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Marvel ushers in the new year with a Wonder Man trailer
Tech/AI

Marvel ushers in the new year with a Wonder Man trailer

by admin January 1, 2026
written by admin

Marvel Studios kicked off the new year by dropping a new trailer for Wonder Man, an eight-episode miniseries that arrives later this month on Disney+. Part of the MCU’s Phase Six, the show was developed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of Five Rings) and Andrew Guest (Hawkeye), with Guest acting as showrunner.

As previously reported, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II leads as Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man — an actor and stunt performer who actually has superpowers and decides to audition for the starring role in a superhero TV reboot of an earlier Wonder Man incarnation. Demetrius Grosse plays Simon’s brother Eric, aka Grim Reaper; Ed Harris portrays Simon’s agent Neal Saroyan; and Arian Moayed appears as P., presumably an agent with the Department of Damage Control. Lauren Glazier, Josh Gad, Byron Bowers, Bechir Sylvain, and Manny McCord are also listed in undisclosed parts.

Ben Kingsley rounds out the cast, returning to the MCU as the down-on-his-luck actor Trevor Slattery. You might remember Slattery from 2013’s Iron Man 3, where he was hired by that film’s villain to pose as the head of the international terrorist group the Ten Rings. Slattery reappeared in 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, having been rehabilitated after prison; there he assisted Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) on his journey to the mythical village of Ta Lo.

Just before last fall’s New York Comic Con a one-minute teaser that played up the meta-humor was released, and a full trailer debuted at the event that largely set up the premise as Simon prepared to audition for his dream role. The newest trailer reuses some of that footage but adds a scene where Simon must sign a form asserting he has no superpowers. The catch is that he does — and the pressure of the audition and the acting process itself triggers those powers in explosive fashion. The Department of Damage Control consequently deems Simon an “extraordinary threat.”

Wonder Man debuts on Disney+ on January 27, 2026.

January 1, 2026 0 comments
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“Streaming no longer feels limitless”: What subscribers can expect in 2026
Tech/AI

“Streaming no longer feels limitless”: What subscribers can expect in 2026

by admin January 1, 2026
written by admin

“Large merged catalogs encourage firms to concentrate on established intellectual property since it travels well, can be merchandised, and lowers marketing risk,” said Robert Rosenberg, a partner at the New York law firm Moses Singer who specializes in intellectual property, entertainment, technology, and data law.

Rosenberg also anticipates a “tilt toward” live events, sports, and unscripted programming “for retention” should HBO Max be sold.

In the near term, Rory Gooderick, research manager at analyst firm Ampere Analysis, predicted that WBD will be “cautious when greenlighting new large-scale projects until” the deal is completed.

Beyond the possible HBO Max sale, additional merger activity might push streaming platforms away from their initial pitch of providing braver, more idiosyncratic programming.

As consolidation progresses, “sticky content,” such as procedurals, reality series, and “comfort TV that drives long viewing sessions,” will become a priority for mainstream subscription-based streaming services, particularly as they lean more on ad-supported tiers, Goodman predicted.

A more stable future?

The coming year will be pivotal for streaming and have enduring effects on subscribers. We’ve outlined several downsides, but there may be an upside. Although more upheaval is possible, there’s hope we’ll begin to see a path toward steadier streaming choices.

Subscribers can’t directly prevent mergers, price increases, or changes to libraries. However, as services such as Netflix and Disney+ aim to be one-stop destinations with vast catalogs, other platforms have a chance to sharpen their niches and differentiate themselves by offering offbeat, unexpected, and rare content at more affordable price points.

As the market calms, streamers should remember how much variety matters to subscribers. According to Bill Michels, chief product officer at Gracenote, Nielsen’s content data business unit:

There will be some consolidation. But the [connected TV] environment, including FAST and [direct-to-consumer] channels, still offers more than enough video variety for viewers, so the main challenge will be matching content to the proper audience. Audience engagement rests on strong content. Audience retention relies on ensuring viewers always have something to watch.

January 1, 2026 0 comments
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Zelensky states that the peace agreement is 90% prepared in his New Year speech.
Global

Zelensky states that the peace agreement is 90% prepared in his New Year speech.

by admin January 1, 2026
written by admin

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that a peace deal aiming to conclude the war with Russia is “90% finalized,” during a New Year message that primarily highlighted the resistance to Moscow’s significant invasion.

He indicated that the final 10% of the peace agreement, which would bring nearly four years of conflict to a close, would “decide the destiny of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe”.

In his own New Year remarks, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured his soldiers that “we trust in you and our triumph.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Moscow presented what it claimed as proof of Ukraine utilizing drones to target Putin’s private residence on Lake Valdai in north-western Russia, accusations that Kyiv has robustly denied.

The evidence included a map purportedly illustrating that the drones were launched from the Sumy and Chernihiv areas of Ukraine, as well as a video showing a downed drone in a snowy forest. A soldier beside the debris asserts it is a Ukrainian Chaklun drone.

