Research & Development news

• OpenAI Launches GPT-5.2 ‘Garlic’ with 400K Context Window for Enterprise Coding

  11-12-2025 19:58 via eweek.com
  On Thursday, OpenAI released GPT-5.2, codenamed “garlic” during development, marking the company’s most capable model for coding and agentic workflows. The model brings a massive 400,000-token context window and 128,000-token output capacity — roughly 5x the context of GPT-4.In a blog post, OpenAI called it “the most capable model series yet.”“We announced this code red to really signal to the company that we want to martial resources in one particular a
  
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• China Debuts Six-Armed ‘Super Humanoid’ Robot Built for Efficiency

  12-12-2025 22:14 via eweek.com
  The future of work on the factory floor just got a lot more hands.China’s home-appliance giant Midea Group has revealed what may be one of the most unusual robots to hit the manufacturing world: a six-armed humanoid machine on wheels. And it’s built to take on complex factory tasks.The robot, called MIRO U, made its public debut last week and is set to begin real factory work at Midea’s Wuxi washing machine plant before the month ends, according to reporting from the South Chin
  
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• This Rugged Robot Dog Was Built for War Zones

  12-12-2025 20:30 via eweek.com
  Ghost Robotics, a Philadelphia-based developer of rugged quadruped robots, has launched a new Manipulator Arm for its Vision 60 Quadruped Unmanned Ground Vehicle (Q-UGV). This addition gives the all-weather “robot dog” the ability to interact with and adapt to its environment, significantly expanding its usefulness on hazardous missions for the military, first responders, and industry.The Vision 60 has long been praised for its all-terrain agility, able to handle rain, snow, and
  
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• AI Predictions for 2026: 5 Changes Reshaping Enterprise IT

  12-12-2025 20:17 via eweek.com
  Artificial intelligence has spent the past few years proving its usefulness.Enterprises will expect AI to demonstrate its trustworthiness by 2026. After years of pilots and proof-of-concept projects, AI is moving into permanent roles inside enterprise IT.The focus is shifting away from impressive demos and toward reliable, day-to-day work. Agentic systems are beginning to handle real tasks, while AI governance is moving from IT departments into boardroom discussions. At the same time, companies
  
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• Google Unveils ‘Disco,’ an AI Browser That Turns Tabs Into Custom Apps

  12-12-2025 18:09 via eweek.com
  Juggling dozens of open tabs to plan a vacation or research a topic is the bane of modern web use. Google now has a new idea to tackle that problem.Google this week launched Disco, a lightweight, experimental browser from Google Labs built to test new AI ideas for the future of web discovery. The company describes Disco as a “discovery vehicle,” with its first major feature dubbed GenTabs.According to Google, “Disco is our new ‘Disco’very vehicle designed to reimagi
  
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• Best AI Tools for Better Sleep

  12-12-2025 16:16 via eweek.com
  Falling asleep is easy for some people, but for many of us, getting consistent and high-quality rest can be a challenge. Stress, screens, snoring partners, and unpredictable schedules all play a role. Thankfully, there are plenty of new technologies to help you get better sleep. These smart tools track your patterns, analyze your habits, and help you achieve deeper, healthier sleep. Finding the right AI sleep app will help you understand what your body is doing and how to help it rest more
  
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• Trump’s AI Order Threatens $1.8B California Funding Cut

  12-12-2025 14:15 via eweek.com
  President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order that creates a federal task force specifically designed to challenge state AI laws through lawsuits and funding cuts.
  The saga continues, and this news marks the latest federal attempt to strip states of their power to regulate AI technology, potentially affecting billions in federal funding across dozens of states.
  After failed congressional attempts to block state AI regulation in July and November, Trump is now using executive power
  
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• BBVA and OpenAI Seal Alliance for AI-Powered Banking

