OpenAI has announced plans to launch an AI-powered hiring platform to compete with LinkedIn directly. The service, OpenAI Jobs Platform, is expected to debut by mid-2026.
Applications CEO Fidji Simo said the platform will help businesses and employees find ideal matches using AI, with tailored options for small businesses and local governments. The Texas Association of Business plans to use the platform to connect employers with talent.
The move highlights OpenAI’s efforts to expand beyond ChatGPT into a broader range of applications, including a browser, a social media app, and recruitment. The company faces intense competition from Microsoft-owned LinkedIn, which has been adding AI features of its own.
Alongside the hiring initiative, OpenAI is preparing to pilot its Certifications programme through the OpenAI Academy. The scheme will provide certificates for AI proficiency, with Walmart among the first partners.
OpenAI aims to certify 10 million Americans by 2030 as part of its commitment to advancing AI literacy.
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Despite being promoted as ‘PhD-level’, the model produced a distorted, blob-like map of North America and invented mismatched portraits of US presidents with fictional names.
AI researcher Gary Marcus lowered the threshold by giving GPT-5 a kindergarten-level challenge. The result was a clear fail. He posted: ‘GPT-5 failed a kindergarten-level task. Speechless.’ He criticised the rushed rollout and the hype that may have obscured the model’s visual reasoning weaknesses.
Further tests exposed inconsistencies: when asked to map France and label its 12 most populous cities, GPT-5 returned inaccurate or incomplete results, omitting Paris entirely and naming Orléans despite its lower ranking.
Oddly, when the same queries were posed in text-only form, the model performed better, highlighting the weakness in its image generation and visual logic.
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The proprietary software firm Atlassian is entering the AI browser market with a $610 million deal to acquire The Browser Company of New York, creator of Arc and Dia. The move signals an attempt to turn browsers into intelligent assistants instead of leaving them as passive tools.
Traditional browsers are blank slates, forcing users to juggle tabs and applications without context. Arc and Dia promise a different approach by connecting tasks, offering in-line AI support, and adapting to user behaviour. Atlassian believes these features could transform productivity for knowledge workers.
Analysts note, however, that AI browsers are still experimental. While they offer potential to integrate workflows and reduce distractions, rivals like Chrome, Edge and Safari already dominate with established ecosystems and security features. Convincing users to change habits may prove difficult.
Industry observers suggest Atlassian’s move is more a long-term bet on natural language and agentic browsing than an immediate market shift. For now, AI browsers remain promising but unproven alternatives to conventional tools.
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WhatsApp has fixed a vulnerability that exposed Apple device users to highly targeted cyberattacks. The flaw was chained with an iOS and iPadOS bug, allowing hackers to access sensitive data.
According to researchers at Amnesty’s Security Lab, the malicious campaign lasted around 90 days and impacted fewer than 200 people. WhatsApp notified victims directly, which urged all users to update their apps immediately.
Apple has also acknowledged the issue and released security patches to close the cybersecurity loophole. Experts warn that other apps beyond WhatsApp may have been exploited in the same campaign.
The identity of those behind the spyware attacks remains unclear. Both companies have stressed that prompt updates are the best protection for users against similar threats.
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Private backing for UK AI companies has reached £2.9 billion, with average deals of £5.9 million, driving record growth across the sector. Ministers say investment is spreading regionally, with the number of firms in the Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales, and the North West doubling in just three years.
At Mansion House, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle urged industry to cut red tape, expand data centres, and attract global talent. He emphasised that public trust, supported by AI assurance measures, is crucial for growth.
The assurance roadmap aims to add billions to the economy by creating a dedicated profession to review AI systems for safety, ethics, and accountability. Independent experts will be tasked with certifying systems, while a consortium of professional bodies develops a code of ethics to guide standards.
Further initiatives include £2.7m to boost regulator capacity and AI projects for Ofgem, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the Office for Nuclear Regulation, covering energy, aviation, and nuclear waste.
Officials say these measures will help position the UK as a world leader in AI innovation, while ensuring growth is matched with robust oversight and public confidence in the technology.
