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Got ChatGPT Plus? You can record and summarize meetings on a Mac now - here's how

ZDNet

Looking for an automated way to record, analyze, and summarize meetings and other conversations? You can now do that with any paid ChatGPT subscription, as long as you use a Mac. Also: Is ChatGPT Plus really worth 20 when the free version offers so many premium features? On Wednesday, OpenAI announced that its new Record mode is now accessible to ChatGPT Plus subscribers. The recording capability, which kicked off in June, was initially restricted to the more expensive ChatGPT Pro, Enterprise, and Edu plans.


Researchers from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google issue joint AI safety warning - here's why

ZDNet

Over the last year, chain of thought (CoT) -- an AI model's ability to articulate its approach to a query in natural language -- has become an impressive development in generative AI, especially in agentic systems. Now, several researchers agree it may also be critical to AI safety efforts. On Tuesday, researchers from competing companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google DeepMind, as well as institutions like the Center for AI Safety, Apollo Research, and the UK AI Security Institute, came together in a new position paper titled "Chain of Thought Monitorability: A New and Fragile Opportunity for AI." The paper details how observing CoT could reveal key insights about a model's ability to misbehave -- and warns that training models to become more advanced could cut off those insights. A model uses chain of thought to explain the steps it's taking to tackle a problem, sometimes speaking its internal monologue as if no one is listening. This gives researchers a peek into its decision-making (and sometimes even its morals).


Adobe Firefly can now generate AI sound effects for videos - and I'm seriously impressed

ZDNet

Just a year and a half ago, the latest and greatest of Adobe's Firefly generative AI offerings involved producing high-quality images from text with customization options, such as reference images. Since then, Adobe has pivoted into text-to-video generation and is now adding a slew of features to make it even more competitive. Also: Forget Sora: Adobe launches'commercially safe' AI video generator. On Thursday, Adobe released a series of upgrades to its video capabilities that give users more control over the final generation, more options to create the video, and even more modalities to create. Even though creating realistic AI-generated videos is an impressive feat that shows how far AI generation has come, one crucial aspect of video generation has been missing: sound.


Hackers Are Finding New Ways to Hide Malware in DNS Records

WIRED

Hackers are stashing malware in a place that's largely out of the reach of most defenses--inside domain name system (DNS) records that map domain names to their corresponding numerical IP addresses. The practice allows malicious scripts and early-stage malware to fetch binary files without having to download them from suspicious sites or attach them to emails, where they frequently get quarantined by antivirus software. That's because traffic for DNS lookups often goes largely unmonitored by many security tools. Whereas web and email traffic is often closely scrutinized, DNS traffic largely represents a blind spot for such defenses. Researchers from DomainTools on Tuesday said they recently spotted the trick being used to host a malicious binary for Joke Screenmate, a strain of nuisance malware that interferes with normal and safe functions of a computer.


Groks new male AI companion is based on Edward from Twilight

Mashable

Earlier this week, Grok unveiled two animated AI companions for users to interact with, one of which is a flirty anime girl who puts on lingerie if you compliment her enough. Now the AI chatbot is adding a third character to the mix, only this time it's apparently modelled on what xAI CEO Elon Musk thinks women find attractive. Musk introduced Grok's new male AI companion in an X post on Tuesday, asking for suggestions in naming the character. Illustrating the request was a picture of the new companion: a stern-looking anime man wearing a black suit. "His personality is inspired by Edward Cullen from Twilight and Christian Grey from 50 Shades [of Grey]," wrote Musk.


I'm testing Perplexity's new AI browser Comet. Here are 3 features I tried right away.

Mashable

What makes an AI browser better than a regular browser? With Perplexity's Comet, that's what I'm trying to find out. Last week, AI search engine company Perplexity launched its highly anticipated browser, which uses the Perplexity search engine and comes with a built-in AI assistant. As AI models become more advanced with chain-of-thought reasoning for handling complex tasks, they're capable of more agentic, or autonomous, work. This is a natural fit for web browsers, which are essentially the gateway to our online lives.


'Baywatch' star Donna D'Errico gives fans new way to get up close and personal

FOX News

Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Donna D'Errico is calling; are you going to answer the phone? The "Baywatch" actress listened to the demand of hundreds of thousands of fans, and launched Hollywood's first interactive voice experience Thursday, aptly coined "Call Donna D." D'Errico exclusively told Fox News Digital that her new digital platform will enable followers to communicate with her on an entirely new level, be it for flirty chats or R-rated conversations. Donna D'Errico launched Hollywood's first AI phone chat experience. "I've created an AI version of me that you can call anytime you want to, and it feels like I'm actually me on the other line talking with you. "People can call, and they're talking about all kinds of things.


Is HR ready for AI?

ZDNet

A report from technology analyst firm Valoir has found that most companies are either already leveraging AI for HR activities, such as recruiting, learning, and talent management, or they plan to do so within the next 24 months. Only 34% of organizations have a policy on generative AI (gen AI), and even fewer offer effective training. This result suggests that HR departments must prioritize developing robust policies, guidance, and training to ensure AI adoption maximizes benefits while minimizing risks within HR and across the rest of the organization. Here are some of the key findings from Valoir's research: HR leaders see the most potential benefit from AI in the areas of recruiting (25%), training and development (18%), core HR (11%), performance management (10%), and workforce management (10%). Talent management, which was the third-ranked area for AI's perceived value potential in 2023, fell behind core HR, performance management, and workforce management in 2025.


AI firms 'unprepared' for dangers of building human-level systems, report warns

The Guardian

Artificial intelligence companies are "fundamentally unprepared" for the consequences of creating systems with human-level intellectual performance, according to a leading AI safety group. The Future of Life Institute (FLI) said none of the firms on its AI safety index scored higher than a D for "existential safety planning". One of the five reviewers of the FLI's report said that, despite aiming to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI), none of the companies scrutinised had "anything like a coherent, actionable plan" to ensure the systems remained safe and controllable. AGI refers to a theoretical stage of AI development at which a system is capable of matching a human in carrying out any intellectual task. OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has said its mission is to ensure AGI "benefits all of humanity".


7 AI features coming to iOS 26 that I can't wait to use (and how you can try them)

ZDNet

Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC) was a little over a month ago -- meaning the iOS 26 public beta should be released any day now. Even though Apple has not yet launched the highly anticipated Siri upgrade -- the company said we will hear more about it in the coming year -- at WWDC, Apple unveiled a slew of AI features across its devices and operating systems, including iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and iPadOS. Also: Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 public betas will release any minute now: What to expect While the features aren't the flashiest, many of them address issues that Apple users have long had with their devices or in their everyday workflows, while others are downright fun. I gathered the AI features announced and ranked them according to what I am most excited to use and what people on the web have been buzzing about. Apple introduced Visual Intelligence last year with the launch of the iPhone 16.