TalkMe Brings a Penguin to Life at Google I/O, Redefining AI Language Learning
Rather than focusing on feature lists or technical jargon, TalkMe highlights the confidence that comes from everyday communication. This storytelling-first approach reflects the company's mission: to make language learning as natural and expressive as real life.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Utility to buy power from advanced nuclear plant to power Tennessee and Alabama Google data centers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The nation's largest public utility plans to buy power from an upcoming advanced nuclear plant to help fuel Google data centers in Tennessee and Alabama, according to a deal announced Monday. The Tennessee Valley Authority, California-based Kairos Power and Google say the agreement will deliver up to 50 megawatts of energy to the federal utility's grid that powers the data centers. The announcement comes at a time when tech companies expect to require a massive amount of power to fuel data centers behind artificial intelligence, and some of them have been especially interested in new nuclear production. President Donald Trump released a plan last month to boost AI and build data centers across the U.S. and in May signed executive orders aimed at boosting nuclear power. TVA says it is the first U.S. utility to sign a power purchase agreement to buy electricity from a next-generation nuclear reactor. It would rely on the Hermes 2 reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2030. The agreement will power data centers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, and Jackson County, Alabama, and support future growth in the region, the news release said. Google will receive clean energy credits associated with the plant. 'This collaboration with TVA, Kairos Power, and the Oak Ridge community will accelerate the deployment of innovative nuclear technologies and help support the needs of our growing digital economy while also bringing firm carbon-free energy to the electricity system,' Amanda Peterson Corio, Google's global head of data center energy, said in the news release. Hermes 2 is the first reactor under a deal between Kairos Power and Google to bring on 500 megawatts of new, advanced nuclear power production to help cover the tech giant's increased demand for electricity. The new kind of nuclear reactor uses fluoride salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor technology. It uses molten salt as a coolant. Another test version of the plant in Oak Ridge, named Hermes, does not produce electricity. The Hermes 2 plant received a construction permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November. The plant still has more steps to complete, including an application for an operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Many next-generation reactors, including Kairos' Hermes 2, will use high-assay low-enriched uranium. The fuel is enriched to a higher level than traditional large nuclear reactors use, allowing the newer reactors to run longer and more efficiently, sit on smaller footprints and produce less waste, according to the Department of Energy. There's little of it made in the United States right now. But companies are investing to ramp up production, including in Oak Ridge. The Tennessee Valley Authority powers 10 million people across seven southern states.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Crankshaft's visit to Winnipeg, from start to finish
Cranky bus driver Ed Crankshaft and his son-in-law Jeff Murdoch are back at home after a whirlwind trip to Winnipeg. The pair — who have sported Winnipeg Blue Bombers gear in the Crankshaft comic strip for several years — set off in late July on a month-long story arc to visit the Manitoba capital to see a football game. A year after the Ohio-based Crankshaft comic creator and avid Blue Bomber fan Tom Batiuk visited the city, he launched his characters into a month-long road trip to Winnipeg. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) The story started July 21 and was published in the Free Press and nearly 500 other newspapers that carry the strip, including the Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, Dallas Morning News and Seattle Times. Ohio-based Crankshaft creator Tom Batiuk first tuned in to the CFL during an NFL lockout in 2011. He took a shine to the Blue and Gold and has followed the team since. He visited Winnipeg last summer to research the city and took in a game at Princess Auto Stadium, as a guest of the Bombers — even running out on the field with the team before the game. Winnipeg landmarks appear in several of the strips, along with the Mounties, poutine, Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea and mascots Buzz and Boomer. Ed Crankshaft and Jeff Murdoch arrived home from their trip in Saturday's paper. Here's a recap of their adventures in the 'Peg. —With files from Kevin Rollason
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Green Light: Quebec City uses AI to manage traffic
Quebec City has turned to Google's artificial intelligence (AI) to synchronize traffic lights, which officials say will improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. According to Google Canada, Quebec City is the first city in the country to partner with the web giant's Green Light project. As part of this project, AI analyzes driving trends from Google Maps and combines this data with information on the location of traffic lights in the city. 'The Green Light project uses driving trends from Google Maps and artificial intelligence to map a city's traffic patterns and then make specific recommendations for specific intersections that can be implemented very quickly by city engineers,' explained Laurence Therrien, public affairs manager at Google Canada, in an interview with The Canadian Press. She clarified that AI data won't replace the work of engineers, but rather serves as an additional tool. 'The aggregated and anonymized trends from Google Maps really give a much faster and more reliable overview of a city's traffic than if it were done manually or with existing systems,' she said. Present in some 20 cities The Green Light project is being used in 19 cities on four continents. According to a data analysis conducted by Google in these cities, the project has 'demonstrated the potential to reduce frequent stops and starts by up to 30 per cent and estimated CO2 emissions at urban intersections by 10 per cent.' Google's AI aims to make car traffic flow more smoothly. If a city emphasizes smooth car travel, does it risk encouraging more people to use their cars, to the detriment of active or public transportation? 'If car traffic flows more smoothly, so does bus traffic,' replied Therrien. 'So it encourages public transportation, which is much more efficient than if traffic lights are not automated,' she said. Initial positive results in Quebec City In Quebec City, the project has already made it possible to adjust the timing of traffic lights at 11 intersections in the city, and the initial results are positive, according to Mayor Bruno Marchand's administration. 'An innovative project like Green Light allows us to quickly and effectively optimize our road network, thereby improving traffic flow and efficiency,' said Marchand in a press release. A compelling example In the press release issued Monday morning, the City of Quebec 'gave an example of the project's impact.' The municipal administration explained that during the evening rush hour, traffic lights were 'slightly out of sync' at the intersection of Côte Saint-Sacrement and Semple Street, at the corner of Charest Boulevard, causing delays for drivers travelling down Côte Saint-Sacrement and leading to traffic jams. 'Using the Green Light AI model, Google proposed reducing the gap between the lights by 15 seconds to align the timing with those at Semple and Charest,' and 'northbound travel, which is the most frequent in this area according to 2023 data, is now smoother and better coordinated.' This example shows how AI 'can complement the work of municipal experts by proposing simple, effective, and data-driven adjustments,' according to the city. The Green Light project is available free of charge to cities that wish to use it. - This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 18, 2025.
