Gemini

Dedicated scam detector apps are often disappointing and may collect personal data, so users should utilize general-purpose AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini instead. To fight modern scams, users should prompt the chatbot to analyze a message for red flags and explain the potential mechanics of the fraud, rather than just asking if it is safe. This approach helps build intuition and protects against sophisticated text and email scams.

Mark Zuckerberg published an essay called The Future Is for Everyone and released a new Meta open-weight model. This type of AI can be downloaded to run independently, contrasting with mainstream tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude which require rented access. The article characterizes the current situation as a struggle between government power and corporate control, noting that users are paying for but never owning intelligence.

Koray Kavukcuoglu has taken charge of Google DeepMind. As the AI firm, it seeks to keep Gemini competitive against rivals OpenAI and Anthropic.

A crypto week ahead is anticipated to feature several key market events. Notable developments include reports on U.S. CPI inflation data, alongside earnings reports from companies such as Securitize and Gemini.

Demis Hassabis is stepping down as Google DeepMind CEO to become chairman and Alphabet's chief scientist, with Koray Kavukcuoglu taking over operations. The restructuring includes Jeff Dean leaving Google to co-found Discovery Loop, and Alphabet's stock fell 5% amid delays in Gemini model launches and leadership exits.

Google DeepMind's head Demis Hassabis is stepping down to become chairman and chief scientist at Alphabet. Other DeepMind staff are leaving to start a venture, amid delays in Google's Gemini AI model launch and a decline in Google shares by 4%.

Ads designed to influence AI agents rather than humans are emerging as a new marketing channel, with companies like Time and Mobian testing 'Agent Ads' to impact AI platforms like ChatGPT. The practice raises concerns about brand safety, potential manipulation, and parallels to past controversies like Bell Pottinger's Wikipedia edits.

Tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are developing AI-powered 'super apps' to consolidate multiple functions into a single platform. Google merged its AI Studio into its Gemini app, while Microsoft and OpenAI are integrating features into unified apps. The trend mirrors China's WeChat model and Elon Musk's X, aiming to create all-in-one services through AI advancements.

The upcoming election will feature AI as a central policy issue and a tool for political influence, with techniques like persuasion bots, synthetic voter testing, and AI-driven social media campaigns. Yale researchers note AI's effectiveness in amplifying existing views and shaping future AI responses, while competition intensifies over how major language models present candidates.

Sci-fi authors John Scalzi and Charles Stross criticize AI's impact on writing, with Stross accusing AI companies of stealing copyrighted material to train models and Scalzi highlighting challenges for new writers due to unreliable AI detection tools. Both authors express strong opposition to AI-generated content competing with human-authored works.

New York officials sued prediction market platform Kalshi, alleging it operates as an illegal, unlicensed gambling platform. The state seeks to halt Kalshi's operations, forfeit its profits, and impose fines, while Kalshi argues it is federally licensed and regulated.

New York sued prediction market platform Kalshi, alleging it operates as an 'illegal, unlicensed gambling operation' and seeking to halt its activities and seize profits. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, is part of a broader dispute over state versus federal regulation of prediction markets, with Kalshi and other platforms asserting federal licensing protects them from state oversight.

New York officials sued prediction market platform Kalshi, alleging it operates as an illegal, unlicensed gambling platform. Kalshi claims it is federally licensed and that states have no authority to regulate it, while New York argues it violates state gambling laws by allowing underage betting and avoiding taxes. The state seeks to halt Kalshi's operations and confiscate its profits.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing her State of the Union address, with officials working to finalize its content. The EU’s AI Office is gaining new powers to regulate companies behind systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Industrial chicken farms may be linked to the spread of a diarrhea-causing bacteria, raising concerns for poultry consumers.

Google and Samsung are entering the smart-glasses market with a focus on AI assistants rather than hardware, showcasing prototypes powered by Gemini and partnerships with brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. They aim to challenge Meta’s dominance, which achieved 7 million pair sales through its EssilorLuxottica collaboration, by emphasizing AI integration with existing ecosystems and addressing privacy concerns.

Google has shut down its Nobel-prize winning AlphaFold project, with DeepMind's award-winning AlphaFold team now dissolved as the company shifts focus to Gemini.

Hugging Face hosts AI models that are being used to generate nonconsensual deepfakes undressing women and children. A report by AI Forensics found that seven of nine top image editing models on the platform comply with such requests, unlike mainstream models like Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT which have guardrails against such prompts.

An experiment by Unslop.run found leading AI models, including Grok and GPT variants, predominantly aligned with libertarian-left ideologies on the Political Compass quiz. The test, which evaluates economic and social views across 62 questions, showed models favoring social equality and anticapitalism over hierarchical systems. Results were noted as potentially lacking full scientific rigor due to limited human data comparison.

Conservative activist Robby Starbuck secured a legal victory against Google as his defamation lawsuit progresses, with a Delaware Superior Court ruling allowing discovery to proceed. The lawsuit alleges Google's AI platforms falsely portrayed him as a 'monster' through AI-generated content, causing emotional distress, and seeks at least $15 million in damages.