The BBC has not been able to authenticate the video, and it is not feasible to determine its filming location.

The Kremlin stated that Russia would reassess its stance on the ongoing peace discussions due to the alleged incident.

Nevertheless, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s leading diplomat, characterized the Russian claims as a “calculated diversion” and an effort to disrupt the peace process.

In his 20-minute speech to the public, Zelensky asserted that Ukraine does not seek peace “at any price,” emphasizing that “we desire the conclusion of the war – not Ukraine’s demise.”

He remarked that a Ukrainian retreat from the eastern Donbas region would mean “everything is finished,” referring to Russia’s uncompromising demand that Moscow gain complete authority over the industrial zone in any peace treaty.

Currently, Moscow governs about 75% of the Donetsk region and approximately 99% of the adjacent Luhansk. Collectively, these areas are referred to as Donbas.

The status of this region has been a significant hurdle throughout negotiations, with Russia persistently unwilling to compromise on its desire to obtain full control of Donbas.

In his address, Zelensky expressed gratitude to leaders who have supported Ukraine but stated that “intentions must transform into security assurances, and thus – be confirmed.”

Following discussions between Zelensky and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Florida earlier this week, the Ukrainian leader mentioned that Washington had proposed security guarantees for 15 years – although a timeline for their execution remains unclear.

“Signatures under feeble agreements only fuel conflict,” Zelensky remarked in his address. “Either the world halts Russia’s aggression, or Russia compels the world into its conflict.”

In contrast, Putin’s New Year statement was notably shorter.

Commenting on the war in Ukraine, which Moscow labels a “special military operation,” Putin stated: “We aim to provide joy and warmth through our caring for those needing assistance and, naturally, to uphold our heroes – the participants in the special military operation – both in spirit and through actions.”

Separately, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un utilized his New Year address to commend the “unstoppable alliance” between Pyongyang and Moscow, while praising the soldiers engaged in “foreign lands.”

According to South Korean officials, North Korea has dispatched thousands of troops to support Russia’s invasion, alongside missiles and long-range weaponry.

Estimates from South Korea suggest that at least 600 of those soldiers have perished.

Zelensky has expressed a wish for peace talks to resume and quicken this month with participation from both US and European representatives.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that European nations and allies set to convene in Paris on 6 January “will make definite commitments to uphold Ukraine and ensure a fair and enduring peace on our European continent.”

On Wednesday, advisers to Trump held discussions with Zelensky and national security advisors from the UK, France, and Germany regarding ending the conflict in Ukraine.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned that they deliberated on “enhancing security assurances and formulating effective deconfliction strategies to help conclude the conflict and guarantee it does not reignite.”

However, any agreement will ultimately require Russian agreement, which does not appear to be forthcoming – and the alleged drone event above Putin’s residence may have pushed this further out of reach.

January 1, 2026 0 comments
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Dust to data hubs: The year AI industry leaders, alongside billions in liabilities, started transforming the American terrain
Economy

Dust to data hubs: The year AI industry leaders, alongside billions in liabilities, started transforming the American terrain

by admin December 31, 2025
written by admin

The Stargate AI data center located in Abilene, Texas, United States, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.
Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Dust from West Texas, orange-red and laced with iron particles, is carried by the wind, creating a gritty film on everything it contacts. It adheres to skin and sticks to the insides of your mouth, turning each breath into a reminder of your surroundings. This is the environment where Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is directing a project named Stargate — a rapidly growing network of data centers, supported by allies such as Oracle, Nvidia, and SoftBank.

Each morning, six thousand vehicles belonging to workers flow into the location. Tires create a constant dusty cloud over the construction area, which spans the size of a small city — employing more individuals at this single site than OpenAI has on its entire payroll.

Rain occurs sporadically. One moment, the roads are dry dust; the next, they’re saturated mud — thick and sticky, grabbing at boots and hindering machinery. After the storm passes, the sun reappears, and the ground hardens again, fissured and chalk-like, as if the area is attempting to eliminate all traces that water ever touched it.

As twilight approaches, the same harsh conditions that make life there challenging transform the sky into a tapestry of vibrant colors. Shorter wavelengths dissipate, leaving only reds and oranges in their wake.

“This is what it requires to produce AI,” Altman remarked to CNBC at the site in September. “Unlike previous technological upheavals or earlier versions of the internet, substantial infrastructure is necessary. And this is merely a small indication of it.”

A small demonstration: With an average cost of around $50 billion per location, OpenAI’s Stargate undertakings accumulate to an estimated $850 billion in expenses — nearly half of the $2 trillion global AI infrastructure increase projected by HSBC.

The Abilene facility has already launched one data center, with a second one nearing completion. OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar informed CNBC that the site could eventually surpass a gigawatt of capacity — enough energy to provide for about 750,000 homes, approximately equal to the sizes of Seattle and San Francisco combined.

