Gemini Unleashes Lyria 3: AI Creates Custom Music Tracks
Google’s Gemini app now features Lyria 3, a new generative music model allowing users to create 30-second custom tracks simply by describing an idea or uploading an image.
Google's Lyria 3 AI Music Maker Lands in Gemini App
Google's AI music generator, Lyria 3, powered by DeepMind, is now available within the Gemini app, allowing users to create 30-second tracks based on text, images, and videos.
Autodesk Invests $200M in World Labs for Spatial AI Collaboration
Autodesk has invested $200 million in Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs, sparking a collaboration to integrate World Labs’ immersive 3D environment generation models with Autodesk’s CAD software, targeting media and entertainment applications.
ByteDance Unveils Seedance 2.0: AI Video Generation Takes a Quantum Leap
ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0, a new AI video generator, is generating significant buzz with its ability to create complex scenes based on intricate prompts combining text, images, audio, and video. The model's advanced capabilities, including camera movement and realistic motion, are raising the bar in AI-powered video creation.
Meta Bets on Playful AI Features to Win Over Gen Z
Facebook (Meta) is rolling out a suite of new AI-powered features designed to inject more playful and personalized experiences into the platform, specifically targeting younger users and aiming to combat declining engagement among Gen Z.
Runway Secures $315M Series E, Doubles Valuation Amidst World Model Push
AI video generation startup Runway raised a significant $315 million Series E funding round, propelling its valuation to $5.3 billion. This investment will fuel the company's efforts to develop and deploy ‘world models,’ a key technology believed to be essential for advancing AI beyond current large language models.
AI Dominates Super Bowl Ads: A Tech Showdown
This year's Super Bowl ads showcased a significant reliance on artificial intelligence, with tech giants like Anthropic, Wix, and Amazon leveraging AI-generated content and innovative AI applications in memorable and often provocative ways.
AI Takes Center Stage in Super Bowl LX Ads
Artificial intelligence is set to dominate Super Bowl LX commercials, with tech giants like OpenAI and Anthropic vying for attention, while the NFL introduces restrictions on prediction markets.
Meta Launches Standalone Vibes App, Targeting Sora
Meta is testing a standalone app called Vibes, an AI-generated video platform, aiming to directly compete with OpenAI's Sora. The app, launched last September, allows users to create and share short-form AI videos, offering a dedicated feed and expanded creative tools.
Amazon Gears Up for Hollywood AI Test Run
Amazon MGM Studios is preparing to launch a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to evaluate its new AI tools designed to streamline film and TV production, focusing on areas like character consistency and pre/post-production efficiency.
Roblox Unleashes 4D Creation: AI-Powered Interactive Game Assets
Roblox is expanding its AI capabilities with the launch of a 4D creation feature, allowing users to design fully interactive 3D objects that can move and respond within the game world. This builds upon their existing Cube 3D tool, which has already generated over 1.8 million 3D objects.
Google's AI World Generator Sends Video Game Stocks Tumbling
Google's Project Genie, an AI tool generating interactive virtual worlds from prompts, has triggered a significant drop in stock prices for major video game companies like Take-Two, Roblox, and Unity, raising concerns about AI's impact on creative output and game development.
Flora Secures $42M Series A, Signaling a New Era for AI-Powered Design
Design tool Flora has raised $42 million in a Series A round led by Redpoint Ventures, reflecting the growing demand for AI-powered creative workflows. The startup's innovative approach to integrating generative AI with node-based design is attracting significant investment.
AI Ad Apocalypse Looms: 2026 Will Be Defined by Synthetic Commercials
By 2026, AI-generated commercials are predicted to saturate advertising, driven by cost-effectiveness and technological advancements, but also sparking consumer resistance due to concerns about synthetic content and brand authenticity.
Google Adds ‘Me Meme’ Feature Leveraging Gemini AI
Google Photos is rolling out a new experimental feature, ‘Me Meme,’ allowing users to generate memes by combining photo templates with their own images, powered by its Gemini AI (specifically Nano Banana).
