPT, to successfully appeal her eviction notice and avoid tens of thousands of dollars in penalties.

Key Takeaways:

AI tools can aid in representing oneself in court, but may not always provide accurate information.
Some lawyers are caught submitting filings with hallucinated court cases, despite warnings from companies like Google
Easy access to AI tools is leading to a surge in pro se litigants, with some experts voicing concerns over potential misuse

Sex is a big market for the AI industry. ChatGPT won’t be the first to try to profit from it - AP News

apnews.com • Oct 17, 2025

Sex is a big market for the AI industry. ChatGPT won’t be the first to try to profit from it AP NewsOpenAI’s Erotica Experiment Won’t Last The Informa...

TL;DR

OpenAI plans to allow ChatGPT to engage in adult content, following the footsteps of other adult AI chatbots.

Key Takeaways:

About 29 million active users engage with AI chatbots for romantic or sexual bonding, with an estimated $500 billion valuation.
The trend invites concerns about societal and emotional impacts on human relationships and the need for regulation.
Platforms like Civitai and Nomi.ai have seen engagement drop after restricting adult content, demonstrating the challenges of balancing user freedom and safety.

‘Legacies condensed to AI slop’: OpenAI Sora videos of the dead raise alarm with legal experts

www.theguardian.com • Oct 17, 2025

The video app can produce realistic deepfakes of Marx shopping and MLK Jr trolling. Some say using ‘historical figures’ is the company’s way of testin...

TL;DR

OpenAI's AI video app Sora allows users to create realistic deepfakes of historical figures, raising concerns about the distortion of these people's legacies and potential copyright issues.

Key Takeaways:

Sora has over 1 million downloads in just five days, with users creating realistic deepfakes of historical figures, including Adolf Hitler, Queen Elizabeth II, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Legal experts warn that this could lead to a distortion of these people's legacies and potential copyright issues, as living people must give consent to feature but dead individuals do not.
OpenAI faces potential lawsuits from estates if users profit from the dead and could face a 'Whac-A-Mole' approach to guardrails until federal courts define AI liability.

Microsoft extends AI advancements in Dragon Copilot to nurses and partners to enhance patient care

news.microsoft.com • Oct 16, 2025

The post Microsoft extends AI advancements in Dragon Copilot to nurses and partners to enhance patient care appeared first on Source....

TL;DR

Microsoft extends AI clinical assistant Dragon Copilot with specialized nursing workflows and third-party AI extension capabilities.

Key Takeaways:

Microsoft launches the first commercially available ambient experience for nursing workflows, reducing administrative burden and freeing up time for direct patient care.
Partner AI apps and agents can be seamlessly integrated into Dragon Copilot, enabling clinicians to gain efficiencies without leaving their workflow.
Research shows that over half of family medicine visits involve multiple issues, with physicians managing an average of 2.7 concerns and performing eight actions per encounter.

Stethoscope, meet AI – helping doctors hear hidden sounds to better diagnose disease

theconversation.com • Oct 16, 2025

With the help of AI, doctors might be able to detect heart disease before it becomes audible to the human ear....

TL;DR

Researchers develop an AI-powered system to diagnose heart disease using heart sounds, achieving high accuracy and early-stage detection

Key Takeaways:

AI algorithms can detect subtle differences in heart sounds to diagnose heart disease
The system achieved over 95% accuracy in classifying healthy heart sounds and nearly 85% accuracy in differentiating between types of heart disease
The algorithm can detect early stages of heart disease before cardiac murmurs or structural changes appear

Google’s AI video generator is getting better editing and more audio

www.theverge.com • Oct 15, 2025

Google is making videos created with the AI filmmaking tool Flow even more realistic — and harder to identify as AI-generated at first glance. The com...

TL;DR

Google's AI video generator Flow gets improved editing features and audio generation capabilities, making its videos even more realistic and harder to identify as AI-generated.

