ChatGPT’s mobile app has surpassed $2 billion in worldwide consumer spending since its launch in May 2023, according to Appfigures. Revenue from January to July 2025 alone reached $1.35 billion, a 673% increase from the same period in 2024.
The app has also dominated downloads, with an estimated 690 million lifetime installs, including 318 million added in 2025. India leads in total downloads at 13.7%, followed by the US, which accounts for 38% of revenue.
Competitors such as Grok, Claude, and Copilot remain far behind, with Grok generating just $25.6 million in 2025.
Consumer spending per download reinforces ChatGPT’s lead, averaging $2.91 globally and $10 in the US. The figures highlight OpenAI’s dominance in the mobile AI assistant market, despite ongoing criticism from X owner Elon Musk, who has alleged that the App Store suppresses competition.
Apple has rejected these claims.
The AI market continues to heat up as Microsoft integrates OpenAI’s GPT-5 into its Copilot offerings. Elon Musk has predicted intense competition, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has downplayed Musk’s criticism, emphasising innovation and collaboration as the sector expands.
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Parag Agrawal, the former Twitter chief executive removed after Elon Musk’s takeover in 2022, has re-entered the technology sector with a new venture.
His company, Parallel Web Systems, is developing AI tools designed to help AI agents gather and analyse information online without human input.
The company’s first product, Deep Research API, outperforms human researchers and advanced models such as OpenAI’s GPT-5 on specific benchmarks.
Agrawal revealed that the system already supports millions of tasks daily and is used by coding agents to locate documents and fix errors. Parallel has secured 30 million dollars in funding and employs around 25 staff.
Agrawal had been Twitter’s chief technology officer before succeeding Jack Dorsey as chief executive in late 2021. After leaving the company, he returned to academic research and coding instead of joining other struggling firms.
He has argued that the internet will eventually be dominated by AI agents rather than human users, predicting that individuals may soon rely on dozens of agents to act on their behalf.
His views echo predictions from Coinbase developers, who recently suggested that AI agents could become the most significant users of Ethereum.
They propose that autonomous systems can handle stablecoin transfers and e-commerce transactions, enabling services from self-driving taxis to AI-powered content platforms.
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The US government is reportedly considering acquiring a stake in Intel to support its domestic chip manufacturing plans. Talks began after Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan met with Trump administration officials on 11 August, following calls for his resignation over alleged China ties.
President Trump has pushed for greater control over the semiconductor sector and recently criticised Tan, prompting political pressure on Intel’s board.
While Intel declined to comment on a possible deal, it stated its commitment to supporting US technology and manufacturing leadership.
The proposed stake would aid Intel’s delayed Ohio chip factory project and expand its US production capacity.
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Zoom has patched a critical Windows vulnerability that could let attackers fully take control of devices without needing credentials. The flaw, CVE-2025-49457, stems from the app failing to use explicit paths when loading DLLs, allowing malicious files to be executed.
Attackers could exploit this to install malware or extract sensitive data such as recordings or user credentials, even pivoting deeper into networks. The issue affects several Zoom products, including Workplace, VDI, Rooms, and Meeting SDK, all before version 6.3.10.
Zoom urges users to update their app immediately, as the flaw requires no advanced skill and can be triggered with minimal access. However, this highlights the increasing cybersecurity concerns associated with the digital world.
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Enterprise employees are increasingly building their own AI tools, sparking a surge in shadow AI that raises security concerns.
Netskope reports a 50% rise in generative AI platform use, with over half of current adoption estimated to be unsanctioned by IT.
Platforms like Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, and Vertex AI lead this trend, allowing users to connect enterprise data to custom AI agents.
The growth of shadow AI has prompted calls for better oversight, real-time user training, and updated data loss prevention strategies.
On-premises deployment is also increasing, with 34% of firms using local LLM interfaces like Ollama and LM Studio. Security risks grow as AI agents retrieve data using API calls beyond browsers, particularly from OpenAI and Anthropic endpoints.
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Google has rolled out Flight Deals, a new AI‑powered tool for flexible, budget‑conscious travellers within Google Flights. It allows users to type natural‑language descriptions of their ideal trip, such as favourite activities or timeframe, and receive bargain flight suggestions in return.
Powered by Gemini, the feature parses conversational inputs and taps real‑time flight data from multiple airlines and agencies.
The tool identifies low fares and even proposes destinations users might not have considered, ranking options by percentage savings or lowest price.