Sony's TV Legacy Ends, AI Ads & Gadget Form Factors Dominate Vergecast
The latest Vergecast episode tackles Sony's shift in TV strategy, explores the rise of AI-powered advertising and gadget designs, and ponders the future of AI hardware – all while offering a rapid-fire round of tech news updates.
Microsoft Paint Gets an AI Coloring Book Feature – And It's Weirdly Specific
Microsoft's Paint app has received an AI-powered 'Coloring Book' feature, allowing users to generate custom coloring templates based on text prompts, like 'a cute fluffy cat on a donut.'
Adobe's 'Firefly Foundry' Aims to Make Gen AI Safe for Entertainment Studios
Adobe is developing ‘IP-safe’ generative AI models tailored for entertainment workflows, partnering with studios, directors, and art schools to create custom Firefly Foundry models that prioritize client intellectual property and seamless integration with existing Adobe tools.
ElevenLabs Launches AI Album to Showcase Creative Potential
AI music generator ElevenLabs has released 'The Eleven Album,' a collection of AI-generated songs designed to demonstrate how artists can leverage AI to expand their creative range while retaining full ownership and commercial rights.
China’s Algorithm Registry: A Detailed Map of a Thriving AI Ecosystem
China’s top internet regulator has established a comprehensive public database of AI tools, revealing a vast and diverse ecosystem of generative AI and deep synthesis algorithms, significantly exceeding any comparable system in the US.
Razer Bets Big on AI, Sparks Controversy and Community Buzz
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan discusses the company's bold move into AI with the introduction of 'Project Ava,' a holographic AI companion powered by Elon Musk's Grok, amid skepticism and community debate.
Higgsfield Raises $130M Valuation, Rapid User Growth Fuels Series A Extension
AI video generation startup Higgsfield has secured a $130 million valuation following a $80 million Series A extension, driven by impressive user growth. The company, led by Alex Mashrabov, is now targeting professional social media marketers and boasts over 15 million users.
Google Veo Gets Portrait Mode & 4K Upscaling
Google’s Veo AI video model is getting a significant update, introducing portrait mode support and 4K resolution output, allowing users to create more consistent and higher-quality videos based on reference images.
AI-Powered Collectibles: Buddyo and Beyond Aim to Revive the Toy Boom
Startup Buddyo is launching AI-powered bases that bring interactive chatbot personalities to collectibles like Funko Pops and even Nintendo Amiibo figurines, capitalizing on the resurgence of the collectible market.
CES 2026: Quirky AI Gadgets Push the Boundaries of Innovation
CES 2026 showcased a collection of eccentric and technologically advanced gadgets, ranging from AI-powered pets and holographic assistants to noise-canceling ice makers and vibrating knives, pushing the limits of consumer technology.
WALL-E Inspired Robots Hit the Market – But at a Price
Startup Zeroth is bringing beloved Disney character WALL-E to life with two new robots, the W1 and M1, available for preorder in the US.
AI's Lightning Rod: Gen-AI’s Turbulent Ride Through Gaming in 2025
In 2025, generative AI rapidly permeated the gaming industry, sparking both excitement and controversy as studios and developers experimented with its use in titles ranging from shooters to MMORPGs, yet the technology’s current results largely failed to deliver on its inflated promises.
Lemon Slice Raises $10.5M to Revolutionize AI Avatars with Video Diffusion
Lemon Slice, a startup developing a novel diffusion model for creating interactive digital avatars, has secured $10.5 million in seed funding to enhance its technology and expand its reach.
ChatGPT Launches ‘Your Year with ChatGPT’ – A Spotify Wrapped Rival
OpenAI has introduced ‘Your Year with ChatGPT,’ an annual review feature mirroring Spotify’s popular ‘Wrapped’ experience, allowing users to see how they’ve utilized the chatbot throughout the year.
Retro's Splat App Turns Photos into AI-Generated Coloring Pages
Retro, a photo-sharing app, has launched Splat, an iOS and Android app utilizing generative AI to transform user photos into customizable coloring pages for children. The app offers a range of art styles and printing options, aiming to provide a creative and accessible alternative to traditional coloring books.
