Six major tech companies sign voluntary AI safety pact

Six major AI companies have signed a voluntary agreement with the White House to implement safeguards, but experts question its effectiveness. The move comes amid growing calls for strict safety regulations. President Trump signed an AI safety accord with major tech companies on March 21, 2021. The accord outlines principles for developing and deploying AI systems, including transparency, accountability, and fairness. The signatories include major tech companies such as Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Apple, and IBM. Critics argue that the accord is not legally binding and that it does not address the broader issues of AI regulation.

5 key facts

President Donald Trump signed an AI safety accord with major tech companies on March 21, 2021.
The accord, titled 'AI Safety and Security Principles', was presented at the White House.
The agreement aims to improve the safety and security of artificial intelligence systems.
The accord outlines principles for developing and deploying AI systems, including transparency, accountability, and fairness.
Tech companies have signed the accord to avoid potential legal consequences and to maintain their competitive edge.

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6 sources · Wired, Al Jazeera, CNET, Ars Technica, Truthout, The Verge

Wired — Trump’s AI Safety ‘Accord’ Is a Fancy Pinky-Swear
Al Jazeera — How does Trump’s White House AI accord work?
CNET — Trump’s ‘AI Accord’ Does Little to Actually Keep AI Safe, Experts Say
Ars Technica — Trump plan to combat AI risks hinges on Big Tech pals policing themselves
Truthout — Trump Rejects AI Regulation as Tech CEOs Sign Voluntary “Self-Policing” Accord
The Verge — Here’s what AI leaders are saying about Trump’s new safety plan
The Verge AI — Here’s how tech leaders will self-police AI safety under Trump’s deal

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Google Releases Gemini 4 Argon, the Most Powerful AI Model Yet

Google has unveiled its latest AI model, Gemini 4 Argon, designed for coding and cybersecurity tasks. Only trusted cyber defenders can access it at this time.

2 key facts

Google has released the Gemini 4 Argon AI model, its most powerful version yet.
The release of the Gemini 4 Argon AI model is expected to have a significant impact on the cybersecurity industry.

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5 sources · TechCrunch, The Verge, Axios, The Next Web, Ars Technica

TechCrunch — Google releases Gemini 4 Argon, called its most powerful model yet
The Verge — Google announces Gemini 4 and says it’s so capable that only ‘trusted cyber defenders’ can have it right now
Axios — Google unveils long-awaited Gemini 4
The Next Web — Google unveils Gemini 4 Argon, and cyber defenders get it first
Ars Technica — Google announces Gemini 4 Argon AI model, but you can't use it yet

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US regulators investigate AI companies over potential safety risks

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies over potential safety risks posed by their products, following concerns about rogue agents and potential threats to humanity within the next decade.

5 key facts

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a sweeping probe into OpenAI and Anthropic, AI companies that have been at the forefront of AI development.
The investigation is one day after the FTC brought the companies to the White House to discuss their AI safety and consumer protection concerns.
The FTC's probe comes as the US government is increasingly concerned about the potential risks of AI technology and the need for regulation.
The companies have denied any wrongdoing and have stated that they are committed to ensuring the safety and responsible use of AI technology.
The investigation is likely to have a significant impact on the AI industry and could lead to changes in the way AI technology is developed and used.

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5 sources · Axios, The Independent World, Al Jazeera, The Guardian Technology, The Decoder

Axios — AI safety fears put OpenAI and Anthropic in the FTC's crosshairs
The Independent World — Trump’s FTC is investigating OpenAI and Anthropic one day after bringing them to the White House
Al Jazeera — US regulator launches probe into AI companies
The Guardian Technology — US trade regulator opens investigation into AI giants including Anthropic and OpenAI
The Decoder — FTC launches sweeping probe into OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI labs over consumer protection concerns

aiai

Reddit Limits Old Reddit Access Due to AI Bots

Reddit, facing increased threats from automated bots, is reducing access to its 'Old Reddit' experience, which has been criticized for being vulnerable to scraping and automated traffic. The company is forcing users to log in to access the older platform, which has been in decline.

3 key facts

Reddit is implementing new restrictions on Old.Reddit.com, which includes limits on user activity and access.
Reddit is killing RSS feeds and ending public API access because of AI bots.
Reddit is implementing new restrictions on Old Reddit to prevent AI bot activity.

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4 sources · Ars Technica, Engadget, The Verge, TechCrunch

Ars Technica — Reddit is putting more limits on Old.Reddit.com
Engadget — Reddit imposes new restrictions on Old Reddit
The Verge — Reddit says it has to cut back access to ‘Old Reddit’ because of AI bots
TechCrunch — Reddit is killing RSS feeds and ending public API access because of AI bots

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Trump’s AI Pledge Misspells 'United States'

President Trump and tech leaders signed a voluntary AI commitment document, but the White House misspelled 'United States' in the document. The misspelling has sparked controversy and questions about the document's validity.

5 key facts

President Trump signed a pledge with AI leaders, misspelling 'United States' as 'Unites States'.
The White House AI accord includes a spelling error.
TechCrunch reported that the pledge signed by Trump and AI leaders misspells the United States.
The New Republic stated that only Trump would spell 'United States' wrong in an executive order.
The Hill reported that Trump posted a letter with the typo after an AI meeting with tech CEOs.

