Edition: July 18, 2026

Author Dave Eggers criticized OpenAI's ChatGPT in a talk to the company's staff, stating it has a catastrophic effect on educators and is silencing an entire generation. Eggers, known for his prolific writing and founding of McSweeney's, unexpectedly laced into the company during his visit. His comments highlight the potential negative impact of AI on education and the arts.

The release of Kimi, a new open-source AI model from Chinese company Moonshot AI, has sparked debate and concern among tech industry figures and investors, with some warning of a potential threat to US dominance in AI. The model's performance has been praised, but its open-source nature and Chinese origins have raised questions about national security and regulatory risks. The announcement coincided with a speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping and led to a drop in the Nasdaq.

A recent audit by Mozilla found that many period tracking apps, including Stardust, share sensitive user data with third-party trackers and analytics firms, raising concerns about user privacy. Only one app, Euki, earned a perfect score for its robust privacy features. The findings highlight the need for greater transparency and regulation in the handling of user data by these apps.

Researchers have discovered a technique called 'context bombing' that uses prompt injections to shut down AI hacking agents by directing them to perform forbidden actions, effectively stopping attacks. This method has shown great potential in initial testing, reducing admin privilege escalation from 57% to 5%. The technique builds on previous findings and provides a new way for defenders to combat AI-based attacks.

Neil Rimer, co-founder of Index Ventures, believes there will be a redistribution of wealth from the AI industry, either voluntarily or involuntarily, and hopes tech leaders will play a leading role in making it happen. This comes at a time when philanthropy appears to be falling out of fashion among the wealthy in tech. Rimer's comments suggest a shift in attitude towards giving back may be necessary, with some even considering legislation to enforce wealth redistribution.

Google has revamped its Gemini AI usage measurement, now tracking computing power requirements instead of the number of requests, affecting users' access to AI features across different subscription plans. The new system considers factors like prompt complexity and model usage, making it harder for users to predict when they'll hit their limits. Users can check their AI usage status in the Gemini app.

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