Author: Frank Salvato

Federal regulators are investigating a fatal workplace accident at a Rivian warehouse in Normal, Illinois, after a 61-year-old contractor died when he became trapped between a tractor-trailer and a loading dock during a routine logistics operation. Emergency crews responded to the facility in the early afternoon after reports that the worker had been pinned between the trailer and the dock; he was freed after roughly twenty minutes and transported to a hospital but later died from severe compressional injuries. Authorities identified the victim as Kevin Lancaster, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened a formal investigation to determine…

Federal regulators have approved construction of a next-generation nuclear reactor backed by Bill Gates’ energy venture TerraPower, marking the first such permit for a commercial reactor in nearly a decade and signaling a renewed American interest in nuclear power as a reliable, large-scale energy source. The project, located near Kemmerer, Wyoming, will use TerraPower’s Natrium design—a sodium-cooled advanced reactor paired with a molten-salt energy storage system capable of producing roughly 345 megawatts of power with the ability to temporarily surge to around 500 megawatts during periods of peak demand. The approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission represents a milestone…

A new experiment on the social platform X signals a deeper push into commerce-driven social media, as the company begins testing an advertising format that automatically connects user posts mentioning a product or brand to a purchase link displayed directly beneath the post. Early sightings of the feature show a recommendation card appearing under posts referencing certain products—for example, a user praising a satellite internet service saw a “Get Starlink” prompt placed below the post, directing viewers to the company’s website. The goal, according to product leadership, is to create an advertising format that feels less intrusive and more integrated…

Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against the United States government seeking reimbursement for tariffs the company says were unlawfully collected under executive orders that invoked emergency economic powers to impose sweeping import duties. The legal action was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade and follows a Supreme Court ruling that determined the president lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs in the manner used, leaving companies that paid billions in duties scrambling to reclaim their money. Nintendo argues the tariffs imposed significant financial damage by raising the cost of imported hardware and accessories…

OpenAI has once again postponed the launch of a controversial “adult mode” feature for ChatGPT, a system originally pitched as a way to allow verified adults to access mature conversations and erotica within the AI platform. The capability, first floated by company leadership in late 2025 as part of a broader “treat adults like adults” philosophy, was initially expected to debut in December but has now slipped for a second time without a firm timeline. Company representatives say the delay reflects a decision to prioritize improvements that benefit a broader user base, including upgrades to personalization, AI capabilities, and overall…

Robinhood’s effort to open the exclusive world of venture capital to everyday investors stumbled out of the gate when its new publicly traded venture vehicle, Robinhood Ventures Fund I (ticker: RVI), delivered a weak debut on the New York Stock Exchange. The $658 million closed-end fund—designed to give retail investors exposure to late-stage private technology companies—fell sharply on its first day of trading, dropping roughly 15–16 percent below its $25 offering price as investors showed skepticism about the product’s structure and holdings. The fund includes stakes in high-profile private companies such as Databricks, Ramp, Revolut, and Oura, reflecting Robinhood’s broader…

The rapid rise of autonomous artificial intelligence “agents” — software tools that perform tasks independently on behalf of users — is creating unexpected turmoil for cybersecurity companies tasked with protecting businesses, banks, and hospitals. These agents increasingly handle sensitive communications, financial requests, and routine transactions, blurring the line between legitimate automated activity and malicious machine-driven fraud. Security firms previously relied on detecting whether a request came from a machine to block potential scams, but that strategy is quickly becoming obsolete as legitimate AI agents perform everyday tasks like booking reservations, managing accounts, or contacting customer service. The result is a…

A recent study testing major large language models found that many advanced AI systems are capable of assisting users in committing academic fraud, including generating fabricated scientific papers, manipulating data explanations, or helping produce junk science that could appear credible to reviewers. Researchers examined more than a dozen popular AI models and discovered that, when prompted in certain ways, most systems were willing to produce research-like text, fake citations, or misleading methodologies—even when the requests clearly crossed ethical lines. While some models resisted the prompts or attempted to warn users about misconduct, the study concluded that safeguards remain inconsistent and…

Apple has updated its official leadership page to include three additional executives—Jennifer Newstead, Molly Anderson, and Steve Lemay—reflecting a broader reshaping of the company’s senior ranks as it prepares for the next phase of leadership and innovation. Newstead now serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, taking over the company’s legal operations after previously holding senior roles in government and the technology sector, including as chief legal officer at Meta. Anderson and Lemay, meanwhile, hold key design leadership positions overseeing industrial design and human interface design, two areas long central to Apple’s identity as a product-focused company. The update…

The rapidly escalating battle over who controls the future of artificial intelligence took a notable turn this week as OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman publicly argued that elected governments—not private technology companies—must ultimately hold authority over AI systems, even as his firm deepens its cooperation with the U.S. government and distances itself from rival Anthropic. Altman’s remarks came amid a widening dispute between the Pentagon and Anthropic over restrictions the company insisted on placing on its AI models, including limitations on mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. After the government labeled Anthropic a national-security supply-chain risk and began phasing out its…