News Alert Digest
Generated: 2026-08-01 06:00:03 | Timespan: 72h | Period: 24h
New York school pauses plan to deploy humanlike AI robot teacher after backlash
A school district in upstate New York is pausing plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns.
OpenAI President on Apple Lawsuit: We Don't Need Your Secrets
OpenAI president Greg Brockman recently did an interview with Joanna Stern, where he commented on the lawsuit OpenAI is facing from Apple and talked about OpenAI's product plans. Brockman reiterated what OpenAI has already said on the record, stating t…
OpenAI’s rogue AI agent didn’t stop at hacking Hugging Face
The AI agent that escaped from OpenAI and hacked developer platform Hugging Face attacked other companies as well, OpenAI revealed on Tuesday. The update substantially widens the scope of an already concerning incident, which has alarmed industry insiders and…
OpenAI's Rogue AI Agent Hacked More Than Just Hugging Face
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: OpenAI said Tuesday that the rogue AI agent that breached Hugging Face's platform also hacked multiple third-party accounts and services as part of the attack. It's now clear that the unprecedented security inci…
Lilian Weng rejoins OpenAI after leaving Thinking Machines Lab over the startup's grueling pace
Lilian Weng, a cofounder of Thinking Machines Lab, rejoins OpenAI to lead an AI research team that will aid the push for self-improving AI.
LinkedIn Added a New Way to Report AI Slop
The “Seems like AI slop” button will help LinkedIn train its AI-detection tools.
Congress hasn't passed AI rules for schools. So these 98 teens did it themselves
Should students be allowed to use AI on assignments? What about on tests? Who should teach AI literacy? About 100 teenagers got together to try to decide.
Sam Altman says cognitive atrophy is one of the most overlooked risks of the AI era
Sam Altman said people should keep stretching their brains as AI takes on more complex work and personal tasks.
LinkedIn actually adds a ‘seems like AI slop’ button
A lot of content on LinkedIn might seem like AI slop, and now, you'll be able to report those posts. As part of a series of updates to reduce the volume of AI slop on the platform, LinkedIn is introducing an actual button that lets you flag a post as somethin…
OpenAI’s Hacking Debacle Was a Human Mistake
If the generative AI giant had followed well-known security best practices, it’s likely that its AI agent would never have escaped to the open internet and hacked multiple companies.
xAI’s last-minute scramble to stop Minnesota’s anti-nudification app law
xAI is suing Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison over a law passed back in May that broadly targets "nudification" apps, claiming that the statute's punitive provisions leave the company with "no practical choice but to restrict Grok Imagine's image-edit…
OpenAI Says Its Rogue AI Agent Didn’t Just Hack Hugging Face
OpenAI says its models accessed accounts on four other services.
Hugging Face Users Easily Created and Shared Abusive AI Images, Study Finds
The popular AI platform is used by developers to share access to their AI models and demo apps.
Mark Zuckerberg's 'AI is great, really' PR campaign is in full swing. Here's a better idea.
Mark Zuckerberg is doing a big AI public relations push. It's unclear if it will move the needle. So why not try cold, hard cash?
AI Companies Are Recruiting Electricians and Carpenters By the Thousands
An anonymous reader quotes a New York Times report on how AI companies are pouring money into training and recruiting electricians, carpenters, and other skilled tradespeople to build data centers: There is no parallel in American history for the boom underwa…
For Two Years, I Was Using AI Wrong. Fixing It Is Why My Clients Are Winning While Other Brands Fall Behind.
Premium personal brands do not need more AI content — they need AI used as a thought partner, as brand infrastructure and as a way to turn real audience data into messaging that actually lands.
This Struggling Restaurant Chain Went Back to the Basics. Now Its Stock Is Up 500% in 4 Years: ‘Nothing Short of Remarkable’
Instead of focusing on AI, this chain is fixing its foundation.
AI's power crunch could get a boost from old EV batteries
AI is straining America's power grid. One solution: Millions of retired EV batteries could become a low-cost source of energy storage.
Mark Cuban and Michal Burry warn the AI boom is dangerously reliant on Nvidia
Mark Cuban said Nvidia is "funding everyone and anyone," like IPOs during the dot-com bubble. Michael Burry said it's "overreaching" with its deals.
Alexandr Wang says startups supercharged by AI can now pick 'Goliath versus Goliath' fights
He said that if a startup embraces AI agents in the "most ambitious ways," they can easily beat incumbent companies.
