🍏 Apple, Google strike Gemini deal for revamped Siri in major win for Alphabet ↗
Apple is set to use Google’s Gemini models for a revamped Siri, under a multi-year tie-up that basically screams “AI arms race, but make it cordial.” It also puts Google’s models in front of Apple’s massive device base, which is… a lot of pockets.
What’s slightly spicy: this doesn’t necessarily mean Apple is “all in” on one model - it’s more like Siri becomes a routing layer, and the best answer-provider wins per task. Neat in theory, complicated in real life.
💬 Meta to exclude Italy from rival chatbot ban on WhatsApp ↗
Meta is carving Italy out of its plan to block rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp - not because it suddenly got chill, but because regulators want a closer look. So the “ban” idea still exists, just with a country-sized exception taped on.
The bigger fight is platform power: if rivals can’t plug into WhatsApp, Meta AI gets a cleaner runway. And if you’re a competitor, that’s the whole complaint in one sentence.
🏛️ Secretary of State statement to the House of Commons: 12 January 2026 ↗
The UK’s science and tech secretary addressed the Commons with a sharp focus on harms linked to AI-generated content, especially non-consensual sexual deepfakes. The tone isn’t “future risk” - it’s “this is happening, it’s vile, and it’s illegal.”
It’s one of those moments where AI policy stops being a debate club and turns into enforcement, platform responsibility, and what gets taken down - or doesn’t. Uncomfortable, but kind of necessary.
🧑💻 AI is causing developers to abandon Stack Overflow ↗
Stack Overflow’s traffic and question volume keep sliding, and the piece argues the obvious: lots of developers now ask an LLM first. And to be frank, some folks got tired of being scolded for not formatting a question like a legal brief.
It’s a habit shift more than a single platform failing. People still need answers - they’re just getting them from a chat window instead of a thread… until the hallucination gremlin shows up.
🤖 RoboChallenge's Top-Ranked Embodied AI Model Goes Open Source, Challenging Clean Data Collection Paradigm ↗
Spirit AI says its vision-language-action model, Spirit v1.5, topped the RoboChallenge benchmark, and they’re open-sourcing the foundation model, weights, and evaluation code. Love a “here, reproduce it” energy - rare, and quietly refreshing.
Their argument is that diverse, goal-driven real-world data can beat squeaky-clean demonstrations, because robots need recovery behavior and gnarly edge cases, not just perfect runs. It’s like training a driver only on sunny Sundays… you’ll regret it the first time it rains.
FAQ
What does the Gemini deal for revamped Siri actually mean for iPhone users?
It implies Siri could draw on Google’s Gemini models to handle more requests as part of a “revamped” experience. In day-to-day use, that likely shows up as stronger responses for tasks that benefit from large language models, rather than the classic command-and-control assistant style. The bigger shift sits behind the curtain: Siri functions more like an orchestration layer, selecting which model should handle which request.
Is Apple going “all in” on Google Gemini for Siri, or can it switch models?
The described setup doesn’t read as a single-model lock-in. Siri is positioned as a routing layer where the “best answer-provider” can vary by task, which leaves room for multiple models or multiple providers. That flexibility can lift quality, but it also introduces real operational complexity around consistency, latency, and deciding which model should take sensitive or high-stakes queries.
Why is the Gemini deal for revamped Siri considered a major win for Alphabet?
If Gemini models power parts of Siri, Google’s AI gains exposure through Apple’s enormous device base. That distribution matters, especially in a space where adoption is shaped by defaults and convenience. Even if Siri routes between models, being a default option inside Apple’s ecosystem helps Google keep a central seat in the consumer AI race.
What’s happening with Meta and the plan to block rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp?
Meta is reportedly preparing limits on rival AI chatbots inside WhatsApp, with Italy excluded from that move for now. The stated reason is regulatory scrutiny - Italy becomes a country-sized exception while regulators take a closer look. The wider tension is about platform power: whether WhatsApp should let competitors “plug in,” or whether Meta AI gets preferential access.
What did the UK government emphasize about AI-generated harms like sexual deepfakes?
The statement underscored harms tied to AI-generated content, with particular emphasis on non-consensual sexual deepfakes. The issue wasn’t framed as a distant, hypothetical risk - it was treated as a current, serious problem with legal and enforcement implications. That framing tends to push attention toward takedowns, platform responsibility, and how quickly harmful material is detected and removed.
Why are developers using Stack Overflow less, and what’s the trade-off?
The piece argues that more developers ask an LLM first, reducing the need to post questions and wait for replies. It also points to a culture factor: some developers grew tired of being criticized over formatting or “wrong” questions. The trade-off is reliability - chat-based answers can be fast, but hallucinations and unverified guidance can seed subtle bugs unless results are validated.