  12-12-2025 13:22 via eweek.com
  Spanish banking giant BBVA and OpenAI have teamed up for an ambitious AI transformation.
  The dynamic duo is co-developing an intelligent conversational assistant that will anticipate customer financial needs before they even ask.
  Even more revolutionary (or alarming) is their plan to create digital “alter egos”—AI systems that learn each employee’s working style and can execute tasks with their authorization and oversight, essentially creating a digital twin workforce.
  Th
  
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• Disney Sends Cease-and-Desist to Google Over AI Copyright Claims

  12-12-2025 13:01 via eweek.com
  Disney has accused Google of using its AI tools to reproduce Disney characters at scale, prompting the company to issue a cease-and-desist letter that pushes the two giants into a new copyright fight. The clash centers on how Google trains its AI systems and what those systems generate.According to Variety, Disney’s letter alleged Google used copyrighted works to train its AI models and enabled users to create unauthorized images through Google’s AI products, setting the stage for a
  
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• Google DeepMind and UK Team Up for £5B AI Deal

  12-12-2025 09:54 via eweek.com
  Google has revealed plans for its first-ever automated research lab, backed by a £5 billion investment that could boost the UK’s economic trajectory.
  As nations worldwide pour unprecedented resources into AI infrastructure, the UK has secured a decent technology partnership.
  Automated AI research lab
  According to the announcement, Google will open its first automated research laboratory in 2026, creating a facility that uses AI and robotics to conduct hundreds of experiments per day.
  
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• Global-First Finance: Building Scalable, Compliant Operations in an Uncertain World

  12-12-2025 09:33 via eweek.com
  eSpeaks’ Corey Noles talks with Rob Israch, President of Tipalti, about what it means to lead with Global-First Finance and how companies can build scalable, compliant operations in an increasingly uncertain world. They explore how automation, AI, and integrated platforms are helping finance teams tackle today’s biggest challenges, from cross-border compliance and FX volatility to forecasting, risk management, and operational efficiency.
  The post Global-First Finance: Building Scalab
  
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• The Biggest AI Moments of 2025: Surveillance, Layoffs, and Robots

  11-12-2025 21:34 via eweek.com
  Artificial intelligence shaped nearly every corner of tech in 2025 as organizations weighed how to integrate new capabilities while managing operational and governance challenges.The year’s major developments reflected technical progress, workforce shifts, security concerns, and the realities of deploying AI at scale. Companies and institutions experimented with new AI tools, regulators worked to understand emerging risks, and researchers pushed boundaries, shaping both opportunities and c
  
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• Amazon’s Same-Day Fresh Grocery Delivery Now Reaches 2,300+ US Cities

  11-12-2025 21:16 via eweek.com
  Amazon is doubling down on same-day fresh food delivery.The company has expanded its Same-Day Delivery service for perishable groceries to more than 2,300 cities and towns across the United States, marking one of its biggest grocery rollouts to date. Amazon confirmed the milestone in a Wednesday announcement, noting that continued expansion into additional areas is scheduled for 2026.The service originally launched in major cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, and New Y
  
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• Waymo Accelerates: 14M Trips, 20 New Cities, and a Widening Lead

  11-12-2025 19:37 via eweek.com
  Robotaxi operator Waymo says it has completed 14 million trips in 2025, more than triple last year’s total. That puts the Google subsidiary far ahead of rival services, averaging about 269,000 weekly rides over the past 12 months. The company expects to surpass its target of 20 million cumulative rides by year’s end.Launch announcements have accelerated in the past three months, reflecting growing confidence from Waymo and parent Google in the maturity of the self-driving techno
  
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• Elon Musk Says Tesla’s Robotaxis Are Days Away From Going Fully Unsupervised

  11-12-2025 19:17 via eweek.com
  Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again doubled down on his promise that the company’s Robotaxi service in Austin will run without any human supervision — and he says it’s only weeks away.Speaking during a live session at the recent xAI Hackathon, Musk declared that “Unsupervised is pretty much solved at this point.” He added that “there will be Tesla Robotaxis operating in Austin with no one in them. Not even anyone in the passenger seat in about three weeks.&rdqu
  
