Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has said generative AI is used to boost creativity, not just reduce production costs. A key example was seen in the Argentine series El Eternauta, where AI helped complete complex visual effects far quicker than traditional methods.
The streaming giant’s production team used AI to render a building collapse scene in Buenos Aires, completing the sequence ten times faster and more economically. Sarandos described the outcome as proof that AI supports real creators with better tools.
Netflix also applies generative AI in areas beyond filmmaking, including personalisation, search, and its advertising ecosystem. As part of these innovations, interactive adverts are expected to launch later in 2025.
During the second quarter, Netflix reported $11.1 billion in revenue and $3.1 billion in profit. Users streamed over 95 billion hours of content in the year’s first half, marking a slight rise from 2024.
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A GIS Reports analysis emphasises that as AI systems become pervasive, they create significant global challenges, including surveillance risks, algorithmic bias, cyber vulnerabilities, and environmental pressures.
Unlike legacy regulatory regimes, AI technology blurs the lines among privacy, labour, environmental, security, and human rights domains, demanding a uniquely coordinated governance approach.
The report highlights that leading AI research and infrastructure remain concentrated in advanced economies: over half of general‑purpose AI models originated in the US, exacerbating global inequalities.
Meanwhile, facial recognition or deepfake generators threaten civic trust, amplify disinformation, and even provoke geopolitical incidents if weaponised in defence systems.
The analysis calls for urgent public‑private cooperation and a new regulatory paradigm to address these systemic issues.
Recommendations include forming international expert bodies akin to the IPCC, and creating cohesive governance that bridges labour rights, environmental accountability, and ethical AI frameworks.
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Utilities nationwide are struggling to keep up, expanding infrastructure and revising rate structures to accommodate an influx of power-hungry facilities.
Regions like Northern Virginia have become focal points, where dense data centre clusters consume tens of megawatts each and create years-long delays for new connections.
In response, tech firms and utilities are considering a mix of solutions, including on-site natural gas generation, investments in small nuclear reactors, and greater reliance on renewable sources.
At the federal level, streamlined permitting and executive actions are used to fast-track grid and plant development.
‘The scale of AI’s power appetite is unprecedented,’ said Dr Elena Martinez, senior grid strategist at the Centre for Energy Innovation. ‘Utilities must pivot now, combining smart-grid tech, diverse energy sources and regulatory agility to avoid systemic bottlenecks.’
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Recent debates on AI’s environmental impact have overwhelmingly focused on energy use, particularly in powering massive data centres and training large language models.
However, a Forbes analysis by Saleem H. Ali warns that the material inputs for AI, such as phosphorus, copper, lithium, rare earths, and uranium, are being neglected, despite presenting similarly severe constraints to scaling and sustainability.
While major companies like Google and Blackstone invest heavily in data centre construction and hydroelectric power in places like Pennsylvania, these energy-focused solutions do not address looming material bottlenecks.
Many raw minerals essential for AI hardware are finite, regionally concentrated, and environmentally taxing to extract. However, this raises risks ranging from supply chain fragility to ecological damage and geopolitical tension.
Experts now say that sustainable AI development demands a dual focus, not only on low-carbon energy, but on keeping critical mineral supply chains resilient.
Without a coordinated approach, AI growth may stall or drive unsustainable resource extraction with long-term global consequences.
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A video featuring ChatGPT Live has gone viral after it correctly guessed an object hidden in a user’s hand using only a series of questions.
The clip, shared on the social media platform X, shows the chatbot narrowing down its guesses until it lands on the correct answer — a pen — within less than a minute. The video has fascinated viewers by showing how far generative AI has come since its initial launch.
Multimodal AI like ChatGPT can now process audio, video and text together, making interactions more intuitive and lifelike.
Another user attempted the same challenge with Gemini AI by holding an AC remote. Gemini described it as a ‘control panel for controlling temperature’, which was close but not entirely accurate.
The fun experiment also highlights the growing real-world utility of generative AI. During Google’s I/O conference during the year, the company demonstrated how Gemini Live can help users troubleshoot and repair appliances at home by understanding both spoken instructions and visual input.
Beyond casual use, these AI tools are proving helpful in serious scenarios. A UPSC aspirant recently explained how uploading her Detailed Application Form to a chatbot allowed it to generate practice questions.
She used those prompts to prepare for her interview and credited the AI with helping her boost her confidence.
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A Scottish research team has developed a pioneering AI-powered tool that could transform how skin cancer is diagnosed in some of the world’s most isolated regions.
The device, created by PhD student Tess Watt at Heriot-Watt University, enables rapid diagnosis without needing internet access or direct contact with a dermatologist.
Patients use a compact camera connected to a Raspberry Pi computer to photograph suspicious skin lesions.
