AI News Digest: Jan. 16, 2025

Welcome to the fifth issue of the AI News Digest! We want to hear from you: Are these AI stories valuable? What else would you like to see in future editions? Let us know: send us an email or comment in our LinkedIn Group.

TOP NEWS

The best AI tech of CES 2025: Neural wristbands, smart mirrors and more AI stole the spotlight at CES across nearly every consumer tech category. ZDNET

‍Investment in online education groups plummets following rise of AI While AI offers a convenient source of information, it may undermine critical thinking and deep learning, areas that online education platforms traditionally support. Financial Times

Meta scrambles to delete its own AI accounts after backlash intensifies  Meta deleted several of its own AI-generated accounts after humans engaged with them and posted about many their many flaws.  CNN

GENERATIVE AI

PwC 2025 AI business predictions PwC highlighted how businesses across multiple domains should utilize and further integrate AI, saying “your AI choices may be the most crucial decisions not just this year but of your career.”  PwC

AI RISK

FBI verifies Tesla Cybertruck subject emailed podcaster, says he used ChatGPT to plan Trump hotel explosion  The FBI confirmed that Matthew Livelsberger, who died in the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside President Trump's Las Vegas hotel, emailed podcaster Shawn Ryan before the incident and used ChatGPT to plan the attack.  Fox News‍

‍This Google research scientist died unexpectedly, leaving a last note two months ago: Working on large model research made me deeply depressed  A research scientist for Google's DeepMind in London died unexpectedly, marking one of the first deaths related to the implementation of AI.  Medium‍

‍Meta is killing off its own AI-powered Instagram and Facebook profiles  After initially launching thousands of AI bot accounts on their social media platforms to mixed reviews, Meta decided to remove almost all of them by the summer of 2024.  The Guardian

GOVERNMENT

Artificial intelligence litigation in the crystal ball for 2025  AI-driven copyright, bias, and antitrust cases are rising in 2025, including a Department of Justice lawsuit accusing RealPage of price collusion through AI. Reuters

AI TECH DEVELOPMENTS

Training AI models might not need enormous data centers  The rush to build large computer systems for AI training is reaching its limits, so researchers are exploring smaller, dispersed methods to save money, spread out control of AI, and potentially create smarter, more adaptable models.  The Economist‍

‍How are companies using AI agents? Here’s a look at five early users of the bots  As AI usage grows, more companies are investing in AI agents to handle tasks normally done by humans. However, problems continue to loom with the potential of security threats for companies.  Wall Street Journal‍

‍Microsoft expects to spend $80 Billion on AI-enabled data centers in fiscal 2025  Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion in AI data centers in 2025 to meet growing demand and enhance its AI services.  CNBC‍

‍Inside DeepSeek-V3: Are export controls falling short?  DeepSeek V3 is a powerful AI model navigating challenges from export controls, highlighting the tension between innovation and regulatory policy.  Recode China AI‍

‍Nvidia’s new GPU series led an avalanche of entertainment-related announcements at CES  At CES 2025, NVIDIA showcased its new desktop and laptop GPU: The GeForce RTX 50. This GPU is powered by their new Blackwell AI chip with the potential to be one of the best computer graphic innovations in the past 30 years.  AP‍

‍Is the tech industry already on the cusp of an AI slowdown?  Demis Hassabis predicts that AI advancements will slow due to a shortage of training datasets, leading to diminishing returns. Meanwhile, companies like Databricks and NVIDIA remain committed to innovation, with NVIDIA refining its AI chips.  The New York Times‍

‍OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji's parents say autopsy points to murder  The recent death of Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI worker and whistleblower, is under further investigation amid concerns from Balaji’s family that he was murdered. Before his death, Balaji criticized OpenAI for violations of copyright laws.  NDTV World

HEALTH

AI for improved public health and climate-resilient health systems  The IEEE's IC24-015 initiative is utilizing AI to boost public health and build climate-resilient health systems through expert collaboration and standards development. IEEE SA

‍Healthcare turns to AI for medical note-taking ‘scribes’ AI medical note-taking apps attracted $800 million in funding in 2024, doubling year-over-year as Big Tech and startups race to innovate. While tools like Microsoft’s DAX Copilot save time for doctors, concerns around accuracy and data privacy continue to linger.  Financial Times

AI NEWS FROM NORTHEASTERN

Northeastern at the forefront of Massachusetts’ AI-driven economic growth, governor says in announcing AI Hub  Massachusetts is harnessing AI to power its future, and Governor Maura Healey is keeping Northeastern leaders and co-ops at the forefront to achieve that goal.  Institute for Experiential AI

‍Northeastern researchers are pioneering the study of human-AI coevolution  Understanding the interplay between humans and AI is more important than ever, so Northeastern researchers are partnering with other global leaders to explore a groundbreaking new field of study called “Human-AI Coevolution.” Institute for Experiential AI

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ABOUT THE DIGEST

‍This newsletter is a special collaboration between Northeastern University students studying AI, data science, and computer science, and experts at The Institute for Experiential AI.
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Northeastern student curators include:

• Mihalis Koutouvos (PM), second-year, computer science
• Kaviarasu Annadurai, graduate student, robotics
• Mohammed Hussain Shariff, graduate student, applied machine intelligence
• Gabriella Hylton, third-year, computer science and economics
• Hayli Wynn, second-year, computer science and business
• Junxin Zheng, graduate student, computer science
• Yuxi Zhou, graduate student, computer science

Northeastern's Institute for Experiential AI review and editorial team includes:

• Ricardo Baeza-Yates, director of research
• Hamit Hamutcu, senior advisor, strategy & marketing
• Tim Weidinger, director of business development
• Digital marketing and content team