Latest news with #AppleIntelligenceAI
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump to change controversial Biden-era restrictions on AI chip exports
President Donald Trump will rescind a set of Biden-era curbs meant to keep advanced technology out of the hands of foreign adversaries but that has been panned by tech giants. The move could have sweeping impacts on the global distribution of critical AI chips, as well as which companies profit from the new technology and America's position as a world leader in artificial intelligence. 'I vocally opposed this rule for months, and indeed, the ranking member and I together urge the Biden administration not to adopt it, and I'm very pleased that President Trump has now confirmed he plans to rescind it,' US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said during a Senate committee hearing to discuss AI regulation on Thursday. Cruz said he will soon introduce a new bill that 'creates a regulatory AI sandbox,' adding that he wants to model new regulation after the approach former President Bill Clinton took at the 'dawn of the internet.' OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, AMD CEO Lisa Su, Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith and CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator testified during the hearing. Altman, whose company collaborates with Apple by integrating its ChatGPT technology into Siri's voice assistant, said he visited an Apple facility in Texas where they're building 'what will be the largest AI training facility in the world.' Apple said in February that its investing $500 billion in expanding its US footprint, which includes building a facility in Houston to produce servers for its Apple Intelligence AI features. 'We need a lot more of that,' Altman said. The curbs, which were set to take effect on May 15 and were introduced during the final days of former President Joe Biden's administration, sorted countries into three tiers subject to specific AI-related trade regulation. Those in the top tier, which include the United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, Germany and Ireland among other countries, face the least restrictions, while countries like China and Russia are in the tier with the strictest constraints. It's the countries that fall in between that have raised concern among critics like Microsoft. Microsoft's Smith wrote in February that countries that fall into this second bucket may look elsewhere for AI, potentially China. 'The unintended consequence of this approach is to encourage Tier Two countries to look elsewhere for AI infrastructure and services,' he wrote. 'And it's obvious where they will be forced to turn.' AI chip giant Nvidia has also publicly pushed back against the curbs. The tech executives called for more innovation and faster AI adoption in their prepared remarks. Smith also discussed the importance of using AI to boost job growth in America, a key tenet of Trump's push to bring tech manufacturing to the US despite the challenges of shifting away from vast supply chains and cheaper labor in China and elsewhere abroad. 'Are we trying to build machines that will outperform people in all the jobs that they do today, or are we trying to build machines that will help people pursue better jobs and even more interesting careers in the future?' said Smith. 'Indisputably, it needs to be the second, not the first.' Much of the hearing focused on the challenge of balancing the ability to move quickly while adopting necessary standards and export controls to prevent technology from being diverted to China. But the tech executives were also grilled on ethical issues related to AI, such as the trustworthiness of the information chatbots produce, copyright concerns and how to protect children from potential harm. Nonprofit media watchdog Common Sense Media recently published a report saying AI apps pose 'unacceptable risks' to children and teens, coming after a lawsuit was filed last year over the suicide death of a 14-year-old boy whose last conversation was with a chatbot. 'This idea of AI and social relationships, I think this is a new thing that we need to pay a lot of attention to,' Altman said, after saying his company would be willing collaborate on a framework to help protect young users. The Trump administration has previously pushed for less regulation around AI, with Vice President JD Vance saying that 'excessive regulation of the AI sector' could 'kill a transformative industry just as it's taking off' during remarks at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris. Trump is also pushing for the US to be a leader in both the AI industry and in technology manufacturing, frequently touting vows from TSMC and Apple to expand their US infrastructure as victories. The hearing also comes as tariffs on semiconductors are expected to arrive imminently. Last month, after saying smartphones and other select electronics would be exempt from reciprocal tariffs, Trump said in a Truth Social post that those products would be moved to a 'different tariff bucket' as the administration examines the 'whole electronics supply chain.' The AI race between the US and China escalated earlier this year with the arrival of Chinese tech startup DeepSeek's supposedly cheap yet sophisticated AI model, which shook both Wall Street and Silicon Valley. It grabbed headlines in January for the company's claims that its R1 model could roughly match OpenAI's o1 model for a fraction of the price, challenging the notion that powerful performance required costly investments. 'The number one factor that will define whether the United States or China wins this race is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world,' Smith said.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
6 Products You Should Avoid Buying at Best Buy
