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 in practice

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince sees trouble ahead for the open web

AI research

Wait a minute! Researchers say AI's "chains of thought" are not signs of human-like reasoning

AI in practice
Update

US Copyright Office says fair use does not cover AI trained on "vast troves of copyrighted works

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AI in practice
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Google is adding three new AI modes to Firebase Studio. The update introduces "Agent" modes powered by Gemini 2.5: a conversational "Ask" mode, a guided "Agent" mode that acts with user approval, and a fully autonomous "Agent Auto-run" mode that can write and update code on its own. Google says all three modes respect project-specific rules and require user approval for any security-sensitive actions.

Google says that in Agent Auto-run mode, Firebase Studio can generate entire apps or add new features to existing projects with minimal user input. | Video: Google

Firebase Studio now also supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), making it easier to connect external data sources. Developers can access the Gemini command line (CLI) directly in the terminal for tasks like debugging and code management.

AI in practice
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Amazon has secured multi-year licensing deals with Condé Nast and Hearst. Content from magazines like Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and Harper's Bazaar will be added to its AI shopping assistant Rufus, Digiday reports. The move expands Rufus's offerings with trusted editorial content to help shoppers make informed decisions. Condé Nast confirmed the new partnership, following a similar agreement Amazon reached with The New York Times in May, which includes material from NYT Cooking and The Athletic. Financial terms were not disclosed. The first content from these publishers is set to appear in Rufus this summer. Rufus uses Amazon's product catalog and web data to help shoppers make purchasing decisions with AI.

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AI in practice
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Google is rolling out Gemini to smartwatches running Wear OS 4 or later, including devices from Pixel, Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. Users can launch the AI assistant with a voice command, side button, or app icon to get answers right on their wrist - from checking the weather and calendar appointments to reading emails. If permissions are granted, Gemini pulls information from Google services like Gmail, Calendar, and Maps. Voice controls also let users manage reminders and messages.

The feature will be available globally over the next few weeks, with partial support for manufacturer-specific apps coming later with Wear OS 6.

AI in practice
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Anthropic is rolling out new integrations for its Claude AI chatbot, connecting it with the Canvas learning platform, Panopto, and Wiley. Students can access lecture recordings, academic literature, and other course materials directly in Claude. Wiley supplies scientific resources, while Panopto provides lecture transcripts. The integration uses Anthropic's own Model Context Protocol (MCP), and the connection with Canvas is based on the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard.

Anthropic says all conversations are private by default and aren't used for training. Partners include the University of San Francisco School of Law and Northumbria University.

AI in practice
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Perplexity has introduced "Comet," an AI-powered browser designed to replace traditional tabs with an interface that uses LLMs to help users navigate the web. With Comet, users can write emails, plan meetings, compare products, ask questions, or highlight text to get instant explanations. Perplexity says the goal is to make browsing simpler and give people better access to information. Comet will launch first for Perplexity Max subscribers at $200 per month, with access managed through a waitlist and invitation system starting this summer.

Video: Perplexity

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AI in practice
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OpenAI and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a five-year initiative aimed at training 400,000 teachers across the United States to use artificial intelligence in the classroom. OpenAI is contributing $10 million to the effort, with $8 million in direct funding and $2 million in technical support. The goal is to help teachers integrate AI into their teaching, with a special focus on underserved school districts.

The project is backed by additional partners, including Microsoft, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers. The first training center is being built in New York City, with plans to open more by 2030. Teachers will have access to workshops, online courses, and hands-on training, along with priority access to OpenAI tools, technical support, and resources to build their own AI-powered classroom applications.

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CoreWeave is set to acquire data center provider Core Scientific in a share swap deal worth about $9 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025. Core Scientific adds 1.3 gigawatts of existing power capacity, plus more than 1 gigawatt of expansion potential.

CoreWeave, which calls itself an "AI hyperscaler," specializes in cloud infrastructure for compute-intensive AI workloads. By owning its own data centers, the company aims to lower costs and reduce dependence on outside providers as competition heats up in the AI infrastructure market. In March, OpenAI invested $12 billion in CoreWeave. CoreWeave has also reportedly benefited from Microsoft scaling back its own AI data center investments.

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AI in practice

OpenAI launches GPT-5 as a unified system with adaptive reasoning for complex tasks

AI research

Google Deepmind's Genie 3 creates interactive 3D worlds that stay consistent for "multiple minutes"

AI in practice

Google upgrades Gemini with Deep Think and flags early warning risks

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