NerdNews

Tesla is planning to launch a public car service in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it will have to use cars with human drivers due to regulatory restrictions. The company has obtained a permit to transport the public in non-autonomous vehicles, but it is not allowed to operate an autonomous-vehicle-based service in California.

ServiceNow claims it will realize $100 million in savings on its global headcount this year due to the internal implementation of AI, with the money being reinvested in sales and engineering staff. The company's CFO, Gina Mastantuono, stated that the business is seeing productivity gains from its use of AI, which will be used to drive growth and meet demand for AI transformation.

OpenAI is preparing to launch GPT-5, its most capable AI model, as early as August. The model will combine conventional large language model capabilities with simulated reasoning, offering improved coding and overall power. GPT-5 is expected to be available in 'mini' and 'nano' versions through OpenAI's API, with the main version accessible through ChatGPT and the API.

Netflix has used generative AI in its original series 'The Eternaut', creating a scene where a building collapses. The AI-assisted scene was completed 10 times faster and at a lower cost than traditional visual effects. Netflix plans to use generative AI more in the future, potentially improving personalization and recommendation abilities, as well as advertising.

Google's earnings call reveals AI Overviews in search results drive 10% more queries globally. Gemini app's daily prompts increase by 50% and Google processes nearly a quadrillion AI tokens. Despite ChatGPT's popularity, Google's business remains strong.

The rise of AI is transforming the workforce, with CEOs seeing it as a means to increase efficiency and profitability, but workers are facing exploitation and displacement. Experts argue that technology should be leveraged to support quality of work and quality of life, rather than displacing human workers.

The US Department of Energy has identified four federal sites to fast-track the development of AI datacenters and energy generation projects, including nuclear power. The selected sites are the Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and Savannah River Site. The goal is to accelerate AI development in the US by leveraging federal land assets and encouraging private sector investment.

Dell and Intel are encouraging businesses to upgrade to Windows 11 and AI-ready PCs, citing benefits such as increased productivity and security. However, market intelligence firm Context notes that demand for AI PCs is slow due to a lack of 'killer apps' and uncertainty over what makes an AI PC. A report by Dell and Intel finds that 62% of respondents are more likely to choose a Copilot+ AI PC, but some businesses are hesitant due to concerns over software and hardware compatibility.

Multiple open source repositories have been targeted in supply-chain attacks, resulting in malicious packages being pushed to users. The attacks have affected packages with millions of weekly downloads, and researchers are warning of the potential for widespread damage. Developers are advised to monitor repository visibility, review package.json lifecycle scripts, and use automated security scanning to protect against these attacks.

A critical vulnerability in SharePoint, known as ToolShell, is being exploited by multiple groups connected to the Chinese government, allowing unauthenticated remote code execution on servers. Microsoft has released emergency patches, but systems infected through the vulnerability show few signs of compromise.

Brave and AdGuard have announced that they are blocking Microsoft Recall by default due to privacy concerns. Recall is an AI-powered tool that records everything on a PC's screen, including private chats and sensitive information. Both companies cite the potential for abuse and the importance of protecting user privacy.

Mistral's environmental audit shows that while individual AI queries have a small environmental impact, the aggregate effect of billions of queries can be significant, with 20.4 ktons of CO2 emissions and 281,000 cubic meters of water used in 18 months.

Researchers at John Hopkins University have developed an AI-driven surgical robot that can perform a cholecystectomy, a surgical gallbladder removal, with a 100% success rate. The robot, called SRT-H, uses a ChatGPT-like AI to learn from demonstrations and can accept human feedback in natural language.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has developed an AI tool to analyze and eliminate half of the federal government's regulatory mandates. The tool has already been used to review regulations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban the use of AI surveillance to set prices and wages. The bill aims to prevent companies from using personal data to charge higher prices or lower wages. The legislation comes after Delta announced it would use AI-controlled dynamic pricing for some of its customers.

Over 60 Italian mayors have launched an initiative to promote the development of self-driving cars in Europe, aiming to catch up with the US and China. The mayors plan to turn their cities into laboratories for testing autonomous vehicles, focusing on solving urban problems such as last-mile logistics and reducing traffic and pollution. However, they face challenges such as inadequate regulatory frameworks, insurance issues, and bureaucratic hurdles.

Tesla's refreshed Model Y has failed to boost sales, with the company's US sales falling 9% in the first quarter and Model Y sales dropping 15% year over year in the second quarter. The refresh, which includes a new light bar design, has been criticized for being too minor, and Tesla is facing increased competition from Chinese automakers like BYD and Xiaomi.

Recent reports suggest that excessive engagement with AI can lead to mental health issues, including psychosis and emotional dependence. Experts debate whether AI is the cause or a trigger for underlying conditions. Cases of AI-induced psychosis have been documented, with some individuals developing conspiracy theories or experiencing emotional breakdowns after intense AI use.

DOGE is reportedly using an AI tool to analyze federal regulations and determine which to eliminate. The tool, called the DOGE AI Deregulation Decision Tool, has identified 100,000 out of 200,000 regulations as candidates for deletion. The goal is to complete the deregulation list by September 1.

Google partners with Energy Dome to use its carbon dioxide battery for long-duration energy storage, aiming to reach its goal of running on carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030. The CO2 battery can store energy for 8-24 hours, outlasting traditional lithium-ion batteries.