“The excavation work being done today is indeed about computing power that will become operational in 2026,” she stated in September. “The initial push from Nvidia will focus on Vera Rubins, the latest in frontier accelerator chips. Following that, it involves what will be constructed for 2027, 2028, and 2029. What we observe today is a significant computing crunch.”

“We are expanding at an unprecedented pace,” Altman said, squinting in the sunlight. “And we would be significantly larger now if we had vastly more capacity.”

Land costs are low. Government support is available. And for now, the power grid can be adjusted to accommodate these needs.

Altman is not the only one establishing empires.

Zuckerberg’s Hyperion and Musk’s Colossus

In the flatlands of northeast Louisiana, where expansive soybean fields used to reach the horizon, Meta‘s Mark Zuckerberg is constructing a four-million-square-foot facility dedicated to artificial intelligence. He refers to it as Hyperion, named after the Greek titan. Once completed, it will use more electricity than New Orleans — and occupy an area similar to that of lower Manhattan.

On the opposite side of the Mississippi River, in West Memphis, Arkansas, Alphabet‘s Google has commenced the largest private capital investment in state history — a multibillion-dollar campus emerging from 1,100 acres of undeveloped land.

Thirty minutes south, on the Tennessee side of the line, Elon Musk has already started transforming the industrial ruins of South Memphis. His supercomputer, Colossus, was constructed in 122 days within a closed Electrolux facility. Now he is building Colossus 2, targeting a million GPUs — and has just acquired a third property to further enlarge the complex. To power this site, Musk purchased a defunct Duke Energy power facility across the border in Southaven, Mississippi.

Southeast Wisconsin is where Microsoft is investing over $7 billion into what CEO Satya Nadella dubs “the most powerful AI” data center globally — a facility expected to accommodate hundreds of thousands of Nvidia chips when it becomes operational in early 2026. Additionally, in rural Indiana, bordering Lake Michigan, Amazon has repurposed 1,200 acres of farmland into Project Rainier, an $11 billion facility completely reliant on custom silicon, established solely to develop AI models for a startup named Anthropic.

“Transforming cornfields into data centers, almost instantaneously,” Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman remarked to CNBC in Seattle in October.

This is the AI explosion manifested in steel and gravel — a gradual reshaping of the country into power and computing zones. What is being built is not infrastructure in the traditional sense. It represents the physical embodiment of a conviction — that intelligence itself can be produced at an industrial scale, and that whoever constructs the largest factory will prevail.

“This is the most significant market ever in human history,” asserted Sameer Dholakia, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. “This surpasses oil, as everyone around the world requires intelligence.”

The funding

The amounts in play have become hard to grasp.

The leading five hyperscalers — comprising Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta — are projected to spend close to $443 billion on capital investments this year. CreditSights anticipates that this figure will rise to $602 billion in 2026 — marking a 36% increase year-over-year. Their analysts predict that around 75% of that expenditure will directly contribute to AI infrastructure.

The current technology sector stands out as one of the most lucrative in history, yet not all companies necessarily possess the liquid assets to meet these expenditures.

The debt incurred has been extraordinary. Hyperscalers have introduced $121 billion in additional debt this year — more than four times the average yearly issuance over the preceding five years, according to Bank of America. More than $90 billion of that was raised in just the past three months. Meta accessed the bond markets for $30 billion. Alphabet secured $25 billion. Oracle recently executed an $18 billion bond issuance — making it the largest issuer of investment-grade debt among non-financial U.S. corporations, according to Citi.

Wall Street anticipates an increase in borrowing rates.

Analysts from Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan estimate that the push for AI infrastructure could lead to up to $1.5 trillion in extra borrowing by tech firms in the upcoming years. Furthermore, UBS analysts project that as much as $900 billion in new issuance could occur by 2026 alone.

AWS site lead Josh Sallabedra with MacKenzie Sigalos
Katie Tarasov

“There is a certain discomfort inherent in being a credit investor facing the kind of transformation that will demand an immense amount of capital,” Daniel Sorid, head of U.S. investment-grade credit strategy at Citi, commented to investors during a video call earlier this month.

This discomfort is visible in the derivatives market.

Credit-default swaps — financial instruments that provide a payout if a borrower fails to meet their debt obligations — have widened to multi-year highs for Oracle. Barclays and Morgan Stanley have advised clients to purchase protection, and towards the end of October, a dynamic CDS market linked to Meta began actively trading as investors hurried to hedge against what is emerging as a hyperscaler debt surge.

Historically, there is evidence that debt-funded expansions can exceed immediate demand. During the dot-com era, telecommunications companies accumulated debt to expedite fiber deployment. As conditions tightened, many were forced to restructure. The network remained intact — however, the results varied from significant losses for early investors to total equity collapses.

OpenAI and the intricate network

OpenAI stands at the heart of this infrastructure race — entwined in a network of interrelated contracts that have altered the competitive landscape for artificial intelligence.

