As AI gets better, it reveals an empty promise
The Verge AI11 days agoCommentaryThe piece uses Google’s Gemini agent Spark as a starting point: its contextual awareness and task execution are impressive, even unsettling. But the author argues AI productivity tools mostly optimize problems created by modern software and work culture. Better assistants may schedule meetings and organize life, yet they cannot fix wage stagnation, layoffs, affordability, surveillance, or a weak social safety net.
Startup offers free home cleaning if it can record it all for robot training
Ars Technica AI16 days agoBusinessAI training startup Shift is offering free home cleanings while workers wear head-mounted cameras that record household chores. The footage is intended to become training data for domestic robots and related AI systems. The model highlights rising demand for real-world robotics data, while raising privacy questions about recording inside homes.
Pope Leo XIV Issues Encyclical 'Magnifica Humanitas' Warning of AI Risks
The Verge AI20 days agoEthicsPope Leo XIV has issued his first major papal document, "Magnifica Humanitas," focusing on safeguarding humanity in the age of AI. The manifesto warns against the dangers of unconstrained technological power, specifically highlighting the risks of AI-powered warfare and its disruptive effects on labor. The Pope calls for a "profoundly human" approach to navigating these technological shifts.