The Verge
Google DeepMind workers are unionizing over AI military contracts
Google DeepMind employees in the UK have voted overwhelmingly to unionize, with 98 percent of participating workers backing the move in opposition to the company's military contracts with Israel and the United States. Staff have formally requested joint recognition of the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union, citing concerns that DeepMind's AI models are already being used in ways that violate international law. The vote marks a significant escalation of worker activism within Big Tech's AI divisions, where employees are increasingly leveraging collective action to influence how their work is deployed.
Read article →TechCrunch
OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 Instant, a new default model for ChatGPT
OpenAI has launched GPT-5.5 Instant, immediately displacing GPT-3.5 Instant as ChatGPT's default model for users. The upgrade signals a significant generational leap in the baseline experience millions of ChatGPT users receive without any additional cost or configuration. For businesses and developers relying on the default tier, the shift could meaningfully raise the floor on everyday AI performance.
Read article →TechCrunch
PayPal says it’s ‘becoming a technology company again.’ That means AI.
PayPal is betting its revival on artificial intelligence, using automation and a leaner tech stack to drive $1.5 billion in savings. The payments giant is pairing the AI push with job cuts as part of a broader restructuring effort under CEO Alex Chriss. For a company that once defined digital payments, the move signals a hard pivot toward reclaiming relevance in an increasingly competitive fintech landscape.
Read article →Hacker News
Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent
Google Chrome has begun quietly downloading a 4 GB AI model to users' devices as part of its built-in Gemini Nano integration, with no opt-in prompt or clear disclosure. The move raises serious concerns about storage consumption and user autonomy, particularly for those on limited disk space or metered connections. It's the latest example of a browser vendor treating user hardware as a resource to be commandeered in service of AI ambitions.
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