Redbox's corporate parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, may have sold its 'IP Litigation Assets' to Grove Street Partners for $100 million, according to a recent court filing. This transaction suggests no revival of Redbox kiosks or Crackle streaming service is forthcoming. The assets include rights to hundreds of movies, indicating that future legal actions related to intellectual property could be the next chapter for Redbox's legacy.
OpenAI has introduced Sora, a new social video app for iPhones that features an AI video generator called Sora 2. Similar to TikTok, the app allows users to create and share short 10-second videos. What sets Sora apart is its deepfake capability, letting users give friends permission to generate AI deepfake videos using their likeness, with consent controls to manage and revoke usage. Currently invite-only and available in the US and Canada, the app emphasizes privacy and consent, disallowing deepfake generation of public figures without explicit consent and blocking inappropriate content. OpenAI describes this launch as potentially a "ChatGPT moment for video generation."
Microsoft is enhancing its Copilot AI assistant by introducing "Portraits," an experimental feature in Copilot Labs available in the US, UK, and Canada. Portraits offers 40 stylized human avatars that display natural expressions during real-time voice conversations, making interactions more engaging and approachable. Developed using advanced AI technology VASA-1, these avatars generate facial expressions, head movements, and lip-sync from a single image without complex 3D modeling. This development responds to user feedback seeking a face to talk to during voice interactions and aims to make conversations feel more natural. Portraits differ from previous Copilot appearances by showcasing human-like avatars rather than cartoonish characters. The feature is available to select users aged 18 and older, with safety measures and interaction limits in place. Microsoft emphasizes that these avatars maintain Copilot's intelligence and safety standards, focusing on user comfort and trust.
Google has reportedly blocked AI-generated search results for queries related to former President Trump's mental health, including questions about signs of dementia. Instead of providing AI summaries, searches about Trump return messages stating that AI overviews are unavailable and only list web links. In contrast, similar searches about other presidents, such as Joe Biden and Barack Obama, do produce AI-generated summaries that note the absence of public or clinical evidence regarding dementia. Google's inconsistent handling of these sensitive queries might be due to concerns over misinformation or the potential reaction from the president. A Google spokesperson noted that AI Overviews and AI Mode will not respond to every query.
Amazon is set to release new Echo hardware aimed at enhancing Alexa Plus, the AI-enhanced version of its voice assistant. After several months of testing Alexa Plus through the Early Access program, it is evident that while the assistant has potential, it remains a work in progress. Amazon's approach involved rebuilding Alexa into a hybrid assistant combining smart home control, personal assistance, and a ChatGPT-like system. However, in its current Beta phase, Alexa Plus struggles to excel in these roles, particularly in smart home management such as controlling lights and locks. The updated Echo Show 21 interface marks significant progress, but Alexa Plus still requires better integration with its screen-based hardware to fulfill its capabilities.
Anthropic has unveiled its new AI model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, which independently ran for 30 hours to develop a chat application similar to Slack or Teams. During this time, it generated approximately 11,000 lines of code. This marks a significant improvement over the company's previous Opus 4 model, which could operate autonomously for seven hours. Anthropic views Claude Sonnet 4.5 as a major advancement in the competitive landscape of AI agents and coding technology.
Electronic Arts is set to be acquired and taken private in a $55 billion leveraged buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. Scheduled to close in Q1 of EA's 2027 fiscal year (April to June 2026), this deal is one of the largest in the gaming industry. It may significantly influence EA's strategic direction, game investments, and its workforce. The $36 billion cash component comes mainly from Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.
A still from the Critterz short film highlights advancements in generative AI. This update comes from The Stepback, a weekly newsletter analyzing pivotal tech stories. Generative AI, once limited to blurred and dreamlike images, now produces highly detailed visuals based on text descriptions. Following improvements in text-to-image models, text-to-video AI such as Runway's Gen series, Meta's Make-A-Video, and Google's Veo are advancing rapidly, aiming to revolutionize content creation in Hollywood.
Apple is internally testing a new AI chatbot named Veritas to revamp Siri's functionalities. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Veritas operates like other AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini, allowing employees to interact with it through messages, perform in-app actions, and search personal data. Despite its advanced features, Apple currently plans to keep Veritas exclusive to employees rather than releasing it to the public, a decision Gurman considers a missed opportunity. Additionally, Apple may integrate Google's Gemini for AI-powered search, signaling challenges in Apple's AI development journey.
YouTube is testing AI hosts in radio and mixes within the YouTube Music app as part of its new Labs program. These AI hosts aim to enhance the listening experience by sharing stories, trivia, and commentary about music. The program allows a limited number of US users to test experimental AI features, although access is not guaranteed. This initiative aligns with Google's broader AI efforts, including NotebookLM. Additionally, YouTube has expanded some Premium-only AI features, like the jump ahead feature, to more platforms such as TV and game consoles.