Author HubMatthias Bastian

Matthias is the co-founder and publisher of THE DECODER, exploring how AI is fundamentally changing the relationship between humans and computers.
AI research
Update

So-called reasoning models are more efficient but not more capable than regular LLMs, study finds

AI in practice

Google leans on token metrics, not revenue, adding to bubble talk about AI growth

AI and society

The long-predicted deepfake dystopia has arrived with Sora 2

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AI in practice
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This weekend, Google is giving users three free video generations with its AI video tool Veo 3 in the Gemini app. Veo can create short AI videos with sound and is currently the most realistic video model on the market. The promotion runs until Sunday, August 24, at 10:00 p.m. PT.

A humorous 8-second short video portraying a community theater-style play about AI video generation overheating Google's AI chips. | Video: Veo 3 prompted by THE DECODER

Normally, Veo is only available to paid Gemini users, starting at around $20 per month, or through the API for about 50 cents per second. Google could be using this promotion to test the system's stability ahead of a wider release. Since Veo launched, users have generated millions of videos, according to Google, though this activity isn't mentioned in the company's latest AI energy report.

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AI in practice
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ElevenLabs has released Eleven v3 (alpha), an updated text-to-speech model now available through the API. The new version adds more expressive options, additional controls, and support for over 70 languages. Key changes include a dialog mode that can handle any number of speakers and new audio tags for controlling emotion and voice.

Video: Elevenlabs

The Eleven v3 (alpha) API works with a free account, though some features may require payment. Technical details and examples are in the official documentation. New users can register for free.

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AI in practice
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Yann LeCun, Meta's AI icon and longtime head of the FAIR research group, will now report to 28-year-old Alexandr Wang. Wang, who founded Scale AI, was recently tapped to lead the new Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL), which is focused on building superintelligent AI.

With this shake-up, Meta is shutting down its former AGI department. LeCun's FAIR will continue as the company's main research hub, developing new ideas that can later be used to train larger models.

Alongside FAIR, Meta is setting up three additional teams: a small group focused on large models (TBD Lab), a unit for product-focused research, and a central team for technical infrastructure. According to Wang's internal memo, the goal is to tightly link all these groups to accelerate Meta's research and development.

AI in practice
Short

After the rocky rollout of GPT-5, Sam Altman is trying to shift the narrative by focusing on GPT-6. While it took two and a half years to move from GPT-4 to GPT-5, OpenAI now wants to ship GPT-6 on a faster timeline. Altman says the big breakthrough will be memory: the next model should remember user preferences, habits, ideologies, and even tone of voice.

For now, ChatGPT remains OpenAI's main product for consumers. But Altman sees limits to how much further chat-based AI can go. "They won't get much better—maybe even worse," he told CNBC.

OpenAI's bet beyond chatbots is on agentic systems that can perform complex tasks over long periods of time. These systems aren't necessarily better small talkers, which is likely what Altman is getting at.

AI in practice
Short

Google is adding new AI features to the Pixel 10 lineup. The Tensor G5 chip, built with Google DeepMind, lets Google's Gemini Nano language model run directly on the device for the first time. Magic Cue relies on Gemini Nano to connect information from apps like Gmail and Calendar, suggesting actions such as displaying an address from a calendar event in Android Messages.

Video: Google

Voice Translate can interpret phone calls in real time in eleven languages. Take a Message transcribes missed calls and suggests next steps. Gemini Live adds visual support through the camera, but it's not new. Other updates include AI notes, a private journal, writing help in Gboard, and music generation from voice recordings. Pixel 10 Pro, Pro XL, and Fold buyers get a year of Google AI Pro with Imagen 4 and Veo 3.

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AI research

Researchers push "Context Engineering 2.0" as the road to lifelong AI memory

AI and society

German court deepens the split on AI and copyright with its latest ruling

AI and society
Comment

OpenAI and Microsoft call AGI pointless, then make it the linchpin of billion-dollar deals

Google News