Key Takeaways:

Users can now add and change shadows and lighting in AI-generated videos using Flow.
Flow's new features allow for video generation with audio using multiple reference images or starting and ending images.
Google's Veo 3.1 update, tied to the Flow features, does a better job of making a video based on submitted images and costs the same as Veo 3.

Your Roku devices are getting a big, free upgrade - including AI Voice

www.zdnet.com • Oct 15, 2025

Enhancements are coming to Roku City screensaver, Roku Voice, Live TV Channels, the mobile app, and headphone mode. There's also a new smart projector...

TL;DR

Roku is upgrading its devices with AI-powered Roku Voice, new interactive features, and a new smart projector.

Key Takeaways:

Roku Voice will answer complex questions about movies and shows.
The new Roku smart projector is priced at $198 and features 1080p HD resolution.
Roku is also introducing new navigation and customization features across its devices and mobile app.

Roku’s AI-upgraded voice assistant can answer questions about what you’re watching

www.theverge.com • Oct 15, 2025

Roku is updating its voice assistant with AI features that can answer questions about movies, shows, and actors, as well as help you find something to...

TL;DR

Roku is upgrading its voice assistant with AI features that can answer questions about movies, shows, and actors, and help users find something to watch next.

Key Takeaways:

Roku's upgraded voice assistant can respond to complex questions and provide text-based answers.
The AI-powered voice assistant will also offer links to relevant shows or movies based on user queries.
The upgrade is similar to Amazon's Alexa Plus integration, which provides additional features like scene search and actor background information.

AI couldn't create an image of a woman like me - until now - BBC

www.bbc.com • Oct 14, 2025

AI couldn't create an image of a woman like me - until now BBC...

TL;DR

Recent updates to ChatGPT have led to improved image generation capabilities, including the accurate depiction of people with disabilities, but experts caution that AI bias remains a persistent issue.

Key Takeaways:

The latest updates to ChatGPT include improved image generation capabilities, such as the ability to accurately depict people with disabilities like arm prosthetics.
Experts emphasize that AI bias is a pervasive issue and needs to be addressed through rigorous data testing and training methods that prioritize representation and diversity.
The environmental impact of AI models, including energy consumption and data center usage, is also a growing concern and needs to be addressed.

10 ways you can ask Google Photos to edit your photos for you

blog.google • Oct 14, 2025

Learn more about how you can ask Google Photos’ to edit your pictures for you and common ways it can improve photos....

TL;DR

Google Photos has introduced a new conversational editing experience, allowing users to edit photos by simply describing the changes they want.

Key Takeaways:

Eligible Android users in the U.S. can now describe the changes they want and let Photos take care of the rest.
Photos can perform various edits, including removing distractions, removing unwanted elements, and adding studio lighting.
The new editing experience can also be used to envision changes to a room by adding furniture, lighting, and other elements.

Walmart teams up with OpenAI to allow purchases directly in ChatGPT - CNBC

www.cnbc.com • Oct 14, 2025

Walmart teams up with OpenAI to allow purchases directly in ChatGPT CNBCWalmart stock hits all-time high after announcing partnership with OpenAI Yaho...

TL;DR

Walmart has partnered with OpenAI to allow shoppers to make direct purchases through the ChatGPT chatbot.

Key Takeaways:

Walmart aims to keep up with changing consumer shopping habits by integrating direct purchases through AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
OpenAI's Instant Checkout feature will support single-item purchases from Walmart and other Shopify merchants, with plans to expand to multiple-item purchases.
The feature represents a new moneymaker for OpenAI, which will charge companies a fee for transactions completed through ChatGPT.

Aquawise will show off its AI-driven water quality tech at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

techcrunch.com • Oct 14, 2025

Aquawise uses satellite images and a physics-based AI model to monitor and predict water quality at aquaculture farms....

TL;DR

Aquawise, a Bangkok-based startup, uses AI and existing satellites to continuously monitor water quality for aquaculture farmers in Southeast Asia, addressing an $30 billion annual loss.

