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Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
OpenAI finally rolls out ChatGPT Agent after week-long delay: How it works
OpenAI has officially begun rolling out its new artificial intelligence agent, ChatGPT Agent, after a week-long delay. Originally announced on 18 July, the feature is now being made available to all ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers, according to a statement posted by the company on social media platform X. The delay in rollout left many users puzzled, with some still reporting the absence of the feature despite OpenAI's claims of a complete deployment. The company has not disclosed the cause behind the delay, and questions raised in the post's comment section remain unanswered. ChatGPT Agent marks a significant expansion in functionality compared to Operator, a previous agent tool introduced by the firm. Unlike Operator, which struggled with complex or multi-step instructions, the new Agent is designed to carry out a broader range of tasks autonomously. In light of this development, OpenAI has also confirmed that Operator will be phased out in the coming weeks. The Agent is equipped with several tools to carry out its tasks, including a text-based browser for sourcing information, a visual browser for interacting with websites, an integrated development environment (IDE) for coding tasks, and access to publicly available APIs. These features are hosted on a virtual computer dedicated to the Agent, providing it with a simulated environment to operate in. Additionally, the ChatGPT Agent can connect to external platforms such as Gmail and GitHub via connectors, enabling it to retrieve and interact with data across services. It also offers collaborative functionality, allowing users to oversee or modify tasks in real-time. Activity is displayed in a side window within the chat interface, ensuring users are able to monitor the Agent's actions. While the update introduces greater autonomy and expanded use cases, some users continue to experience issues with access, raising concerns about the reliability of the rollout process.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Business Insider
A day in the life of Mark Cuban: He reveals his productivity hack — and how everyone can use it
One of our biggest series this year is Power Hours, an inside look at the daily routines of top executives, founders, and creatives across industries. We want to understand what makes these people tick: why one wakes up at 4:15 a.m. to hydrate and meditate, another runs a 10K after arriving at the office, and a third moonlights as a Lyft driver. BI's Power Hours series gives readers an inside look at how powerful leaders in business structure their workday. See more stories from the series here, or reach out to the editor Lauryn Haas to share your daily routine. When we reached out to Mark Cuban, we figured he'd be ripe for this series — a billionaire who has founded several companies, invested in hundreds of small businesses, and hosted the popular TV show " Shark Tank." His response: "My day is boring." "I read and respond to emails," he wrote in an email. "I work out. I read and respond to emails. I do a couple Zooms. Then I read and respond to emails. Then I eat dinner. Then I read and respond to emails." (To be fair, he also shared that he follows his morning email session with decaf coffee, a cookie, and a shower, before taking his daughter to school, then working out at Life Time Fitness, taking a second shower — and returning to email.) This raises the question: Why is a billionaire spending most of his day in his inbox? What's so great about email? And why doesn't he hire an assistant to do all this emailing? We had to investigate. So we sent him more emails. Here's what he told us (via email). Mark Cuban: I receive around 700 emails a day and use three phones (two Android and one iPhone) to manage everything. I'd rather get 700 to 1,000 emails than sit in long, boring meetings. I can easily search them decades later. I have emails going back to the 90s. It's asynchronous. I can write or respond any time, from anywhere in the world. That makes things much easier. There's also really no limit to the type or format of the content. I can include it in emails or attach whatever. Everyone has email. In 2025, I don't know anyone who doesn't. It's fast. Particularly now, with Google's auto replies. For maybe 10 to 20% of my emails, I just have to choose one of Gmail's recommendations. If not, I can usually give very short responses. People expect them from me. How do you keep your inbox organized? Do you use filters, folders, or an email extension? I have folders. I used to have too many emails, and Gmail couldn't keep up, so I had to segregate them into different accounts. Now, that typically isn't an issue. I spend most of my day trying to get my unreads under 20. It acts as my tickler file and keeps what's important to me, right in front of me. Have you ever hired someone to help manage your email? If so, how did that go? If not, have you considered it? Never. That just slows things down. I started sending messages in the 1980s on CompuServe. It was fast and easy. For my company back then, I had everyone get an address. It worked great then, too. I still have a bunch of those folders with emails! Do you ever ignore your email (like on vacation)? Or do you always keep up with it? For a short period of time, sure. But for a full day or longer, only in extraordinary situations like a special event for a family member. I have a hard time disconnecting. It's faster to just get it out of the way. Do you like to achieve Inbox Zero? Won't ever happen. I get down under 10 now and then, but I also use my unreads as a reminder of what I need to get done today. Would you ever consider letting AI write your emails? Only the autoreply. Anything else, if I have a long response, I might use AI as a typing hack to save time, but I'm typically going to add some flavor somewhere. For a long, long time. Usually commenting that I'll respond or create emails at all hours of the day. Which is fact. If it comes to mind, I'm writing and sending. Or if the only time I have to clean up my inbox is after everyone is in bed, that's when I'll work.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Government urged to clarify military intelligence powers in new phone tapping legislation
