Read full article about: OpenAI acquires AI finance startup Hiro, which built a "personal AI CFO"
AI startup Hiro, which built a personal AI financial advisor, is shutting down. The team is joining OpenAI, though no acquisition price has been disclosed. Hiro's vision was a "personal AI CFO" (Chief Financial Officer).
Hiro let users input their salary, debts, and monthly expenses, then calculated financial scenarios and explained the results. The company says it helped customers manage more than one billion dollars in assets.
The deal has all the hallmarks of an acqui-hire, an acquisition aimed at the team, not the product. Hiro has stopped accepting new sign-ups and will shut down on April 20, 2026. Users can export their data until May 13, 2026, after which all personal information will be deleted. No user data will transfer to OpenAI.
OpenAI has been working on financial tools within ChatGPT for some time. With the Hiro team on board, the company could move significantly faster on those plans.
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Source: Hiro Finance
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OpenAI's leaked memo says new "Spud" model will make all its products "significantly better"
An internal OpenAI memo lays out five strategic priorities for the enterprise business – including a new model codenamed “Spud,” a platform play for AI agents, and the blunt accusation that Anthropic is overstating its revenue by 8 billion dollars.
Read full article about: Google now offers Ultra subscribers video generation with Veo 3.1 Lite at no extra credit cost
Google is rolling out a new video generation option for Ultra subscribers that won't cost them any additional credits. The "Veo 3.1 - Lite [Lower Priority]" model sits alongside the existing "Veo 3.1 - Fast [Lower Priority]" option and runs at zero credits. Veo 3.1 Lite recently launched as the cheapest and fastest video model in Google's lineup: it costs less than half of what Veo 3.1 Fast charges, but Google says it generates videos just as quickly. It's not yet clear where the quality tradeoffs lie.
On May 10, Google will drop the current "Veo 3.1 Fast - Lower Priority" option and swap it out for the new "Lite - Lower Priority" version. The standard Veo 3.1 Fast model remains fully available at its current price. For Ultra subscribers already paying for their plan, the extra option lets them experiment with more ideas while keeping their credits intact.
If you set aside strong Chinese video models, Google has been running the western AI video space with barely any competition since OpenAI pulled the plug on Sora. Google's advantage over OpenAI is clear: far more resources, particularly on the compute side.
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Read full article about: Steel giants, automakers, and banks plan to build Japan's answer to US and Chinese AI dominance
Softbank is uniting Japan's industrial elite to build the country's own AI foundation, trying to reduce dependence on American and Chinese models.
Eight Japanese corporations, including NEC, Honda, Sony, three major banks, Nippon Steel, and Kobe Steel, have invested in a new Softbank unit. The goal is to develop a foundation model with roughly one trillion parameters by the end of the decade. The project focuses on "Physical AI," meaning artificial intelligence that can autonomously control robots and machinery.
Even large Japanese companies increasingly rely on foundation models from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Alibaba. But as AI handles more sensitive data like the operational status of industrial facilities, concerns about training data flowing to foreign servers are growing, according to Nikkei. All data processing is set to take place on Japanese soil, including at a data center Softbank is building in a former Sharp LCD factory in Sakai, near Osaka.
Through the funding agency NEDO, roughly one trillion yen (about $6.7 billion) is expected to flow into national AI development over the next five years. Softbank's new unit is considered a leading candidate for these funds.
Read full article about: OpenAI opens London office with room for over 500 employees
OpenAI is opening a new office in London with space for more than 500 employees - more than double its current headcount of around 200 in the British capital. According to CNBC, the company has signed a lease for roughly 8,200 square meters in the King's Cross neighborhood, home to Google DeepMind, Meta, Synthesia, and Wayve. Back in February, OpenAI announced plans to make London its largest research hub outside the United States.
The news comes just days after OpenAI paused its UK Stargate infrastructure project due to high energy costs and regulatory hurdles. Talks with project partner Nscale are still ongoing.
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Read full article about: Apple is building smart glasses without a display to serve as an AI wearable
According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is developing smart glasses that skip the display entirely and instead function as an AI wearable. The glasses are part of a three-device strategy - glasses, AirPods, and a camera pendant - all designed to capture the user's surroundings through computer vision and feed that data to Siri and Apple Intelligence. The goal is to enable features like better navigation instructions and visual reminders.
The glasses, internally codenamed N50, are expected to be announced in late 2026 or early 2027 and go on sale the same year. A distinguishing design feature will be vertically oriented oval camera lenses. Unlike Meta, Google, and Samsung, which partner with established eyewear manufacturers, Apple plans to handle the design in-house. The glasses will rely on the new version of Siri shipping with iOS 27.
Apple's former AI chief John Giannandrea is leaving the company for good this week, according to Gurman. His role had already been scaled back in 2025 following the underwhelming rollout of Apple Intelligence.