In a post on his personal blog, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that he believes OpenAI know[s] how to build [artificial general intelligence] as it has traditionally understood it and is beginning to turn its aim to superintelligence.We love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future, Altman wrote in the post, which was published late Sunday evening. Superintelligent tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery and innovation well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own, and in turn massively increase abundance and prosperity.AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is a nebulous term. But OpenAI has its own definition: highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work. OpenAI and Microsoft, the startups close collaborator and investor, also have a definition of AGI: AI systems that can generate at least $100 billion in profits. (When OpenAI achieves this, Microsoft will lose access to its technology, per an agreement between the two companies.)So which definition might Altman be referring to? He doesnt say explicitly. But it seems likely he means the former. In the post, Altman wrote he thinks AI agents AI models that can perform certain tasks autonomously may join the workforce and materially change the output of companies. We continue to believe that iteratively putting great tools in the hands of people leads to great, broadly-distributed outcomes, wrote Altman.Thats possible. But its also true that todays AI technology has significant technical limitations. It hallucinates. It makes mistakes obvious to any human. Altman seems confident this can be overcome and rather quickly but if theres anything weve learned about AI over the past few years, its that timelines can be unpredictable.

Best known for its Qooba cat pillow, Yukai Engineering has made a name for itself with some of the strangest little robots around. Who could forget, for example, Amagami Ham Ham, whose sole purpose is to gnaw on fingers, offering a somewhat pleasing sensation. At CES 2025, Yukai unveiled its latest, Mirumi, and it follows in those furry footsteps.The little robot is, in essence, a furball that mounts to a purse, delight[ting] bystanders as it spontaneously turns its head to steal a glance at a nearby person. Much like Ham Hams finger munching, Yukai found inspiration in the form of infants.Image Credits:Yukai EngineeringDesigned to re-create peoples joyful experiences of noticing a human baby as he/she tries to interact with them, the company writes, Mirumi moves its head in several different ways to express its curiosity, bashfulness and other baby-like qualities and emotions.The firm says the product was dreamt up during an in-house Make-a-Thon. Its genesis is the Yokai: mischievous supernatural spirits found in Japanese folklore.Image Credits:Yukai EngineeringThe bot scans its surroundings, using a combination of motion and proximity sensing, as well as taps and movement of the bag onto which it is mounted. Yukai describes the different modes:Curiosity: Looks around once the bag begins to move Inquisitiveness: Turns its head to look at a detected person or objectBashfulness & Cautiousness: Turns back its head to hide the face when a person/object suddenly appears or when being tapped on the bodyRejection: Shakes its head to say no when jiggledComfort: Turn its head to look around again when remaining uninterrupted for a while

As part of our ongoing coverage of films in the lead-up to the Oscar Bake-off on January 11, 2025, we talk to Paul Lambert, the films Oscar-winning Visual Effects Supervisor, about the incredible epic masterpiece: Dune Part Two.Dune Part Two: Following the destruction of House Atreides by House Harkonnen, Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the universes fate, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.Director Denis Villeneuve with Timothe Chalamet on setDirector Denis Villeneuve with DOP Greig FraserDune Part Two was directed and produced by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts. Paul Lambert was the production VFX Supervisor and he joins the fxpodcast this week to discuss the film in depth.Director Denis Villeneuve with Rebecca Ferguson on setDNEG led the visual effects, along with several other companies such as RodeoFX, Territory Studio, Wylie Co. and ReDefine. Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser was the DOP. As Paul discusses in the fxpodcast, the film builds on the Dune Part One, which garnered ten nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and went on to win a leading six awards for Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, and of course: Best Visual Effects.As we discuss, DOP Greig Fraser shot the grand fight that occurs early on in the film as black-and-white infrared. He used an Alexa LF camera that had been modified and then VFX matched to that.

