Australia demands social media giants report progress on account bans for children under 16

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian authorities are demanding major social media platforms report on account deactivations since a ban on users under 16 became law. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others have agreed to comply with the law that took effect Wednesday. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the platforms must reveal how many accounts had been deactivated by Thursday. The eSafety Commissioner will release the responses within two weeks. Platforms face hefty fines if they don't remove accounts of children under 16. At least 10 countries are considering similar laws. A Sydney-based rights group plans to challenge the law in court next year. Concerns remain about the commitment by platforms to enforce age restrictions.

Congress would target China with new restrictions in massive defense bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration may have softened its language on China to maintain a truce in their trade war, but Congress is pushing for more restrictions on Beijing. A defense authorization bill approved Wednesday by the House includes provisions to deny Beijing investments in sensitive sectors and reduce U.S. reliance on Chinese biotechnology companies. The efforts would scrutinize American investments that could boost China's military and prohibit government contracts with certain Chinese biotech firms. The National Defense Authorization Act also would boost U.S. support for the self-governing island of Taiwan that Beijing claims as its own.

Foreigners allowed to travel to the US without a visa could soon face new social media screening

WASHINGTON (AP) — Travelers who are now able to come to the United States without a visa might soon need to provide social media, email, and family history details to the Department of Homeland Security. The Trump administration has increased monitoring of international travelers. And now, Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years of social media data from travelers from about roughly 40 mostly European and Asian countries who can now come to the U.S. for tourism or business for three months without visas. The public has 60 days to comment on these proposed changes.

San Francisco woman gives birth in a Waymo self-driving taxi

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Waymo's self-driving taxis have been in the spotlight for both negative and positive reasons. This week, the automated ride-hailing taxis went viral after a San Francisco woman gave birth inside a Waymo taxi while on her way to the hospital. A Waymo spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the unusual delivery. It said the company's rider support team detected unusual activity inside the vehicle and alerted 911. The taxi arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services. Waymo's popularity is growing despite heightened scrutiny following an illegal U-turn and the death of a San Francisco cat. The company, owned by Alphabet, says it is proud to serve riders of all ages.

OpenAI names Slack CEO Dresser as first chief of revenue as ChatGPT maker aims to make a profit

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.

South Korea to require advertisers to label AI-generated ads

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea will require advertisers to label their ads made with artificial intelligence technologies from next year as it seeks to curb a surge of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deep-faked celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical products on social media. Following a policy meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Wednesday, officials said they will ramp up screening and removal of problematic AI-generated ads and impose punitive fines, citing growing risks to consumers, especially older people who struggle to tell whether content is AI-made.

Our AP Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025 take a survey

The youngest is 16. The oldest are 40. Two are newly minted Emmy winners. Two had dreams of professional soccer. Two count Tom Cruise as a pivotal co-star. But there’s one thing all five have in common. That's a banner 2025. The Associated Press has named Arden Cho, Owen Cooper, Danny Ramirez, Chase Sui Wonders, and Tramell Tillman as its 2025 Breakthrough Entertainers. In interviews, they shared the impact of fame, the importance of supportive relationships and their thoughts on artificial intelligence. Each entertainer reflected on their childhood dreams and how their careers have evolved.

Microsoft investing $17.5 billion in India for AI and cloud infrastructure

NEW DELHI (AP) — Microsoft has announced its largest-ever Asia investment of $17.5 billion in India to enhance cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure over the next four years. CEO Satya Nadella revealed this on Tuesday after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The investment aims to build infrastructure, skills and sovereign capabilities for India's AI future. This highlights the global technology competition to expand in India. The country is one of the fastest-growing digital markets. Google announced a $15 billion investment in India in October for its first AI hub. Microsoft plans to scale up cloud and AI infrastructure and expand operations across India.

The Philippines tests ‘transition credits’ to cut coal use in novel experiment

CALACA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines is testing a new type of carbon credit aimed at encouraging companies to cut their climate warming emissions. Called transition credits, they are meant to help pay for phasing out coal facilities by creating value out of the emissions that would prevent. Such funds would be used to pay for replacing fossil fuel equipment with clean energy gear. If they work, some analysts believe transition credits might unlock a windfall of investment for the energy hungry Asia-Pacific region and speed up Southeast Asia's transition to renewable energy. Other climate experts, wary of longstanding problems in carbon markets, view transition credits as a potentially corruption-prone dead end.

Google facing a new antitrust probe in Europe over content it uses for AI

LONDON (AP) — The European Union is investigating Google for potential antitrust violations related to its AI models. Regulators are examining whether Google has used online content from web publishers and YouTube without permission or payment. They're concerned Google may have given itself an unfair advantage with its AI Overviews and AI Mode services. These services generate summaries and provide chatbot-style answers. The investigation, announced Tuesday, also looks into whether Google has restricted rival AI developers. Google argues the complaint could stifle innovation. The investigation is under the EU's competition regulations, not the newer Digital Markets Act.