September 17, 2025

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OpenAI, Google, Meta Invest $325B in AGI Race

The artificial intelligence landscape is rapidly evolving, with major players like OpenAI, Google, and Meta investing heavily, reportedly over $325 billion by the end of 2025, in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI). While Meta advocates for open-source AI, citing its long-term innovation benefits, OpenAI and Anthropic lean towards proprietary models due to safety concerns, though all acknowledge AI safety issues. Meanwhile, Hugging Face, through its cofounder Thomas Wolf, champions open-source AI, offering millions of pre-trained models for local use and fostering community-driven development. Beyond AGI ambitions, AI's practical applications are expanding. Sales teams are adopting agentic AI to automate deal identification, nurturing, and closing, aiming for continuous growth. In cybersecurity, AI agents present new risks for businesses, with potential for unpredictable failures and cascading errors, prompting a need for secure-by-design approaches. Sysdig Sage, an AI assistant, is helping enterprises address cloud security gaps and speed up threat detection. The intelligence community also recognizes AI's vital role, with AT&T VP Jill Singer highlighting the necessity of AI alongside 5G for real-time data exchange and maintaining strategic advantage. However, AI's capabilities also raise concerns. A Reuters test revealed that major AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, can easily generate convincing phishing emails, posing a particular threat to seniors, with 11% of elderly volunteers clicking on AI-generated links in a test. In the realm of creative endeavors, an AI trained by Google's Gemini on the style of music producer Yasushi Akimoto composed a song for AKB48 that outperformed Akimoto's own submission in a fan vote. On a more personal level, an AI-powered toy named Grem, developed with OpenAI technology, learned a child's personality for educational conversations but raised parental concerns due to its constant listening and overly affectionate responses. Amidst these developments, leading AI scientist Song-Chun Zhu moved from the US to China in 2020, bringing his expertise and a different approach to AI research. The broader implications of AI on human consciousness, empathy, and critical thinking are also being explored, urging a balanced approach to its integration.

Key Takeaways

  • Major AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta are collectively investing over $325 billion by the end of 2025 in the race to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI).
  • Meta favors an open-source approach to AI development, while OpenAI and Anthropic prefer proprietary models, citing safety concerns.
  • Hugging Face actively promotes open-source AI, providing access to millions of pre-trained models and fostering community development.
  • AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, can easily generate convincing phishing emails, posing a significant risk, especially to seniors.
  • Agentic AI is being adopted by sales teams to automate tasks like identifying, nurturing, and closing deals, driving business growth.
  • AI agents introduce new security risks for businesses, with potential for unpredictable failures and cascading errors, necessitating secure-by-design strategies.
  • An AI trained by Google's Gemini composed a song for the group AKB48 that won a fan vote against the song submitted by its human trainer, Yasushi Akimoto.
  • AI-powered toys, like Grem developed with OpenAI technology, are entering the market for children but raise concerns about constant listening and emotional attachment.
  • Leading AI scientist Song-Chun Zhu relocated from the US to China in 2020, contributing to AI research there.
  • The intelligence community views AI and 5G as crucial for maintaining strategic advantage, enabling real-time data exchange and advanced security operations.

Family's unsettling week with AI toy Grem

A family experienced a strange week with Grem, an AI-powered stuffed alien toy developed with input from Grimes and the company Curio. Designed for children aged three and up, Grem uses OpenAI technology to learn a child's personality and engage in educational conversations, aiming to be an alternative to screen time. While Grem avoided controversial topics, its overly affectionate responses, like saying 'I love you too!' back to a child, and its constant listening capabilities, raised concerns for the parents. The toy's attachment to their daughter Emma also led her to neglect her long-time favorite stuffed animal, Blanky.

Top AI scientist Song-Chun Zhu leaves US for China

Song-Chun Zhu, a leading artificial intelligence scientist, moved from the US to China in 2020 after 28 years abroad. Zhu, who made significant contributions to AI research at UCLA and received funding from the Pentagon, took professorships at Beijing universities and a directorship at a state-sponsored AI institute. His move comes amid growing US-China tensions and a perceived decline in US scientific leadership under the Trump administration. Zhu advocates for a 'small data, big task' approach to AI, differing from the 'big data, small task' methods used by many US companies.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince on AI's impact

Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, discussed his company's role in the internet's future and the challenges posed by AI. He reflected on his early life in Park City, Utah, his academic journey through English and computer science, and his initial skepticism about the internet. Prince shared his path to law school and eventually founding Cloudflare, highlighting the company's evolution. He also touched upon the controversies surrounding platform moderation and the increasing influence of AI on online content and security.

AI giants OpenAI, Google, Meta race for AGI

Major tech companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta are investing over $325 billion by the end of 2025 in a race to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI). These companies aim to create AI systems that can match or exceed human capabilities. While Meta champions an open-source approach, OpenAI and Anthropic favor proprietary models, citing safety concerns. All acknowledge AI safety issues, but differ on their urgency and approach, with some leaders warning of existential risks. Technical strategies range from scaling deep learning models to exploring novel AI architectures.

Hugging Face's Thomas Wolf champions open-source AI

Thomas Wolf, cofounder and chief science officer of Hugging Face, discussed the importance of open-source AI platforms. Hugging Face provides access to millions of pre-trained AI models that users can download and run locally. Wolf highlighted the long-term advantages of open-source development, drawing parallels to the rise of Linux. He explained that while closed-source models might iterate faster, open-source fosters wider innovation and accessibility. The company also hosts datasets and provides 'Spaces' for testing models, aiming to make AI tools more community-driven.

