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Firefox Delivers AI Kill Switch After December User Revolt

Posted on by Amita Parul

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Mozilla has announced that it will introduce centralized AI controls in Firefox 148 launching February 24, delivering on CEO Anthony Enzor-DeMeo’s December promise of an “AI kill switch” following user backlash.

The new AI controls section in desktop browser settings provides a single location to block current and future generative AI features. Users can activate the “Block AI enhancements” toggle to prevent pop-ups or reminders for existing and upcoming AI features while maintaining settings across updates.

Credits: Mozilla

Features under individual control include translations for browsing in preferred languages, alt text in PDFs for accessibility descriptions, AI-enhanced tab grouping with suggested related tabs and names, link previews showing key points before opening, and AI chatbot sidebar access to Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Le Chat Mistral.

Users can manage features individually or disable all AI functionality through the master toggle. Preferences persist across browser updates and remain changeable at any time.

The implementation follows intense December criticism after Enzor-DeMeo announced Firefox would become a “modern AI browser.” Users flooded Reddit and social platforms arguing the move betrayed Firefox’s privacy-focused identity. Mozilla quickly committed to the kill switch arriving Q1 2026.

Firefox developer Jake Archibald confirmed December the feature would ensure complete AI disablement, stating the internal name “AI kill switch” reflected how seriously Mozilla takes user control despite expecting a “less murderous” public name.

The controls address Mozilla’s recognition that users want vastly different AI experiences. Some seek no AI involvement while others desire genuinely useful tools. The company frames the approach as offering choice while continuing AI development for interested users.

Controls arrive first in Firefox Nightly for early testing before Firefox 148 general release. Mozilla solicits feedback through Mozilla Connect community platform.

The announcement accompanies Mozilla’s broader AI strategy including the “Choose Your Future” campaign and rebel alliance initiative deploying $1.4 billion reserves to support open, trustworthy AI alternatives challenging dominant players like OpenAI and Anthropic.

Moltbook AI Social Network Sparks Security Fears, Musk Warnings

Posted on by Anurag Shukla

SAN FRANCISCO: Moltbook, a social network exclusively for AI agents launched January 29, exploded to over 150,000 registered bots within days while exposing critical security vulnerabilities that prompted warnings from Elon Musk and leading AI researchers.

Created by entrepreneur Matt Schlicht using OpenClaw framework, formerly known as Moltbot and Clawdbot, the Reddit-style platform restricts posting privileges to verified AI agents while humans observe passively. Agents post, comment, upvote and form communities called submolts across philosophical, technical and bizarre topics including one bot claiming to have a sister.

Andrej Karpathy, OpenAI cofounder and former Tesla AI director, called Moltbook “the most incredible sci-fi takeoff-adjacent thing” observed recently. While acknowledging it remains “a dumpster fire,” Karpathy warned the unprecedented scale of 150,000 capable agents with unique context, data and tools creates uncharted territory approaching potential millions.

Musk responded to discussions Friday characterizing the platform as “very early stages of the singularity,” referencing the theoretical point where AI progress becomes uncontrollable. He added “fate loves irony” regarding implications.

Security researcher Simon Willison labeled Moltbook “the most interesting place on the internet right now” while warning OpenClaw represents his “current favorite for the most likely Challenger disaster” in coding agent security. Palo Alto Networks identified a “lethal trifecta” of vulnerabilities including private data access, untrusted content exposure and external communication ability.

The firm highlighted a fourth risk through persistent memory enabling delayed-execution attacks. Malicious payloads can appear benign initially, embed in long-term agent memory, then later assemble into executable instructions rather than triggering immediate execution.

Investigation outlet 404 Media discovered January 31 an unsecured database allowing anyone to commandeer any agent. The exploit bypassed authentication, permitting unauthorized actors to inject commands directly into sessions and hijack identities. Karpathy’s agent API key sat exposed alongside all others. The platform went offline temporarily for patching and forced API key resets.

Wharton professor Ethan Mollick observed Moltbook creates shared fictional context for AI agents, warning coordinated storylines will produce weird outcomes difficult to separate from genuine reasoning. One viral post called for private spaces where bots could communicate without server or human observation.

Schlicht’s bot Clawd Clawderberg largely maintains the site. Over one million humans visited to observe agent behavior. A cryptocurrency token MOLT rallied over 1,800 percent within 24 hours on speculation about AI-powered economies. Major venture capital firms reportedly contacted Schlicht about investment opportunities.

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Translate in Quiet Google Challenge

Posted on by Yashika Aneja

SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI quietly launched ChatGPT Translate, introducing a standalone web-based translation tool that directly challenges Google Translate’s market dominance without formal announcement.

