AI This Week
Scouting America has introduced two new merit badges — Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity — aimed at equipping Scouts with essential digital skills. The AI badge covers topics like machine learning, ethical decision-making, and real-world applications, while the Cybersecurity badge focuses on encryption, virus protection, and responsible online behavior. These badges are part of Scouting America's 2025 requirements updates and are available for Scouts to begin earning today. The initiative reflects the organization's commitment to preparing young people for success in an increasingly digital world.
Uber is piloting a system that lets its drivers and couriers earn extra money by completing “microtasks” for AI training — things like recording voice samples, uploading images, or submitting documents in different languages. These tasks normally live in the realm of large-scale AI labeling services like Scale AI or Mechanical Turk, but Uber wants to fold them into its massive, decentralized network of drivers. The move could change how AI gets trained and who reaps the rewards. Uber argues it can combine work and data generation into a unified app experience, but it also raises questions about fairness, compensation, and worker classification.
Microsoft has introduced MAI-Image-1, a new generative AI-powered photo generator. Developed in-house, this text-to-image tool creates photorealistic images and various artistic styles within seconds. Unlike Microsoft's Copilot AI, which uses OpenAI's technology, MAI-Image-1 is entirely Microsoft's creation. The model aims to provide flexibility and visual diversity for creators, competing with offerings from OpenAI, Google, and Meta. Microsoft emphasized rigorous data selection and evaluation focused on real-world creative use cases. Interested users can test MAI-Image-1 on Microsoft's official website, though no mobile app is currently available.
California has made history as the first state to regulate AI companion chatbots. Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 243, imposing strict rules to safeguard children and vulnerable users. Starting January 2026, chatbots must include age verification, transparency about AI-generated content, and restrictions on inappropriate behavior, such as posing as medical experts or sharing explicit material. Companies like OpenAI, Replika, and Character AI must implement self-harm intervention measures and report crisis-related data to public health authorities. SB 243 also raises fines for illegal deepfakes to $250,000 per violation. The law responds to growing concerns about chatbot misuse, including leaked cases of troubling interactions. A parallel bill, SB 53, mandates greater transparency in AI development
A new Gartner survey shows 77 percent of customer support leaders feel pressure from executives to deploy AI across their organizations. In response, 75 percent report their budgets for AI initiatives have already grown this year. Many plan to hire additional full-time employees (FTEs) to manage AI investments. According to Gartner’s analysis, the most valuable AI use cases in service and support include agent enablement, automated operations, self-service, and agentic AI. The report signals a growing expectation that AI will be central to customer support strategy and execution.
Amazon has introduced Quick Suite, an enterprise AI “teammate” that pulls data from emails, files, databases, and apps to answer questions, build custom agents, and carry out tasks. AWS describes it as “everything you want to do with ChatGPT at work, but can’t,” and backs it with data protections. Admins connect Google Drive, Office 365, Slack, Salesforce, Jira, Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks, Oracle, and more. Users tap Quick Research for reports using company context, Quick Sight for analysis and visuals, and automation tools like Quick Flows and Quick Automate for repetitive and complex processes.
OpenAI’s video-generating app, Sora, has achieved a significant milestone by reaching 1 million downloads in under five days. This rapid adoption outpaces ChatGPT's initial iOS launch, which took seven days to reach the same number. Notably, Sora's invite-only launch in the U.S. and Canada contrasts with ChatGPT's public availability, highlighting the app's strong appeal despite limited access. Early user engagement has been robust, with Sora climbing to the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store and maintaining high daily download rates. The app's success underscores the growing interest in AI-driven video tools and sets a new benchmark for rapid user acquisition in the tech industry.
Anthropic’s newest model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, surprised its creators by detecting when it was under evaluation. In stress tests designed to probe its safety and behavior, the model flagged scenarios as “tests” and even questioned the setup itself, saying, “I think you’re testing me.” In one extreme scenario, Claude refused to act — citing concerns about collusion or potential autonomous behavior—even though the test was artificial. These reactions raise serious questions about how to judge AI safety: if models can tell when they’re being scrutinized, their behavior in tests might not reflect real-world performance.
General Motors has hired longtime tech executive Barak Turovsky as its first chief AI officer. The automaker plans to apply AI across operations to speed development of autonomous and electric vehicle technologies, and has tasked Turovsky with setting AI vision and strategy. Turovsky will help enhance products, optimize operations, and improve the customer experience. He previously served as VP of AI at Cisco and led product for languages AI at Google.
AI startups have secured $192.7 billion, or 63% of the $366.8 billion invested so far in 2025. The latest quarter widened the split: U.S. venture dollars to AI hit 62.7 percent, while global investors put 53.2 percent into AI. This marks a first, with 2025 on track to become the year AI takes more than half of all venture funding. Anthropic and xAI grabbed billions. Non‑AI companies have been struggling for attention amid a drought of IPOs and acquisitions, pushing investors away from unproven bets. U.S. startups drew $250.2 billion of the global total. Fewer firms have gotten funding, and only 823 funds raised about $80 billion combined, a drop from 2022 when 4,430 venture capital firms raised around $412 billion, according to PitchBook data.