The discussion focused largely on issues like model distillation - shrinking powerful AI systems into smaller versions - and export controls. The Pentagon dispute was not a central focus of the conversation, per two sources. The tone of the meeting was "friendly," according to multiple sources.
Calling Anthropic "Leftwing nut jobs," President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he was directing "EVERY Federal Agency" to stop using Anthropic's technology immediately. At the same time, the Pentagon prepared to designate the company a "supply chain risk," a label more commonly associated with foreign adversaries' tech products, such as telecom gear made by China's Huawei.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly gave Amodei an ultimatum this week, to either give him total access to its AI model or face harsh penalties. Amodei, however, said he could not in good conscience comply with the Pentagon's demands for fear the technology could be used for mass surveillance or to create fully autonomous weapons.
Gentoo's official migration from Microsoft-owned GitHub to Codeberg is underway, as the Linux distribution fulfills a pledge to ditch the code shack due to "continuous attempts to force Copilot usage for our repositories." The decision was made public last month, when Gentoo confirmed it intended to migrate repository mirrors and pull request contributions to the new home. On February 16, the organization revealed it now had a presence on Codeberg, where contributions could be submitted.
In "AI 2027" - a document outlining the impending impacts of AI, published in April 2025 - the former OpenAI employee and several peers announced that by April 2027, unchecked AI development would lead to superintelligence and consequently destroy humanity.
One year ago this week, Silicon Valley and Wall Street were shocked by the release of China's DeepSeek mobile app, which rivaled US-based large language models like ChatGPT by showing comparable performance on key benchmarks at a fraction of the cost while using less-advanced chips. DeepSeek opened a new chapter in the US-China rivalry, with the world recognizing the competitiveness of Chinese AI models, and Beijing pouring more resources into developing its own AI ecosystem.
"The AI Overwatch Act (H.R. 6875) may sound like a good idea, but when you examine it closely, it's pro-China sabotage disguised as oversight," Loomer said on X. "Kill the bill," she said. Driving the news: Sacks, the president's top adviser on crypto and artificial intelligence, opened hostilities Thursday night by retweeting a post that suggested Mast's bill - the AI OVERWATCH Act - would undermine the president. "Correct," Sacks posted on X.
At the start of 2024, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and OpenAI were united against military use of their AI tools. But over the next 12 months, something changed. In January, OpenAI quietly rescinded its ban on using AI for "military and warfare" purposes, and soon after it was reported to be working on "a number of projects" with the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, students are quietly bearing a cost that few are tracking: between $1,200 and $1,800 over four years in AI tool subscriptions that fragmented and unenforceable institutional policies have made necessary. Here's what a typical student experience looks like. Freshman fall semester: The composition professor bans ChatGPT even though the university has a site license. The biology lab recommends NotebookLM for research synthesis.
We do have a few senior managers that are [experts on AI]: none are that excited about it yet. We have agreed an internal policy to guide us all, which is currently very cautious, e.g., we do not allow AI-generated content or AI to be used in our design processes or its unauthorized use outside of GW, including in any of our competitions,
Created as a part of President Donald Trump's July executive orders that sought to eradicate "woke" AI, the new OMB memo aims to prevent large language models within the federal government that are deemed not "truth-seeking," specifying that within federal agencies, "LLMs shall prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, and shall acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory."
The wall-to-wall organizing effort at id Software was much needed; it's incredibly important that developers across the industry unite to push back on all the unilateral workplace changes that are being handed down from industry executives,
I'm blaming Santa. As 2025 reaches its inevitable endgame, I can't help thinking we have all become gullible children enthralled by the promise of tech cornucopia, refusing to see the folds in our logic because deep down we don't want to break the magic. While the federal government prepares to take the toys off the children with its world-first social media ban, it is hanging out the stockings for the self-same tech overlords to fill with new goodies via its light-touch National AI Plan.
The House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy - which will convene throughout 2026 - includes Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., as co-chairs. Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Frank Pallone, D-N.J., will serve as ex officio co-chairs, due to their positions as ranking members of the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee, respectively.
AI will help us navigate the immense amounts of information and data created every day in the modern world, but it will also make it easier for bad actors to swamp the infosphere with disinformation. AI can enable real-time translations to spread ideas seamlessly across language barriers, but it may also make the marketplace of ideas less pluralistic by concentrating power in a few individuals.
From his inauguration to last month's glitzy White House dinner for the Saudis, Trump basks in the support, gifts and affirmation of the most famous AI leaders and companies in the world. The big picture: Trump has essentially fused Silicon Valley and government in a race to both beat China to all-powerful AI and rescue an economy that's treading water outside of the AI boom. He has rolled back regulations, awarded huge contracts, and downplayed concerns about AI safety or downside risk.
Moving from theory to reality here will be heavily reliant on people, it said. Indeed, a key focus will be ensuring Australia has a workforce that is equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to build the required supporting infrastructure to fuel AI solution creation and unlock myriad benefits. This will also help ensure citizens have access to newly created, high-value jobs and that the fruits of technological advancements are first felt locally.
"Our particular strengths as a country lie in areas like life sciences, financial services, the defense sector, and the creative sector. And where we will really lead the world is where we can use the power of AI in those sectors," Kendall told the Financial Times. The plans came as part of a wider AI package designed to upgrade Britain's tech infrastructure and convince entrepreneurs and investors that Labour is backing the sector ahead of next week's Budget, which is expected to raise taxes on the wealthy.
It's very concerning what PRC is doing in the world ... and if we let that become dominant, it is a means of control. And that's why I think that our worldview is that of freedom and of prosperity and a personal choice. And so if we allow our models to dominate, then our worldview begins to dominate," Budd said. "And I think that's what's best for humanity. I think that's what's best for the world.