Latest news with #US-only
Engadget
2 hours ago
- Business
- Engadget
TikTok's Community Notes era starts today
TikTok users in the United States will soon see crowd-sourced fact checks appearing alongside videos on the platform. The app is beginning to roll out Footnotes, its version of Community Notes, the company announced . TikTok announced its plan to adopt the feature back in April and since then almost 80,000 users have been approved as contributors. Footnotes works similarly to Community Notes on X. Contributors can add a note to videos with false claims, AI-generated content or that otherwise require more context. Contributors are required to cite a source for the information they provide and other contributors need to rate a footnote as helpful before it will show up broadly. Like X, TikTok will use a bridging algorithm to determine which notes have reached "a broad level of consensus." According to screenshots shared by the company, Footnotes will appear prominently underneath a video's caption. Users will be able to read the full note and view a link to its source material. While TikTok is the latest major platform to adopt the crowd sourced approach to fact checking, unlike Meta , the company is still continuing to work with professional fact checking organizations, including in the United States. The company also points out that Footnotes will be subject to the same content moderation standards as the rest of its platform, and that people can report notes that might break its rules. The presence of a note won't, however, impact whether a particular video is eligible for recommendations in the "For You" feed. For now, the company isn't making any commitments to roll out the system beyond the US. "We picked the US market because it's sufficiently large that it has a content ecosystem that can support this kind of a test," TikTok's head of integrity and authenticity product, Erica Ruzic, said during a press event. "We will be evaluating over the coming weeks and months, as we see how our US pilot is going, whether we would want to expand this to additional markets." The test of Footnotes comes at a moment when the company's future in the United States is still somewhat in limbo. President Donald Trump has delayed a potential ban three times since taking office in January as a long long-promised "deal" to create a US-owned TikTok entity has yet to materialize. Trump said a month ago that an agreement could be announced in "two weeks." Since then, there have also been reports that TikTok owner ByteDance is working on a new, US-only version of the app in anticipation of a deal. TikTok representatives declined to comment on those reports, which have suggested such an app could debut in early September.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Opal AI test-launched by Google: Here's how it can generate apps without coding, with a simple prompt
Google is piloting a new AI-powered coding tool called Opal, designed to help users build mini web applications by describing what they want to create in plain language. The tool, now accessible in the United States via Google Labs, is the latest in a growing wave of so-called "vibe-coding" platforms targeting both developers and non-technical users, as reported by TechCrunch. Opal enables users to either start from scratch using text-based instructions or customise existing apps from a shared gallery. Once a prompt is submitted, Google's internal models generate the application's structure. Users are then presented with a visual workflow panel that outlines each step in the process - including input, output, and generation phases. 🚨 NEW LABS EXPERIMENT 🚨 Introducing Opal, our new way to help you build and share AI mini-apps by linking together prompts, models, and tools— all while using simple, natural language (without a single line of code 🤯) Now available in US-only public beta! Learn more ⬇️… — Google Labs (@GoogleLabs) July 24, 2025 Each stage can be clicked to reveal and edit the underlying prompt, while additional steps can be added manually through Opal's toolbar. Finished applications can be published online and shared via a direct link, with others able to test the app using their own Google accounts. While Google already offers an AI Studio for developers to build apps through prompt engineering, Opal appears to mark a broader push towards accessibility and design-driven prototyping. Its visual-first interface and ease of use suggest the company is aiming to appeal to hobbyists, creatives, and aspiring app builders without coding experience. The move brings Google into direct competition with companies such as Canva, Figma, and Replit, all of which have introduced tools that lower the barrier to entry for software creation. Startups in the space, including Lovable and Cursor, have recently drawn significant investor and acquisition interest amid rising demand for generative AI solutions. Opal is currently in an experimental phase and forms part of Google's wider efforts to test emerging AI technologies through its Labs division.
