Salesforce on Thursday officially debuted Agentforce, its effort to create generative AI bots capable of taking action on their own, within established limits.
Why it matters: Removing the need for direct human supervision opens up the potential for more significant productivity gains, but also introduces significant new risks.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the Hearing Aid Feature, its first over-the-counter hearing aid software device that is intended to be used with the Apple AirPods Pro.
Why it matters: A hearing aid that's built into a relatively inexpensive and easily accessible product that many people already own could help far more people get the hearing help they need.
OpenAI on Thursday released a new model, previously code named Strawberry, which is capable of evaluating its steps before proceeding.
Why it matters: In addition to being better at complex math, science and coding questions, OpenAI says this approach is more explainable and adheres more closely to intended safety guardrails.
If the government succeeds in breaking up Big Tech, private equity is more likely to be a seller than buyer.
State of play: Google and the Justice Department are locked in a trial over allegations that the search giant's advertising business is anticompetitive. If the government wins, it will ask for divestitures.
Building AI-powered robots that can flexibly operate in the real world is going to take much longer than Silicon Valley believes and promises, according to the former head of Google's robotics moonshot project, writing in Wired.
An unverified Facebook rumor about Haitian immigrants eating pets rocketed to the center of right-wing discourse this week — rapidly mutating into racist memes like a twisted game of telephone.
Then, on Tuesday, it reached its appalling final form: an endorsement by Donald Trump on the presidential debate stage.
Why it matters: It should come as no surprise that Trump, the country's chief election denier and a champion of the anti-Obama "birther" movement, is susceptible to conspiracy theories.