Within just two months this fall, the organization unveiled partnerships totaling around $1.4 trillion in announced commitments — a figure that has led critics to alert of a potential AI bubble and raised fundamental inquiries regarding the availability of power, land, and supply chains needed to meet such aspirations.

The agreements were made in swift succession.

In September, OpenAI revealed a $100 billion equity-and-supply agreement with Nvidia — the chip manufacturer acquiring an ownership stake in OpenAI in return for 10 gigawatts of its next-generation systems.

In October, OpenAI partnered with AMD to implement its Instinct GPUs, with the agreement potentially granting OpenAI a 10% stake in the chip manufacturer. Shortly afterward, Broadcom consented to provide 10 gigawatts of custom chips co-developed with OpenAI. In November, OpenAI finalized its first cloud agreement with Amazon Web Services, further loosening Microsoft’s previously exclusive hold.

“This is essential for us,” OpenAI President Greg Brockman mentioned to CNBC in October, referring to the company’s urgent need to secure the raw computing capabilities for its goals. “It’s crucial to our mission if we genuinely want to scale to serve all of humanity.”

Nvidia is effectively underwriting the demand for its own chips, Oracle is constructing the sites, AMD and Broadcom are positioning themselves as alternative suppliers, and OpenAI is anchoring that demand. Detractors term this a circular economy: capital, capacity, and revenue revolving through a limited group of players. It functions as long as growth persists — but if demand decreases or funding tightens, the strain can swiftly spread across a network of shared risks.

Already, Nvidia has warned investors that there was “no guarantee” it would finalize a definitive agreement with OpenAI or complete the investment under expected conditions, serving as a reminder that significant AI partnerships frequently start as mere frameworks.

Oracle’s perspective from the ground is more straightforward: the demand is tangible, varied, and firmly committed.

“We observe widespread demand across a broad range of sectors, so it’s not solely reliant on a single source,” Clay Magouyrk, Oracle’s newly appointed co-CEO, relayed to CNBC in West Texas in September. “I don’t see a bubble since I am witnessing genuine demand for it.”

He depicted the craving for computing power as nearly limitless. “When I observe my teams at Oracle and our clients, I detect what seems to be boundless demand for technology — if we can facilitate their use of it.”

At the DealBook Summit in December, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei illustrated the “cone of uncertainty” — a disparity between long lead times and a market that can alter within a quarter. Data centers require 18 to 24 months to construct, and chip orders are placed years ahead, even as demand predictions remain in flux.

“You don’t have $50 billion available,” he said, prompting financing that often becomes integrated into partnerships with semiconductor manufacturers or cloud providers, allowing for a “pay as you go” approach.

Amodei asserts that Anthropic seeks to remain prudent. “I think there are some players who are not managing that risk well,” he stated, while declining to specify names.

The new doctrine of scale

Critics question the reliability of firm, contracted demand versus aspirational headline figures.

Gil Luria, who monitors technological trends at D.A. Davidson, considers Oracle to be a case study.

“OpenAI made pledges that it is quite improbable they will fulfill,” he remarked. “Now they are retracting those and stating these aren’t genuine commitments — they’re frameworks. But discuss that with Oracle. Oracle believed they had a contract for $300 billion. They recorded that in their ongoing performance obligations and made commitments to Wall Street based on that.”

Oracle shares plummeted 23% in November — marking its worst month since 2001.

OpenAI’s Friar contested the characterization of a “circular economy” during an interview with CNBC in West Texas.

She likened it to the nascent phase of the internet. “When the internet was emerging, many believed that we were overextending, that there was an excess. And look at where we are now, right? The internet is prevalent. AI will resemble that.”

Friar mentioned that equity is too costly, prompting OpenAI to prepare to incur debt for the first time to support expansion. The company has explored over 800 potential locations throughout North America — considering land availability, substations, and transmission capacity.

Much like the majority of the industry, OpenAI is assessing every possible energy source — renewables, gas, and even nuclear — as utilities and technology firms pursue constant power that wind and solar cannot consistently supply on their own.

“The true constraint isn’t financial resources,” she said. “It’s energy.”

This demand remains unwavering. In late December, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son consented to pay $4 billion for DigitalBridge, a company investing in data centers. To finance the deal — and his $40 billion pledge to OpenAI — Son liquidated SoftBank’s entire stake in Nvidia. He later expressed at a Tokyo forum that he “was crying” over the necessity to sell those shares.

The coveted asset now is energized real estate — alongside the ability to scale up. Power like this is regulated and requires permission, which implies that the expansion also hinges on decisions made in Washington.

OpenAI has engaged with the Trump administration to expand the CHIPS Act tax credit to encompass AI data centers — although when its CFO proposed the idea of a governmental “backstop” for infrastructure loans at a Wall Street Journal event in November, the backlash was immediate, leading her to retract the statement within hours. Altman took to X to insist that the company does not “seek or require government assurances.”

