Crash Bandicoot: Brawl and Call of Duty: Zombie Defender are not games that actually exist (yet), but social-media users on platforms such as Instagram are still seeing seemingly AI-generated ads from Activision, the company that owns those franchises.A representative for Activision didn't respond to a request for comment and has not commented publicly about the ads.Several gaming sites have pointed to examples that users have encountered. One, for example, features a new Guitar Hero Mobile game that has not been announced and is not known to even be in development. Users say the ads lead to a marketing survey about whether it's the type of game they'd want to play.Apart from the fictitious nature of the ads or concepts, Activision has drawn criticism for the quality of the art images, which are believed to be AI-generated. The art has drawn comparisons to AI slop-- basically AI imagery or videos that are no better than spam.Activision has recently been caught in the crossfire over another instance of AI usage. Last week, the company confirmed that parts of recent games, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,uses AI-generated content.Beginning of a trend?Marc Seal, the founder and CEO of Sortium, an AI video game company, said Activision's actions may be the beginning of a trend in gaming."I haven't seen it done to this extent by others either for an entire float test," Seal told CNET. "It's not common, but I believe it will be."Seal said that a game company's attempt to gauge interest by creating AI-generated content is a type of a bait-and-switch maneuver but fairly harmless."I do think it could be abused," he said. "In the event a studio went so far as to 'pre-sell' a game or content from generated content, I think we would get into dangerous and harmful territory. I can see this happening and then the studio not being able to deliver on the vision or quality the generated content portrayed."Seal added that as long as companies are up front about what they're testing and honest that they're just concepts, this kind of test is fair game."I would rather see studios get early reaction on concepts and bring some new, riskier projects to light that may have been avoided otherwise because there was no clear way to field-test the idea," he said.

Streets of Rage 4 team unveils fantasy brawler "rogue 'em up" AbsolumComing to PC and consoles this year.Image credit: Guard Crush Games/Supermonks/Dotemu News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on March 5, 2025 Dotemu and Guard Crush Games, the studios behind 2020's widely acclaimed beat 'em up sequel Streets of Rage 4, are teaming up again for something a little bit different: Absolum, a fantasy themed side-scrolling brawler with rogue-like elements that's launching this year.Absolum aims to combine "thrilling arcade beat 'em up action" with "intricate, refined combat" to create what Dotemu is calling a "rogue 'em up". There's talk of quests, branching pathways, NPCs, unlockable items, permanent warrior upgrades, and combainable character skills - all in a fantasy adventure channeling the spirit of classic brawlers including Golden Axe.Absolum's action plays out across Talamh, a world of wonder and cosmic horrors gripped by warfare following a cataclysmic magical event. That's where the game's four-strong band of rebels comes in, all setting out on an epic quest to oppose the Sun King Azra and liberate Talamh after they're imbued with powerful magic.Absolum announcement trailer.Watch on YouTubeAll four rebels are playable (either solo or co-operatively) and feature their own unique skill set and personality, with two having been revealed so far. There's Galandra, for instance - an agile, sword-clad fighter designed to excel in close-quarters combat - while Karl is a tanklike dwarf armed with devastating punches and a rifle that can bring down opponents from afar."Absolum blends arcade-like melee combat with spells, counters, upgradable abilities and uniquely powerful playable fighters," explains Dotemu, "hosting a grand, high-stakes quest across an array of hand-crafted stages." Those stages - and Absolum's striking visual style - have been brought to life by the artists and animators at animation studio Supamonks.Absolum doesn't have a release date yet, but it's coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC (via Steam) sometime later this year.