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• Bill Gates’ Daughter Gets $30M Funding for Her AI Shopping App Phia

  11-12-2025 18:59 via eweek.com
  Phoebe Gates, the youngest daughter of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, has raised $30 million for her AI shopping startup Phia, according to a pitch deck seen by Bloomberg.A Phia spokesperson also confirmed the round to Bloomberg. The new funding brings Phia’s valuation to $180 million, only months after the company closed its first $8 million raise in September. The round is led by Notable Capital, guided by managing partner Hans Tung, whose previous bets include Anthropic and Airbnb
  
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• Disney to Invest $1B in OpenAI, Bringing 200+ Iconic Characters to Sora

  11-12-2025 16:43 via eweek.com
  The House of Mouse is officially teaming up with the House of Prompt.The Walt Disney Company announced Thursday that it will invest $1 billion in OpenAI, marking one of its biggest public commitments to artificial intelligence yet. The deal positions Disney as OpenAI’s first major content-licensing partner on Sora, the company’s short-form AI video generator.As part of the deal, Disney will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI and also receive warrants to buy additional shar
  
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• AI Named TIME Person of Year 2025 in Historic First

  11-12-2025 16:10 via eweek.com
  Humans! Your ‘TIME’ is over.
  In an announcement today (Dec. 11) that reflects the seismic shift reshaping the world, TIME magazine declared the “Architects of AI” as its 2025 Person of the Year.
  This marks the first time AI has received this prestigious recognition, acknowledging how the technology became virtually inescapable across every aspect of American life this year.
  The magazine’s editors specifically honored the individuals building, designing, and shaping
  
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• ChatGPT Tops Apple App Store Downloads in 2025

  11-12-2025 13:03 via eweek.com
  OpenAI’s ChatGPT has officially become the most downloaded app of 2025 on Apple’s App Store in the US.
  The AI chatbot beat social media giants and essential utilities to claim the prize.
  Data shows ChatGPT dominated Apple’s free app rankings throughout 2025. This achievement represents a meteoric rise from the app’s fourth-place ranking in 2024, when Chinese shopping app Temu held the crown. Even more striking: ChatGPT didn’t crack the top-ten list in 2023 despite l
  
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• Amazon’s $35B Investment Positions India as a Global AI Powerhouse

  11-12-2025 10:51 via eweek.com
  Amazon is doubling down on its long-term commitment to India. The tech giant has announced plans to invest $35 billion in the country by 2030, positioning India at the center of its global AI and digital infrastructure strategy. The news was announced during the Amazon Smbhav Summit in New Delhi, where the company highlighted how its nearly $40 billion in previous investments have already helped reshape India’s digital economy, establishing Amazon as the nation’s largest fo
  
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• Sam Altman’s Most Honest AI Interview Ever Is Wild

  28-07-2025 20:39 via eweek.com
  
  Wanna hear Sam Altman cover all sorts of interesting questions no one ever asks him? The OpenAI CEO sat down with comedian Theo Von for an hour-and-a-half deep dive that felt more like therapy than tech talk. And honestly? It might be the most human we’ve ever seen the guy who’s building our AI future.The man behind the machineSam’s a new dad as you may know… it was pretty hilarious to listen to him talk about his son gaining new capabilities like its
  
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• AI at Work: 16% Pretend to Use It, 56% Pay Out-of-Pocket for Tools

  26-07-2025 03:32 via eweek.com
  AI may be steam rolling its way into the workforce, but it’s not for everyone. A new survey finds that 22% of professionals feel compelled to adopt AI in work situations where they lack confidence — so much so that 16% have admitted to pretending to use the technology.Seventy-five percent of employees are now expected to use AI at work, whether formally or informally, according to the survey of 1,047 full-time professionals conducted by Howdy.com, a recruitment firm that connects Lat
  
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• Walmart’s Simplifying Shopping & Operations With AI ‘Super Agents’

