General

California is positioning 2026 as a major year for AI leadership, with a mix of new laws, regulatory efforts, workforce initiatives, and policy debates shaping how the state navigates the technology’s benefits and risks. The Transparency in Frontier AI Act (SB 53) — which took effect January 1 — requires major AI developers to be more transparent about safety ....

Apple and Google have entered a multi-year agreement for Google’s Gemini AI models to power a revamped version of Apple’s Siri and future Apple Intelligence features later in 2026, marking a major expansion of their existing collaboration and a strategic boost for Google in the AI race with OpenAI. Apple chose Gemini after evaluating AI technologies, planning to use ....

The article reports that advances in generative AI now allow systems to design novel proteins and DNA sequences with growing speed and accuracy, raising urgent biosecurity concerns among scientists. While these tools promise major benefits for medicine, materials science, and disease research, experts warn they could also lower barriers to creating harmful biological agents if misused. Researchers argue that ....

The article argues that a people-first strategy is becoming a major driver of financial growth heading into 2026, especially as companies navigate economic uncertainty and rapid technological change. It suggests that organizations investing in employee well-being, purpose, and long-term development are seeing stronger performance, higher retention, and greater resilience than those focused solely on short-term profits. Rather than treating ....

The article explains that rather than disappearing entirely, entry-level roles are being redefined by AI and the workers who embrace it. Some employers, like the CEO of an AI legal services startup, say they’re now seeking fresh college grads with an “AI-first mindset,” because those employees can automate tasks and produce output far beyond traditional expectations, even without prior ....

The piece highlights how Wheel the World, a travel startup focused on accessibility, is using conversational AI to make travel planning easier for people with disabilities and other accessibility needs. The company — known for helping users find and book accessible hotels, tours, and experiences worldwide — is developing an AI chatbot that delivers detailed accessibility information and guidance ....

AI is reshaping travel marketing by enabling brands to respond faster and smarter to evolving traveler behavior, especially shorter booking windows and shifting search patterns. Marketers are increasingly using AI to analyze performance data, spot real-time patterns, personalize messages, automate content creation, and optimize bids across channels to improve ROI and relevance. AI tools help tailor campaigns to segmented ....

The article explains that while leaders approach AI from very different perspectives, ranging from innovation and growth to risk management and ethics, they all share a common responsibility to act decisively. It argues that avoiding AI or delegating it entirely to technical teams is no longer viable, because AI now affects strategy, culture, and competitiveness. The piece highlights that ....

United Airlines is rolling out new AI powered features in its mobile app to make navigating airports easier and reduce stress during travel. The updates include personalized, step by step directions through airports, real time guidance to gates, lounges, and baggage claim, and proactive alerts that adjust if conditions change, such as delays or gate switches. The app can ....

Zoom has released AI Companion 3.0, the latest version of its AI assistant designed to help users go from conversation to completion by turning meeting discussions, chats, and documents into actionable summaries, follow-up tasks, drafts, and insights. The update introduces a browser-based interface and agentic workflows that automate multi-step work like task creation, document drafting, and research across Zoom ....

Amazon announced a broad set of AI updates at AWS re Invent 2025, focusing on making enterprise AI easier to adopt while boosting performance, security, and cost efficiency. The company introduced improvements to Amazon Bedrock, new generative AI features across AWS services, and upgraded infrastructure designed to speed up model training and deployment. Several tools were added to help ....

Andrew Ng explained that he often uses AI as a “brainstorming companion” while driving, using voice-mode chats to have extended back-and-forth conversations rather than quick one-shot prompts. He switches among different AI tools especially ones like Claude Code and OpenAI Codex—to leverage each model’s different strengths for tasks such as coding. He finds that long, context-rich interactions yield better ....

Warner Music Group and Suno have formed a partnership that brings together a major music company and one of the leading AI-music generation platforms. The deal allows Warner Music’s artists to use Suno’s technology to experiment with new creative tools, generate ideas, and explore AI-assisted songwriting in a way that stays aligned with industry standards and protects artists’ interests. ....

The survey outlines the current landscape of U.S. travel advisors based on responses from more than fifteen hundred professionals, most of whom are home based independent contractors working as owners or managers. The respondents skew older and predominantly female, with many running long established agencies while a large share of home based advisors are relatively new to the profession. ....

Most Americans are worried about how companies collect and use their data, and recent events like the 23andMe breach and bankruptcy have intensified fears about privacy, consent, and who ultimately controls sensitive information such as genetic profiles. Growing unease over AI systems, which can absorb personal details about people who never directly interact with them, is adding to the ....

Waymo announced that it is now offering rides on freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The rollout includes full-Peninsula coverage from San Francisco down to San Jose and curbside service at San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC). They highlight that these freeway trips follow millions of logged real-world miles and have been coordinated with ....

AI is reshaping the job market by increasing demand for workers who can use or build AI tools. Employers now value practical AI skills more than formal degrees, especially in fields like marketing, operations, and software. Many companies expect employees to use AI daily, yet most workers still lack training. This gap is driving new corporate learning programs and ....

Apple is reportedly in late-stage talks to acquire the talent and technology from Prompt AI, a computer vision startup. The deal would bring Prompt’s engineers into Apple, and fold Prompt’s visual intelligence work into Apple’s products. Prompt’s existing “Seemour” app for smart home cameras is being retired, and users will be notified their data will be deleted. Some employees ....

Advancements in autonomous vehicle technology are expected to dramatically lower operating costs for self-driving car fleets, primarily through more durable systems, improved efficiencies, and reduced research needs. As a result, the cost per mile for these vehicles could drop from over $8 to just above $1 in the near future. This significant reduction is likely to make autonomous vehicles ....