These are the fairest of them all

The best shower curtains take up a significant amount of visual real estate in your bathroom, meaning they can define the entire style of the space. Finding one that marries style and functionality can quickly take the space from dingy to spa-like. Going for a minimalist look? Amp up neutral hues by playing with texture, like a waffle weave or sleek vinyl shower curtain. If bright colors are more your vibe, opt for a vibrant shower curtain to serve as the focal point for your bathroom.No matter what way your interior design style leans, a high-quality shower curtain is a must. After all, feeling refreshed after a shower isnt quite as relaxing if youre worried about mildew buildup or water dripping everywhere. Between fabric, plastic, and water-resistant picks, weve collected a lineup of effective shower curtains that are also a breezy way to revamp your bathroom decor.Our Top Picks for the Best Shower Curtains:Best for Minimalists: Quince European Linen Shower Curtain, $50Best Basic: Boll & Branch Organic Cotton Waffle Shower Curtain, $109Best for Maximalists: Quiet Town Sun Shower Curtain, $42Best for Art Lovers: Henri Matisse The Pink Studio Shower Curtain by Jon Baran, $47Best Antique Style: Dakota Fields Suna Linen Shower Curtain, $87Best Statement Curtain: RHODE Thistle Shower Curtain, $45Rachel FletcherRachel FletcherBoll & Branch Organic Cotton Waffle Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: CottonDimensions: 73x73.5"Care Instructions:Machine washable? YesThis waffle weave shower curtain feels substantial and adds texture while still sticking to neutral tones. Our commerce director Rachel Fletcher calls it her Tried and true, perfectly perfect, classic white shower curtain. Its available in both white and a very light gray, both of which would make a space feel open and airy. Plus, Boll & Branch makes some of the best bath towels weve come across, so you can outfit your whole space in one go. And if you're looking to keep your curtain looking fresh, follow this tip from Fletcher: I pair it with a washable liner and bleach every few months to keep it looking good as new.Julia HarrisonQuiet Town Sun Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: EVA PlasticDimensions: 72" squareCare Instructions:Machine washable? NoCreate a translucent accent wall of sorts with this water-resistant Quiet Town pick that lends a burst of color to your bathroom. It can be used by itself or as a shower liner if you want more privacy with an opaque shower curtain. I love the fact that its transparent, says commerce writer Julia Harrison, It makes our teeny tiny bathroom feel bigger, and lets in light so I dont feel like Im showering in a dark cave.Stewart SavinStewart SavinQuince European Linen Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: Flax linenDimensions: 72" squareCare Instructions:Machine washable? NoLinen makes any room feel a little more natural and beachy, but it can also get pricey. Quinces lower-priced (but still high-quality) linen shower curtain is substantial and prewashed for optimal softness.RHODE Thistle Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: CottonDimensions: 72x74"Care Instructions:Machine washable? YesCreated in collaboration with lifestyle brand Rhode, this vintage-inspired cotton shower curtain from West Elm provides both color and texture with its thistle print and ruffled hem. The built-in buttonholes also make it a breeze to attach with a set of shower hooks.Dakota Fields Suna Linen Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: LinenDimensions: 84x72", 96x72"Care Instructions:Machine washable? YesThis linen shower curtain is another water-repellent pick on this list, meaning itll keep your bathroom dry while adding a hint of bohemian flair. Plus, it comes with 12 hooks, so its ready to hang straight out of the box.Lillian Shower Curtain with Striped TiesSpecs:Material: White Woven Linen & Cotton BlendDimensions: 72" L x 72" WCare Instructions:Machine washable? YesTake a note from Shea McGees serene bath scheme by incorporating more neutrals into your space. Coquette but not over the top, the beige-striped decorative bows lining the top hem give a whimsical detail to a plain white shower curtain.Brooklinen Micro Waffle Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: CottonDimensions: 72" squareCare Instructions:Machine washable? YesMirroring their best-selling bath towels, Brooklinens shower curtain features a waffle weave. This texture makes for a fast-drying, lightweight, and durable fabric that will last shower after shower (particularly if you pair it with a shower liner).Geometric Watercolor Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: PolyesterDimensions: 71x74"Care Instructions:Machine Washable? YesPatchwork prints, especially done up in watercolor hues, are a refreshing way to dial up the saturation in the bathroom without settling on any one solid hue. This polyester shower curtain from Etsy embodies a Japanese boro vibe, but is also fast-drying and backed by several five-star reviews.Urban Outfitters Toile Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: 100% CottonDimensions: 72 x 72Care InstructionsMachine Washable? YesToile prints are always in fashionand the meadow-like pattern of this shower curtain brings a tranquil detail to your indoor spa. Available in a wide color palette, its easily customizable to your tile backsplash or bath towels.Awellife Linen Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: Linen blendDimensions: 72"L x 72"WCare Instructions:Machine Washable? YesIf your aesthetic aligns with farmhouse or bohemian styles, this linen shower curtain will