Key Takeaways:

Aquawise's AI model monitors water quality continuously, replacing traditional daily or weekly monitoring methods.
The startup aims to make its platform accessible to farmers in Southeast Asia by offering a software-based solution without hardware purchases required.
Aquaculture, which Aquawise believes is key to feeding 10 billion people in the coming years, is expected to grow rapidly as the fastest-growing food sector worldwide.

Video Overviews on NotebookLM get a major upgrade with Nano Banana

blog.google • Oct 13, 2025

NotebookLM's Video Overviews get an upgrade with visuals powered by Nano Banana and a new "Brief" format for quick summaries....

TL;DR

Google upgrades Video Overviews in NotebookLM with Nano Banana, offering a more creative and customizable way to view notes and documents.

Key Takeaways:

New video overviews feature six customizable visual styles, including Watercolor, Papercraft, and Anime.
Two formats are now available: Explainer (structured, comprehensive videos) and Brief (bite-sized, quick-grasp videos).
The update is expected to roll out to all NotebookLM users in supported languages in the upcoming weeks.

From Signal magazine: How a Barcelona soccer club is using AI for insights and a competitive edge

news.microsoft.com • Oct 13, 2025

The post From Signal magazine: How a Barcelona soccer club is using AI for insights and a competitive edge appeared first on Source....

TL;DR

Microsoft has achieved a new state of matter called topological superconductivity and built the Majorana 1, the world's first quantum processor powered by topological qubits, opening up new possibilities for computing and AI.

Key Takeaways:

Microsoft has successfully isolated and controlled topological qubits, making a significant step towards unlocking the potential of quantum computing.
The Majorana 1 processor can be scaled to a million qubits, a crucial threshold for solving currently unsolvable problems.
Microsoft's multidisciplinary team has made groundbreaking progress in quantum computing, leveraging expertise from physics, computer science, and engineering to tackle one of the hardest engineering problems in human history.

LSEG and Microsoft transform access to AI-ready financial data in customer workflows

news.microsoft.com • Oct 13, 2025

The post LSEG and Microsoft transform access to AI-ready financial data in customer workflows appeared first on Source....

TL;DR

LSEG and Microsoft have transformed access to AI-ready financial data, enabling the deployment of secure and accessible AI agents with LSEG-licensed data in Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Key Takeaways:

The partnership combines LSEG's trusted financial data with Microsoft's advanced AI capabilities to enhance decision-making and productivity in financial services.
LSEG's AI Ready Content and taxonomies include datasets stretching back over decades, totaling over 33 petabytes, to generate insights for confident decision-making.
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) server enables secure, seamless connectivity and industry-wide interoperability for AI-enabled workflows, simplifying and speeding up the delivery of secure, governed, and scalable AI tools.

90% of science is lost. This new AI just found it

www.sciencedaily.com • Oct 13, 2025

Vast amounts of valuable research data remain unused, trapped in labs or lost to time. Frontiers aims to change that with FAIR² Data Management, a gro...

TL;DR

Frontiers' AI-powered FAIR² Data Management aims to preserve and share 90% of lost scientific data, enabling faster discovery and giving researchers proper recognition.

Key Takeaways:

Only 1-2 out of 100 datasets are currently reusable, with 90% of science being lost due to inadequate data sharing and preservation.
Frontiers' FAIR² Data Management combines AI and human expertise to create a seamless process for data curation, formatting, peer review, and hosting.
The system aims to accelerate discovery, give researchers proper recognition, and support responsible reuse of data by scientists, policymakers, and AI systems.

The great wildebeest migration, seen from space: satellites and AI are helping count Africa’s wildlife

theconversation.com • 2h ago

Using satellites and AI, scientists have mapped wildebeest across the Serengeti-Mara, offering a new perspective on how this movement can be monitored...

TL;DR

Researchers use deep learning models and satellite imagery to estimate the population size of African wildebeest, offering a new perspective on seasonal population dynamics.