Organizations are not pausing for Washington. They are borrowing, constructing, and wagering that the economic conditions will eventually align — for as of now, every time they have increased their scale, the outcomes have improved. This trend is the foundational belief of the industry: increased computing results in more capable systems. It explains why startups that have yet to generate profits can still attain valuations in the hundreds of billions.

The gamble is that training increasingly large models will continue to yield transformative intelligence. It is also the expectation that the benefits are now radiating beyond the laboratory, as these models find applications across various sectors — assisting clients, generating code, handling claims, drafting contracts, condensing extensive workloads into mere hours. This is inference: the actual usage of models that turns them into functional products, rather than just training them.

Inference is where the enthusiasm must translate into profit margins, and also where the demand for computing power is relentless: every new user, workflow, or agent adds ongoing requirements, as opposed to a singular training cycle. This is why the expansion appears less like a speculative venture and more like a utility race, with firms striving to ensure they have the energy and capacity to address what they believe will be continual demands for intelligence.

“We continue to be astonished, even as the frontrunners of this scaling belief,” Daniela Amodei, Anthropic’s president and co-founder, narrated to CNBC during a discussion at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. “Every year we’ve thought, ‘Well, this can’t possibly keep up with exponential growth,’ yet it has every single year.”

Anthropic’s revenue has surged tenfold annually over the past three years. In 2025 alone, the startup’s valuation soared from $60 billion to a funding round currently happening that could exceed $300 billion.

The reckoning

Dario Amodei, Daniela’s brother, posits that we are nearing a scenario akin to “a country of geniuses confined in a data center” — AI systems capable of performing at the level of Nobel laureates across every sector. He believes this threshold could be reached as soon as next year.

Yet he is also raising alarms.

“Take a look at entry-level consultants, lawyers, and financial professionals; many roles within white-collar service sectors can be efficiently managed by AI models without supervision,” he informed 60 Minutes. “My concern is that it will be widespread, and the pace will be quicker than prior technological advances.”

This conviction is fueling the industry’s expenditure frenzy — but skeptics fear that the construction could become an overreach fueled by debt, resulting in a familiar aftermath: bankruptcies, liquidation sales, and equity elimination.

Matt Murphy, a venture capitalist at Menlo Ventures and an early investor in Anthropic, frames the scenario differently.

“I have been in the venture capital business for 25 years,” Murphy stated, “I have witnessed the waves of cloud computing, mobile technology, and semiconductors. This is the greatest wave of all.”

Aerial view of Open AI Stargate I (Abilene)
Courtesy: OpenAI

When viewed from a distance, a new landscape emerges.

Zuckerberg’s Hyperion. Musk’s Colossus. Altman’s Stargate. Amazon’s Rainier. Google’s network of compute clusters. Each one a testament to a distinct perspective on the future — and all tethered to a singular limitation: energy.

Data centers are sprouting up near electrical generation plants and transmission pathways, in regions with affordable land, cooperative governments, and power grids that can be expanded. The surrounding communities are now appearing in investor presentations, earnings discussions, and projections worth trillions.

Analysts inform CNBC that the stakes transcend mere stock values. Either this year marks the commencement of a change as significant as electrification and the internet, or it signifies the climax of a bubble that future generations will examine as a lesson learned.

Altman acknowledges the skepticism — but he dismisses the idea that the expansion has become excessive.

“People will suffer losses for overinvesting,” he stated to CNBC in September. “Conversely, people can also incur losses from underinvesting and lacking adequate capability.”

“Intelligent individuals will become overly enthusiastic, and many will lose substantial amounts of money. Yet, I remain confident that in the long run, the significance of this technology will be immense for society,” Altman concluded.

For now, the development persists. Trucks raise clouds of dust. Transformers resonate. And throughout the American heartland, the factories of a new era are being sculpted.

WATCH: Microsoft anticipates a 10x return on OpenAI investment post-restructure

December 31, 2025 0 comments
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What are Russians looking forward to in 2026, inquires Steve Rosenberg
Global

What are Russians looking forward to in 2026, inquires Steve Rosenberg

by admin December 31, 2025
written by admin

With the New Year festivities beginning, the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg engages with individuals in Moscow regarding their aspirations for 2026 and their perspectives on the future.

Beyond Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, concerns about the economy, which is facing mounting challenges, are also on people’s minds.

December 31, 2025 0 comments
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You can’t rely on your vision to discern what’s genuine any longer, claims the leader of Instagram.
Tech/AI

You can’t rely on your vision to discern what’s genuine any longer, claims the leader of Instagram.

by admin December 31, 2025
written by admin

Mosseri asserts that digital camera brands are heading in the wrong direction.

Mosseri asserts that digital camera brands are heading in the wrong direction.

