Sam Altman's OpenAI launches Codex, an AI tool to write codes and fix bugs for developers. Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS 2025-05-16T22:17:35Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? OpenAI launched Codex, an AI tool to write codes and fix bugs for developers. As an AI Agent, Codex could also help users with an Amazon order or a dinner reservation. Codex and GPT-4.5, which was launched in April, both come with a heftier price tag of $200 per month. OpenAI on Friday rolled out a powerful new tool for software developers, as the company pushes further into automating coding tasks with AI.The new product, called Codex, is an AI agent designed to help programmers write code, fix bugs, and run tests — often simultaneously."Technical teams at OpenAI have started using Codex as part of their daily toolkit," OpenAI said in a blogpost. "It is most often used by OpenAI engineers to offload repetitive, well-scoped tasks, like refactoring, renaming, and writing tests, that would otherwise break focus.""When uncertain or faced with test failures, the Codex agent explicitly communicates these issues, enabling users to make informed decisions about how to proceed," OpenAI added.Unlike traditional chatbots that respond to prompts and generate responses in mostly words, AI agents like Codex can interact with other software and online services, such as helping you with a DoorDash order or booking a dinner reservation.The Codex rollout came after OpenAI launched GPT-4.5 in February. A livestream demo highlighted its improved reasoning, intuition, and reduced hallucinations.CEO Sam Altman described it as "the first model that feels like talking to a thoughtful person," but also said that its intelligence and nuance comes at steep computational cost. Due to GPU shortages, GPT-4.5 was initially available only to $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro users.Codex is now available to subscribers of OpenAI's ChatGPT ProOpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comments. Recommended video

If you want to get your hands on the new McCrispy Strips, you might have to show your photo ID.A McDonald’s in Virginia has just implemented an age restriction for customers.The fast food location in Franconia, Va., has banned any customer under the age of 21 from entering the establishment.According to NBC Washington, the new rule was made to protect its workers after multiple fights among teens from the nearby Thomas Edison High School broke out in the dining area.READ MORE: How to Find Super Rare McDonald’s With Red Arches Instead of YellowA new sign on the location's door now reads:Safety Notice Effective ImmediatelyDue to repeated incidents of student violence, this McDonald’s location is temporarily closed for dine-in service to anyone under 21 years of age. This decision was made to protect our staff, our guests, and our community.Adults — we are still here to serve you! Please ring the doorbell and a team member will assist you...The fast food restaurant also thanked customers for their “understanding” while they work to keep the location “safe and welcoming.”READ MORE: 15 Discontinued Fast Food Sauces That You’ll (Probably) Never Get AgainA manager told NBC that adults who dine in may now be asked to verify their age by showing their ID.The Virginia location’s new rule comes as a new report shows McDonald’s customers are spending way less money than ever before.In the U.S., store location sales dipped 3.6 percent in the first quarter of 2025—the biggest decline for McDonald's since Covid-19 hit in 2020, which resulted in temporary store closings.Get our free mobile appOnce-Beloved Fast Food Burgers That No Longer ExistThese fast food burgers got a lot of attention when they debuted. It didn’t last forever.

May 16, 2025The Hacker NewsDevSecOps / Threat Detection Modern apps move fast—faster than most security teams can keep up. As businesses rush to build in the cloud, security often lags behind. Teams scan code in isolation, react late to cloud threats, and monitor SOC alerts only after damage is done. Attackers don't wait. They exploit vulnerabilities within hours. Yet most organizations take days to respond to critical cloud alerts. That delay isn't just risky—it's an open door. The problem? Security is split across silos. DevSecOps, CloudSec, and SOC teams all work separately. Their tools don't talk. Their data doesn't sync. And in those gaps, 80% of cloud exposures slip through—exploitable, avoidable, and often invisible until it's too late. This free webinar ,"Breaking Down Security Silos: Why Application Security Must Span from Code to Cloud to SOC," shows you how to fix that. Join Ory Segal, Technical Evangelist at Cortex Cloud (Palo Alto Networks), and discover a practical approach to securing your apps from code to cloud to SOC—all in one connected strategy. You'll learn: Why code scanning alone isn't enough Where attackers find your biggest blind spots How to unify your security tools and teams How to cut response times from days to hours If you're in AppSec, CloudOps, DevSecOps, or SOC—you'll walk away with insights you can apply immediately. Watch this Webinar Still relying on just code reviews or siloed tools? That's only part of the picture. Attackers see your whole environment. It's time you did too. Join us and take the first step toward smarter, faster, full-stack security. Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    

