Artificial intelligence

Humain Chat has been unveiled by Saudi Arabia to drive AI innovation

Saudi Arabia has taken a significant step in AI with the launch of Humain Chat, an app powered by one of the world’s most enormous Arabic-trained datasets.

Developed by state-backed venture Humain, the app is designed to strengthen the country’s role in AI while promoting sovereign technologies.

Built on the Allam large language model, Humain Chat allows real-time web search, speech input across Arabic dialects, bilingual switching between Arabic and English, and secure data compliance with Saudi privacy laws.

The app is already available on the web, iOS, and Android in Saudi Arabia, with plans for regional expansion across the Middle East before reaching global markets.

Humain was established in May under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Public Investment Fund. Its flagship model, ALLAM 34B, is described as the most advanced AI system created in the Arab world. The company said the app will evolve further as user adoption grows.

CEO Tareq Amin called the launch ‘a historic milestone’ for Saudi Arabia, stressing that Humain Chat shows how advanced AI can be developed in Arabic while staying culturally rooted and built by local expertise.

A team of 120 specialists based in the Kingdom created the platform.

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Silicon Valley moves to influence AI policy

Silicon Valley insiders are preparing to pour over $100 million into next year’s US midterm elections to influence AI policy. The super-PAC Leading the Future, backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Greg Brockman, seeks to impact AI policy and limit strict regulation.

Leading the Future targets battleground states such as California, New York, Illinois, and Ohio. The PAC intends to fund campaigns, run extensive social media ads, and focus on politicians who support innovation-friendly ‘guardrails’ rather than heavy-handed regulation.

The initiative draws inspiration from the crypto industry’s political playbook, which successfully backed candidates aligned with its interests.

The group’s structure combines federal and state PACs with a 501(c)(4) organisation, offering flexibility and influence over both major parties. High-profile backers include Marc Andreessen, Greg Brockman, Joe Lonsdale, and Ron Conway.

Their collective goal is to ensure AI development continues without regulatory barriers that could slow American innovation and job creation.

Silicon Valley’s strategy highlights the increasing role of tech money in politics, reflecting a shift in donor priorities. The PAC’s influence may become a decisive factor in shaping AI legislation, with potential implications for the industry and broader US policy debates.

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YouTube under fire for AI video edits without creator consent

Anger grows as YouTube secretly alters some uploaded videos using machine learning. The company admitted that it had been experimenting with automated edits, which sharpen images, smooth skin, and enhance clarity, without notifying creators.

Although tools like ChatGPT or Gemini did not generate these changes, they still relied on AI.

The issue has sparked concern among creators, who argue that the lack of consent undermines trust.

YouTuber Rhett Shull publicly criticised the platform, prompting YouTube liaison Rene Ritchie to clarify that the edits were simply efforts to ‘unblur and denoise’ footage, similar to smartphone processing.

However, creators emphasise that the difference lies in transparency, since phone users know when enhancements are applied, whereas YouTube users were unaware.

Consent remains central to debates around AI adoption, especially as regulation lags and governments push companies to expand their use of the technology.

Critics warn that even minor, automatic edits can treat user videos as training material without permission, raising broader concerns about control and ownership on digital platforms.

YouTube has not confirmed whether the experiment will expand or when it might end.

For now, viewers noticing oddly upscaled Shorts may be seeing the outcome of these hidden edits, which have only fuelled anger about how AI is being introduced into creative spaces.

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CZ outlines vision for crypto and AI integration

Binance founder Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao shared his vision for crypto’s future, connecting digital assets with AI and recent policy changes. At WebX in Tokyo, CZ praised US crypto policy under Trump, highlighting stablecoin legislation and the Genius Act while opposing central bank digital currencies.

He argued that embracing innovation is crucial to remaining competitive globally.

CZ predicted that crypto will become the natural medium of exchange for AI, bypassing traditional fiat, banks, and credit cards. He envisaged hundreds or thousands of AI agents per person, generating a surge of microtransactions via programmable blockchain networks.

According to CZ, blockchains’ APIs are better suited than banks for interfacing with AI-driven economic activity.

Since stepping down from Binance, CZ has focused on education and advisory work. His Giggle Academy already serves 50,000 children, aiming to digitise 18 years of schooling at a fraction of government costs.

He advises at least 12 governments on crypto regulation and adoption. He also plans to mentor founders and back early-stage projects through his investment firm EZ Labs, emphasising ethical practices and long-term value creation.

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AI controversy surrounds Will Smith’s comeback shows

Footage from Will Smith’s comeback tour has sparked claims that AI was used to alter shots of the crowd. Viewers noticed faces appearing blurred or distorted, along with extra fingers and oddly shaped hands in several clips.

Some accused Smith of boosting audience shots with AI, while others pointed to YouTube, which has been reported to apply AI upscaling without creators’ knowledge.

Guitarist and YouTuber Rhett Shull recently suggested the platform had altered his videos, raising concerns that artists might be wrongly accused of using deepfakes.

The controversy comes as the boundary between reality and fabrication grows increasingly uncertain. AI has been reshaping how audiences perceive authenticity, from fake bands to fabricated images of music legends.

