Husband and wife duo Erez Druk and Gabi Meckler are helping each other build Freed, a note-taking program for doctors. Bonfire Partners 2025-05-18T17:53:05Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Erez Druk launched Freed AI for his wife, Dr. Gabi Meckler, who spent hours writing clinical notes. The couple collaborates closely on Freed AI, integrating clinician feedback to refine it. They shared their founding story, which, they said, is a love letter to each other. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation between Erez Druk, the founder of Freed AI, an AI assistant for clinicians, and his wife, Dr. Gabi Meckler, a family physician. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.Gabi MecklerWhen I was in residency, I really began to feel the weight of notes.I would stay in the hospital until midnight, writing notes. You'd come home and still have notes to do. They were constant — a fact of life. Some people suffer. Some even quit.One day, my husband, Erez, asked me what would make my life easier. I jokingly said, "Can you just write my notes for me?"Erez took the idea seriously. He started building something.Erez DrukI built a simple proof of concept using GPT, a customizable version of ChatGPT, over the course of a few hours. It was a bare bones version of Freed that allowed for patient instructions, which are what clinicians send to patients post-visit, and subjective notes, which clinicians use to document patients' experience of their condition.I showed it to Gabi. She said "interesting," but told me it still needed a few improvements. It would break at times, it didn't know the names of several medications, and wasn't attuned to different specialities.I knew I needed another data point beyond my wife, so I solicited the opinion of our friend, another clinician. She came over for dinner, I showed her the product, and her response was very different — one of immediate excitement. She texted the next day asking to use it.I knew we were on to something.We moved fast from there. It took some work to make it HIPAA compliant. I wanted to get a beta version out quickly. We got some clinicians to test it. We asked them for feedback constantly. Building Freed isn't just about vision or strategy — it's about listening to users and iterating based on what they need.MecklerWhen I started working at a clinic, after residency, I began using Freed every day. I could finally finish my notes before leaving the office. One time, I forgot to send a referral for a patient, but Freed reminded me. That moment made me realize how much Freed was helping, not just with time, but with the details that I might have missed otherwise.Other doctors at the clinic noticed, too. They'd come to me and say, "Your husband? He saved me hours of work." That was rewarding.One thing I love is that Erez takes my input seriously. He really understands the nuances that matter to clinicians, and the team is learning too.DruzGabi holds a weekly office hour with the product managers and designers where they share their work with her. She offers her perspective on what's useful and what isn't.It's surprising — or maybe not — that even after spending a lot of time with clinicians, there's always more to learn. We can never truly be in their shoes, there's a constant depth and nuance to uncover. That's why this setup is so valuable: It helps us get closer to understanding how they think and what's genuinely useful to them.MecklerFreed, as the name suggests, is all about freedom. Our goal wasn't to tell clinicians how to use their time — we simply wanted to give it back to them.That mindset really influences our marketing. We're very intentional about not telling clinicians what they should do — they know better than anyone else. We don't tell clinicians to be heroes or push messages like maintain "eye contact" or "spend more time with patients." You probably already make enough eye contact. And if you want to Netflix and chill, great.We're not here to tell people how to be better doctors.DruzManaging the relationship between husband and wife, founder and consumer, innovator and advisor — isn't always easy. It's definitely annoying sometimes to get feedback that is correct.MecklerI think we do it well, though, I don't know how we do it.I try to be specific about feedback. Like, this is something you absolutely have to change before moving forward, versus this would be nice, or it's a bit iffy.I told Erez that we needed to incorporate patient instructions. They include a summary of the visit and clear instructions based on the action plan created during the appointment. The goal is to make them easy for patients to read, understand, and follow. It's now one of the most loved features of Freed.We're building a document analyzer now at the request of users. It will take any clinical document and give the clinician a summary. Users can also ask questions, and it will provide short responses with references from the document.This whole time, since we launched in January 2023, Erez has been learning about medicine, and I've been learning about startups. So, I know he has to move fast. That's why I focus only on the most important things, and I push really hard when it matters.I've loved being involved as part of our relationship.MecklerWork is really my second obsession after Gabi — and I'm obsessed with work. So the fact that we can talk about everything, and she knows the people in the team, and what we're working on, is really fun.We created Freed together. It's a love letter from us, our team, to all the clinicians out there. Recommended video