Arabian Post
20-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Anthropic to Deploy Global Data Processing Infrastructure
Anthropic will extend its data processing infrastructure on 19 August 2025 to include servers across the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. This expansion applies to Anthropic API and Claude for Work customers, aiming to enhance operational reliability through geographic redundancy. The company emphasises that data storage will remain strictly within the US. Customers requiring data processing solely within US-based servers must opt out of international regions by the effective date. Those who have already specified this preference through a custom agreement or order form are unaffected and need not take further action. This strategic shift reflects Anthropic's broader infrastructure evolution. As AI workloads grow, the company is adopting a multi-region architecture to reduce latency, enhance service continuity, and bolster failover capabilities. The decision mirrors industry practices where global coverage mitigates regional outages and performance bottlenecks. ADVERTISEMENT Security standards and infrastructure design are outlined in Anthropic's Trust Center, which details compliance with industry norms and data protection measures. Despite the geographical expansion of processing, the firm underscores that all stored data remains within US jurisdiction, alleviating concerns tied to sovereignty and regulatory oversight. Customers who do not choose the default multi-region processing by mid-August will be transitioned automatically. Anthropic urges affected users to submit their preferences ahead of time to ensure compliance with regulatory or internal policy mandates. Experts noted that the policy update signals a balancing act between performance and privacy. An infrastructure built across multiple regions reduces risk of service disruptions, but also raises questions on data governance. Anthropic's retention of US-only storage and explicit opt-out pathway aims to reconcile these objectives. Anthropic's public filings and product documentation confirm the timeline and scope. The Trust Center highlights end-to-end encryption, stringent access controls, and audit logging across geographies. Internal compliance teams reportedly reviewed the regional rollout to ensure compatibility with data protection laws like GDPR. Industry analysts view the move as a logical progression for AI service providers. As model sizes scale and workloads intensify, single-region dependencies become untenable during outages or maintenance windows. Multi-region architectures offer resilience and enable seamless user experiences across time zones. At the same time, customer demand for data sovereignty remains strong. Since Anthropic explicitly maintains storage in the US and offers selective processing opt-outs, clients bound by financial, legal or governmental constraints can retain compliance without sacrificing service continuity. The executive team at Anthropic, including leadership of enterprise products, reportedly supported the phased rollout. In practice, enterprise and API customers were notified via direct communication with clear opt-out channels and a deadline to lock in processing preferences. The announcement coincides with broader initiatives by Anthropic to enhance global reach. Earlier in 2025, the firm expanded Claude's availability in Europe and launched enterprise editions via AWS Marketplace. It also secured partnerships with major data providers such as S&P Global to enrich Claude's enterprise capabilities using its Model Context Protocol. Anthropic's phased rollout strategy is guided by its history of deploying across diverse regions, ensuring that security controls and compliance protocols are harmonised across geographies. The Trust Center details these measures, including data encryption at rest and in transit, strict key management, and role-based access control audits. Absent further opt-out instructions, customer accounts will be migrated to the new multi-region configuration by 19 August 2025. Anthropic encourages users with policy-driven or legal constraints to declare their preferences promptly.
Engadget
07-07-2025
- Business
- Engadget
US TikTok users may soon have to switch to a new version of the app
ByteDance is said to be building a new, US-only version of the TikTok app that it will release on September 5. According to The Information , the company is moving ahead with this plan to comply with legislation requiring it to sell its TikTok business in the US or face a nationwide ban . The report suggests that folks in the US will have to switch to the new app (dubbed "M2") in order to keep using TikTok. It's said that ByteDance will remove the existing TikTok app (which the company internally calls "M") from US app stores when the new one debuts. It's believed that the current version of the app will stop working in the US next March, though that timeline may shift. This is the latest development in a long-running saga over the future of TikTok in the US. A law that former President Joe Biden signed last year gave ByteDance a deadline of January 19 to sell its US TikTok business or face a ban in the country. President Donald Trump took office on January 20 and swiftly paused enforcement of the law — he has delayed it twice more since then. As things stand, the ban is set to take effect on September 17. In late June, Trump said there was a buyer in place for TikTok's US operations. He claimed that a "group of very wealthy people" is set to buy the app and that the identity of the collective would become clear in "about two weeks" — so around June 13. Trump added that the deal would likely need approval from the Chinese government since ByteDance is based in China, but said on Friday that he was "not confident" of getting it rubber stamped. On Monday, a Chinese government spokesperson dodged a question related to Trump's claims.
Tom's Guide
27-06-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
YouTube just launched new generative AI features that could prove controversial
Google's recent IO event showed how far the company is pushing into AI, with Gemini making its way into just about anything the tech giant touches. And, while some of its efforts have certainly been impressive, AI overviews have remained more of a hindrance than a help in recent months. While they are getting better (at least according to Google), there's still some work to do. Now, they're coming to YouTube to help you more quickly gain information. Here's all we've learned about the new feature and why it could end up proving controversial. YouTube Premium members can now see the new 'AI powered carousels', which are intended to help surface information more quickly. It's a US-only feature for now, but when searching for something related to shopping, places, or things to do, it'll aim to highlight relevant clips from videos in a carousel you can flick through. You can see it in action below. Google's new YouTube blog post says "We're introducing a new AI-powered search results carousel to suggest videos and topic descriptions by creators across YouTube. Imagine searching for 'best beaches in Hawaii' — you could see an AI-generated carousel highlighting clips from videos showcasing the best snorkel spots and volcanic beaches, complete with descriptions and more videos to plan your ideal day." Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. It remains to be seen how creators will react to the announcement. AI Overviews in Google search have seen a decline in clicks for websites because users don't need to visit the source of the information – a contentious subject for website owners and web-based businesses. The potential for a similar effect is obvious – if you get the information you need, will you still watch the video? It's hard to say, but expect discussions to continue in the coming weeks if those view counts drop suddenly. Google is also testing its own chatbot-like conversational AI with more users in "the coming days", it explains. "In the coming days, our conversational AI tool will be expanding to some non-Premium users in the US. Premium members already love it for getting more info, recommendations, and even quizzing themselves on key concepts in academic videos. Try it out to discover new videos or master unknown topics." The chatbot will allow users to ask questions about a video, such as "What is this song?" or "Tell me more about this subject". However things shake out, it's clear Google isn't done with AI by a long shot yet, but as the company faces continuous scrutiny over its practice of AI overviews taking clicks away from websites, it could be a bumpy road.