Volumetric Capture Tech Poised to Revolutionize Sports Viewing
Peripheral Labs is developing a cost-effective 3D reconstruction system using AI and robotics perception to enable immersive, multi-angle viewing of live sports, potentially reshaping how fans experience games.
Luma Unveils Ray3 Modify: AI Video Editing with Human Performance Retention
Luma, backed by a16z, has launched Ray3 Modify, a new AI model that allows video editors to seamlessly modify existing footage by incorporating character reference images, preserving original performance details like motion, timing, and emotional delivery.
OpenAI’s GPT Image 1.5: A New Era of Seamless Photo Manipulation
OpenAI’s GPT Image 1.5 model represents a significant leap in AI-powered photo editing, allowing users to seamlessly alter images through conversational prompts with increased realism and detail, directly challenging Google's advancements in the field.
Google Integrates 'Vibe-Coding' Tool Opal into Gemini Web App
Google is bringing its 'Opal' vibe-coding tool directly into the Gemini web app, enabling users to create custom AI-powered mini-apps – known as ‘Gems’ – without writing code.
Disney’s OpenAI Deal: A Year of Exclusive AI Content
Disney has secured a one-year exclusive partnership with OpenAI to integrate its iconic characters into the Sora video generator, marking a strategic move in the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI.
Mirelo Raises $41M to Add Sound to AI-Generated Videos
Berlin-based startup Mirelo has secured a $41 million seed round led by Index Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz to enhance its AI technology that automatically adds synchronized sound effects to videos created by AI.
AI Image Generators: Embracing Imperfection for Believable Realism
AI image generators are undergoing a surprising shift, moving away from overly smooth, idealized outputs towards mimicking the imperfections and nuances of real-world photography, driven by a desire for greater realism and a subtle avoidance of the 'uncanny valley'.
Google’s AI Try-On Gets a Selfie Upgrade
Google is enhancing its AI try-on feature, allowing users to virtually try on clothes using just a selfie generated by its Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model, marking a significant step towards simplified and more accessible virtual shopping.
Disney Bets Big on Sora: $1 Billion Investment in OpenAI Signals AI Character Integration
Disney has announced a three-year partnership with OpenAI, investing $1 billion to integrate its iconic animated characters into OpenAI’s Sora AI video generator. This collaboration will allow users to create videos featuring characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, expanding the reach of these beloved properties through generative AI.
Figma Unleashes AI-Powered Image Editing Suite
Figma today launched new AI-driven image editing features, including object removal, isolation, and expansion capabilities, designed to streamline image workflows and eliminate the need for multiple tools.
ChatGPT Now Controls Adobe Creative Apps – Free Photo & PDF Editing
ChatGPT users can now leverage Adobe’s Photoshop, Acrobat, and Express apps directly within the chatbot interface to edit photos and PDFs simply by describing their desired changes.
Redfin’s AI Search: A Real Estate Rubberneck’s Secret Weapon
Redfin’s newly introduced AI search tool is proving surprisingly useful for browsing real estate listings, even for those like the author who primarily use the feature for a bit of window shopping.
Google’s Doppl App Launches AI-Powered Shoppable Discovery Feed
Google is introducing a new shoppable discovery feed within its Doppl app, utilizing AI to generate personalized outfit recommendations and visually showcase products to users.
AI Threatens Creator Economy: Rise of 'Sora Slop'
The proliferation of AI-generated video, particularly through tools like Sora, poses a significant threat to the creator economy, with concerns about view-driven monetization and intellectual property theft.
AI Rewrites Nashville: AI Music Tool Suno Disrupts Country Music Production
An AI music platform, Suno, is rapidly transforming the songwriting and production process in Nashville, allowing musicians to quickly create fully produced demos and offering new creative avenues for producers, potentially reshaping the future of country music.
Valorant Pioneers 3D AI for Game Development
Riot Games' Valorant is using Tencent's Hunyuan AI models to rapidly prototype game content, including characters and scenes, marking a significant shift towards AI-driven 3D asset generation within the gaming industry.