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Jon Jones (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Getty ImagesAccording to UFC color analyst and podcast host Joe Rogan, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is rumored to have set an asking price of $30 million for his potential title defense against interim champ Tom Aspinall.Happy Punch captured the segment, but here is a link to the full episode.Jon Jones Asking Price: $30 MillionThe $30 million asking price is believable and reasonable. Jones is, by all admissions, the greatest fighter in UFC history. He just successfully defended his title against Stipe Miocic, the man previously viewed as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history.Fans have been clamoring for Jones to fight Aspinall, which proves there is a ton of demand for the fight.LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Tom Aspinall of England poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night ... [+] ceremonial weigh-in at O2 Arena on July 22, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLCUFC President Dana White has guaranteed the fight will be made and has shown a commitment to paying Jones the F-you money he mentioned shortly after the win over Miocic.There is every reason to believe Jones will get the money hes seeking for what is shaping up to be the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history.When Will Jon Jones Fight Tom Aspinall?NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO ... [+] victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLCThere is no date or timetable set for the fight, but youd expect to see Jones vs. Aspinall headlining a pay-per-view show in the second or third quarter of 2025. If it takes place in the latter part of the second quarter or early third, Jones vs. Aspinall as the main event for International Fight Week in Las Vegas makes a ton of sense.Read More: Dynasty Warriors: Origins - Release Date And 10 Things You Should KnowIf the Saudis are willing to support the event as they did with Noche UFC in September 2024, its possible the location could shift to Riyadh. If that happens, the event would be historic for multiple reasons.The Jones-Aspinall matchup already has its own special build, but it would also mark the first UFC pay-per-view show in Saudi Arabia.Will Jon Jones Retire Following the Tom Aspinall Fight?LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 29: Alex Pereira of Brazil is introduced in the UFC light heavyweight ... [+] championship fight during the UFC 303 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesThere is a good chance the fight with Aspinall could be Jones lastwin or lose. If he loses, it seems almost certain he would hang up the gloves. If he wins, it might be hard for Jones to walk away from what could be an even bigger fight against Alex Pereira.If Pereira fights and defeats his next challenger, which is rumored to be in March, seeing the Brazilian move up to heavyweight to challenge Jones would give the UFC two all-time great fights in the same year.If Conor McGregor returns, as White has said he expects, the promotion could generate more money and buzz than it has in its history.Magomed Ankalaev or Khamzat Chimaev may have something to say about Pereira moving up to heavyweight, at least while remaining the light heavyweight champion.Either man could be Pereiras next challenger. Pereira has said he wants to return in March. Hes hinted at a fight in Australia, but it seems more likely he will headline UFC 313 in Las Vegas.We could have more definitive information on Pereira and Jones futures in the next few weeks

Answers for today's NYT Mini Crossword are just ahead.New York TimesIn case you missed Sundays NYT Mini, you can find the answers here:Wondering what a stocking stuffer might be? Not sure what gas is used to infuse some beer and coffee? Dont worry, because I'm here to help you with the answers for today's NYT Mini crossword.The NYT Mini is a quick and dirty version of the newspaper's larger and long-running crossword. Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays.Unlike its larger sibling, the NYT Mini crossword is free to play on the New York Times website or NYT Games app. However, youll need an NYT Games subscription to access previous puzzles in the archives.MORE FOR YOUTo help you avoid getting stuck and having to reveal missing letters, here are the NYT Mini Crossword answers for Monday, January 6 (spoilers lie ahead, of course):NYT Mini Crossword Clues And AnswersNYT Mini Across Answers1 Across: ___ notification (alert on a phone screen) PUSH5 Across: Stocking stuffer? SANTA6 Across: Hunter with a famous "belt" ORION7 Across: Gas used to infuse some beer and coffee, for short NITRO8 Across: 18-wheeler SEMINYT Mini Down Answers1 Down: Home of the Notre-Dame cathedral PARIS2 Down: Join forces UNITE3 Down: Tempest STORM4 Down: World capital whose name means "between two rivers" in Vietnamese HANOI5 Down: Child with a Roman numeral after his name, maybe SONCompleted New York Times Mini crossword for Monday, January 6New York TimesIt took me 1:23 to complete today's NYT Mini.Thats a pretty decent time considering how much I struggled with this one. I only got PUSH on my first pass of the Across words and PARIS, UNITE and HANOI on the other side. Thankfully, those were enough for me to start piecing things together.I should have figured out SANTA and ORION sooner. But NITRO didnt click for me at all. Meanwhile, I have no idea how SON relates to Roman numerals. If youre in our Connections discussion group on Discord, please do enlighten me!Make sure to follow my blog for more coverage of the NYT Mini and other word games, as well as video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky! Its fun there.