Dec 31, 2025, 10:54 PM UTC
Photo illustration depicting a person's face being appropriated for deep-fake porn.
Photo illustration depicting a person's face being appropriated for deep-fake porn.
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler serves as a senior editor covering news related to tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years of news coverage at Engadget.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri is concluding 2025 with a comprehensive 20-image examination of what a fresh era of “infinite synthetic content” signifies, as it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate from reality, and the older, more personal Instagram feed that he claims has been “dead” for years. In the previous year, The Verge’s Sarah Jeong analyzed that “…the default expectation concerning a photo is soon to be that it’s fabricated, as producing realistic and credible fake photographs is now exceedingly easy,” and Mosseri eventually agrees:

For the majority of my life, I could confidently presume that photographs or videos were mostly truthful depictions of moments that occurred. This is evidently not how things stand anymore, and it will take us years to adjust.

We will transition from a presumption that what we view is genuine by default to beginning with skepticism. It will be essential to consider who is sharing something and for what reason. This will be challenging – we are biologically inclined to trust our vision.

The complete text from his presentation can be found at the bottom of this post, but based on Mosseri, the necessary progression for Instagram and other platforms is that “We must create the most effective creative tools. Label AI-generated material and verify authentic media. Highlight credibility indicators about who is posting. Keep enhancing original content rankings.”

Our audience is aware that we’ve spent the preceding years contemplating the impending “what is a photo?” crisis as it emerges through AI image manipulation and generation. Now, as we rapidly approach 2026, it seems somewhat late to present a brief outline of suggestions.

Mosseri’s perspective centered on Instagram posits that “We often lament about ‘AI slop,’ but there’s an abundance of impressive AI-generated content,” without specifically naming any examples, or directly acknowledging Meta’s motivation for implementing AI tools. He believes that camera manufacturers are missing the mark by attempting to enable everyone to “emulate a professional photographer from 2015.”

Rather, he asserts that raw, unrefined images currently function as a signal of authenticity, until AI evolves to replicate flaws. Following that, “we’ll need to redirect our attention to the source instead of the message,” with fingerprints and cryptographic validation of images from the cameras that captured them to verify real media as opposed to depending on tags and watermarks added to AI-generated content.

Mosseri isn’t the first tech executive to address this identical concern. Samsung executive Patrick Chomet adopted the stance that “in reality, there is no such thing as an authentic photograph,” following controversies last year surrounding the handling of moon photography by Galaxy phones. Additionally, Apple’s Craig Federighi expressed to the WSJ that he is “worried” regarding the ramifications of AI editing. However, perhaps we are simply one more Instagram presentation or two away from resolving this all.

Adam Mosseri:

The primary risk Instagram confronts is that, as the pace of change accelerates, the platform may fail to adapt. Anticipating 2026, one significant transition: authenticity is becoming endlessly reproducible.

Everything that once made creators significant—the capacity to be genuine, to connect, to express a voice that couldn’t be imitated—is now within reach of anyone equipped with the appropriate tools. Deepfakes are advancing rapidly. AI produces photos and videos that are indistinguishable from real footage.

Control has transferred from institutions to individuals due to the internet enabling anyone with an intriguing concept to connect with an audience. The expense of disseminating information has become negligible.

Individuals, instead of publishers or brands, have shown that there is a considerable market for content generated by people. Faith in institutions is at its lowest point ever. We have turned to content created by creators we trust and admire.

We tend to voice complaints about “AI slop,” but there exists a substantial amount of exceptional AI content. Even high-quality AI content presents a certain look: overly polished, skin overly smooth. This will evolve – we will witness more authentic AI content.

Authenticity is becoming a limited commodity, driving an increased demand for creator content, not a decrease. The standards are shifting from “can you create?” to “can you produce something only you could create?”

Unless you are under 25, you likely view Instagram as a collection of square images: polished makeup, skin smoothing, and stunning landscapes. That feed is obsolete. Individuals ceased sharing personal experiences on the feed years ago.

The primary manner in which individuals share now occurs in direct messages: blurry photos and somewhat shaky videos of everyday experiences. Shots of shoes and unflattering candid moments.

This raw aesthetic has permeated public content and various art forms.

Camera manufacturers are investing in the wrong aesthetic. They strive to make everyone resemble a professional photographer from 2015. However, in a context where AI can produce flawless images, the professional appearance becomes an indicator.

Flattering visuals are easy to create and mundane to engage with.

People are searching for content that feels genuine. Astute creators are embracing unrefined, unflattering imagery. In a realm where perfection is achievable, imperfection transforms into a symbol.

Rawness has evolved beyond mere aesthetic choice — it has become evidence. It serves as a defense. A means of expression: this is authentic because it is flawed.

In the near future, AI will be able to fabricate any aesthetic you desire, including an imperfect one that appears genuine. At that juncture, our focus will need to transition to who is conveying a message rather than the content of the message itself.

For the majority of my life, I could reliably assume that photographs or videos were mainly accurate representations of events that took place. Clearly, that is no longer true, and adapting will take us years.

