Uber is restructuring its global workforce, cutting approximately 3,300 jobs, which represents about 10% of its staff. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is reducing management layers and consolidating teams to simplify the organization. The company is redirecting investment toward autonomous transportation as it prepares for the commercial deployment of robotaxis, while reducing fully remote positions and concentrating employees in major hubs.
Spanish startup iPronics, based in Valencia, has raised $125 million from investors including Nvidia to develop programmable photonic chips for AI data centers. These chips use light instead of electrical signaling to move data between computing systems, aiming to reduce power consumption and increase bandwidth. The investment highlights a shift in AI infrastructure focus toward solving networking bottlenecks in large-scale clusters.
Anthropic has launched Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Mythos 5.1. Fable 5.1 is broadly available and can reduce the cost of agentic workloads by up to 45% compared to its predecessor. Mythos 5.1, which possesses advanced cybersecurity and biology capabilities, remains restricted to vetted organizations. The company has also reduced cache-read pricing and tightened safeguards to better support scientific and cybersecurity requests.
Google is integrating Gemini-powered features into Android's September update. A new capability allows users to store the location of physical objects, such as passports or keys, within Find Hub, using voice or photos. Google is also introducing Motion Assist to reduce motion sickness and camera-based Guided Vision features.
A research team has developed a smartphone clip-on accessory for detecting hidden cameras with 94% accuracy in tests. The device costs about $7 to build and uses an AI model and a dynamic LED grid to identify the lens optical signature. It is designed to catch cameras hidden in household objects like smoke detectors and USB chargers.
The Chinese chipmaker Enflame has seen strong IPO demand, reflecting China's push for domestic AI computing infrastructure to bypass U.S. export controls. Meanwhile, OpenAI has designated its upcoming Astra model as a "Critical" cyber risk due to its ability to autonomously identify and exploit vulnerabilities. Additionally, AI security startup AIR, founded by former Unit 8200 specialists, has raised $50 million from Sequoia and Greenoaks to secure autonomous AI agents in enterprises.