Robotics startup Generalist AI is in talks to raise a new funding round at a $3 billion valuation
Venture firm 8VC is expected to lead the round as investors pour money into physical AI.
Haitian TPS holders in South Florida brace for end of their legal status
Temporary protected status was given to Haitians after the 2010 quake because Haiti was deemed too dangerous for a safe return. In June, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end TPS.
Everyone Is Freaking Out About OpenAI and Anthropic’s Race for Dominance
Researchers fear AI is moving too fast, while Mark Zuckerberg is worried about who owns it. Plus: Inside Black Forest Labs’ push into robotics.
Chrome Needs Twice-a-Week Patching Thanks to AI Bug Hunting
The two Chrome updates in June patched more bugs than the 23 updates before them. Now, Google is ramping up its patching schedule thanks to AI-assisted vulnerability discovery.
The New Friend AI Pendant Can Now Talk Back to You
Avi Schiffmann has a new version of his controversial AI companion. It’s more expensive, and you can’t change its personality.
Google DeepMind’s new AI model can control a robot’s entire body
Google DeepMind says the latest version of its Gemini Robotics AI model can "control entire humanoid robots." While the previous model focused on controlling a humanoid robot's upper body, Gemini Robotics 2 now supports "whole-body motions" ranging from its f…
LinkedIn Adds New ‘Seems Like AI Slop’ Button to Report All the AI Slop
Start clicking, people. This slop's not gonna delete itself.
Jair Bolsonaro’s AI Clone Is Already Causing Trouble in Brazil’s Election
The Brazilian Higher Electoral Court is now weighing whether the stunt is a criminal offense.
Wait—Samsung's Ballie isn't gone? Its app UI might've leaked
Samsung's Ballie returned surprisingly, as its app design AI reportedly leaked online.
Microsoft confirms Copilot ‘super app’ coming this year
Microsoft is working on an AI "super app" that combines Copilot's chat, coding, and agentic capabilities. During an earnings call on Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the app will span "both consumer and commercial experiences" when it launches this…
Fortnite Returns to iPhone in Brazil as Epic Games Store Launches
Epic Games today said that the Epic Games Store can now be downloaded on iPhones in Brazil through the Epic Games website. In its announcement, Epic Games complained about the third-party store installation process, which requires nine steps and include…
Set the tempo: Google's Lyria 3.5 debuts with updates to AI musicality in Flow Music
Google launched Lyria 3.5 in Flow Music, with detailed upgraded tempo, vocal, and musical control for users.
Microsoft Says Workers Are Now Using Copilot AI as Much as Teams and Outlook
Microsoft bet big on agentic AI, and it seems to be attracting users.
Consultants have found an unlikely new career path: policing AI
Some consultants are uncomfortable with the industry's embrace of AI, and have left to help rein it in instead.
EY says its 'invisible' AI router has helped cut token consumption by up to 60%
The Big Four firm EY has installed a router behind its AI tools to help manage token spend.
Google Photos fixes a stupidly annoying step for AI edits
Google Photos now lets you snap pictures directly inside its AI creation tools, saving you the hassle of app-switching and gallery search just to make a quick edit.
Google Pixel 11 vs. Samsung Galaxy S26: Which AI phone should you buy in 2026?
Should you wait for the Pixel 11, or should you just get the Galaxy S26 and call it a day?
Claude Opus 5 Became Downright Ruthless When Tasked With Running a Vending Machine
For a year now, the AI safety testing firm Andon Labs has been evaluating how frontier AI models behave as long-running autonomous agents by assigning them simulated real-world tasks, such as operating a vending machine business for a year without human super…
These charts show how the number of Big Tech employees is changing as companies embrace AI
Google's parent company Alphabet grew its workforce by nearly 12,000 amid continued investment in AI.
The 2 biggest mistakes companies are making with AI, according to PwC's US CEO
PwC's US CEO Paul Griggs says companies are thinking about AI as a technological revolution, when it's really a business one.
The AI race is taking a toll on founders. Not everyone can afford to take a break.
Some startup leaders and employees have little choice but to keep going as the AI race intensifies.
Google is working on Chrome updates that don’t require restarts
Google is working on a way to apply Chrome updates without requiring you to restart your browser. In a post on Thursday, Google outlines its approach to bug fixes in the age of AI, while noting that it's trying to make updates less disruptive by "investing in…
The Pentagon’s Case Against Anthropic Isn’t Going Well
Shocking this administration isn't a reliable narrator.