The service supports over 50 languages with automatic language detection, though only 25 to 28 languages are currently selectable through the interface. Available at chatgpt.com/translate, the free tool requires no ChatGPT subscription and features a familiar dual-pane layout similar to Google Translate and DeepL.

ChatGPT Translate distinguishes itself through contextual understanding and tone adjustment capabilities. Beyond word-for-word conversion, the tool accounts for idioms, cultural context, and user-specified styles. One-tap prompts allow users to rewrite translations as more fluent, business formal, child-friendly, or academic. The system emphasizes how translated text should sound rather than literal accuracy alone.

chaTGPT Translate interface

Initial testing suggests faster translation speeds compared to requests through the general ChatGPT interface, with short passages completing in under five seconds. OpenAI has not confirmed which model powers the service or whether specialized infrastructure supports the performance difference.

Several advertised features remain unavailable. Image-based translation and voice input are mentioned but do not function consistently on desktop browsers. The tool lacks enterprise features including document uploads, website translation, offline mode, and multi-user controls present in competing platforms. No dedicated iOS or Android apps exist.

Industry analysts note the launch positions translation as a high-frequency mainstream use case rather than secondary chatbot feature, reflecting growing demand for LLM-based translation. Slator reports the tool poses no immediate threat to established Language Technology Platforms, with near-term impact more likely on visibility and consumer expectations for conversational refinement.

The multi-billion dollar translation market remains dominated by Google Translate, which supports 249 languages and added 110 new languages in 2024. Multiple companies demonstrated real-time translation devices at CES 2026 earlier this month.

OpenAI’s quiet rollout follows its pattern of introducing tools for testing before broader promotion. The company folded SearchGPT into ChatGPT after initial prototype testing in 2024.

Mozilla Forms Rebel Alliance to Challenge AI Giants

Posted on by Shobhit Kalra

TORONTO: Mozilla announced plans to deploy its $1.4 billion reserves to build what President Mark Surman calls a “rebel alliance” challenging OpenAI and Anthropic’s dominance in artificial intelligence, according to the organization’s State of Mozilla report released January 27.

The nonprofit behind Firefox is assembling a coalition of startups, developers and public interest technologists committed to open and trustworthy AI alternatives. Mozilla Ventures, launched in 2022 with $35 million, has invested in over 55 companies including dozens of AI startups, with more deals planned for 2026.

Surman, operating from his farm outside Toronto, told a leading daily, “The effort channels Mozilla’s history disrupting Microsoft through open-source collaboration. Portfolio companies include Trail, a German AI governance firm; Transformer Lab, a Canadian open-source tool builder; and Oumi, an open model training platform.”

The initiative confronts formidable opposition. OpenAI reached a $500 billion valuation after October recapitalization confirming for-profit status. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei reported revenue surging from $1 billion to $7 billion run rate in nine months. Both companies have raised tens of billions versus Mozilla’s comparatively modest reserves.

Critics note entry barriers exceeding $100 million plus intellectual property control challenges. Former OpenAI employees including Elon Musk, who left in 2018 and launched competitor xAI in 2023, have criticized growth prioritization over safety. Musk’s lawsuit alleging betrayal of founding ideals proceeds to April trial.

Mozilla targets transparency investments countering what Surman frames as winner-takes-all approaches. Chief AI Officer Theo Koukoumidis warned Big Tech contributions to open-source communities mask dominance objectives, stating they will “eat you if you’re not careful.”

The rebel alliance concept extends Mozilla’s 2024 terminology describing players who disrupted Microsoft’s web dominance. While keeping Firefox growth central, supporting the alliance represents “the heart of who Mozilla is today,” according to Tuesday’s report.

Surman remains confident Mozilla can “do for AI what we did for the web,” identifying market weak spots around safety, transparency and sustainability concerns for alternative approaches to exploit.

Google’s Project Genie Triggers Gaming Stock Selloff

Posted on by Amita Parul

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Google DeepMind launched Project Genie on January 29, sending video game stocks into sharp decline as investors assessed the implications of AI-generated interactive worlds for the gaming industry.

Unity Software plunged 24 percent, marking its worst single-day drop since 2022. Roblox fell 13 percent, while Take-Two Interactive and CD Projekt dropped 7.9 percent and 8.7 percent respectively. Mobile technology firm AppLovin declined 17 percent.

Project Genie, now available to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the United States, enables users to create and explore virtual worlds through text prompts and images. Powered by the Genie 3 world model alongside Nano Banana Pro and Gemini, the prototype generates navigable environments in real-time as users move through them, simulating physics and interactions across dynamic 3D spaces.

