After Pope Francis' death, AI-generated images and videos resurfaced online, including a rainbow Pride flag depiction and a puffer coat image that went viral in 2023. These were joined by new, maliciously spread fakes in multiple languages, including one showing the pope's body in an open casket. Cybersecurity company Check Point reported that these images circulated alongside scams and fraudulent websites. The pope had warned against such deception just before his death, stating that AI technologies can be used to manipulate minds.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2025/04/26/ai-generated-fakes-and-conspiracy-theories-fuel-misinformation-campaigns-pope-francis-opposed-following-his-death/174559The US government is taking AI-driven scams and fraud seriously ahead of the May 2025 midterm elections, with deepfakes being a major concern. Cybercrime watchdogs are worried about hyper-realistic manipulations that can fool facial and voice verification systems, using techniques such as virtual cameras, image substitution, buffer attacks, and voice cloning.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/04/27/business/sunday-business-it/protecting-against-ai-enabled-scams-deepfakes/2099916Elon Musk's XAI Holdings is in talks with investors to raise approximately $20 billion in funding for its combined artificial intelligence and social media business, surpassing the second-largest startup funding round of all time, according to data provider PitchBook.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/private-equity/elon-musks-xai-holdings-is-in-discussions-to-raise-20-billionElon Musk's xAI Holdings is in talks with investors to raise approximately $20 billion in funding for its combined artificial intelligence and social media business, valued at over $120 billion. The deal comes after xAI acquired X, a social media platform formerly known as Twitter, in a $33 billion transaction last month.
https://channelnewsasia.com/business/elon-musks-xai-holdings-talks-raise-20-billion-investors-bloomberg-news-reports-5090786Chinese President Xi Jinping challenged the notion that US sanctions hinder China's AI development, citing OpenAI's ChatGPT as a breakthrough. He emphasized the need to strengthen basic research, master core technologies, and build an independent AI system. Xi also called for accelerated AI regulations and laws to ensure safety, reliability, and controllability, while advocating for international governance and cooperation on AI.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40359630/chinas-xi-calls-for-self-sufficiency-in-ai-development-amid-us-rivalryChinese President Xi Jinping challenged the notion that US sanctions hinder China's AI sector, citing OpenAI's ChatGPT as evidence of China's lagging behind. He emphasized the need to strengthen basic research, master core technologies, and develop an independent AI system. Xi also called for accelerated AI regulations and laws to ensure safety, reliability, and controllability, while advocating for international governance and cooperation on AI.
https://channelnewsasia.com/asia/chinas-xi-calls-self-sufficiency-ai-development-amid-us-rivalry-5090966Research institute Epoch AI warns that companies building AI-powered supercomputers may face power constraints by 2030 due to growing demands for energy and hardware costs. The leading AI supercomputer in June 2030 is expected to require 2 million AI chips, cost $200 billion, and consume 9GW of power, equivalent to nine nuclear reactors. To overcome this challenge, companies might shift to decentralized training approaches, distributing their training across multiple locations. Since 2019, AI supercomputers' computation performance has grown 2.5 times per year, while their power requirements and hardware costs have doubled annually. Companies like xAI's Colossus with 200,000 AI chips are already pushing the limits of current industrial facilities.
https://www.pymnts.com/artificial-intelligence-2/2025/ai-supercomputers-may-run-into-power-constraints-by-2030/Apple is reportedly planning to strip its secret robotics unit from its AI chief, John Giannandrea, weeks after moving Siri's development to the unit. The move comes as Apple continues to expand its presence in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/apple-to-strip-secret-robotics-unit-from-ai-chief-weeks-after-moving-siri-11745525893496.htmlThe California Supreme Court is urging the State Bar to provide details on how artificial intelligence (AI) was used to draft questions for the February Bar Exam. The court's request comes after it discovered that AI was used, but justices were not informed about this. The State Bar has petitioned to adjust applicants' scores, and the court wants to know how and why AI was utilized in developing the new exam questions.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/artificial-intelligence/california-supreme-court-wants-bar-to-explain-ai-exam-questions