AI This Week

OpenAI is set to shake up the tech world with its upcoming release of an AI-powered web browser aimed directly at challenging Google Chrome's dominance. Built on Google’s open-source Chromium code, the browser promises to reimagine how users navigate the web by integrating AI agents capable of performing tasks like making reservations or filling out forms. With its vast ChatGPT user base, OpenAI is positioning the browser to capture critical user data — a foundation of Alphabet’s successful ad ecosystem. This development could intensify the competitive landscape, as rivals like Perplexity and Brave also introduce AI-augmented browsing tools.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that Grok AI will be available in Tesla vehicles "at the latest" next week. This news comes shortly after Musk's AI startup xAI launched Grok 4, their latest AI model. There's been recent controversy surrounding Grok's social media posts, which were removed after complaints about inappropriate content. The integration of Grok AI into Tesla vehicles marks a significant step in combining artificial intelligence with automotive technology.

The state of Pennsylvania is facing an escalating energy crisis driven by artificial intelligence and its growing demands for power. The state's governor threatens to leave the grid provider PJM Interconnection due to skyrocketing electricity prices. PJM faces challenges meeting demand from data centers and AI operations, with an 800% increase in capacity auction prices last year. The organization is fast-tracking new power projects, but many won't be operational until the 2030s. Consumer energy costs are projected to rise 20% this summer. PJM estimates needing an additional 32 gigawatts of power capacity by 2030 to meet growing demand.

A new report highlights how Google’s AI Overviews feature is driving a sharp increase in “zero clicks” for news-related searches, leaving publishers struggling. Since its launch in May 2024, the tool has contributed to a drop in traffic to news sites — a decrease from 2.3 billion visits in mid-2024 to 1.7 billion in May 2025, as per SimilarWeb data. AI summaries allow users to consume information directly, bypassing traditional sources. Google has faced criticism but argues its AI tools create new opportunities for content discovery. Meanwhile, referral traffic from ChatGPT has surged, offering a potential lifeline for some outlets. As the media industry faces layoffs and shifting referral patterns, questions remain about how publishers can adapt.

A new initiative is bringing artificial intelligence into classrooms across the United States. Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI are funding the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million project aimed at training educators on using AI technologies. The American Federation of Teachers is spearheading this effort, which will offer free virtual training to its 1.8 million members. The academy, set to launch this fall in Manhattan, plans to train 400,000 educators over five years.

Wimbledon faced major embarrassment during Sonay Kartal’s match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova when an official accidentally deactivated the AI line-judging system mid-game. The incident left critical calls unaddressed, forcing chair umpire Nico Helwerth to halt play. With the score tied and tensions high, players were left uncertain in what proved to be an embarrassing moment for tournament organizers. Former champion Pat Cash criticized the umpire’s inability to act, calling the situation “ridiculous.”

The All England Club admitted the mishap stemmed from human error and reviewed its processes afterward. This AI glitch comes amid rising player complaints about inaccuracies, raising concerns over its efficacy, especially on grass courts. Questions persist about Wimbledon’s reliance on technology without backup video review systems.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has raised a staggering $10 billion in combined debt and equity. Morgan Stanley confirmed that $5 billion came from secured notes and loans, while the other $5 billion resulted from strategic equity investments. These funds will drive the development of xAI's flagship Grok AI model and bolster infrastructure, including its Colossus supercomputer in Memphis—a facility with plans to amass 1 million GPUs. Positioned as a rival to OpenAI and Anthropic, xAI aims to disrupt the competitive AI landscape with its distinct "truth-seeking," controversial approach. Musk has integrated Grok with the X social media platform and continues scaling operations. The firm’s valuation, once at $80 billion, may evolve with this new funding.

A coalition of top cybersecurity agencies, including NSA, FBI, and CISA, has unveiled new guidance to combat emerging threats to AI systems. The guidance warns about risks like data poisoning, supply chain flaws, and data drift that could compromise AI systems. It urges organizations to implement security measures across all phases of the AI lifecycle—planning, data collection, model building, and operational monitoring. Key recommendations include verifying third-party datasets, using secure ingestion protocols, and auditing system behavior regularly. The guidance stresses preventing model poisoning and tracking data lineage for integrity. Organizations are encouraged to revise their incident response plans, audit ongoing projects, and build cross-functional teams. As AI models become integral to critical infrastructure, robust data security is essential.

Amazon recently unveiled two major advancements in its automation strategy. The retail giant has deployed its one millionth robot in a fulfillment center in Japan, marking a notable leap in robotic infrastructure. Alongside this achievement, the company introduced "DeepFleet," a generative AI model designed to enhance the efficiency of its robotic fleet by 10%. DeepFleet functions as an advanced traffic management system, optimizing robotic movements across fulfillment centers while leveraging AWS tools like Amazon SageMaker. The system continuously improves through AI-driven learning, with promises of greater logistical efficiency. Notably, this development aligns with Amazon’s broader push for generative AI, despite concerns over potential job impacts.

Microsoft AI has unveiled groundbreaking research that could reshape medical diagnostics. Through the Sequential Diagnosis Benchmark (SDBench), the company tested AI against 304 notoriously complex medical cases from the New England Journal of Medicine. The model-agnostic diagnostic tool, MAI Diagnostic Orchestrator (MAI-DxO), demonstrated 85.5% accuracy, surpassing the average performance of human physicians. By expediting decision-making and reducing costly tests, this innovation offers both precision and cost-effectiveness. Microsoft believes this may be a step toward "medical superintelligence," described as a system capable of outperforming the collective expertise of global clinicians. While limitations remain, the research signals major implications for health care's future.