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14 Dec 2025

Memory prices spike up to 400% as AI demand creates global shortage lasting through 2026

RAM and SSD prices have skyrocketed since summer 2025, with some kits costing four times more than in August. The surge stems from AI data centers consuming massive amounts of high-bandwidth memory, forcing manufacturers like Micron to redirect wafer capacity away from consumer products. Industry experts warn the memory shortage will persist well beyond 2026, affecting everything from PC builds to smartphones and home appliances.

21 Sources

GNOME bans AI-generated extensions after flood of poorly-written code overwhelms reviewers

The GNOME Project updated its Shell Extensions store guidelines to prohibit AI-generated code after reviewers were overwhelmed by submissions containing unnecessary lines and bad practices. Developers can still use AI as a learning aid, but extensions with large amounts of AI-generated output will be rejected. One reviewer reported spending over 6 hours daily reviewing more than 15,000 lines of code.

3 Sources

13 Dec 2025

Washington Post AI podcast faces backlash as journalists call it an error-laden disaster

The Washington Post launched an AI-powered personalized podcast that uses artificial intelligence to customize audio briefings based on reader history. Within 48 hours, the AI podcast sparked internal outrage after journalists discovered it was inventing quotes, misattributing information, and inserting commentary that misconstrued sources. The Washington Post Guild raised concerns about undermining journalistic standards while the product team defended it as an experimental feature.

2 Sources

Intel moves to acquire SambaNova for $1.6 billion as AI chip battle with Nvidia intensifies

Intel is in advanced acquisition discussions to buy AI chip startup SambaNova Systems for $1.6 billion including debt, marking a steep discount from its $5 billion valuation in 2021. The deal would strengthen Intel's position in AI inference solutions as it competes against Nvidia's market dominance in the AI hardware market.

7 Sources

AI Shopping Drives $263 Billion in Holiday Sales as Walmart and Target Race to Integrate ChatGPT

AI shopping is transforming the holiday season, with Salesforce predicting $263 billion in global online holiday sales driven by AI tools. Retailers like Walmart and Target are racing to integrate ChatGPT and other conversational AI platforms as traffic from AI to retail sites surged 760% between November and December. Shoppers using AI tools are 30% more likely to buy and generate 8% more revenue per session.

4 Sources

12 Dec 2025

Google upgrades Gemini audio models to handle natural conversations and live translation

Google has rolled out major updates to Gemini 2.5 Flash Native Audio, improving how live voice agents handle complex workflows and natural conversations. The update introduces live speech translation that preserves speaker intonation and prevents Gemini Live from cutting users off mid-sentence. These enhancements are now available across Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, and the Google Translate app.

2 Sources

Trump administration seeks unified national framework for artificial intelligence regulation

The Trump administration plans to collaborate with Congress to establish a single national framework for AI regulation, White House adviser Sriram Krishnan announced. The move aims to replace over 1,000 existing state regulations with streamlined federal guidance, following President Trump's executive order signed Thursday.

2 Sources

Humanoid robots draw 2,000+ to Silicon Valley summit as AI boom fuels $2.8 billion investment surge

More than 2,000 engineers, investors, and robotics experts gathered at Silicon Valley's Humanoids Summit to witness the latest AI-powered humanoid robots. The boom in artificial intelligence has sparked renewed interest in humanoid robots, with venture capital funding reaching $2.8 billion in 2025. Yet skepticism remains about when general-purpose humanlike robots will become practical for workplaces and homes.

7 Sources

Google Translate brings real-time translation to any headphones with Gemini AI across 70+ languages

Google is rolling out live speech-to-speech translation in its Translate app, allowing users to hear real-time translations through any headphones. Unlike Apple's similar feature limited to AirPods, Google's solution works with any headset and supports over 70 languages. The update uses Gemini 2.5 Flash to deliver natural-sounding translations that preserve tone and cadence while handling idioms and slang more accurately.

12 Sources

Oracle delays OpenAI AI data centers to 2028 as labor shortages test infrastructure ambitions

Oracle has pushed back delivery timelines for several large AI data centers built for OpenAI from 2027 to 2028, citing labor and material shortages. The data center delays sparked investor concerns about the artificial intelligence investment boom, sending Oracle shares down over 5% before the company disputed any contractual setbacks. The setback highlights mounting challenges in the race to build AI infrastructure.

14 Sources

Salesforce shifts to flat-rate AI pricing as customers demand predictable costs over usage models

Salesforce is abandoning per-conversation AI pricing in favor of its Agentic Enterprise License Agreement (AELA), a flat-rate, seat-based model. CEO Marc Benioff says customers pushed for flexibility and predictability, while CRO Miguel Milano admits the company will accept short-term losses to lock in long-term relationships. The shift reframes AI agents as economic actors generating business value rather than metered features.

4 Sources

BBVA expands OpenAI partnership, rolls out ChatGPT Enterprise to 120,000 employees worldwide

Spanish banking giant BBVA is scaling up its OpenAI alliance, deploying ChatGPT Enterprise to all 120,000 employees after a successful pilot showed staff saved nearly three hours weekly. The partnership will co-develop AI models for banking applications, create an intelligent conversational assistant for customers, and build a digital alter ego to help employees manage tasks.

3 Sources

Professors Revive Ancient Oral Exams to Combat AI Cheating in Higher Education

As 85 percent of college students admit to using AI in their coursework, professors across the country are turning to oral exams—a centuries-old testing method—to ensure academic integrity. The resurgence of oral assessments offers a low-tech solution to the challenges posed by AI tools like ChatGPT, forcing students to demonstrate genuine learning through face-to-face questioning rather than relying on artificial intelligence to complete assignments.

2 Sources

NotebookLM adds Data Tables and chat history as Google expands AI Ultra tier capabilities

Google has rolled out several major updates to NotebookLM, its AI research platform. The chat history feature is now available to all users across mobile and web, while the $250-per-month AI Ultra tier gains significantly expanded usage limits, watermark removal for Slide Decks and Infographics, and access to the new Data Tables feature that organizes unstructured information into clean, exportable charts.

8 Sources

Taiwan opens Nvidia-powered cloud center to advance sovereign AI and cement role in global tech race

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te inaugurated a new cloud computing center in Tainan equipped with the Nano 4 supercomputer, powered by 1,760 Nvidia H200 chips and 144 Blackwell chips. The 15-megawatt facility marks Taiwan's shift from hardware manufacturing to becoming an AI island, advancing its sovereign AI ambitions. Analysts forecast rising investor confidence in Taiwan's entrenched position within AI supply chains.

2 Sources

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