Welcome back to our Week in Review. This week, we will explore Google’s subtle withdrawal from its commitment not to develop AI technologies for military surveillance; how Elon Musk and DOGE are helping facilitate one of the largest breaches of U.S. government data; researchers who recreated an advanced reasoning AI model for just $50; and much more! Let’s delve right in.
Elon Musk and DOGE representatives gained “full access” to the U.S. Treasury payment system, which is responsible for distributing trillions to Americans annually. Senator Ron Wyden cautioned that Musk’s reach into the system poses a significant “national security threat.” This is the latest in Musk’s attempts to penetrate the federal government’s operations. In reaction, U.S. Democratic Representative Mark Pocan introduced a bill called the Elon Musk Act, which stands for Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy.
A former employee of Meta is suing the company for sexual harassment, discrimination based on sex, and retaliation. Kelly Stonelake, who devoted 15 years to the organization, claims that Meta ignored her allegations of sexual harassment and assault; punished her after she flagged a video game as potentially harmful to minors and racist; and routinely overlooked her for promotions in favor of male colleagues.
This week, Google has deleted a vow from its website that stated it would not develop AI for military or surveillance applications. In an update to its public AI policy page, the company removed a segment titled “applications we will not pursue.” Google pointed TechCrunch to a blog entry about “responsible AI,” asserting that the company should collaborate with governments and organizations to “create AI that safeguards individuals, encourages global development, and backs national security.”
This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, where we summarize the most significant events of the week. Interested in receiving this as a newsletter directly in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.
Latest News
TikTok enters Wall Street: Dub is a trading application that prioritizes people over stocks. Users can follow the trading tactics of other traders, hedge funds, and even emulate high-profile politicians. Read more
The emoji war: As reported by the New York Times, the U.S. government’s General Services Administration has removed the spoon emoji from its video conferencing platform after staff embraced it as a way to protest against the Trump administration’s “Fork in the Road” resignation offer. Read more
ChatGPT for in-depth research: OpenAI is unveiling a new AI “agent” aimed at aiding users in conducting comprehensive and intricate research using ChatGPT. Instead of simply providing quick answers or summaries, this feature aggregates information from various sources. Read more
The EU clamps down on risky AI: European regulators now have the authority to prohibit the application of AI systems they classify as posing “unacceptable risks” or causing harm. Enterprises may face penalties up to $36 million or 7% of their total revenue from the previous fiscal year—whichever amount is greater. Read more
Significant layoffs at Workday: The enterprise HR platform has laid off 1,750 employees this week, representing approximately 8.5% of its total workforce. Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach informed staff that the company requires a new direction and intends to recruit AI talent. Read more
A novel AI productivity tool: Imagine having your note-taking, schedule management, and task lists all consolidated in one application. Hero, an all-in-one productivity app featuring an AI assistant, aims to transform that dream into reality and challenge its competitors. Read more
A $50 reasoning AI model: Researchers from Stanford and the University of Washington have successfully trained an AI “reasoning” model for less than $50 in cloud compute credits. This model, known as s1, demonstrates capabilities comparable to established models such as OpenAI’s o1 and DeepSeek’s R1 in math and coding assessments. Read more
An adult app for EU iOS users: A native adult content app is launching in the EU through the approved alternative app store AltStore PAL, facilitated by the Digital Markets Act. Hot Tub offers iOS users an avenue to search and view videos from various adult websites. Read more
Job cuts at Cruise: Cruise is terminating nearly half of its workforce, including key executives such as CEO Marc Whitten, as it prepares to halt operations. The remaining assets of the autonomous vehicle firm will be transitioned to General Motors. Read more
X is taking legal action against more advertisers: This follows the reported “boycott” against the platform. The revised complaint includes companies like Nestlé, Abbott Laboratories, Colgate, Lego, Pinterest, Tyson Foods, and Shell. Read more
Analysis
We are witnessing a monumental breach of U.S. government data: Elon Musk’s DOGE has gained access to vast segments of Americans’ private government-held information amidst controversies surrounding their security clearances, cybersecurity measures, and the legality of Musk’s maneuvers. As Zack Whittaker articulates, questioning whether DOGE personnel are malicious actors overlooks a crucial issue. Subterfuge, espionage, or mere ignorance could result in the same dire consequences: the exposure or loss of sensitive national datasets. Read more
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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