Xiaomi’s SkyNomad N90 Max is an extended-range EV with a transforming interior
The SkyNomad N90 Max is the latest electric SUV from Xiaomi and its first extended-range EV, with a claimed range of over 1,705 km (about 1,059 miles). It will come in both five- and seven-seat configurations, as well as an N90 Max Camping Edition. One of the…
Skullcandy Crusher 1080 ANC Review: A Huge Boost From Bose
The Crusher 1080 ANC are a solid pair of wireless headphones with lots of help from Bose, but might not be the best value in this price range.
Spotify Running Mode helps match tunes to tempo
Spotify has introduced a new Running Mode feature that makes it easier to curate playlists around your workout goals, music tastes, and desired beats per minute (BPM). The aim is to help you "spend less time hunting for the right music and more time moving," …
Smart Glasses Are a Hit Even as Privacy Concerns Pile Up
EssillorLuxxotica, the co-maker of Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, says smart glasses revenue nearly doubled in the second quarter.
Help! I Generated a Song With Google’s New Music Model and I Kind of Like It
It reminds me of what AI products were like in 2022.
I've been waiting for the Google Pixel 10 Pro to get a good discount ahead of the Pixel 11 launch, and Amazon has finally delivered
Amazon is slashing up to $250 off the Google Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, days before the Pixel 11 series is expected to launch.
Your Customers Are Buying in 20 Different Places. Is Your Brand There?
Shopping in 2026 no longer follows a single, predictable funnel: discovery happens across dozens of scattered touchpoints, and AI helps now helps buyers narrow choices.
Boomers Can’t Stop Gifting Their Grandkids AI-Generated Slop Books
Parents are getting fed up with garbled bedtime stories that feature characters based on actual photos of their children.
Instagram and Facebook Ads for AI ‘Nudify’ Apps Tied to Meta Ad Partner in China
GatherOne is one of Meta’s 11 advertising partners in China.
Americans Just Crossed a Tipping Point on School Cellphone Bans
A Pew Research Center survey found that for the first time more Americans support than oppose all-day cellphone bans in schools.
Claude AI Suffers Widespread Outage on Wednesday
Claude’s status page is reporting elevated errors across all models.
Hate AI Because You’re a Leftist? Here’s a Video Worth Considering
What if you had a machine for proving that the Wall Street Journal is wrong?
Visa Is Cutting 2,600 Jobs — AI Is Only Part of the Reason: ‘We Must Continue Evolving How We Work’
The cuts hit tech and product teams hardest, and Visa isn't alone. PayPal and Block have made similar moves recently.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 is $40 off at Costco and comes with over $50 in freebies
The Galaxy Watch 9 launches on August 7th, and not only does Costco have the best preorder incentives we’ve seen so far, the watch is also discounted. The deal includes the 40mm Watch 9 in cream or graphite, two wireless fast chargers for the watch, and a $50…
Zoox can now charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis
Zoox just got permission to charge for robotaxi rides in its boxy, steering-wheel-less vehicles. On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it has granted the Amazon-owned Zoox a temporary exemption, allowing it to deploy up to …
Startup Founder Apologizes After Offering Interviews to People Who Got Tattoos
A LinkedIn post boasting about the stunt quickly sparked online backlash.
TCL Tab A1 Plus Review (2026): Cheap Tablet That Doesn’t Feel It
For most people, the Tab A1 Plus checks all the boxes and is the best budget tablet you can buy, but don’t expect power or long-term Android support.
Can Winamp Ride the Retro Tech Wave All the Way Onto Spotify’s Private Beach?
The relaunched music player wants to be a one-stop shop for music.
Microsoft’s latest Surface Laptop is hundreds off at Best Buy
If you’re keen on getting a laptop that looks fantastic, feels great to use, and doesn’t cost too much, well, pickings are slim right due to RAMageddon. However, there’s a good deal happening at Best Buy through Thursday, July 30th, on Microsoft’s Arm-based, …
Samsung suffers Q2 loss, looks to Galaxy S26 FE, Tab S12 later this year
Samsung reported its Q2 2026 earnings, highlighting a loss in its smartphone business division.
Will We Ever Solve the Problem of Losing Data?
When it comes to recording, tracking, and storing data, the concept of "permanence" can be a lot trickier than you'd expect.