bring the laidback vibe youre looking for in 27 colors. This could be a great contender for a serene monochrome bathroom look, or happily play second fiddle to a bold striped bath mat.Quiet Town End Bits Linen Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: Linen blendDimensions: 72"L x 72"WCare Instructions:Machine Washable? YesThrough a bold shower curtain, you can designate the space as an interior that expresses your style (instead of retreating into a white-washed space). This patchwork curtain, inspired by the Korean art of Bojagi, resembles a quilted textile for your shower, putting a crafty spin on an underrated area of your home.Lush Decor Scallop Edge Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: Polyster, cotton, viscose, nylonDimensions: 72" squareCare Instructions:Machine washable? YesThe scalloped edges on this curtain invoke a nautical style, and who wouldnt want their shower to feel as peaceful as lounging by the ocean? Contrast stitching highlights the scalloped detail in four available colors reminiscent of the sea, sky, and sand.Urban Outfitters Seed & Sprout Patterned Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: CottonDimensions: 72x72"Care Instructions:Machine washable? YesInspired by your recent trip to Lisbon, this white and blue shower curtain will certainly help curb any new obsession with Portuguese tiles. If you want to add even more color, snag a complementary bath mat or towel set.Henri Matisse The Pink Studio Shower Curtain by Jon BaranSpecs:Material: PolyesterDimensions: 71x74"Care Instructions:Machine washable? YesArt history buffs and museum dwellers alike will appreciate this vibrant design that pays homage to Henri Matisses 1911 oil painting The Pink Studio. It certainly beats looking at a mildewy liner every time you step in for a soak.Dusen Dusen Curtina Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: CottonDimensions: 70" squareCare Instructions:Machine washable? YesConsistently switching up your decor? This bright fabric shower curtain from Dusen Dusen is reversible, so you get two eye-catching designs in one. Plus, you can toss it in the washing machine when it needs a refresh.Ferm Living Chambray Shower CurtainSpecs:Material: Cotton chambrayDimensions: 63" x 80.7"Care Instructions:Machine washable? YesSubdued stripes? Yes, please. This Ferm Livng option will make your bathroom look a little more buttoned-up and even comes with a water-repellant backing so it can live in your tub for years before getting completely slimed up with mildew.

Just over four years ago, climate-friendly fintech startup Aspiration was on the verge of a $2 billion public listing. Now, one of the startups board members has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and one of the co-founders has been arrested for allegedly conspiring to defraud investors, according to a federal criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Central District of California.The fintech startup has been under federal scrutiny for years for questionable financial and carbon accounting practices. But the new complaint shines a light on a series of loans that were obtained using allegedly fraudulent tactics.Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was arrested Monday for allegedly conspiring to defraud two different funds of $145 million. Also on the same day, Ibrahim AlHusseini, a former independent board member for the company, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for falsifying documents to help Sanberg secure the loans, according to federal prosecutors.If convicted, Sanberg faces up to 20 years in prison. AlHusseini faces the same maximum penalty, though he is cooperating with prosecutors, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Central District of California.The startup attracted a long list of famous investors over the years, including actors Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr., the musician Drake, and basketball coach Doc Rivers. The company was hoping to go public via SPAC in 2021, but the deal fell through in 2023.Sanberg and AlHusseini are both accused of defrauding two different investors. In 2020, Sanberg was negotiating terms for a $55 million loan with an unnamed investor fund. He pledged 10.3 million shares of his Aspiration stock as collateral; the investor fund required Sanberg to find a third party to agree to buy the stock in a secondary sale if the fund wanted out.AlHusseini was the alleged third party, according to prosecutors. Sanberg allegedly convinced him in January 2020 to enter into a put option on the shares, which would obligate AlHusseini to buy if the unnamed fund wanted to sell.But AlHusseini didnt have $55 million to pay the fund if it exercised the option, federal prosecutors say. Sanberg and AlHusseini allegedly worked with a graphic designer in Lebanon to mock up a fake brokerage account and bank statements to inflate AlHusseinis assets by $80 million to $200 million.With the put option in place, the fund loaned Sanberg $55 million. AlHusseini received $6 million from the loan as a premium payment for guaranteeing repayment in case Aspiration went under.In November 2021, Sanberg allegedly refinanced the loan with a second unnamed investor fund. This time, the loan was for $145 million.Again, AlHusseini allegedly agreed to a put option, this time for $65 million in case the 10.3 million shares became worthless. And like the previous loan, Sanberg and AlHusseini allegedly showed the second fund falsified documents that inflated AlHusseinis assets. This time, AlHusseini received $6.3 million as a premium payment.In total, AlHusseini received $12.3 million from the