Apple is increasing its domestic investment by an additional $100 billion, bringing its total commitment to US manufacturing to $600 billion over the next four years.
The announcement was made by CEO Tim Cook during a joint appearance with President Donald Trump at the White House, as the administration signals plans to impose steep tariffs on foreign-made semiconductors.
The investment includes a new American Manufacturing Program aimed at expanding US production of key Apple components, such as AI servers and rare earth magnets. Facilities are already under development in states including Texas, Kentucky, and Arizona.
Apple says the initiative will support 450,000 jobs across all 50 states and reduce reliance on overseas supply chains.
Apple’s expanded spending arrives amid criticism of its slow progress in AI. With its ‘Apple Intelligence’ software struggling for traction, and the recent departure of foundation model head Rouming Pang to Meta, the company is now shifting focus.
Cook confirmed that investment in AI infrastructure is accelerating, with data centres expanding in five states.
While Apple’s move has drawn praise for supporting American jobs, it has also stirred controversy. Some users expressed discontent with Cook’s public alignment with Trump, despite the strategic importance of avoiding tariffs.
Trump stated that companies investing in the US would not face the proposed import charges.
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Trump Media and Technology Group has begun testing a new AI-powered search engine called Truth Search AI on its Truth Social platform.
Developed in partnership with AI company Perplexity, the feature is intended to enhance access to information for users of the platform.
Devin Nunes, CEO and Chairman of Trump Media, said the tool will strengthen Truth Social’s position in the so-called ‘Patriot Economy’.
Perplexity’s Chief Business Officer, Dmitry Shevelenko, added that the collaboration brings powerful AI to users who are seeking answers to significant questions.
The search engine is already live on the platform and has responded to politically sensitive queries with measured language.
When asked whether Donald Trump was a liar, the tool noted that the label often depends on context, but acknowledged that fact-checkers have documented many misleading claims.
A similar question about Nancy Pelosi prompted the response that such a claim was partisan rather than factual.
Trump Media plans to expand the feature to its iOS and Android apps shortly. The launch is part of a wider strategy to broaden the company’s digital offerings, which also include ventures in cryptocurrency and finance, such as a proposed Bitcoin ETF in partnership with Crypto.com and Yorkville America Digital.
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AWS CEO Matt Garman celebrated the partnership as a ‘powerhouse combination’, noting that the models outperform comparable options, claiming they are three times more price-efficient than Gemini and five times more than DeepSeek‑R1, when deployed via Bedrock.
Rich functionality comes with these models: wide context capacity, chain-of-thought transparency, adjustable reasoning levels, and compatibility with agentic workflows. Bedrock offers secure deployment with Guardrails support, while SageMaker enables experimentation across AWS regions.
Financial markets took notice. AWS stock rose after the announcement, as analysts viewed the pairing with OpenAI’s open models as a meaningful step toward boosting its AI offerings amid fierce cloud rivalry.
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The US government has finalised a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT Enterprise across all federal agencies. Each agency will access ChatGPT for $1 to support AI adoption and modernise operations.
According to the General Services Administration, the move aligns with the White House’s AI Action Plan, which aims to make the US a global leader in AI development. The plan promotes AI integration, innovation, and regulation across public institutions.
However, privacy advocates and cybersecurity experts have raised concerns over the risks of centralised AI in government. Critics cite the potential for mass surveillance, narrative control, and sensitive data exposure.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has cautioned users that AI conversations are not protected under privacy laws and could be used in legal proceedings. Storing data on centralised servers via large language models raises concerns over civil liberties and government overreach.
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GitHub has prematurely unveiled OpenAI’s next-generation GPT-5 models in a blog post that was swiftly deleted. The post briefly revealed that GPT-5 will be released in four variants, promising significant upgrades in reasoning ability, coding performance, and user experience.
Archived versions of the removed announcement show that GPT-5 features improved agentic capabilities and can complete complex coding tasks with minimal input.
The four model versions include a full-strength GPT-5 for logic and multi-step operations, a lightweight mini version for cost-efficient usage, a nano version optimised for speed and low latency, and a chat-focused variant built for advanced, multimodal enterprise interactions.
