Google has introduced Nano Banana 2, an upgraded AI image generator that blends text rendering and web‑search capabilities with faster image creation. Integrated as the default model in the Gemini chatbot, Nano Banana 2 can pull real‑time information from the web to produce infographics and edit existing photos with photorealistic results. The tool is freely accessible through the Gemini app, Google Search, AI Studio, Cloud and other services, and includes watermarks to signal AI‑generated content. Read more →

Google announced a new version of its Nano Banana AI image service that promises better text rendering, real‑time web knowledge, and higher visual fidelity. At the same time, the mechanical‑keyboard community is shifting from loud clicky switches to quieter “thock” sounds achieved with damping foams and lubricated linear switches. Lenovo is reportedly planning a Legion Go handheld that can transform into a Windows tablet with a foldable screen, while Apple has sent invitations for a multi‑day launch event that may showcase new MacBooks and an iPhone 17e. These developments highlight a wave of innovation across hardware and AI software. Read more →

Anthropic has turned down a Pentagon request for unrestricted use of its AI models, citing concerns over mass surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous lethal weapons. The company’s CEO, Dario Amodei, emphasized a commitment to democratic values and offered to transition the military to alternative providers if required. The standoff follows a broader push by the Department of Defense to renegotiate AI contracts with multiple vendors, with some firms reportedly agreeing to the new terms while Anthropic remains firm on its red lines. Read more →

Perplexity introduced Computer, an AI agent that can assign tasks to other AI agents. Operating primarily in the cloud, the service runs within a controlled environment that limits integrations to vetted plugins. Users can supply context through files such as USER.MD, MEMORY.MD, SOUL.MD, and HEARTBEAT.MD, allowing the agent to create, modify, or delete files on the user’s system. While the design aims to temper the wild capabilities seen in tools like OpenClaw, Perplexity acknowledges that large‑language‑model errors and security concerns remain, especially when the agent works with unbacked‑up data. Read more →

Researchers from Stanford and Princeton compared the responses of several Chinese and American large language models to politically sensitive questions. The study found that Chinese models refuse to answer a significantly larger share of these queries, provide shorter replies, and sometimes deliver inaccurate information. The authors suggest that manual fine‑tuning, rather than censored training data, drives much of this behavior. Additional work shows that extracting hidden instructions from Chinese models is difficult, highlighting the challenges of studying AI‑driven censorship in real time. Read more →

IronCurtain is an open‑source project that isolates AI assistants in a virtual machine and enforces user‑written policies written in plain English. By converting natural‑language rules into enforceable security constraints through a large language model, the system adds a layer of control that prevents rogue actions such as unwanted deletions or phishing. The prototype is model‑independent, logs policy decisions, and is positioned as a research tool for the community rather than a consumer product. Its creators emphasize the need for structured guardrails to keep agentic AI useful yet safe. Read more →

Mistral AI, the French artificial‑intelligence research lab, announced a partnership with global consulting firm Accenture. The collaboration will focus on building enterprise technology powered by Mistral's AI models, with Accenture also becoming a customer and rolling the technology out to its workforce. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal follows similar partnerships between major AI companies and consulting firms, reflecting a broader trend of AI vendors seeking consulting allies to accelerate enterprise adoption. Read more →

Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro demonstrates a leap in AI capability, offering more precise assistance across a range of tasks. The model can simulate adversarial scenarios to stress‑test plans, analyze visual content to match cinematic moods with real locations, provide spatial guidance for physical assemblies, generate interactive SVG animations, and conduct deep research for niche projects. These examples illustrate how the new reasoning layer and multimodal abilities make Gemini a practical partner for both personal and professional challenges. Read more →

Read AI introduced Ada, an AI‑powered email assistant that acts as a digital twin for users. Ada can manage schedules, answer questions from a company’s knowledge base, and handle out‑of‑office replies, all through email. Users start the setup by emailing ada@read.ai with a simple command. The assistant pulls data from calendars and meeting notes to propose meeting times, draft responses, and provide contextual answers without exposing sensitive information. While currently limited to email, Read AI plans to extend Ada to Slack and Teams, expanding its role in automating everyday work tasks. Read more →

Google has released Nano Banana 2, the latest version of its popular AI image editing tool built on the Gemini platform. The new model combines the speed of the original with the accuracy of the Pro tier, drawing on knowledge from Gemini 3 to reduce hallucinations and improve texture, lighting, and detail. Nano Banana 2 supports 4K resolution, varied aspect ratios, and clearer text generation. To help identify AI‑created images, Google now embeds invisible watermarks called content credentials. The upgrade arrives amid growing concerns about AI‑generated “slop” flooding social media, where many users struggle to spot synthetic content. Read more →

