Google says its new AI model outperforms the top weather forecast system

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Google’s DeepMind team unveiled an AI model for weather prediction this week called GenCast. In a paper published in Nature, DeepMind researchers said they found that GenCast outperforms the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ ENS — apparently the world’s top operational forecasting system. And in a blog post, the DeepMind team offered a more … Read more

Michelle Yeoh’s spy team assembles in Star Trek: Section 31’s official trailer

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Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. | Screenshot: YouTube There’s a lot of Star Trek: Discovery in the official trailer for the Star Trek: Section 31 movie that Paramount Plus just released — big drama, explosions, and some looming threat that’s “unlike anything that Starfleet’s ever seen.” The trailer shows off a little more of … Read more

OpenAI bets you’ll pay $200 a month for ChatGPT

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Welcome back to Week in Review. This week, we’re diving into OpenAI’s surprise 12 days of reveals, an underwhelming Spotify Wrapped, and an app that tells you when you’ll die. 😰 Let’s get into it. OpenAI is getting into the holiday spirit. In a surprise “12 Days of OpenAI” event, the company will livestream updates … Read more

What Is Agentic AI?

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There is a fair amount of buzz in the tech world about Agentic AI. The answer to the question of what exactly it is is that it comprises software systems that can be likened to AI agents tasked with carrying out important tasks with very little human intervention. What makes it special is the fact … Read more

Google pushes back against federal supervision of its payment arm

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Friday that it was placing Google’s payment arm under federal supervision. In response, Google filed a lawsuit seeking to block the move. Such supervision would subject Google to the same inspections that the bureau conducts with major banks and other financial institutions for potential violations of the law. The … Read more

X gives Grok a new photorealistic AI image generator

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Image: The Verge X has given Grok a new AI image generator model called “Aurora” that seems to create far more photorealistic imagery than Grok’s other image generator, with similarly few apparent restrictions on what it will produce, TechCrunch reports. Like Grok, anyone can use Aurora. It lives in a new “Grok 2 + Aurora … Read more

Leverage: The Shortcut to Outperforming Everyone

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“If you have four hours to cut a tree with an axe, spend three sharpening the axe. If you have six hours, find a chainsaw.” ~ Praise J.J. The world doesn’t reward effort. It rewards results. Yet, effort can lead to results if applied correctly. The secret? leverage. n Let’s start with the question that … Read more

Testing with a Bug in My Head (Not the Software Kind)

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Working in QA, I often hear a voice in my head, “Are you sure you’ve checked everything?” Sometimes it’s a helpful nudge, but if left unchecked, it starts to become a problem. Below, I’ll talk about this pesky Inner Bug and how it manifests. In this article, I want to share my thoughts and insights I’ve gained … Read more

Google sues to stop the US from monitoring it like a bank

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Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced on Friday it had placed Google Payment Corp. under federal supervision, reports Reuters. Google reportedly filed a lawsuit to block the CFPB’s order, which could result in routine inspections and monitoring like those imposed on banks. The agency found that Google’s error … Read more