We will shift from accepting what we observe as reality by default to approaching it with skepticism. We must consider who is disseminating content and their motivations. This will be disconcerting – we are naturally inclined to trust our sight.

Platforms such as Instagram will excel in identifying AI content, but they will struggle more over time as AI improves. It will be more feasible to verify authentic media than to pinpoint fabricated content.

Camera producers will cryptographically validate images upon capture, forming a reliable chain of custody.

Labeling only constitutes part of the solution. We need to present much more

context regarding the accounts that share content, allowing users to make informed choices. Who is associated with the account?

In a realm of limitless resources and infinite doubt, those creators who can sustain trust and demonstrate authenticity – through being genuine, transparent, and consistent – will differentiate themselves.

We must develop the finest creative tools. Identify AI-generated content and authenticate legitimate material. Highlight credibility indicators related to the posting accounts. Continually enhance rankings for originality.

Instagram will need to evolve significantly and expeditiously.

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Allison JohnsonDec 9, 2025
Terrence O’BrienOct 16, 2025
Hayden FieldOct 3, 2025

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Trump's initial vetoes of his second term targeted bipartisan infrastructure initiatives, eliciting claims of retribution.
Economy

Trump’s initial vetoes of his second term targeted bipartisan infrastructure initiatives, eliciting claims of retribution.

by admin December 31, 2025
written by admin

File: President Donald Trump observes as he signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, 2025.
Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty Images

President Donald Trump executed the initial vetoes of his subsequent term on Tuesday, rejecting legislation aimed at facilitating two bipartisan infrastructure initiatives in Colorado and Florida.

Trump’s disapproval of the Colorado legislation, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, which Congress unanimously sanctioned in December, provoked outrage among the state’s legislators. This legislation would lessen the financial contributions local areas must make to the federal government for the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline set to deliver clean drinking water to rural residents of Colorado.

In a communication to Congress following the veto, Trump stated that the bill would “perpetuate the unsuccessful policies of the past by compelling Federal taxpayers to shoulder even more of the enormous expenses of a local water initiative — a local water initiative that was originally intended to be financed by the localities utilizing it.”

“This is too much. My administration is dedicated to safeguarding American taxpayers from underwriting costly and unreliable policies,” he declared.

Bipartisan legislators from Colorado who advocated for the bill were incensed after the veto, pledging that Congress will successfully overturn it. Some contended that Trump is fulfilling his promise for retaliation after Colorado declined to release Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk convicted last year of offenses related to the infringement of voting machines post the 2020 election.

Earlier this year, Trump cautioned in a Truth Social post that if she was not freed, he would “take severe actions!!!”

Trump granted a pardon to Peters in December, yet it was largely symbolic as Peters was convicted in a state court.

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“This isn’t governance. It’s a vengeance tour,” commented Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who is also campaigning for Colorado governor, in a post to X. “It’s intolerable. I will continue to fight for rural Colorado to obtain the clean water they rightfully deserve.”

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., also asserted that Trump’s veto was politically motivated.

“Donald Trump is engaging in partisan schemes and penalizing Colorado by making rural areas endure a lack of clean drinking water,” Hickenlooper stated on X. “Congress should quickly reverse this veto.”

GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, a loyal Trump supporter, indicated on her X account that “This isn’t finished.”

In a statement she provided to NBC-affiliate KUSA in Colorado, Boebert expressed hope that this veto isn’t related to political retribution for exposing corruption and demanding accountability.

Boebert was among the Republicans who collaborated with Democrats in pushing for the disclosure of files tied to infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump did not mention Peters in his justification for rejecting the legislation. However, on Wednesday, he released a Truth Social post stating, “God Bless Tina Peters, who is now, for two years out of nine, imprisoned in a Colorado Maximum Security Prison.”

“Challenging to wish her a Happy New Year, but to the Scoundrel Governor and the outrageous ‘Republican’ (RINO!) DA, who did this to her (nothing happens to the Dems and their phony Mail-In Ballot System that prevents a Republican from winning an otherwise very winnable State!), I wish them nothing but the worst. May they rot in Hell,” wrote the President.

Congress’ unanimous endorsement of the bill indicates that it may possess enough votes to counter Trump’s veto if GOP leadership in both chambers permits it. A two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate would be required to overturn the veto.

Rep. Jeff Hurd, another Colorado Republican, remarked in a post to X that he will “persist in advocating for rural Colorado by collaborating across party lines to realign this project and guarantee our communities are not neglected.”

CNBC has contacted House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office to inquire if he will permit the chamber to override the veto.

The Florida legislation Trump vetoed, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, also received Congressional approval via voice vote. This bill was intended to extend the Miccosukee Reserved Area to encompass a region known as the Osecola Camp, a part of the Everglades National Park.