Ready to preorder the Galaxy Z Fold 8? Samsung's deal can get you the innovative foldable for as little as $699.99 with trade
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra hit store shelves on August 7th, but you can still enjoy some hefty trade-in discounts if you buy from Samsung.
Samsung could finally build Galaxy Buds with ear hooks for workouts
Samsung's leaked open-ear Galaxy Buds could finally give fitness fans a secure workout option, setting the stage for a showdown with Shokz and other established rivals.
Most Smart Fitness Devices Lack Essential Data Protection, EFF Warns
Health trackers collect some of our most private information, but data security is spotty among leading smartwatches, smart rings and other devices.
Study: Switching From a Gas Stove to Electric Can Improve Asthma
New research shows the negative effect gas stoves can have on people with respiratory conditions.
Apple Reports 3Q 2026 Results: $29.8B Profit on $109.4B Revenue
Apple today announced financial results for its third fiscal quarter of 2026, which corresponds to the second calendar quarter of the year. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $109.4 billion and net quarterly profit of $29.8 billion, or $2.02 per di…
Micro RGB vs. OLED: Can RGB Backlights Dethrone OLED for Picture Quality?
Samsung, Sony, Hisense and others are betting big on a new TV backlighting tech that promises even better color and brightness. Is it just marketing hype?
EU Will Reportedly Label ChatGPT and Roblox ‘Very Large Online Platforms’ (Derogatory)
The designation exposes companies to tougher regulations and transparency requirements.
The economy slowed a bit -- but Americans continued to spend
The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 1.5% in the spring, according to the Commerce Department. That's a modest slowdown from the previous quarter — but consumer spending picked up steam.
Google's Gemini Can Now Stomp Around as a Humanoid Robot
Google DeepMind's Gemini Robotics 2 combines vision, language, and action models to control multiple types of robots, including humanoids performing tasks such as organizing shelves, tying bags, and replacing lightbulbs. "It's another milestone in our path to…
iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and …
The Future of Tech Is Owning Nothing
Apple’s lease program is just the beginning.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like the future
Is this the future of foldable phones? Samsung clearly thinks so. The company has given its new wide foldable the "Z Fold 8" name, positioning the phone not as a widescreen oddity, but as the new normal, the default design for foldables going forward. Rumor h…
Shopify’s CEO Wants Rich People to Get More Votes Than the Common Folk
Very cool ideas coming out of the heart of online ecommerce.
Pediatricians and health officials are sidestepping Trump's CDC on vaccine advice
The Trump administration's upending of years of vaccine advice puts many pediatricians in a quandary. Some are steering patients away from the CDC to other authoritative websites, including their own.
The Lumbee Tribe of N.C. wants better healthcare, but plans to fund it are in limbo
Robeson County, N.C., where most of the Lumbee Tribe's citizens live, ranks as one of the worst counties in the U.S. for health. The tribe can access the Indian Health Service now, but it's not likely to be sufficient to improve the health of the community.
20th Anniversary iPhone Coming Next Year With These 10 Features
Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone is expected to arrive in the fall of 2027 with the most significant redesign the device has seen since the iPhone X. The first iPhone was announced in January 2007 and went on sale that June, meaning the device's 20th anni…
Score $1,100 OFF the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with new T-Mobile deal — no trade-in required!
Add a line with T-Mobile's Experience More or Experience Beyond plan and you'll score $1,100 off your Galaxy Z Fold 8 preorder.
Eager to give up agency
We work so hard to have freedom and leverage and choice. And then, as soon as a social network, boss or cultural force instructs us to do something, we fold our tents and go along. Responsibility is scary. Sometimes it’s easier to find someone (or something) …
Google Pixel 11 Pro vs. Pixel 10 Pro: Should you bump your Pixel Pro to the newest one when it comes out?
We're right around the corner from the Pixel 11 Pro launch, prompting us to investigate whether Pixel 10 Pro users should upgrade.
Google Shuts Down Its Nobel-Prize Winning AlphaFold Project
Google has dismantled the original AlphaFold team, according to Financial Times (paywalled), reassigning many researchers to Gemini and Isomorphic Labs. Several other key members, including Nobel laureate John Jumper, left for Anthropic. Engadget reports: Alp…
NextEra, Brookfield to Build $100 Billion Kentucky Data Campus
NextEra and Brookfield plan to invest more than $100 billion to transform a former uranium-enrichment site in Kentucky into a data center campus with a generating plant. "The privately funded effort will include construction of 2 gigawatts of natural gas-fire…
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