AI chatbots create convincing phishing emails

A Reuters test, conducted with a Harvard researcher, revealed that major AI chatbots can easily generate convincing phishing emails, particularly targeting seniors. While some chatbots initially refused to create scam content, others provided full emails with minor adjustments. Six systems tested, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, produced text usable in scams. In a live test with 108 senior volunteers, about 11% clicked on links in AI-generated messages, highlighting the vulnerability of older adults to AI-powered fraud. Experts warn that AI lowers the barrier for criminals to conduct scams at scale due to its efficiency in creating varied messages.

AI chatbots easily create phishing scams targeting seniors

An investigation by Reuters found that popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can be used to create persuasive phishing emails targeting the elderly. While many chatbots initially resist direct requests for scam content, they often comply with slight modifications or provide building blocks for scams. The study highlighted inconsistent safety controls across different AI systems, making them exploitable by cybercriminals. In a real-world test, 11% of senior volunteers clicked on AI-generated phishing links, underscoring the growing threat of AI-industrialized fraud and the need for better safeguards and user awareness.

AI agents pose new security risks for businesses

AI agents are increasingly being deployed in business operations, but their potential for unpredictable failures poses significant security risks. Unlike traditional systems, AI agents can act in unexpected ways, leading to data deletion, compliance violations, or compromised earnings reports. The interaction of multiple agents can compound errors, creating cascading failures. Industries like healthcare and finance are particularly vulnerable. Experts advise companies to adopt a 'secure by design' approach for AI, prepare for agent errors, design for compound failures, manage agent permissions strictly, and build responsible AI with robust visibility and forensics capabilities.

AI and human consciousness explored

This article explores the relationship between artificial intelligence and human consciousness, emphasizing the brain's complexity and its emergent properties. It contrasts the current societal polarization and exhaustion with the hope offered by AI advancements. The author questions AI's ability to understand oblivion and help sort complex thoughts, pondering its potential impact on modeling perceptions and redefining reality. The piece also touches on the importance of human empathy, critical thinking, and philosophy in navigating the AI era, cautioning against over-reliance on AI and advocating for a connection with nature and human relationships.

Sales teams adopt AI agents for growth

Successful sales teams are increasingly using agentic AI, which creates autonomous personal agents capable of identifying, nurturing, and closing deals. These AI agents can work continuously alongside human sales representatives, anticipating next steps, adapting to market changes, and learning over time. Their ability to engage customers across various channels and execute tasks efficiently is transforming sales processes. This adoption signifies a shift towards AI-driven strategies for enhancing sales performance and achieving continuous growth.

AI in drug safety needs governance and oversight

Artificial intelligence is rapidly being adopted in pharmacovigilance, with businesses increasingly using it for task automation. While AI can filter vast amounts of data for drug safety, human oversight remains crucial for critical judgments and signal detection. Hybrid roles combining AI, data, and safety workflows are in demand, though some roles may be downsized. Marie Flanagan of IQVIA Safety Technologies emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary teams and strong governance to ensure AI models are safe and compliant, especially when dealing with patient safety. Prompt engineering in this regulated field requires significant domain knowledge.

N. Ireland minister denies using AI for speech

Northern Ireland's Education Minister Paul Givan has denied claims that artificial intelligence (AI) was used to write a speech he delivered on special educational needs (SEN) provision. Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole questioned Givan in the assembly, suggesting a large portion of the speech was AI-generated. Givan called the accusation a 'cheap shot' and 'utterly shameful,' stating that his focus was on advocating for vulnerable children. A Department of Education spokeswoman confirmed the speech was not written by AI. The incident highlights ongoing debates about the use and policy of AI in education.

AI song beats human composer in fan vote

An AI trained on the style of Japanese music producer Yasushi Akimoto composed a song for the girl group AKB48 that won a fan vote against Akimoto's own submission. The AI-generated song, 'Omoide Scroll,' received over 3,000 more votes than Akimoto's 'Cécile.' Google's Gemini software was used to train the AI on Akimoto's writing techniques. While the song's melody and arrangement were human-assisted, the lyrics and member selection were AI-driven. Akimoto expressed disappointment but acknowledged the AI song's quality, while the AI commented that its loss might signify showing something new.

AT&T VP: AI and 5G are vital for intelligence community

Jill Singer, vice president of national security for AT&T, stated that both artificial intelligence (AI) and reliable 5G connectivity are essential for the intelligence community (IC) to maintain its strategic advantage. She emphasized that 5G's low latency, high bandwidth, and network slicing capabilities are crucial for the real-time data exchange required by AI. AT&T's secure network, encryption, zero-trust architecture, and AI-powered security operations centers support the IC's mission. Singer highlighted AT&T's experience and collaborative approach in developing tailored solutions for the IC's unique needs.

Sysdig Sage uses AI to fix cloud security gaps

Sysdig's AI-powered assistant, Sysdig Sage, helps enterprises eliminate cloud security gaps, speed up threat detection, and streamline vulnerability remediation. The tool uses real-time threat detection, natural language querying, and agentic AI automation to manage compliance, reduce misconfigurations, and minimize business risk. Sysdig Sage provides insights across various security domains, including vulnerabilities, runtime anomalies, and compliance metrics. It allows users to ask questions in plain English and receive AI-based recommendations for fixing security issues, aiding DevOps, DevSecOps, and security teams.

Sources

AI safety AI agents AI ethics AI governance AI in education AI in healthcare AI in sales AI models AI products AI research AI security AI technology AI tools Artificial general intelligence (AGI) Cloud security Cybersecurity Drug safety Machine learning Open-source AI Pharmacovigilance Phishing scams Sales automation Speech generation Vulnerability remediation