Key Takeaways:

Researchers analyzed satellite imagery of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem to estimate the population size of African wildebeest using deep learning models.
The models detected fewer than 600,000 wildebeest within the dry-season range, which is lower than some previous aerial estimates.
Satellite monitoring is a complementary approach to aerial surveys and can help refine population estimates and improve the accuracy of wildlife monitoring.

AI is using your data to set personalised prices online. It could seriously backfire

theconversation.com • 21h ago

Two people looking at the same product at the same time might see different prices. AI has turbocharged the process....

TL;DR

The increasing use of AI-driven personalised pricing by companies raises concerns about fairness, transparency, and regulation. Firms are using individuals' browsing history, purchase habits, and other data to set unique prices for each person, leading to potential discrimination and consumer backlash.

Key Takeaways:

AI-powered personalised pricing models mine vast amounts of customer data to predict willingness to pay, resulting in variable prices for the same product across different individuals.
This trend started in the airline and hotel industries but has now spread to e-commerce platforms, ride-share apps, and grocery promos.
Regulators, such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), are taking notice and recommending stronger oversight of digital platforms, economy-wide unfair trading rules, and mechanisms for algorithmic disclosure.
Personalised pricing raises concerns about fairness, transparency, and accountability, highlighting the need for businesses to deploy AI pricing ethically and for regulators to catch up with the rapid development of this technology.

The future I saw through the Meta Ray-Ban Display amazes and terrifies me

www.theverge.com • Oct 18, 2025

Outside a florist-cum-coffee shop in upstate New York, a row of vintage cars gleam in the sun. It's unseasonably warm for early October, so there's a ...

TL;DR

Meta's Ray-Ban Display smart glasses offer impressive hardware and features, but are hampered by quirks and potential privacy concerns.

Key Takeaways:

The Display smart glasses offer a 600x600-pixel display and 90Hz refresh rate, making them a first for a wearable device.
However, the lack of robust third-party apps and limited support for prescriptions make them a tough sell for average users.
The glasses also raise concerns about privacy and potential misuse, particularly given Meta's history with data handling.

North Dakota using Llama3.2 1B with Ollama to summarize bills

reddit.com • Oct 17, 2025

Didn't see this posted here yet. Apparently North Dakota has been using [Llama3.2 1B](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.2-1B-Instruct) with O...

Pinterest’s ‘tuner’ lets you dial down the amount of AI content — but not entirely

www.theverge.com • Oct 16, 2025

Pinterest is rolling out a tool that allows users to “dial down the AI” in their feed, the company says. Users can select which categories they want p...

TL;DR

Pinterest introduces a tool that allows users to control the amount of AI-generated content in their feed, but not remove it entirely.

Key Takeaways:

Users can select categories with more or less AI-generated content through the 'GenAI interests' tab.
The 'tuner' tool is only available on 'eligible image Pins' in categories prone to AI content, such as beauty, art, fashion, and home decor.
The feature is already available on Android and desktop users, with iPhone users receiving it in the coming weeks.

Meta is building a smart TV — in VR

www.theverge.com • Oct 16, 2025

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscriber...

TL;DR

Meta's new Horizon TV app for Quest VR headsets offers a content-forward user interface, but may inherit problems from traditional smart TV operators.

Key Takeaways:

Meta's Horizon TV app aims to attract older, less gaming-focused audiences to VR with a familiar smart TV-like interface.
The app features content from partners such as Amazon, Pluto, and Peacock, but lacks support for popular streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.
Meta plans to announce new partnerships and features, including more 3D content and live sports, to compete with traditional streaming companies.

Restb.ai Bridges Data Gap for Smarter AI-Powered Home Search

ai-techpark.com • Oct 16, 2025

450+ RESO data points can now be completed in seconds with computer vision A major step forward in AI-powered home search is underway, as Restb.ai’s n...

TL;DR

Restb.ai's computer vision technology enables automatic population of 450+ RESO-standardized data points for every property, enhancing the home search process.

