Tech News — Mar 26, 2026

Tech News — Mar 26, 2026 | Trace

The day in brief

What connected the day

16 topics

01
6 sources · 7 updates
Meta Faces Major Legal Setbacks Over Social Media Addiction
Meta and Google have been found liable in a landmark trial for designing their social media platforms to be intentionally addictive, leading to severe mental health issues for users. A Los Angeles jury awarded $3 million in damages to a woman who claimed her childhood addiction to these apps caused her significant distress, with Meta responsible for 70% of the payment. These rulings come amid broader scrutiny of tech companies and may influence future legislation regarding user safety.
- Meta must pay $375 million in damages from a separate trial in New Mexico regarding child safety.
- The jury in Los Angeles determined that Meta and YouTube acted with malice in their app designs.
02
3 sources · 3 updates
Google Enhances Audio AI with Gemini 3.1 Flash Live
Google has launched Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, its most advanced audio AI model, designed to improve real-time dialogue capabilities. This upgrade features enhanced tonal understanding for more natural conversations and is now available in over 200 countries, supporting over 90 languages. Companies like Verizon and The Home Depot have reported positive integration experiences, benefiting from the model's ability to filter background noise and maintain conversation threads for longer periods.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Live scores 90.8% on the ComplexFuncBench Audio benchmark, outperforming its predecessor.
- All audio generated by the model is watermarked with SynthID to combat misinformation.
03
3 sources · 3 updates
Apple Enhances U.S. Component Manufacturing Efforts
Apple is expanding its American Manufacturing Program by investing $400 million with four new partners, including Bosch, Cirrus Logic, TDK, and Qnity Electronics. This initiative aims to boost domestic production capabilities, with plans to manufacture a portion of the Mac mini supply in the U.S. for the first time later this year.
- Apple's total commitment to U.S. manufacturing has now reached $1 billion.
- The new partnerships will focus on producing sensors and integrated circuits in the U.S. for the first time.
04
3 sources · 3 updates
Google's TurboQuant Revolutionizes AI Memory Efficiency
Google has introduced TurboQuant, a groundbreaking AI memory compression algorithm that can reduce memory needs for AI models by six times. This innovation has led to significant drops in the stock prices of memory chip manufacturers, with SK Hynix and Samsung seeing declines of 6% and 5%, respectively, following the announcement.
- TurboQuant achieves a Weismann Score of 5.2, indicating its high efficiency.
- The algorithm can compute attention scores 8x faster than traditional methods on Nvidia H100 accelerators.
05
2 sources · 3 updates
Uber to Launch Europe’s First Robotaxi Service in Croatia
Uber has partnered with Croatian startup Verne and Pony.ai to launch Europe’s first robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia. The service will utilize Pony.ai's Arcfox Alpha T5 vehicle and aims to scale to a fleet of thousands of robotaxis across Europe in the coming years.
- Verne has secured 100 million euros in funding since its launch in 2024.
- Uber is investing an undisclosed amount in Verne to support its expansion.
06
2 sources · 2 updates
Melania Trump Hosts Figure AI's Humanoid Robot
At a recent White House event, Melania Trump introduced Figure AI's humanoid robot, named Figure 3, during a global summit focused on technology and children's education. This showcase highlights the U.S. government's increasing emphasis on AI and robotics in educational settings, as Figure AI recently secured over $1 billion in Series C funding, valuing the company at $39 billion.
- Figure 3 can greet attendees in multiple languages and is designed for educational and general purposes.
- Plato, another humanoid robot introduced by Melania Trump, aims to provide personalized education tailored to individual student needs.
07
1 sources · 3 updates
Samsung Expands AirDrop Support to Galaxy S26 in the US
Samsung has begun rolling out AirDrop support for its Galaxy S26 devices in the United States, following earlier launches in Korea and other regions. The firmware update, which ends with 'AZCF', allows users to share files seamlessly using Quick Share, provided they have Google Play Services version 26.11.XX or newer.
- Users in California and Texas have already reported receiving the update.
- AirDrop is enabled by default in Quick Share once the update is installed.
08
1 sources · 1 updates
Meta gets ready to launch two new Ray-Ban AI glasses
Meta, in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, is preparing to launch its next-generation Ray-Ban AI glasses, the Scriber and Blazer, following recent FCC filings. These filings indicate that the glasses are production-ready, and the new models may feature significant hardware upgrades, including improved connectivity for enhanced AI functionalities.
- The new models, RayBan Meta Scriber and Blazer, have passed FCC testing.
- Meta sold over seven million pairs of Ray-Ban AI glasses last year.
09
1 sources · 1 updates
ByteDance’s new AI video generation model, Dreamina Seedance 2.0, comes to CapCut
