Block has released Dessa, a voice AI that can speak and listen at the same time. The company says it runs on consumer hardware and produces speech with pauses, laughter and other human sounds.
OUR TAKE
At last, a computer capable of interrupting with feeling.
A study found that Grok and OpenAI models favoured different parties when explicitly forced to recommend US election candidates. Their consumer chat apps refused the same request, so the findings do not describe the usual chat experience.
OUR TAKE
Even computers appear unable to survive an American election without taking sides.
China’s Moonshot AI has released Kimi K3.1 Pro for coding, 3D design and financial analysis. The company reports strong test results and plans to release the model’s weights by 4 November.
OUR TAKE
The spreadsheet now has competition for the title of most demanding colleague.
Japan’s defence minister says the country will reshape its defence research around AI and cyber tools. The stated aim is to spot threats sooner and make decisions faster.
OUR TAKE
Whitehall may wish to study the radical notion of deciding things sooner.
Japan’s KDDI and Broadcom will test optical switching equipment for AI computing sites. They will assess power use and network performance, with a wider aim of bringing faster AI services into homes.
OUR TAKE
A welcome attempt to make the electricity bill less intelligent.
Chinese driverless delivery firm Neolix has secured nearly $400 million in Series E funding, according to a regional funding report. It plans to expand abroad, open service hubs and improve the AI behind its vehicles.
OUR TAKE
The delivery van has secured funding before learning to ring the bell.
India’s commerce ministry is identifying professions less likely to be replaced by AI, minister Piyush Goyal says. He pointed to areas such as crafts, food and tourism where technology could support people’s work.
OUR TAKE
A reassuring moment for anyone whose career involves more than forwarding emails.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has upgraded its Mahboub assistant to carry out linked service steps. Users can handle tasks such as paying fines and renewing vehicle registration in one conversation.
OUR TAKE
Bureaucracy has finally discovered that one conversation can be quite enough.
London’s Cognitive Credit has secured $40 million in growth funding led by Summit Partners. It plans to expand in North America and develop AI research tools built on verified company financial data.
OUR TAKE
Someone has found a way to make reading debt reports sound investable.
Tractian has raised $130 million in Series D funding at a $1.4 billion valuation. Its sensors and AI help industrial customers identify machinery faults and plan maintenance before equipment stops.
OUR TAKE
A machine that complains before breaking is still an improvement on most office printers.