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Here’s what’s in store for you today:
📰 AI NEWS

• 🎵 UMG Strikes a High Note with Udio: A New Era for AI Music

• 🌐 Google Simplifies Access to AI Mode in Chrome Mobile

• 🔍 When Research Meets Growth: How OpenAI Is Getting a Meta Makeover

LATEST DEVELOPMENT

🎵 UMG Strikes a High Note with Udio: A New Era for AI Music

Universal Music Group (UMG) has officially settled its copyright lawsuit with AI music startup Udio, turning courtroom clashes into creative collaboration. The two companies are joining forces to launch a licensed AI music platform in 2026, marking a historic first for the industry.

🔍 Here’s what’s happening:

• The deal includes a financial settlement and licensing of UMG’s vast catalog, allowing users to remix songs and create in artists’ styles — but this time, with full rights and artist compensation.

• Artists who opt in will be paid for both AI model training and song remixes, creating a fairer AI-music ecosystem.

• Udio has disabled song downloads during the transition, restricting creations to its platform — a move that’s sparked backlash among users.

• UMG also announced a strategic partnership with Stability AI to develop responsibly trained AI tools for musicians.

💡 Why it matters:
This partnership marks a pivotal moment in the music industry’s approach to AI — shifting from fighting tech to embracing it responsibly. It sets a blueprint for how record labels might collaborate with AI platforms, balancing innovation with artist rights.

🗣️ “Together, we’re redefining how AI empowers artists and fans,” said Andrew Sanchez, CEO of Udio.

🎧 The new Udio x UMG platform is expected to roll out in 2026, offering a safe, licensed, and creative space for fans and artists alike.

🌐 Google Simplifies Access to AI Mode in Chrome Mobile

Google is making it even easier to bring AI into your everyday browsing. The company announced that AI Mode — which lets users ask complex questions, get follow-ups, and explore topics more deeply within Search — is now just a tap away on Chrome for iOS and Android.

📱 What’s new:

• A dedicated AI Mode shortcut now appears under the search bar on Chrome’s “New Tab” page.

• The feature launches first in the U.S., and will soon expand to 160 new countries and several new languages including Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese.

• This update comes shortly after Google rolled out global expansion of AI Mode to 180 countries.

💡 Why it matters:
By making AI Mode more accessible on mobile, Google aims to keep users within its own ecosystem — instead of turning to rivals like Perplexity AI or ChatGPT Search. The move strengthens Google’s position in the growing market of AI-powered search tools.

🚀 Recent Upgrades:

• Agentic capabilities: Book event tickets, restaurant reservations, and beauty appointments directly in AI Mode.

• Canvas tool: Build study plans and organize research within Chrome’s side panel.

• Lens integration: Ask questions about anything on your desktop screen using visual input.

With these enhancements, Google’s AI Mode is quickly evolving from a search tool to a full-fledged digital assistant — seamlessly integrated into how we browse, plan, and explore online.

🔍 When Research Meets Growth: How OpenAI Is Getting a Meta Makeover

OpenAI is undergoing a dramatic culture shift — one that’s raising eyebrows inside and outside the company. A recent report reveals that one in five OpenAI employees now come from Meta Platforms, and the impact is more than just numbers. 

🧩 What’s going on

• Over 600 of OpenAI’s roughly 3,000 staffers are ex-Meta employees — including several now occupying key roles. 

• Internal Slack channels exist specifically for the Meta alumni. 

• Employee surveys reportedly asked whether OpenAI was becoming “too much like Meta”. 

• Some teams are exploring monetisation ideas such as using ChatGPT’s memory function for personalised ads — despite former CEO statements opposing such moves as “dystopian”. 

• The rollout of the social-app-style product Sora 2 also attracted internal criticism over direction and moderation challenges. 

✅ Why it matters

When an innovative research-first startup becomes a global consumer product machine, tension can stir. The influx of Meta-style growth tactics at OpenAI may provide scale and reach — but could also dilute the scrappy, mission-driven culture that many believe was central to its early success.

QUICK HITS

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