Technology

The New York Times reports: Grok, a chatbot created by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, shared several outlandish antisemitic comments on X on Tuesday, prompting an outcry from some social media users. In its dedicated account on X, which Mr. Musk owns, the chatbot praised Hitler, suggested that people with Jewish surnames were more likely to spread online hate …

NBC News reports: Tesla launched its Austin service on June 22. People who’ve gotten an invitation, a group that appears to be composed largely of influencers adjacent to and acolytes of CEO Elon Musk, use an app to call for a ride, similar to ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft. Each ride costs $4.20, a cannabis-associated number that Musk frequently uses. …

Popular Mechanics reports: As part of a rideshare mission with SpaceX, the Nyx capsule launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base on June 23rd. The next day, after successfully re-entering the atmosphere on June 24th, the capsule crashed into the Pacific Ocean and lost some unexpected cargo: cannabis and human remains. Now, the cannabis plant matter and seeds weren’t for …

The Associated Press reports: A federal judge on Monday rebuffed Apple’s request to throw out a U.S. government lawsuit alleging the technology trendsetter has built a maze of illegal barriers to protect the iPhone from competition and fatten its profit margins. The 33—page opinion from U.S. District Judge Xavier Neals in New Jersey will enable an antitrust lawsuit that the …

Axios reports: Tinder is mandating new users in California verify their profiles using facial recognition technology starting Monday, executives exclusively tell Axios. The move aims to reduce impersonation and is part of Tinder parent Match Group’s broader effort to improve trust and safety amid ongoing user frustration. The Face Check feature prompts users to take a short video selfie during …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Bank of New York Mellon said it now employs dozens of artificial intelligence-powered ‘digital employees’ that have company logins and work alongside its human staff. Similar to human employees, these digital workers have direct managers they report to and work autonomously in areas like coding and payment instruction validation, said Chief Information Officer Leigh-Ann Russell. …

Axios reports: A handful of social media influencers and Tesla investors were the first to ride without a driver in Tesla’s taxi service, paying a flat $4.20 fee. A Tesla employee rode along in the front passenger seat as a precaution, although it was unclear whether the safety monitor could control the car from there. The service only operates between …

Reuters reports: Tesla is expected to tiptoe into its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, as soon as Sunday with about 10 of its Model Y SUVs that will operate within strict limits. CEO Elon Musk has said the company is being “super paranoid” about safety and that humans will remotely monitor the fleet. Remote access and control – known …

Gothamist reports: A decade after Uber upended New York’s yellow taxi industry, another Silicon Valley giant is threatening to push the city’s cabbies to the brink of extinction. Waymo, a robot-driven car service owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, applied for a permit Wednesday with the city transportation department to test out a small fleet of autonomous vehicles in an …

Ars Technica reports: In a move that further intensifies the reflection of the cable business it’s slowly killing, Netflix will start showing broadcast channels next summer. The world’s largest streaming provider announced today that starting next year, all Netflix subscribers in France will be able to watch broadcast channels from TF1 Group, France’s biggest commercial broadcaster, which also owns streaming …

The Associated Press reports: More than 1.15 million power banks are under recall across the U.S. after some fires and explosions were reported by consumers. Electronics maker Anker Innovations is recalling certain “PowerCore 10000” power banks because the lithium-ion battery inside can overheat. An overheating battery can lead to “melting of plastic components, smoke, and fire hazards,” Anker wrote. The …

Ars Technica reports: Amid all the Gemini hype at Google I/O last month, the company also turned one of its experiments into a (kind of) real product. Project Starline was reborn as Google Beam, a 3D video conferencing system that makes it look like you’re in the same room with the other party. Google said HP would reveal the first …

Straight Arrow News reports: A recent study has raised new questions about how artificial intelligence responds to human control. According to findings from Palisade Research, a version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, known as model o3, altered its behavior to avoid being shut down, even after it was instructed to do so. Researchers said the model appeared to change its scripted responses …

Mediaite reports: Democratic congressional candidate Esther Kim Varet’s AI-generated actors accused Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) of parroting policy “prompts” dictated by President Donald Trump and corporate interests in a mocking, tech-savvy ad. The ad features AI avatars that appear to be powered by Google DeepMind’s latest video model, Veo 3, that troll Kim for being “as fake” as they are …

The Global Times reports: The China Media Group (CMG) World Robot Competition – Mecha Fighting Series, the first-ever humanoid robot fighting tournament, kicked off in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province on Sunday, as contestants, including robots developed by Unitree Robotics armed with a wide range of combat skills, gathered for a livestreamed showdown, while putting on display Chinese robotics firms’ …

The Washington Post reports: Engagement with digital technology was associated with a 58 percent reduced risk of cognitive impairment in people middle-aged and older, according to a study in the journal Nature Human Behavior. Researchers conducted a systematic review of 57 studies to see whether exposure to technology has helped or harmed cognition among the first generation of adults with …

USA Today reports: Southwest Airlines is introducing a new battery policy in its cabins starting next week, which will require passengers to keep portable chargers visible when they’re in use onboard. “Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted,” Laura Swift, a Southwest spokesperson, told USA TODAY in a statement. “Nothing …

Axios reports: Google’s newest AI video generator, Veo 3, generates clips that most users online can’t seem to distinguish from those made by human filmmakers and actors. Veo 3 videos shared online are amazing viewers with their realism — and also terrifying them with a sense that real and fake have become hopelessly blurred. Unlike OpenAI’s video generator Sora, released …

The Hill reports: A Republican tax bill released late Sunday seeks to block states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI) models for the next 10 years. The bill text from the House Energy and Commerce Committee would bar states from enforcing laws or regulations governing AI models, AI systems or automated decision systems. The bill, which comes as Republicans gear up …

Reuters reports: Google has agreed to pay $1.375 billion in a settlement in principle reached with the state of Texas over allegations the company violated users’ data privacy, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Friday. The agreement settles two lawsuits that covered three products for allegedly violating Texas consumer protection laws. “In Texas, Big Tech is not above the …