The U.S. Department of Commerce has given OpenAI the green light for a broad launch of its advanced GPT 5.6 model , a source familiar with the situation confirmed to Axios Tuesday. Why it matters: The government and the world's most advanced AI companies are negotiating how people get access to powerful technologies case-by-case, in real time. Driving the news: OpenAI expects to do a wide release of GPT 5.6 this week following additional testing and meetings between the company and government officials. - Testing was done by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation within the Department of Commerce, with OpenAI sending technical experts who have remained in D.C. to address any questions that arise, the source said. Context: OpenAI was…
Offices and hotels around East 42nd Street were evacuated after structural damage affected an office conversion project. Traffic was halted in the area. No injuries were reported.
The 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed a 110-airman contingency response element to Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Vargas, Venezuela, to work with local authorities and other disaster relief teams to safely expand the intake of humanitarian aid by air transport.
The old ways of testing and evaluating new frontier AI models need a rewrite. Why it matters: AI models are outgrowing the existing methods of testing and benchmarking their hacking abilities — and without new tests, policymakers and corporate security teams won't have a clear way to predict what these models can actually do or whether they can be deployed safely. Driving the news: Federal agencies have until Aug. 1 to establish a classified benchmarking process to assess the capabilities of frontier AI models, although the Financial Times reports those standards may arrive as soon as this week. - When Fable 5 returned last week, Anthropic said in a blog post it was creating a standardized benchmark with Amazon, Google, Microsoft and…
Microsoft for years has been an active acquirer of gaming companies, including small independent ones. But that may be changing. Driving the news: The tech giant on Monday announced a giant restructuring of its Xbox unit, including thousands of job cuts and the divestiture of five gaming studios. - Two of the studios (Ninja Theory and Undead Labs) have undisclosed buyers, while two others (Double Fine and Compulsion Games) will be spun out to their founders. - A process to divest the fifth studio, France's Arkane, is just beginning. What they're saying: "Our business today is not healthy ... We must reset Xbox," group CEO Asha Sharma wrote in a memo. "We have also learned that we are not the best home for every type of studio: In a…
Republicans are preparing to welcome a potential Graham Platner replacement in Maine's Senate race with $8 million in negative ads, aiming to introduce a new Democratic nominee to voters on their own terms before Democrats can. Why it matters: Republicans are doing something Democrats wish they could: Move on from Platner. - The progressive candidate , who said Monday he is taking time to "reflect" on his next steps, remains officially in the race and is looking to leverage his status as the Democratic nominee to influence who could replace him. - Republicans, meanwhile, see an opening: three weeks to prepare a campaign against a Democratic nominee who will have little time to introduce themselves to voters. Driving the news: Pine Tree…