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What's new in AI

AI News, in plain English.

Updated through the day and summarised without the jargon. Vote stories up or down — the most useful ones rise to the top. The deep model-internals stuff is left out on purpose.

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Professionals

Amazon hopes to challenge Nvidia more directly by selling its AI chips

Amazon is selling its own AI chips to compete with Nvidia and capture a major business opportunity. Affects tech industry competition and could influence AI costs, relevant to tech professionals and business people.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 18, 2026 at 11:22 AM PDT 0
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Everyone

What is artificial intelligence (AI)? - Databricks

A basic explainer about what artificial intelligence is and how it works. Useful as foundational knowledge for people new to AI, but doesn't cover specific impacts or applications.

Databricks Jun 18, 2026 at 11:10 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

AI data centers just got a government-mandated fast lane to the grid

The government has ordered grid operators to prioritize power connections for AI data centers, but hasn't solved the underlying problem of not having enough electricity to meet demand. This matters because AI's energy demands are becoming a major infrastructure challenge that affects everyone's power bills and grid reliability.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 18, 2026 at 10:49 AM PDT 0
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The Skills People Still Perform Better Than AI - Carrier Management

An analysis of what humans still do better than AI, likely covering areas like complex judgment, creativity, or emotional intelligence. Understanding AI's limits helps people see where their own skills remain valuable.

Carrier Management Jun 18, 2026 at 10:22 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionalsParentsTeachers

The smartphone era created an attention crisis. Slowtech is fixing it

People are increasingly seeking technology and products that help them reclaim control over their attention and time away from smartphones. This movement reflects growing public concern about how digital devices affect daily life and wellbeing.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 18, 2026 at 10:16 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

How to turn off AI in your Google Docs

A how-to guide for disabling Google's AI writing suggestions in Google Docs if users prefer not to use them. This addresses growing user concerns about AI features appearing in everyday software.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM PDT 0
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FinTech Finds a New Category in AI’s Untracked Costs - PYMNTS.com

Financial companies are discovering that using AI systems has hidden costs not always reflected in pricing, creating new financial and operational challenges. This matters to anyone relying on or paying for AI-powered financial services.

PYMNTS.com Jun 18, 2026 at 9:58 AM PDT 0
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Professionals

AI is blowing up 30 years of network traffic assumptions - Fierce Network

AI systems are dramatically changing how data moves across computer networks in ways that break 30-year-old assumptions about network design. This technical shift will require significant updates to internet infrastructure and how organizations manage data flow.

Fierce Network Jun 18, 2026 at 9:19 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionalsParentsTeachers

3 Amazon Workers Say They’re Under Investigation for Speaking Out About Data Centers

Amazon workers filed complaints alleging the company retaliated against them for speaking out about data center concerns. This raises questions about worker rights, corporate accountability, and employee protections when speaking on public issues.

Feed: Artificial Intelligence Latest Jun 18, 2026 at 9:03 AM PDT 0
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Professionals

Why most enterprises fail to unlock AI productivity - IBM

IBM is discussing why most businesses struggle to actually use AI effectively after implementing it. This highlights the gap between AI hype and real-world business results that affects workers and customers.

IBM Jun 18, 2026 at 8:43 AM PDT 0
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Professionals

OpenAI hires former Trump AI official Dean Ball - Politico

OpenAI has hired Dean Ball, a former Trump administration AI official, to lead its strategic planning efforts. This is a significant personnel move that signals OpenAI's direction on policy and government relations.

Politico Jun 18, 2026 at 8:35 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

The Big Drift: An AI Scenario - The New Atlantis

This is a hypothetical scenario exploring how AI might affect society in the future. It's thought-provoking for people interested in technology policy but doesn't describe concrete changes happening today.

The New Atlantis Jun 18, 2026 at 8:29 AM PDT 0
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Black-Box AI Forces CFOs to Write a New Audit Playbook - PYMNTS.com

AI systems are difficult to audit and understand, forcing financial leaders to rethink how they verify and trust AI-driven decisions in their organizations. This matters because companies rely on AI for critical decisions, and auditors need new methods to ensure accuracy and compliance.