Singer SZA is among the artists criticising the technology, highlighting its heavy energy use and potential to undermine creativity.

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AI chatbots found unreliable in suicide-related responses, according to a new study

A new study by the RAND Corporation has raised concerns about the ability of AI chatbots to answer questions related to suicide and self-harm safely.

Researchers tested ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini with 30 different suicide-related questions, repeating each one 100 times. Clinicians assessed the queries on a scale from low to high risk, ranging from general information-seeking to dangerous requests about methods of self-harm.

The study revealed that ChatGPT and Claude were more reliable at handling low-risk and high-risk questions, avoiding harmful instructions in dangerous scenarios. Gemini, however, produced more variable results.

While all three ΑΙ chatbots sometimes responded appropriately to medium-risk questions, such as offering supportive resources, they often failed to respond altogether, leaving potentially vulnerable users without guidance.

Experts warn that millions of people now use large language models as conversational partners instead of trained professionals, which raises serious risks when the subject matter involves mental health. Instances have already been reported where AI appeared to encourage self-harm or generate suicide notes.

The RAND team stressed that safeguards are urgently needed to prevent such tools from producing harmful content in response to sensitive queries.

The study also noted troubling inconsistencies. ChatGPT and Claude occasionally gave inappropriate details when asked about hazardous methods, while Gemini refused even basic factual queries about suicide statistics.

Researchers further observed that ChatGPT showed reluctance to recommend therapeutic resources, often avoiding direct mention of safe support channels.

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New WhatsApp features help manage unwanted groups

WhatsApp is expanding its tools to give users greater control over the groups they join and the conversations they take part in.

When someone not saved in a user’s contacts adds them to a group, WhatsApp now provides details about that group so they can immediately decide whether to stay or leave. If a user chooses to exit, they can also report the group directly to WhatsApp.

Privacy settings allow people to decide who can add them to groups. By default, the setting is set to ‘Everyone,’ but it can be adjusted to ‘My contacts’ or ‘My contacts except…’ for more security. Messages within groups can also be reported individually, with users having the option to block the sender.

Reported messages and groups are sent to WhatsApp for review, including the sender’s or group’s ID, the time the message was sent, and the message type.

Although blocking an entire group is impossible, users can block or report individual members or administrators if they are sending spam or inappropriate content. Reporting a group will send up to five recent messages from that chat to WhatsApp without notifying other members.

Exiting a group remains straightforward: users can tap the group name and select ‘Exit group.’ With these tools, WhatsApp aims to strengthen user safety, protect privacy, and provide better ways to manage unwanted interactions.

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xAI accuses Apple and OpenAI of blocking competition in AI

Elon Musk’s xAI has filed a lawsuit in Texas accusing Apple and OpenAI of colluding to stifle competition in the AI sector.

The case alleges that both companies locked up markets to maintain monopolies, making it harder for rivals like X and xAI to compete.

The dispute follows Apple’s 2024 deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri and other apps on its devices. According to the lawsuit, Apple’s exclusive partnership with OpenAI has prevented fair treatment of Musk’s products within the App Store, including the X app and xAI’s Grok app.

Musk previously threatened legal action against Apple over antitrust concerns, citing the company’s alleged preference for ChatGPT.

Musk, who acquired his social media platform X in a $45 billion all-stock deal earlier in the year, is seeking billions of dollars in damages and a jury trial. The legal action highlights Musk’s ongoing feud with OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman.

Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who left in 2018 after disagreements with Altman, has repeatedly criticised the company’s shift to a profit-driven model. He is also pursuing separate litigation against OpenAI and Altman over that transition in California.

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Honor and Google deepen platform partnership with longer updates and AI integration

Honor has announced a joint commitment with Google to strengthen its Android platform support. The company now guarantees six years of Android OS and security updates for its upcoming Honor 400 series, aligning with similar practices by Pixel and Samsung devices.

This update period is part of Honor’s wider Alpha Plan, a strategic framework positioning the company as an AI device ecosystem player.

Honor will invest US $10 billion over five years to support this transformation through hardware innovation, software longevity and AI agent integration.

The partnership enables deeper cooperation with Google around Android updates and AI features. Honor already integrates tools like Circle to Search, AI photo expansion and Gemini voice assistants on its Magic series. The extended software support promises longer device lifespans, reduced e-waste and improved user experience.

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Coinbase CEO fired engineers who refused to adopt AI tools

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has revealed that he fired engineers who refused to begin using AI coding tools after the company adopted GitHub Copilot and Cursor. Armstrong shared the story during a podcast hosted by Stripe co-founder John Collison.

Engineers were told to onboard with the tools within a week. Armstrong arranged a Saturday meeting for those who had not complied and said that employees without valid reasons would be dismissed. Some were excused due to holidays, while others were let go.

Collison raised concerns about relying too heavily on AI-generated code, prompting Armstrong to agree. Past reports have described challenges with managing code produced by AI, even at companies like OpenAI. Coinbase did not comment on the matter.

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