The US tech company OpenAI has rolled out a significant update to ChatGPT with the launch of GPT Images 1.5, strengthening its generative image capabilities.
A new model that produces photorealistic images using text prompts at speeds up to four times faster than earlier versions, reflecting OpenAI’s push to make visual generation more practical for everyday use.
Users can upload existing photos and modify them through natural language instructions, allowing objects to be added, removed, combined or blended with minimal effort.
OpenAI highlights applications such as clothing and hairstyle try-ons, alongside stylistic filters designed to support creative experimentation while preserving realistic visual quality.
The update also introduces a redesigned ChatGPT interface, including a dedicated Images section available via the sidebar on both mobile apps and the web.
GPT Images 1.5 is now accessible to regular users, while Business and Enterprise subscribers are expected to receive enhanced access and additional features in the coming weeks.
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Researchers found that some large language models can analyse language like a human linguistics graduate. The models diagram sentences, resolve ambiguities and process recursive structures, showing advanced metalinguistic abilities.
The study used specially crafted sentences and invented mini-languages to prevent memorisation. OpenAI’s o1 model correctly applied complex syntactic and phonological rules for entirely new languages.
Experts say the results challenge long-held assumptions about human uniqueness in language. The models have yet to produce original insights, but their reasoning skills match graduate-level performance.
Findings suggest AI may eventually surpass humans in linguistic analysis. Researchers believe continued progress will enable models to generalise better, learn from less data, and handle language creatively.
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Leading AI researcher Yann LeCun has argued that large language models only simulate understanding rather than genuinely comprehending the world. Their intelligence, he said, lacks grounding in physical reality and everyday common sense.
Despite being trained on vast amounts of online text, LLMs struggle with unfamiliar situations, according to LeCun. Real-world experience, he noted, provides richer learning than language alone ever could.
Drawing on decades in AI research, LeCun warned that enthusiasm around LLMs mirrors earlier hype cycles that promised human-level intelligence. Similar claims have repeatedly failed to deliver since the 1950s.
Instead of further scaling language models, LeCun urged greater investment in ‘world models’ that can reason about actions and consequences. He also cautioned that current funding patterns risk sidelining alternative approaches to AI.
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AI is entering a new phase, with 2026 expected to mark a shift from experimentation to real-world collaboration. Microsoft executives describe AI as an emerging partner that amplifies human expertise rather than replacing it.
Microsoft says the impact is becoming visible across healthcare, software development, and scientific research. AI tools embedded in Microsoft products are supporting diagnosis, coding, and research workflows.
With the expansion of AI agents across all platforms, organisations are strengthening safeguards to manage new risks. Security leaders argue agents will require clear identities, restricted access, and continuous monitoring.
Microsoft also points to changes in the infrastructure powering AI. The company says future systems will prioritise efficiency and intelligence output, supported by distributed and hybrid cloud architectures.
Looking further ahead, the convergence of AI, supercomputing, and quantum technologies stands out as the main highlight. Hybrid approaches, the company says, are bringing practical quantum advantage closer for applications in materials science, medicine, and research.
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Cybersecurity researchers are urging greater caution as Christmas approaches, warning that seasonal scams are multiplying rapidly. Check Point has recorded over 33,500 festive phishing emails and more than 10,000 deceptive social ads within two weeks.
AI tools are helping criminals craft convincing messages that mirror trusted brands and local languages. Attackers are also deploying fake e-commerce sites with AI chatbots, as well as deepfake audio and scripted calls to strengthen vishing attempts.
Smishing alerts imitating delivery firms are becoming more widespread, with recent months showing a marked rise in fraudulent parcel scams. Victims are often tricked into sharing payment details through links that imitate genuine logistics updates.
Experts say fake shops and giveaway scams remain persistent risks, frequently launched from accounts created within the past three months. Users are being advised to ignore unsolicited links, verify retailers and treat unexpected offers with scepticism.
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Google has released a new AI playbook aimed at helping organisations streamline and improve sustainability reporting, sharing lessons learned from integrating AI into its own environmental disclosure processes.
In a blog post published on The Keyword, Google states that corporate sustainability reporting is often hindered by fragmented data and labour-intensive workflows. After two years of using AI internally, the company is now open-sourcing its approach to help others reduce reporting burdens.
