Pulse

Israel's military is employing an artificial intelligence system to identify and target individuals associated with Hezbollah. This AI fuses data from various sources, including smartphones, cameras, and social media, to track targets. Experts express concern that such AI-driven systems could lead to misidentification and unintended civilian casualties. AI

A massive 9-gigawatt data center project, dubbed the "Stratos Project" or "Wonder Valley," backed by Kevin O'Leary, has been approved in rural Utah despite significant local opposition and environmental concerns. Residents and environmental groups are protesting the project's enormous energy and water consumption, which could exceed the state's current electricity usage and negatively impact the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. O'Leary argues the facility is crucial for national security and the U.S. AI race against China, claiming it will create thousands of jobs and that opposition is fueled by misinformation. AI

Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, alleging the company has strayed from its nonprofit origins and become a for-profit entity that has "looted a charity." During his testimony, Musk admitted to donating $38 million to OpenAI, a fraction of his initial $1 billion pledge, and acknowledged that xAI has distilled OpenAI models to train its Grok model. OpenAI's legal team presented evidence suggesting Musk himself had pushed for a for-profit structure and sought control of the company in its early days. The trial has revealed contentious exchanges and conflicting accounts from both sides regarding OpenAI's founding principles and Musk's involvement. AI

Google Chrome has been found to be silently downloading a 4GB AI model, Gemini Nano, onto users' devices without explicit consent. Security researcher Alexander Hanff discovered that the file, named "weights.bin," is installed in hidden directories and automatically re-downloads if deleted, unless AI features are disabled or Chrome is uninstalled. This practice has raised concerns about user privacy, potential violations of EU regulations like GDPR, and significant environmental impact due to widespread distribution. AI

Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, alleging that Sam Altman betrayed the company's original nonprofit mission by shifting it to a for-profit model. Court documents and testimonies are surfacing, including emails and texts, as both Musk and Altman present their cases. The lawsuit centers on Musk's claim that Altman tricked him into funding an organization that was meant to benefit humanity, not generate profit. This legal battle highlights the complex history and evolving tensions surrounding OpenAI's development and commercialization. AI

Taiwanese drone company Thunder Tiger is pivoting to a China-free supply chain, aiming to provide low-cost, AI-enabled suicide drones for military use. The company's general manager, Gene Su, highlighted the cost asymmetry between expensive missiles and affordable drones, drawing lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. This strategic shift is driven by Taiwan's geopolitical situation and aims to counter China's dominance in the global drone market, with the government supporting the production of 180,000 homegrown drones by 2028. AI

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was notably absent from President Trump's upcoming state visit to China, a move interpreted by experts as a signal of the U.S. maintaining its stance on restricting advanced AI chip exports. This exclusion, despite Huang's previous inclusion in presidential delegations, comes as China's domestic chip industry grows in response to U.S. sanctions. The situation highlights ongoing trade tensions, particularly concerning access to high-end AI hardware like Nvidia's latest GPUs. AI

A Chinese AI model, Kimi K2.6, has reportedly surpassed Anthropic's Claude Design in design capabilities, offering comparable or superior results at a significantly lower cost. Kimi K2.6 demonstrated proficiency in generating functional website code, UI elements, and even complex multi-agent tasks, challenging the notion that it is solely a design tool. Meanwhile, Anthropic is expanding its reach by forming alliances with major creative software companies and contributing to open-source platforms like Blender, aiming to integrate Claude into existing creative workflows. AI

Google has explained that AICore, an Android system component, can temporarily occupy several gigabytes of storage by retaining both old and new AI models during updates. This process, intended for rollback safety, lasts about three days and is a sign of increasing storage needs for on-device AI features. Separately, leaks suggest the upcoming Pixel 11 will feature a new Tensor G6 chip with a MediaTek modem and updated AI and image processing units, alongside camera upgrades and a novel 'Pixel Glow' notification light. AI

Anthropic has released new tools for legal professionals, including features for reviewing vendor agreements and preparing for bar exams, integrated via their Claude chatbot. Separately, a project called WhatsApp MCP Server allows users to manage their WhatsApp messages, contacts, and media locally, with options to integrate with LLMs like Claude or Cursor. Another development involves connecting various CRM tools through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling agents to interact with a wide range of business functions, with Anthropic recommending rich tool semantics for these integrations. AI

During the ongoing Musk v. OpenAI trial, new evidence has emerged regarding Elon Musk's past attempts to recruit OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, to Tesla and his alleged efforts to gain control of OpenAI. Emails presented in court suggest Musk offered Altman a Tesla board seat and explored integrating an AI lab within Tesla, aiming to absorb OpenAI. The trial also revealed Musk's admission that his company xAI's Grok model was trained using data distilled from OpenAI's models, a practice he described as common in the industry, despite suing OpenAI for allegedly betraying its non-profit mission. AI