In Brief Posted: 7:35 AM PDT · May 18, 2025 Image Credits:Brian Heater/TechCrunch U.S. lawmakers have concerns about Apple-Alibaba deal The Trump administration and congressional officials are scrutinizing a deal between Apple and Alibaba that would bring Alibaba-powered AI features to iPhones sold in China, according to The New York Times. Citing anonymous sources, the NYT says White House officials and members of the House Select Committee on China have asked Apple executives directly about the deal, with questions focused on what data would be shared with Alibaba and whether the company was making any commitments to Chinese regulators. The executives were reportedly unable to answer most of those questions. In a statement, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) described Alibaba as “a poster child for the Chinese Communist Party’s military-civil fusion strategy” and said it was “extremely disturbing” that Apple had “not been transparent about its agreement.” The deal itself has only been publicly confirmed by Alibaba, not Apple. This is far from the only challenge that rising tensions between the United States and China presents to the iPhone maker’s business, as the company faces on-again, off-again tariffs. Topics

The headlines scream it daily: Markets are fluctuating wildly, AI is transforming entire industries overnight, supply chains are fracturing, and the workforce is reshuffling at unprecedented rates. According to the World Economic Forum, 78 million new job opportunities will emerge by 2030, but this comes amid massive workforce transformation, with 77% of employers planning upskilling initiatives while 41% anticipate reductions due to AI automation. All these moving parts are playing out against a global background of financial insecurity, war, climate change, and political disruption. The age of anxiety Welcome to the age of VUCA—volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity—a concept adopted by the military to describe post-Cold War conditions but now perfectly capturing our business landscape. And here’s the brutal truth. We’re facing this unprecedented VUCA while collectively and perfectly depleted from the trauma of the past five years. A recent American Psychiatric Association survey reveals that 43% of U.S. adults feel more anxious than they did the previous year, with 70% particularly anxious about current events. Research from meQ also finds that depression and anxiety rates are more than four times higher for people who feel least prepared for change. This isn’t another challenging period to weather. Chaotic change isn’t a bug in the code we can just rewrite. It’s a fundamental feature of our era, requiring a complete reinvention of our relationship with change itself. Why the U in VUCA Hurts So Much Right Now In a word, trauma. The pandemic threw us into societal trauma at a level few of us had ever known. Unlike normal adversity, where mental health improves once the challenge passes, the pandemic created persistent mental health issues that have worsened even after the acute phases passed. When it comes to mental health, trauma has a long tail. The pandemic delivered a perfect storm of traumatic conditions: Chronic and unrelenting. Rather than a sharp, short crisis, it dragged on with no clear endpoint. Pervasive impact. It transformed every aspect of life simultaneously—work, relationships, health, finances. Global with no escape. You couldn’t get on a plane to avoid it. Beyond our control. Individual actions had minimal impact on the overall trajectory. Shifting goalposts. Vaccines were promised, then delayed; variants emerged; reopenings were followed by new lockdowns. Aversion to Uncertainty This roller coaster of false hope and disappointment forced us to experience unrelenting uncertainty, and even in good times, our brains hate uncertainty. In a 2016 University College London study, people experienced more stress and anxiety when facing a 50/50 chance of receiving an electric shock than when facing a 98% certainty of receiving that same shock. Uncertainty was more unbearable than guaranteed pain. This preference made evolutionary sense when stability increased the chance of survival. In today’s business environment, it’s a dangerous liability. The fight-flight-freeze responses that helped our ancestors survive short periods of uncertainty now paralyze us in boardrooms, strategy sessions, and daily decision-making. We are not yet equipped to handle the ongoing uncertainty of today’s nonstop change. The New Approach to Change I often describe our current relationship to change as abusive. Another disruption shakes us off course, and we think “this time will be different,” but it never is. The resulting uncertainty plagues us as much as before, because we haven’t changed our approach. Transforming our ingrained fear of uncertainty requires a process that rewrites our own relationship with change. We are then empowered to lead our teams and organizations through this era of VUCA without end. Step 1: Reject our old-fashioned beliefs about uncertainty and change We all have deep-seated beliefs about how the world should work. I call these Iceberg Beliefs because they’re enormous and largely lie beneath the surface of our awareness. They often define how we react to change. Classic beliefs about change and uncertainty might sound like: ●  “If I keep my head down and work hard, certainty should be my reward.” ●  “Uncertainty is unbearable and unfair.” ●  “The more control I get, the better my life will be.” ●  “Steady as she goes wins the race.” ●  “Change is frightening. It should be resisted or ignored.” We have to discard these beliefs. For one, they’re not accurate. While hard work helps achieve our goals, it brings no guarantee of certainty or constancy. Second, they frame VUCA in a way that’s not useful. VUCA is happening to us all, and “fair”  has nothing to do with it.  