technology
OpenAI shuffles executive roles, acquires Statsig for $1.1 billion
OpenAI has started to build out its Applications team under Fidji Simo, its new CEO of Applications, who left her former position as Instacart’s CEO to start in the executive role on August 18th. On Tuesday, the company confirmed it’s shuffling executive roles, bringing on a new CTO of applications, and acquiring a product analytics […]
Google is having ‘productive discussions’ with Trump lawyers about his deplatforming suit
Critics of Big Tech and President Donald Trump are on high alert as Google and President Donald Trump’s legal teams are engaged in what look like potential settlement discussions. Lawyers for Trump and Google’s YouTube recently told a federal judge they “continue to engage in productive discussions regarding next steps” in a lawsuit Trump filed […]
Google Play Games is about to show people what you play
Google is updating user profiles for its Play Games service on Android devices to display gaming stats, achievements, and social features. The changes include a suite of new capabilities for “showcasing and tracking your game progress and stats, new ways to build your gaming community, and allowing you to tailor your profile to your liking,” […]
Is AI the end of software engineering or the next step in its evolution?
The first time I used ChatGPT to code, back in early 2023, I was reminded of "The Monkey's Paw," a classic horror story about an accursed talisman that grants wishes, but always by the most malevolent path - the desired outcome arrives after exacting a brutal cost elsewhere first. With the same humorless literalness, ChatGPT […]
Silksong is only $19.99
Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry’s sequel to Hollow Knight that has been in development for seven years, is releasing later this week for just $19.99. Silksong’s highly-anticipated launch on September 4th comes with a modest $5 bump over Hollow Knight’s original $14.99 price tag. While Team Cherry could have charged more for Silksong, it’s essentially […]
Hell Is Us is a cryptic and ambitious meditation on the horrors of war
The opening hours of Hell Is Us are brilliantly confusing. The game tasks you with getting up to speed on a complicated civil war between the Palomists and Sabinians. A deluge of proper nouns is unleashed: Lymbic weaponry, Guardian Detectors, and more. But the clearest way the game communicates that you should feel utterly dumbfounded […]
Chatbots can be manipulated through flattery and peer pressure
Generally, AI chatbots are not supposed to do things like call you names or tell you how to make controlled substances. But, just like a person, with the right psychological tactics, it seems like at least some LLMs can be convinced to break their own rules. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania deployed tactics described […]
The Verge’s favorite gifts for book lovers
What do you gift somebody who loves books? The obvious answer is "a book," but since true bibliophiles are probably sitting on a stack already, it's worth getting a little more creative. Luckily for you, many of us at The Verge are big bookworms ourselves, which is why we rounded up a bunch of clever, […]
Meta is struggling to rein in its AI chatbots
Meta is changing some of the rules governing its chatbots two weeks after a Reuters investigation revealed disturbing ways in which they could, potentially, interact with minors. Now the company has told TechCrunch that its chatbots are being trained not to engage in conversations with minors around self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating, and to avoid […]
AI agents are science fiction not yet ready for primetime
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things AI, follow Hayden Field. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started It all started with J.A.R.V.I.S. Yes, that J.A.R.V.I.S. The one from […]
Verizon’s ‘software issue’ has disconnected many wireless customers across the US
Verizon has confirmed to customers in stores and online that its network is having an issue on Saturday. Many people have been unable to connect and make or receive calls for hours, while DownDetector’s tracker peaked in the afternoon at around 3:30PM ET with more than 20,000 reports. Some customers report their service has continued […]
No, a Windows update probably didn’t brick your SSD
For the last week or two, reports have been circulating that recent Windows 11 updates (specifically KB5063878 and KB5062660) were causing some SSDs using Phison controllers to fail. Tech influencers on YouTube and TikTok were quick to jump on the reports of corrupted data and disappearing drives, laying the blame squarely at Microsoft’s feet. We’re […]
