AI in practice Archive

Jan 5, 2026

Amazon has released the web version of its AI assistant Alexa Plus in early access for users in the US and Canada. Users can sign up at Alexa.com and use the new chatbot directly in their browser. Alexa Plus was already available on new Echo devices and recently rolled out to older Echos as well. A beta test is currently running in Germany.

The web interface lets users upload documents, emails, and images. Alexa Plus can extract information from these files - turning recipes into shopping lists or automatically adding appointments to your calendar. Amazon is also promoting features like automatic meal planning and filling Amazon Fresh carts based on dietary restrictions. Smart home devices can be controlled through the website too. Amazon is also launching a new sidebar for quick access and a redesigned mobile Alexa app.

Comment Source: Amazon

Matthias Bastian

Jan 5, 2026

AI in practice

Microsoft CEO Nadella argues AI's real problem isn't capability but that people haven't learned to use it yet

Maximilian Schreiner

Jan 5, 2026

AI in practice

AI tool catches pancreatic cancer in routine scans before symptoms appear

According to physician Zhu Kelei, AI has definitively saved the lives of patients whose scans were only flagged by PANDA, an AI tool developed by Alibaba researchers. The system analyzes non-contrast CT images – scans where even experienced radiologists can easily miss tumors.

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Matthias Bastian

Jan 4, 2026

Short News

"The exponential continues until it doesn't," says Anthropic President Daniela Amodei, quoting her colleagues. At Anthropic, the team believed every year that this pace couldn't possibly keep up, and yet it did, Amodei says in an interview with CNBC TV. But that's not guaranteed, she adds. Anthropic doesn't know the future either and could be wrong about this assumption.

Economically, things get more complicated, Amodei says (from 15:56). Even if the models keep improving, rolling them out in companies can stall for "human reasons": change management takes time, procurement processes move slowly, and specific use cases often remain unclear. The key question for whether AI is in a bubble comes down to whether the economy can absorb the technology as fast as it's advancing, she suggests.

Comment Source: CNBC via YouTube

Matthias Bastian

Jan 4, 2026

Update

AI in practice

Google engineer says Claude Code built in one hour what her team spent a year on

A senior Google engineer publicly praises Anthropic’s Claude Code: the tool built in one hour what her team spent a year developing. The quality and efficiency gains exceed anything anyone could have imagined, she says. Plus: Claude Code’s creator shares his best workflow tips.

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Matthias Bastian

Jan 3, 2026

AI in practice

"You certainly don't tell a researcher like me what to do" says LeCun as he exits Meta for his own startup

Matthias Bastian

Jan 2, 2026

Short News

Baidu's AI chip division, Kunlunxin, has confidentially filed for an IPO in Hong Kong. The company submitted its application on January 1, setting the stage for a spin-off while keeping Kunlunxin under Baidu's umbrella. According to Reuters, a recent financing round valued the company at around $3 billion. The final size of the offering hasn't been determined yet.

Kunlunxin started as an internal unit back in 2012 and has primarily supplied chips to Baidu. Over the past two years, though, the company has been expanding its customer base beyond its parent company.

The IPO comes as China accelerates efforts to develop homegrown semiconductor alternatives in response to US export restrictions. Kunlunxin isn't alone in eyeing Hong Kong—other Chinese AI and chip companies, including MiniMax, Biren Technology, and OmniVision, are also pursuing listings on the exchange.

Comment Source: Reuters

Matthias Bastian

Jan 2, 2026

Short News

OpenAI has reportedly shifted production of its first AI hardware device from Luxshare to Foxconn. The company wants to avoid manufacturing in China, according to Taiwanese business newspaper Economic Daily News, citing supply chain sources. Instead, production will happen in Vietnam or the US.

The device is still in the design phase and could turn out to be a smart pen or portable audio gadget. It's expected to have a microphone and camera, letting users transfer handwritten notes directly to ChatGPT. The company is aiming for a launch in 2026 or 2027, and according to the newspaper, Foxconn would handle all OpenAI orders, from cloud infrastructure to consumer devices. OpenAI is calling the project "Gumdrop" internally.

The Financial Times reported on technical problems with the project back in October, including software bugs, privacy issues, and missing cloud infrastructure.

Comment Source: Economic Daily News

Matthias Bastian

Jan 1, 2026

Short News

OpenAI is building its planned ChatGPT hardware around conversation. To make that work, the company is pouring resources into improving its audio AI models, according to The Information. Over the past two months, OpenAI has combined several internal teams to focus on audio.

Right now, OpenAI's audio models can't match the accuracy and response speed of their text-based counterparts, according to current and former employees. A new audio model architecture in development aims to sound more natural and emotional, deliver more accurate answers, and handle real-time back-and-forth conversation. OpenAI is targeting a release in the first quarter of 2026. Kundan Kumar, a researcher the company recruited from Character.AI, is leading the effort.

The actual devices are likely a long way off. OpenAI is reportedly working on several products, including glasses and a smart speaker without a screen. Last year, the company acquired io, the startup cofounded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, for nearly $6.5 billion to help with development. The goal behind all this hardware is to build a "super AI assistant" that becomes as central to daily life as the smartphone.

Comment Source: The Information

Matthias Bastian

Jan 1, 2026

Short News

Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI, the company behind the Kimi chatbot, has closed a $500 million Series C funding round. The deal values the company at $4.3 billion, according to an exclusive report from LatePost. IDG led the round with $150 million, while existing investors including Alibaba, Tencent, and Wang Huiwen also participated.

CEO Yang Zhilin said in an internal letter that the company now holds more than $1.4 billion in cash. The funds will go toward expanding computing capacity and developing the K3 model. An insider says this cushion means Moonshot AI isn't rushing to go public, unlike Zhipu and MiniMax, two other Chinese AI startups pushing for IPOs. In September, Moonshot AI launched its "OK Computer" agent feature and a subscription model. According to Yang, paying users are growing 170 percent month over month.

This year, Moonshot AI made waves with its Kimi-K2-Thinking model, an open-source reasoning model that held its own against proprietary competitors.

Comment Source: LatePost