Black Forest Labs Secures $300M at $3.25B Valuation
German AI startup Black Forest Labs has closed a $300 million Series B funding round, valuing the company at $3.25 billion. The investment will fuel further research and development of its foundational AI models for image generation.
Runway’s Gen-4.5 AI Generator Achieves ‘Unprecedented’ Accuracy
Runway’s new Gen-4.5 text-to-video AI model boasts significantly improved accuracy and realism, generating visually complex outputs that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from genuine footage.
Cameron Calls Generative AI ‘Horrifying’ Amidst Avatar’s Visual Effects Revolution
James Cameron has voiced strong opposition to generative AI, arguing that its random character creation contrasts sharply with the meticulously crafted performances and actor-director collaborations central to his ‘Avatar’ films.
AI Sticker Printer Sparks Imagination: A Surprisingly Fun Toy
Stickerbox, a new AI-powered sticker printer, is generating buzz for its ability to transform children's ideas into physical stickers, offering a unique blend of creative play and technological engagement.
Things, Inc. Launches 'Mixup': A Playful AI Photo Editor Leveraging User-Generated Prompts
Things, Inc., the team behind the 3D design app Rooms, has released Mixup, an iOS-only AI photo editor that uses user-generated ‘recipes’ – fill-in-the-blank prompts – to create AI-generated images. This novel approach, built on Google’s Nano Banana, transforms generative AI into a social, collaborative party game.
Swatch Bets Big on AI, But MoonSwatches Remain a Distant Dream
Swatch is launching AI-powered watch design tool, AI-DADA, allowing users to create unique watches from a blank canvas. However, due to manufacturing constraints, personalized MoonSwatches – the brand’s iconic product – are not currently available.
Google Unveils Nano Banana Pro: Enhanced Image Generation with Web Search Capabilities
Google has launched Nano Banana Pro, a significantly upgraded image generation model built on Gemini 3, offering higher resolutions, web searching, and enhanced creative control.
Google's Nano Banana AI Model Goes Pro – And It's Free!
Google has unveiled Nano Banana Pro, an enhanced image generation and editing model powered by Gemini 3 Pro, offering users unprecedented creative control and now available to the public for free.
Prime Video Rolls Out AI-Generated Season Recaps
Amazon’s Prime Video is launching AI-generated season recaps for select shows, offering viewers a quick way to catch up between episodes. The feature utilizes generative AI to create theatrical-quality recaps with synchronized elements.
TikTok Doubles Down on AI Content Control & Invisible Watermarking
TikTok is introducing a new setting within its ‘Manage Topics’ tool allowing users to control the amount of AI-generated content in their ‘For You’ feed, alongside testing ‘invisible watermarks’ for enhanced labeling of AI-created content.
Google’s AI Mode Now Generates Trip Plans with Canvas
Google’s AI Mode has expanded its capabilities with a new feature that allows users to create personalized travel itineraries directly within the search engine. The AI generates detailed Canvas itineraries including flight and hotel options, along with suggested activities, offering a streamlined travel planning experience.
World Labs Launches Marble: A New Generative World Model
World Labs, founded by Fei-Fei Li, has released Marble, a new commercial world model product that allows users to generate editable 3D environments from text prompts, images, and videos, offering a novel approach to content creation.
AI Revolutionizes Biblical Epic: House of David Embraces Generative Imagery
The second season of Amazon Prime’s ‘House of David’ is heavily reliant on AI-generated visuals, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional VFX and demonstrating a growing acceptance of AI in Hollywood production.
Sora Android Launch Sees Explosive Downloads, Outpacing iOS
OpenAI's Sora AI video app experienced a remarkable start on Android, with over 470,000 downloads in its first day, significantly exceeding initial iOS estimates and showcasing strong user interest.
Meta Launches AI-Generated Video Feed 'Vibes' Amidst Sora Competition
Meta has launched 'Vibes,' an AI-generated short-form video feed within its Meta AI app, following OpenAI’s release of Sora. Users can create and share AI-generated videos, and the feed will personalize based on user interests, mirroring functionalities available in competing platforms.
