In a new blog post titled The Gentle Singularity, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicted that AI systems capable of producing ‘novel insights’ may arrive as early as 2026.
While Altman’s essay blends optimism with caution, it subtly signals the company’s next central ambition — creating AI that goes beyond repeating existing knowledge and begins generating original ideas instead of mimicking human reasoning.
Altman’s comments echo a broader industry trend. Researchers are already using OpenAI’s recent o3 and o4-mini models to generate new hypotheses. Competitors like Google, Anthropic and FutureHouse are also shifting their focus towards scientific discovery.
Google’s AlphaEvolve has reportedly devised novel solutions to complex maths problems, while FutureHouse claims to have built AI capable of genuine scientific breakthroughs.
Despite the optimism, experts remain sceptical. Critics argue that AI still struggles to ask meaningful questions, a key ingredient for genuine insight.
Former OpenAI researcher Kenneth Stanley, now leading Lila Sciences, says generating creative hypotheses is a more formidable challenge than agentic behaviour. Whether OpenAI achieves the leap remains uncertain, but Altman’s essay may hint at the company’s next bold step.
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A recent study by Apple researchers exposed significant limitations in the capabilities of advanced AI systems and huge reasoning models (LRMs).
Apple’s team suggested this may point to a fundamental limit in how current AI models scale up to general reasoning.
These models, designed to solve complex problems through step-by-step thinking, experienced what the paper called a ‘complete accuracy collapse’ when faced with high-complexity tasks. Even when given an algorithm that should have ensured success, the models failed to deliver correct solutions.
The study found that LRMs performed well with low- and medium-difficulty tasks but deteriorated sharply as the complexity increased.
Rather than increasing their effort as problems became harder, the models reduced their reasoning paradoxically, leading to complete failure.
Experts, including AI researcher Gary Marcus and University of Surrey’s Andrew Rogoyski in the UK, called the findings alarming and indicative of a potential dead end in current AI development.
The study tested systems from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and DeepSeek, raising serious questions about how close the industry is to achieving AGI.
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According to new government guidance, teachers in England are now officially encouraged to use AI to reduce administrative tasks. The Department for Education has released training materials that support the use of AI for low-stakes marking and routine parent communication.
The guidance allows AI-generated letters, such as those informing parents about minor issues like head lice outbreaks, and suggests using the technology for quizzes or homework marking.
While the move aims to cut workloads and improve classroom focus, schools are also advised to implement clear policies on appropriate use and ensure manual checks remain in place.
Experts have welcomed the guidance as a step forward but noted concerns about data privacy, budget constraints, and potential misuse.
The guidance comes as UK nations explore AI in education, with Northern Ireland commissioning a study on its impact and Scotland and Wales also advocating its responsible use.
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OpenAI has revealed that its annualised revenue has surged to $10 billion as of June 2025, nearly doubling since December 2024, when it stood at $5.5 billion.
The rapid growth is driven by the widespread adoption of its ChatGPT AI models across consumer and business markets, putting the company on course to meet its earlier goal of $12.7 billion in revenue for the whole year.
The $10 billion figure excludes licensing income from Microsoft, a major investor, and some large one-off contracts, according to an OpenAI spokesperson. Despite recording a loss of about $5 billion last year, OpenAI’s impressive revenue scale places it well ahead of many rivals benefiting from the AI boom.
Other players in the AI space are also seeing strong growth. For instance, Anthropic recently surpassed $3 billion in annualised revenue, driven by startup demand using its code-generation models. Meanwhile, OpenAI plans to raise up to $40 billion in new funding, valuing the company at $300 billion.
Since launching ChatGPT over two years ago, OpenAI has expanded its offerings with various subscription plans and services. The company reported 500 million weekly active users as of March 2025, underscoring its dominant position in the AI market.
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TikTok has announced plans to expand its UK operations significantly, adding over 500 new jobs and investing in a significant new office in London.
Despite ongoing scrutiny from Western governments over data security and alleged ties to the Chinese state, TikTok insists it invests heavily in trust and safety.
The company already employs 2,500 people in the country and will bring its UK workforce to 3,000 by the end of 2025.
The announcement coincides with London Tech Week, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed major global tech firms to showcase innovation and economic commitment.
TikTok’s UK director, Adam Presser, described the country as the platform’s largest user community in Europe, with over 30 million monthly users.
He emphasised that the company’s growth strategy includes commitments to digital safety and economic support for local creators and entrepreneurs.
Company leaders have reiterated that they aim to create a secure space while supporting the broader economy through innovation and job creation.
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XRobotics, a San Francisco-based startup, is gaining traction in the food tech sector with its compact pizza-making robot, the xPizza Cube. Roughly the size of a washing machine, the machine uses AI to apply sauce, cheese and toppings, producing up to 100 pizzas per hour.