ByteDance has announced the rollout of its new AI video generation model, Dreamina Seedance 2.0, in its editing platform CapCut. This model enables creators to draft and edit video and audio content using simple prompts or reference materials, and is initially available to users in select countries, including Brazil and Indonesia. The company is also implementing safety measures to prevent copyright infringement as it expands the model's availability.
- Dreamina Seedance 2.0 supports video clips of up to 15 seconds long.
- The model is initially available in Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
10
1 sources · 1 updates
OpenAI halts "Adult Mode" as advisors, investors, and employees raise red flags
OpenAI has decided to pause the development of its erotic chatbot, known as 'Adult Mode', due to significant concerns raised by employees, investors, and its well-being advisory board. The board unanimously opposed the project, citing potential societal harms, while technical issues with age verification, which misidentified minors as adults in 12% of cases, further complicated the initiative. With a user base of 100 million underage users weekly, OpenAI is now prioritizing long-term research on the implications of sexual AI content and exploring alternatives focused on productivity.
- OpenAI's age verification system misidentified minors as adults in 12% of cases.
- The company is currently valued at $730 billion.
11
1 sources · 1 updates
OpenAI shelves erotic chatbot ‘indefinitely’
OpenAI has indefinitely shelved plans for an erotic 'adult mode' for ChatGPT, prioritizing its core products amid employee and investor concerns about the societal implications of sexualized AI content. This move follows the discontinuation of its text-to-video platform Sora and comes as CEO Sam Altman emphasizes the need to address increasing competition in the AI space.
- The decision follows internal pushback regarding the societal impact of sexualized AI content.
- OpenAI previously discontinued its text-to-video platform Sora, indicating a shift in focus.
12
1 sources · 1 updates
Apple’s plans for Siri in iOS 27 sound like exactly what I want
Apple is planning a significant overhaul of Siri for iOS 27, with a launch expected in 2026. The updates will introduce a dedicated Siri app, integration with the Dynamic Island, and a replacement of Spotlight for searches, positioning Siri as a more integral part of the iPhone experience. These enhancements aim to make Siri a more capable and ever-present AI assistant for users.
- iOS 27 is expected to launch in 2026 with a revamped Siri.
- New Siri features include a dedicated app and integration with the Dynamic Island.
13
1 sources · 1 updates
TikTok Plans Bigger, Bolder Actions With Future Secured
With the threat of a US ban now lifted, TikTok is poised to take bold steps in its growth strategy, including pursuing a joint venture in the US and appointing a new CEO. This shift is seen as a major victory for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, as it navigates its future in the competitive social media landscape.
- TikTok is pursuing a US joint venture deal to strengthen its market position.
- The appointment of a new CEO marks a significant leadership change for the company.
14
1 sources · 1 updates
Google Messages hits 10 billion downloads as Phone app reaches 5 billion
Google Messages has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing 10 billion downloads on the Play Store, a significant increase from 5 billion in September 2023. This growth has been fueled by partnerships with major carriers like Verizon and Samsung, which have encouraged users to adopt Google Messages over other SMS apps. Additionally, the Phone by Google app has reached 5 billion downloads, showcasing its popularity as well.
- Google Messages surpassed 10 billion downloads, up from 5 billion in September 2023.
- The Phone by Google app recently achieved 5 billion downloads.
15
1 sources · 1 updates
Microsoft's diversity chief is leaving as company continues 'AI-powered transformation'
Microsoft's chief diversity officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, is set to leave the company at the end of March to assume a new role as chief people officer elsewhere. This departure comes as Microsoft implements significant changes in its human resources department to align with its ongoing 'AI-powered transformation,' which has seen several other executives exit in recent months, amid a 23% decline in the company's shares this year due to increased competition in the AI space.
- Lindsay-Rae McIntyre will leave Microsoft to become chief people officer at another company.
- Microsoft is close to hiring a new talent acquisition head to report to Amy Coleman.
16
1 sources · 1 updates
Space stocks rally on reports of SpaceX's imminent IPO filing
Space stocks experienced a significant rally on Wednesday, driven by reports that Elon Musk's SpaceX could file for an initial public offering (IPO) as early as this week. The highly anticipated IPO could value SpaceX at an astounding $1.75 trillion and raise over $75 billion, prompting stock increases for related companies such as Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile, which saw gains of approximately 8%. Firefly Aerospace also benefited, with its stock climbing 14%.
- SpaceX's IPO could raise over $75 billion and achieve a $1.75 trillion valuation.
- Rocket Lab and AST SpaceMobile both saw stock increases of about 8%.