Sora AI Video Generator Lands on Android
OpenAI's Sora AI video generator is now available on Android, expanding its reach and following after a successful iOS launch.
Coca-Cola's AI Christmas Ad: A Festive Fumble?
Coca-Cola’s latest AI-generated holiday commercial, featuring bizarre animated critters, is drawing criticism for its visually jarring style and a step down from previous attempts, raising questions about the brand's continued reliance on generative AI.
Adobe's 'Frame Forward' AI Tool Promises Instant Video Editing
Adobe's experimental 'Frame Forward' AI tool allows users to instantly apply changes from a single video frame across an entire video, streamlining editing workflows and reducing the need for complex masking techniques.
OpenAI Shifts to Pay-Per-Use for Sora Video Generation
OpenAI is introducing a new monetization model for its Sora AI video generation platform, allowing users to purchase additional video credits to bypass the existing free generation limits.
Figma Acquires AI Image/Video Startup Weavy, Expanding Design Capabilities
Design platform Figma has announced the acquisition of Weavy, an AI-powered image and video generation company. The acquisition, valued at undisclosed, will integrate Weavy’s tools into Figma, offering users advanced capabilities for generating and editing media within their design workflow.
Radu Jude's 'Dracula' – A Generative AI Experiment Sparks Controversy
Radu Jude's latest film, 'Dracula,' utilizes AI-generated imagery and a self-aware director grappling with the tool's potential and the industry's resistance, creating a provocative and deliberately unsettling cinematic experience.
TikTok Launches AI Editing Tools – Smart Split and AI Outline
TikTok has unveiled two new AI-powered tools, Smart Split and AI Outline, designed to simplify video editing and content creation for its growing creator base.
Silicon Valley Star Middleditch Pitches AI Storytelling Platform at Disrupt 2025
Thomas Middleditch, the star of 'Silicon Valley,' made a surprise appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 to pitch Othelia's AI storytelling platform, showcasing the evolving landscape of AI-powered creative tools.
Adobe’s Firefly Unleashes Commercially Safe AI Audio Tools
Adobe’s Firefly AI is expanding with new audio tools, including Generate Soundtrack and Generate Speech, designed to quickly add soundtracks and voice-overs to videos. Unlike some competitors, these tools are built on licensed content and are commercially safe for users.
Adobe Unleashes AI Power Across Creative Cloud Apps
Adobe's Creative Cloud apps – Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Lightroom – are receiving significant AI-powered updates, promising to streamline and automate previously laborious editing tasks. The new features, including Generative Fill with third-party models and AI assistants, aim to empower creators with unprecedented control and efficiency.
Adobe Express Rolls Out Conversational AI Assistant for Design Editing
Adobe Express is launching a new AI assistant that allows users to edit designs simply by describing the desired changes, even without prior design experience. This chatbot-style tool leverages Adobe’s Firefly AI models to transform vague requests into concrete design modifications.
Pinterest Doubles Down on AI Personalization
Pinterest is rolling out new AI-powered features designed to personalize user boards, including an AI-driven collage tool, ‘Styled for You’ outfit recommendations, and dynamically curated ‘Boards Made For You’ boards.
AI Apps Offer Fake Vacations, Fueling Escapism
AI apps are emerging that allow users to generate personalized photos of luxury vacation experiences, driven by a desire for escapism and manifestation. These apps, like Endless Summer and others, offer a temporary escape from reality, though their effectiveness is questionable.
Meta Unleashes AI Story Editing – Prompts Transform Instagram Stories
Meta is expanding its AI capabilities to Instagram Stories, allowing users to directly edit photos and videos with simple text prompts, offering features like changing hair color, adding objects, and altering styles.
EA Teams Up with Stability AI for Revolutionary Game Development Tools
Electronic Arts (EA) is partnering with Stability AI to integrate AI into its game development processes, aiming to leverage the technology for faster iteration and expanded creative possibilities while maintaining human storytelling at the core.
