NerdNews

The US government has imposed export restrictions on NVIDIA's H20 AI chips, requiring a license for sales to select countries including China, Hong Kong, and Macau. This move may impact NVIDIA's sales and revenue, with an expected $5.5 billion in charges related to inventory and purchase commitments.

A new report from Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered AI shows that the AI industry is becoming increasingly competitive and global, with China's DeepSeek model ranking close to top-performing US models. The report highlights the growing number of companies and countries investing in AI, including Meta, Anthropic, and France's Mistral. The industry is also seeing improvements in efficiency, with hardware becoming 40% more efficient in the past year, and the cost of querying AI models decreasing.

Anthropic's Claude can now search and reference emails in Gmail, scheduled events in Google Calendar, and documents in Google Docs, aiming to provide more personalized responses without requiring users to upload files or craft detailed prompts.

Google's Veo 2 video-generating AI model is now available to Gemini Advanced subscribers, allowing them to create 8-second video clips at 720p resolution. The model can be used to generate videos for social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube, and can also be downloaded as MP4 files. This move is seen as a response to OpenAI's Sora video generation platform and increasing competition in the AI video generation space.

Notion has released Notion Mail, an AI-powered email client for Gmail that integrates with its workflow management platform. The client uses AI to help users organize emails, draft responses, and schedule meetings. It's free with monthly usage limits or unlimited through a paid tier.

OpenAI has announced the release of its new GPT 4.1 models, which excel at coding and are available to developers through its API. The models come in three sizes: GPT 4.1, GPT 4.1 Mini, and GPT 4.1 Nano. They have improved coding abilities, can analyze more code at once, and are better at following instructions. This release is part of OpenAI's efforts to compete with other companies like Google and Anthropic in the AI market.

The US government has imposed a license requirement on Nvidia's H20 chip exports to China, citing potential use in Chinese supercomputers. Nvidia anticipates $5.5 billion in related charges and will manufacture some AI chips in the US.

OpenAI has updated its Preparedness Framework, stating it may adjust its safety requirements if a rival lab releases a high-risk AI system without similar protections. The company claims it will keep safeguards at a level more protective, but critics argue it's compromising on safety to deploy models quickly.

Apple is using differential privacy to improve its AI models by analyzing user data privately. The company generates synthetic data, then polls user devices to compare and improve model accuracy. This approach will be used for Genmoji, Image Playground, and other Apple features.

Red Hat has announced enhancements to its Red Hat AI portfolio, aiming to accelerate AI development and deployment across hybrid cloud environments. The portfolio includes Red Hat OpenShift AI and Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI, which provide tools for managing AI lifecycles, building, and deploying AI models.

Hugging Face, a company that hosts open-source AI models, has acquired Pollen Robotics, a French startup behind the Reachy 2 robot. The goal is to make robotics more open-source, allowing developers to download, modify, and suggest improvements to the robot's code. This move aims to 'democratize' robotics and make it more accessible, similar to how open-source AI models have accelerated progress in the field.

Former Tesla supply chain leaders created Atomic, an AI-powered inventory solution. Atomic aims to streamline supply chains, reducing inventory costs by 20-50% and freeing up working capital. The company has raised $3 million in seed funding and is already working with pilot customers.

Waymo and Uber are preparing to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Atlanta this summer. The service, called 'Waymo on Uber', will allow users to hail a driverless car using the Uber app. The companies have been testing the service in Austin and Phoenix, and Atlanta will be the next city to offer the service, initially covering 65 square miles of the city.

Databricks, valued at $62 billion, is contributing to the open-source Iceberg table format, which is also used by rivals like Snowflake and Google. The collaboration aims to improve coordination between Iceberg and Delta Lake, another table format developed by Databricks. The cooperation is expected to solve problems and reduce data movement costs. New features, such as deletion vectors and geospatial data support, are also being developed.

OpenAI has announced the appointment of four advisors to its nonprofit commission, including Dolores Huerta, Monica Lozano, Dr. Robert K. Ross, and Jack Oliver. The advisors will help inform OpenAI's philanthropic efforts and ensure its nonprofit becomes a force multiplier for communities and mission-driven organizations tackling global challenges.

According to the 2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report, bot traffic now accounts for 51% of total web activity, with bad bot traffic increasing from 32% to 37% annually. The use of AI and large language models simplifies the creation of bad bots, with ByteSpider Bot responsible for 54% of AI-enabled attacks. Travel and retail sectors are most affected, with 41% and 59% of bad bot traffic respectively.

Phantom Neuro, a startup developing a wristband-like device to control prosthetic limbs, has raised $19 million. The device uses nerve impulses from phantom limbs to control prosthetics with 94% accuracy. The company plans to make its tech available for prosthetic arms and legs, and potentially for controlling robots remotely.

OpenAI is reportedly developing its own social media platform, similar to Elon Musk's X, with a feed feature and potential integration with its image-generation capabilities. The project is still in its internal prototype phase, and details are scarce.

Google has added a new security feature to Android devices that automatically reboots locked, unused devices after 3 days of inactivity, making it harder for forensic tools to extract data. This feature brings the device into a non-exploitable state, encrypting user data and preventing unauthorized access.

China has accused the US National Security Agency (NSA) of launching cyberattacks on the 2025 Asian Winter Games, targeting event information systems and key infrastructure. The Chinese government claims to have found evidence of the attacks and has named three alleged NSA agents involved. The US has not commented on the allegations.