MINNEAPOLIS – Since its public launch in November, ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. The free artificial intelligence chatbot has attracted the attention of giant companies like Microsoft, who will reportedly cut a potential $10 billion deal with the company who owns ChatGPT, OpenAI. "What's unique about this is that it presents information in a way that a human would," says Gene Munster, a managing partner for Loup Ventures, a technology research and investment firm. "It essentially has the ability to think." Artificial intelligence research has been happening for decades, but only recently has it gotten good enough that OpenAI released its ChatGPT chatbot to the public via an easy-to-use website.

The Justice Department says Google CEO Sundar Pichai (left) met privately with Apple chief Tim Cook in 2018 to discuss how their two companies could collaborate. The Justice Department says Google CEO Sundar Pichai (left) met privately with Apple chief Tim Cook in 2018 to discuss how their two companies could collaborate. Buried on page 36 of the Justice Department lawsuit accusing Google of abusing its monopoly power is this remarkable figure: $8 billion to $12 billion. That's the hefty sum Google allegedly paid Apple for one of the most prized pieces of real estate in the world of online search: default status on iPhones and all other Apple devices. Justice Department investigators say Apple, which does not have its own search engine, hammered out a multiyear deal making Google the default search engine on all iPhones and other Apple products.

Many of us have had the feeling that technology, which continues to change at an ever-dizzying pace, may be leaving us behind. That was embodied this past week during a Congressional hearing, nominally convened to investigate antitrust concerns of four big tech titans: Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. While the five-and-a-half-hour inquiry touched on a range topics from pesky spam filters and search results to how companies approached acquisitions, the House Judiciary subcommittee hearing laid one thing bare: A sizable disconnect appears to exist between the technology Americans are using and depending on in their daily lives and the knowledge base of people with the power and responsibility to decide its future and regulation. "Consumers and investors walk away feeling like a lot of these lawmakers don't really understand the business models to an extent that they could then navigate them and put laws in place that will dictate the future of where they go," said Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. The antitrust subcommittee hearing had been convened to look into the tech giants' market dominance.

It's not often you hear about layoffs at Apple. So it came as a surprise Wednesday when CNBC learned that Apple was removing 200 employees from its self-driving car unit. Apple confirmed the staffing change, but reading between the lines of a spokesperson's statement, it sounds like the move is the latest in the company's broader goal to improve its artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities as it faces increased competition from rivals Google and Amazon. "As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple," the company spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC Wednesday. Self-driving car technology may still be an important initiative at Apple. But reading between the lines, it looks like it's taking a back seat a Apple beefs up its general AI staff.

Apple has become the world's first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion, the financial fruit of stylish technology that has redefined what we expect from our gadgets. Apple's new 175-acre "spaceship" campus dubbed Apple Park. It was designed by Lord Norman Foster and cost roughly $5 billion. It will house 12,000 employees in over 2.8 million square feet of office space and will have nearly 80 acres of parking to accommodate 11,000 cars. SAN FRANCISCO – In a few weeks, Apple will unveil its newest iPhone.

Despite the promise artificial intelligence holds to transform many facets of American life, the majority of artificial intelligence companies are still concentrated in traditional tech hubs. According to a Glassdoor analysis from November, 30 percent of open jobs at the time that included the words "artificial intelligence, "AI" or "deep learning" in the job title were located in San Jose, with another 18 percent in San Francisco. That's why VentureBeat decided to take a look at what kinds of AI startups are forming in an area that venture capitalists have traditionally overlooked -- the Midwest -- and what problems they're trying to tackle. Using data from research firms CB Insights and Crunchbase, VentureBeat looked for Midwestern startups with unique machine learning or artificial intelligence platforms that have raised significant amounts of venture capital. We also spoke with two Midwestern venture capitalists about which startups are worth watching.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference is always full of surprises. USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham previews what we can expect in Talking Tech. For many Apple fans, the annual June Worldwide Developers Conference is a holiday fest of many, many new software updates that bring new features to their beloved iPhones and iPads. To others, it's an, "Oh no, Apple's going to make me download this update and it's going to destroy my phone." Just ask all the folks who saw their iPhones intentionally slow down, on purpose, with iOS 10's update that tried to compensate for aging batteries.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday pledged his company will move forward with its technology responsibly, as more consumers are voicing their concern about how their data get shared online and their addiction to apps. "We are in an important inflection point in computing, and it's exciting to drive the technology forward," Pichai told thousands of developers gathered at an outdoor theater on the company's Mountain View campus. "It's made us even more reflective of our responsibilities." The three-day conference, known as Google I/O, is an annual event for developers that this year drew more than 7,000 people. At past events, Pichai has expressed enthusiasm for a world in which artificial intelligence and machine learning propel the company forward and help solve global problems.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein - first printed on 1 January 1818. Shelley came up with the idea at the age of 18 after being challenged by romantic poet Lord Byron, while in Switzerland, to construct a ghost story. The results were to have a monumental impact. This was the kernel from which the story of Frankenstein would emerge. The novel - originally published without Shelley's name - received mixed reviews, but came into prominence after being picked up and re-versioned by theatre companies a few years later.

Usually known for its secrecy, Apple Inc. has been relatively vocal about a key aspect of its future over the past few months. Through acquisitions, investments, research and public comments, Apple has been trying to send the message that if artificial intelligence is indeed the future, the most valuable company in the world is getting prepared. Apple AAPL, -1.08% has been much quieter, however, about what exactly it intends to do with the AI knowledge and experience it is gaining. Perhaps the most obvious outward example of its artificial-intelligence applications, the Siri voice assistant, inspires mixed feelings from users, especially those who have welcomed Amazon.com And while AI is central to Google's core ad and search businesses, Apple's main business is still making iPhones, where AI remains a small component.