Key Takeaways
- Google’s new AI tool Project Mariner can forever change the way you use the internet. It is an AI tool that can use the web in the same way as humans do
- OpenAI was hit by a technical outage alongside Meta’s social networking platforms.
- Apple is reportedly planning to launch two new foldable devices in 2026.
- 26-year-old OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco Apartment.
- The US’s New NASA head says that “space soldiers” are inevitable.
Didn’t have the time to keep up with the news this week? Don’t worry we got you covered. Here are the top 5 must-know headlines from the week.
Google’s New Project Mariner Will Forever Change the Way We Use Internet
Google has finally unveiled Project Mariner (internally known as ‘Project Jarvis’), an AI tool that can take control of a person’s browser and use the web in the same way as humans do.
The project is still at an early stage and is only available to a limited number of people right now. But we did manage to find out how it works.
Basically, it takes the help of Gemini AI to understand what’s on the user’s screen by analyzing the pixels and the texts. So for instance, if you need help with filling out a form, Mariner can do it by identifying the blanks and typing in the necessary information.
Google also added that it’s neither reliable nor as fast as a human at the moment. However, it’s important to note that the tool is still in its infancy and will gradually improve over time.
If Project Mariner actually manages to achieve its goals, it’ll have worldwide implications. On the one hand, it will encourage the large-scale adoption of AI agents who would complete all the minor day-to-day digital tasks such as making a booking or planning an itinerary on behalf of the user.
On the other hand, many industries will be disrupted and thousands of jobs will become redundant. The advertising industry will be hit the worst as people will no longer go online for every small task, which means they won’t be seeing as many ads.
ChatGPT Hit by an Outage After Facebook & Instagram
OpenAI was recently hit by a technical outage. The problem started around 7 PM ET on Thursday and left millions of users unable to use ChatGPT. When users tried to log in, they got an error message saying that the service was unavailable. The issue also affected OpenAI’s API – a critical tool for developers.
We’re experiencing an outage right now. We have identified the issue and are working to roll out a fix. – OpenAI
Then around 5 hours later, it confirmed that the issue had been fixed and services had been restored.
OpenAI’s outage happened around the same time Meta was also hit by a major outage. Both Instagram and Facebook were down for millions of users. In some cities, WhatsApp was also out of service.
As per a report from DownDetector, there were at least 23,455 outage reports for Facebook, 11,466 reports for Instagram, and 18,646 reports for WhatsApp in Britain alone.
The outage also affected users from Asia, Europe, South America and Australia. The total count of affected users from all over the world is yet to be known.
Apple Is Reportedly Working On Foldable iPads and iPhones
Apple might be planning to launch two foldable devices over the next few years. The first one is a foldable iPhone that will have a screen larger than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the second one will be a foldable iPad, which when open will have an 18.8-inch screen, making it bigger than all the MacBooks to this date.
Although Apple has not made any official announcements yet, the news has been confirmed by multiple publications. As per the report by The Journal, this project has been underway for many years in secret and the team has made significant progress.
While foldable screens are common, most of them have a pretty visible crease (along the lines where they fold) when they are open. This is what Apple is trying to do away with.
As for the software, the iPad will have the features of both macOS and iPadOS. It might even be able to run native macOS apps. If that happens, the future of MacBooks will be plunged into uncertainty.
It is expected to launch the first of the two products sometime in 2026 but it might be delayed to 2027. As we mentioned above, Apple didn’t make any official announcement yet so it’s hard to confirm the launch timeline.
OpenAI Whistleblower Suchir Balaji Found Dead in His San Francisco Apartment
26-year-old Suchir Balaji, who was a former OpenAI employee turned whistleblower was found dead in his apartment in San Francisco.
As per the San Francisco Police Department and the Medical Examiner, he was found in his apartment at around 1 PM during a welfare check. Although the investigation is still ongoing, the authorities haven’t found any sign of foul play so far. It looks like suicide.
Balaji recently hit the headlines for his open criticism of OpenAI, especially regarding its alleged copyright violations in training its AI models. So naturally, his untimely death has raised a lot of questions and conspiracy theories.
Many AI ethics activists have demanded a more transparent investigation into his death and have called for better security for other activists who speak out against the dangers of AI.
The connection between the timing of his death and his criticism of the company can be purely coincidental. It’s not enough to link OpenAI with Balaji’s sudden demise (as some netizens are insinuating.)
We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news today and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time. – OpenAI
Balaji wasn’t the only one concerned with the way OpenAI does business. Many of its employees have raised similar concerns, especially now that the company has decided to turn for-profit.
Many top executives such as Mira Murati, Bob McGrew, and Barret Zoph, who have been with the company for a long time, decided to part ways all of a sudden and around the same time.
Trump’s New NASA Head Says That “Space Soldiers” Are Inevitable
Jared Isaacmanhas, the tech billionaire who has been recently nominated by Donald Trump to lead the US Space Agency, said that US troops will sooner or later be sent to space in order to protect the economic interests of the country.
Isaacmanhas has been to space twice in the last three years on self-funded missions and believes that it has a lot of economic potential.
The space can offer life-changing breakthroughs in mining, manufacturing, and biotechnology and might even help create new sources of energy. If the potential is properly channelled, it would eventually turn into a thriving economy with lots of job opportunities for people to live and work in space.
But the problem is that space is for all and not the US alone. So there’ll be a lot of sharing and compromise which will obviously require the presence of a troop because let’s be honest, the superpowers of the world are not very good at sharing.
However, these are all talks of the future. He didn’t even mention a timeline for sending the first batch of troops up there but it’ll probably be after the Artemis program takes off and NASA establishes a permanent presence on the moon.
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Vlad is Tech Report’s Executive Editor. With over a decade of experience in tech content, he’s passionate about computer hardware, an advocate of online privacy, and strongly believes in the open-source, scarce-money nature of cryptocurrency.
When he’s not working, he’s traveling with his partner and their cat, learning Python, or reading good books. He never owned a PC he did not build.
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