OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Sora, and developer API experienced a significant outage on Thursday, disrupting services for over four hours. The issue began around 11 a.m. PT, with partial recovery reported by 2:05 p.m. PT. By 3:16 p.m. PT, OpenAI stated that Sora was operational, though ChatGPT users might still encounter issues accessing their chat history.
According to OpenAI’s status page, the outage was caused by one of their upstream providers, but the company did not provide further details. This marks the second major outage for OpenAI’s services in December. Two weeks ago, a similar incident attributed to a telemetry service malfunction resulted in a six-hour disruption, a notably longer downtime than usual.
Interestingly, popular platforms utilising OpenAI’s API, such as Perplexity and Siri’s Apple Intelligence integration, appeared unaffected during the outage, as confirmed by their status pages and independent testing. OpenAI is actively working to ensure full restoration of its services while addressing the root causes behind these recurring disruptions.
MicroStrategy Inc., the business intelligence firm and the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin has emerged as the top-performing cryptocurrency stock of 2024. The company’s stock surged by an impressive 402%, driving its market cap to $83 billion. The rise aligns with MicroStrategy’s ongoing strategy of acquiring more Bitcoin throughout the year, with the firm now holding approximately 444,262 BTC, valued at over $45 billion at current prices. The rally in Bitcoin’s price, which soared by 120% in 2024, contributed significantly to the company’s impressive performance, bolstered by factors like the approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF and geopolitical support for the digital asset.
Alongside MicroStrategy, other crypto-linked stocks also saw significant gains, with Core Scientific rising 307%, Terawulf gaining 142%, and Bitdeer Technologies increasing by 122%. These firms benefitted from strong market conditions and strategic moves such as AI partnerships and mining expansions. However, MicroStrategy remains the standout performer, driven by its growing Bitcoin holdings.
Looking ahead, MicroStrategy is set to hold a shareholder meeting in early 2025, where it will present key proposals to increase the number of authorized shares. These proposals are part of the company’s broader plans to raise $42 billion through equity and fixed-income instruments, further cementing its position as a major Bitcoin treasury holder. Chairman Michael Saylor sees these measures as essential for the company’s continued growth and expansion in the crypto space.
Jet.AI has introduced a cutting-edge AI model, ‘Ava,’ designed to revolutionise private jet bookings. Customers can communicate with Ava via phone or text to receive real-time pricing, aircraft availability, and personalised guidance. According to Jet.AI‘s founder Mike Winston, the agentic AI model offers a cost-efficient solution that enhances customer convenience while streamlining operations.
Updates to Jet.AI’s CharterGPT app accompany Ava’s launch, providing features like carbon tracking, enhanced notifications for travel updates, and deep linking for seamless access to trip details discussed with the AI. These upgrades prioritise eco-conscious decisions and user-friendly functionality.
Agentic AI, which operates autonomously to handle entire processes, is gaining momentum across industries. Intuit, for instance, plans to expand agentic AI across its platforms like TurboTax and QuickBooks through 2025, enhancing efficiency while maintaining human expert support when necessary.
Instacart has joined Uber in a legal challenge against a new Seattle ordinance regulating how app-based workers can be deactivated. The law, set to take effect in January, requires companies to provide gig workers with a 14-day notice of deactivation, base decisions on reasonable policies, and allow human review of all deactivations.
Seattle officials describe the legislation as a landmark move to ensure worker rights in the gig economy. Advocacy groups support the law, arguing that it addresses unfair deactivations and offers greater job security for app-based workers.
Instacart and Uber, however, claim the ordinance infringes on constitutional rights, federal laws, and operational safety. This lawsuit is part of broader disputes between tech companies and cities over labour regulations in the gig economy. Seattle has pledged to defend its policies, emphasising its commitment to protecting workers in modern app-driven industries.
A German court has ordered Signify, the world’s largest lighting maker, to recall and destroy certain products sold since 2017, citing patent infringement claims made by Seoul Semiconductor, a South Korean firm. The Düsseldorf court also ruled that Signify could face fines of up to €250,000 ($259,925) for each violation of the order, according to a statement from Seoul Semiconductor.
Signify, headquartered in the Netherlands and spun off from Philips in 2016, has not yet responded to requests for comment. The court ruling adds to the challenges faced by the company, which has a global reputation in the lighting industry.