An oversight judge on phone tapping said it was 'imperative' the Government urgently clarified in law the roles and powers of military intelligence in safeguarding the security of the State. In his 2025 report, Mr Justice Tony O'Connor said the Defence Forces recently built a new high-security facility for the Irish Military Intelligence Service (IMIS). The service moved into the building last March, but the service is still awaiting Government measures to modernise and legislate for its national security remit. Mr O'Connor is the designated judge for the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages Act 1993 and Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011, as amended by the 2022 act. In his report to the Taoiseach for May 1, 2024, to April 1, 2025, Judge O'Connor repeated his calls for online communication, including encrypted services to be included in the laws. This includes Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. The interception legislation is now 32 years old and successive governments have promised updated laws, with the current administration telling the Dáil a draft bill is due later this year. An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces utilise powers of interception, the former for the investigation of serious crime and State security and the latter for State security only. Other agencies, such as Revenue and Fiosrú (formerly Gsoc), have powers under the 2011 act on communication (not content) data. The role of designated judges have now been taken over by the new independent examiner of security. Mr O'Connor, like designated judges before him, does not provide statistical data on the number of phone interceptions, with Mr O'Connor maintaining he sees 'little merit' in doing so. The High Court judge said applications from the gardaí were 'low' and were 'down in numbers', adding all were granted by the minister for justice. 'The number of authorisations granted pursuant to section 4 [serious offence investigations] were not significantly higher than those made under section 5 [security of the State],' the judge said. In his previous, 2024 report, he said the number of interceptions 'relative to the State's population size appear low'. He said the existing and anticipated developments on communication known to An Garda Síochána 'should be accommodated' in the new legislation. Mr Justice O'Connor said military intelligence moved to a 'new bespoke secured facility' last March. 'The new facility is a welcome development and affords a modern and professional aspect,' he said. 'The new building is purpose-built to top secret clearances and security specifications.' He said the old Irish Military Intelligence Service building, which they had used since the 1980s, was transferred to new Joint Cyber Defence Command in May. Judge O'Connor pointed out military intelligence uses the acts only in matters relating to the security of the State and the integrity of its institutions. It is for intelligence purposes only. The report said the use of the 1993 and 2011 acts for military intelligence 'was limited' over the last 11 months, but added the 'significance and value of those provisions for the PDF should not be underestimated'. He said he supported the 'urgent call' made by the Commission on the Defence Forces in its February 2022 report for clarification of the role, functions and powers of military intelligence in new legislation. 'There is an imperative to clarify the role, functions and powers of the IMIS in underpinning legislation,' he said. Read More National Development Plan allocates almost €4bn for defence and justice capital spends
Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Billionaire Mark Cuban Spends a Lot of Time on His Emails
Here's how the tech billionaire gets his inbox from 1,000 emails to 20 in one day (with barely any AI). Despite all the advancements in technology, billionaire investor Mark Cuban, 66, spends most of his day reading and responding to emails. In a Wednesday interview with Business Insider, Cuban said that he receives "700 to 1,000 emails" a day through his Gmail account, and he uses three phones, two Android and one iPhone, "to manage everything." Related: Mark Cuban Says 60 Is the New 40. He Follows 3 Habits to Stay Youthful. "I spend most of my day trying to get my unreads under 20," Cuban told BI. He praised email for being "asynchronous," meaning that he can respond at any time from wherever he is in the world, and ubiquitous because "everyone" has an email address. Responding to a message is also "fast," especially with Google's auto-reply suggestions, Cuban said. Cuban says he keeps his inbox organized with folders and has "never" considered hiring someone to help manage his emails. He is only away from his inbox for a full day or longer for "extraordinary situations, like a special event for a family member," he told BI. Cuban says he uses his unread emails as reminders of what he needs to get done that day. He only uses AI to write the