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Welcome, AI Enthusiasts!
Todayās AI Insights:
OpenAI taps Instacart CEO for top role
Microsoft bans DeepSeek app for employees
Meta hires ex-DeepMind director to lead AI lab
Microsoft hires ex-Meta exec to rebrand Copilot
Hugging Face drops Open Computer Agent
Chrome gets AI-powered scam shields
How to create viral short videos effortlessly with Revid AI
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Latest AI and tech news
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OPENAI
OpenAI has appointed Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to lead its growing Applications division. As the company expands its product reach, this leadership move signals a sharper focus on scaling consumer-facing tools like ChatGPT.
The Details:
Simo takes on the new role of CEO of Applications at OpenAI and will report directly to Sam Altman.
The Applications division unites OpenAIās business and product teams focused on turning research into real-world tools.
Simo will stay on as Instacartās CEO for a few months and remain chair afterward.
She previously led Facebook at Meta and played a major role in bringing Instacart public.
Altman will now focus more on research, infrastructure, and AI safety while COO Brad Lightcap oversees global operations.
Why it matters:
This move signals OpenAIās intent to scale its consumer-facing products with experienced leadership from outside the traditional AI space. Simoās track record with IPOs and product growth at Instacart and Meta could help OpenAI navigate competitive pressure and rapid expansion. As the company balances innovation with commercial success, this leadership shift could shape how AI reaches billions of users.
MICROSOFT
Image Source: Getty Images
Microsoft has confirmed that its employees are barred from using the DeepSeek chatbot app due to concerns over Chinese data laws and propaganda influence. The move was revealed during a Senate hearing focused on AI risks.
The Details:
Microsoft President Brad Smith stated that DeepSeek is banned internally and not listed on the Windows app store.
The concern is that DeepSeek stores data on Chinese servers and may be subject to Chinaās intelligence laws.
Microsoft fears the model may embed propaganda or generate insecure content, despite being open source.
Interestingly, Microsoft still offers DeepSeekās R1 model on Azure, citing rigorous red teaming and internal safety modifications.
Smith said Microsoft āchangedā DeepSeekās model to reduce harmful outputs, but didnāt share technical specifics.
Why it matters:
This public ban reflects growing tension between AI openness and national security. While DeepSeek remains popular for its affordability and reasoning skills, companies like Microsoft are drawing lines between infrastructure-level use and consumer-facing products. As AI models become tools of global influence, expect stricter oversight, more transparency demands, and strategic bans to shape which models gain access in sensitive environments.
META
Image source: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch
Meta has appointed Robert Fergus, a former Google DeepMind research director, as the new head of its Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab, a key move to revitalize its early AI research division.
The Details:
Fergus spent the last five years at DeepMind and previously worked as a research scientist at Meta.
Heāll now lead FAIR, the group behind Metaās foundational models like Llama 1 and Llama 2.
FAIR has lost momentum recently, with many researchers leaving for startups or Metaās GenAI team.
The GenAI group now leads flagship efforts like Llama 4, shifting focus away from FAIR.
The hire follows the departure of Metaās previous AI Research VP, Joelle Pineau, in April.
Why it matters:
This leadership change signals Metaās intent to restore FAIRās influence in the rapidly advancing AI race. With top talent moving to rivals and GenAI stealing the spotlight, Fergusās return could help bridge research with product innovation. His experience at DeepMind may also reinvigorate FAIRās role in foundational breakthroughs, crucial as Meta aims to compete with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google in the next wave of model development.
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AI & TECH NEWS
Microsoft tapped former Meta exec Mark DāArcy as Copilotās creative director, reporting to AI chief Mustafa Suleyman. His mission? Rebrand Copilot as an empathetic AI, boosting appeal as Microsoft races to catch up with ChatGPT and Google in the chatbot wars.
Anthropic launched a new API that lets Claude 3.7+ models search the web in real time, making them smarter and more current. It auto-fetches, analyzes, and cites dataāno extra dev work needed. Pricing starts at $10 per 1,000 searches, including Claude Code support.
Hugging Face launched the Open Computer Agent, an open-source AI that uses Qwen-VL to operate a Linux VM in-browser. Built on smolagents, it runs Firefox and basic appsābut itās slow, buggy, and error-prone, making it more proof-of-concept than useful assistant (for now).
AI coding tool Cursor is giving verified students a free 1-year Pro subscription. It includes 500 fast requests/month to models like Grok-3, Claude 3.7, and GPT-4o, plus unlimited access to GPT-4o-mini. Sign up with a student email or proof of enrollment.
Google is rolling out AI defenses in Chrome, using its Gemini Nano LLM on desktop to fight scams in real time. Enhanced Protection users get smarter detection for phishing and tech support fraud, while Chrome on Android now flags scammy notifications.
Top execs urged the Senate to ramp up AI infrastructure, education, and export policy reform to stay ahead of Chinaās DeepSeek. With global AI competition heating up, they warned that restrictive regulations could slow U.S. innovation and global adoption.
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