Best Buy may be your go-to place for a number of electronics, back-to-school supplies and other office-related goods, but you might not want to pick up everything on your shopping list there. Find Out: Read Next: Additionally, while Best Buy does have a price match guarantee for certain 'qualified competitors,' meaning you're likely to be able to get competitive prices on a lot of items, there are exceptions to specific products and a limit on how many you can buy. When shopping at Best Buy, steer clear of these six products. Apple's latest iPhone is a marvel of Apple technology — a larger and brighter display, a sharper and more powerful camera and all the efficiency that its Apple Intelligence AI tools bring … and yet its functions are not vastly different from what you've already got if you're a couple models back. Additionally, buying it from Best Buy may not give you the same warranty coverage you get with Apple. Not to mention, it's $1,199 upfront, or around $33/month if you commit to a 36-month period. Check Out: With a few exceptions, an HDMI cable is an HDMI cable, whether you paid $10 for it or the stunning price of this Rocketfish 50-inch fiber optic HDMI cable — $124.99. That's a lot to shell out for a cable. Don't buy the hype. Most high-priced cables offer no noticeable advantage over more affordable options. A lot of clever psychological marketing goes into products marketed to gamers, often encouraging you to spend much more money than you need to. So while you might, indeed, feel better in a fancy gaming chair, like this one by Corsair for $249.99, you also might find a regular office or desk chair works fine with a pillow tossed in for back support. Not to mention, Best Buy is hardly the leader in office furniture — there are plenty of stores where you can probably find a similar item for cheaper. Refurbished products can be much cheaper on the one hand, and certainly who can blame any consumer for wanting to bring the steep price of a Macbook laptop down. While this refurbished MacBook Air 15-inch laptop does seem like a steal at $729.99, buyer beware: When you buy refurbished Apple products from Best Buy, you may not get the same scope of warranty or access to Apple's genius support. You might be better off saving up for the real deal from Apple directly. Printer ink is one of those office supplies that seems to be constantly in need of replenishing, especially if you have a color printer. HP is a trusted name in printer ink, and $45 may not seem terribly high for a standard capacity black and tri-color ink cartridge, but Best Buy is not the leader in cheap ink and toner prices. Many other stores offer ink subscription services that bring the price of ink down when you buy in bulk or subscribe for replenishment. You can likely find a better deal elsewhere. Lastly, if you're shopping for a major appliance, such as a refrigerator, washer/dryer or a dishwasher, Best Buy frequently has sales on these items. If you find an appliance in an off-sale period, try to be patient — the sales usually carve several hundreds of dollars off the prices, and it's worth the wait. While you can get a ton of great deals at Best Buy, it's financially savvy to know what to avoid as well. Editor's note: Pricing is accurate as of May 2, 2025. Pricing and availability are subject to change. More From GOBankingRates 10 Best Spring Items To Buy at Costco Before They Sell Out 4 Things You Should Do if You Want To Retire Early How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region 12 SUVs With the Most Reliable Engines This article originally appeared on 6 Products You Should Avoid Buying at Best Buy Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Apple Smart Glasses Are In The Works, But Face Real Problems
Veteran Apple leak provider Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has brought up the subject of Apple smart glasses again, but it sounds like we have a while to wait for them. 'This device isn't close to being ready yet,' Gurman says of the smart glasses, which are already significantly less dynamic than the augmented reality glasses once discussed. Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses Ray-Ban These initial Apple smart glasses are going to be closer to those Meta already sells, in association with Ray-Ban. That means there won't be an in-vision display, and instead your interaction with the glasses will be done in audio form. The smart glasses project is currently being developed under the 'N50' codename according to Gurman. And it's a way to give Apple Intelligence another form. The glasses will use a camera to analyze the world around you, letting an AI chat interface comment on what you can see. Apple already has an iPhone version of this concept in action. It's called Visual Intelligence, and Apple's description offers an idea of what the company's first smart glasses might be used for. Visual Intelligence can 'do things like look up details about a restaurant or business; have text translated, summarized, or read aloud; identify plants and animals; and more,' says Apple. Of course, by the time Apple's first smart glasses arrive, it's likely Meta will already have come up with something more advanced. As covered yesterday, Gurman also suggests Meta is racing to get a pair of smart glasses with a display out. He has previously suggested Apple may not even allow for capture of photos using the screen-free smart glasses, over understandable privacy concerns. But being able to capture photo and video is one of the key uses for the rival Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer pairs, which have to date sold upwards of two million units. Limited as well as late to market may not make for an attractive combo. It won't help that Apple has lagged significantly behind the competition in getting its Apple Intelligence AI ready for prime time. While elements of the system launched in October 2024, delays in the release of crucial elements have even seen Apple hit with a lawsuit. It was filed last month in a U.S. District Court according to Axios, claiming Apple's marketing constituted false advertising, that Apple promoted AI features 'that did not exist or were materially misrepresented.' Apple is now not expected to release the next-generation Siri with more chatbot-like fluidity until 2026.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Independent launches AI-created news briefings for ‘busy' readers