Robert Eggers is experiencing some of the most high-profile success of his career right now. His latest film, Nosferatu, has not only received largely rave reviews, but also emerged as a surprise box office hit, grossing over $100 million worldwide in its first two weeks in theaters. The film is Eggers take on the iconic 1922 silent horror film of the same name, which is itself unofficially based on Bram Stokers Dracula.Given his success with Nosferatu and his clear interest in classic horror stories, one could assume that Eggers might have plans to tackle another, similarly monumental horror property at some point in the future. Sure enough, in a recent interview with Curzon, Eggers revealed that hes already tried writing his own adaptation of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. Eggers says he was inspired to do so by the birth of his son, saying he felt an unconscious urge to try his hand at reinterpreting the beloved, timeless gothic novel.Recommended VideosUnlike Nosferatu, however, the filmmaker says he doesnt intend to follow through on his Frankenstein adaptation. I started to try to do Frankenstein, which after two weeks, I was like, Theres no way I can do this, its impossible,' he revealed. In the same interview, Eggers refrained from offering any insight into what his abandoned take on Frankenstein might have entailed, noting only that it definitely sucked.Universal Pictures / Universal PicturesDespite Eggers apparent struggles with the material, horror fans wont have to wait long to see a new Frankenstein movie. Not only is director Maggie Gyllenhaal currently working on her own, Frankenstein-adjacent film titled The Bride, but Pans Labyrinth filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has also directed his own Frankenstein adaptation starring Oscar Isaac as the movies titular mad scientist and Jacob Elordi as his unnatural creation. Both films are set to hit theaters this year.Please enable Javascript to view this contentEggers, for his part, doesnt seem too heartbroken over his failed Frankenstein adaptation. Sometimes, you know you have a dud, he told Curzon. Im super excited for Guillermo del Toros Frankenstein.Nosferatu is now playing in theaters.Editors Recommendations

Starship | Sixth Flight TestSpaceX has shared a cinematic video (above) of the Starship rockets sixth test flight, which took place in November.Recommended VideosThe presentation is effectively a teaser for the megarockets seventh test flight, which is expected to take place in the next week, though an official announcement regarding timing has yet to be made.Please enable Javascript to view this contentSpaceXs video pulls together some of the most awe-inspiring footage captured during the Starships sixth test flight. Stunning close-ups, dramatic wide shots, and incredible action clips give fans their best look yet at the entirety of the mission that tested the most powerful rocket ever to fly.RelatedThe Starship vehicle uses the Super Heavy booster for the first stage and the Starship spacecraft for the upper stage. A total of 33 Raptor engines provide the 120-meter-tall rocket with 17 million pounds of thrust during launches from SpaceXs Starbase facility near Boca Chica in Texas.In the sixth test flight, the Super Heavy booster successfully transitioned to its boostback burn to begin its return to the launch site. The original plan was to use two large mechanical arms on the launch tower to catch the booster as it came in to land, a feat that it achieved at the first attempt in the fifth test flight in October. But automated health checks of critical hardware on the launch and catch tower surfaced an issue that triggered an abort of the catch attempt. As a result, the booster performed a divert maneuver and a landing burn to send it into the Gulf of Mexico.After being deployed by the Super Heavy, the Starship spacecraft completed another successful ascent, placing it on the planned trajectory. The ship successfully reignited a single Raptor engine while in space, demonstrating the capabilities required to conduct a ship deorbit burn before starting fully orbital missions, SpaceX said. With live views and telemetry being relayed by Starlink, the ship successfully made it through reentry and executed a flip, landing burn, and soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.The Elon Musk-led company said that data gathered from the mission provided invaluable feedback that can be used to further improve the rockets flight systems. Lessons learned will directly make the entire Starship system more reliable as we close in on full and rapid reusability, it said.NASA and SpaceX are planning to use the Starship for crew and cargo flights to the moon, Mars, and possibly beyond. Theres still much testing to be done, with SpaceX aiming to increase the frequency of its Starship flights in 2025. Well share details of the schedule for the seventh flight just as soon as it becomes known.Editors Recommendations