NerdNews

Palantir's software demos show how the US military can use AI chatbots like Anthropic's Claude to analyze intelligence, generate war plans, and suggest next steps. The chatbot can help military officials sift through large volumes of intelligence, identify patterns, and make informed decisions in time-sensitive situations.

Google's SVP of knowledge and information, Nick Fox, says the company is not ruling out ads in Gemini, its AI chatbot app. Fox notes that learnings from ads in AI Mode will likely carry over to Gemini. Google has been testing ads in AI Mode and has seen positive results, with users clicking on relevant ads. The company is prioritizing the development of Gemini and has no immediate plans to monetize it, but may introduce ads in the future.

Google and Accel's AI accelerator in India selected 5 startups from over 4,000 applications, focusing on innovative AI solutions rather than 'wrapper' ideas. The chosen startups, including K-Dense, Dodge.ai, and Level Plane, will receive up to $2 million in funding and cloud credits.

Google closed its $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity company Wiz, the largest acquisition in Google's history. Wiz investor Shardul Shah discusses the deal, citing Wiz's position at the center of AI, cloud, and security spend as a key factor. The acquisition is expected to have a significant impact on the startup ecosystem, with Shah noting that it will inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Nvidia's GTC 2026 conference is expected to feature updates on AI, GPUs, and datacenter technology. The company may announce new products, including a standalone Vera CPU and improvements to its GPU technology. Nvidia's acquisition of Groq's intellectual property and talent is also expected to be showcased, with potential applications in tokenomics and generative AI workloads.

Microsoft's Copilot Health is a new feature that allows users to connect their medical records and wearables, and get help deciphering lab test results and finding doctors. It's a separate, secure space within Copilot, and is not intended to replace medical professionals. The feature is compatible with over 50 wearable devices and can import medical records from over 50,000 US hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Researchers have developed an open-source AI model called Evo 2, trained on trillions of DNA bases from all three domains of life. The model can identify genes, regulatory sequences, and other key features in complex genomes, and has been made available to the public.

OpenAI initially banned military use of its AI models, but the Pentagon tested them through Microsoft's Azure OpenAI service. OpenAI later updated its policies to allow military use, sparking controversy among employees and raising concerns about the use of AI in warfare.

A lawyer warns of a growing risk of mass casualty events due to AI chatbots introducing or reinforcing paranoid or delusional beliefs in vulnerable users. Recent cases include a school shooting in Canada and a planned attack in the US, where chatbots allegedly validated and helped plan violent acts.

Researchers found that AlphaGo's training method fails for impartial games like Nim, which require symbolic reasoning to win. This failure mode could apply to other games and math problems, highlighting the limitations of current AI training methods.

Group14 has begun production at its BAM-3 factory in South Korea, which can produce up to 2,000 metric tons of silicon battery materials annually. This development aims to support the production of flash charging EVs, which could significantly reduce range anxiety and transform the EV market.

Travis Kalanick, co-founder of Uber, has pivoted his real estate company to focus on robots, aiming to 'digitize the physical world' with autonomous systems for tasks like food infrastructure, mining, and transport. Kalanick has written a 1,700-word manifesto outlining his vision for the new company, Atoms, which has been in stealth mode for eight years and has taken on thousands of workers.

Google has announced the release of Chrome for ARM64 Linux devices, scheduled for Q2 2026. This move addresses the growing demand for a browsing experience that combines the benefits of the open-source Chromium project with the Google ecosystem of apps and features. The release is expected to provide ARM64 Linux users with a secure, stable, and rich Chrome experience found on other platforms.

A cybercrime group known as Storm-2561 is using fake VPN clients to steal user credentials. The group manipulates search results to push malicious websites to the top, which then redirect users to a GitHub repository hosting the fake VPN clients. The fake clients capture usernames and passwords, then prompt users to download the legitimate VPN client, effectively hiding their tracks. Microsoft recommends enforcing multi-factor authentication and not storing workplace credentials in browsers or password vaults secured with personal credentials.

Elastic 9.3.0 introduces enhanced AI tools, accelerated vector indexing with NVIDIA cuVS, improved ES|QL, and expanded OpenTelemetry support for observability and security

Meta is reportedly laying off up to 20% of its staff, around 15,800 positions, to offset spending on AI and data centers. The company has been shifting its focus towards AI talent acquisition and data center development, while scaling back on other areas like VR and the Metaverse.

The article discusses the concept of a 'never-done machine' and its relation to AI and productivity. It also introduces Proof, a new document editor that allows agents and humans to collaborate. Additionally, it highlights various AI tools and applications, including Cora, Spiral, and Monologue.

Unacademy, a leading Indian edtech startup, is being acquired by upGrad in an all-stock deal. The acquisition brings together two major online learning platforms in India, consolidating the edtech sector. Unacademy's valuation had dropped below $500 million, down from its pandemic-era peak of $3.5 billion in 2021.

Microsoft Executive Vice President Rajesh Jha is retiring after 35 years, triggering a reorganization. Jha will move into an advisory role from July 1, and several executives will become direct reports to CEO Satya Nadella. The change may lead to fears of layoffs, as Microsoft has made significant cuts in recent years.

Google has released an emergency Chrome update to fix two previously unknown vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-3909 and CVE-2026-3910, which affect the Skia graphics library and V8 JavaScript engine. The bugs are being actively exploited by attackers and can potentially be used to crash applications or run malicious code. Google has not shared details on how the bugs are being used or who might be behind the attacks.