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A new study by the European Travel Commission shows that national tourism organisations (NTOs) are experimenting with AI but are facing gaps in strategy and skills.
Marketing teams are leading the way, applying AI in content generation and workflow streamlining, whereas research departments primarily view the tools as exploratory. Despite uneven readiness, most staff show enthusiasm, with little resistance reported.
The survey highlights challenges, including limited budgets, sparse training, and the absence of a clear roadmap. Early adopters report tangible productivity gains, but most NTOs are still running small pilots rather than embedding AI across operations.
Recommendations include ring-fencing time for structured experiments, offering role-specific upskilling, and scaling budgets aligned with results. The report also urges the creation of shared learning spaces and providing practical support to help organisations transition from testing to sustained adoption.
ETC President Miguel Sanz said AI offers clear opportunities for tourism boards, but uneven capacity means shared tools and targeted investment will be essential to ensure innovation benefits all members.
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According to people familiar with the plans, Chinese startup DeepSeek is developing an AI model with enhanced agent features to compete with US firms such as OpenAI.
The Hangzhou-based company intends for the system to perform multi-step tasks with limited input and adapt from its previous actions.
Founder Liang Wenfeng has urged his team to prepare the release before the end of 2025. The project follows DeepSeek’s earlier success with R1, a reasoning-focused model launched in January that attracted attention for its low development costs.
Since then, DeepSeek has delivered only incremental updates while rivals in China and the US have accelerated new product launches.
The shift towards AI agents reflects a broader industry move to develop tools capable of managing complex real-world tasks, from research to coding, with less reliance on users. OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Manus AI have already introduced similar projects.
Most systems still require significant oversight, highlighting the challenges of building fully autonomous agents.
The cloud computing services offered by IBM will end free human support under its Basic Support tier in January 2026, opting for an AI-driven self-service model instead.
Users will lose the option to open or escalate technical cases through the portal or APIs. However, they can still report service issues via the Cloud Console and raise billing or account cases through the Support Portal.
IBM will direct customers to its Watsonx-powered AI Assistant, upgraded earlier in the year, while introducing a ‘Report an Issue’ tool to improve routing. The company plans to expand its support library to provide more detailed self-help resources.
Starting at $200 per month, paid support will remain available for organisations needing faster response times and direct technical assistance.
The company describes the change as an alignment with industry norms. AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure already provide free tiers that rely on community forums, online resources and billing support.
However, IBM Cloud holds only 2–4 percent of the market, according to Synergy Research Group, which some analysts suggest makes cost reductions in support more likely. Tencent, another provider, previously withdrew support for basic users because they were not profitable.
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Starbucks will deploy an AI-powered inventory system across all North American stores. Built with NomadGo, it automatically scans shelves using AR and computer vision to flag low stock.
Counts that once took an hour now take about 15 minutes, enabling up to eight counts weekly. The system frees staff to focus on service while providing real-time data for more intelligent supply chain decisions.
The rollout follows other digital upgrades, including a Shift Marketplace for scheduling, Green Dot Assist for AI support, and a new point-of-sale system. Together, these tools show Starbucks’ growing reliance on AI.
Competitors like McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A are also turning to AI for back-of-house operations. From accuracy scales to computer vision food checks, fast-food chains are betting heavily on automation to boost efficiency.
For Starbucks, success will be judged by fewer shortages, consistent customer experiences, and staff reinvested in service. AI-driven accuracy could become a defining advantage in an industry built on trust.
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The action stems from CNIL’s 2019 guidelines, aimed at ensuring that internet users are adequately informed and give valid consent for the placement of cookies.
The CNIL’s restricted committee, responsible for imposing penalties, raised ongoing concerns such as unauthorised cookie placement and the growing use of ‘cookie walls’ where users must accept cookies to access services.
Although not illegal by default, such practices require consent, with all choices presented clearly and without bias.
In Google’s case, CNIL also cited a breach of Article L.34-5 of the French Postal and Electronic Communications Code for displaying promotional emails in Gmail’s ‘Promotions’ and ‘Social’ tabs without prior user consent. High-traffic platforms remain a key focus of the authority’s compliance strategy.
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