Currently in beta, Flight Deals is available in the US, Canada, and India without special opt‑in. It is also accessible via the Google Flights menu.
Traditional Google Flights remains available, with a new option to exclude basic economy fares in the US and Canada.
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The cybersecurity market is consolidating as AI reshapes defence strategies. Platform-based solutions replace point tools to cut complexity, counter AI threats, and ease skill shortages. IDC predicts that security spending will rise 12% in 2025 to $377 billion by 2028.
Vendors embed AI agents, automation, and analytics into unified platforms. Palo Alto Networks’ Cortex XSIAM reached $1 billion in bookings, and its $25 billion CyberArk acquisition expands into identity management. Microsoft blends Azure, OpenAI, and Security Copilot to safeguard workloads and data.
Cisco integrates AI across networking, security, and observability, bolstered by its acquisition of Splunk. CrowdStrike rebounds from its 2024 outage with Charlotte AI, while Cloudflare shifts its focus from delivery to AI-powered threat prediction and optimisation.
Fortinet’s platform spans networking and security, strengthened by Suridata’s SaaS posture tools. Zscaler boosts its Zero Trust Exchange with Red Canary’s MDR tech. Broadcom merges Symantec and Carbon Black, while Check Point pushes its AI-driven Infinity Platform.
Identity stays central, with Okta leading access management and teaming with Palo Alto on integrated defences. The companies aim to platformise, integrate AI, and automate their operations to dominate an increasingly complex cyberthreat landscape.
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Google has released Gemma 3 270M, an open-source AI model with 270 million parameters designed to run efficiently on smartphones and Internet of Things devices.
Drawing on technology from the larger Gemini family, it focuses on portability, low energy use and quick fine-tuning, enabling developers to create AI tools that work on everyday hardware instead of relying on high-end servers.
The model supports instruction-following and text structuring with a 256,000-token vocabulary, offering scope for natural language processing and on-device personalisation.
Its design includes quantisation-aware training to work in low-precision formats such as INT4, reducing memory use and improving speed on mobile processors instead of requiring extensive computational power.
Industry commentators note that the model could help meet demand for efficient AI in edge computing, with applications in healthcare wearables and autonomous IoT systems. Keeping processing on-device also supports privacy and reduces dependence on cloud infrastructure.
Google highlights the environmental benefits of the model, pointing to reduced carbon impact and greater accessibility for smaller firms and independent developers. While safeguards like ShieldGemma aim to limit risks, experts say careful use will still be needed to avoid misuse.
Future developments may bring new features, including multimodal capabilities, as part of Google’s strategy to blend open and proprietary AI within hybrid systems.
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Meta has received reports from Instagram users stating their accounts were suspended for alleged violations relating to child sexual exploitation. The affected users say they did not post any such material and believe the suspensions were made in error.
Some individuals had their accounts restored following media intervention, while others experienced repeated suspensions. Users reported losing access to photos, personal messages, and business contacts due to the bans.
Meta’s policies on child sexual exploitation have been updated three times since December. The company stated that in July, it removed 635,000 accounts across Instagram and Facebook for sharing or attempting to share such material, and it applies its enforcement measures to protect children.
Meta has not confirmed whether recent policy updates are linked to the reported account suspensions.
A petition with over 36,000 signatures has been organised, requesting that Meta address the suspensions and review its moderation process.
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Researchers have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) that can decode ‘inner speech’ in patients with severe paralysis, potentially enabling faster and more comfortable communication.
The system, tested by a team led by Stanford University’s Frank Willett, records brain activity from the motor cortex using microelectrode arrays smaller than a baby aspirin, translating neural patterns into words via machine learning.
Unlike earlier BCIs that rely on attempted speech, which can be slow or tiring, the new approach focuses on silent imagined speech. Tests with four participants showed that inner speech produces clear, consistent brain signals, though at a smaller scale than attempted speech.
While accuracy is lower, the findings suggest that future systems could restore rapid communication through thought alone.
Privacy concerns have been addressed through methods that prevent unintended decoding. Current BCIs can be trained to ignore inner speech, and a ‘password’ approach for next-generation devices ensures decoding begins only when a specific imagined phrase is used.
Such safeguards are designed to avoid accidental capture of thoughts the user never intended to express.
The technology remains in early development and is subject to strict regulation.
Researchers are now exploring improved, wireless hardware and additional brain regions linked to language and hearing, aiming to enhance decoding accuracy and make the systems more practical in everyday life.
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