Bill Gates pushes for 'smart use' of AI as his foundation builds more representative language data

NEW YORK (AP) — The Gates Foundation is convening Anthropic, Google, OpenAI Foundation and dozens of other organizations to help make artificial intelligence more accessible in underrepresented languages. There are more than 60 partners in total, ranging from AI labs and corporations to philanthropies and governments. The coalition aims to reach more than 3 billion people over five years by better coordinating existing efforts. Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman says the work must continue ‘full speed ahead’ even as some large AI companies urge a slowdown on some advanced models' development. The collaboration follows last week's announcement that the Gates Foundation is committing $1 billion to expand access to AI.

Trump returns to UN at a moment of anxiety about Iran, AI and the future of world body itself

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump addresses the U.N. General Assembly at a challenging moment for the world and his presidency. The global economy is unsettled by his war with Iran, and concerns about AI's social impact are rising. Trump's reduction of U.S. financial support for the U.N. raises questions about its future. After his speech, Trump plans to meet with leaders from the UK, Japan, and Venezuela, as well as Gulf Cooperation Council nations. The ongoing Iran conflict and its impact on oil markets are key topics. Trump also faces frustration over the Russia-Ukraine war, which continues despite his efforts to mediate.

Trump and Xi see tensions flare over AI, trade and Iran but still seek stability

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington this week as economic and tech competition escalates between the two countries. Both leaders are aiming to stabilize fragile ties, though no major agreements are expected. The meeting itself is seen as significant given the deep differences and a lack of trust between the United States and China. An accelerating artificial intelligence race is a key issue, with both countries vying for dominance despite warnings about the rapid development of the technology. Along with persistent trade issues, the two leaders also are trying to maneuver around major hot spots like Iran and Taiwan.

Google fined $463 million for breaching EU rule on location data

Google has been fined 403 million euros for breaching the EU's privacy rules by mishandling users' location data. Ireland's Data Protection Commission found that Google unlawfully processed data in its Web & App Activity and Location History settings. Regulators also said Google's processing of personal data in its Location Accuracy feature was not lawful, fair, or transparent. The investigation, which began six years ago, looked at Google's compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation from 2018 to 2020. Google stated that it has since updated its policies and improved tools for managing location data.

China and the US are competing for AI dominance but have shared concerns over safety

HONG KONG (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet this week to discuss artificial intelligence. The meeting comes amid rising concerns about AI's potential threats and the competitive tension between the two countries. On Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. and China discussed setting up a mechanism for AI dialogue and a notification system for AI incidents impacting national security. Both nations are worried about AI's potential to attack critical infrastructure. Despite U.S. export controls, Chinese AI models are increasingly competitive. Accusations of technology theft remain a sore point in their relationship.

Climate Week talks balance hope for clean energy against uncertainty over artificial intelligence

NEW YORK (AP) — World and business leaders this week will grapple with the urgent costs of climate change. Experts say the rise of artificial intelligence and data centers, which consume a lot of energy, and higher fossil fuel prices due to wars in Iran, Venezuela and Ukraine are changing the conversation as the United Nations General Assembly meets during New York's climate week. The toll from summer's heat waves, wildfires and Nepal's catastrophic flood are also pressing issues. Renewable energy is booming, but climate impacts are accelerating faster than political systems can respond.

Bessent: US proposes AI incident alert system in talks with China

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. is proposing a new notification system with China for artificial intelligence incidents that could threaten national security. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the plan on Sunday after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York. Bessent says greater transparency is critical between the world’s two leading AI powers. Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said weekend meetings with their Chinese counterparts laid the groundwork for talks Thursday at the White House between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Will AI models achieve the ability to improve autonomously? Leading labs say the scenario is near

AI developers are striving for self-improvement, aiming for technology that can enhance itself. Concerns about AI escaping human control have led to questions about recursive self-improvement, or RSI. This concept involves AI models improving themselves and building their own successors, either with human supervision or autonomously. Anthropic has shared metrics showing its model Claude leading in research and development. OpenAI has developed an automated "research intern" and aims for an AI "researcher" by 2028. While some companies push forward, others emphasize the need for human control and global cooperation to ensure safety and alignment in AI development.

Lawsuit says Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI and Google made illegal agreement on AI slowdown

A new lawsuit claims that Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI and Google illegally agreed to slow their AI development. Filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit argues that this coordination violates antitrust laws and reduces consumer value for paid AI subscriptions. The lawsuit points to a Sept. 12 essay by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urging industrywide cooperation on safety measures. OpenAI's Sam Altman, SpaceXAI's Elon Musk and Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis publicly agreed. The plaintiffs, who are individuals with paid subscriptions to the AI companies' services, argue this agreement has an anticompetitive effect.

Telehealth companies keep exposing their customers' medical data. What should they do?

WASHINGTON (AP) — It's not hard to explain why business is booming for telehealth companies. The apps and websites offer quick, convenient access to prescriptions for sensitive medical conditions, including weight loss, sexual problems and mental health conditions. But U.S. regulators are increasingly singling them out for deceptive, unethical business practices. The Federal Trade Commission recently filed a lawsuit alleging telehealth company Hims & Hers secretly exposed customers’ health data and signed them up for hard-to-cancel subscriptions without their permission. It's the latest in a series of similar cases. Experts say part of the problem is that most privacy and consumer protection laws don't directly apply to telehealth companies.