These beliefs push us to waste our time and energy fighting for an illusion of certainty that will never come. We must reject these naive Icebergs and replace them with beliefs that reflect reality and point to a path ahead. Step 2: Reinvent and reimagine our beliefs about uncertainty and change Reinventing our relationship with change means rejecting old and tired thinking and constructing new belief systems. We can ease into this by first endorsing beliefs that get us more comfortable with change. ●  “Not all uncertainty ends badly. There have been college applications, new jobs, and reorgs that turned out well.” ●  “I’ve been through change before, and most of the terrible stuff I worried about at 3 a.m. every night didn’t actually happen.” ●  “I am powerless to change change, but I alone have the power to change my relationship with it.” Next, we can finally turn the tables on this abusive relationship by edging toward embracing change. We’ll get there with beliefs like “there is no growth without change” and “every change brings opportunity.” We can also recognize that some of life’s most exhilarating moments—falling in love, becoming a parent, getting a promotion, starting a new venture—involve profound uncertainty and change. Part of this work must include recalibrating our sense of what is under our control and mapping our sphere of control daily. Trauma distorts our sense of what we can and cannot influence. For example, during the pandemic, I found myself obsessively worrying about my elderly parents’ health in Australia—something I had limited control over—while neglecting my children’s online education happening right in front of me. I was systematically failing to control what I could because I was exhausted trying to control what I couldn’t. Step 3: Lead your people through change With the threat of uncertainty neutralized and our beliefs about change and control starting to shift, we turn attention outward. How can we react to disruption more productively? And how can we successfully lead the people who count on us through VUCA? Practice a growth mindset These habits of mind help us see opportunities and stay focused through chaotic disruption. As leaders, we shift our teams’ response to change when we approach challenges with principles such as: ●  Abandoning perfectionism. ●  Accepting inevitable mistakes. ●  Reframing mistakes as progress to value. ●  Encouraging creativity without judgment. We can also educate our managers in this new approach to change, and help them learn to coach their teams to do the same. When this training happens at scale, our entire workforce is much more equipped to navigate and accelerate through organizational changes. Adjust work to the demands of VUCA We can’t lead like “business as usual” when VUCA rules. However, with our greater resilience in the face of change, we can skillfully shift workplace expectations and norms to reduce VUCA’s impact, thereby protecting growth and well-being as changes unfold. ●  Reduce Volatile Processes. Slow processes down when possible. External forces put a ceiling on how much volatility you can control, but even small reductions help. The greatest athletes visualize the game in slow motion, while they respond in real time. Deal with one thing at a time rather than everything simultaneously. ●  Reduce Uncertain Outcomes. While you can’t eliminate uncertainty, take actions today that narrow the field of possible outcomes. That’s why we try to exercise and eat healthfully. While never a guarantee that we’ll dodge illness, it renders that uncertainty small enough to set aside for now. ●   Reduce Complex Problems. Break problems into smaller pieces. Think of untangling yarn—start with one strand, simplify it, then move to the next. Organizations like NASA excel at this approach, breaking seemingly impossible challenges into manageable components. ●   Reduce Ambiguous Information with Clarity. The U in VUCA is future-directed, while the A—ambiguity—is happening now. During change, people will fill information gaps with their Icebergs and fears. In my research, organizations that fare better during VUCA have transparency of process and open information. It’s widely held in military circles that in a battle, communication is often the first thing to fail. By the time an organization is in VUCA, it’s too late to develop lines of communication. Work now, preemptively, to build strategies to keep your people informed. The payoff is clear. Research at meQ shows that most change-ready, resilient, and supported employees are significantly VUCA-proofed, with rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout slashed by around 75% when compared with their less change-ready peers. Taking the Power Back from Change The ultimate reality? Periods of stability will become increasingly rare. The concept that we just need to get through this “liminal time” before returning to normal is outdated. It’s the brief periods of stability that are now liminal—unusual spaces between the predominant times of change, turmoil, and flux. Those who can adapt internally rather than demanding external stability will be best positioned to thrive. The pursuit of stability is a fool’s errand, and what we’re chasing is fool’s gold. The only thing at stake is this: Our entire mental health, wellness, happiness, productivity, and performance. It’s time to take back the power in our relationship with change.