autoreply messages, preferring instead to personalize longer emails and noted that he would rather process emails than sit through "long, boring meetings," or send a Slack message or text because he can quickly search through emails years later. "I have emails going back to the 90s," Cuban told BI. Mark Cuban. Photo by Julia Beverly/WireImage Still, using Gmail could pose a cybersecurity risk. Cuban's Google account was hacked in June 2024 after he received a call from a fake Google employee. The bad actor said that Cuban's Gmail had an intruder and faked Google's recovery methods to receive the credentials for the account. The hacker got access to Cuban's email and locked him out. The hacking hasn't stopped Cuban's love of email, however. Cuban rose to fame as an investor on ABC's "Shark Tank" for the last 15 seasons, appearing in his final episode in May. He told CNBC that same month that he invested about $33 million in businesses during his time on the show and received $35 million in cash returns. He holds equity in those businesses that are now worth at least $250 million, he disclosed. Related: Mark Cuban Compares AI Taking Jobs to When There Were 'Millions of Secretaries' Cuban's first entrepreneurial venture was MicroSolutions, a software reseller that sold PCs, software, and training to businesses. He grew the company to nearly $36 million in annual sales and 80 employees before selling it to CompuServe, a subsidiary of H&R Block, for $6 million in 1990. Cuban then founded AudioNet, the first video streaming company in the world. The startup, which became was sold to Yahoo for $5.7 billion in 1999, making Cuban a billionaire. In 2022, Cuban co-founded Cost Plus Drug Company, an online discount pharmacy that delivers more than 2,300 prescription medications. Cuban is now worth $8.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Join top CEOs, founders, and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue, and building sustainable success.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Everyone with a Gmail account issued 'red alert' over new AI scam
Tech experts have explained how a new sophisticated scam using artificial intelligence is targeting 1.8billion Gmail accounts using Google's own AI model, Gemini Google has issued a "red alert" to anyone who holds one of its 1.8billion accouns over a new artificial intelligence scam reportedly being used by cyber criminals. Tech expert Scott Polderman explained the data-stealing scam involves another Google product, Gemini, an AI assistant known as a chatbot. "So hackers have figured out a way to use Gemini - Google's own AI - against itself," he clarified. "Essentially, hackers are sending an email with a hidden message to Gemini to reveal your passwords without you even realising." Scott highlighted that this scam is unique from previous ones as it is "AI against AI" and could set a precedent for future attacks in the same vein. He elaborated: "These hidden instructions are getting AI to work against itself and have you reveal your login and password information." Scott continued, explaining why so many users are falling victim to the problem. "There is no link that you have to click [to activate the scam]," he said. "It's Gemini popping up and letting you know you are at risk." He also advised that Google has previously stated it will "never ask" for your login information or "never alert" you of fraud through Gemini. Another tech expert, Marco Figueroa, added that send emails including prompts that Gemini can pick up on, with the font size set to zero and the text colour to white so users don't spot it. One TikTok user responded with further advice to help guard against the scam. "To disable Google Gemini's features within your Gmail account, you need to adjust your Google Workspace settings," they penned. "This involves turning off 'SMART FEATURES' and potentially disabling the Gemini app and its integration within other Google products." Another shared: "I never use Gemini, still I might change my password just in case." A third individual declared: "I'm sick of all of this already. I'm going back to pen and paper!". And in a similar vein, a fourth added: "I quit using Gmail a long time ago! Thank you for the alert! I'll go check my old accounts." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Google cautioned in its security blog last month: "With the rapid adoption of generative AI, a new wave of threats is emerging across the industry with the aim of manipulating the AI systems themselves. One such emerging attack vector is indirect prompt injections. "Unlike direct prompt injections, where an attacker directly inputs malicious commands into a prompt, indirect prompt injections involve hidden malicious instructions within external data sources. These may include emails, documents, or calendar invites that instruct AI to exfiltrate user data or execute other rogue actions. "As more governments, businesses, and individuals adopt generative AI to get more done, this subtle yet potentially potent attack becomes increasingly pertinent across the industry, demanding immediate attention and robust security measures." Nevertheless, the tech giant sought to provide reassurance to users, stating: "Google has taken a layered security approach introducing security measures designed for each stage of the prompt lifecycle. From Gemini 2.5 model hardening, to purpose-built machine learning (ML) models detecting malicious instructions, to system-level safeguards, we are meaningfully elevating the difficulty, expense, and complexity faced by an attacker. "This approach compels adversaries to resort to methods that are either more easily identified or demand greater resources."
