Artificial Intelligence

Bondu AI chat toy left kids’ conversation logs publicly accessible

Security researchers found that logging into Bondu’s parent/staff web portal with any Google account granted access to roughly 50,000 children’s chat transcripts stored by the company.

US state attorneys general move against xAI over Grok-generated sexual imagery

A bipartisan group of 35 state and territory attorneys general issued an open letter demanding xAI immediately add safeguards to prevent Grok from generating and spreading nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material.

Tesla posts first annual revenue drop and backs Musk’s xAI

Tesla reported 2025 revenue of $94.8bn versus $97.7bn in 2024 and said it has agreed to invest $2bn in Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI.

ASML posts record quarterly orders for chipmaking tools

ASML reported Q4 2025 bookings of €13.2bn for semiconductor equipment orders, with more than half for EUV lithography machines.

Amazon launches a second wave of corporate layoffs

Amazon said it will cut 16,000 corporate jobs, with affected US employees given 90 days to secure another internal role.

EU expands Digital Services Act scrutiny of X to cover Grok deepfake outputs

The European Commission opened a new DSA investigation into X focused on Grok’s generation of sexualised deepfake images, widening an existing probe into illegal content and information manipulation on the platform.

Google hires Hume AI CEO and engineers in licensing deal to boost Gemini voice and emotion features

Google DeepMind is hiring Hume AI’s CEO and several engineers under a new licensing agreement, aiming to integrate emotionally intelligent voice capabilities into its AI models while Hume continues selling its tech to other labs.

eBay bans illicit automated shopping rapid rise of AI agents

eBay has banned illicit automated shopping activity as AI-powered shopping agents become more common. The move comes as tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT shopping features and Instant Checkout make it easier for software agents to browse recommendations and complete purchases.

Google adds your Gmail and Photos to AI Mode to enable "Personal Intelligence"

Google is updating Search’s AI Mode with “Personal Intelligence,” letting users optionally connect Gmail and Google Photos so responses can be tailored using personal context from those services.

UK agency ARIA funds early projects building “AI scientists” that can run lab experiments

The UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) has awarded extra funding to 12 teams building “AI scientists” that can design, run, and analyze lab experiments, after receiving 245 proposals. The small, short grants are meant to gauge how quickly automated scientific workflows are advancing and to inform future larger ARIA programs.

BioticsAI gains FDA clearance for AI-powered fetal ultrasound software

BioticsAI, the TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield 2023 winner, said it received FDA clearance for AI software that helps detect fetal abnormalities in ultrasound images.

OpenAI plans to test ads inside ChatGPT for US users

OpenAI plans to start testing ads inside ChatGPT in the United States, showing clearly labeled ad boxes below answers for logged-in users on the free tier and the $8-a-month Go tier.

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