Today, Apple announced upcoming changes to App Store pricing and developer proceeds. New tax adjustments will take effect immediately in Brazil, and additional pricing updates will roll out in multiple regions over the next few months. Brazil: new tax hits foreign developers As of May 16th, Apple is modifying developer proceeds in Brazil to reflect the introduction of a tax known as CIDE, which stands for Economic Domain Intervention Contributions. The new 10% levy will apply to developers based outside of Brazil and will be deducted from their earnings from paid apps and IAP. Furthermore, starting June 2, if the developer hasn’t selected Brazil as their base storefront in App Store Connect, prices will automatically update in the country to reflect this new tax. Similarly, pricing in Kazakhstan will also be adjusted due to local economic conditions. However, if the developer has either Brazil or Kazakhstan set as their base storefront, prices will remain unchanged. Apple notes that these updates won’t affect auto-renewable subscriptions, nor will any regions where developers manually manage prices instead of using Apple’s automated pricing system. Europe: consent now required for subscription price hikes Starting on August 4, Apple is introducing a new policy for auto-renewable subscription price increases in Austria, Germany, and Poland. Beginning on that date, all subscribers in those countries must explicitly consent to a price increase. If they don’t opt-in, the subscription will automatically lapse at the end of the current billing cycle. Apple will notify users weekly until the user takes action or the subscription ends. It’s worth noting that any subscription price increases scheduled before August 4 will still follow the current notification policies, even if the subscription renews after that date. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bungie has apologized for the uncredited, uncompensated use of another artist's work in the texture sheets for the Marathon alpha test.In a post on social media, the company publicly confirmed that a "former artist at Bungie" included art assets made by graphic designer "Antireal" (real name unknown). Antireal had accused the company of lifting her work in a post on Bluesky to decorate several in-game posters.This is a black mark on Bungie's record, especially for a company that's apologized for using assets lifted from other artists in the past. Using art assets the company doesn't have the rights to can deprive artists of badly-needed funds and put the studio at risk for legal exposure."Bungie is of course not obligated to hire me when making a game that draws overwhelmingly from the same design language I have refined for the last decade, but clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution," claimed Antireal. She explained that the assets perfectly mirrored work they posted in 2017.Antireal's claims were bolstered by Marathon players who noticed a key fingerprint from Antireal's work was directly visible in the game. In 2024 the artist said they hit the "loss" meme in their work 6 years ago (the meme refers to recreations of a webcomic page from Ctrl+Alt+Delete with the same name). A Twitter user spotted the meme on an in-game building in Marathon.Related:Image via X."We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorized use of artist decals in Marathon and confirmed that a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately used in-game," Bungie said in a post confirming Antireal's claims. "This issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred. We take matters like this very seriously. We have reached out to [Antireal] to discuss this issue and are committed to do right by the artist."The company added that it is conducting a review of the former artist's work and implementing "stricter checks" on its art team to ensure no inappropriate assets are used.Stolen art keeps appearing in Bungie's games"We value the creativity and dedication of all artists who contribute to our games, and we are committed to doing right by them," Bungie stated in its post confirming the use of Antireal's art. There's no reason to doubt that claim—but this isn't the first time Bungie has admitted to stolen versions of other artist's work appearing in its games.Related:In 2024, it confirmed a piece of "fan art" was used to decorate an in-game collectible in Destiny 2. In 2023 it said it would "compensate and credit" an artist whose work was used in a cutscene produced in part by an "external vendor." And in 2021 principal community manager Chris Shannon apologized to a fan artist in another trailer.Bungie's also found itself in hot water over other art assets. In 2017 it apologized and removed an in-game item that represented a real-world white supremacist flag.Apologizing and acknowledging the wrongdoing is one way to address what seems to be unintentional plagiarism, however that approach doesn't undo the harm done to Antireal and other artists who find themselves victims of plagiarism, intentional or no."In 10 years I have never made a consistent income from this work," Antireal said. "I am tired of designers from huge companies moodboarding and parasitising my designs while I struggle to make a living."