Seoul Semiconductor, a leader in light-emitting diode (LED) technology, invests heavily in innovation, allocating about 10% of its revenue to research and development. The company boasts a portfolio of over 18,000 patents and has pursued legal action against multinational corporations to protect its intellectual property rights.
Google is introducing major updates to its Maps Timeline feature, shifting towards enhanced privacy by storing location history locally on users’ devices. This change means that any unbacked location history data will be automatically deleted after three months unless users take action to save it. Notifications regarding the update will provide a six-month window to back up data, urging users to preserve personal memories or valuable travel records before permanent deletion.
To save Timeline data, users can utilise Google’s export tools on their devices or through the web. This process allows users to maintain access to their past location history while ensuring it remains private and under their control. However, some users have reported unexpected deletions, emphasising the importance of regular backups to avoid data loss.
These updates are part of the US-based tech giant’s broader efforts to address privacy concerns by limiting the storage of sensitive data on its servers. While this move enhances data security, users are encouraged to take proactive steps to back up important information, explore privacy features like incognito mode, and consider additional tools such as VPNs to protect their online activity.
Vietnam’s new internet law, known as ‘Decree 147,’ came into effect Wednesday, requiring platforms like Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and share data with authorities upon request. Critics view the move as a crackdown on freedom of expression, with activists warning it will stifle dissent and blur the lines between legal and illegal online activity. Under the rules, tech companies must store verified information alongside users’ names and dates of birth and remove government-designated “illegal” content within 24 hours.
The decree also impacts the booming social commerce sector by allowing only verified accounts to livestream. Additionally, it imposes restrictions on gaming for minors, limiting sessions to one hour and a maximum of 180 minutes daily. Vietnam, with over 65 million Facebook users and a growing gaming population, may see significant disruptions in online behaviour and businesses.
Critics liken the law to China’s tight internet controls. Activists and content creators have expressed fear of persecution, citing recent examples like the 12-year prison sentence for a YouTuber critical of the government. Despite the sweeping measures, some local businesses and gamers remain sceptical about enforcement, suggesting a wait-and-see approach to the decree’s real-world impact.
Google has proposed a legal alternative to a United States Department of Justice recommendation to dismantle its Chrome browser. Instead, the company suggests barring itself from using app licensing agreements to secure default software positions.
The proposal follows a landmark ruling declaring Google a monopoly. The government seeks stronger measures, including a ban on exclusive deals ensuring Google’s dominance on smartphones and other devices.
Judge Amit Mehta’s decision on antitrust remedies is expected to influence the tech industry. Google plans to appeal any adverse ruling.
Apple has requested to participate in the US antitrust trial against Google, arguing it cannot trust Google to safeguard their shared revenue agreements. These agreements make Google the default search engine on Apple’s Safari browser, generating an estimated $20 billion for Apple in 2022. Despite this lucrative partnership, Apple confirmed it has no plans to develop its search engine, regardless of the trial’s outcome.
The Department of Justice’s case against Google is a pivotal effort to curb the tech giant’s dominance in online search. Prosecutors allege that Google’s practices stifle competition and may push for drastic measures such as divesting its Chrome browser or Android operating system. Apple, aiming to protect its financial interests, plans to present witnesses in the April trial.
While Google has proposed easing its default agreements with browser developers and device manufacturers, it has resisted ending its ad revenue-sharing deals. Apple criticised Google’s ability to represent its interests as the trial escalated into a broader challenge to Google’s business model. A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the case.
Google contractors improving the Gemini AI model have been tasked with comparing its responses against those of Anthropic’s Claude, according to internal documents reviewed by TechCrunch. The evaluation process involves scoring responses on criteria such as truthfulness and verbosity, with contractors given up to 30 minutes per prompt to determine which model performs better. Notably, some outputs identify themselves as Claude, sparking questions about Google’s use of its competitor’s model.
Claude’s responses, known for emphasising safety, have sometimes refused to answer prompts deemed unsafe, unlike Gemini, which has faced criticism for safety violations. One such instance involved Gemini generating responses flagged for inappropriate content. Despite Google’s significant investment in Anthropic, Claude’s terms of service prohibit its use to train or build competing AI models without prior approval.
A spokesperson for Google DeepMind stated that while the company compares model outputs for evaluation purposes, it does not train Gemini using Anthropic models. Anthropic, however, declined to comment on whether Google had obtained permission to use Claude for these tests. Recent revelations also highlight contractor concerns over Gemini producing potentially inaccurate information on sensitive topics, including healthcare.
