‘The world seems to be ready’: An interview with OpenAI head of product Thibault Sottiaux
Users of OpenAI’s software engineering tool Codex might know Thibault Sottiaux as the guy who resets their token limits whenever the product hits a growth milestone. Now, OpenAI is trying to bring that dopamine hit to the rest of us with ChatGPT Work, a platform for white collar workers to leverage AI agents. I spoke to Sottiaux for our feature on the product and its challenges, but we wanted to share more of that conversation with our readers. Here’s a lightly edited and condensed version of our interview about winning over skeptics, discovery as a product design philosophy, and the cost of intelligence.
OpenAI is building AI agents for everything. Will everyone use them?
How much control are you willing to give an LLM over your digital life?
Getting the most value from a model means giving it the keys. For a control freak or the AI-hesitant, it seems like a lot. For Andrew Ambrosino, the lead engineer for OpenAI’s desktop app, it’s the only way to test the future, which is why that app now has access to, and control over, his inbox, his Slack account, his phone, apps like Notion and Figma, and more.
Flock CEO calls for ‘compromise’ as surveillance company faces growing backlash
The country needs to find a “compromise” between privacy and safety, according to Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley.
“When people talk about just one of these, privacy or safety, they’re prioritizing the wrong thing, and what we have to prioritize as a country is compromise,” Langley said during a recent interview with Fox News. “How do we have our safety, and how do we balance privacy?”
How to limit Instagram from using your data for AI and ads - Engadget
You can keep Instagram from using your activity outside the app to influence the ads you get.
Charles-McClintock Wilson/Shutterstock
Instagram can make an ad feel almost telepathic. Browse a product on another site, and an ad for the same thing may appear in your feed minutes later. Despite its uncanny accuracy, Meta says it doesn't use your phone's microphone to listen in on your conversations to serve those ads. A retailer, app or other business may instead have sent it information about your visit, purchase or another interaction.
Will the DOJ’s investigation into a16z spook other VCs?
Following a Bloomberg report that the Department of Justice is investigating venture firm Andreessen Horowitz for holding board seats with rival AI companies, VCs told TechCrunch that they were baffled.
On the latest episode of the Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I were similarly puzzled by the news. Yes, VC conflicts-of-interest are worth taking seriously, but as Kirsten wondered, “Of all the things that the DOJ would focus on in terms of level of importance, why does this one rise to the top?”
This handy Google Pixel feature can help solve annoying Android Bluetooth problems - Engadget
Try this before you go factory resetting anything.
Hispanolistic/Getty Images
Bluetooth problems have a bad habit of telling you pretty much nothing. Your earbuds can display as connected but refuse to play any music, a car can play music just fine but not accept calls, or a wearable can keep dropping out for no reason.
Can you use a satellite dish as a free TV antenna? It depends where you live - Engadget
That old dish on your roof may not be totally useless.
Lost_in_the_Midwest/Shutterstock
An old DirecTV or Dish satellite dish mounted on your roof definitely looks like something that should be able to receive free TV. Unfortunately, plugging its coax cable into your television isn't going to unlock your local ABC, CBS or NBC affiliate
Walmart to finally start accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay
Apparently, hell has frozen over. Walmart on Friday said it will finally accept payments via both Apple Pay and Google Pay at its stores, including Walmart and Sam’s Club.
The retail giant says that beginning August 24, it will begin adding Tap to Pay to its payment options at select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations. It expects the feature to reach all stores and clubs by the end of the year, and will then roll it out to all its fuel stations by the middle of 2027.
Pixel Watch 5 review: A fantastic watch that's missing features at launch - Engadget
Still a solid smartwatch that does just enough to make up for the price hike.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
RATING : 9 / 10
Tesla recalls 3 million cars as part of China-wide push to stop hidden door handles
Tesla is recalling just shy of 3 million vehicles in China as part of a nationwide effort to alert vehicle owners to hidden emergency door releases, which can trap occupants in the event of a crash or a fire.