NerdNews

Latam-GPT is a new open-source AI model being developed in and for Latin America, aiming to help the region achieve technological independence. Led by the Chilean National Center for Artificial Intelligence, the project has gathered a corpus of data exceeding eight terabytes of text and is being trained on a regional database with 2,645,500 documents. The model will be refined and expanded as new strategic partners join the effort and more robust data sets are integrated into it.

AI agents are not yet ready for widespread use, but tech companies are investing heavily in their development. Current AI agents can perform tasks like coding and data analysis, but struggle with more personal tasks. Companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are leading the charge in AI agent development, with recent releases like ChatGPT Agent and Claude. However, these agents are still buggy and not always efficient.

Google's approach to AI hardware is focused on creating an ecosystem of devices that work together, rather than a single device. This includes wearables, phones, and other accessories that use AI to provide personalized experiences. Google's executives believe that this approach will make people's lives easier and return their time to them.

Runway, known for its video and photo generation AI, is expanding into the robotics industry. The company's world models can be used for training simulations, making it easier and more cost-effective for robotics companies to test and train their systems. Runway plans to fine-tune its existing models for the robotics industry and build a dedicated robotics team.

Several fusion startups have raised over $100M, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems, TAE, Helion, Pacific Fusion, and others, to develop commercially viable fusion power plants and revolutionize energy production.

Major Chinese social media platforms like WeChat, Douyin, and Weibo have started labeling AI-generated content to comply with a new law. The law requires platforms to identify AI-generated text, images, audio, and video, and users are prohibited from removing or tampering with these labels. This move aims to help users distinguish between authentic and AI-generated content, and to oversee the growing amount of genAI content online.

The article discusses how AI is changing the job market, with executives preparing to slash workforces and workers struggling to cope. It highlights the story of Colton Masi, a 23-year-old who graduated with a degree in software engineering but has applied to over 100 jobs without getting an interview. The article also explores how AI is being used in the hiring process, with companies using AI to scan resumes and cover letters, and applicants using AI to craft their applications.

Platform engineering applies product management principles to IT systems, enabling faster and more responsive IT infrastructure and operations teams. It involves creating a platform that provides self-service capabilities, automated provisioning, and monitoring, allowing developers to easily discover, onboard, and use platform services. Key capabilities include service catalogues, APIs, security testing, and deployment support.

Taylor Otwell, the inventor of Laravel, warns developers against writing overly complex code. He advises keeping software simple, disposable, and easy to change. Otwell also discussed the history of Laravel, its current state, and future plans, including React integration and strong typing support.

LayerX, a Japanese AI SaaS startup, has raised $100 million in a Series B round to help enterprises scale back-office automation. The company's AI-driven platform, Bakuraku, automates corporate spending workflows and offers a comprehensive solution for expense management, invoice processing, and more.

Enterprise 5G is expected to experience intensive growth over the next five years, driven by the adoption of 5G Standalone and 5G Advanced technologies. A whitepaper by Ericsson highlights the potential of 5G to transform industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and energy. The report notes that while 5G has been deployed quickly, its full potential remains untapped, and the adoption of standalone 5G is crucial to unlocking its capabilities.

Larry Ellison is investing £118 million in a research project at Oxford University to apply AI to vaccine research, aiming to predict immunity and develop treatments for hard-to-prevent diseases. The project will use human challenge models and AI tools to study the human immune system's response to serious bacterial infections.

Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) allows sharing business logic across platforms like iOS, Android, desktop, and web, while retaining native UI performance. It offers reduced engineering costs, native performance, and gradual adoption. KMP is used by companies like Netflix, McDonald's, and Philips.

Amazon's threat intelligence team has stopped a watering hole attack by Russian nation-state aligned group APT29, which exploited Microsoft authentication flows. The attack compromised legitimate websites, redirecting users to APT29-controlled domains to trick them into authorizing attacker-controlled devices.

WhatsApp has patched a critical zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-55177) that could have allowed an unrelated user to trigger processing of content from an arbitrary URL on a target's device, potentially exploited in a sophisticated attack against specific targeted users.

A whistleblower claims that DOGE staff put a massive dataset at risk of hacking or leaking, including virtually every American's Social Security number. The dataset was uploaded to a cloud server that lacked sufficient security monitoring. Meanwhile, China's Salt Typhoon hackers targeted 600 companies in 80 countries, and Google hints at a 'Disruption Unit' to target foreign hacking operations.

WhatsApp has warned of a sophisticated attack against specific targeted users, while Microsoft will begin requiring multi-factor authentication on Azure systems from October 1. Other security news includes a critical flaw in FreePBX telco software, a ransomware attack on Nissan's car design studio, and a procurement scam in Baltimore that cost $1.5 million.

The Trump administration has announced a new pilot program that will use artificial intelligence to determine whether certain medical services are 'appropriate' for Medicare coverage. The program, called WISeR, aims to reduce 'wasteful and inappropriate' services, but critics argue it could lead to 'AI death panels' that deny necessary care to patients.

A high-risk SQL injection vulnerability has been discovered in the WordPress Paid Membership Subscriptions plugin, affecting over 10,000 sites. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-49870, allows attackers to inject malicious SQL queries into the database without requiring login credentials. The issue has been addressed in version 2.15.2 of the plugin.

Tesla is recalling 7,301 Model Y SUVs due to a software defect in the driver's side window's automatic protection system, which may close with excessive force if it fails to detect obstructions, posing a risk of injury. Owners will receive notifications and can expect an over-the-air software update.