  25-07-2025 23:50 via eweek.com
  Walmart is revamping how artificial intelligence supports its business by replacing dozens of standalone AI tools with four integrated “super agents” aimed at enhancing the experience for customers, employees, engineers, and suppliers.After deploying numerous AI agents across different platforms and use cases, the retail giant found the structure had grown overly complex for end users. In response, Walmart is centralizing these agents into fewer, multifunctional systems to make navig
  
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• Search Reinvented: Google’s Web Guide Promises ‘More Powerful Search Capabilities’

  25-07-2025 23:14 via eweek.com
  Google has introduced Web Guide, a new experiment in Search Labs that promises “more powerful search capabilities” by helping users find information that is more relevant and easier to explore.According to Google, the feature is designed to surface information more effectively and support deeper discovery. Web Guide is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to modernize its products and services.Built for broad, open-ended questionsWeb Guide is built for open-ended and multi-par
  
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• Cedars-Sinai’s AI Therapist for VR is ‘Quantum Leap Beyond Previous Technologies’

  25-07-2025 22:57 via eweek.com
  Patients receiving treatment at Cedars-Sinai for chronic pain, anxiety, and depression are now engaging with a new kind of support — an AI therapist delivered through virtual reality that guides them in conversation, stress management, and breathing exercises.Meet Xaia, your AI therapistThe experimental app called Xaia (pronounced ZAI-uh short for eXtended-reality Artificially Intelligent Ally) is currently available on the Apple Vision Pro headset. Developed by Cedars-Sinai physicians and
  
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• ‘Google Zero’ Looms as AI Search Results Crush Publishers’ Traffic

  25-07-2025 20:06 via eweek.com
  Online publishers are facing what many describe as a “traffic apocalypse,” as Google’s AI-generated summaries appear to be cutting off one of their most important sources of readers: search traffic.Since the introduction of AI Overviews last year, Google users in the US have been seeing short AI-generated summaries at the top of their search results. However, according to Pew Research, these summaries are significantly reducing the frequency with which people click through to t
  
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• Trump: Ordering AI Companies to Pay for Copyrighted Work Is ‘Not Doable’

  25-07-2025 00:59 via eweek.com
  US President Donald Trump dismissed calls to compensate writers whose works are used to train AI models, calling the idea “impractical” during an AI summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. He used the event to outline a vision for a deregulated AI industry and announced a series of executive orders aimed at accelerating domestic AI development.    Contract negotiations for the way AI repurposes content would be impractical, Trump asserted  AI models ar
  
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• Altman Warns of AI-Powered Fraud Crisis in Banking, Urges Stronger Security Measures

  23-07-2025 23:53 via eweek.com
  OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is sounding the alarm about the increasing use of artificial intelligence in financial fraud, particularly through advanced voice cloning technologies. In a fireside chat with Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman on Tuesday, Altman described the threat as an “impending fraud crisis” and warned that many banks are dangerously behind the curve. He expressed disbelief that some financial institutions still rely on voiceprint technology to veri
  
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• Amazon’s Acquisition of AI Wearables Company Bee Creates a Buzz About Privacy Concerns

  23-07-2025 23:08 via eweek.com
  Amazon has quietly acquired wearable AI startup Bee, signaling a fresh push into personalized, voice-enabled technology amid growing scrutiny over data privacy. The deal marks Amazon’s reentry into the wearable AI market, following its decision in 2023 to discontinue Halo, a fitness-oriented device, as part of the tech giant’s broader cost-reduction efforts. Amazon’s current Echo product line includes smart glasses that integrate with Alexa, the company’s virtual assistan
  
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• Hawley-Blumenthal Bill Lets Americans Sue AI Firms Over Data

  23-07-2025 17:57 via eweek.com
  Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced a bill Monday that would give individuals the right to sue AI companies that use their personal data or creative works without consent. They introduced the AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act following a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing in which Hawley accused OpenAI, Meta, and other companies of mass copyright infringement. In a statement, the senator called it “the largest intellectual property
  
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