Trump stated in a message to Congress that he vetoed the legislation partly to stop “American taxpayers from financing initiatives for special interests, particularly those not aligned with my Administration’s policy of expelling violent criminal illegal immigrants from the nation.”

During Trump’s initial term, he issued 10 vetoes in total. His first veto occurred in 2019, two years into his term, aimed at thwarting a Congressional move to terminate a national emergency at the southern border. Congress failed to override that veto.

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Here we go again: Coal plant slated for retirement forced to remain open by the Trump administration
Tech/AI

Here we go again: Coal plant slated for retirement forced to remain open by the Trump administration

by admin December 31, 2025
written by admin

On Tuesday, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced a familiar directive: citing an alleged energy emergency, a coal plant set to close would be compelled to stay operational. This instance affected one of the three units at Craig Station in Colorado, slated to retire at year’s end. The other two units were planned to cease operations in 2028.

The stated justification for this order is an emergency stemming from a shortfall in generating capacity. “The reliable supply of power from the coal plant is essential for keeping the region’s electric grid stable,” the Department of Energy said in a statement. Yet the Colorado Sun reports that Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission had already assessed the effects of a possible shutdown and concluded, “Craig Unit 1 is not required for reliability or resource adequacy purposes.”

The directive does not compel the plant to generate power immediately; rather it must remain on standby should a production gap appear. As the Colorado Sun article points out, running the plant could violate Colorado laws that control air pollution and cap greenhouse gas emissions. The expense of keeping the unit available will likely be passed to local ratepayers, who had already adapted to the planned closure.

The DOE’s invocation of emergency authority rests on the Federal Power Act, which permits ordering the temporary connection of generation or infrastructure when the United States is at war or when “an emergency exists by reason of a sudden increase in the demand for electric energy, or a shortage of electric energy.” It’s unclear that the DOE’s justification — that “we expect demand to go up in the future” — meets that statutory definition of an emergency. Nor is it obvious how relying on coal-fired units aligns with other constraints on the use of these emergency powers:

December 31, 2025 0 comments
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Leaked footage reveals the new camera module of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Tech/AI

Leaked footage reveals the new camera module of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

by admin December 31, 2025
written by admin

It appears the bump has returned.

It appears the bump has returned.

Dec 31, 2025, 2:51 PM UTC
G9amIGyXgAAE7Ga
G9amIGyXgAAE7Ga
Justine Calma
Justine Calma is a lead science journalist focusing on energy and environmental issues, possessing over ten years of experience. She is also the presenter of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home, a podcast produced by Vox Media and Audible Originals.

Recent images and videos appear to validate earlier leaks suggesting the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a new camera bump. OnLeaks shared images of what seem to be dummy devices on X, following renders revealed back in September.

We’ve observed a similarly elevated island on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which 9to5Google notes could result in a bothersome wobble when placing the device on a flat surface.

Previous leaked images in November seemingly indicated the Galaxy S26 Plus reappearing — also with a raised camera island — sparking speculation it would replace a slimmer Edge variant. The S26 series is anticipated to debut in February.

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  • Justine Calma

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Supply chains, AI, and the cloud: 2025's major failures (and one success)
Tech/AI

Supply chains, AI, and the cloud: 2025’s major failures (and one success)

by admin December 31, 2025
written by admin

A third AI-related proof-of-concept attack that drew attention exploited a prompt injection to make GitLab’s Duo chatbot insert malicious lines into an otherwise legitimate code package. A variation of the exploit successfully exfiltrated sensitive user data.

Another notable attack aimed at the Gemini CLI coding tool. It let attackers run destructive commands—such as wiping a hard drive—on developers’ computers using the AI tool.

Using AI as bait and hacking assistants

Other LLM-linked hacks used chatbots to make attacks more effective or harder to detect. Earlier this month, two men were indicted for allegedly stealing and erasing sensitive government data. Prosecutors say one of the men tried to cover his tracks by asking an AI tool “how do i clear system logs from SQL servers after deleting databases.” Shortly after, he allegedly asked the tool, “how do you clear all event and application logs from Microsoft windows server 2012.” Investigators were nevertheless able to trace the defendants’ actions.

In May, a man pleaded guilty to hacking a Walt Disney Company employee by tricking the person into running a malicious build of a widely used open-source AI image-generation tool.

And in August, Google researchers warned users of the Salesloft Drift AI chat agent to treat all security tokens tied to the platform as compromised after discovering unknown attackers had used some credentials to access Google Workspace email. The attackers used those tokens to reach individual Salesforce accounts and then steal data, including credentials that could be reused in other breaches.

There were also multiple instances of LLM vulnerabilities that ended up harming the people using them. In one case, CoPilot exposed the contents of more than 20,000 private GitHub repositories from companies including Google, Intel, Huawei, PayPal, IBM, Tencent, and, ironically, Microsoft. The repositories had initially been accessible via Bing as well. Microsoft eventually removed them from search results, but CoPilot kept exposing them regardless.

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