Scientists from around the world are using generative artificial intelligence tools to write papers in English, and it’s already altering the publishing landscape. A new study from the University of Basel has found that papers by scientists from countries where English is not the primary language have become “measurably” closer to a US benchmark since 2022, when ChatGPT, the world’s most used generative AI tool, launched. This convergence effect has been strongest in papers from countries linguistically distant to English. While papers from countries such as Saudi Arabia and South Korea suggest a high adoption of AI tools for writing, those from countries that are closer to English linguistically, such as Germany and Sweden, show lower levels. Adoption appears to be lowest in English-speaking.
https://sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-funding/ai/insiders-view-how-generative-ai-could-make-scientific-publishing-fairer-and-more
Tag Archives: intelligence
Larry Summers resigns from OpenAI board after release of emails with Epstein
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said Wednesday that he will resign from the board at OpenAI after the release of emails between him and the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Summers had announced Monday that he would be stepping back from all public commitments, but it was not immediately clear whether that included his position at the artificial intelligence startup. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress,” Summers said in a statement to CNBC. OpenAI’s board told CNBC it respects Summers’ decision to resign. “We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board,” the OpenAI Board of Directors said in a statement. Details of Summers’ correspondence with Epstein were made public after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released more than 20, 000 documents it obtained pursuant to a subpoena from Epstein’s estate.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/19/larry-summers-epstein-openai.html
Meet John Ternus, the Apple exec rumored to be the frontrunner to one day replace Tim Cook as CEO
Tim Cook has been running Apple for more than 14 years, but he won’t be CEO forever. With leadership transitions this year, including Cook’s longtime number two, Jeff Williams, announcing his retirement before 2026, John Ternus has emerged as a likely frontrunner for the top job, according to reports in the last year and a half. The 65-year-old could leave the role as early as next year after Apple’s January earnings report, the Financial Times recently reported, and that the iPhone maker has intensified succession planning. Bloomberg previously identified Ternus as “the most likely heir apparent.” Cook has previously said that his ideal candidate for the role would come from within the company and that he’s preparing “several” people to potentially take over. Meanwhile, Apple fans and Wall Street have become more familiar with Ternus as he makes public appearances tied to iPhone and other product events. Here’s what to know about the executive who could one day replace Cook at the helm. He studied engineering Ternus graduated with a degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997, according to his LinkedIn profile. He majored in mechanical engineering. He then worked for four years as an engineer before joining Apple’s product design team in 2001, per its website. Ternus became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013, taking over from Dan Riccio. He’s worked on various Apple products, including every generation and model of iPad, as well as AirPods. With his hardware chops, Ternus as CEO would mark the return of a chief executive at Apple with a product design background. Ternus has ample public speaking experience The job of Apple CEO is one of the most high-profile executive positions in the world, requiring regular media and keynote appearances. Ternus hasn’t shied away from the spotlight, as he also has experience presenting new products and revealing new versions of the iMac and MacBook at past Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) events. At Apple’s “Let Loose” event in May 2024, Ternus unveiled new, thinner iPad Pro and iPad Air models. His 2025 has been marked with a number of media appearances, including interviews about Apple’s plans for Apple Intelligence and new hardware. Following the launch of the new iPhone Air, Ternus and senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg “Joz” Joswiak did an interview showcasing the durability of Apple’s thinnest phone. The video garnered nearly 350, 000 views, and many of the comments discussed if either of the execs would be Cook’s successor. Joswiak, however, is only three years younger than Cook. Cook wants someone ‘from within Apple’ Although Apple is unsurprisingly tight-lipped about who will take over from Cook, the CEO said in 2023 that there are “very detailed succession plans” in place for when he steps down. He didn’t give much away on who is included in that plan. “My job is to prepare several people to for the ability to succeed, and I really want the person to come from within Apple,” Cook said in a 2023 interview with singer Dua Lipa. Cook added that he aims to give the Apple board multiple candidates to choose from once his time is up. However, he said, it doesn’t mean his time is coming soon. Apple did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. “I love it there, and I can’t envision my life without being there,” Cook told Lipa two years ago. “So, I’ll be there for a while.”.
https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-john-ternus-exec-tipped-replace-tim-cook-ceo-2024-9
Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine sign voices over to A.I.
Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine are officially lending their voices to artificial intelligence amid actors’ widespread concerns about the technology’s impact on their livelihoods. The Oscar-winning stars will have their iconic voices digitally recreated by ElevenLabs, the AI voice technology company. Notably, McConaughey, 56, known for his role in “Interstellar,” is also investing an undisclosed sum in the company, according to Variety.
“To everyone building with voice technology: keep going. You’re helping create a future where we can look up from our screens and connect through something as timeless as humanity itself — our voices,” McConaughey, who has collaborated with ElevenLabs since 2022, said in a statement.
As part of this collaboration, ElevenLabs will be producing a Spanish-language audio version of McConaughey’s “Lyrics of Livin’” newsletter. The actor hopes this will help the content “reach and connect with even more people.”
Meanwhile, Michael Caine’s distinctive Cockney voice will be featured in ElevenLabs’ Iconic Voice Marketplace. This platform seeks to provide access to talent for various projects, with commitments required from all parties involved. The 92-year-old actor echoed McConaughey’s positive outlook, stating that the company aims to “preserve and share voices not just mine, but anyone’s. It’s not about replacing voices; it’s about amplifying them, opening doors for new storytellers everywhere.”
