Apple and Amazon face £900 million UK lawsuit over alleged price-fixing

Apple has announced a new developer agreement that allows the company to collect any outstanding payments owed by developers at any time, effectively positioning itself as a debt collector. This move has raised concerns among developers regarding financial autonomy and the implications of such a policy.

Amazon has begun rolling out Alexa+ on the web to early access users, introducing features such as chat functionality, smart home controls, file management, and cross-device conversations. This launch represents a significant step in Amazon's vision for integrating its AI-powered Alexa technology into everyday online experiences.

Apple has announced that it will increase the number of ads displayed in App Store search results starting next year, aiming to enhance opportunities for advertisers while ensuring that ads remain relevant to user searches. The company has committed to not displaying irrelevant ads, regardless of the advertisers' bids.

Amazon has launched a new feature for its Alexa+ service that integrates conversational AI capabilities into Ring doorbells, allowing the device to identify visitors based on their appearance and actions. This enhancement utilizes video descriptions from the Ring doorbell to recognize individuals, improving user interaction with the home security system.

A new method for the exact verification of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) has been developed, focusing on providing guarantees against adversarial attacks through incremental constraint solving. This approach allows for the verification of GNNs under budget constraints, addressing vulnerabilities in high-stakes applications such as fraud detection and healthcare.

A recent study has revealed that Amazon's algorithmic pricing practices are leading to erratic and inflated costs for school districts, raising concerns about the financial implications for educational institutions. The findings suggest that the pricing strategies employed by Amazon may not be conducive to the budgeting needs of these districts.

Amazon is reportedly in discussions to invest at least $10 billion in OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, as part of its strategy to support OpenAI's funding needs for extensive data center expenditures. This investment could significantly impact both companies' futures in the AI sector.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, and Richard Blumenthal have initiated an investigation into whether the expansion of AI data centers operated by major tech firms like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft is contributing to rising electricity costs for consumers. This inquiry follows reports indicating that 70% of American households are experiencing increased utility rates coinciding with the growth of these data centers.