Tech news in a nutshell

Your Friday dose of weekly Silicon Valley drama (16-20 June, 2025)

Tech news in a nutshell is a weekly series published on Fridays that delivers the most relevant, interesting, or innovative weekly tech news so you can stay informed of the technology affecting society and your life by investing only five minutes of your reading time.

There seems to be chaos this week with some AI drama in Silicon Valley: flying contracts, ethics debates, war games plans, and even the robot coffee assistant looks concerned about its unpredictable future.

Here are quick bites of some of this week’s AI news, each with a dash of humour or satire, because at this point, having fun is becoming a survival skill.

-Susan

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OpenAI’s ChatGPT gets memory, and now it can remember your coffee order

ChatGPT’s memory feature is back and smarter. It now can go back and check facts across your previous chats. It’s great for productivity, some say. Or terrifying, if you have ever confided in it at 3am after too many cocktails. It now remembers your favourite snack, your deadlines, and the time you asked it to write a breakup text to your partner. Basically, sources claim it’s becoming an AI version of your over-involved best friend, the annoying one who wants to know every detail of your life. Anyway, if you talk to ChatGPT for whatever reason you use it, assume it already knows what you’re thinking, and is also silently judging your grammar. So, you’d better run to the library and get an English Grammar and Usage book to read over the summer. Read more.

Apple embraces AI, just decides not to call it something else

When Apple joined the AI race, it also decided to rebrand AI. And “Apple Intelligence” was born. It sounds cleaner, friendlier, less artificial, and more Apple. Anyway, Siri is getting an AI glow-up, too. This means she might finally stop giving you directions to Argentina when you ask for an Italian restaurant. At the recent WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) Apple unveiled its new and biggest software update in 10 years: iOS 26 (the number represents its year of release). Apple announced “Liquid Glass,” the new translucent software design available across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Packed with impressive features, one of my favourites is Live Translation, which will be helpful when travelling or speaking with some Russian friends of mine. Read more.

OpenAI goes to war (kinda)

OpenAI just signed a $200 million contract with the U.S. Defense Department to prototype AI for “national security challenges.” Yes, the same company that once banned military use of its tech now has changed its mind (and ethics) and turned into a bureaucratic Swiss Army knife. Now you can expect that AI can get into service members’ healthcare and perhaps suggest the perfect camo pattern. Critics wonder: if your toaster is now morally vetted, should your drone also ask permission? Hilariously Orwellian. It’s now the time to reread those old science-fiction books to see what comes next in our current reality. Remember, Terminator gets paid for overtime. Read more.

The $100 million talent tug-of-war

Sam Altman is accusing Meta of tossing around $100 million signing bonuses like candy at a parade in a desperate bid to “kidnap” OpenAI’s top minds. It seems like human brains still hold some value.Meanwhile, Meta is trying to out-cash the laws of physics with its $15 billion “superintelligence” drive. This is the AGI race and cash still talks loud and clear. Read more.

Microsoft and OpenAI get robot coffee delivery in a very tense room whilst discussing AI contract terms

Busy times for Sam Altman. Giant Microsoft considers halting discussions with Sam’s startup unless the two sides reach an agreement on critical issues such as the size of Microsoft’s future stake in OpenAI. The companies are also revising the terms of the wider contract drafted in 2019 when Microsoft invested $1 billion into OpenAI’s technology. Microsoft will continue to access OpenAI’s tech until 2030 relying on its existing contract. The room could be on fire after OpenAI considered accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive behaviour regarding the deal. Meanwhile, the coffee delivery robot fears for its future and considers opening its own business. Read more and more.