OpenAI Bolsters Sora with New Editing Tools and Character Cameos
OpenAI is rapidly enhancing its AI-powered video generation app, Sora, with upcoming features including basic video editing tools, the ability to create ‘cameos’ of pets and objects, and an improved social experience, fueled by strong initial user adoption.
Wonder Studios Raises $12M to Drive AI Content Production Amid Hollywood Pushback
London-based AI creative studio Wonder Studios has secured $12 million in seed funding to accelerate its production of AI-generated content, particularly within the entertainment industry, as legal battles over IP ownership and creative rights escalate.
Netflix Embraces AI as a Creative Tool, Despite Industry Concerns
Netflix is strategically integrating generative AI into its filmmaking process, focusing on enhancing creative workflows rather than replacing human talent, a move that contrasts with ongoing industry debates surrounding the ethical and economic implications of AI in content creation.
Adobe Launches Custom AI Foundry, Targeting Enterprise Branding Needs
Adobe has unveiled Adobe AI Foundry, a new service enabling businesses to train custom generative AI models using Adobe Firefly, powered by their intellectual property, for enhanced branding and creative asset generation.
AI Photobooth App Offers a Surreal Escape from Burnout
Product designer Laurent Del Rey has launched 'Endless Summer,' an iPhone app that generates AI-generated vacation photos, offering a surreal and escapist experience for users seeking a temporary respite from burnout and the pressures of startup culture.
Meta Rolls Out AI Photo Editing Suggestions Across U.S. and Canada
Facebook is expanding its AI-powered photo editing feature, allowing users in the U.S. and Canada to receive automated suggestions for sharing photos from their camera rolls, marking a significant step in Meta’s AI-driven content creation efforts.
Niantic's Peridot Beyond: AI Companions Guide You Through Reality
Niantic Labs' Peridot Beyond, now integrated with Hume AI, allows users to interact with AI-powered digital companions ('Dots') through Snap Spectacles, offering a guided augmented reality experience.
Spotify & Labels Forge ‘Responsible AI’ Music Partnership
Spotify is collaborating with major record labels – Sony, Universal, Warner, Merlin, and Believe – to establish a generative AI research lab and develop ‘responsible AI products’ for artists and fans.
Google's Flow AI Video Generator Gains Advanced Editing Capabilities
Google's Flow AI video generator has received a major update, incorporating advanced editing features like lighting adjustments, shadow manipulation, and audio generation, making AI-created videos more realistic and difficult to distinguish from genuine footage.
DirecTV to Roll Out AI Screensavers with Shoppable Ads
DirecTV is partnering with AI company Glance to introduce personalized AI screensavers that will appear on your TV screensaver. Users will be able to shop for products directly within the AI-generated environment, creating a ‘ChatGPT moment’ for television.
Sora Surges Past ChatGPT in iOS Downloads, Driven by Deepfake Trend
OpenAI’s Sora video generator has surpassed ChatGPT in its first week of iOS downloads, fueled by rapid consumer adoption and a surge in deepfake creation, including instances of AI-generated images of deceased individuals.
Google Expands AI Virtual Try-On to Australia, Canada, Japan
Google is expanding its AI-powered virtual try-on feature to include shoes, alongside existing clothing try-ons, now available in Australia, Canada, and Japan.
Google's AI 'Try-On' Feature Eliminates the Need for Foot Pics
Google's new AI-powered feature allows users to virtually ‘try on’ shoes using just a full-body photo, simplifying the shopping experience and removing the requirement for personal foot images.
Google Expands Opal: AI Vibe-Coding App Reaches 15 New Countries
Google is broadening access to Opal, its AI-powered vibe-coding app, to 15 new countries including Canada, India, and Japan, reflecting the tool's unexpected popularity among early adopters.
Sora's New Controls: A Band-Aid on the AI Slop Avalanche
OpenAI's Sora update introduces user controls to manage AI-generated 'cameos,' offering greater control over how your digital avatar appears in videos. However, concerns remain about the app's role in the broader proliferation of AI-generated content.
