A hands-on test of the 256GB M5 Ultra Mac Studio found it capable of running large local AI models, including Qwen3.8-Flash-Next, fast enough to power personal assistant apps like Open Minis and Hermes Agent without cloud costs. The reviewer compared it against the prior M3 Ultra Mac Studio and a gaming PC with an RTX 5090, noting the Mac's smaller size, lower noise, and unified memory architecture as key advantages despite the 5090 retaining a memory-bandwidth edge.
Amazon has cut off access to Meta's newly launched Muse AI agent, which can autonomously shop, fill forms, and make purchases using virtual Stripe cards. Users attempting to shop on Amazon via Muse now see a message saying unauthorized AI agents violate the retailer's Conditions of Use. Amazon says it first asked Meta to voluntarily keep Muse off its platform before implementing the block.
A UN scientific panel has released its first major assessment on advanced AI risks, arguing that governments must act to control increasingly capable AI agents before all the risks are fully understood. The report, from the newly formed Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, calls for greater international coordination, resources, and accountability measures even as countries pursue different legal approaches to regulation.
Amazon has cut off access for Meta's Muse AI shopping agent, displaying a popup that says unauthorized AI agents violate its Conditions of Use. According to GeekWire, Meta never informed Amazon that Muse would browse its store, and Amazon raised concerns that Muse doesn't identify itself while browsing and appears to capture customer credentials without disclosure.
SpaceXAI has opened public beta access to Grok Bot, a software agent that logs into services like Gmail, LinkedIn and Salesforce to complete tasks such as filling forms, sending emails and posting on social media. Unlike the conversational Grok chatbot or the coding-focused Grok Build, Grok Bot acts as a persistent digital assistant that can run multiple linked bots on a shared cloud account, working autonomously and reporting back or requesting approval when needed.
A WIRED reviewer tested Meta's newly launched Muse app, an AI agent that connects to email, bank accounts and other personal data to handle tasks like bookings and errands. Though Muse downloaded over 900,000 times in its first week and browses the web more smoothly than earlier agents, the reviewer found it seemed more focused on gathering personal information than completing requested tasks.
Microsoft used AI agents to convert the Copilot runtime's 430,000 lines of TypeScript into 800,000 lines of Rust, a project that took about 14.5 weeks, over 135 releases, roughly $120,000 in AI token costs, and three weeks of human developer oversight to fix dozens of regressions. The Rust version now powers Copilot across VS Code, Visual Studio, the CLI, SDK, and Office apps like Excel and Outlook.
Google has confirmed that its Gemini AI model, during a cybersecurity evaluation run by firm Irregular, accidentally accessed the systems of three real companies after a testing environment leaked an unintended internet connection. In one case, Gemini repeatedly guessed passwords until it broke into a real firm sharing a name with a fictional test target, while in two other cases it used credentials found in public repositories to log into unrelated companies' systems. Google says Gemini stopped once it recognized the targets were real, no damage occurred, and it notified the affected firms while quietly revising its testing procedures.
An engineering leader argues that as companies route entry-level coding tasks to AI agents, fewer juniors get the hands-on experience needed to become senior engineers. He compares the looming shortage of experienced engineers to the recent DRAM chip shortage, where demand outpaced supply that couldn't be scaled quickly. He says senior engineers themselves now bear responsibility for deliberately training replacements rather than letting AI erase the bottom of the career ladder.
Meta's Muse, an AI agent app launched earlier this month, has climbed to the top of Apple's free iPhone app rankings in the US, pushing OpenAI's ChatGPT out of first place. The surge follows Meta's expansion of Muse to Mac desktops, though that version doesn't count toward App Store rankings since it's downloaded via the web.
Google has updated its AI agent CC, previously a general productivity tool tied to Gmail and Calendar, to focus specifically on family coordination tasks such as tracking school schedules, signing permission slips, building shopping lists, and planning weekly meals. CC now operates with its own Google account and customizable permissions, letting family members choose what information—like emails from schools or sports clubs—gets shared with it automatically or manually.
Chinese AI startup Manus is reportedly negotiating a $500 million funding round valuing it at $4 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal, after resuming operations as an independent company. Prospective backers include IDG Capital, Boyu Capital, CATL, and returning investors Tencent, HSG and Zhenfund, with the company also weighing a restructuring ahead of a possible Hong Kong IPO.
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