Social media

Major Meta trial begins as lawyers spar over witnesses, damages

Facebook-parent Meta will defend itself in a landmark social media trial that begins on Aug 18 in California, where attorneys have sparred over witnesses and financial penalties.

AI

AI is starting to create jobs in the UK, Lloyds survey finds

Most British businesses say artificial intelligence has created new roles, according to a survey that suggests firms are moving beyond experimentation and starting to reshape hiring around the technology.

Internet

Google removed a customer’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ purchase. It still refused him a refund

Digital storefronts may call it a purchase, but customers can still lose access, and the law does not guarantee they will get their money back.

Social media

Meta stares down trillion-dollar threat as landmark social media trial begins

Meta Platforms Inc is headed to court on Aug 18 for a high-stakes showdown with a coalition of state attorneys general over claims that the company deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to encourage compulsive use among young users.

AI

In this Costa Rican forest, monkeys come face-to-face with AI

CapuchinAI, a portable testing station equipped with a touch screen and facial recognition software, could help scientists study primate intelligence in the wild.

Social media

Mexico explores ways to regulate social media among children

Mexico is exploring ways to regulate the use of social media by children and adolescents, as countries such as Australia and Brazil have done, with government-led discussions on the harmful effects of platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Internet

Discord halts livestreams in Brazil after watchdog cites child safety failures

Discord, the popular platform for gamers to communicate online, said on Aug 17 it suspended its livestreams in Brazil after criticism that it failed to protect children and adolescents.

AI

Alibaba launches AI music generation model HappyShrimp in beta

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd launched the beta version of an artificial intelligence music-generation model that can turn a single text prompt into a fully produced song, expanding the Chinese technology giant's push into generative AI.

Technology

Anthropic revenue run rate tops $65 billion, source says

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Anthropic's annual ⁠revenue run rate topped $65 billion by the end ⁠of July, a person familiar with the matter ‌said on Monday, underscoring the Claude creator's rapid growth ahead of a potential public listing later this year.

Technology

Tesla prepares for Cybercab launch in August starting with rides to employees, the Information reports

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Tesla ⁠has told employees it is gearing up for ⁠a public launch of Cybercab, starting with ‌a rollout in Austin, Texas, as soon as this month, the Information reported on Monday, citing people with knowledge of the ​plans. 

Technology

Google to buy Spirit Airlines business data for $10 million

NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Alphabet's ⁠Google is acquiring internal business ‌data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines for $10 million, saying it plans to use the data ​for product development ⁠and training its ⁠AI models.

Technology

Wispr Flow valued at $2 billion on investor demand for AI voice-to-text startups

Aug 17 (Reuters) - AI ⁠startup Wispr Flow has nearly tripled its valuation to $2 billion in ⁠nine months, underscoring investor enthusiasm for voice tools that let ‌users work and write hands-free.

Technology

Pentagon pressure to move AI faster drives Smack's new funding round, CEO says

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Smack ⁠Technologies, a defense-technology startup building artificial intelligence decision-making tools for the military, is raising funding to ⁠speed production of its flagship product and make wearable AI hardware designed for the battlefield.

Technology

ByteDance signs AI copyright pact with Hollywood trade group

Aug 17 (Reuters) - ByteDance ⁠and the Motion Picture Association ⁠on Monday signed an agreement to ‌strengthen copyright safeguards on the Chinese company's AI video and image-generation models, months after the ​Hollywood trade group challenged ⁠its handling of ⁠intellectual property.

Technology

Uber, Zipline partner on US drone delivery for Uber Eats

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Uber ⁠Technologies and Zipline announced a partnership on ⁠Monday to bring autonomous drone delivery ‌to Uber Eats customers across the United States.

Technology

Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio data center

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Nvidia has agreed to ⁠provide a guarantee of up to $105 billion to help OpenAI lease a sprawling data center in Ohio being developed by SoftBank-owned SB Energy, in one of the ⁠chipmaker's largest infrastructure financing commitments.

Technology

Serve Robotics partners with Grubhub in robot delivery expansion push

Aug 17 (Reuters) - ⁠Serve Robotics said on Monday it is partnering with Grubhub to fulfill ⁠orders on the food delivery platform using its sidewalk delivery robots, tapping ‌a new marketplace days after its years-long tie-up with Uber Eats fell through.

Technology

Higgsfield's valuation soars fourfold to $5.4 billion in six months on AI content demand

Aug 17 (Reuters) - AI ⁠startup Higgsfield saw its valuation quadruple in ⁠about six months to $5.4 billion after ‌raising $400 million in its latest funding round, as demand for AI-generated marketing and media content grows.

Technology

Azerbaijan seeks to nurture tech sector as it looks beyond oil

BAKU, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Long ⁠reliant on oil and gas exports, Azerbaijan is courting foreign investment in its small ⁠but growing technology sector with a series of reforms aimed at attracting tech ‌companies and venture capital.

Technology

Apple to change app data consent rules, German regulator says

DUESSELDORF, Germany, Aug 17 (Reuters) - ⁠Apple will change rules governing how app developers can ⁠use personal data for targeted advertising on iPhones and ‌iPads, Germany's competition authority said on Monday, closing a years-long investigation.