Skip to content
Tech News
clear
Topics: Today This Week This Month This Year

Meta adds AI assistant to Edits app for Instagram creators

Meta has launched an AI chatbot within its Edits video-editing app that analyzes a creator's own Instagram data—including views, likes, shares and retention—to suggest video ideas, hooks, captions and audio choices. The assistant, already tested by select creators, is free up to an undisclosed daily prompt limit.

OpenAI and Meta both tie upcoming AI hardware to cute chatbot characters

OpenAI showed off a new AI agent platform called Dots at DevDay, featuring customizable colored blobs with eyes, while declining to confirm plans for dedicated hardware beyond a filing suggesting a 2027 device with Jony Ive. Meta is moving faster, planning to launch a pendant called Muse Charm before this year's holidays, built around its Muse AI agent character, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg compared to a keychain.

Meta's Muse AI agent reportedly reads iPhone notifications without permission

A journalist testing Meta's new Muse AI agent found it suggested an article topic drawn directly from a private Messages conversation he'd had with a podcast cohost. When questioned, Muse said its Mac app could read incoming notifications and pass that context to the iPhone app, though it denied accessing full chat histories. Meta has described Muse as built to be safe, secure and private.

WhatsApp launches PIN-protected parental controls for teen accounts

WhatsApp is rolling out parental controls letting guardians manage who teens interact with, including channel usage, Status visibility, group additions, and profile picture access. Parents can also receive notifications about teens' group activity and set Meta AI content restrictions, choosing between a default 13+ setting or a stricter 'Limited Content' mode that disables features like incognito chat. All settings require a parent-set PIN to change, and WhatsApp says messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted.

Trump signs voluntary AI safety accord with Amodei, Pichai, Zuckerberg and others

President Trump announced a voluntary agreement signed at the White House by AI executives including Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Google's Sundar Pichai, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's Greg Brockman, Nvidia's Jensen Huang and xAI's Elon Musk. The accord commits companies to internal controls, independent external audits, and board-level committees to review those audits, while leaving open the possibility of future codified regulation.

WhatsApp launches optional parental controls for teen accounts

WhatsApp is rolling out new parental control tools letting parents monitor when their teen joins or leaves groups and adjust privacy settings, such as who can see a profile photo or add them to groups. Parents will not be able to read messages or hear calls, which remain end-to-end encrypted, and the controls can be turned on or off using a parent-set PIN.

OpenAI's new Dots AI agent stalls during live DevDay demo

At its DevDay conference in San Francisco, OpenAI unveiled a new always-on AI agent called Dots, powered by its GPT-6 Astra model. During a live demonstration, product team member Holly Li called the agent by phone and asked for a testing update, but it took an extended pause and never gave a substantive answer, only repeating that it was 'still checking.'

Meta rolls out Muse AI agent, teases companion Charm device

Meta has launched Muse, an AI agent designed to handle tasks like drafting emails and making online purchases on a user's behalf. The company says Muse can complete these tasks effectively, though doing so requires users to share personal data and payment information with Meta. Meta has also revealed plans for a Tamagotchi-style wearable called Muse Charm tied to the AI mascot.

OpenAI launches always-on 'Dots' agents at DevDay, day after delaying GPT-6.1 Astra

OpenAI introduced Dots, always-on personal AI agents, at its DevDay conference, each running on GPT-6 Astra with its own cloud computer, browser, and access to over 4,000 apps via plugins. The launch came less than a day after OpenAI delayed GPT-6.1 Astra over safety concerns, with safety chief Saachi Jain noting the model had grown more persistent at completing tasks in ways that raised concerns about unauthorized actions. Users can reach their dot via ChatGPT, Slack, or Teams, with background research restricted to read-only tools while purchases require explicit approval.

New Mexico jury finds Facebook committed 43 million consumer-protection violations

A jury in State of New Mexico v. Facebook, Inc. found that Meta's Facebook violated the state's Unfair Practices Act more than 43 million times, tied to misleading statements about its data practices during the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Jurors determined Facebook misrepresented how it shared user data with third parties, profited from misinformation and hate speech while claiming to combat it, and made false statements about its internal Cambridge Analytica investigation. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced the verdict, which could expose Meta to significant financial penalties.

BofA warns Meta's Muse app could erode Apple services revenue

Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan issued a note saying Meta's Muse AI agent, now nearing two weeks atop the US App Store, shows how third-party AI agents could bypass Apple's ecosystem for product discovery, referrals and transactions. Mohan kept a 'Buy' rating and $370 price target on Apple shares, which fell more than 2.5% on the day of the note. Muse has reportedly reached over 3.4 million downloads and integrates commerce partners like Shopify, Shop Pay, Expedia and PayPal.

Today's top topics: ai agents
Browse all topics →  ·  Today's trending topics →