Mercor competitor Deccan AI raises $25M, sources experts from India

Deccan AI concentrates its workforce in India to manage quality in a fast-growing but fragmented AI training market.

A little-known Croatian startup is coming for the robotaxi market with help from Uber

Verne, the robotaxi company launched under Rimac Group, is starting with a service in Zagreb, Croatia.

A ‘pound of flesh’ from data centers: one senator’s answer to AI job losses

Fears of AI-driven job loss are growing fast, and they’re fueling backlash against data centers. Sen. Mark Warner suggests taxing them to help workers survive the transition.

Mistral releases a new open-source model for speech generation

Mistral’s new speech model can run on a smartwatch or a smartphone.

WhatsApp can now draft AI-generated responses based on your conversations

The Meta-owned messaging platform is also launching a way to free up space, the ability to touch up photos with Meta AI, and more.

Bernie Sanders and AOC propose a ban on data center construction

Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced companion legislation to halt construction on new data centers until Congress passes comprehensive AI regulation.

Google launches Lyria 3 Pro music generation model

Google is launching Lyria 3 Pro, an upgraded music model that generates longer, more customizable tracks, as it expands AI music tools across Gemini, enterprise products, and other services.

Russia arrests alleged owner of cybercrime forum LeakBase, report says

Russian state-owned media reported that police in Russia arrested the administrator of LeakBase, a large hacking forum.

Reddit takes on the bots with new ‘human verification’ requirements for fishy behavior

Reddit will require suspected automated accounts to verify they’re human, as it ramps up efforts to curb bot-driven spam and manipulation.

How soap opera-TikTok hybrids became a billion-dollar business

Over the past few years, a new category of mobile apps has quietly exploded into a multi-billion dollar business. They’re called “micro dramas” — short-form, mobile-first scripted shows designed to be watched vertically on your phone. Think soap opera meets TikTok, complete with secret billionaire romances, disapproving werewolf mothers-in-law, and cliffhangers engineered to keep users tapping. The leading… Continua a leggere How soap opera-TikTok hybrids became a billion-dollar business