The archive

What moved

DeepMind Blog

Gemini 3.1 Flash Live: Making audio AI more natural and reliable

Google launches Gemini 3.1 Flash Live for improved audio AI.

Read source

The Verge

Meta gets ready to launch two new Ray-Ban AI glasses

Meta prepares to launch new Ray-Ban AI glasses.

Read source

The tech day has moved on.

What connected the day

Meta Faces Major Legal Setbacks Over Social Media Addiction

Google Enhances Audio AI with Gemini 3.1 Flash Live

Apple Enhances U.S. Component Manufacturing Efforts

Google's TurboQuant Revolutionizes AI Memory Efficiency

Uber to Launch Europe’s First Robotaxi Service in Croatia

Melania Trump Hosts Figure AI's Humanoid Robot

Samsung Expands AirDrop Support to Galaxy S26 in the US

Meta gets ready to launch two new Ray-Ban AI glasses

ByteDance’s new AI video generation model, Dreamina Seedance 2.0, comes to CapCut

OpenAI halts "Adult Mode" as advisors, investors, and employees raise red flags

OpenAI shelves erotic chatbot &#8216;indefinitely&#8217;

Apple’s plans for Siri in iOS 27 sound like exactly what I want

TikTok Plans Bigger, Bolder Actions With Future Secured

Google Messages hits 10 billion downloads as Phone app reaches 5 billion

Microsoft's diversity chief is leaving as company continues 'AI-powered transformation'

Space stocks rally on reports of SpaceX's imminent IPO filing

What moved

Gemini 3.1 Flash Live: Making audio AI more natural and reliable

Meta gets ready to launch two new Ray-Ban AI glasses

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Investing Without Training Wheels: Are Unsupervised Teen Brokerage Accounts Really a Smart Idea?

You've seen the record. See the live version.

ByteDance’s new AI video generation model, Dreamina Seedance 2.0, comes to CapCut

Israel says it has killed Iran naval chief overseeing Strait of Hormuz blockade

Wikipedia bans AI-generated articles

Major outgoing CEOs are citing AI as a factor in their decisions to step down

Defense technology startup Shield AI valued at $12.7 billion in latest funding round

Conntour raises $7M from General Catalyst, YC to build an AI search engine for security video systems

Cohere launches an open-source voice model specifically for transcription

Webtoon is adding AI localization tools to its comics platform

A Google AI breakthrough is pressuring memory chip stocks from Samsung to Micron

Daily Spotlight: Stocks Can Survive a Pullback

OpenAI halts "Adult Mode" as advisors, investors, and employees raise red flags

Vercel Releases JSON-Render: A Generative UI Framework for AI-Driven Interface Composition

GitHub will use Copilot interaction data to train AI models starting April 2026

ARC-AGI-3 offers $2M to any AI that matches untrained humans, yet every frontier model scores below 1%

Building shared coding guidelines for AI (and people too)

WhatsApp joins the appalling trend for AI-written replies to messages

Samsung now rolling out AirDrop support to Galaxy S26 devices in the US

Apple details 4 new ways it’s bringing product component manufacturing to the US

Moonshot Is Said to Consider Hong Kong IPO as AI Stocks Flourish

Green IT: How to Reduce the Impact of AI on the Environment

Apple’s rumoured 200MP camera said to have larger sensor

OpenAI shelves erotic chatbot ‘indefinitely’