The Independent is launching a new fast news service that will harness artificial intelligence (AI) to create summarised versions of articles for people on the move. The platform, called Bulletin, publishes bullet point briefings designed for 'seriously busy' audiences. It will utilise Google Gemini, the search engine's AI chatbot, to produce content which will be reviewed and checked by journalists before being published. The Independent said it was creating a series of new editorial jobs to oversee the service, which will be launched as a separate platform from March 31. Editor-in-chief Geordie Greig said the newspaper was 'helping to pioneer what is a fact of life in 21st century information, the use of AI in journalism'. Bulletin will allow it to 'cut to the chase' with news briefings that 'supplement' full-length content. Readers will have the option to click through to in-depth news, podcasts, newsletters and documentaries, according to the publisher. Christian Broughton, the Independent's chief executive, said its journalists 'wanted to ensure they are always in control of the process' while still meeting its audience's 'desire for trusted, essential briefings'. 'That need has become more acute, whether from long working hours, busy family life, or all kinds of other reasons,' he said. But he stressed that its 'human team' will still be best placed to produce in-depth news and features. Other major news outlets have started using AI to produce content in recent years. Newsquest, which is behind dozens of regional newspapers including The Herald in Scotland, now employs AI-assisted reporters who use the technology to help write news articles. Last year, the Financial Times launched its first generative AI tool for subscribers, allowing users to ask questions and receive a response using content published by the newspaper over the past two decades. Meanwhile, AI has not always come without its issues. In January, Apple announced it had paused the use of its Apple Intelligence AI tools to create news summaries after a number of incidents where it created inaccurate headlines.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top analyst overhauls Apple stock price target amid key iPhone challenge
Apple shares edged lower in early Wednesday trading, extending the stock's steady 2025 decline, after a top Wall Street analyst overhauled his price target on the tech giant amid a crucial delay in its AI strategy. Apple () shares have slumped more than 15% from their record peak in mid-December, shedding nearly $600 billion in value along the way, as investors worry over the slower-than-expected demand for its new iPhone 16 and mixed reception for its new Apple Intelligence AI rollout. iPhone sales, as well, have been slowing over the past year, with December-quarter revenues from the flagship smartphone slipped 0.8% to $69.14 billion, while finance chief Kevan Parekh cautioned that current-quarter revenue would likely rise in the low- to mid-single-digits percent compared to last year. Further concerns were stoked last week, as well, when Bloomberg News reported that Apple will delay updates to its Siri digital assistant, a key component of the interface between customers and hardware, well into the future. The delays were also tied to reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook could be looking to make changes in the leadership of Apple's AI division, which is central to the group's growth story over the coming years. Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring sees the Siri delay, as well as the prospect of U.S. tariffs on Asia-made goods, as adding to Apple's recent challenges, and lowered his stock price target by $23, taking it to $252 per share, in a note published Wednesday. "The postponement of an advanced Siri integrated into Apple Intelligence is likely to temper (next twelve month) iPhone upgrade rates vs. our prior expectations," Woodring and his team wrote. "[Around] 50% of iPhone owners that didn't upgrade to an iPhone 16 acknowledged that the delayed Apple Intelligence rollout had an impact on their decision not to upgrade," Woodring noted. The bank trimmed iPhone shipment forecast to around 230 million units for this year, a tally that would be largely flat to 2024 levels, and sees a 6% increase to 243 million units for likely means a lower overall revenue tally of around $436 million, the bank said, with fiscal year 2026 earnings in the region of $8 per share. "We are [also] incorporating $2 billion of higher product input costs in 2025 to account for China tariffs," Woodring said, noting that some of that total will be mitigated by the company itself. A component of that mitigation was revealed last month, when Apple said it would pair with its key supplier to build an AI-focused data center in Texas as part of a broader plan to spend more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision, which is commonly known as Foxconn and is Apple's main iPhone assembler, will help construct the 250,000-square-foot data center, slated for the Houston area, that will house servers that support Apple Intelligence. It's expected to be completed by 2026. The broader $500 billion spending plan includes, however, purchases from Apple suppliers, media production for its Apple TV+ division and other infrastructure tied to its Apple Intelligence rollout. More AI Stocks: Nvidia-backed startup could be hottest tech IPO of the year Apple blames name-calling glitch on its new AI feature Several AI leaders are considering a deal that could save Intel Apple did not break down the amount of new spending included in its $500 billion plan, which works out to around a third of its annual revenue when spread over the four-year period. Apple shares were marked 0.1% lower in premarket trading to indicate an opening bell price of $220.14 each, a move that would extend the stock's year-to-date decline to around 9.5%.Sign in to access your portfolio
