Welcome to another edition of Week in Review! This week, we discuss OpenAI’s decision to scrap the launch of o3, TikTok’s re-entry into U.S. app stores after a nearly month-long absence, the ongoing hurdles in Elon Musk’s acquisition attempt of OpenAI at $97.4 billion, and much more! Let’s dive in.
OpenAI has officially canceled the release of o3, which was expected to be the organization’s upcoming flagship AI model, opting instead for a more “streamlined” product approach. CEO Sam Altman mentioned in a post on X that OpenAI intends to roll out GPT-5, a model that will incorporate o3 within ChatGPT and its API. Consequently, o3 will not be launched as an individual model. Prior to the introduction of GPT-5, OpenAI plans to debut GPT-4.5, with Altman stating this will be the organization’s final “non-chain-of-thought model.”
Apple and Google have reinstated TikTok in their respective U.S. app stores, almost a month after the app was pulled due to a national security statute. The companies have also brought back video editing tool CapCut and social platform Lemon8, which were previously removed for compliance reasons. The reinstatement follows a letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to Apple, stating that the ban would not be enforced at this time, as reported by Bloomberg.
Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted at the arrival of “the newest family member,” expected this Wednesday, which is likely the fourth-generation iPhone SE. With three years since the last iPhone SE launch at $429, this release is crucial for Apple in markets like China and India. This time, the company is anticipated to discard the Touch ID home button in favor of the same chip that powers the iPhone 16.
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News
Musk imposes new stipulations on his OpenAI bid: Elon Musk’s legal team has indicated that he will retract his $97.4 billion offer for OpenAI if the board decides to maintain its nonprofit status. The documentation asserts that Musk’s proposal to purchase OpenAI is “serious.” Read more
Meta’s CTO issues a warning: Andrew Bosworth, Chief Technology Officer at Meta, had some pointed remarks for employees dissatisfied with the company’s recent strategies — they are welcome to leave. A Business Insider article references an internal discussion where an employee took issue with Meta’s reduction of DEI initiatives. Read more
Tesla prevails in a defamation case: After a Tesla Model 3 was claimed to have crashed due to defective brakes in 2021, Zhang Yazhou sued the company. Following Tesla’s counter-suit for defamation, a Chinese court has mandated Zhang to pay approximately $23,000 in damages and issue a public apology. Read more
A new Instagram alternative: The app Pinksky has launched an Android version of its photo-sharing social network built atop Bluesky, aiming to attract former Instagram users with a similar experience that emphasizes open technology. Read more
Google’s soccer-playing robots: Researchers at Google DeepMind have showcased miniature humanoid robots engaging in one-on-one soccer matches. The team discovered that these robots learned essential movement skills like kicking, walking and recovering from falls. Read more
Google enhances NotebookLM Plus: Google is bolstering NotebookLM Plus, its subscription-based AI note-taking and research tool, by offering higher usage limits and premium features to subscribers of the Google One AI Premium plan. Read more
Zeta achieves a significant valuation: The banking software provider has secured $50 million from a strategic investor at a valuation of $2 billion. This investment marks a 70% increase in the Bengaluru-based startup’s valuation since 2021. Read more
Change in Google Maps labeling: Google Maps users in the U.S. will now see the Gulf of America instead of the Gulf of Mexico, following an executive order from President Trump. Users in Mexico will view the Gulf of Mexico exclusively, while international users will find both names displayed. Read more
Perplexity’s Super Bowl marketing tactic: Rather than investing in a costly Super Bowl advertisement, the AI search engine leveraged X to encourage users to download its app for a chance to win $1 million. This tactic reportedly increased mobile app installations by approximately 50%, according to Appfigures data. Read more
Tumblr enters the fediverse: Tumblr is set to transition to the open social web by moving to WordPress infrastructure. Once the migration is complete, Tumblr users will be enabled to federate their blogs using ActivityPub, similar to the functionality available to all WordPress.com users. Read more
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