Apple beats out earnings estimates with continued iPhone momentum
Apple has posted strong quarterly earnings, beating out Wall Street expectations. The January-March results show continued momentum in iPhone sales. CEO Tim Cook said it was the company's best March quarter ever, with double-digit growth across every geographic segment. Apple earned $29.58 billion, or $2.01 per share, up about 22% from a year earlier. Revenue rose about 17% to $111.18 billion, exceeding analyst expectations. Investors are also focused on the upcoming CEO change and the company's AI strategy. Cook announced earlier this month he will step down, with John Ternus taking over later this year.
Elon Musk spars with OpenAI attorney in trial over company's evolution from a nonprofit
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Elon Musk on Thursday sparred with an attorney for OpenAI during his third day of testimony in the contentious trial over the company’s pivot from nonprofit status to a for-profit venture valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. The trial centers on the 2015 birth of the ChatGPT maker as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk. It pits the world’s richest person against Sam Altman, a fellow OpenAI co-founder he accuses of betraying promises to keep the company as a nonprofit dedicated to humanity’s benefit. On the stand, Musk has taken issue with the cross-examination by opposing attorney William Savitt, accusing him of asking misleading questions.
Meta raises specter of shutting down service to New Mexico in legal clash over child safety
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Meta is raising the prospect of shutting down social media services in New Mexico in response to a push by state prosecutors for fundamental changes to platforms, including Instagram, to protect the mental health and safety of children. The possibility emerged Thursday amid legal gamesmanship in the runup to a bench trial next week on allegations that Meta poses a public nuisance. In a court filing and public statement, Meta said it was unfeasible for the company to meet proposed requirements. Prosecutors are seeking a series of changes to social media platforms for child accounts aimed at reining in compulsive use and preventing child sexual exploitation.
Teens embrace social media and influencers for news but remain skeptical
NEW YORK (AP) — A new survey finds teenagers are more likely to get news from nontraditional sources like social media and influencers than their elders are. Experts say that's likely heralding a generational shift in how people seek out information. The results are from the Media Insight Project. The survey finds 57% of teenagers get daily news from social media, compared with 36% of adults. Similarly, 57% of teens get some news from influencers, compared with 43% of adults. The new poll points to the pervasiveness of social media in teenagers’ lives and shows how more teens are consuming their news from these platforms or independent content creators, rather than directly from national or local news sources.
From grading papers to decoding jargon, here are some ways people are putting AI to work
NEW YORK (AP) — As artificial intelligence permeates workplaces, it's changing the nature of jobs and how people do them. The Associated Press spoke to people from different industries about how they use AI at work. A product manager asks AI to clarify technical terms she didn't understand during meetings. An elementary school teacher uses AI to create lesson plans and grade papers. A product design team employed AI to try out different beard lengths on the Brawny paper towel man. Some daily users of the technology say they are concerned that overuse could erode critical thinking skills. Others stressed that AI-assisted work needs to be checked carefully because the tools can make mistakes.
The AP Interview: Ukraine bets on battlefield AI as the race for weapons autonomy intensifies
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is accelerating the use of artificial intelligence to retain an edge on the battlefield, as the war with Russia enters a new technological phase. In an interview with The Associated Press, the head of a new AI defense agency, Danylo Tsvok said AI is helping Ukraine hold ground while reducing risks to soldiers. He cautioned that full integration of autonomous systems could take three to five years. Ukraine is testing drone swarm technology and expanding robotic ground platforms and data-sharing partnerships with Western allies. Officials say the goal is faster decision-making and coordinated defense – not creating fully autonomous weapons – as AI becomes central to modern warfare.
Roblox to require facial scans for children under 16 in Indonesia due to new social media rules
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Roblox, a gaming platform popular with kids, says kids under 16 in Indonesia must undergo facial scans to verify their age. This follows new restrictions on minors' use of digital platforms in the country. Roblox is launching age-based accounts: Roblox Kids for ages 5 to 12 with no chat features, Roblox Select for ages 9 to 15, and Roblox Kids for ages 13 to 15 with limited chat. The rollout involves transitioning 23 million accounts using facial scanning. Indonesia's regulations aim to protect children from addiction and online risks.
Solar ranch in Tennessee aims to prove grazing cattle under the panels is a farmland win-win
CHRISTIANA, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee solar developer is betting that cattle-grazing and solar panels can coexist — and benefit farmers as well as the electric grid. Silicon Ranch has debuted a 40-acre solar and cattle farm outside of Nashville, where it will spend the next year working to prove the concept works, and persuading farmers to give it a try. It's fairly common now to see sheep grazing at solar sites, but cattle have been too big to fit safely underneath. Silicon Ranch has developed a software system that rotates the panels close to horizontal when cattle are grazing, giving them room to roam.
Alphabet's first-quarter profit soars as Google's big AI bets help push stock to new highs
Google’s transition into the era of artificial intelligence continued to pay off for its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., which on Wednesday announced another quarter of the stellar growth that helped to more than double its already lofty market value during the past year. Alphabet earned $62.6 billion, or $5.11 per share, during the January-March period, an 81% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 22% from last year to $109.9 billion. Both numbers easily surpassed the analyst projections that steer investors. Alphabet's stock price rose by more than 6% in extended trading, putting the shares on trajectory toward a new peak in Thursday's regular trading.
Amazon touts a 'major expansion' with OpenAI as Microsoft ties loosen
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Amazon announced what it called a “major expansion” of its partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI on Tuesday, a day after the artificial intelligence company said it was loosening its ties to longtime backer Microsoft. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the collaboration with Amazon’s cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, would involve co-developing a new platform for AI agents that can do computer-based work on people’s behalf. Altman spoke via prerecorded video message to an Amazon event in San Francisco at the same time as he was appearing in federal court across San Francisco Bay in Oakland for a civil trial brought by rival OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk.
