NerdNews

OpenAI has made its ChatGPT Projects feature available to free users, allowing them to organize chats around specific subjects. The feature, previously only available to paid subscribers, includes custom instructions and file referencing. Free users can upload 5 files, while Plus and Pro subscribers can upload 25 and 40 files respectively.

A US district court judge has ruled that Google will not have to sell its Chrome browser as part of an antitrust case. The judge also allowed Google to continue paying distribution partners for preloading its search engine, but ordered the company to share some search data with rivals. This ruling marks a significant milestone in the case, but it may still be years before Google is required to implement these solutions.

Microsoft has developed an analogue optical computer (AOC) that can solve optimisation problems more efficiently than traditional computers. The AOC uses consumer-grade electronics and can achieve performance of around 500 tera-operations per second per watt at 8-bit precision, making it over 100 times more efficient than leading graphics processing units. Microsoft has worked with Barclays to apply the AOC to a financial optimisation problem and plans to publicly share its optimisation solver algorithm and digital twin to enable other researchers to investigate its approach.

Anthropic, an AI startup, has secured a $13 billion Series F financing at a staggering $183 billion post-money valuation. The company plans to deploy the fresh capital toward enterprise scaling, AI safety research, and global expansion efforts. Anthropic's valuation underscores investor appetite for AI, despite concerns over future profitability and regulatory scrutiny.

Apple's Siri upgrade could be powered by Google's Gemini, according to a report from Bloomberg. The iPhone maker has been criticized for falling behind in the AI race and has delayed its long-awaited Siri update until 2026. The potential partnership with Google could bring a new AI-powered web search tool to Siri, rivaling those from OpenAI and others.

Apple is reportedly building a search platform, called World Knowledge Answers, that may be incorporated into its AI-driven overhaul of Siri, Safari, and Spotlight. This move could bring Apple into the web search market and compete with other tech majors like Google and Microsoft.

Apple is working on an AI-powered search feature for Siri, which could utilize Google's Gemini AI model to provide users with summarized information from the web. The feature, reportedly called 'World Knowledge Answers', will allow users to search for information and receive AI-generated summaries based on results from the web.

Amazon's Lens Live AI uses object detection to identify products in real-time, allowing users to shop by pointing their camera at items. The feature is currently available on the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and will be rolled out to more customers in the coming weeks.

This article discusses key takeaways for architecting a RAG pipeline, including hybrid search approaches, chunking strategies, and document retrieval and reranking techniques. It highlights the importance of tuning algorithms for optimal results and provides examples of tools and techniques used in the process.

Andela, a tech talent company, has trained 200 software developers in GitHub Copilot as part of a multi-year effort to bridge the AI talent gap. The initiative, created in partnership with Microsoft's GitHub, aims to train an additional 1,000 coders this year and 2,000 in 2026. The program helps developers use GitHub Copilot more efficiently, potentially reducing the risk of enterprise contracts being cancelled due to low utilization.

Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to enhance their ransomware attacks, making them more scalable and believable. The emergence of AI-powered ransomware, such as PromptLock, and the use of AI chatbots for extortion, are recent developments that highlight the growing threat of AI-abused ransomware.

Decart's Mirage model can generate video game worlds in 40 milliseconds, using real-time video-to-video processing and AI-powered rendering. This technology has potential applications in game development, simulation, and other fields.

Orchard Robotics, founded by a Thiel fellow Cornell dropout, has raised $22M for its farm vision AI technology. The startup uses cameras and AI to help fruit growers manage their crops more precisely, collecting ultra-high-resolution images and analyzing them for fruit size, color, and health.

Finnish quantum computing startup IQM has raised over $300 million in a Series B funding round, becoming a unicorn. The company plans to use the funds to expand its commercial presence beyond Europe, particularly in the US, and to accelerate its R&D roadmap for both hardware and software. IQM's quantum computers are designed for on-premises installations and cloud platforms, with a focus on error correction and reliability.

ServiceNow has signed a deal with the US government to offer discounts on its AI innovations, including a 70% discount on ITSM Pro and Pro Plus bundles. The deal aims to streamline business processes and increase workflow efficiency by up to 30%. However, the short-term duration of the deal and potential lock-in risks have raised concerns.

Workiva, a cloud-based SaaS provider, disclosed a data breach after attackers gained access to a third-party CRM system, stealing business contact information. The breach is linked to the recent wave of Salesforce data breaches by the ShinyHunters extortion group.

The US State Department has put a $10 million bounty on three Russians accused of hacking America's critical infrastructure. The trio allegedly used a 7-year-old Cisco vulnerability to infiltrate over 500 energy companies in 135 countries, targeting oil and gas firms, nuclear plants, and utility and power transmission companies.

The GENIUS Act regulates stablecoins, but a loophole allows crypto exchanges to offer rewards, potentially drawing deposits away from banks and into the crypto market, sparking a high-stakes clash between the crypto and banking industries.

Windows 10 is reaching end-of-life on October 14th, and organisations will need to purchase an Extended Support contract to receive Microsoft patches. This could cost organisations billions of dollars, with estimates suggesting a bill of over $7.3bn. IT leaders are being urged to prioritise the upgrade to Windows 11 to avoid cyber security risks and ensure continued support.

Builder.ai, an AI-powered app builder, has filed for bankruptcy after creditors seized its accounts. The company's founder, Sachin Dev Duggal, is under probe for how he spent money leading up to the collapse. It was revealed that the company's 'AI' was largely a front for human developers in India, and its financials were inflated.