The ai models & agents stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Google-led researchers built an AI that watches you cook or build and speaks only when needed, but tests show today's models still struggle to time it right.
Read more: Google tests an AI helper that watches you work and speaks up only when neededA tech writer asked Google's Gemini Spark to clean up his messy Mac Downloads folder. It sorted files by topic, and he set it to repeat weekly.
Read more: Google's Gemini Spark tidied a messy Mac Downloads folder by itselfAMP, a company with eight people, writes detailed playbooks for its AI agents. The CEO says that approach saves hires and keeps the agents from acting on guesswork.
Read more: An 8-person startup writes step-by-step guides for its AI agentsA writer found that telling Google's Gemini chatbot his time and mood picked better shows than Netflix's own suggestions, though the tip comes with limits.
Read more: Using Gemini to pick what to watch beats scrolling Netflix for 30 minutesPark officials say hikers are using AI chatbots to plan trips and getting bad directions, bad maps and bad advice. Experts say to double-check before you go.
Read more: Hikers are trusting AI chatbots for trail advice and getting into troubleA Brazilian court fined two law firms about $16,000 for hiding a command to AI in white text. Any business that lets AI read outside documents should take note.
Read more: Brazilian court fines two law firms for hiding commands to AI in a filingAskAnyModel AI Pro is a lifetime plan that puts answers from several chatbots in one window. It is on sale for $29.97, but check the credit limits first.
Read more: One $30 tool shows answers from 50 AI chatbots side by sideA startup says its $499 glasses can turn words you only think about saying into text, with no camera. Shipping is US only and not guaranteed.
Read more: Smart glasses that turn silent speech into text cost $499A Tom's Guide writer built a 15-minute ChatGPT lesson for beginners, with tips on better questions, checking answers and what never to share.
Read more: A 15-minute ChatGPT lesson plan simple enough for your parentsDropbox says no setting sends your files to OpenAI on its own, after users worried an AI toggle was on and hidden. Here is what the company says and what to check.
Read more: Dropbox says it is not sharing your files with OpenAI by defaultA Visa-backed survey of Egyptian business leaders finds most are unfamiliar with AI that shops for you, yet most expect it to shake up their industry soon.
Read more: Most Egyptian firms still don't know what AI shopping agents areDesible.ai builds voice AI for banks and insurers, so your next call about a bill or claim may be answered by a machine, not a person.
Read more: Banks and insurers are putting AI voices on the phone with customersOpenAI says ChatGPT will prompt people to log off after long chats and push back more on big personal questions, a change that matters for families who lean on it.
Read more: ChatGPT will now nudge you to take a break from long chatsA federal judge told OpenAI to keep all ChatGPT chats, even deleted ones, so anything you type may now be stored while the court case continues.
Read more: Court orders OpenAI to keep all ChatGPT chats, even deleted onesChatGPT's iPhone and Android apps now let you stay signed in to two accounts and switch between them, so you no longer have to log out and back in.
Read more: ChatGPT apps now let you switch between two accountsDeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, has released an early version of a coding helper that works more on its own, aimed at Anthropic's Claude Code.
Read more: DeepSeek releases an early AI coding helper to take on Claude CodeOpenAI plans to merge ChatGPT's Chat and Work modes, and a logo request could soon count against the same allowance as heavy coding work.
Read more: ChatGPT's chat and coding tools will soon share one usage limitA post on X claims Anthropic blocks Claude users who ask about training larger AI models. It is unconfirmed, but it matters if your work depends on Claude.
Read more: Anthropic reportedly blocks users who ask about training bigger AI modelsGoogle's Gemini Notebook now makes it easier to find and add textbooks, which could save students time, though the details are still thin.
Read more: Gemini Notebook now makes it easier to find and add textbooksChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and Grok all had problems on Thursday. Service is back, but the day showed how much work depends on these tools.
Read more: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other AI chatbots went down togetherWashington Post tests found chatbots pulling midterm voting answers from three obscure AI-built sites, so a quick check with your election office matters.
Read more: AI chatbots lean on three obscure, error-prone sites for voting answersMaybelline is adding live virtual makeup testing to ChatGPT, so shoppers can describe a look and see it tried on instead of browsing a catalog.
Read more: Maybelline lets you test makeup shades by chatting with ChatGPTOpenAI has opened ChatGPT's voice chat to all users, so you can ask questions out loud on an iPhone or Android phone without paying.
Read more: ChatGPT now lets anyone talk to it out loud, for freeMod AI has launched Mod Seller IQ, which sends homeowners value reports and shows agents who opens them, so expect more of these emails if you own a home.
Read more: New tool helps real estate agents find future home sellers in their contacts
