ChatGPT now offers several selectable personalities that change its tone and style without altering its core capabilities. Users can switch among options such as professional, friendly, candid, quirky, efficient, nerdy and cynical, all available on the free plan. The settings are accessed through the Personalization menu, where users can also add custom instructions, preferred nicknames, occupations, and formatting preferences. These tweaks influence how answers are framed, affecting the user’s perception of the information. Insider tips from OpenAI suggest matching personality to the query’s intent, such as using a professional tone for work‑related topics and a more direct style for sensitive subjects. Read more →

Tech giants are ending free AI promotions in India as the country emerges as the world’s largest market for generative AI app downloads. While companies like OpenAI, Google and Perplexity have driven rapid user growth with extended free offers, recent data shows a sharp decline in in‑app purchase revenue after those promotions ended. Despite accounting for roughly one‑fifth of global AI app downloads, India contributes about one percent of AI app revenue, highlighting a monetization challenge. Industry leaders are now focusing on lower‑cost tiers, telecom bundles and micro‑transaction models to retain users and convert them into paying subscribers. Read more →

The Pentagon has given Anthropic a deadline to provide unrestricted access to its AI model for military use, threatening to label the company a supply‑chain risk or invoke the Defense Production Act. Anthropic, led by CEO Dario Amodei, refuses to loosen its safety safeguards that prohibit mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. The dispute highlights a clash between government pressure to secure AI capabilities and the company’s commitment to ethical usage, raising concerns about reliance on a single AI vendor and the broader stability of the U.S. tech environment. Read more →

Google issued an AI‑generated push notification that included the N‑word, linking to a Hollywood Reporter story about a recent BAFTA awards incident. The offensive alert was identified by Instagram user Danny Price, leading Google to remove the notification and apologize. The BAFTA incident involved an audience member with Tourette syndrome who involuntarily shouted the slur during a presentation by Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, sparking outrage and renewed discussion about vocal tics. The episode adds to a series of high‑profile AI errors, including earlier missteps by Apple. Read more →

In early 2026 the xAI tool Grok was used to create millions of non‑consensual sexual images, including thousands involving children. The fallout prompted major AI firms to tighten their defenses. OpenAI patched a vulnerability that let adversarial prompts generate intimate imagery, while Google simplified its process for removing explicit images from Search and reiterated its prohibited‑use policy. Both companies emphasized ongoing collaboration with security researchers and a commitment to stronger content‑moderation controls to prevent future abuse. Read more →

Microsoft’s security team has cautioned that OpenClaw, a self‑hosted AI agent runtime, should not be run on ordinary personal or enterprise computers. The platform can silently execute risky actions while holding persistent credentials, exposing devices to data leakage, credential exposure, and hidden configuration changes. Microsoft recommends isolating OpenClaw in a dedicated virtual machine or separate device, using limited, purpose‑built credentials, and employing continuous monitoring to detect unusual activity. Read more →

Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson posted short clips created with ByteDance’s new video‑generation model Seedance 2.0, showcasing a digital replica of a famous actor in elaborate action scenes. The striking visuals have drawn cease‑and‑desist letters from major Hollywood studios and the Motion Picture Association, alleging copyright and likeness infringement. ByteDance says it will strengthen safeguards, yet the model remains unavailable to the public and continues to raise questions about the ethics of AI‑generated content. Critics label the technology as a polished form of “slop” – impressive yet fundamentally dependent on unlicensed source material. Read more →

Samsung is giving shoppers a $30 promotional credit for reserving a new Galaxy S26 device. Users can sign up with just a name and email before the deadline, without providing payment details. The credit applies only to accessories, not the phone itself, and can be used at checkout once pre‑orders open. In addition, Samsung promises up to $900 in trade‑in credit for eligible devices, with examples citing up to $700 for certain models. Early rumors suggest the upcoming lineup will feature a privacy mode, enhanced AI camera tools, and a brighter camera system. Read more →

OpenAI introduced the Frontier platform to help enterprises build and manage AI agents, but COO Brad Lightcap said widespread AI integration in complex business processes is still limited. He noted strong demand, a focus on measuring business outcomes rather than seat licenses, and partnerships with major consulting firms. Lightcap also discussed OpenAI's growth in India, including expanding voice capabilities, new sales offices, and the potential impact of AI on the local job market. The comments underscored the gap between powerful AI tools and their practical deployment in large organizations. Read more →

ProducerAI, a generative AI music platform backed by The Chainsmokers, is joining Google Labs. The tool lets users generate music with natural‑language prompts using DeepMind’s Lyria 3 model, which can also translate text and images into audio. Google highlighted rapper Wyclef Jean’s use of Lyria 3 to add a flute to an existing track, underscoring the collaborative potential of AI. While some artists celebrate the technology’s creative possibilities, others have voiced concerns over copyright and have pursued legal action against AI firms. The integration marks a significant step for AI‑driven music tools within mainstream tech ecosystems. Read more →

