🗞️ THE WEEKEND RECAP

Top Stories You Might Have Missed

👀 AI Masters Emotional Manipulation: Geoffrey Hinton warns machines are learning to subtly influence us better than humans can, not with logic, but emotional insight gleaned from how we write, talk, and think.

🔲 OpenAI Building Its Own AI Chip: OpenAI is teaming up with Broadcom to launch its own AI chip in 2026, aiming to cut costs and reduce reliance on NVIDIA as demand for compute power keeps surging.

🎮 Roblox Unveils TikTok-Style Feed + AI Tools: New “Roblox Moments” lets users share 30-sec gameplay clips, while creators get smarter AI tools and higher payouts — including a boosted DevEx rate.

🚧 Anthropic Halts AI Sales to China: In a rare move, Anthropic is cutting off AI access to Chinese-owned firms, citing national security concerns over military and intelligence use.

🤳 Snapchat Adds AI Image Generator Lens: New “Imagine Lens” lets premium users create Snap-worthy images from text prompts, like turning yourself into a comic strip or skydiving cat.

🎨 Hackers Threaten to Feed Stolen Art to AI: Ransomware group LunaLock hit Artists&Clients, demanding $50K or they’ll leak user data and train AI models on stolen commissions.

💼 OpenAI Acquires iOS Coding Tool Team: The creators of AI-powered “Cursor for Xcode” are joining OpenAI’s Codex team to scale their mission of making app development smarter and faster.

👤 Ex-Scale AI CTO Launches Data-Savvy Agent: Isotopes AI debuts with $20M and a bold pitch — its agent, Aidnn, lets business teams query messy data directly, then cleans and explains it on the fly.

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⚾ SPORTS

Oakland Ballers to Hand Over Dugout to AI in First-of-Its-Kind Baseball Experiment

The Oakland Ballers will break new ground this Saturday as the first professional sports team to be managed by AI during a live regular-season game. Developed in just two weeks by LA-based Distillery, the AI system will handle lineup creation, pitching changes, and defensive positioning, while humans retain control over base-running and player safety. The experiment marks the latest twist in the team’s fan-focused innovations.

Although it’s a one-time trial, the Ballers see AI as a way to deepen fan engagement and surface smarter insights—not replace human managers. In true Oakland tradition, it’s “Moneyball” reimagined—with algorithms in the dugout. → Read the full article here.

⚖️ LAWSUITS

Warner Bros. Sues Midjourney Over AI-Generated Superman, Batman, and Bugs Bunny

Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the startup of allowing users to create unauthorized visuals of iconic characters like Superman, Batman, and Bugs Bunny. The complaint alleges Midjourney knowingly removed copyright protections and profited from widespread infringement.

The studio is seeking damages, a cut of Midjourney’s earnings, and a stop to further violations. This comes on the heels of a similar suit from Disney and Universal in June. Midjourney has defended its practices under fair use, but the escalating legal pressure signals that Hollywood is drawing a hard line on AI-fueled fan art. → Read the full article here.

👓 WEARABLES

Rokid’s AI Glasses Hit $1M in Pre-Orders, Outpacing Meta Ray-Bans on Features

Rokid’s new AI-powered smart glasses have surpassed $1 million in pre-orders within 72 hours of launching on Kickstarter, signaling strong demand for advanced wearables that go beyond Meta’s Ray-Ban line. At $479 for early backers, the Rokid Glasses offer standout features like a head-up display, native ChatGPT support, multilingual translation in 89 languages, and audio memos—all while matching the Meta Ray-Bans’ weight and footprint.

Positioned between Meta’s mainstream audio-only Ray-Bans and its upcoming high-end Hypernova model, Rokid is targeting tech-forward users who prioritize utility over brand cachet. With mass production set for October, the real test begins this November. → Read the full article here.

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🤠 THE DAILY BYTE

China Unleashes ‘Robot Wolves’ in Military Parade

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Matthew Berman & The Forward Future Team

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