Ad
Skip to content

Matthias Bastian

Matthias is the co-founder and publisher of THE DECODER, exploring how AI is fundamentally changing the relationship between humans and computers.
Read full article about: Columbia University launches tracker for AI deals and lawsuits from media companies

AI is reshaping the media landscape. Some companies are striking partnerships, others are fighting back against alleged copyright infringement, and some are doing both. To keep track of this shifting terrain, Columbia University's Tow Center has launched an "AI Deals and Disputes Tracker." The tool, part of the center's "Platforms and Publishers" project, monitors the evolving relationship between news publishers and AI companies by documenting lawsuits, business deals, and financial grants based on publicly available information.

The tracker lists major agreements and disputes between publishers and AI companies. | Image: Tow Center

The Tow Center says the overview gets updated at the start of each month, with the most recent data from December 12, 2025. The goal is to give readers a clear picture of the legal and economic shifts happening across the industry. Klaudia Jaźwińska compiles the data and welcomes tips on missing developments to keep the tracker up to date.

Comment Source: Tow
Read full article about: Google improves "Search Live" with new AI voice

Google has updated the voice for "Search Live." A new Gemini audio model powers the feature, producing responses that sound more natural and fluid, according to a blog post. Search Live lets users have real-time conversations while displaying relevant websites. The feature is part of Google Search's "AI Mode".

The update rolls out to all Search Live users in the US over the coming week. Users can open the Google app on Android or iOS, tap the Live icon, and speak their question.

The update fits into Google's broader push to build a voice-controlled assistant capable of handling everyday tasks—a goal shared by OpenAI and other major AI companies.

Read full article about: Meta is reportedly ditching open Llama models for Avocado, a closed model built for direct sales

According to Bloomberg's sources, Meta is shifting its focus to a new AI model codenamed "Avocado," with a release potentially coming next spring. Avocado is expected to launch as a closed model, letting the company sell access directly. This marks a major shift from Meta's established open-model strategy. Internally, the open-source approach reportedly lost steam after the disappointing performance of Llama 4. Management is betting big on Alexandr Wang, who joined Meta following the company's deal with Scale AI.

The development process involves some surprising ingredients. According to Bloomberg, the team is training Avocado using several external models, including Google's Gemma, OpenAI's gpt-oss, and Alibaba's Qwen. Using Chinese technology clashes with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's previous warnings about Chinese censorship.