Bolivia's President Paz declared a state of emergency to quell protests disrupting essential supplies. The move grants broader powers to deploy armed forces and address ongoing blockades, which stem from subsidy cuts and broader economic discontent.
Norway has banned smartphones in schools starting in 2024 to combat declining test scores. The government is also restoring teachers' disciplinary powers and restricting AI use for students aged 6-13.
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan claims European bureaucracy is enabling Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to become a dictator, citing the EU's assessment of recent parliamentary elections. Kocharyan alleges widespread election rigging and double standards from European countries.
Google DeepMind is adopting a cybersecurity approach to AI safety, viewing advanced AI agents as potential insider threats. They've published an "AI Control Roadmap" with a tiered defense system, including automated kill switches and using AI to monitor other AI, to manage risks like data misuse and sabotage.
A new MIT study reveals that excessive reliance on AI chatbots like ChatGPT can diminish users' critical-thinking skills and their ability to independently discern misinformation. While AI can aid in detecting fake content, over-dependence leads to a decline in unassisted judgment over time.
Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket, once hailed as truth-seeking tools, face an identity crisis. While proponents see them as valuable for forecasting world events, a surge in sports betting and concerns over addiction, insider trading, and "gambling-like design" are souring public opinion and attracting regulatory scrutiny.
The EU's executive branch will engage with China to address trade imbalances and develop new trade defense tools to counter Chinese industrial overcapacity and reduce overdependence on the Chinese economy.
EU leaders have urged the European Commission to develop stronger measures against China's economic influence, seeking to "derisk" and protect European industries from subsidized, low-priced Chinese goods, particularly in high-end sectors like automotive.
Options traders are building bearish positions around Strategy's (formerly MicroStrategy) preferred STRC stock, which has fallen to a record low. This adds pressure to a key funding tool for Bitcoin purchases, as investors question dividend policy and liquidity.
Britain is using powerful legal tools against activists protesting Israel's actions in Gaza, while support for those actions remains politically protected. The Filton 4 case highlights a contradiction where opposition to Israel's conduct is framed as extremism and terrorism, raising concerns about democratic dissent and public discourse.
Adobe is enhancing its Firefly AI assistant with new capabilities for creating brand kits, product videos, and storyboards, integrating it into Premiere, Illustrator, InDesign, and Frame.io. New features like 'Elements' and 'Projects' allow for saving and reusing AI-generated assets and organizing project files, currently in private beta.
Jack Dorsey's Block has launched Builderbot, an AI tool capable of executing 15% of production code changes. The system understands the company's entire codebase, allowing engineers to make changes across services and significantly speeding up the development process from months to days.
VSCO has launched Studio Pro, a new iOS app for professional photo editing, aiming to rival Adobe's offerings. The app includes batch editing and style matching, with RAW support and advanced export options planned. A $500/year VSCO One subscription bundles Studio Pro with other VSCO tools and business mentorship.
Anthropic has released a major update for Claude Design, enhancing integration with its other apps like Claude Code. The update allows Claude Design to work from local codebases, import design systems from GitHub, and offers a refined image editor. New admin roles and user shortcuts are also included, suggesting a move out of preview.
Social media platforms like Threads, Instagram, and TikTok are empowering users with AI-driven tools to personalize their feeds. These features allow users to directly influence recommendation algorithms, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more tailored user experience.
Social media platforms like Threads, Instagram, and TikTok are giving users more control over their feeds by allowing them to personalize recommendation algorithms using AI, moving from a one-size-fits-all model to a more customizable streaming service-like experience.
EU countries are converging on the need for urgent action to prevent Chinese-driven deindustrialization, supporting a new trade strategy with new instruments and strategic use of existing ones ahead of a key summit.
Strategy's (formerly MicroStrategy) STRC preferred stock is trading at its weakest level this year, impacting its ability to raise capital for Bitcoin purchases. The stock's decline tests investor interest in Bitcoin-linked income products amid Bitcoin's pullback and competition from rival offerings.
Thread Group has released the beta version of its Thread Tools app for iOS and Android, offering the first dedicated diagnostics for Thread-based smart home networks. The app aims to provide visibility into device connections, signal strength, and potential issues, assisting users and manufacturers in troubleshooting connectivity problems.
Marine heatwaves have tripled since the early 1990s, signaling the ocean's strain from absorbing over 90% of Earth's excess heat. The Earth's energy imbalance, a key climate change indicator, has doubled, leading to rising temperatures, melting ice, and intensified weather extremes. Monitoring systems are under threat, just as clarity is most needed.
China plans to bolster legal defenses against unilateral sanctions by incorporating blocking and countermeasure provisions into financial legislation, according to Vice-Premier He Lifeng. He stated China will not compromise against "groundless suppression" and warned against unilateralism and protectionism.
The US Department of Defense is using generative AI tools like Google's Gemini to draft congressionally mandated reports, significantly reducing preparation time. While officials praise the efficiency, concerns are raised about potential AI-generated errors undermining congressional oversight and accountability, especially given the Pentagon's large budget.
Google launched Android 17 and Wear OS 7, integrating advanced AI models like Gemini Omni and Lyria 3. New features include cross-platform file sharing, video editing, music generation, enhanced translation, and emergency detection for Pixel Watch. The update focuses on AI integration across devices.
France's domestic intelligence service will stop using US company Palantir's AI data tools, opting for French firm ChapsVision to avoid "strategic dependency." This move reflects broader European concerns about reliance on US tech and follows US restrictions on AI model access.
