DMR News

Advancing Digital Conversations

WhatsApp Exempts Brazilian Users From Policy Barring Third-Party AI Chatbots

WhatsApp has reversed part of its new policy that restricts third-party, general-purpose AI chatbots from operating on the app, allowing AI providers to continue offering their services to users with…

Former OpenAI Execs’ Startup Thinking Machines Faces Leadership Shake-Up With Co-Founders Returning to OpenAI

Thinking Machines Lab, the startup co-founded by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati, has seen two of its co-founders depart, with both returning to OpenAI. Barret Zoph, the company’s co-founder and…

Microsoft Partners With Varaha To Buy Carbon Removal Credits Through Biochar Project

Microsoft has signed a deal with Indian startup Varaha to purchase more than 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits over the next three years, aimed at supporting its efforts…

FTC Bans GM From Sharing Certain Consumer Data, Requires Consent For Data Collection

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Wednesday that it has finalized an order barring General Motors (GM) and its OnStar telematics service from sharing specific consumer data with consumer…

US Cuts Tariffs On Taiwanese Goods In Exchange For $250bn Semiconductor Investment Pledge

The United States has agreed to reduce tariffs on goods from Taiwan to 15% after securing commitments for large-scale investment aimed at expanding domestic semiconductor production. The agreement links lower…

Matthew McConaughey Trademarks His Voice And Image To Block AI Misuse

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has trademarked elements of his voice and image in an effort to prevent unauthorised use by artificial intelligence platforms, marking what lawyers and academics describe as…

AI-Created Song Tops Spotify In Sweden But Is Barred From National Charts

A song created using artificial intelligence has become one of the most streamed tracks in Sweden while being excluded from the country’s official music charts, highlighting growing tension over how…

Sadiq Khan Warns AI Could Destroy Jobs Without Strong Safeguards

Artificial intelligence could become “a weapon of mass destruction of jobs” unless governments act quickly to manage its impact, London mayor Sadiq Khan has warned, as he set out concerns…

Boeing Identified Engine Mount Cracks On MD-11 Planes Years Before Fatal Kentucky Crash

An aircraft that crashed in flames in Kentucky in November had a structural flaw that had been identified by Boeing on similar planes more than a decade earlier, according to…

India Approves 73bn-Rupee Plan To Build Rare Earth Magnet Manufacturing

India has approved a 73bn-rupee ($800m; £600m) incentive programme to reduce its dependence on China for rare earth magnets, a component used widely across electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, consumer…

YouTube Expands Parental Controls With New Limits On Shorts Viewing

YouTube is rolling out additional parental control features focused on limiting how much time children and teens spend watching short-form videos, as scrutiny over minors’ online safety continues to grow…

Subscriptions Drive Mobile App Revenue Growth In 2025 As Downloads Decline Again

Mobile app revenues rose sharply in 2025 despite a continued decline in downloads, as subscriptions and in-app purchases generated higher consumer spending across the App Store and Google Play, according…

Netflix Expands Video Podcast Lineup With Shows Led By Pete Davidson And Michael Irvin

Netflix is increasing its investment in video podcasts by adding two original series hosted by comedian Pete Davidson and former NFL player Michael Irvin, as the company continues to build…

OpenAI Signs Multi Year Compute Deal With Cerebras Valued Above $10 Billion

OpenAI has entered a multi year agreement with AI chipmaker Cerebras that will provide hundreds of megawatts of compute capacity to support faster AI responses, marking one of the largest…

VoiceRun Launches Platform For Code Driven AI Voice Agents And Raises $5.5 Million

VoiceRun has launched a developer-focused platform designed to build and scale AI voice agents through code, as the startup positions itself between no-code tools and highly specialized infrastructure, while announcing…

X Restricts Grok Image Editing After Scrutiny Over Sexualised AI Deepfakes

Elon Musk’s AI model Grok will no longer allow users to edit photos of real people to depict them in revealing clothing in jurisdictions where such content is illegal, following…

Meta Cuts About 10% Of Reality Labs Staff As Focus Shifts Toward AI And AR

Meta is laying off roughly 10 percent of employees in its Reality Labs division, a unit central to the company’s virtual reality and metaverse efforts, as it reallocates resources toward…

Saks Global Files For Bankruptcy As Inventory Shortages And Vendor Disputes Mount

Shoppers browsing luxury handbags and fragrances at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Manhattan flagship in January encountered signs of strain behind the polished displays, as the retailer’s parent company moved into bankruptcy…

China Reports Record Trade Surplus In 2025 Despite US Tariff Pressure

China has reported the largest annual trade surplus on record in 2025, surpassing $1 trillion for the first time, even as US tariffs under President Donald Trump disrupted global trade…

California Launches Probe Into Grok Over Sexualised AI Deepfakes

California’s attorney general has opened an investigation into the spread of sexualised AI deepfakes generated by Elon Musk’s AI model Grok, as scrutiny intensifies in the United States and the…