The system then compares the image against thousands of preloaded examples using advanced image recognition and delivers a diagnosis in real time. These results are then shared with local GP services, allowing treatment to begin without delay.
The self-contained diagnostic system is among the first designed specifically for remote medical use. Watt said that home-based healthcare is vital, especially with growing delays in GP appointments.
The device, currently 85 per cent accurate, is expected to improve further with access to more image datasets and machine learning enhancements.
The team plans to trial the tool in real-world settings after securing NHS ethical approval. The initial rollout is aimed at rural Scottish communities, but the technology could benefit global populations with poor access to dermatological care.
Heriot-Watt researchers also believe the device will aid patients who are infirm or housebound, making early diagnosis more accessible than ever.
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Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas believes that the company’s new AI-powered browser, Comet, could soon replace two key white-collar roles in most offices: recruiters and executive assistants.
Speaking on The Verge podcast, Srinivas explained that with the integration of more advanced reasoning models like GPT-5 or Claude 4.5, Comet will be able to handle tasks traditionally assigned to these positions.
He also described how a recruiter’s week-long workload could be reduced to a single AI prompt.
From sourcing candidates to scheduling interviews, tracking responses in Google Sheets, syncing calendars, and even briefing users ahead of meetings, Comet is built to manage the entire process—often without any follow-up input.
The tool remains in an invite-only phase and is currently available to premium users.
Srinivas also framed Comet as the early foundation of a broader AI operating system for knowledge workers, enabling users to issue natural language commands for complex tasks.
He emphasised the importance of adopting AI early, warning that those who fail to keep pace with the technology’s rapid growth—where breakthroughs arrive every few months—risk being left behind in the job market.
In a separate discussion, he urged younger generations to reduce time spent scrolling on Instagram and instead focus on mastering AI tools. According to him, the shift is inevitable, and those who embrace it now will hold a long-term professional advantage.
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Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to build a network of massive data centres focused on superintelligent AI. The initiative forms part of Meta’s wider push to lead the race in developing machines capable of outperforming humans in complex tasks.
The first of these centres, called Prometheus, is set to launch in 2026. Another facility, Hyperion, is expected to scale up to 5 gigawatts. Zuckerberg said the company is building several more AI ‘titan clusters’, each one covering an area comparable to a significant part of Manhattan.
He also cited Meta’s strong advertising revenue as the reason it can afford such bold spending despite investor concerns.
Meta recently regrouped its AI projects under a new division, Superintelligence Labs, following internal setbacks and high-profile staff departures.
The company hopes the division will generate fresh revenue streams through Meta AI tools, video ad generators, and wearable smart devices. It is reportedly considering dropping its most powerful open-source model, Behemoth, in favour of a closed alternative.
The firm has increased its 2025 capital expenditure to up to $72 billion and is actively hiring top talent, including former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang and ex-GitHub chief Nat Friedman.
Analysts say Meta’s AI investments are paying off in advertising but warn that the real return on long-term AI dominance will take time to emerge.
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Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has launched a new feature that allows users to filter out AI-generated images from search results.
Although the company admits the tool is not perfect and may miss some content, it claims it will significantly reduce the number of synthetic images users encounter.
The new filter uses open-source blocklists, including a more aggressive ‘nuclear’ option, sourced from tools like uBlock Origin and uBlacklist.
Users can access the setting via the Images tab after performing a search or use a dedicated link — noai.duckduckgo.com — which keeps the filter always on and also disables AI summaries and the browser’s chatbot.
The update responds to growing frustration among internet users. Platforms like X and Reddit have seen complaints about AI content flooding search results.
In one example, users searching for ‘baby peacock’ reported seeing just as many or more AI images than real ones, making it harder to distinguish between fake and authentic content.
DuckDuckGo isn’t alone in trying to tackle unwanted AI material. In 2024, Hiya launched a Chrome extension aimed at spotting deepfake audio across major platforms.
Microsoft’s Bing has also partnered with groups like StopNCII to remove explicit synthetic media from its results, showing that the fight against AI content saturation is becoming a broader industry trend.
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AI is poised to disrupt the job market, with routine roles such as data entry clerks, telemarketers, customer service agents, cashiers, proofreaders, legal assistants, bookkeepers, front-desk staff, warehouse operatives, and entry-level market researchers most at risk.
Workers in these roles are encouraged to reskill strategically, as automation and shifting market demands reshape the employment landscape.
Promising transition options include data analytics, digital marketing, technical support, logistics technology, financial advising, retail management, culinary operations, and business intelligence — careers that harness creativity, empathy, and critical thinking.
This risk also presents an opportunity. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has launched a S$200 million fund to retrain aviation professionals as AI reshapes the industry, a model that other sectors can follow.
Research indicates that AI predominantly complements tasks rather than replaces them entirely. Roles demanding human-centred reasoning, teamwork and digital literacy are growing, emphasising the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability.
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