AI doesn’t just have the tech world’s attention, now it has the Vatican’s.

Pope Leo XIV just warned the world about AI in his annual peace message.

And it wasn’t about killer robots.

It was about something far more real: algorithmic bias, digital inequality, and the loss of human dignity in a machine-run world.

I’d call that a moral gut check from the world’s most influential spiritual leader.

If we don’t build ethics into AI from the start, we’re not just risking bad tech.

We’re risking a future that forgets who it’s for: humans.

Now let's see what else is new with AI...

📈 How are companies using AI?

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➜ 11,000 ChatGPT Licenses, Hold the Fear. BBVA just scaled its OpenAI rollout—every desk, every team, everywhere. That’s 11K employees now whispering “Hey ChatGPT” during their 9-to-5.
Finextra

➜ Still Photos Don’t Stay Still. TikTok’s “AI-Alive” lets you animate static images into blinking, smiling, disturbingly lifelike videos. The nostalgia? Cute. The implications? Spooky. 

The Verge

➜ AI Voiceovers Are Going Global. Audible is tapping AI to narrate and translate audiobooks at scale—helping publishers reach new markets faster. Translation + voiceover = quicker global distribution.

Audible

➜ $1B for Agentic Brains. Databricks just spent $1 billion to acquire Neon, an AI-agents startup. The bet? Autonomous data workflows and embedded intelligence across its lakehouse platform.

PYMNTS

➜ Embedding AI in the Enterprise Stack. Vanguard’s data chief says AI is no longer an experiment—it’s baked into everything from compliance checks to customer insights. Smarter data pipelines means better investment decisions.

PYMNTS

💡 What are the nerds up to?

➜ AI Shopping, Inside a Chat. Perplexity teamed up with PayPal so you can shop and checkout without leaving the conversation. Search, answered and sold.

CNBC

➜ Robot Therapists Are In. People are turning to AI-powered therapy bots for on-demand mental health support. They don’t judge. They don’t sleep. But can they really help?

Morning Brew

➜ Smart Browsers Get Smarter. Opera Mini just rolled out an Agentic AI that learns your browsing habits and takes action for you. Less clicking. More doing.

IEEE Spectrum

➜ Pocket-Sized Audio AI. Stability AI released an audio-generating model that runs directly on your smartphone—no cloud required. Instant podcasting, beat-making, and voiceovers in your pocket.

TechCrunch

➜ Memory Is Back. Google DeepMind just unveiled an AI with long-term episodic memory—think Jarvis with a diary. It remembers months of context, not just minutes.

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