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: OpenAI's GPT-5.2 Pro solves math problems that stumped every AI model before it

OpenAI has a new math champion. GPT-5.2 Pro just set a record on the notoriously difficult FrontierMath benchmark, according to testing by Epoch AI. The model hit 31 percent on the hardest tier (Tier 4) - a major leap from Gemini 3 Pro's previous best of 19 percent. Epoch AI ran the tests manually through the ChatGPT website because of API issues.

GPT-5.2 Pro scored 31 percent on FrontierMath Tier 4, outpacing Gemini 3 Pro (19 percent) and GPT-5.2 xhigh (17 percent). | Image: Epoch AI

GPT-5.2 Pro cracked 15 of 48 tasks, including four problems no model had solved before. Several mathematicians gave the solutions mostly positive reviews, though some criticized the lack of precision in certain explanations.

The benchmark results line up with recent reports about AI models—particularly GPT-5-Thinking and -Pro—proving genuinely useful for tackling mathematical problems. GPT-5 has reportedly solved Erdős problems on its own and helped researchers work through others. Still, renowned mathematician Terence Tao cautions against drawing premature conclusions.

Read full article about: Google Photos now lets you turn your selfies into AI-generated memes

Google Photos is rolling out a new AI feature called "Me Meme" in the US. The tool lets users create personalized memes using their own photos. Users pick a template from the available options or upload their own image, then add a photo of themselves. Google's generative AI combines these to create a meme that can be saved or shared on other platforms.

Google's Me Meme feature turns your photos into personalized memes using generative AI. | via X

The feature is available in the Google Photos app under "Create." Google hasn't said when Me Meme will launch outside the US. More details are available on the Google support page.

Read full article about: OpenAI developer predicts programmers will soon "declare bankruptcy" on understanding their own AI-generated code

An OpenAI developer known by the pseudonym "roon" has a blunt prediction for the future of software development: many developers at software companies will soon openly admit they no longer fully understand the code they're submitting. Eventually, this will cause system failures that are harder to debug than usual but will still get fixed in the end, roon writes, adding that he doesn't "write code anymore."

OpenAI developer "roon" predicts a cultural shift where programmers "declare bankruptcy" on understanding their own code. | Screenshot via X

The prediction cuts to the heart of an ongoing debate: Is AI-assisted programming a fundamental shift in how developers work, or a risky breaking point? Some enthusiasts point to massive productivity gains, while critics fear growing dependencies and bugs that slip through undetected.

A developer survey from summer 2025 captures this split: only 33 percent of developers trust AI-generated code, yet 84 percent are already using AI tools or plan to start. As usual, the truth probably lands somewhere in the middle.

Google Deepmind goes on acquisition spree with three AI deals in one week

Google’s AI shopping spree reveals a well-known playbook for expanding market power: instead of outright acquisitions that trigger antitrust scrutiny, the company is scooping up top talent, licensing key technologies, and forging strategic partnerships with former employees.

OpenAI CMO responds to "Woke AI" accusations by citing co-founder Brockman's $25 million MAGA donation

OpenAI’s head of marketing is pushing back against accusations that the company is “Woke AI,” pointing to $25 million in MAGA donations from co-founder Greg Brockman – and to her own marriage to a cattle rancher. The trigger: a new hire with Democratic ties.

Read full article about: Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok flooded X with millions of sexualized images

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok generated at least 1.8 million sexualized images of women and posted them on X over just nine days. That's according to the New York Times and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which conducted a data analysis. The CCDH estimates that roughly 65 percent of the images contained sexualized depictions of men, women, or children.

  Count in sample Out of 20,000 sampled (based on AI-assisted analysis) Share of sample Percentage of 20,000 sampled (based on AI-assisted analysis) Estimated Total on X
Extrapolated estimate (based on overall total of 4.6m images made by Grok)
Sexualized Images (Adults &
Children)
12,995 65% 3,002,712
Sexualized Images
(Likely Children)
101 0.5% 23,338

The flood of images started on December 31 after Musk shared a bikini picture of himself that Grok had created. Users quickly figured out they could ask the chatbot to undress or sexualize real photos of women and children. X didn't restrict the feature until January 8 and expanded those restrictions last week after authorities in the UK, India, Malaysia, and the US launched investigations.