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 Generative AI


OpenAI's first device will reportedly be a 'humanlike' rechargeable speaker

Engadget

OpenAI's first device will reportedly be a'humanlike' rechargeable speaker OpenAI's first device will reportedly be a'humanlike' rechargeable speaker It will be powered by a more advanced version of the model used by ChatGPT's new voice mode, Bloomberg says. It has long been reported that OpenAI's first hardware product will be an AI-powered speaker . Now, a new Bloomberg report reveals more details about the upcoming device, which will apparently be rechargeable and can easily be carried from one room to another. You're supposed to be able to take it to the kitchen, for instance, to help you with cooking instructions and then carry it back to your living room or bedroom. The publication says the speaker is meant to be a humanlike AI companion that can talk to you naturally in the way ChatGPT can, which can also control your smart home devices and play audio.


OpenAI's first device will be movable, screenless speaker built as AI companion

The Japan Times

OpenAI's first device will be movable, screenless speaker built as AI companion OpenAI is developing a new smart speaker that will turn its presence on a computer screen to a physical manifestation of its ChatGPT. OpenAI's much-anticipated push into consumer devices is slated to begin with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the artificial intelligence era, according to people familiar with the matter. The product -- still under development -- is meant to serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project hasn't been announced. It will help control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages and tap into the range of capabilities offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, they said. The device represents a critical next step for OpenAI, a top developer of AI models that is poised for an initial public offering in the coming months. The move will vault the company into deeper competition with the likes of Apple, Amazon and Alphabet's Google, and the push has already met some resistance.


ChatGPT can now control your whole desktop. I tested it with chess

PCWorld

PCWorld tested ChatGPT's new "computer use" functionality in the recently released super-app, which allows the AI to control desktop applications on macOS. The GPT-5.6 Sol model successfully played chess and wrote in Journal apps, demonstrating advanced understanding of game strategy and graphical interface navigation. This desktop control capability positions ChatGPT alongside Claude's similar features, with OpenAI suggesting uses for testing and automating repetitive tasks. Just a few months ago, I could barely get an AI agent to open the Chess app on my Mac, much less actually play a game of it. But after testing the all-new ChatGPT super-app, I can report that the days of clunky AI "computer use" functionality are pretty much over. Released last Thursday, the ChatGPT super-app boasts a variety of features, including the built-in Codex coding harness and ChatGPT Work, an AI agent that can tap into your local files and create detailed reports in seconds. The revamped ChatGPT also supports "computer use," allowing it to take control your PC's mouse and desktop apps. Computer use functionality isn't new--the Claude desktop app has supported it for months--but it new for ChatGPT, so I decided to give it a go. I fired up ChatGPT on my Mac mini, switched the app to "Work" mode, set the model to GPT-5.6 Sol ( the latest and greatest OpenAI model), and gave it a simple prompt: "Can you play chess on my Mac?" ChatGPT asked me to approve some new permissions, including the ability to record my screen so it could see what it was doing.


Generative AI Is an Engineering Disaster

The Atlantic - Technology

As they scramble to keep their systems online, AI companies are making things expensive for the rest of us. Large language models such as ChatGPT and Claude are so resource-hungry that tech companies may be purchasing 70 percent of the world's supply of high-end computer memory, causing a shortage. As a result, the prices of computer memory and storage are skyrocketing: Hard drives that I bought for my reporting two years ago for $350 each were $800 when I checked two weeks ago, and are now out of stock. The prices of some laptops have gone up as much as 50 percent, and low-cost computers are being hit the hardest. Affordable entry-level computers may "disappear by 2028" according to one forecast .


Ed Husic says weakening copyright to benefit AI companies would betray Labor party's ethos

The Guardian

Labor MP says'a fair day's pay for a fair day's work' was a founding principle of the ALP as media union calls for tougher new rules on AI use of creative work Husic also urged his colleagues to place stricter rules on the big tech firms or be "doomed to failure". Husic, who has long advocated for a more interventionist approach on AI policy, said big firms like OpenAI and Anthropic should not be left to self-regulate, and that the federal government should be setting strong rules. "If we were to wait for social licence with industry, we wouldn't get emissions reduction. Governments sometimes have to step in," Husic told Sky News on Tuesday. Going down the path of social licence with tech is a path that's sadly doomed to failure, because we tried self-regulation for a couple of decades and found out that it didn't work." The prime minister will deliver a highly anticipated speech in Sydney on Wednesday to address growing concerns around social licence and the necessary policy guardrails for AI, datacentres and Australian intellectual property. We've grown up with the notion of a fair day's pay for a fair day's work - that people should be remunerated fairly for the labour, the effort that they provide. Asked whether he thought his colleagues were doing that, Husic replied: "Obviously, there's a debate that's going on behind the scenes.