scheme, according to his plea agreement.A year later, Sanberg defaulted on the $145 million loan. Then in the spring of 2023, he defaulted again. The fund that provided the loan exercised its put option with AlHusseini, who has not bought the shares. The fund lost at least $145 million, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Juice has shared with AWN and VFXWorld their work, in collaboration with BigTime Creative Shop and production company ProdCo, on The Last Crescendo, a commercial promoting the highly anticipated rematch between Canadas undefeated Artur Beterbiev and Russias Dmitry Bivol, held February 22 in Riyadh, that Bivol won by majority decision.Directed by Alan Masferrer and produced by ProdCo, the commercial reimagines boxing through an operatic, mythological lens, blending classical art with modern combat sports.Juices VFX expertise was crucial in bringing this vision to life, integrating live-action performances with elaborate set designs and CGI.At Juice, we worked with intricate 3D design of a championship belt-adorned chandelier and the fresco-inspired ceiling, to AI-enhanced matte paintings and dynamic crowd compositing, every detail was crafted to amplify the operatic intensity of the fight, said Olga Rabiecka, Producer at Juice. The final touch, the chandelier shattering, was practically executed on set, but we refined and enhanced it through complex compositing, symbolizing not just the clash of champions, but the breaking point where legends are made. Credits:Client: Riyadh SeasonAgency: Big Time Creative ShopProduction Company: ProdCoDirector: Alan MasferrerVFX & Post-postproduction: JuiceSound design & Mix: CaronMusic: KO MusicColor & Conform: Time Based ArtsAdditional VFX: CGF Visual Effects Studio, Fall SinsSource: Juice Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.

Laurent - stock.adobe.comNewsFew UK organisations ready to seize agentic AI opportunityAgentic AI promises to automate manually intensive tasks intelligently, yet few business leaders feel their organisation is ready to deploy itByCliff Saran,Managing EditorPublished: 05 Mar 2025 0:01 Research for Microsoft conducted by Goldsmiths, University of London, has reported that the highest performing businesses and most productive public sector organisations have a clear artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and are preparing for agentic AI.The research, published in Microsofts Agents of change report, polled 1,480 UK senior leaders across the public and private sectors, as well as 1,440 UK employees.According to the report, while the majority of leaders and employees acknowledge the benefits on offer, far fewer believe their organisation is in a position to seize them. The study found that barriers of workforce readiness, strategy and regulatory uncertainty persist.Secretary of state Peter Kyle said AI agents have a key role to play in helping organisations work smarter rather than faster.Chris Brauer, director of innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, said: Agentic AI has the potential to revolutionise operations, increase resilience and free employees from many routine tasks if organisations are front footed. There are steps high-, medium- and low-performing organisations in both the public and private sectors can take today.The report found that two-thirds (67%) of leaders and nearly half (46%) of employees believe they would be more productive if AI could autonomously handle many of their time-consuming or repetitive tasks.Microsoft defines agentic AI as an AI system with varying capabilities, including making decisions and taking actions to achieve specific goals with reduced or no direct human intervention.Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman said: Agentic AI can play a key role in removing digital drudgery, giving workers the opportunity to spend more time on creative and value-adding tasks.Almost three-quarters (71%) of the people who took part in the survey say they are looking for ways to create cost reductions through automation. Two-thirds (64%) say they are seeking efficiency and productivity gains through AI-led workflows and processes. The survey also found that many organisations are aiming to strengthen business resilience by using AI to improve fraud detection, forecast risks and enable real-time responses to market changes.However, the study found that just 46% of leaders say their organisation has a formal AI strategy in place. While this is a notable increase since 2024, when that figure was 29% according to previous Microsoft research, the report said the figure is still not high enough if the UK is to unlock the full potential of agentic AI.The report concluded that many UK organisations are stuck in neutral gear at the very time they should be accelerating. As well as limiting the value generated by their AI tools, this threatens their ability to future-proof for new innovations while jeopardising their aspirations for growth and competitive edge, it warned.To tie in with the study, Microsoft announced AI Accelerator for Sales, which will be available from 1 April. The accelerator programme includes access to AI experts at Microsoft to help customers migrate from legacy customer relationship management (CRM) systems and aid with seller adoption. AI Accelerator for Sales also provides what Microsoft describes as fine-tuning, which it said personalises the output of AI agents to meet specific business needs.Read more about agentic AIAlation unveils AI agents plus SDK for agentic development: Data catalog vendors new agents for documentation and data quality monitoring represent innovation among metadata management vendors and could force competitors to respond.2025 will be the year of AI agents: 2025 could bring more agentic AI developments. Enterprises could embed agents in their workflows. It could also lead to an orchestration infrastructure and better reasoning models.In The Current Issue:DeepSeek-R1: Budgeting challenges for on-premise deploymentsInterview: Why Samsung put a UK startup centre stageDownload Current IssueRelaunching Neighbourhood Watch for the Internet Age When IT Meets PoliticsSLM series - Tabnine: A working combination of SLMs, LLMs (and the case for RAG) CW Developer NetworkView All Blogs

