Technology

Investors Demand Clearer Returns From the AI Spending Boom

Diverging reactions to Alphabet, Microsoft and Oracle show that growth alone no longer shields large AI investments from scrutiny.

Real Introduces AI Tools for Listings, Transactions and Referrals

Leo Pro and Referral Central extend the brokerage’s software platform with automation for agents.

Microsoft and Alphabet Earnings Put AI Business Models in Focus

Both companies are scheduled to report Wednesday, giving investors a fresh look at their businesses during a busy earnings week.

U.S.–China AI Blocs Put Smaller Countries Under Pressure

Governments seeking American chips and Chinese open-source systems are finding that access, standards and strategic alignment increasingly come together.

NYC Proposes Human Off-Ramp From Automated Customer Service

Draft rules would require disclosure when customers encounter automated systems and a simple route to timely assistance from a person.

AI Cloud Selloff Gives Short Sellers $6 Billion Paper Gain

Bets against five heavily shorted data-center companies have become profitable as investors question debt-funded AI infrastructure spending.

U.S. Plans $389 Million for Power-Chip and Materials Research

Four companies are expected to receive research awards, with the government taking minority, non-voting stakes under a semiconductor innovation fund.

Data-Center Backlash Adds Political Risk to the AI Boom

Investors are watching local energy costs, environmental concerns and the midterms for signs that approvals and construction timelines could tighten.

Buffalo Housing Project Tests Large Indoor Battery System

A 3.75-megawatt-hour installation at Peace Bridge Place is intended to demonstrate safer, resilient energy storage in an affordable-housing setting.

Rochester Lands $375 Million Rare-Earth Processing Facility

Phoenix Tailings plans a 500,000-square-foot plant at Eastman Business Park, with partial operations expected in 2027 and full production targeted for 2028.

Report Finds AI Agents Used in More Than 100 Website Breaches

A researcher observed autonomous tools probing more than 1,200 targets, showing how inexpensive AI systems can expand one attacker’s reach.

Amazon Opens a Simpler Path From PyTorch to Its Trainium AI Chips

The new TorchNeuron software is designed to run widely used PyTorch code on Amazon’s custom processors with a configuration change instead of a rewrite.

AI-Assisted Pricing Expands as Consumers Ask How Prices Are Set

Digital labels, dynamic pricing and personalized offers are often conflated, while regulators focus on disclosure and the use of customer data.

City Takes Revenue Stake in Planned NYU Quantum Lab

A shared fabrication facility will combine research access, workforce programs and a public interest in some proceeds.

New York Seeks Child and Privacy Safeguards in Character.AI Sale

Forty attorneys general want protections for minors and sensitive conversations.

Buffalo Research Site Set for $49 Million Materials Expansion

Solstice plans to expand its Peabody Street facility, with 12 additional jobs and performance-based state support.

New York Chip Plant Wins $2 Billion Role in AI Supply Chain

GlobalFoundries will expand its Malta factory to make silicon interposers for TSMC, with production expected to ramp in 2028.

AI Insiders Urge New York City to Build Stronger Safeguards

Former employees warned of weak controls while current industry representatives discussed oversight.

New York City Council Puts AI Companies Under Oath

A rare hearing of all 51 council members examines safety claims, public accountability and proposed rules.

Schneider Electric Makes $22.6 Billion Bet on Industrial Software

The proposed acquisition would connect engineering data with factory, energy and AI systems.

White House Turns to Voluntary AI Safety Accord

Major technology companies agreed to new safety practices, but the commitments do not carry regulatory enforcement.

Broadcom Financing Plan Highlights Anthropic’s AI Buildout

Anthropic disclosed an agreement under which the chip supplier could lend it up to $42 billion to support long-term computing-capacity commitments.

Staying Safer in a Connected World

Digital safety begins with unique passwords, multifactor authentication, current software, secure backups, and caution with unexpected messages. A password manager can help people avoid reusing credentials across many accounts.

Scams often create urgency or fear to discourage careful thinking. Before sending money, sharing information, or opening a file, verify the request through a separate trusted channel. No single tool prevents every problem, but several simple protections working together can greatly reduce risk.

Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Life

Artificial intelligence systems can recognize patterns, generate content, make predictions, and automate parts of complex tasks. They support search, recommendations, translation, fraud detection, medical research, customer service, and many other uses.

AI output can still be incorrect, biased, incomplete, or inappropriate for the situation. Responsible use requires checking important claims, protecting confidential information, understanding limits, and keeping human judgment involved when decisions affect rights, health, safety, employment, or money.

Understanding Digital Privacy

Websites, apps, devices, and services may collect account details, location, browsing behavior, contacts, purchases, and technical information. Some collection is necessary for a service to work, while other data supports advertising, analytics, or product development.

Users can review permissions, disable unnecessary access, limit location sharing, remove unused accounts, and separate public information from private communication. Privacy is not an all-or-nothing condition; it is an ongoing set of choices about what is shared, with whom, and for how long.

How to Judge a New Technology

A useful technology should be evaluated by the problem it solves, reliability, cost, accessibility, security, environmental demands, and effects on workers and communities. Novelty alone does not establish value.

Early claims may reflect ideal conditions rather than ordinary use. Independent testing, transparent limitations, clear support, and evidence from real users provide a better basis for judgment. The strongest products usually become more useful as their risks, tradeoffs, and appropriate boundaries become better understood.