Anthropic released Claude Opus 5, a cost-effective AI model priced at half the cost of its Fable 5 counterpart while maintaining strong performance on industry benchmarks. The model addresses business concerns about AI costs, competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, and includes cybersecurity safeguards to reduce risks compared to its more advanced Mythos 5 system.

Younger generations are replacing 'Google it' with 'search it up' as AI chatbots and voice assistants influence their problem-solving behavior. Research shows AI tools like ChatGPT and voice assistants are reshaping language, with terms like 'delve' and 'meticulous' entering everyday speech. Kids using AI tools increasingly adopt platform-agnostic language and command-style phrasing.

Gemini sent $10 million in Bitcoin to Donald Trump's PAC following a joint motion with the CFTC. The donation aims to support Trump as a New York court evaluates reversing a $5 million settlement between the CFTC and Gemini.

Alphabet Inc. reported a $98 billion net gain in Q2, driven by gains on its SpaceX stake following SpaceX's June public listing. The company's revenue rose 24% to $119.8 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, with AI investments and advertising revenue contributing to the strong performance.

Google reported Q2 revenue of $119.8 billion, a 24% increase from the previous year, driven by strong AI infrastructure investments and Google Cloud growth. The company raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $195–205 billion and noted Google Cloud revenue jumped 82% year-over-year to $24.8 billion. Gemini, Google's AI app, reached 950 million monthly active users, signaling progress in its consumer AI strategy.

Alphabet Inc. reported Q2 earnings of $112.11B and revenue of $119.8B, exceeding analyst expectations, driven by strong advertising revenue and AI investments. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted AI's role in business growth, while Emarketer analyst Nate Elliott noted Gemini's progress toward 1 billion users and cloud business expansion.

Google's Gemini AI app has 950 million monthly active users, closing in on ChatGPT's 1 billion, with daily active users tripling in a year. Google recently launched three new models, including the more cost-effective Gemini 3.6 Flash, while work on Gemini 4 has begun.

Alphabet Inc. reported Q2 earnings of $112.11B, exceeding expectations, driven by AI investments and strong ad revenue. Revenue rose 24% to $119.8B, with AI products like Gemini nearing 1 billion users and cloud growth fueled by AI demand.

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss donated $10 million from Bitcoin sales to Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc. The twins previously donated 30.94 Bitcoin to Trump's campaign, citing support for a pro-crypto stance.

Google's traditional search model, which connected users to external websites, is being reshaped by AI-powered features like AI Mode, which provide conversational answers directly. This shift has led to declining traffic for publishers and concerns about 'Google Zero,' a scenario where Google directs minimal traffic to external sites. While Google claims its AI still drives significant web traffic and supports the online ecosystem, publishers and regulators are pushing for greater transparency and control.

Alphabet's stock increased following a report that the company is developing a new AI chip named 'Frozen v2.' The chip would integrate parts of Gemini's architecture directly into the silicon, according to the report.

An article discusses how leaders who outsource critical thinking to AI tools like Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT risk losing employee trust and engagement. The author, who interviewed 700 leaders, highlights that AI-generated content lacks genuine understanding, leading to disengagement, as illustrated by a CEO whose team stopped paying attention after he used AI for communications.

AI models like ChatGPT and Claude exhibit greater bias in hiring decisions than humans, according to a study where they stereotyped fictional candidates by ethnic group in a simulated hiring scenario. The models developed job-specific stereotypes based on limited data, even though all candidates had equal success rates.

A startup tested AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude by having them bet on World Cup matches using live Polymarket odds. Mistral led the field, followed by GPT 5.5 and DeepSeek V4, while Claude Opus 4.8 performed worst. The experiment evaluated AI judgment under uncertainty through virtual $10,000 bankroll wagers.

Google has updated its usage quotas for Gemini, which may reduce the number of AI responses available to users. The new system tracks AI usage differently than before.

The EU will require Google to allow competing AI models to operate within its Android ecosystem, challenging the dominance of Google's Gemini tool. This decision aims to benefit AI companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and French startup Mistral by increasing access to Android devices used by 60% of EU adults.

The European Commission ordered Google to grant rival AI assistants the same access to Android features as Gemini, including camera, microphone, and screen data, with implementation required in Android 18 by August 2027.

Google is addressing a security flaw in Android 16 that allows unauthenticated users to send SMS or WhatsApp messages via Gemini from the lock screen without a PIN. The bug, reported to The Register, enables physical attackers to bypass device authentication using a specific multi-touch gesture, with Google confirming a fix will deploy this week.

The Illinois State Board of Education released AI usage guidelines for K-12 education, developed with assistance from AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The guidance followed legislation requiring ethical AI use and addressing educator concerns about privacy, accuracy, and student learning impacts.

Alphabet shares fell more than 4% due to concerns the company is lagging in the artificial-intelligence race, partly attributed to delays in the Gemini project. The decline reflects worries Google is struggling to keep pace with competitors in AI development.

The European Union mandated Google to share anonymized search data and enable rival AI access on Android to foster competition. Google criticized the rules, warning they could compromise privacy and security, while the EU emphasized promoting user choice and innovation.