Production Perig - stock.adobe.cNewsNHS rolls out AI app to predict and prevent falls that could land patients in hospitalHealthtech company Cera's artificial intelligence app can also predict the onset of winter viruses, and is being keenly adopted across the NHSByCaroline Donnelly,Senior Editor, UKPublished: 05 Mar 2025 0:01 An artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed by a former NHS doctor to predict and prevent patients from suffering from falls in the home is being rolled out across the health service.The tool, provided by healthtech provider Cera, is being used in more than two million patient home care visits a month, according to NHS England, and has also been rolled out across more than two-thirds of NHS Integrated Care Systems.The technologys creator, Cera CEO Ben Maruthappu, designed the tool to minimise avoidable or unnecessary hospitalisations caused by falls in the home.AI in home care is a gamechanger; by enabling better care delivery it has the power to save countless lives while also saving the taxpayer billions, he said.Weve seen first-hand how AI can transform health outcomes for high-risk and vulnerable individuals - preventing illness and injury, radically reducing avoidable hospitalisations, and empowering people to live longer, healthier lives, in their own homes.The tool works by monitoring vital health signs that can predict the risk of a person experiencing a fall, allowing healthcare staff to intervene and take actions that will prevent the person coming to harm.Falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people with estimates that around 30% of people aged 65 and above, and around half of those aged 80 and above will experience a fall at least once a year, said NHS England, in a statement. These falls and fractures account for over four million bed days a year at an estimated cost of 2bn.As well as predicting and preventing falls, the AI technology can be used to detect the symptoms of winter illnesses that can also put seasonal pressure on the NHS.The technology works by allowing carers, family members and healthcare staff to record patient updates on an app which then monitors and reacts to a range of vital health signs in real time, such as blood pressure, heart rate and temperature, said NHS England.It predicts future risks of falls and health risks, and alerts healthcare professionals of those at risk so they can step in and provide patients with the care in the community necessary to prevent future emergencies.The software can also automate the process of completing paperwork for healthcare staff, such as visit schedules, so they can spend more time providing care to the patients and less on admin.Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHS England, said the tool is a great example of how the NHS is using technology to improve patient outcomes and become more efficient.We know falls are the leading cause of hospital admissions in older people, causing untold suffering, affecting millions each year and costing the NHS around 2bn, so this new software has the potential to be a real gamechanger in the way we can predict, prevent and treat people in the community, he said.This AI tool is a perfect example of how the NHS can use the latest tech to keep more patients safe at home and out of hospital, two cornerstones of the upcoming 10-year Health Plan that will see shifts from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community care.The NHS is increasingly turning to AI to help improve services. Last month, the Department for Health and Social Care announced an 11m pilot project to use AI to help radiologists find breast cancer quicker. And last year, a six-month pilot at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust saw a 30% drop in missed appointments, leading to a further 10 trusts rolling out the AI software to reduce waiting times.Read more about the use of AI in the NHSAn 85m funding pot is being distributed between three projects, aiming to establish new ways of researching howartificial intelligencecan be used to target hard-to-treat diseases and develop medicines.NHS Shared Business Services is looking to deployartificial intelligence across the NHSthrough a 150m framework.A report has found that widespread use ofartificial intelligence-powered genomic health predictionin the NHS could lead to privacy and ethical issues, discrimination and dependency on the private sector.In The Current Issue:DeepSeek-R1: Budgeting challenges for on-premise deploymentsInterview: Why Samsung put a UK startup centre stageDownload Current IssueRelaunching Neighbourhood Watch for the Internet Age When IT Meets PoliticsSLM series - Tabnine: A working combination of SLMs, LLMs (and the case for RAG) CW Developer NetworkView All Blogs