Reddit users first spotted the post, including comparisons between GPT-5 and competing models such as Llama 4 Scout and Cohere v2.
The accidental release aligns with growing anticipation after OpenAI insiders hinted at a major release earlier in the week, with CEO Sam Altman teasing the update just days before.
OpenAI is expected to launch GPT-5 later today, officially during a live-streamed event. The company has also introduced two new open-weight GPT-OSS models, including one that can run locally on personal devices.
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OpenAI has launched its first open-weight AI models in over five years, under the Apache 2.0 license. Developers now have access to download, adapt, and deploy the models commercially, marking a significant shift in policy from the company’s previously closed-source approach.
The move comes amid pressure from China’s open-source AI sector and Western rivals, such as Meta. The GPT-OS models focus on reasoning and support complex tasks such as coding and mathematics.
GPT-OS-120 b targets high-performance setups, while GPT-OS-20 b can run on standard machines. While not fully open-source, the release provides transparency regarding weights and architecture, although the training data remains undisclosed.
The approach has split expert opinion: some praise the openness, others question the limited disclosure. Regardless, it signals OpenAI’s strategic recalibration in response to market pressure.
Benchmark tests show the models excel in advanced reasoning. The o4-mini, a related model, has already surpassed its competitors in evaluations such as AIME 2024 and 2025. Analysts say these tools could reshape workflows across sectors, from coding to enterprise automation.
OpenAI’s timing aligns with rapid revenue growth and a $40 billion funding round. Analysts see this release as a calculated step in a maturing, competitive industry, where a balance of proprietary control and open access may define future leadership.
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The technology offers eye-catching scenarios like flying over mountains, exploring volcanoes, or swimming through deep oceans. Although the graphics still show AI hallmarks, the functionality is advanced enough to raise concerns across the game industry.
Many fear that Genie 3 could render traditional development tools, such as Unity and Unreal, less essential, especially for prototyping or indie games. With just a few words, AI can now build what teams of artists and designers once did.
Job losses driven by AI are already happening in other sectors. Customer support, design, and language learning platforms have replaced humans with bots. Game developers may be next in line as studios seek to cut costs.
Some players may continue to favour human-made games, but the pressure is growing. Genie 3 shows that AI is no longer just assisting developers; it’s beginning to replace them.
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Beijing United Family Hospital and Alibaba DAMO Academy have launched a joint effort to bring advanced AI screening into clinical use.
Their flagship project uses a plain CT scan combined with DAMO Academy’s multi-condition detection AI to facilitate early identification of gastrointestinal cancers and chronic diseases.
The technology has already internationally earned the FDA’s ‘Breakthrough Device’ designation. Collaborators stress that combining AI with established international standards supports more accurate, patient-centred care.
The use of AI for travel planning has surged in the UAE, with six in ten travellers reporting they use AI to manage flights, hotels, itineraries, and dining. Tourism Economics and ATM data show that the UAE’s adoption rate significantly exceeds the global average.
Despite the technological appeal, travel professionals stress the importance of human contact. Automated agents may optimise logistics, but UAE customers continue to value emotionally intelligent service, especially for complex or premium experiences.
As Al Rais Travel puts it, a hybrid approach, where AI performs background analysis and humans provide real connection, is ideal.
Industry dialogue at ATM 2025 underscored trust as key: AI can generate draft itineraries and administrative support, but travellers still rely on agents to uncover hidden gems, accommodate cultural preferences, and fine-tune experiences.
Experts such as Naomi Ekberg argue that in the UAE’s cosmopolitan market, AI should free up staff to deliver memorable human moments rather than replace them.
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Rod Stewart is under fire for using AI-generated visuals in a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during a recent US concert. The video showed a digitally recreated Osbourne taking selfies with late music icons in heaven.
The tribute, set to Stewart’s 1988 track Forever Young, was played at his Alpharetta performance. Artists like Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain, Freddie Mercury, and Tupac Shakur featured in the AI montage.
While some called the display disrespectful and tasteless, others viewed it as a heartfelt tribute to legendary figures. Reactions online ranged from outrage to admiration.
Osbourne, who passed away last month at age 76, was honoured with global tributes, including flowers laid at Birmingham’s Black Sabbath Bench by fans and family.
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