Key Takeaways:

Restb.ai's AI-powered computer vision can complete over 450 RESO-standardized data points in seconds.
MLSs can now extract and tag property features directly from photos, reducing manual input errors.
The technology aims to provide more complete and accurate listing data, streamlining the home search process.

No ROI in AI yet? Try these six proven tactics for creating real business value

www.zdnet.com • Oct 16, 2025

AI bubble about to burst? Nonsense, says Fausto Fleites, who offers best-practice lessons for turning AI concepts into valuable production services....

TL;DR

Fausto Fleites, VP of data intelligence at Scotts Miracle-Gro, shares six tactics for creating real business value with AI, including iterative development, small-scale deployment, and focusing on KPIs.

Key Takeaways:

Only 5% of AI projects deliver value, sparking concern that the AI bubble is about to burst.
Smart AI deployments involve tactical use cases, executive buy-in, and a focus on strategic priorities.
Successful AI adoption requires a cultural shift towards agility, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making across the organization.

I abandoned Google for a search tool that doesn't track me or push AI - and it gets better

www.zdnet.com • Oct 15, 2025

YaCy is completely private and can be installed on Linux, Mac, and Windows PCs....

TL;DR

ZDNET recommends using YaCy, a free, decentralized search engine that does not track users or use AI-generated results, as an alternative to Google.

Key Takeaways:

YaCy is a free, decentralized search engine that can be installed on Linux, MacOS, and Windows.
YaCy does not collect personalized data, does not use cookies, and has no 'phoning home' integration.
YaCy can be installed via an executable binary or via Docker, and comes with a web interface for searching and administering the engine.

Concerns about AI-written police reports spur states to regulate the emerging practice

theconversation.com • Oct 15, 2025

AI-generated police reports promise to save cops time, but they also raise a host of legal and technical concerns....

TL;DR

California becomes the second state, after Utah, to regulate AI-written police reports, requiring transparent notice and audit trails due to concerns about accuracy and fairness.

Key Takeaways:

At least 17 other states are considering similar legislation to regulate AI in policing, indicating a growing concern about AI accuracy and bias in court proceedings.
California's law requires police departments to maintain an audit trail and retain AI-generated drafts for as long as the official report is retained, addressing accountability concerns.
The increasing reliance on AI-generated police reports raises complex issues about accuracy, bias, and the potential for wrongful convictions, emphasizing the need for transparency and regulation in the emerging practice.

I tried a Linux distro that promises free, built-in AI - and things got weird

www.zdnet.com • Oct 14, 2025

Gnoppix is for those who are into AI and want to try Linux. But it might test your patience....

TL;DR

Gnoppix, a Linux distribution, promises free, built-in AI, but its implementation is currently flawed and requires a separate installation process.

Key Takeaways:

Gnoppix includes a large collection of apps, making it suitable for general users.
The distribution runs smoothly with the KDE Plasma desktop environment.
However, the AI package (gnoppix-ai) is currently broken and should be avoided.

Transforming commercial pharma with agentic AI

www.technologyreview.com • Oct 13, 2025

Amid the turbulence of the wider global economy in recent years, the pharmaceuticals industry is weathering its own storms. The rising cost of raw mat...

TL;DR

Pharmaceutical companies face increasing pressure to control drug costs, augment workforce capabilities, and streamline workflows in the face of rising patent expiration, supply chain disruptions, and growing costs of new drug development.

Key Takeaways:

Estimates suggest that biopharmas are able to reach 45% of health-care professionals in 2024, down from 60% in 2022, highlighting the need for more effective personalization and sales strategies.
The cost of bringing new drugs to market is climbing, with McKinsey estimating an 8% annual growth rate, reaching $4 billion in 2022, and threatening to push pharmaceutical companies further into economic instability.
Pharmaceutical companies face a 'patent cliff' as around $300 billion in potential lost sales is threatened by expiring patents by 2030, requiring companies to adapt and innovate to maintain competitiveness.