PYMNTS.com Jun 18, 2026 at 8:29 AM PDT 0
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Professionals

General Intuition in talks to raise $300M at around $2B valuation

General Intuition, a startup training AI agents to understand space and movement, is raising $300 million and reaching a $2 billion valuation with backing from Jeff Bezos. This reflects ongoing investor confidence in AI development but is mainly significant to tech industry watchers.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 18, 2026 at 8:20 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Sanders proposes tax on artificial intelligence stocks - WCAX

Senator Bernie Sanders is proposing a new tax on artificial intelligence stocks, likely to fund social programs or address AI-related economic impacts. This could affect investment returns and how AI companies are regulated in the U.S.

WCAX Jun 18, 2026 at 8:17 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

A tech worker-backed PAC is bringing a $5M knife to Big Tech’s $100M gunfight 

A new political group backed by tech workers is trying to influence AI policy with grassroots donations, positioning itself against big tech's lobbying power. This matters to professionals and the public as it affects how AI regulation gets shaped.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 18, 2026 at 8:13 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

El Salvador is moving toward human-centered artificial intelligence - unesco

El Salvador is developing policies and practices around artificial intelligence that prioritize human needs and wellbeing rather than just technical advancement. This approach could serve as a model for how countries balance AI benefits with protecting people's interests.

unesco Jun 18, 2026 at 7:37 AM PDT 0
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What School and District Leaders Need to Know Before They Invest in AI - The 74

Schools and school districts are considering buying AI tools, but leaders need guidance on what to look for and how to implement them responsibly. This directly affects students, teachers, and parents as schools decide whether and how to use AI in classrooms and administration.

The 74 Jun 18, 2026 at 5:30 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Pixi’s new iOS app turns text messages into interactive AR experiences

Pixi is adding augmented reality features to text messages, letting people send interactive 3D experiences instead of traditional emojis and stickers. This could change how people communicate on their phones, though it depends on whether users actually want this feature.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Geoengineering still faces major practical challenges

Despite promises that we could quickly reverse climate change by spreading particles in the atmosphere, scientists warn the approach has serious unsolved problems that make it far riskier and more complicated than commonly portrayed. This matters because it affects expectations about our ability to address climate change.

MIT Technology Review Jun 18, 2026 at 3:00 AM PDT 0
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Everyone

The search for dark matter has been blown wide open

Scientists around the world are using underground detectors to search for dark matter, a mysterious substance that makes up most of the universe. Major new experiments are underway that could solve a decades-old physics mystery.

MIT Technology Review Jun 18, 2026 at 2:00 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionalsTeachers

How to turn off AI in your Google Docs

Google is adding AI writing assistance to Docs by default, and many users find the pop-ups annoying—here's how to disable it. This is practical advice for millions of Google Docs users who want to turn it off.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 6:23 PM PDT 0
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ProfessionalsEveryone

Towards autonomous medical artificial intelligence agents - Nature

Researchers are developing AI systems that could operate independently in medical settings to diagnose and treat patients. This could eventually change how healthcare is delivered, though significant testing and approval would be needed first.

Nature Jun 17, 2026 at 3:55 PM PDT 0
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NEA’s Tiffany Luck says enterprises are still figuring out their AI ROI

Companies rushed to adopt AI tools aggressively this year, but now they're realizing the actual returns don't match the hype—and some are cutting spending or internal projects. This matters to workers and business leaders figuring out where AI actually adds value.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 1:17 PM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

World leaders want American AI. They just don’t want America to be able to turn it off.

World leaders fear the U.S. could cut off access to American-made AI systems overnight, raising concerns about dependency and control—a worry that felt real after Anthropic's recent service outage. This geopolitical tension could shape how AI gets governed globally and affect international tech relationships.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 12:01 PM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Anthropic becomes first AI startup to join the Frontier carbon removal coalition

Anthropic, an AI company, is joining a coalition focused on removing carbon from the atmosphere and has helped bring in over $900 million in pledges for this work. This shows AI companies are trying to address climate concerns, though the actual environmental impact remains unclear.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 11:30 AM PDT 0
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Social media’s next evolution: user-controlled algorithms

Major social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Threads are giving users more direct control over how algorithms recommend content to them. This puts power back in users' hands and could reduce algorithmic manipulation, benefiting everyone who uses these apps.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 11:19 AM PDT 0
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Professionals

