AI's impact could worsen gaps between world's rich and poor, a UN report says
BANGKOK (AP) — A new report by the United Nations Development Program is urging governments to focus more on how artificial intelligence technologies might affect people already disadvantaged in a data-driven world. The report released Tuesday likens the situation to the “Great Divergence” of the industrial revolution, when many Western countries saw rapid modernization while others fell behind. It notes most of the gains from AI are likely to be reaped by wealthy nations unless steps are taken to use its power to help close gaps in access to basic needs and advanced know-how. The authors of the report are urging that countries adopt a “people first” approach in adopting AI.
AI may be scoring your college essay. Welcome to the new era of admissions
Students applying to college know they're not supposed to use AI chatbots to write their essays. So it might come as a surprise that some schools are now using artificial intelligence to read those essays. That's just one way that AI is entering the college admissions space for many schools starting this fall. Administrators around the country say that 2025 marks a new era in college admissions as AI tools are being incorporated into the way applications are screened, analyzed and scored. Schools like Virginia Tech, the California Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are introducing AI tools in a variety of ways. Some colleges are speaking publicly about it, and others are not.
Shoppers scoured for deals online on Cyber Monday and delivered strong sales for retailers
NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers scoured for deals everything from electronics to clothing on Cyber Monday, delivering strong sales for online retailers and capping a five-day spending spree that kicked off on Thanksgiving. Adobe Analytics reported that as of 6:30 p.m. EST on Monday, U.S. consumers had already spent $9.1 billion online for Cyber Monday, up 4.5% from the same day a year ago. Adobe expects that when the final tally is in, consumers will spend between $13.9 billion and $14.2 billion for the day, making Cyber Monday the biggest online shopping day of the year - and of all time.
Apple Replay is here. What's the No. 1 song on Apple Music’s 2025 songs chart?
NEW YORK (AP) — Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” has topped Apple Music’s global song chart in 2025. The giant music streamer released year-end lists Tuesday and provided listeners with data on their own most listened-to tunes. “APT.” is both artists’ first No. 1 on the year-end global songs chart. They’re followed by Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” in second. Mars makes another appearance, in third, for his collaboration with Lady Gaga, “Die With A Smile.” Also available Tuesday is Replay. That is Apple’s alternative to Spotify’s Wrapped playlist. It allows Apple Music subscribers to engage with their favorite music on the streaming service this year.
India mandates pre-installation of government cyber safety app on all smartphones
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s telecoms ministry has ordered smartphone manufacturers to install a government-run cybersecurity app on all new devices. The order, issued Monday, requires the “Sanchar Saathi” app to be preinstalled within 90 days and prevents users from deleting it. The app is also to be pushed onto older models through software updates. The government says the app aims to block and track lost phones and shut down fraudulent connections. But privacy advocates have expressed concerns over data privacy and user consent. The move may also face resistance from companies like Apple, which prohibits preinstalling third-party apps on its devices.
AI country hit 'Walk My Walk' built on Blanco Brown's sound sparks questions of attribution, ethics
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An AI-generated country song, “Walk My Walk,” recently topped Billboard's country digital song sales chart. It's credited to a fictional artist named Breaking Rust, but the vocal style is based on Grammy-nominated country artist Blanco Brown. Brown was unaware of the song until friends alerted him. The track's success highlights how generative AI is disrupting the music industry, allowing anyone to create songs using models trained on real artists' voices. Brown has since released his own version of the song. He sees this as a legal and cultural issue, emphasizing the unique value real artists bring to music.
Bitcoin briefly dips below $85,000 in crypto rout
Bitcoin and companies tied to cryptocurrencies have extended a nearly two-month swoon, tracking with a broader market sell-off in technology companies that many see as overvalued. Bitcoin slid 5.6% after being down nearly 12% earlier Monday, settling around $86,000. The most-traded cryptocurrency is down about 33% since hitting a record $126,210.50 in early October, according to crypto trading platform Coinbase. Companies that enable investors to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, as well as the growing number of companies who have made investing in bitcoin their main business focus, were also caught up in Monday’s sell-off.
Covet an Italian masterpiece, but shy of the millions? How about a digital copy at supercar prices
MILAN (AP) — Italian cultural officials are offering digital copies of Italian masterpieces as part of a new project to help museums raise money. The nonprofit Save the Artistic Heritage, with its technical partner Cinello, is behind this initiative. They provide digital projections of Italian masterpieces, complete with certificates of authenticity. Participating museums receive 50% of the profits. Over two years, Save the Artistic Heritage has contributed 300,000 euros to Italian museums. Each digital artwork is sold in a limited series of nine. The project aims to help museums access new income streams and expand globally, including plans for the United States.
Harnessing the power of AI to help revolutionize Olympic-level figure skating
A new app designed by a pair of computer scientists aims to revolutionize the way figure skating is judged. The app, called OOFSkate and designed by Jerry Lu and Jacob Blindenbach, uses AI to analyze skaters' jumps and provide feedback on height, rotation speed, airtime and landing quality. This technology aims to automate the technical judging of figure skating while leaving the artistic side to humans. Lu and Blindenbach, who met at the University of Virginia, developed the app to help athletes train better. U.S. Figure Skating supports the project.
AI-assisted shopping is the talk of the holiday shopping season
NEW YORK (AP) — Major retail chains and tech companies are offering new or updated artificial intelligence tools in time for the holiday shopping season. They hope to give consumers an easier gift-buying experience and themselves an augmented share of online spending. Although AI-powered purchases still are in early stages, the shopping assistants and agents rolled out by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and Google can do more than the chatbots of holidays past. The latest versions were designed to provide personalized product recommendations, track prices and to place some orders through unscripted “conversations” with customers.
