Leo Rodman April 28, 2025
Microsoft made an ad with generative AI and nobody noticed
Can you spot the AI shots?
www.theverge.com/news/656104/microsoft-surface-ad-generative-ai-copilot-intel
Annoyed ChatGPT users complain about bot’s relentlessly positive tone
Users complain of new “sycophancy” streak where ChatGPT thinks everything is brilliant.
arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/04/annoyed-chatgpt-users-complain-about-bots-relentlessly-positive-tone
Using AI to Understand what Animals are Saying
Advancements in machine learning and robotics are making possible the study of nonhuman animal communication.
time.com/7279997/using-ai-to-understand-what-animals-are-saying
New study shows why simulated reasoning AI models don’t yet live up to their billing
Top AI models excel at math problems but lack reasoning needed for Math Olympiad proofs.
arstechnica.com/ai/2025/04/new-study-shows-why-simulated-reasoning-ai-models-dont-yet-live-up-to-their-billing
A Google Gemini model now has a “dial” to adjust how much it reasons
Reasoning is AI’s new frontier, but Google’s move hints at a growing and expensive problem: Models overthink for no good reason.
www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/17/1115375/a-google-gemini-model-now-has-a-dial-to-adjust-how-much-it-reasons
AI is pushing the limits of the physical world
Artificial intelligence is painting pictures, writing novels, making videos, and composing symphonies. Can it change what we build?
www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/21/1114764/ai-artificial-intelligence-architecture-building
Google's AI search numbers are growing, and that's by design | TechCrunch
Google says that more and more users are turning to its AI-powered search features, including AI Overviews and Circle to Search.
techcrunch.com/2025/04/25/googles-ai-search-numbers-are-growing-and-thats-by-design
Microsoft rolls Windows Recall out to the public nearly a year after announcing it
The improved Recall still tries to record everything you do on your PC.
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/microsoft-rolls-windows-recall-out-to-the-public-nearly-a-year-after-announcing-it
What is vibe coding, exactly?
While letting AI take the wheel and write the code for your website may seem like a good idea, it’s not without its limitations.
www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/16/1115135/what-is-vibe-coding-exactly
Google Brain founder Andrew Ng's startup wants to use AI agents to redefine teaching. Here's how.
Kira Learning unveiled a new set of AI agents that will help teachers personalize their approach.
www.businessinsider.com/andrew-ng-startup-wants-to-use-ai-agents-redefine-teaching-2025-4
An OpenAI researcher who worked on GPT-4.5 had their green card denied | TechCrunch
An OpenAI researcher who worked on GPT-4.5 had their green card denied. The news comes as the U.S. views foreign workers with increased scrutiny.
techcrunch.com/2025/04/25/an-openai-researcher-who-worked-on-gpt-4-5-had-their-green-card-denied
Crowdsourced AI benchmarks have serious flaws, some experts say | TechCrunch
Crowdsourced AI benchmarks like Chatbot Arena, which have become popular among AI labs, have serious flaws, some experts say.
techcrunch.com/2025/04/22/crowdsourced-ai-benchmarks-have-serious-flaws-some-experts-say
AI secretly helped write California bar exam, sparking uproar
A contractor used AI to create 23 out of the 171 scored multiple-choice questions.
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/ai-secretly-helped-write-california-bar-exam-sparking-uproar
AI is coming for music, too
New diffusion AI models that make songs from scratch are complicating our definitions of authorship and human creativity.
www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/16/1114433/ai-artificial-intelligence-music-diffusion-creativity-songs-writer
Chinese AI startup Manus reportedly gets funding from Benchmark at $500M valuation | TechCrunch
Chinese startup Manus AI has picked up $75 million in a funding round led by Benchmark at a roughly $500 million valuation, according to Bloomberg.
techcrunch.com/2025/04/25/chinese-ai-startup-manus-reportedly-gets-funding-from-benchmark-at-500m-valuation
How do you define cheating in the age of AI? | TechCrunch
This AI startup raised $5.3 million to help people “cheat on everything.” But in the age of AI, how do you define cheating? Columbia University recently suspended student Roy Lee for building a tool to help people cheat on engineering interviews. He’s been making waves on X after posting a long thread detailing the saga and […]
techcrunch.com/video/how-do-you-define-cheating-in-the-age-of-ai
OpenAI wants to buy Chrome and make it an “AI-first” experience
OpenAI would love to own Chrome, and it’s allegedly not alone.
arstechnica.com/ai/2025/04/chatgpt-head-tells-court-openai-is-interested-in-buying-chrome
Why OpenAI wanted to buy Cursor but opted for the fast-growing Windsurf | TechCrunch
OpenAI initially approached Anysphere, maker of the AI coding editor, Cursor, about an acquisition, but is now in talks to buy Windsurf.
techcrunch.com/2025/04/22/why-openai-wanted-to-buy-cursor-but-opted-for-the-fast-growing-windsurf
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