Hi there, this is your daily ☕️ Techpresso.

In today's Techpresso:

⏱️ Microsoft prepares for OpenAI's GPT-5

🤖 Figure's humanoid robot now takes voice orders

🔍 FTC investigates Big Tech user bans

❌ Amazon shuts down Chime, its Zoom alternative

🫠 Apple pulls encryption feature from UK over government spying demands

👀 Meta increases executive bonuses by 200% after 5% workforce reduction

🎁 + 11 other news you might like

🔮 + 5 handpicked research papers and tools

FROM OUR PARTNER

• Microsoft plans to integrate GPT-5 with its services around the Build developer conference on May 19, coinciding with Google I/O, where both companies will highlight their AI innovations.
• OpenAI's GPT-5 is anticipated to combine various AI technologies into a unified system, featuring the o3 reasoning model, advancing towards artificial general intelligence.
• Microsoft is expanding server capacity to support GPT-4.5 and GPT-5, aiming to enhance its AI assistant Copilot with updates that eliminate manual model-selection processes.

• Figure has introduced the Helix model, a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) system, which allows humanoid robots to process visual and language data for real-time task execution in household settings.
• Helix enables robots to perform tasks through natural language prompts, allowing for versatile handling of household items, and is designed to control two robots simultaneously for collaborative tasks.
• The Helix model emphasizes the need for extensive training to teach robots new behaviors, highlighting the complexity and variability of home environments compared to industrial settings.

• The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating tech companies' content policies and user ban actions, which may constitute censorship and potentially breach legal standards, according to FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson.
• Ferguson highlighted the need to examine whether tech firms misled users, suppressed conservative viewpoints, or if advertisers coordinated to withdraw funds from platforms like Elon Musk's X due to content issues.
• The FTC expressed concerns that vague moderation rules might infringe laws against deceptive practices and could result from anticompetitive actions, inviting the public to submit comments by May 21.

• Amazon will discontinue Chime, its video conferencing tool, on February 20, 2026, ending support for all features, including Business Calling.
• The company ceased accepting new accounts for Chime as of February 19, 2025, allowing current users to continue using existing features until the final shutdown.
• Amazon suggests users transition to other communication platforms like AWS Wickr, Slack, or Zoom, which will become their official meeting application.

• Apple has stopped offering its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) feature to new users in the UK due to government requests for backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data.
• Current UK users of ADP will eventually need to disable the feature, though Apple cannot automatically turn it off because of the nature of end-to-end encryption.
• Apple expressed disappointment over the loss of ADP for UK customers, emphasizing their ongoing commitment to providing robust security for user data and their stance against creating backdoors.

• Meta announced a 5% reduction in its workforce, affecting approximately 4,000 employees, as part of its effort to streamline operations in what CEO Mark Zuckerberg described as an "intense year."
• The company approved a new executive bonus plan, raising their target bonus from 75% to 200% of base salary, to align with compensation at peer companies and motivate executives towards company priorities.
• This bonus scheme does not include Zuckerberg, who has maintained a symbolic $1 annual salary since 2013 and whose wealth, largely tied to Meta stock, makes him the second-richest individual globally.

Other news & articles you might like

• DeepSeek to share some AI model code, doubling down on open source LINK

• Rivian reports first-ever positive gross profit in fourth quarter LINK

• Mark Zuckerberg's makeover didn't make people like him, study shows LINK

• ChatGPT reaches 400M weekly active users LINK

• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says self-claiming AGI is "nonsensical benchmark hacking" LINK

• Amazon surpasses Walmart in revenue for the first time LINK

• Google may be close to launching YouTube Premium Lite LINK

• Testing confirms MagSafe doesn't interfere with Apple's C1 modem in iPhone 16e LINK

• HP is apparently forcing customer support callers to wait 15 minutes before talking to anyone LINK

• Report: More than 400 million users use ChatGPT every week LINK

• Coinbase says the SEC has agreed to drop its crypto lawsuit LINK

Latest research and tools

Want to get the latest news differently?