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Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, has reached a major milestone, crossing more than 750 million monthly active users worldwide. The figure was disclosed as part of Google’s fourth-quarter 2025 financial results and highlights how quickly the assistant has gained mainstream traction in an increasingly competitive AI landscape. Just one quarter earlier, Gemini reported around 650 million monthly users. The jump of 100 million users in such a short time signals strong momentum and growing consumer interest. While other AI platforms are also expanding, Gemini has now pulled ahead of Meta AI, which recently reported close to 500 million monthly users. That…

Amazon has officially expanded access to Alexa+, its next-generation AI assistant, making it available to users across the United States. Starting this week, all Prime members can use Alexa+ at no additional cost on supported devices. Non-Prime users can also try Alexa+ for free through the Alexa website or mobile app, though with certain usage limits. Alexa+ represents a major evolution of Amazon’s long-running voice assistant. Powered by generative AI, the new version is designed to feel more conversational and capable than earlier iterations. Instead of relying on a single AI system, Alexa+ intelligently combines Amazon’s own foundation models with…

New reporting suggests the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been quietly pressuring technology companies to reveal information about people who criticize the Trump administration or document immigration enforcement activity online. Civil liberties groups say the tactics raise serious concerns about free speech and government overreach. At the center of the controversy is DHS’s use of administrative subpoenas — a type of data demand issued directly by federal agencies, without prior approval from a judge. Unlike court-approved subpoenas, these requests do not require investigators to demonstrate probable cause. That distinction has made them controversial, especially when used against individuals…

When OpenAI released its AI-powered video app Sora last October, the launch looked like a runaway success. The app rocketed to the top of the U.S. App Store, drew massive attention on social media, and even reached major download milestones faster than ChatGPT. Just a few months later, however, the picture looks far less rosy. New market data indicates that both user growth and in-app spending are sliding as the initial buzz cools down. Sora is built on OpenAI’s Sora 2 video-generation model and debuted on iOS as an invite-only product. Despite those limitations, it attracted over 100,000 installs on…

Fintech company Marquis is placing responsibility for a major cybersecurity incident on its firewall provider, claiming that a breach at the vendor level paved the way for hackers to access sensitive customer data. According to communications recently sent to clients, Marquis believes a ransomware attack it suffered in August 2025 was made possible by an earlier security failure involving SonicWall, the firm that supplied its firewall technology. In its message to customers, Marquis explained that attackers were allegedly able to exploit confidential firewall configuration details that had been exposed during a prior compromise of SonicWall’s cloud-based backup systems. These details,…

Meta has begun charging developers to run AI-powered chatbots on WhatsApp in certain regions, starting with Italy. The decision follows regulatory intervention that forced the company to loosen its restrictions on third-party bots, even as Meta continues to push back against broader access to its messaging platform. Earlier this year, WhatsApp officially enforced a policy that blocks external AI chatbots from operating through its Business API. That ban took effect on January 15. However, Italian regulators stepped in soon after, asking Meta to pause the restriction on competition grounds. As a result, Meta created a temporary exception allowing AI bots…

The current wave of AI startups is unlike anything the tech world has seen before. Dozens of new labs are building their own foundation models, often led by famous researchers or former executives from major tech companies. Some of these teams clearly want to build massive, revenue-generating companies. Others seem perfectly content exploring ideas, publishing research, and letting investors worry about the rest. The problem? From the outside, it’s increasingly hard to tell who’s serious about making money. To make sense of this, it helps to think less about profits and more about intent. Instead of asking whether an AI…

A growing number of technology companies are experimenting with generative AI to create tools for children, but many of these products still rely heavily on text or voice-based interactions. For younger audiences, that approach often falls flat. A new startup called Sparkli, created by three former Google employees, is trying to change that by turning learning into an interactive, story-driven experience powered by AI. Sparkli was launched last year by Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang. Two of the founders are parents, and their own experiences at home shaped the idea behind the app. When their children asked big…

Ireland is moving toward a major overhaul of its surveillance laws, with the government proposing legislation that would significantly expand the powers of police and security agencies to monitor digital communications — including the possible use of advanced spyware. This week, Irish officials confirmed plans to introduce the Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill, a piece of legislation intended to modernize how authorities intercept communications in serious criminal and national security investigations. The bill aims to formally regulate “lawful interception,” a term commonly used to describe state-approved surveillance technologies, including sophisticated spyware tools developed by private vendors. According to Justice…

Apple has unveiled a new subscription offering designed to bring its most powerful creative tools under one roof. Called Creator Studio, the package bundles several of the company’s professional-grade apps and premium content into a single monthly or yearly plan aimed at video editors, musicians, designers, and students alike. Priced at $12.99 per month or $129 annually, Creator Studio unlocks access to six major creative applications. Subscribers can use Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro on both Mac and iPad, while Motion, Compressor, and MainStage remain Mac-exclusive. The bundle also enhances Apple’s productivity apps—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—by adding…