At $1,300 monthly on a three-year lease, it’s designed to fit seamlessly into existing kitchens and support, not replace, staff. Unlike failed predecessors such as Zume, XRobotics has found success by offering assistive rather than disruptive technology.
Their initial, larger model proved impractical, but the current compact version, launched in 2023, now produces 25,000 pizzas each month across an undisclosed number of customer locations. Both small pizzerias and large chains use the robot to cut labour time and improve consistency.
With over 73,000 pizza outlets in the US, XRobotics plans to stay focused on pizza for now. Its founders, self-professed pizza lovers, say customer response has confirmed that a well-targeted tool can significantly impact even the most traditional kitchens.
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As millions of high school students across China began the rigorous ‘gaokao’ college entrance exam, the country’s leading tech companies took unprecedented action by disabling AI features on their popular platforms.
Apps from Tencent, ByteDance, and Moonshot AI temporarily blocked functionalities like photo recognition and real-time question answering. This move aimed to prevent students from using AI chatbots to cheat during the critical national examination, which largely dictates university admissions in China.
This year, approximately 13.4 million students are participating in the ‘gaokao,’ a multi-day test that serves as a pivotal determinant for social mobility, particularly for those from rural or lower-income backgrounds.
The immense pressure associated with the exam has historically fueled intense test preparation. However, screenshots circulating on Chinese social media app Rednote confirmed that AI chatbots like Tencent’s YuanBao, ByteDance’s Doubao, and Moonshot AI’s Kimi displayed messages indicating the temporary closure of exam-relevant features to ensure fairness.
China’s ‘gaokao’ exam highlights a balanced approach to AI: promoting its education from a young age, with compulsory instruction in Beijing schools this autumn, while firmly asserting it’s for learning, not cheating. Regulators draw a clear line, reinforcing that AI aids development, but never compromises academic integrity.
This coordinated action by major tech firms reinforces the message that AI has no place in the examination hall, despite China’s broader push to cultivate an AI-literate generation.
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Apple has unveiled a range of AI features at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, focusing on tighter privacy, enhanced user tools and broader integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. These updates will appear across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and visionOS 26, set to launch in autumn.
While Apple Intelligence was first teased last year, the company now allows third-party developers to access its on-device AI models for the first time.
CEO Tim Cook and software chief Craig Federighi outlined how these features are intended to offer more personalised, efficient apps. Users of newer iPhones will benefit from tools such as live translation in Messages and FaceTime, and AI-powered image analysis via Visual Intelligence.
Apple also enables users to blend emojis creatively and use ChatGPT through its Image Playground to stylise photos. Enhancements to the Wallet app will help summarise order tracking from emails, and AI-generated voices will offer fitness updates.
Despite these innovations, Apple’s redesign of Siri remains incomplete and is not expected to launch soon.
The event failed to deliver major surprises, as many details had already been leaked. Investors responded cautiously, sending Apple shares down by 1.2%. The firm has lost 20% of its value in the year and no longer holds the top spot as the world’s most valuable company.
Nonetheless, Apple is expected to reveal more AI advancements in 2026.
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Amazon has announced a massive $20 billion investment to build two new AI-focused data centres in Pennsylvania. The exact locations are yet to be finalised, but Salem Township and Falls Township are currently leading candidates.
The move signals Amazon’s ongoing commitment to expanding its AI infrastructure amid an increasingly competitive technology race.
Alongside the data centres, Amazon has pledged to support education and workforce development across the state. Collaborations with local institutions will bring programmes for data centre technicians, fibre optic workshops and STEM learning initiatives aimed at school-aged children.
These efforts are intended to prepare the future workforce for careers in AI and cloud computing infrastructure.
The investment is part of Amazon’s broader strategy to establish the US as a global AI leader. The company highlighted that its advanced computing infrastructure and AI hardware are designed to power the next generation of generative and agentic AI, defining digital innovation’s future.
Meanwhile, Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft are also scaling AI operations, and crypto mining firms like Riot Platforms and Hive Digital are shifting part of their infrastructure towards high-performance computing for AI, reflecting a wider industry transformation.
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Plans for a vast AI data hub in the UAE have raised security concerns in Washington due to the country’s close ties with China.
The $100 billion Stargate UAE campus, aims to deploy advanced US chips, but US officials are scrutinising potential technology leakage risks.
Although the Trump administration supports the project, bipartisan fears remain about whether the UAE can safeguard US-developed AI and chips from foreign adversaries.
A final agreement has not been reached as both sides negotiate export conditions, with possible restrictions on Nvidia’s hardware.
The initial phase of the Stargate project will activate 200 megawatts of capacity by 2026, but the deal’s future may depend on the UAE’s willingness to accept strict US oversight.
Talks over potential amendments continue, delaying approval of what could become a $500 billion venture.
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