AI This Week

OpenAI has deployed a new system within ChatGPT that actively predicts a user’s age. The company is shifting away from relying on self-reported birthdates and will now use behavioral analysis to identify minors. The model examines account age, typical activity times, and usage patterns to make its determination. Any account the system identifies as belonging to someone under 18 will automatically face new restrictions. These filters block the generation of content related to graphic violence, self-harm, and unhealthy dieting standards. OpenAI says the goal is to protect teens while allowing more freedom for verified adults. Adults misidentified as minors must verify their age with a government ID.

The AI hype that captivated Davos last year is over. Now, global leaders are confronting the difficult reality of making the technology work at scale. Conversations at the World Economic Forum focus on the practical challenges of implementation, with executives sharing strategies to move past pilot projects and achieve a return on investment. Experts stressed that successful large-scale adoption requires strong CEO leadership, clean data, and clear business goals.

OpenAI is making a major shift for its flagship AI product. ChatGPT will soon begin displaying advertisements alongside its answers for users in the United States. This move introduces a significant new revenue stream for the company. The ads, based on the context of a user’s conversation, will appear in tinted boxes either above or below the AI’s response. OpenAI confirmed that ads will not appear for sensitive topics like health or politics. The decision marks a change from CEO Sam Altman’s previous reluctance to use an ad-based model. The company is also launching a low-cost subscription tier called ChatGPT Go.

Alphabet just made history. The technology giant surpassed a $4 trillion market capitalization for the first time, cementing its position as the world’s second-most valuable company. The surge follows a period of investor doubt, now erased by powerful AI momentum. A key driver is a landmark deal with Apple, which will use Google’s Gemini AI as the foundation for its next generation of Siri. This partnership gives Alphabet an unmatched distribution advantage. Beyond AI, Alphabet’s Wing drone delivery service announced a major expansion with Walmart, planning to scale operations to an additional 150 stores. The valuation reflects strong confidence in Alphabet’s ability to monetize new technologies.

Google has launched a major update for its Gemini AI. A new beta feature, ‘Personal Intelligence,’ connects the chatbot to a user’s private data across Google’s services, including Gmail, Photos, and Search history. Now, users can ask Gemini to find specific vacation details buried in old emails or retrieve information from past online activity. The upgrade aims to make the AI a more capable personal assistant, giving it a distinct advantage over competitors by using Google’s extensive ecosystem of user information. This opt-in functionality is currently rolling out to select AI plan subscribers in the United States before a wider release.

Nvidia and Microsoft have thrown their weight behind a new AI drive to advance gene therapies. The effort applies large models to genetic design and analysis, with the goal of speeding discovery and cutting costly missteps. Tech teams plan to supply compute and tools, while biotech partners contribute data and lab validation. Supporters say this could sharpen target selection and improve predictions before trials. Skeptics warn about data bias, safety, and oversight. The move adds fuel to a race among cloud and chip providers to win global biopharma workloads as demand for training and inference surges. Researchers and drugmakers see tighter ties with Big Tech as development cycles compress.

Apple has struck a multi-year deal to use Google’s Gemini AI and cloud tech to build a more personalized Siri arriving this year. The companies say Gemini will support Apple Foundation Models and future Apple Intelligence features while core processing stays on devices and Private Cloud Compute. Apple has spent a year rebuilding Siri to take actions and understand personal context, but Apple delayed the rollout last March. It also tested a custom Gemini for “World Knowledge Answers” that searches the web and produces AI summaries. Google launched Gemini 3 in November, and it tops key benchmarks. Apple reshuffled leadership, with Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell replacing John Giannandrea after his departure. Apple continues talks with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity for integrations.

Meta announced a far-reaching plan to secure nuclear power for its data centers, aiming to meet the surging electricity demand from AI training and inference. The company intends to pursue long-term power deals and partnerships with nuclear operators, targeting firm, carbon-free supply that can scale. The plan seeks round-the-clock power for new and existing sites. It also spotlights the escalating energy race among tech giants and the strain AI could put on grids. The plan faces hurdles, including regulatory approvals, project timelines, and high upfront costs. If it proceeds, it could reshape how digital infrastructure draws power.

MiniMax Group, the second of China’s “AI tigers” to go public, has seen its shares skyrocket. The stock doubled in value during its first day of trading in Hong Kong. Investors enthusiastically pursued the startup, which develops popular consumer AI applications like the video tool Hailuo AI and the character interaction app Talkie. The company raised $620 million in its initial public offering to fund further research and development. MiniMax’s successful debut outshined that of Zhipu AI, the first AI tiger to list. The high investor demand highlights a strong appetite for consumer-facing AI technology. Analysts suggest MiniMax’s consumer focus presents higher growth opportunities compared to Zhipu's enterprise-oriented model.

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Health, a new feature in the US that analyzes personal medical records. The system can also review data from health apps like Apple Health and MyFitnessPal to provide users with personalized advice. OpenAI states the new feature is not for diagnosis or treatment. The company also claims health-related conversations will be stored separately and will not be used to train its AI models. Currently available to a small group of US users via a waitlist, the feature has not been introduced in the UK or Europe, which have stricter data protection rules