Martin Scorsese becomes the latest — and most unlikely — Hollywood voice for AI
The caveat is that one of the world’s most famous living directors is using the tech solely for storyboarding.
The Download: brain-melting heatwaves and unprecedented OpenAI restrictions
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Heat waves mess with your brain. Scientists are trying to figure out why. —Jessica Hamzelou It’s been hot in London this week. Really hot. A dangerous heat wave has hit Western…
Microsoft launches Scout, an OpenClaw-inspired personal assistant
Launched at Build, Microsoft Scout is a new AI assistant meant to bring the power and flexibility of OpenClaw into the Microsoft 365 system.
Ex-Anduril engineer raises $42M to build the Amazon of composite parts
Layup Parts co-founder Zack Eakin has drawn on a motorsports background, and his experience working for Palmer Luckey and Elon Musk, to tackle making faster, cheaper, and better composites.
Google rolls out fake call detection to protect against AI deepfake impersonation scams
As people increasingly refuse to answer calls from unknown numbers, scammers are shifting their tactics by spoofing trusted phone numbers and using AI deepfake technology to sound like authority figures, family members, or employers.
Microsoft offers devs a better way to control AI agent behavior
The specification lets developer, compliance and security teams define their own policies for agents to follow in portable policy files.
Amazon faces class action lawsuit over Ring facial recognition feature
The class action lawsuit, filed in Seattle by Virginia resident Charles Sigwalt, claims that Ring’s Familiar Faces feature stores images of passersby without consent.
Focused Energy raises whopping $240M Series A for laser-powered fusion tech
Another fusion startup has raised another a massive round to make this type of power a reality.
Most Business Owners Are Leaving Money on the Table. This Bar Expert Figured Out Why.
How Bar Design Essentials author Tobin Ellis is helping operators stop prioritizing look over workflow to unlock peak-volume profits.
I’ve Hired Hundreds of People — Here’s the Trait I Look For Before Anything Else
The candidates who have made the biggest impact at my company weren’t necessarily the most technically skilled people. They were the ones with the rare ability to be genuinely persuaded by new evidence — including evidence that they were wrong.
Discounts Don’t Cut It Anymore — Here’s How One Franchise Is Upping the Loyalty-Program Game
The chicken chain is trying to stand out from the pack by offering members WWE suites, NBA seats and exclusive merch drops.