AI

The AI race is the modern-day space race, and the US is concerned that China will make too much progress too quickly. This is precisely why President Trump recently suggested that the likes of NVIDIA only allowed to sell limited versions of its AI chips to Chinese customers.

How could this be policed? Through the use of trackers, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Chrome has not been put up for sale, but that has not stopped AI startup Perplexity from putting in a bid to buy the web browser from Google.

While on the face of things the $34.5 billion bid seems large, it has been widely dismissed as being a fraction of Chrome’s real value. So, what is the deal with Perplexity trying to snap up the most popular web browser in the world?

Large language models (LLMs) have shown impressive results in many areas, but when it comes to playing classic text adventure games, they often struggle to make it past even the simplest of puzzles.

A recent experiment by Entropic Thoughts tested how well various models could navigate and solve interactive fiction, using a structured benchmark to compare results across multiple games. The takeaway was that while some models can make reasonable progress, even the best require guidance and struggle with the skills these classic problem-solving games demand.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the UK’s national tax authority, has confirmed it is using artificial intelligence to monitor the social media accounts of people suspected of tax fraud. The BBC reports that this is done only as part of criminal investigations and not for everyday taxpayers.

For readers outside the UK, HMRC is the government department responsible for collecting taxes, administering certain benefits, and enforcing compliance with tax laws. Its role is similar to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States or the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in Canada.

Continua has launched an AI assistant designed to work directly inside group chats, helping participants keep track of ideas, decisions, and plans in real time. The tool can join conversations on SMS, iMessage, or Discord, offering live web search, scheduling tools, and the automatic organization of group discussions.

The company describes the product as a “social AI” agent that listens in, remembers details, and can turn ongoing conversations into shareable documents, checklists, or calendar invites. It can also suggest restaurants, find meeting times that suit all members, and provide quick answers without breaking the flow of conversation.

Microsoft just found a new use for AI. Excel users can now turn to the new Explain Formula feature which uses Copilot to use artificial intelligence to understand how a formula works.

There are many advantages to this. It can serve as a way to learn about how to create new formulae of your own, but it is also a handy way to not only understand how a formula works as well as a means of debugging if the output is not what you were expecting it to be.

There is no shortage of generative AI tools out there, and the latest is Copilot 3D. This experimental tool from Microsoft does very much what you would expect of it – it creates three-dimensional images using artificial intelligence.

As this is an experimental tool, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Firstly, it is not a completed product so there may be issues with it. Secondly, this is an experimental tool which is still being developed, so it could change dramatically or even disappear altogether. But let’s take a look at what is currently available.

Users of Microsoft Lens – originally launched several years ago as Office Lens – have just a few short weeks left to use the tool.

Microsoft has announced that the incredibly popular iOS and Android app is to be “retired” (translation: killed off). Having started life under a different name over a decade ago, the app provides a way to convert images to PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files and much more. But not for very much longer.

It seems that nothing is immune to being injected with AI – certainly not if Microsoft is involved. Now the company is bringing Gaming Copilot to the Game Bar.

Currently in beta testing, Gaming Copilot is now available in Game Bar for Windows PC for Xbox Insiders enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview. The arrival of Copilot in another Microsoft tool is far from being surprising, but just what does this mean for gamers?

Microsoft has a new experiment for its web browser. Copilot Mode in Edge is an AI-powered mode which is perfect for anyone who wants to completely embrace artificial intelligence when browsing the web.

For anyone who feels that AI is already difficult to avoid, there is good news. Copilot Mode in Edge is optional, so you are not obliged to use it even if you have made Microsoft Edge your browser of choice.

Cybersecurity exposure management company Intruder has introduced GregAI, an AI-powered security analyst that, unlike generic AI assistants, has full visibility into each user’s security environment.

Currently in beta, GregAI is available to free trial users and customers on Intruder’s Cloud, Pro, and Enterprise plans. The assistant is named after Intruder’s original mascot, following a design file mix-up involving a designer named Greg.

With interests in both web searching and AI, that Google has blended the two should surprise no one. With the launch of Web Guide, the company is taking things a step further.

At the moment, the new Web Guide is both optional and experimental. This is not necessarily a vision of what Google has in store for its search engine, but it very likely is. This time around, Google is turning to artificial intelligence to change the way in which search results are displayed.

Aqua Security’s Nautilus research team has identified a new Linux malware called "Koske" which may be the first publicly documented case of AI-assisted malware.

Disguised as innocent Jpeg images of pandas, Koske delivers cryptominers and a stealth rootkit using code that appears shaped by large language models, suggesting attackers are now adopting the same AI tools defenders use.

Artificial intelligence is coming for your bandwidth. As AI-powered apps expand on smartphones and connected devices, the pressure on 5G networks is expected to increase. But new research from Mobile Experts suggests that the same technology creating network demand will also help improve performance.

This month, the Campbell, California-based analyst firm released a series of surveys, models, and reports examining how AI and machine learning will impact mobile networks through 2030.

Apple has released the latest beta versions of its operating systems to developers – iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26. Among the changes are the return of Apple Intelligence news summaries which was the subject of controversy several months ago.

With the first public (non-developer) beta versions expected to land in the next week or so, these developer previews give us a very good idea of what to expect. As such, the appearance of Apple Intelligence news summaries and tweaks to Liquid Glass are very much in line with what we’d expect at this stage.