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OpenAI has a goblin problem.Instructions designed to guide the behavior of the company’s latest model as it writes code have been revealed to include a line, repeated several times, that specifically forbids it from randomly mentioning an assortment of mythical and real creatures.“Never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant to the user’s query,” read instructions in Codex CLI, a command-line tool for using AI to generate code.It is unclear why OpenAI felt compelled to spell this out for Codex—or indeed why its models might want to…
The numbers$5.6 billion — Revenue for Omnicom’s “core operations” in the first quarter of 2026, up 6.7% year over year. This represents the businesses the company does not plan to dispose of within the next year.$5.6 billion — Operating expenses in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $2.4 billion year over year, mostly related to the IPG acquisition.$627 million — Revenue from dispositions and assets held for sale related to the IPG acquisition, versus $34.3 million in costs.14.8% — EBITA margin in Q1, up from 12.4% in Q4 2025.51.5% — The percentage of revenue integrated media was responsible…
Last year, WhatsApp and Apple notified several people in Italy, including journalists and activists, that they had been targeted with government spyware. In particular, WhatsApp pointed the finger at the Israeli American surveillance tech maker Paragon Solutions as the company that provided the technology for a hacking campaign that targeted around 90 people around the world with its “Graphite” spyware. The notifications prompted a scandal in Italy that is still unfolding. After being notified of the attacks, a number of victims filed criminal complaints with Italian authorities, and prosecutors then opened an investigation. Now it appears that Paragon, despite its…
When Iranian missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates began earlier this year, cybercrime laws also came into focus as the conflict played out in the sky—and online. Authorities announced arrests linked to misleading videos, AI-generated clips, illegal filming, and the spread of misinformation.For many residents, the reaction was one of surprise: How could a screenshot, forwarded video, or social media post become a criminal matter? The answer lies in legal frameworks that were already in place.During ordinary times, many forms of online misconduct can carry penalties under the UAE’s cybercrime laws. But during crises, emergencies, or disasters,…
The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green expressed empathy for the strife of ad agencies, many of which are facing increasing margin pressure as they navigate tighter budgets, the AI boom, and shifting media supply chain dynamics.“You can’t keep taking money out of the middle, providing a higher level of service in a more complicated ecosystem, and do that for less and less,” he said in an onstage conversation with Michael Kassan, the renowned media dealmaker and head of 3C Ventures, at Possible 2026 in Miami Beach.“There has been this pressure being added to the companies in between the advertiser and…
Google has granted the U.S. Department of Defense access to its AI for classified networks, essentially allowing all lawful uses, according to multiple news reports. This deal follows Anthropic’s public stand against the Trump administration after the model maker refused to grant the DoD the same terms. The Pentagon wanted unrestricted use of AI, whereas Anthropic wanted guardrails to prevent its AI from being used for domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Because Anthropic refused those use cases, the DoD branded the model maker a “supply-chain risk” — a designation normally reserved for foreign adversaries. Anthropic and the DoD are…
Elon Musk and Sam Altman appeared in a federal courtroom together for the first time on Tuesday as they fight over OpenAI’s decade-long evolution and what it means for the company’s future.The trial in Musk’s lawsuit against Altman could result in financial damages and, more significantly, governance changes at OpenAI that may complicate its plans for an initial public offering as soon as this year.As the first witness on the stand, Musk immediately sought to frame his case as more than just about OpenAI. Siding with Altman “will give license to looting every charity in America” and shake the “entire…
The FCC is moving up the renewal timeline for some ABC stations.On Tuesday, an order to file early broadcast license renewals was issued by the Federal Communications Commission to eight ABC-owned and operated television stations. The FCC says the order comes as the O&O stations are being investigated for possible violations of the 1934 Communications Act and the “agency’s prohibition on lawful discrimination.”The station licenses were not due for renewal until sometime in 2028, but ABC has been directed to file the license renewals by May 28, 2026. Affected ABC O&O stations include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston,…
