The benchmarks AI companies brag about are obsolete: Here’s what’s replacing them

Artificial Analysis has overhauled how the AI industry measures intelligence, replacing traditional benchmarks with tests that measure whether AI can complete actual work tasks. Michael Nuñez reports for VentureBeat. The independent benchmarking organization removed three widely cited tests from its Intelligence Index, including MMLU-Pro and AIME 2025. The new version 4.0 introduces 10 evaluations focused …

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Gmail introduces free AI features for all users

Google is making several AI features in Gmail available to all personal users at no cost. According to Blake Barnes, VP Product for Gmail, the company is bringing the email service into what it calls the “Gemini era.” The newly free features include Help Me Write, which allows users to draft or polish emails using …

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Microsoft launches AI shopping checkout through Copilot

Microsoft has introduced Copilot Checkout at the NRF 2026 retail conference, enabling users to complete purchases directly within the Copilot interface without visiting retailer websites. The feature is rolling out in the United States and integrates with PayPal, Shopify, Stripe and Etsy. Participating retailers include Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Ashley Furniture. According to Microsoft, the …

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Why Instagram’s boss says you should post ugly photos to prove you are human

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, believes it will soon be more practical to verify authentic media than to detect AI-generated content. Karissa Bell reports for Engadget that Mosseri expects synthetic imagery to overtake human-made content on social platforms. This shift forces a rethink of how apps identify what is real. Mosseri suggests that the …

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Qwen-Image-2512: High quality AI images go open source to challenge Google dominance

Alibaba’s Qwen team has released Qwen-Image-2512. This update improves their foundation model for generating images from text. The model is now available for public use and enterprise integration. According to the developers, this version focuses on three main areas: human realism, natural detail, and text rendering. The model aims to reduce the artificial appearance often …

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AI channels rake in $117 million while flooding YouTube with low-quality videos

More than 20% of videos recommended to new YouTube users consist of low-quality AI-generated content designed solely to generate views and revenue, according to new research. Video-editing company Kapwing surveyed 15,000 of the world’s most popular YouTube channels and identified 278 that contain exclusively “AI slop”, Aisha Down reports for The Guardian. These channels have …

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Silicon Valley faces growing disconnect between AI builders and skeptical public

Silicon Valley’s AI enthusiasts are frustrated with public skepticism, but they may be missing the point. While industry insiders celebrate what they see as near-miraculous advances, many ordinary people view AI progress with anxiety or indifference. Sharon Goldman reports for Fortune that the disconnect stems from fundamentally different perspectives. What AI builders frame as thrilling …

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Why Amazon’s billion-dollar business model faces its biggest AI threat yet

Amazon faces a critical decision about AI-powered shopping agents that could reshape the e-commerce industry. The company must choose whether to fight these tools or embrace them as partners. Annie Palmer reports for CNBC that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has watched competitors like OpenAI, Google, Perplexity and Microsoft release AI agents that allow consumers to …

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39C3 Talk: How Wikipedia battles AI-generated articles

Mathias Schindler, a longtime Wikipedia contributor and co-founder of Wikimedia Germany, reports on a troubling discovery at the 39C3 conference in Hamburg. While developing a tool to check ISBN checksums in German Wikipedia, he uncovered a significant problem: articles containing completely fabricated literature references generated by large language models. The issue emerged when Schindler found …

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Meta Pays Billions to Enter Enterprise AI Market with Manus Acquisition

Meta has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup, for more than $2 billion. The deal represents one of the first major acquisitions by a U.S. tech company of a startup with Chinese roots, according to the Wall Street Journal. Manus builds general-purpose AI agents that autonomously execute complex tasks such as market research, coding, data …

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