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Welcome back to The Prompt,Scale AI cofounder Lucy Guo is embroiled in controversy after her second startup, a content creator platform called Passes, was sued for allegedly hosting child sexual abuse material, Forbes reported. The lesser known platform attracted young creators, promising them a means to earn money at a time when other platforms wouldnt facilitate the same. Alec Celestin, a talent manager associated with Guo, allegedly encouraged the plaintiff to upload explicit content to the platform before her 18th birthday and the suit also alleged that the companys employees helped her override the platform's safety checks to do so. Guo has denied the allegations.Now lets get into the headlines.BIG PLAYS AI juggernaut OpenAI launched GPT4.5, its largest and most capable model for chat to date, which it claims is better able to recognize patterns and draw conclusions as well as being more natural to interact with. OpenAI also said it expects the general purpose model to make up false information or hallucinate less often than its other models. The downside? CEO Sam Altman said its a giant, expensive model, and extremely compute intensive. As a result, OpenAI is out of GPUs, he said and plans to add tens of thousands more in the coming weeks.SHOW ME THE MONEY Cloud computing behemoth CoreWeave, which sells access to its GPUs to AI companies, has filed to go public. According to an SEC filing, the company booked $1.92 billion in revenue in 2024, but recorded net losses of over $800 million. The former bitcoin mining company runs about 250,000 GPUs across its 32 data centers and utilizes 360 MW of active power, it said in the filing. While CoreWeave customers include prominent AI model makers like Mistral, Meta and Cohere,over 60% of its revenue last year came from one client: Microsoft. The rise of ChatGPT in 2022 sparked off an AI frenzy, bringing in a gold rush for companies like CoreWeave, which had ready access to ten of thousands of prized Nvidia chips.AI DEALS OF THE WEEKAnthropic has closed its $3.5 billion massive funding round, which values it at $61.5 billion, according to Bloomberg. The companys annual revenue run rate was about $1 billion last year as the business continues to grow rapidly. The deal was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. The deal has minted seven new billionaires as Forbes estimates each cofounder holds at least 2% of the companys equity.DEEP DIVECompanies like OpenAI and Perplexity have made lofty claims that their AI-powered search engines, which scrape information from the web to generate summarized answers, will provide new sources of income for publishers by directing more readers to their sites. But the reality is starkly different AI search engines send 96% less referral traffic to news sites and blogs than traditional Google search, per a new report by content licensing platform TollBit that was shared exclusively with Forbes. Meanwhile, AI developers scraping of websites has more than doubled in recent months, the report found.OpenAI, Perplexity, Meta and other AI companies scraped websites 2 million times on average in the fourth quarter of last year, per the report, which analyzed 160 websites including national and local news, consumer tech and shopping blogs over the last three months of 2024. Each page was scraped about seven times on average.We are seeing an influx of bots that are hammering these sites every time a user asks a question, CEO Toshit Panigrahi told Forbes. The amount of demand for publisher content is nontrivial. TollBit, which integrates with publishers to track scraping and charge AI companies each time they do so, collected the data from publishers that have signed up on its platform for analytics, giving it insight into traffic and scraping activity on their sites.Last February, research firm Gartner predicted that traffic from traditional search engines would drop 25% by 2026, largely due to AI chatbots and other virtual agents. Businesses that rely on search traffic have already started to take a hit. Edtech company Chegg recently sued Google, alleging that the search giants AI-generated summaries included content from its website without attribution, snatching away eyeballs from its site and hurting its already diminishing revenue. Cheggs traffic plummeted 49% in January year-over-year, a sharp decline from the 8% drop in the second quarter last year, when Google released AI summaries. The traffic decline has affected Chegg to the extent that it is considering going private or getting acquired, CEO Nathan Schultz said in an earnings call.Its time to say no, Schultz told Forbes. He said Google and publishers have long had a social contract to send users to high quality content, and not just retain that traffic on Google. When you break that contract, that is not right.Read the full story on Forbes.WEEKLY DEMO While tech giants like Microsoft, Meta and most recently, Amazon, which announced a more advanced version of Alexa, have gotten a leg up in the AI race, Apple continues to struggle, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reported. Its marquee voice assistant Siri has been lackluster in comparison to other voice-based AI assistants and its suite of AI capabilities part of its Apple Intelligence that have been rolled out onto the latest iPhones arent impressive enough to sway users. The companys progress has also been slowed by challenges with leadership and attracting and retaining talent. MODEL BEHAVIORPinterest is drowning in AI-generated slop, Futurism reported. Multiple users have expressed frustration that the onslaught of AI imagery on the platform, known for its aesthetic mood boards and visual home and lifestyle inspiration ideas, is ruining it. A deluge of AI-generated images have spread across different categories like recipes, hairstyle inspiration and art, making it difficult for people to find authentic human content.