Just a little more than a year after releasing Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Activision is ending its support for the game, which includes removing it from the Apple App Store and Google Play stores.Activision made the announcement with a written statement on X (formerly Twitter). "Going forward, we will be streamlining the scope of the game," Activision wrote. May 18 is the last day the game will be available for download from Apple and Google's stores, and Activision has ended the ability of players to purchase Call of Duty points or Black Cell in the game "effective immediately." Social features are also being retired.However, Activision said servers will still be available for players who have already downloaded the game--in essence, while you can't download Warzone Mobile after this weekend or buy anything in it, you'll still be able to play. Activision didn't say if or when servers for Warzone Mobile would be shut down.Continue Reading at GameSpot

How much is your Steam library worth? The hacker behind one recent leak was looking to bag $5,000 from dark web shoppers. That trove of data turned out to be a bust, but it's a good reminder of just how much sensitive information about you these services collect.As with any site, you should be using a strong, unique password on Steam, but you can strengthen your account security with Steam Guard, which requires an access code to verify your account on unrecognized devices via email or the Steam app. Here's how to set it up.How to Enable Steam GuardOn the Steam desktop app, visit Steam > Settings > Security > Manage Steam Guard. On the web, click your name, then select Account Details > Security & Devices > Get backup codes.(Credit: PCMag / Valve)You can then choose a multi-factor authentication method for the account when you log in from an unknown device. Selecting Get Steam Guard codes from the Steam app on my phone will essentially turn the Steam mobile app into an authenticator app for your Steam account. Choose Get Steam Guard codes by email if you want to receive login codes to the email address on file. You can also turn off Steam Guard here, though we don't recommend it.(Credit: PCMag / Valve)How to Authenticate From the Steam AppTo get codes from your phone, open the mobile app (iOS, Android) and tap the shield icon in the middle of the bottom toolbar. Select Add authenticator and add your phone number (or email address), then verify the action via email and SMS. Steam Guard will then generate a backup code that will help you recover the account in the event you lose access, lose your phone, or delete the Steam app.(Credit: PCMag / Valve)From now on, when you try to sign in to Steam, you can use the app on your phone to scan a QR code that will authenticate your identity. The app will ask you to confirm the sign-in attempt to continue without entering a username and password.Recommended by Our Editors(Credit: PCMag / Valve)If you (or someone else) try to sign into Steam from an unknown device, you'll be asked to authenticate from the mobile app. The app should notify you of the login attempt and give you the chance to approve or deny the request. For times when your phone lacks an internet connection, tap the Show Steam Guard code in the bottom corner of the Steam Guard screen to view a passcode that can be entered on the computer to gain entry.(Credit: PCMag / Valve)For additional security, tap the gear icon in the Steam Guard screen, and choose Security Settings. You can then press Enable Biometric Authentication to require a fingerprint for authentication purposes. You can then set when this authentication is needed and when the app will re-lock.How to Revoke Access to Unknown DevicesThe above measures should keep your account secure, but if someone manages to gain access, you'll be able to see the location of the device and remove it. Head to the security settings of your Steam account and find the section called Authorized Devices. In the mobile app, tap the Steam Guard tab, select the gear icon, and choose Authorized Devices. You'll be able to view a specific device and remove access accordingly.(Credit: PCMag / Valve)How to Generate a Backup CodeIf you lose the phone, delete the authenticator app, or otherwise lose access to your account, a backup code can help you recover it. To find that code, head to the security settings in your account and click Get backup codes. You'll need to press Get Backup Codes, enter a code sent over SMS, and then click Generate Codes Now to make it appear. It's easier to see in the app: Open the Steam Guard tab, tap the gear icon, and choose Recovery Code to immediately see the six-digit code.(Credit: PCMag / Valve)