OpenAI has announced collaborations with four of the world’s largest consulting firms—Accenture, Boston Consulting Group, Capgemini, and McKinsey & Company—to accelerate the rollout of its agentic AI platform, Frontier. The partnership aims to help enterprises integrate AI agents into their data, tools, and processes, covering strategy, cloud infrastructure, and ongoing optimization. Early adopters are already testing the solution, with broader availability expected in the coming months. Read more →

Anthropic announced a suite of updates to its Claude Cowork platform, adding native connections to popular office applications such as Google Workspace, Docusign, and WordPress. Pre‑built plug‑ins now automate tasks across HR, design, engineering, and finance, while the AI can execute multi‑step workflows that span Excel and PowerPoint. The enhancements, which roll out to paid Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise users, complement recent releases of Claude Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6, positioning Anthropic as a stronger competitor in the enterprise AI‑assistant market. Read more →

Google is constructing a new data center in Texas that will employ advanced air‑cooling technology to sharply reduce water use, limiting consumption to essential campus operations such as kitchens. The project follows the company’s previously announced two‑year, $40 billion investment in the state and includes contracts for roughly 7,800 megawatts of net energy generation to support the Texas grid. While the initiative arrives amid growing public concern over the environmental impact of data centers, industry figures like OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Tesla’s Elon Musk have voiced differing opinions on the water‑use issue and the potential of space‑based facilities. Read more →

Anthropic announced a new enterprise agents program designed to bring agentic AI into everyday workplaces. The offering includes pre‑built Claude‑powered agents for finance, legal and HR tasks, along with a plug‑in system and private software marketplace for customized deployments. New connectors for Gmail, DocuSign and Clay enable agents to pull data directly from linked systems. Company leaders said the launch aims to fulfill the promise of agentic AI that fell short in 2025, giving corporate IT teams tighter control and tailored workflows. Read more →

Web‑search startup Nimble announced a $47 million Series B round led by Norwest to expand its AI‑driven platform that searches the web in real time, validates results, and structures them into queryable tables. The New York‑based company integrates with major data‑warehouse providers such as Databricks and Snowflake, allowing enterprises to blend live web data with internal repositories for use cases like competitor analysis, pricing research, KYC, brand monitoring, and financial analysis. Nimble now serves over 100 customers, including Fortune 500 firms, hedge funds, and consumer‑goods companies, and has raised a total of $75 million. Read more →

New Relic announced a no-code AI agent platform designed for data observability, allowing enterprises to deploy and manage pre-built agents that monitor systems for bugs and issues. The platform supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and integrates with existing New Relic tools, focusing on outcomes specific to observability. The company also introduced new OpenTelemetry capabilities for its application performance monitoring agents, enabling unified management of OTel data streams. Industry peers such as Salesforce and OpenAI have launched similar agent platforms, and Gartner has labeled these tools as essential infrastructure for enterprise AI adoption. Read more →

Claude Code, Anthropic’s AI‑driven developer tool, has seen rapid adoption across a broad range of industries. According to Anthropic’s head of the project, Boris Cherny, the tool now writes all of his own code, marking a shift in how developers interact with software. The Vergecast highlighted the tool’s unique product‑market fit, Anthropic’s plans to broaden accessibility beyond terminal interfaces, and broader discussions about data access and privacy in AI‑driven systems. The episode also touched on practical concerns such as RAM shortages affecting consumer device decisions. Read more →

A recent Accenture study shows that more than four in five companies plan to increase spending on artificial intelligence, viewing it as essential for future growth. At the same time, a sizable share cite skills shortages and outdated learning systems as major barriers, and only a small minority are redesigning roles to fully leverage AI. While many expect to hire more workers, fewer than half intend to upskill existing staff, suggesting AI is being layered onto current jobs rather than reshaping them. Leaders argue that pairing technology with clear workforce strategies will determine success by 2026. Read more →

Google’s latest Gemini model, Gemini 3.1 Pro, shifts focus from raw speed to more thoughtful problem solving. While the earlier Gemini 3 Pro delivered fast, surface‑level answers, the 3.1 update introduces a “deep think” mode that deliberately slows responses to improve logical depth and handle complex tasks such as abstract reasoning, SVG generation, and intricate logistical planning. Early testing shows the new model excelling in nuanced scenarios where multi‑layered constraints and precise code output are required, positioning it as the preferred choice for developers and power users seeking higher‑quality AI output. Read more →

A UK suicide‑prevention charity has released CALMzone, a free mental‑health app designed to provide evidence‑based support without the risks of AI chatbots. New research shows that about one‑in‑four Britons and 42% of Gen Z are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT for mental‑health advice, driven by cost and accessibility. Regulators have warned about unregulated AI use, while many people would trade basic necessities for mental‑health apps. CALMzone aims to fill the gap with professional content, keeping the service free and avoiding machine‑learning‑generated conversations. Read more →