ElevenLabs describes the Iconic Voice Marketplace as enabling “the ethical sourcing and licensing of some of the world’s most recognizable voices.” The roster includes notable figures such as Art Garfunkel, Liza Minnelli and her late mother Judy Garland, as well as deceased legends like Thomas Edison, John Wayne, Jean Harlow, Maya Angelou, Babe Ruth, Rock Hudson, Alan Turing, Montgomery Clift, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Laurence Olivier.
With this innovative venture, ElevenLabs hopes to balance respect for artists with the exciting possibilities voice AI can offer storytellers worldwide.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/12/matthew-mcconaughey-michael-caine-ai-voices/
Welcome To The Battle For The Future Of Commerce
Amazon Fires Warning Shots Across the Bow of AI Agents
Amazon, the giant e-commerce company, has issued a stark warning to Perplexity, the AI-powered answer engine. The company has requested that Perplexity stop allowing users to create and use purchasing agents through its Comet browser to buy products on Amazon’s website. Pause for a moment and consider that: an e-commerce vendor is essentially saying it doesn’t want people buying things from its own site—at least, not in the way those people want to.
Instead, Amazon insists that customers shop in the way it prefers. And at the heart of this dispute lies a struggle over control and power.
### The Legal Showdown Begins
Amazon’s cease-and-desist letter, now public, makes clear the company’s firm stance. Amazon lawyer Moez M. Kaba writes:
“Perplexity must immediately cease using, enabling, or deploying Comet’s artificial intelligence (‘AI’) agents or any other means to covertly intrude into Amazon’s e-commerce websites.”
Amazon considers such “intrusions” violations of federal and state computer fraud and abuse laws.
Welcome to the battle for the future—not just of commerce, but much more.
### What’s Happening?
1. You create an AI agent with Perplexity.
2. You ask it to buy something on Amazon for you.
3. It completes the purchase without identifying itself as an AI agent to Amazon.
From Perplexity’s perspective, this is simply the next step in technology and automation. Amazon, however, sees it differently—and the issue boils down to control over how customers find and buy products.
### Perplexity’s Perspective: Innovation and Convenience
In a blog post titled “Bullying is Not Innovation,” Perplexity argues that Amazon *should* embrace agentic AI. “Easier shopping means more transactions and happier customers,” the post states. However, Perplexity claims Amazon is more interested in serving ads, promoting sponsored results, and influencing customer purchases through upsells and confusing offers.
Perplexity views agentic AI as a transition from tools like wrenches or hammers to genuine assistants or even employees who act on behalf of users.
### Amazon’s Position: Transparency is the Snag
Amazon acknowledges its excitement about AI innovations. The cease-and-desist letter states:
“Amazon shares the industry’s excitement about AI innovations and sees significant potential for agentic AI to improve customer experiences in a range of areas.”
But there’s a critical caveat: transparency.
Perplexity’s AI agents log in using the user’s credentials on personal devices, effectively masquerading as the user rather than identifying themselves as agents. Amazon likens this to a child running an errand for a parent—it insists the child must identify as the parent’s agent.
### Perplexity’s Rebuttal
Perplexity counters by highlighting the nature of user agents:
“User agents are exactly that: agents of the user. They’re distinct from crawlers, scrapers, or bots. A user agent is your AI assistant—it has exactly the same permissions you have, works only at your specific request, and acts solely on your behalf.”
In essence, Perplexity argues its agents *are* the user and do not need to identify separately as agents.
### The Stakes for Both Sides
Perplexity fears that if its agents openly identify themselves as such, Amazon might block them, dynamically change product prices, or impose service fees.
Amazon’s main concern is that agentic commerce removes the curated shopping experience that includes context, impulse buying, and personalized recommendations. The cease-and-desist letter emphasizes:
“Amazon has invested billions over many years to develop a carefully curated shopping experience designed to help customers find and discover products through reviews, price, availability, delivery speed, post-purchase satisfaction measures, and personalized browsing and shopping history. This delights customers and builds trust, which is critical to Amazon’s success.”
### The Broader Context: Power, Control, and Commercial Transparency
Author and activist Cory Doctorow offers a provocative view in his book *Enshittification*, where he suggests Amazon exploits both users and merchants—arguing that “top results in product searches aren’t best matches, but those paying the highest fees.”
Regardless of viewpoint, it appears this conflict is headed for the courts. According to Lumida Wealth Management, an investment advisory firm,
“This is the first major legal test of autonomous AI agents in commerce.”
But this issue transcends shopping bots. As AI agents increasingly act on our behalf, society will need to address questions about ownership of their work, whether that work counts as our own in professional settings, and what rights and responsibilities such agents should have.
Hashbyt, a U.K. software company, summarizes the challenge succinctly:
“This isn’t just about shopping bots. It’s about the foundation of an AI-driven web.”
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The clash between Amazon and Perplexity may well set critical precedents for the future of AI, commerce, and digital autonomy. As technology evolves, so too will the battles over control, transparency, and innovation. Stay tuned.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/welcome-to-the-battle-for-the-future-of-commerce/