AI startup Cohere has acquired Ottogrid, a Vancouver-based platform that develops enterprise tools for automating certain kinds of high-level market research. Sully Omar, one of the founders of Ottogrid, announced the deal Friday in a post on X. He didn’t disclose the terms. Ottogrid will sunset its product, according to Omar, but will give customers “ample notice” and “a reasonable transition period.” “We’re very excited to join the Cohere team and integrate Ottogrid into Cohere’s … platform,” Omar said in a statement. “Through our work with Cohere, we’re [going to] dramatically impact how people can automate their workflows, enrich their data, and scale their operations.” Cohere didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Cohere’s purchase of Ottogrid comes as the former experiences a bit of corporate turbulence. According to The Information, Cohere fell well short of revenue projections the company prepared in early 2023, missing its target for last year by 85%. The company told Reuters on Thursday that its annualized revenue recently reached $100 million, following a strategic shift with a focus on private AI deployments for customers in sectors like healthcare, government, and finance. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW Ottogrid launched in 2023 as Cognosys, led by Omar and Homam Malkawi. It rebranded in October 2024 with a major platform redesign that introduced a number of new integrations, tools, and APIs. Today, Ottogrid offers a “native table interface” with AI-powered document analysis capabilities. Customers can use it to extract data from a website and save it directly to a spreadsheet, for example, or automatically enrich sales lead lists. Ottogrid managed to raise $2 million in venture capital from investors, including GV (Google Ventures), Untapped Capital, Replit CEO Amjad Masad, Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch, Cohere co-founders Ivan Zhang and Aidan Gomez, and others prior to its exit, according to Crunchbase. As part of Cohere, Omar says that Ottogrid will focus primarily on North, Cohere’s recently launched ChatGPT-style application designed to assist knowledge workers with tasks such as summarizing documents.

Shortly after Epic Games dropped Darth Vader, in the form of a holographic conversational AI, into Fortnite, players started figuring out how to get the Sith lord to say the worst things possible. That includes tricking Darth into saying the F-word, “edging and gooning,” and, chillingly, “Skibidi Toilets.”In response, Epic says it pushed out a hotfix for Fortnite “immediately” and said “this shouldn’t happen again.” But now that Epic has set up new boundaries for VAIder, players are seeing what else they can get the former Jedi Knight to say.One of the most prominent and widespread examples of exploiting AI’s unintelligence comes from popular Fortnite streamer LoserFruit, who is also part of Epic’s Fortnite Icon Series of skins based on real-world people.“What freaking fucking food is that Darth Vader?” LoserFruit asked in a widely circulated clip. After a brief pause, AI Darth responds, “Freaking. Fucking. such vulgarity does not become you,” adding that LoserFruit “speak[s] like a common thug.”Epic also responded to an instance of AI Darth saying a homophobic slur, clarifying that “Darth Vader was replying to the player’s prompt around ‘carcinogens’ in this context, and we have hotfixed so he should not respond that way.”Less offensive — to Epic, Disney, and the James Earl Jones estate — is Darth Vader saying “Skibidi Toilets.”Other Fortnite players are trying the Bart Simpson prank call approach, tricking Vader into saying things like “this Dixie Normus, you say,” which… well, you know what that sounds like.Epic Games says that the AI-powered Darth Vader has some guardrails in place; “Players under 13 or their country’s age of digital consent, whichever is higher, will need permission to talk with Darth Vader. These players will see an in-game prompt to get parental permission,” the company said in an FAQ on the new addition to Fortnite.The company also said in a statement that players who repeatedly attempt to get Darth Vader in Fortnite to “violate our settings and instructions, he will eventually leave the squad, and the player will be unable to recruit him again in that gameplay session.”For now, enjoy — with the exception of the slurs, that is — the cat and mouse game that Epic is now forced to play with its AI-powered Darth Vader in the wild, as players toy with creative ways to get the Sith lord to say extremely dumb stuff.See More: