Meta's Reality Labs is reportedly laying off up to 10% of its staff, leading to the closure of several internal studios that developed games for Meta Quest. These studio closures include Armature, Twisted Pixel, and Sanzaru Games. Credit: META Armature was responsible for the virtual reality (VR) port of Resident Evil 4. Sanzaru Games developed the Asgard’s Wrath titles, while Twisted Pixel created Marvel’s Deadpool VR. The developer of the Supernatural VR fitness application

Chinese artificial intelligence firm Zhipu AI announced its new image generation model was trained on chips from Huawei Technologies, making it the first powerful open-source model developed on an entirely domestic training stack, marking a significant step towards domestic technology independence. This development demonstrates the feasibility of creating powerful multimodal models without relying on United States semiconductors.

An app named "Are you dead?" has garnered significant attention in China, experiencing a surge in downloads and widespread social media discussion. Designed as a "lightweight safety tool" for people living alone, the organisation has introduced a subscription fee and changed its name for a global audience.

A new artificial intelligence (AI) model training technique, co-authored by DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng and Peking University researchers, aims to bypass graphics processing unit (GPU) memory constraints. This development underscores the Hangzhou start-up’s focus on maximising cost efficiency amid a computational power deficit compared to US industry leaders.

AstraZeneca will acquire Boston-based Modella AI to accelerate oncology drug research and the discovery of new medicines. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Credit: AstraZeneca Modella AI's foundation models and artificial intelligence agents will integrate into oncology research and development. This integration aims to support clinical development and biomarker discovery. Gabi Raia, Modella AI’s chief commercial officer, stated that oncolog

Apple has introduced Apple Creator Studio, a new subscription bundle of professional creative software. This initiative aims to boost the company's services business, targeting creators, students, and professionals.

Malaysia's communications regulator will take legal action against social media platform X. The action stems from user safety concerns related to its artificial intelligence feature, Grok.

Reality Labs, which employs about 15,000 staff members, could announce these reductions as soon as Tuesday. The staff targeted are mainly involved in developing virtual reality headsets and virtual social networks within the metaverse unit.

Apple will use Google's Gemini models for its updated Siri voice assistant, which is expected later this year. This multi-year agreement strengthens the technology companies’ alliance within the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, bolstering Alphabet's standing against OpenAI.

Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, citing its ability to produce sexually explicit deepfakes. These nations are the first globally to ban the AI tool, which is part of Musk's X platform. Credit: GROK Grok allows users to generate images, but it has been used to edit pictures of real people, depicting them in revealing outfits. The Southeast Asian countries stated that Grok could be exploited to create pornographic

OLLOBOT debuted OlloNi, a next-generation cyber-pet, at CES 2026, marking its first appearance at the event. The brand focuses on fusing advanced technology with emotional companionship.

Apple is reportedly preparing to launch a 12-inch budget MacBook in 2026. This new laptop is anticipated to be a mid-range offering, priced around USD 699. The expected price point marks a significant departure from Apple’s traditional pricing, which has typically remained above USD 999 for Mac laptops.