Google introduced Nano Banana 2, the latest AI image generation model, across its Gemini platform and related services. The new model promises higher consistency for multiple characters, improved object rendering, richer textures and vibrant lighting, and expanded aspect‑ratio and resolution options ranging from small square formats to 4K widescreen. Nano Banana 2 will replace earlier Nano Banana variants in the Gemini app, Google Search, AI Studio, Vertex AI, and Flow, serving the Fast, Thinking and Pro settings. Google showcased example prompts that illustrate the model’s ability to create detailed infographics, artistic scenes, and coordinated group images. Read more →

A review of the leading AI video generators highlights OpenAI's free Sora 2, Google's cinematic Veo 3, Adobe's commercially safe Firefly, and creative platforms Runway and Midjourney. Each tool offers distinct strengths, from built‑in audio and social sharing to extensive customization and commercial‑grade safety. The article also discusses legal and ethical concerns such as copyright, deepfakes, and the importance of disclosing AI‑generated content. Read more →

Anthropic has abandoned its earlier pledge to halt training and releasing frontier AI models until it could guarantee safety mitigations. The company now relies on detailed safety roadmaps, regular risk reports, and transparency disclosures instead of strict pre‑conditions. Executives describe the change as pragmatic, while critics argue it highlights the limits of voluntary safety promises without regulatory oversight. The new policy aims to keep Anthropic competitive while still emphasizing safety, but observers note that the shift may signal a broader industry move away from self‑imposed restraints. Read more →

A federal judge ruled that xAI has not provided sufficient evidence to prove that OpenAI poached its employees or misappropriated its trade secrets. The court dismissed the claim that OpenAI should be liable for actions taken by new hires before they joined the company, and highlighted the lack of concrete proof that OpenAI acquired, disclosed, or used any confidential information. The decision underscores the challenges xAI faces in substantiating its allegations and signals that the lawsuit will require a stronger evidentiary foundation to proceed. Read more →

Software engineer and internet provocateur Riley Walz is joining OpenAI to help invent and prototype novel ways for people to work with artificial intelligence. Known for viral projects such as Jmail and Find My Parking Cops, Walz will operate within OAI Labs under research leader Joanne Jang. The hire reflects OpenAI’s push to stay ahead of competitors by expanding beyond ChatGPT and exploring fresh AI collaboration tools. Read more →

Anthropic announced a revision to its Responsible Scaling Policy, replacing hard safety tripwires with more flexible risk reports and safety roadmaps. The change follows reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged the company to grant the military unrestricted access to its Claude AI model, threatening penalties under the Defense Production Act. Anthropic’s leadership argued that strict halts on model training would no longer help anyone given the rapid pace of AI development. Critics warned the shift could erode safeguards and enable a gradual “frog‑boiling” of safety standards. Read more →

Peter Steinberger, the developer behind the viral AI agent OpenClaw and now an OpenAI employee, told listeners on OpenAI’s Builders Unscripted podcast that the best way to work with modern AI is to explore, stay playful, and accept that expertise develops over time. He described his own path from a WhatsApp‑integrated tool to the OpenClaw prototype, emphasizing that AI models can solve problems without explicit programming and that learning to code with AI is a skill that improves with practice. Read more →

A hacker leveraged Anthropic's Claude chatbot to identify vulnerabilities and automate attacks against multiple Mexican government agencies, stealing roughly 150GB of data that included taxpayer records and employee credentials. The adversary also used OpenAI's ChatGPT to gather additional network information. Anthropic responded by investigating, disrupting the activity, and banning the involved accounts, while its latest model, Claude Opus 4.6, now includes safeguards against such misuse. Gambit Security, which uncovered the operation, suggested a possible link to a foreign government, though the hacker remains unidentified. Read more →

Intrinsic, the Alphabet "Other Bets" robotics venture, will become a distinct group within Google. The move positions the company to use Google Cloud, Gemini models and DeepMind expertise while continuing its mission to make robot software affordable and easy to use. Intrinsic describes its platform as “the Android of robotics,” offering a universal canvas for developers to create applications for a variety of robots, sensors and cameras. The integration aims to accelerate physical AI development for manufacturing and other real‑world tasks. Read more →

Google has introduced Nano Banana 2, an image‑generation model powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash Image. The new system matches the world knowledge and reasoning of Nano Banana Pro while delivering "lightning‑fast" performance. It brings Pro‑level features—real‑time web‑search integration, infographic creation, and text overlay for marketing and greeting‑card designs—to a broader audience. Nano Banana 2 can preserve the likeness of up to five characters in a single workflow, follow precise instructions, and produce images at up to 4K resolution with richer textures and sharper details. The model will replace Pro in the Gemini app and become the default for AI Mode in Search, Lens, and Flow AI creative studio, though AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will retain access to the original Pro model for specialized tasks. Read more →