The AI Playbook for Sustainability Reporting is presented as a practical, implementation-focused toolkit. It includes a structured framework for auditing reporting processes, along with ready-made prompt templates for common sustainability reporting tasks.
Google also highlights real-world examples that demonstrate how tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM can be used to validate sustainability claims, respond to information requests, and support internal review, moving AI use beyond experimentation.
The company says the playbook is intended to support transparency and strategic decision-making, and has invited organisations and practitioners to explore the resource and provide feedback.
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NVIDIA has announced the acquisition of SchedMD, the developer of Slurm, a widely used open-source workload manager for high-performance computing and AI environments.
The company stated that Slurm will continue to be developed and distributed as open-source, vendor-neutral software, with support maintained across a broad range of hardware and software platforms used by the HPC and AI communities.
Slurm plays a central role in managing complex workloads on large computing clusters, handling job scheduling, queuing, and resource allocation. It is used by more than half of the top 10 and top 100 systems on the TOP500 supercomputer list, reflecting its widespread adoption and significant impact.
NVIDIA stated that the software is also critical infrastructure for generative AI, helping developers manage large-scale model training and inference. The company has collaborated with SchedMD for over a decade and plans to increase investment in Slurm’s ongoing development.
SchedMD said the deal will enable Slurm to evolve in tandem with accelerated computing demands while remaining open source. NVIDIA said it will continue to provide support, training, and development to existing customers across various use cases, including research, industry, and public sectors.
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Visa has launched a Stablecoins Advisory Practice through its Visa Consulting & Analytics unit, reflecting rising institutional interest in stablecoin-based payment infrastructure. The service aims to help banks, fintech firms, merchants, and enterprises assess strategy, market fit and implementation.
The move comes as the global stablecoin market exceeds $250 billion in value and emerging reports of an annualised stablecoin settlement run rate of $3.5 billion as of late November. According to the company, demand is rising among financial institutions exploring faster and lower-cost payment rails.
Visa Consulting & Analytics will offer services ranging from market education and strategy development to use case sizing and technical integration. The programme draws on Visa’s network of consultants, data scientists and product specialists to support clients navigating regulatory and operational complexity.
Several financial institutions have already participated in early engagements, citing the need for clearer frameworks as stablecoins gain traction in cross-border payments and digital finance. The advisory practice reflects broader efforts to support responsible adoption alongside emerging standards.
Visa has previously piloted stablecoin settlement using USDC and now supports more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programmes across 40 countries. The company is also testing stablecoin-based pre-funding for international payouts.
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Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have created an AI tool called Variant to Phenotype (V2P) that can identify genetic mutations and predict the diseases they may cause, bolstering the field of genetic diagnostics.
The V2P method is designed to accelerate diagnosis and facilitate the discovery of new treatments for complex and rare diseases by comprehensively interpreting genomic data, surpassing the limitations of traditional techniques that often focus solely on mutation detection without predicting phenotypic effects.
This innovation could enhance clinical decision-making by linking specific genetic variants directly to disease risk, helping clinicians prioritise variants for further study and informing patients about likely outcomes sooner.
The findings were published online in Nature Communications, marking a notable advancement in how AI can support precision medicine and research for rare diseases.
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Libraries Connected, supported by a £310,400 grant from the UK Government’s Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund administered by the Department for Science, Industry and Technology (DSIT), is launching Innovating in Trusted Spaces: Libraries Advancing the Digital Inclusion Action Plan.
The programme will run from November 2025 to March 2026 across 121 library branches in Newcastle, Northumberland, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire, targeting older people, low-income families and individuals with disabilities to ensure they are not left behind amid rapid digital and AI-driven change.
Public libraries are already a leading provider of free internet access and basic digital skills support, offering tens of thousands of public computers and learning opportunities each year. However, only around 27 percent of UK adults currently feel confident in recognising AI-generated content online, underscoring the need for improved digital and media literacy.
The project will create and test a new digital inclusion guide for library staff, focusing on the benefits and risks of AI tools, misinformation and emerging technologies, as well as building a national network of practice for sharing insights.
Partners in the programme include Good Things Foundation and WSA Community, which will help co-design materials and evaluate the initiative’s impact to inform future digital inclusion efforts across communities.
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