President Donald Trump will host a high-powered list of tech CEOs for a dinner at the White House. The White House says Thursday’s guest list includes Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and a dozen other executives from the biggest artificial intelligence and tech firms. One notable absence from the guest list is Elon Musk, once a close ally Trump tasked with running the government-slashing Department of Government Efficiency. Musk had a public breakup with the Republican president. Some dinner guests also are expected to participate in a meeting of the White House’s Artificial Intelligence Education task force, chaired by first lady Melania Trump.
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Politicians are increasingly blaming artificial intelligence to dodge accountability for embarrassing situations. AI can't defend itself, making it an easy target. This tactic is known as “the liar's dividend,” where the untruthful benefit when truth is hard to discern. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump dismissed a viral video of someone tossing something out a White House window as “probably AI.” Experts warn this practice can be dangerous, eroding trust in real evidence. Polls show many Americans are wary of AI, with concerns about its use in spreading fake information. This trend could lead to a future where accountability is lost.
AP Wire
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a shake-up of Google’s search engine in an attempt to curb the corrosive power of an illegal monopoly while rebuffing the U.S. government’s attempt to break up the company and impose other restraints. The 226-page decision made by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., will likely ripple across the technological landscape at a time when the industry is being reshaped by artificial intelligence breakthroughs — including conversational “answer engines” as companies like ChatGPT and Perplexity try to upend Google’s long-held position as the internet’s main gateway.
AP Wire
OpenAI and Meta are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers showing signs of distress. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, plans to introduce new controls for parents to link their accounts to their teen's account. Parents can choose which features to disable and receive notifications if their teen is in distress. The company says ChatGPT will redirect distressing conversations to more capable AI models. An attorney for parents who sued OpenAI for the wrongful death of their teenager criticized the changes as insufficient. Meta also says it is blocking its chatbots from discussing self-harm and suicide with teens, directing them to expert resources.
President Donald Trump claims a video showing items being tossed from a White House window is fake and created with AI, though his press team earlier seemed to confirm the video's authenticity. Trump said Tuesday that the windows are sealed and too heavy to open. The video, which circulated Monday, shows a small black bag and a long white item being thrown from a window. The White House told several news outlets that inquired about the video that it was a “contractor who was doing regular maintenance while the President was gone.” The White House has not addressed the discrepancy.
Geoffrey Hinton is sounding the alarm about the risks of artificial intelligence. He believes AI could become a superintelligent entity that might threaten humanity. Known as the “Godfather of AI,” Hinton has voiced concerns since leaving Google in 2023. He urges public awareness to pressure politicians for regulation. Some tech leaders, like OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei, describe AI in almost divine terms. Others, like Ray Kurzweil, predict humans will merge with AI, enhancing intelligence. While some praise AI's potential, skeptics like Max Tegmark caution against unregulated development, fearing hubris in the tech industry.
As the rapid, unregulated development of artificial intelligence continues, the language people in Silicon Valley use to describe it is becoming increasingly religious. Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel Prize winner, suggests that creating thinking machines might challenge religious beliefs about human uniqueness. Mark Zuckerberg notes that some in tech view AI as a god-like creation. Some, like Ray Kurzweil, are predicting a transhumanist apocalypse where people merge with AI by 2045. Others, like Dylan Baker, are more skeptical. This blending of technology and spirituality reflects the profound impact AI is having in Silicon Valley.
Stocks edged higher ahead of a closely watched earnings report from Nvidia. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Wednesday, beating the all-time high it set two weeks ago. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%. Investors see Nvidia’s quarterly report as a barometer for the strength of the boom in artificial intelligence because the company makes most of the chips that power the technology. Cracker Barrel climbed 8% after scrapping plans to change its logo following an uproar on social media that even drew a comment from President Trump. Treasury yields fell in the bond market.
Nvidia's quarterly sales, profit top analyst forecasts, but stock slides amid fears of artificial intelligence bubble.
AP Wire
Melania Trump is inviting students in grades K-12 to participate in a government-sponsored nationwide contest using artificial intelligence. The goal is to help them get comfortable with AI and to use it to solve issues in their communities. The first lady announced the Presidential AI Challenge in a video on Tuesday. Students who sign up at AI.gov starting Tuesday will be required to complete a project using an artificial intelligence method or tool. Submissions are due by the end of December. Regional competitions will be held in the spring, followed by a White House event with the national winners.