Google Eyes Visual Revamp for Gemini App Following Sora’s Success
Google is reportedly experimenting with a redesigned Gemini app featuring a scrollable feed of suggested prompts accompanied by relevant images, a shift from its current chatbot-style interface. This move aims to boost engagement and challenge OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Sora's Slippery Slope: Meme Mania and the Erosion of Reality
OpenAI’s Sora social media app, capable of generating hyper-realistic AI-generated videos, has launched with a mix of viral fascination and serious concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, and the blurring of reality.
Sora's Viral Launch Signals Strong Demand for AI Video Generation
OpenAI's Sora app has quickly gained traction, achieving impressive download numbers and ranking among the top apps on the U.S. App Store, despite its invite-only launch and limited availability.
AI Co-Creation: TechCrunch Disrupt Explores the Future of Storytelling
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 will host a dynamic discussion featuring leaders from TwelveLabs, Wonder Dynamics, and Pocket Entertainment, examining how AI is becoming a collaborative partner in film, media, and storytelling.
OpenAI Unleashes Sora 2: A Deepfake Revolution – And a Pandora's Box?
OpenAI has released Sora 2, a new AI video and audio generation system, raising concerns about the potential for incredibly realistic deepfakes and blurring the lines between reality and fabrication.
PayPal Honey Integrates AI Chatbot Shopping Recommendations
PayPal has expanded its Honey browser extension with new AI-powered features, allowing users to receive product recommendations, pricing comparisons, and deals directly from their AI chatbot queries. This integration aims to improve consumer shopping experiences and boost merchant sales.
Microsoft's Copilot Gets Animated Faces with 'Portraits'
Microsoft is introducing 'Copilot Portraits,' an experimental feature that allows Copilot users to chat with 40 stylized human avatars which respond with natural expressions during voice conversations.
OpenAI Launches Deepfake Social App 'Sora'
OpenAI has released Sora, a new social video app and AI video generator, allowing users to create deepfakes of themselves and others with consent.
Google's AI Mode Gets Conversational Shopping Power
Google's AI Mode image search is evolving with a new conversational shopping feature, allowing users to find products by describing what they want in natural language and referencing images.
Meta Launches ‘Vibes’ – An AI Video Feed for Creators
Meta AI has introduced ‘Vibes,’ a new dedicated feed showcasing short-form, AI-generated videos designed to inspire creativity and experimentation with Meta’s AI media tools.
Google’s Mixboard: AI-Powered Moodboard Builder Emerges
Google’s Mixboard, a new AI tool, allows users to generate Pinterest-like design boards using Gemini 2.5 Flash, offering a visually driven approach to brainstorming and concepting.
Meta’s AR Ambitions Face Reality, California Doubles Down on AI Safety
This week’s Equity podcast unpacks Meta’s ambitious AR/AI plans, including a troubled demo of their wristband-controlled smart glasses and Jack Altman’s significant funding round. Meanwhile, California is enacting new AI safety legislation, reflecting growing concerns about the technology's rapid advancement.
Cameron and Bosworth See 3D’s Revival Driven by AI and Headsets
James Cameron and Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth discuss a renewed push for 3D entertainment, leveraging advancements in generative AI and mixed reality headsets to bring back the immersive experience previously hampered by technological limitations.
Microsoft Paint Gets Photoshop-Like Features
Microsoft is dramatically enhancing its Paint app with project files, opacity sliders, and a new markup tool, bringing it closer to professional image editing software.
Huang's Nano Banana Obsession Drives AI Investment Surge
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s enthusiastic endorsement of Google’s Nano Banana AI image generator is fueling a dramatic surge in Gemini’s popularity and driving significant investment in AI infrastructure.
Gemini’s Nano Banana Fuels Explosive Mobile Growth
Gemini’s mobile app has experienced a dramatic surge in popularity following the launch of its Nano Banana image editor, rapidly climbing the app store charts and generating substantial revenue.
D-ID Acquires Simpleshow to Fuel Enterprise Avatar Growth
Video generation platform D-ID has completed the acquisition of B2B video creation platform Simpleshow, aiming to bolster its presence in the rapidly expanding enterprise avatar market.