Match Group, the dating app behemoth that owns Match, Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge, says that it has invested $100 million in yet another mobile service designed to bring people together: a Grindr competitor known as Sniffies. The website for Sniffies sports various images of men in their underwear. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about the app, which is a self-proclaimed “cruising”— or hookup — matching service for gay men. The app includes what it calls a “real-time, fully interactive map of nearby Cruisers and popular local cruising spots.” “From the first time I met the…
Of all the gay hookup apps Brennan Zubrick uses, Sniffies, a cruising app for men interested in discreet sex-positive casual encounters with other men, is by far his favorite. Some of the most popular kinks among members on the platform include edging, cum play, and BDSM. “I overwhelmingly prefer the experience I get and the community I can access,” he tells WIRED. But Zubrick, who is 40 and based in Washington, DC, has a bad feeling that could soon change.Tinder and Hinge parent company Match Group announced on Monday an investment of $100 million into Sniffies. The deal gives Match…
In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, executive editor Alison Weissbrot moderates a panel of industry leaders redefining modern commerce. Our guests are: Jennifer Silverberg, CEO of SmartCommerce Benoit Vatere. Chief Media Officer, Liquid Death Tisha Thompson, Founder & CEO, LYS Beauty Nicole Vinson, VP, Kellanova Candace Payne, VP of Marketing, Sephora Beth Tripaldi, Head of Strategy, Argonaut The discussion explores why the traditional funnel has collapsed. The group unpacks omnichannel strategies, retail media, and data-driven creativity needed to win in a fragmented, fast-moving consumer journey. What you’ll learn: How to Stop Using “Funnel” Language and Start Thinking in Flywheels Why Your…
Almost as soon as OpenAI announced that its major investor and cloud partner, Microsoft, no longer has exclusive rights to any of its products, Amazon started gloating. After the revised OpenAI/Microsoft agreement was announced on Monday, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy noted in a tweet that it was a “very interesting announcement.” That agreement solved OpenAI’s problem of allowing AWS to offer its products, an issue that crystalized after it signed an up-to-$50-billion deal with Amazon. Amazon announced on Tuesday that AWS’s Bedrock service now has OpenAI’s latest models, its code-writing service Codex, and a new product for creating OpenAI-powered AI agents. Bedrock…
Hundreds of workers in Ireland tasked with refining Meta’s AI models have been told that their jobs are at risk as the company embarks on a sweeping new round of layoffs, according to documents obtained by WIRED.The affected workers are employed by the Dublin-based firm Covalen, which handles various content moderation and labeling services for Meta.The workers were informed of the layoffs over a brief video meeting on Monday afternoon and were not allowed to ask questions, according to Nick Bennett, one of the employees on the call. “We had a pretty bad feeling [before the meeting],” he says. “This…
Amazon launched a new AI-powered feature on Tuesday that allows users to ask questions about products and receive conversational audio responses generated in real time. The responses are delivered by what the company calls “AI-powered shopping experts,” which present information in a natural, discussion-style format. The new “Join the chat” feature aims to save customers time by providing key product details without requiring them to scroll through lengthy descriptions or reviews. The AI pulls together insights about product features, customer feedback, and other relevant information. For example, shoppers can ask questions like whether a coffee maker is suited for beginners…
The UK’s Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA) was established in 2023 with the goal of pursuing “high-risk, high-reward” moonshots in sectors ranging from bolstering food security to new ways of ramping up human immunity.With more than £1 billion (about $1.3 billion) worth of government funding earmarked between now and 2030, one of ARIA’s most ambitious programs is a £69 million initiative that aims to develop more tailored ways of modulating the human brain. The hope is to eventually address an entire range of disorders, from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s.Reports have previously estimated that this suite of neurological conditions costs the…
Australia is getting serious about making Big Tech pay for news. The country’s government unveiled draft legislation on Tuesday that would require companies like Meta, Google, and TikTok to pay for the journalism they aggregate or reshare, or face a levy on their local revenues. Communications minister Anika Wells said at a press conference today: “People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, from TikTok, and from Google.” The proposed law, called the News Bargaining Incentive (NBI), would impose a 2.25% levy on the Australian revenues of the three platforms unless they strike commercial deals with local news publishers.…