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OpenAI has acquired io, the device startup co-founded by Sam Altman and renowned Apple designer Jony Ive, in an all-equity deal valued at $6.5 billion. Through this partnership, Ive and his design firm LoveFrom will take the lead on creative and design initiatives at OpenAI, aiming to develop AI-powered consumer devices that go “beyond screens.” Most well known for his iconic designs at Apple, Ive now finds himself at the forefront of the generative AI wave, a move that could intensify competition with Tim Cook’s company in the consumer hardware market.
The acquisition will bring io's team of approximately 55 engineers and designers (many of them former Apple employees) into OpenAI. The first devices to come out of this collaboration are expected in 2026, with the promise of AI devices that integrate seamlessly into daily life. As the landscape for AI devices evolves, this move by OpenAI signals a significant step in the AI hardware race.
More info at TechCrunch.
The New York Times has entered into its first licensing deal specifically related to generative AI, allowing Amazon to incorporate real-time summaries and excerpts from Times articles, as well as content from NYT Cooking and sports site The Athletic, into its products and services. While the financial details of the agreement remain undisclosed, the deal comes at a time when AI companies are seeking new data sources to enhance their language models while facing legal challenges regarding data usage.
This partnership is seen as a strategic move for The New York Times, which has been actively pursuing legal action against companies like Microsoft and OpenAI for copyright infringement, alleging unauthorized use of its articles for training their AI models. Following a successful quarter (which included four Pulitzer Prize wins and higher-than-expected digital subscriber growth), the Times is now attempting to leverage its content in the evolving AI landscape – while also gaining an additional revenue stream.
Read more at Reuters.
Google is enhancing its Gemini AI assistant with automatic email summary cards, which now appear at the top of users' emails in Gmail in certain regions. These summaries needed to be manually requested prior to this development. Gemini already offered tools for summarizing long email threads, drafting messages, and suggesting responses in a Gmail side panel. The update confirms a trend toward a deeper integration of AI into everyday email management, although concerns about the reliability of AI-generated summaries persist.
Note that this new feature will be available based on regional settings, with smart features turned off by default in certain areas (including the EU and the U.K). Users can manage their preferences through Gmail's settings, and workplace administrators have the ability to disable personalization options as well. As AI continues its integration into various software and services, the effectiveness and accuracy of these tools will remain critical factors for user trust and satisfaction.
For more information, check TechCrunch.
Proposals to regulate AI in the UK have been postponed for at least a year as ministers plan to introduce a more comprehensive bill addressing safety and copyright issues later on. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle aims to present this legislation in the next parliamentary session, but the bill will not be ready before the upcoming king's speech (rumored to take place in May 2026). Initially, Labour had intended to introduce a more focused AI bill shortly after taking office, targeting LLMs like ChatGPT and requiring companies to submit their models for testing. However, this plan was delayed to align with the U.S. administration's approach, amid concerns that regulation might deter AI companies from operating in the UK.
The upcoming AI bill is now expected to allow AI companies to train their models using copyrighted material unless rights holders opt-out. This has sparked a significant backlash from creatives, with prominent artists advocating against these changes. The House of Lords has supported amendments to ensure AI companies disclose their use of copyrighted material, but ministers have resisted, asserting that copyright issues should be addressed in a separate bill. Meanwhile, public sentiment shows a strong support for government oversight of AI safety, with a majority believing that the government should intervene if an AI product poses a serious risk. Through these developments, the UK seemingly seeks to position itself strategically, between the U.S. and EU regulatory frameworks.
Read more at The Guardian.
Google has announced its intention to file an appeal as its antitrust trial, which found the company to hold an illegal monopoly in the search engine market, comes to a close. While a final ruling has yet to be pronounced, the trial has highlighted the U.S. Department of Justice's concerns over Google's dominance, particularly over its agreements with device manufacturers that set Google as the default search engine. The DOJ's proposed solutions included licensing the company’s search technology and even forcing the sale of its browser, Chrome. Google argues that these measures would harm consumers and disrupt the market overmuch, and claimeg to have already taken steps to allow other search engines more access on tech devices.
The implications of this case go beyond search engines, as its conclusion could significantly impact the future of AI – which is closely linked to search technology. As the trial confirmed that Google's monopoly over search gives it an advantage when developing AI products, its outcome may disrupt the competitive landscape of both search engines and AI technologies, potentially impacting how these services are integrated and used in the future.
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