Japan aims to protect image and voice rights from generative AI use

The Japan Times

Damage caused by the use of generative AI is becoming a serious concern, including from AI covers, in which people have AI tools learn the voices of singers and voice actors, and sing songs using the professionals' voices. The Justice Ministry has come up with a draft report calling for the protection of the voices and images of famous individuals as the use of generative artificial intelligence grows. The draft report on civil responsibility over the unauthorized use of portraits and voices of famous people was submitted to an expert committee Monday. The ministry will release a final report as early as August after receiving expert feedback. Many things remain unclear regarding what constitutes the illegal use of voices, as no Japanese court ruling has been issued on related rights. The ministry said that it hopes the final report will be used as a reference in lawsuits and AI development.


How is the US tech industry regulated?

Al Jazeera

Inside Story How is the US tech industry regulated? How is the US tech industry regulated? Apple is taking on OpenAI in court. The tech giant has filed a lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company for what it calls pervasive theft. OpenAI has denied the accusations.


Want to try the latest ChatGPT and Claude models? Now's your chance

PCWorld

PCWorld reports that OpenAI and Anthropic have temporarily relaxed usage limits for their latest AI models, including GPT-5.6 Sol and Claude's Fable 5. ChatGPT Plus, Business, and Pro subscribers can now access GPT-5.6 Sol without the previous five-hour usage window restrictions. This increased access appears driven by competition between the AI companies, giving users more opportunities to experience advanced reasoning capabilities. If you haven't kicked the tires yet on the latest and greatest ChatGPT and Claude models, this is your lucky week. OpenAI is (fittingly) opening the flood gates to GPT-5.6 Sol, its just-released and most powerful model, announcing Sunday that it's "temporarily" lifting the five-hour usage window for ChatGPT Plus, Business, and Pro subscribers. At the same time, Anthropic is - again - extending the trial period for Fable 5, its own new top-of-the-line, giving Claude subscribers another week of in-plan access .


Is the most popular song played on Australian radio stations the product of generative AI?

The Guardian

Josh Fawaz' YouTube channel, HIs cover of Like A Prayer has topped the Australian commercial radio charts and the global iTunes electronic music charts. Josh Fawaz' YouTube channel, HIs cover of Like A Prayer has topped the Australian commercial radio charts and the global iTunes electronic music charts. Is the most popular song played on Australian radio stations the product of generative AI? Josh Fawaz's song, a cover of Like a Prayer, has raised questions over how generative AI is being used in music and whether it should be declared An Australian producer has gone from a little-known artist to a viral sensation in a matter of months, with his hit song catapulting onto global charts and receiving thousands of radio spins. There's just one problem: music experts and other musicians are questioning whether he produced it. They claim Josh Fawaz's most popular song, a cover of Madonna's Like a Prayer which reached the #1 spot on the National Radio Airplay chart, could have been made using AI.


Six out of 10 in Japan using generative AI to plan summer trips, survey finds

The Japan Times

More people are using generative artificial intelligence to make travel plans for their summer vacation and letting their children use the technology when doing their homework during summer holidays. Six out of 10 people who responded to a survey on this year's summer holidays said they are using generative artificial intelligence to make travel plans. The survey, conducted by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance on 1,120 people in their 20s to 50s in June, showed that 61.2% of those planning to travel in Japan or abroad refer to generative AI to make travel itineraries, as well as obtain information on local food and transportation. "The main tool people use for planning trips and doing research when they get there is shifting from travel guidebooks to generative AI," the firm said. Asked how they plan to spend their summer holidays, 58.4% said they are going out, down by 6.3 percentage points from last year. The rate of those traveling in Japan was 57.6%, up by 1 percentage point, while the ratio of those traveling overseas halved from 13.5% last year to 6.4%.