Nothing Bets on AI-Native Devices – $200M Funding Fuels Ambitions
Nothing is planning to launch its first AI-native devices next year, backed by a $200 million funding round. The company's AI-centric operating system will power a diverse range of future hardware, including robots and EVs.
Gemini’s Nano Banana Drives Viral AI Figurine Trend, Narrowing Gap with ChatGPT
Google’s Nano Banana image editor is fueling a viral trend of creating hyperrealistic 3D figurines from user-submitted images, rapidly gaining popularity and pushing Gemini ahead of ChatGPT in app store rankings.
Roku Embraces Generative AI to Flood Streaming Ads with SMB Content
Roku is leveraging generative AI to empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with the ability to create and run video ads on its streaming service, significantly expanding its advertising inventory and targeting a previously untapped market.
Roblox Launches TikTok-Like Video Feed, Boosts Creator Earnings and Adds AI Tools
Roblox is introducing ‘Roblox Moments,’ a new short-form video feature similar to TikTok, alongside increased creator earnings through the DevEx program and a suite of new AI-powered creation tools to empower developers.
AI to Recreate Lost Welles Film: A Risky Bet on Generative Imagery
Startup Showrunner is attempting to use generative AI to reconstruct lost footage from Orson Welles' 'The Magnificent Ambersons,' a project fraught with legal and technological challenges.
Snapchat Launches AI-Powered ‘Imagine Lens’ for Creative Users
Snapchat+ subscribers now have access to ‘Imagine Lens,’ a new AR filter that allows users to generate images from text prompts, offering a creative outlet and expanding the platform’s AI capabilities.
Google Brings Veo 3’s AI Video Generation to Photos
Google is expanding its AI-powered video generation capabilities with the release of Veo 3, integrated directly into the Google Photos app. Users can now transform still images into video clips using the ‘Create’ tab, offering enhanced quality and creative tools.
Mirage Rebrands, Doubles Down on AI Video Research
AI video creation app Captions is rebranding to Mirage, signaling a strategic shift towards becoming an AI research lab focused on multimodal foundational models specifically for short-form video content targeting platforms like TikTok and Reels. The company secured $100M in funding and aims to differentiate itself through advanced AI avatars and a commitment to addressing concerns about deepfake technology.
Amazon Doubles Down on Visual Search with AI-Powered Lens Live
Amazon is enhancing its shopping experience with Lens Live, a new AI-powered upgrade to Amazon Lens, allowing users to visually search for products in real-time, integrating with its AI assistant Rufus for enhanced product insights.
Lovable's Rapid Ascent: Valuation Soars Amidst AI Coding Boom
Lovable, a Swedish app-building platform leveraging AI-coding assistants, achieved a $1.8 billion valuation and raised $200 million in Series A funding, fueled by its rapid user growth and innovative approach to AI-assisted software development.
Netflix of AI? Fable's Showrunner Aims to Gamify Hollywood with Prompter Users
Edward Saatchi's Fable studio, Showrunner, is building a platform where users generate short animated videos through prompts, aiming to revolutionize Hollywood's pivot to AI and potentially become the 'Netflix of AI'.
Google Opens Vids AI Video Editor to Everyone
Google is expanding access to its AI-powered video editor, Vids, to all users, moving away from a previous exclusive offering to Workspace subscribers. The update introduces basic AI features including AI-generated avatars and an image-to-video tool.
Google Unveils Gemini 2.5 Flash Image: A New Era for Creative AI Editing
Google has released Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, a new image editing model designed for enterprise users, offering improved control, consistency, and the ability to maintain likenesses across edits – a significant step beyond previous models.
Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian: A Look Back and a New Venture
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently shared a revealing and candid interview, detailing his journey from a high school commencement speech to his current ventures, including a relaunch of a social network. This glimpse into his life offers insights into his values, entrepreneurial spirit, and personal influences.
AI 'Creativity' Unlocked: Technical Imperfections Drive Novel Image Generation
New research suggests that the surprising creativity of AI image generators like DALL-E doesn’t stem from some advanced, intentional process, but rather from the technical constraints – locality and equivariance – built into their denoising algorithms.