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4 sources · The Guardian Technology, The Hill, TechCrunch, The New Republic

The Guardian Technology — ‘President of the Unites States’: White House’s AI accord includes spelling error
The Hill — Trump posts letter with ‘Unites States’ typo after AI meeting with tech CEOs
TechCrunch — Pledge signed by President Trump and top AI leaders misspells the United States
The New Republic — Only Trump Would Spell United States Wrong in an Executive Order

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Google Gemini 4 Argon Raises Output Limit to 1 Million Tokens

Google's Gemini 4 Argon AI model has increased its output limit to 1 million tokens, up from 64,000 tokens for previous models. The model now costs $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, rising to $4 and $20 later. This update aims to expand the model's capabilities and accessibility.

5 key facts

Google Gemini 4 Argon has a 1M-token output limit, up from 64K for prior models.
Google Gemini 4 Argon is designed for coding, knowledge work, and cyber defense.
Google DeepMind unveiled the Gemini 4 Argon.
The Gemini 4 Argon closes the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic but doesn't take a clear lead.
The Gemini 4 Argon costs $2/1M input and $10/1M output tokens initially.

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3 sources · Techmeme, The Decoder, MarkTechPost

Techmeme — Gemini 4 Argon has a 1M-token output limit, up from 64K for prior models; it initially costs $2/1M input and $10/1M output tokens, rising to $4 and $20 later (Matthias Bastian/The Decoder)
The Decoder — Google Gemini 4 Argon closes the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic but doesn't take a clear lead
MarkTechPost — Google DeepMind Unveils Gemini 4 Argon with 1M Output Tokens for Coding, Knowledge Work and Cyber Defense

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business

BMW 3 Series EV Costs $4,400 Less in US

The 2027 BMW 3 Series electric model will cost $4,400 less in the US than its petrol M350 sibling, starting at $61,500 for the i3 50 xDrive.

3 sources · The Next Web, TechCrunch, Ars Technica

The Next Web — BMW’s electric 3 Series costs $4,400 less than its petrol M350 in the US
TechCrunch — BMW built the same car for gas and electric. The EV is $4,400 cheaper.
Ars Technica — BMW reveals US 3 series pricing: The EV carries a hefty premium

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Google Pays Digital Publishers for AI Answers

Google is testing a pilot program to pay publishers for their contributions to its AI-powered search features, with payments coming to less than a tenth of one percent of their advertising revenue.

3 sources · The Next Web, Ars Technica, The Verge AI

The Next Web — Google is paying 100 publishers for AI answers, The Information reports
Ars Technica — Google's early attempt to pay websites for AI answers is struggling
The Verge AI — Google reportedly tests paying publishers for AI search results

tech

Amazon Delivery Driver Smart Glasses Will Snap Pictures of… Everything?

As Amazon continues its rollout of AI smart glasses, privacy concerns are growing.

2 sources · CNET, The Verge

CNET — Amazon Delivery Driver Smart Glasses Will Snap Pictures of… Everything?
The Verge — Amazon’s delivery driver smart glasses will reportedly take photos ‘almost constantly’

tech

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Simplifies Streaming Options

Amazon unveiled a new Fire TV Stick 4K with improved HDR support and a new remote, offering a more streamlined streaming experience. The device will…

2 sources · CNET, Engadget

CNET — Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Simplifies Streaming Options, and I Went Hands-On
Engadget — Amazon unveils a thinner and faster Fire TV Stick 4K, plus a new remote
Engadget — Amazon simplifies its Fire TV streaming device lineup
Engadget — Amazon's new Fire TV interface and mobile app will come with Alexa+ upgrades

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Docs and sources: Google researchers worried about AI risks to children, including potential cognitive and emotional harm, as the company pushed AI into schools (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal : Docs and sources: Google researchers worried about AI risks to children, including potential cognitive and emotional harm, as the company pushed…

1 source · Techmeme

Techmeme — Docs and sources: Google researchers worried about AI risks to children, including potential cognitive and emotional harm, as the company pushed AI into schools (Wall Street Journal)

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Amazon signs a 20-year deal to buy power from Constellation Energy, including boosting capacity at its Maryland nuclear plant, supporting $3B+ in investments (Will Wade/Bloomberg)

Will Wade / Bloomberg : Amazon signs a 20-year deal to buy power from Constellation Energy, including boosting capacity at its Maryland nuclear plant, supporting…

1 source · Techmeme

Techmeme — Amazon signs a 20-year deal to buy power from Constellation Energy, including boosting capacity at its Maryland nuclear plant, supporting $3B+ in investments (Will Wade/Bloomberg)

tech

WhatsApp Unveils Strict Parental Controls to Head Off Looming Age Laws

The new tools allow parents to customize rules about what their children see on the platform.

1 source · CNET

CNET — WhatsApp Unveils Strict Parental Controls to Head Off Looming Age Laws

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DoorDash unveils drone delivery system for Northern California

DoorDash, a popular food delivery service, has unveiled a drone delivery system that will begin pilot deliveries in Northern California with Chipotle and Popeyes. The…

3 sources · TechCrunch, The Next Web, Engadget

TechCrunch — DoorDash’s drone strategy started on the ground
The Next Web — DoorDash Air unveils a drone delivery system, and cannot yet fly it out of sight
Engadget — DoorDash drone deliveries are first coming to northern California with Chipotle and Popeyes on board

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Instagram Adds AI Assistant for Creators

Instagram has introduced a new AI assistant designed to offer personalized guidance to its Instagram creators based on their audience and best-performing content.

3 sources · Engadget, The Verge AI, TechCrunch

Engadget — Meta introduces a new AI assistant for its Instagram creators
The Verge AI — Instagram is adding an AI ‘assistant’ to tell you how to post
TechCrunch — Instagram rolls out an AI video assistant for creators