Netflix will embrace AI-generated ads, whether we like it or not. The streaming service will roll out AI-generated ads in 2026 that will play in the middle of a show or whenever users hit pause for its ad-supported plans. During Netflix's Upfront event for its advertisers, Amy Reinhard, the company’s president of advertising, showed off the upcoming feature for interactive midroll and pause ads that use generative AI for custom content. We've come a long way since Netflix's origin story of mailing out DVDs starting in 1997 and transitioning to an ad-free streaming service. Now more than ever, it feels like Harvey Dent's famous quote from The Dark Knight about living long enough to become the villain rings true for Netflix. The streaming service's longevity in the industry could be attributed to making compromises, like including ads, that take away from its initial glory. In a poetic turn of events, The Dark Knight trilogy was added to Netflix's library on April 1. This won't be the first time Netflix dabbled with AI. Last month, Netflix offered regional users a new search feature that uses OpenAI to find something to watch. Looking beyond AI-generated ads in 2026, it's not likely that the company will slow down on finding new ways to generate revenue. "So if you take away anything from today, I hope it’s this: the foundation of our ads business is in place," Reinhard said during the Netflix event. "And going forward, the pace of progress is going to be even faster." The golden age of binge-watching an entire season of a Netflix show without ads could be a long-forgotten memory. Next year, don't be surprised if Netflix tempts you with a Baconator while you watch people succumb to the deadly consequences of Squid Games. If this eventual change has you rethinking your Netflix subscription, you can always cancel it or begrudgingly upgrade it to the Standard or Premium plans to avoid ads. Don't forget, Netflix has been steadily increasing subscription costs for its ad-free plans, which could push more users towards the standard plan with ads as the most accessible option.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-has-figured-out-a-way-to-make-ads-even-worse-using-ai-180623064.html?src=rss

Deal  When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Save 36% off Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC lifetime license Neowin Deals · May 18, 2025 13:00 EDT Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where you can save 36% on Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License. The essentials to get it all done. Microsoft Office 2024 Home is the latest version of Microsoft’s renowned productivity suite, which includes essential applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. This version is specifically designed for individuals and families seeking reliable tools for various home tasks, including document creation, spreadsheet management, presentation design, and note-taking. Office Home 2024 is for students and families who want classic Office apps on their Mac or PC. A one-time purchase installed on 1 PC or Mac for use at home or school. Lifetime license for MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & OneNote One-time purchase installed on 1 Windows PC for use at home or work Instant Delivery & Download – access your software license keys and download links instantly Free customer service – only the best support! Microsoft Office 2024 Home for PC or Mac includes: Microsoft Office Word Microsoft Office Excel Microsoft Office PowerPoint Microsoft Office OneNote Good to Know ONE-TIME PURCHASE INSTALLED ON 1 DEVICE Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Access options: desktop Full versions No subscriptions – no monthly/annual fees Version: 2024 Updates included No faffing about with subscriptions, just classic apps that don't expire.Here's the deal: A lifetime subscription to Microsoft Office Home 2024 normally costs $249.99, but this deal can be yours for just $159.97, that's a saving of $90. For full terms, specifications, and license info, click the link below. Get this deal for just $159.97 (36% off), or learn more See all discounted Neowin Deals on offer. This is a time-limited deal.Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed

Business Game DesignerForio SimulationsUSA (remote)2 hours agoApplyForio is looking for an innovative Business Game Designer to create engaging business simulation games that transform how students learn and make decisions. You'll join our collaborative team and work closely with our UI/UX designers, web developers, project managers, and subject matter experts to deliver high-impact, web-based simulation game experiences.What You'll Do:Collaborate with cross-functional teams to conceptualize, develop, and deliver engaging business simulation games covering leadership, competitive strategy, finance, innovation, and change management.Manage and prioritize multiple projects independently, each at different stages of production.Contribute creatively and technically to our iterative design process, refining simulation games through customer feedback and testing to ensure robust performance and user engagement.Conceptualize simulation models with developers using Python, system dynamics, discrete event modeling, and advanced Excel modeling techniques.Work independently and proactively, contributing fresh ideas and solutions to enhance gameplay dynamics, user experiences, and educational outcomes.Stay current with experiential learning and gaming industry developments, including emerging trends, popular gameplay elements, new platforms, and effective engagement strategies.What You'll Bring:Enthusiasm and passion for educational game design, focusing on creating intuitive and engaging student experiences.Experience leading game design discussions, providing constructive editorial feedback on gameplay concepts, features, and playable builds, and facilitating effective collaboration with stakeholders and partners.Strong experience in at least one technical area: Python programming, discrete event modeling, system dynamics modeling, or advanced Excel modeling.Strong communication skills to clearly explain concepts and technical solutions to diverse team members, subject matter experts, and stakeholders.Evaluate and offer practical recommendations for story structures, narrative pacing, and scripts to ensure high-quality, authentic game narratives.Bonus Skills:Experience with data visualization tools and techniques.Familiarity with business concepts, especially finance or accounting.Who We Are:Forio is a vibrant, collaborative 25-person team headquartered in San Francisco, recognized for creating sophisticated online simulations in partnership with world-leading institutions such as Harvard Business School, Stanford, MIT Sloan, and Wharton. Our ready-to-run simulations and custom development platform empower organizations worldwide. Yearly, over 800,000 learners at Fortune 500 companies, universities, and government agencies trust our solutions to transform traditional training into engaging, interactive learning experiences that stick. Check out our simulations at forio.comIf you are passionate about building immersive educational experiences and want to influence how leading organizations train, strategize, and innovate, we'd love to hear from you.ApplyPlease submit your resume and a brief note highlighting what excites you most about this role and how your unique background will enrich our team at jobs@forio.com. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech HardwareIndustry AMD Claims TSMC’s 2nm Process Is Superior To All Alternatives Out There; Reveals Possibility of Adopting Samsung As Well Muhammad Zuhair • May 18, 2025 at 05:57am EDT AMD is one of the first customers of TSMC's 2nm, and the firm declared the Taiwan giant the winner in the 2nm race, claiming that no other foundry matches the process. AMD Is The First Customer of TSMC's 2nm Process And Will Employ It For Their Next-Gen EPYC Venice CPUs The semiconductor industry is currently battling out for the 2nm process, and this time, the competition is a lot tighter, given that firms like Intel and Samsung have shown significant progress with their respective cutting-edge processes. Companies like NVIDIA and Apple are out in the market looking for a second "foundry partner", but it seems like no one can replace TSMC, at least for now. According to an interview with AMD's Senior Vice President (via Chosun Biz), it is revealed that AMD regards TSMC's 2nm node as the superior option out there. We are developing the processor (EPYC Venice) and will officially launch it in the market next year. TSMC is the leader in the 2nm process, so we are focusing on developing and mass producing it with the highest efficiency per watt and semiconductor performance. For those unaware, AMD revealed a few weeks ago that it was the first TSMC customer to utilize the 2nm process, and the firm's CEO, Lisa Su, herself, went to the Arizona facility in order to disclose the announcement. Team Red has become the first company to publicly adopt the N2 process, which shows that the node holds significance, and it will be in action with AMD's EPYC Venice server CPUs, which are slated to launch next year. Talking about the datacenter segment, AMD's SVP revealed that the company has made significant strides, seeing the business grow by 57% in the first quarter of 2025, and growth is expected to remain consistent. AMD also plans to expand its offerings to the mid-to-low end market segment with their latest EPYC 4005 "Grado" server CPUs, which are expected to boost the firm's adoption fo server CPUs moving into the future. On discussing the possibility of employing 2nm from a foundry other than TSMC, AMD's SVP didn't rule out the option, revealing that they are always in talks with companies who can collaborate and deliver the "best services to customers". So it is safe to say that AMD isn't in an exclusive partnership with TSMC; rather, the firm has options open, and the likely candidate after the Taiwan giant would likely be Samsung Foundry. Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