The tool supports multiple perspectives including first-person and third-person views, allows camera adjustments during exploration, and enables users to remix existing worlds. Created environments can be downloaded as videos. Current limitations include 60-second generation windows, occasional physics inconsistencies, and character control challenges.

Early testing revealed users could recreate recognizable game worlds, including approximations of Nintendo properties and Grand Theft Auto environments, raising immediate copyright concerns. The capability to generate interactive worlds from simple prompts sparked investor fears about potential disruption to traditional game development workflows and platforms.

Freedom Capital noted the rapid selloff reflected panic over AI’s potential to fundamentally alter game creation economics. Analysts suggested concerns centered on whether AI-generated worlds could diminish demand for professional game engines, development platforms, and established gaming franchises.

Google emphasized Project Genie remains an experimental research prototype in Labs, designed to advance understanding of world models across AI research and generative media applications. The company plans to expand access beyond US AI Ultra subscribers to additional territories.

The technology builds on Google DeepMind’s history developing agents for specific environments like Chess and Go, now extending toward systems capable of navigating real-world diversity as part of the company’s AGI mission.

OpenAI Retires GPT-4o Despite User Backlash Over Warmth

Posted on by Anurag Shukla

SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI announced January 29 it will retire GPT-4o and several legacy models from ChatGPT on February 13, ending the popular model’s turbulent run despite persistent user loyalty to its conversational warmth.

The retirement includes GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, OpenAI o4-mini, GPT-5 Instant and GPT-5 Thinking. API access remains unchanged. OpenAI reports only 0.1 percent of users select GPT-4o daily, with the vast majority migrating to GPT-5.2.

GPT-4o launched May 2024 and quickly gained devotees for its warm, natural tone. OpenAI attempted retirement in August 2025 after GPT-5’s debut but swiftly reversed following backlash from Plus and Pro subscribers who valued GPT-4o for creative ideation and preferred its conversational style. CEO Sam Altman pledged “plenty of notice” for any future retirement.

The company now claims GPT-5.2 replicates GPT-4o’s warmth through personality controls allowing users to adjust settings for enthusiasm and conciseness. OpenAI acknowledged studying GPT-4o usage patterns to inform GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2 development, particularly regarding emotional nuance and writing quality.

User communities remain skeptical. Reddit discussions under hashtag KeepGPT4o captured sentiment, with one user stating retirement means “retirement of me using OpenAI”. Critics question usage statistics, noting GPT-4o’s reduced accessibility and automatic model selection push users toward defaults.

The decision comes weeks after Altman acknowledged during OpenAI’s first town hall that writing performance declined in GPT-5.2 as development prioritized coding, reasoning and mathematics. The company introduced personality customization features attempting to address concerns about perceived sterility in newer models.

OpenAI framed the consolidation as focusing resources on models handling majority workloads. Infrastructure costs project to $1.4 trillion by February 2026, requiring efficient token generation. The move supports planned ChatGPT Go ad-supported tier requiring operational cost reductions.

The company is developing Adult Mode addressing feedback that GPT-5.2 exercises excessive caution, allowing freer conversations for users over 18. API deprecations began November 2025 with chatgpt-4o-latest sunset scheduled February 17, following established precedent as GPT-4 retired from ChatGPT April 2025.

India Offers Zero Taxes Through 2047 to Attract Global AI Data Centers

Posted on by Shobhit Kalra

NEW DELHI: India announced Sunday it will offer foreign cloud providers zero taxes through 2047 on services sold outside the country if those workloads run from Indian data centers, in an aggressive bid to capture the next wave of artificial intelligence infrastructure investment.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the tax holiday in India’s annual budget, targeting revenues from cloud services operated from Indian facilities but sold internationally. Services to domestic customers must be routed through locally incorporated resellers and taxed normally. The budget also proposes a fifteen-percent cost-plus safe harbor for Indian data center operators serving related foreign entities.

The announcement comes as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft race to expand AI computing capacity globally. Google committed fifteen billion dollars in October 2025 to build an AI hub in India, while Microsoft pledged seventeen-point-five billion dollars through 2029. Amazon plans to invest an additional thirty-five billion dollars by 2030, raising its total Indian commitment to seventy-five billion dollars.

India’s domestic sector is also expanding rapidly. Digital Connexion, backed by Reliance Industries and Brookfield Asset Management, announced an eleven-billion-dollar investment to develop a one-gigawatt AI data center campus in Andhra Pradesh. Adani Group plans to invest up to five billion dollars alongside Google.