NEA’s Tiffany Luck on AI IPOs, personal agents, and the ROI reckoning

A venture investor discusses how companies overspent on AI adoption early, then faced reality checks—some cutting budgets significantly while others learned that sustained ROI requires smarter, not just maximal, AI use. This reflects important lessons for any business deploying AI.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM PDT 0
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"Dangerous" AI models are coming no matter what

AI systems with advanced hacking and intrusion capabilities are becoming more common and harder to prevent, posing real cybersecurity risks for businesses and individuals. This affects everyone relying on digital systems for work and personal security.

AI - Ars Technica Jun 17, 2026 at 10:50 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Google bets on Gemini to reinvent the smart home speaker

Google is redesigning its smart speaker to use conversational AI instead of rigid voice commands, making it more natural to talk to. This affects anyone considering a smart home device and could make the technology more user-friendly.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 9:30 AM PDT 0
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ProfessionalsEveryone

DeepL acquires Mixhalo for live-event audio streaming and translation

A translation company has acquired a startup that handles live audio for events, allowing it to offer real-time translation at conferences and live events. This could make global events more accessible to people who speak different languages.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 5:14 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Pinterest launches an experimental AI shopping app called ‘Ask Pinterest’

Pinterest launched an AI chatbot that helps shoppers find products and inspiration through conversation instead of traditional browsing. This could change how people shop online and discover items they want to buy.

AI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch Jun 17, 2026 at 4:00 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Hacking the atmosphere: Geoengineering gets a reality check

Researchers are conducting real-world tests of geoengineering using aircraft to study whether deliberately altering the atmosphere could counteract climate change, moving beyond computer simulations. The approach remains controversial and faces major practical challenges.

MIT Technology Review Jun 17, 2026 at 2:00 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Entrepreneurs in Nairobi make the case for going solar

Kenya is expanding solar power to remote areas that lack electricity access, avoiding both emissions and the need for expensive grid infrastructure. This shows how affordable renewable technology is enabling developing nations to provide power without fossil fuels.

MIT Technology Review Jun 17, 2026 at 2:00 AM PDT 0
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EveryoneProfessionals

Trump admin tries to block Clean Air Act lawsuit over xAI's gas turbines

The Trump administration is attempting to block an NAACP lawsuit claiming that Elon Musk's xAI data center is operating gas turbines without proper environmental permits. This raises questions about whether AI companies should face the same environmental regulations as other industries.

AI - Ars Technica Jun 16, 2026 at 3:22 PM PDT 0
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Professionals

Anthropic "pauses" token-based billing for its Claude Agent SDK

Anthropic reversed a billing change that would have significantly raised costs for power users of its Claude AI tool. The reversal shows how pricing decisions for AI services can spark backlash and affect who can afford to use these tools.

AI - Ars Technica Jun 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM PDT 0
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Exclusive eBook: How AI is becoming the next military advisor

Military organizations are increasingly using AI systems to advise commanders on strategic decisions. This raises important questions about AI's role in defense and warfare that affect public safety and policy.

MIT Technology Review Jun 16, 2026 at 1:35 PM PDT 0
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Pentagon boasts of using AI to write reports mandated by Congress

The U.S. Department of Defense revealed it is using AI to draft official reports required by Congress and that 1.5 million military personnel are using generative AI tools. This shows how quickly AI is being integrated into government operations and raises questions about oversight and accuracy.

AI - Ars Technica Jun 16, 2026 at 11:11 AM PDT 0
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The Download: the first brain implant power user and South Korea’s AI obsession

A person with ALS is successfully using a brain implant to communicate—a breakthrough that offers hope for people with paralysis and severe disabilities. This shows how AI and neural technology can directly improve quality of life for patients.

MIT Technology Review Jun 16, 2026 at 5:10 AM PDT 0
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Want to get a data center online quickly? Give it some flex.

Flexible data centers that can quickly scale power and computing resources are helping solve electricity grid challenges caused by sudden demand spikes. Better infrastructure helps keep the internet and services running smoothly for everyone.

MIT Technology Review Jun 16, 2026 at 2:00 AM PDT 0