If you watch anime, particularly of the shonen variety, you likely know Toei Animation. The studio is best known for adapting popular manga like Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon, and it’s got plenty of work coming out. When those series and films release, some may have been made with artificial intelligence. In Toei’s recently published financial briefing for 2024-2025’s fiscal year, one slide reveals the studio’s invested an undisclosed sum of money into Preferred Networks, a Japanese company with “cutting-edge AI technologies.” The two hope to “co-develop new business opportunities and improve the efficiency and quality of our production, capitalizing on synergies between AI and animation production technologies.” © Toei Toei is specifically eyeing AI usage for storyboards in productions, along with coloring (and color specification), backgrounds, and in-betweens. Use cases cited include having the technology automatically correcting in-between or specifying and picking the correct colors, and generating backgrounds from referenced photos. At the time, the slide only talks about future prospects, and makes no mention of the technology being incorporated in the studio’s current works like One Piece or the upcoming Digimon BeatBreak and Gosu. AI has been controversial to use and discuss across the larger entertainment industry. While it’s often been argued to be a means of efficiency and helpful to reducing menial work, workers across different creative fields like (voice acting and art) feel their livelihoods have been threatened by studios’ adoption of the technology and its integration into projects without artists’ consent. Others consider it a form of theft or digital necromancy that could add extra steps to the production process or lead to unintended errors upon release. Toei’s a big company, and how it uses the technology will impact everyone, from other studios to the fans who watch their works. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman supports Trump's AI deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Sean Gallup/Getty Images 2025-05-18T16:09:34Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Trump struck some major AI tech deals on his Gulf tour this week. The deals have alarmed some lawmakers who worry the technology could fall into the wrong hands. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called those critics "naive." President Donald Trump went to the Gulf this week and struck some deals that AI companies in Silicon Valley are excited about.Lawmakers, on the other hand, are less excited.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called those critics "naive" in an X post on Saturday."This was an extremely smart thing for you all to do and i'm sorry naive people are giving you grief," Altman said on X, responding to David Sacks, Trump's AI czar and a former PayPal executive.In his own X post, Sacks said he was "genuinely perplexed" how anyone could see Trump's AI deals in the Gulf as anything but "hugely beneficial for the United States."Among the deals announced during Trump's tour was a partnership between chipmakers Nvidia, AMD, and Humain, a new Saudi AI company launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to bring billions in chips and hardware to the kingdom. Amazon Web Services also announced a $5 billion plan to build an "AI Zone" in Saudi Arabia. The UAE announced a new AI campus.OpenAI, too, is ramping up investment in the Middle East. The company this week announced plans for a new data center in the UAE. It may end up as one of the largest in the world, and is another sign that the tech industry is eyeing the region as a new AI hub.In Washington, however, these deals have drawn critics from both sides of the aisle who worry the emerging technology could end up in the wrong hands.During a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said the chip deal was "dangerous because we have no clarity on how the Saudis and Emiratis will prevent the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government, the Chinese manufacturing establishment, from getting their hands on these chips."The Republican-led House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, meanwhile, said in a post on X that "Reports of new U.S. chip deals with Gulf nations — without a new chip rule in place — present a vulnerability for the CCP to exploit."The competition between the United States and China to dominate AI technologies has ramped up in recent years. The US has tightened export controls on advanced chips and manufacturing tools to curb China's progress, while also boosting domestic production. China, meanwhile, has accelerated investment in its own AI companies and sought suppliers outside the United States. Recommended video