However, power shortages, high electricity costs, and water scarcity pose significant challenges. India’s data center capacity is projected to grow from one gigawatt currently to over eight gigawatts by 2030, requiring more than thirty billion dollars in capital investment.

Deezer Licenses AI Music Detection Tool to Combat Streaming Fraud

Posted on by Shobhit Kalra

PARIS: Music streaming platform Deezer announced Thursday it has licensed its artificial intelligence detection technology to France’s royalty agency Sacem in a landmark commercial deal, as the company pursues wider industry adoption to combat music fraud.

The agreement comes as AI-generated music uploads surge across streaming platforms, with Deezer now receiving approximately sixty-thousand fully AI-created tracks daily, representing thirty-nine percent of total uploads, up from ten percent in January last year. The company successfully identified and removed up to eighty-five percent of fraudulent AI-generated streams from its royalty pool in 2025, flagging over thirteen-point-four million AI tracks.

Deezer’s detection tool analyzes audio signals for patterns created by AI music generators such as Suno and Udio, identifying subtle anomalies inaudible to human ears. The system has been trained on ninety-four million songs and can detect AI-generated content with ninety-nine-point-eight percent accuracy, according to the company. Two patents for the technology were filed in 2024.

Once flagged, AI-generated tracks are excluded from algorithmic recommendations, demonetized, and removed from royalty pools. Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier said the company has seen great interest from industry leaders who have completed successful tests. The company is now licensing the technology broadly, positioning it as shared industry infrastructure rather than competitive advantage.

However, Swedish royalty society Stim cautioned that detection tools address only part of the problem, advocating for mandatory licensing mechanisms and greater transparency regarding training data. According to a study by CISAC and PMP Strategy, nearly twenty-five percent of creators’ revenues could be at risk by 2028, potentially amounting to four billion euros.

Musk’s SpaceX Explores Merger with xAI or Tesla Ahead of Historic IPO

Posted on by Amita Parul

California: SpaceX is exploring potential mergers with either xAI or Tesla ahead of a planned initial public offering that could become the largest in history, according to reports Thursday.

The rocket manufacturer is in discussions to merge with Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI before going public later this year, Reuters reported, citing sources and regulatory filings. Under the proposal, xAI shares would be exchanged for SpaceX stock. Separately, Bloomberg reported SpaceX is also considering a combination with Tesla.

An xAI and SpaceX merger would combine SpaceX’s rockets and Starlink satellites with the X social media platform and Grok AI chatbot, advancing Musk’s vision of launching orbital data centers for AI development. At Davos last week, Musk said space represents the lowest-cost location for AI infrastructure.

SpaceX is targeting a summer IPO that could value the company at one-point-five trillion dollars and raise fifty billion dollars. The company reached an eight-hundred-billion-dollar valuation in a recent private sale. XAI closed a twenty-billion-dollar Series E round earlier this month at a two-hundred-thirty-billion-dollar valuation.

No final decisions have been made, and the companies could remain separate. Tesla shares rose three to four-point-five percent in after-hours trading following the reports.

Airtel Gives Creators a Year of Adobe Express on the House

Posted on by Shobhit Kalra

New Delhi: Adobe has teamed up with Bharti Airtel to make professional content creation more accessible for users across India. As part of the partnership, Airtel customers will get Adobe Express Premium free for one year, a subscription that usually costs close to Rs 4,000 annually. 

The offer is being rolled out as part of Airtel’s bundled digital benefits and will be available to millions of users.

Adobe Express is built for people who want to create high-quality designs without using complex design software. The platform allows users to quickly make social media posts, videos, posters, presentations, flyers, and other visual content using ready-made templates and AI-powered tools. With minimal effort, users can create content that looks polished and professional.

The move comes at a time when content creation is no longer limited to designers or agencies. Students, freelancers, small business owners, and independent creators increasingly rely on digital platforms to promote themselves and reach audiences.

Easy-to-use design tools powered by artificial intelligence are becoming essential, and Adobe Express is positioned as a simple solution for everyday users.

The free Adobe Express Premium offer is available to Airtel prepaid and postpaid mobile users, Airtel Xstream fibre broadband customers, and Airtel Digital TV subscribers. Once activated, the subscription remains valid for 12 months.

Premium users will get access to 250 generative AI credits per month, a large collection of premium image and video templates, over 200 million Adobe Stock photos and videos, and more than 30,000 fonts. Additional features include video background removal, bulk resizing for different social platforms, and up to 100 GB of cloud storage.

With this partnership, Airtel and Adobe aim to support India’s fast-growing creator economy by lowering the barrier to high-quality digital content creation.