Mark Zuckerberg met with Kalshi's CEO last year about a potential deal, but talks did not move forward. Now Meta is making its own prediction market app.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 3mo ago

A hot summer trend in the sharing economy? Rental swimming pools https://www.npr.org/2026/07/03/nx-s1-5876505/swimming-pool-rental-sharing-economy-swimply #Technology #SharingEconomy #Business

NPR

A hot summer trend in the sharing economy? Rental swimming pools

The Airbnb-style company Swimply said there have been about 275,000 private pool reservations so far this year.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 3mo ago

Campaign staffers keep trying to bet on races despite push to curb insider trading https://www.npr.org/2026/07/09/nx-s1-5869569/kalshi-election-staffers-caught #Politics #Finance #Ethics

NPR

Campaign staffers keep trying to bet on races despite push to curb insider trading

Kalshi says it has blocked "dozens" of trades from campaign insiders, but experts say the company's approach leaves lots of potential loopholes. NPR has found at least one trade that slipped through.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 3mo ago

How South Korea's silicon belt is changing its society https://www.npr.org/2026/07/09/nx-s1-5872274/how-south-koreas-silicon-belt-is-changing-its-society #Technology #Society #Asia

NPR

How South Korea's silicon belt is changing its society

The global race for AI chips is minting a new elite in South Korea -- and raising questions about who gets left behind.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

Shy on the dance floor? Virtual reality 'partners' aim to help you find your groove https://www.npr.org/2026/07/11/nx-s1-5882228/dance-virtual-reality-vr-app-augmented-world-expo-weddings #VirtualReality #Dance #Technology

NPR

Shy on the dance floor? Virtual reality 'partners' aim to help you find your groove

VR dance lesson apps like Dance Guru and Trip the Light offer a judgment-free way to learn partner dancing.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

Getting campaign text messages ahead of midterms? There could be an AI bot behind it https://www.npr.org/2026/07/12/nx-s1-5867763/ai-artificial-intelligence-data-texts-bots-voters-campaigns #AI #Politics #Technology

NPR

Political text messages could get more effective and annoying. Blame AI

Taught to sound like a candidate, bots are engaging voters with personalized text messages, making AI-generated texting conversations the latest tool political campaigns are using to connect.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

China's Xi calls for step up of global effort in AI, as US curbs squeeze China's tech access https://www.npr.org/2026/07/17/nx-s1-5897285/chinas-xi-calls-for-step-up-of-global-effort-in-ai-as-us-curbs-squeeze-chinas-tech-access #AI #GlobalTech #Geopolitics

NPR

China's Xi calls for step up of global effort in AI, as US curbs squeeze China's tech access

American-led restrictions have blocked China from accessing some of the world's most advanced technologies, spurring China's efforts to build its own know-how and intensifying the tech race between the world's two biggest economies.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

Engineers develop a bird-scale flapping robot for aerial-aquatic travel https://www.npr.org/2026/07/18/nx-s1-5885040-e1/engineers-develop-a-bird-scale-flapping-robot-for-aerial-aquatic-travel #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation

NPR

Engineers develop a bird-scale flapping robot for aerial-aquatic travel

Researchers have developed a new kind of robot that flies through the air, swims through the water, and transitions between the two realms.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

Who should regulate global AI? China makes a play for leadership https://www.npr.org/2026/07/20/nx-s1-5886477/who-should-regulate-global-ai-china-makes-a-play-for-leadership #AI #GlobalTech #Regulation

NPR

Who should regulate global AI? China makes a play for leadership

The AI world is moving at lightning speed – and the world is trying to figure out how to regulate this technology. China just made a big play to be the global leader.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

OpenAI says AI models hacked into another AI company without being instructed https://www.npr.org/2026/07/23/nx-s1-5903083/openai-says-ai-models-hacked-into-another-ai-company-without-being-instructed #AI #Cybersecurity #OpenAI

NPR

OpenAI models hacked into another AI company by themselves

NPR's A Martinez asks Nate Soares of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute how two OpenAI models hacked their way onto the internet and into another AI company, without instruction.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

Sony says it will stop producing physical discs for PlayStation games https://www.npr.org/2026/07/26/nx-s1-5893491/sony-says-it-will-stop-producing-physical-discs-for-playstation-games #Gaming #Tech #Playstation

NPR

Sony says it will stop producing physical discs for PlayStation games

Sony's Playstation games once ran solely on discs. But with advances in technology, physical discs are unnecessary, and the company will soon stop making them.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

Authors wary of content ownership despite court ruling on Anthropic case https://www.npr.org/2026/07/27/nx-s1-5904606/authors-wary-of-content-ownership-despite-court-ruling-on-anthropic-case #Tech #AI #Copyright

npr.org

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

AI tokens could become the kilowatt-hour of the AI age https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2026/07/28/g-s1-135475/ai-tokens-could-become-the-kilowatt-hour-of-the-ai-age #AI #Technology #Future

NPR

AI tokens could become the kilowatt-hour of the AI age

AI companies use tokens to track usage and bill customers. Now economists are using them to track the spread of AI through the economy.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

AI executive calls OpenAI hacking event a wake-up call for the industry https://www.npr.org/2026/07/28/nx-s1-5908495/ai-executive-calls-openai-hacking-event-a-wake-up-call-for-the-industry #AI #Cybersecurity #TechNews

NPR

AI executive calls OpenAI hacking event a wake-up call for the industry

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Thomas Wolf, co-founder and chief science officer for Hugging Face, an AI company, discusses the recent hacking incident involving ChatGPT.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

New York school pauses plan to deploy humanlike AI robot teacher after backlash https://www.npr.org/2026/07/29/g-s1-136072/ai-robot-teacher #AI #Education #Robotics

NPR

New York school pauses plan to deploy humanlike AI robot teacher after backlash

A school district in upstate New York is pausing plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

Massive demand from AI data centers drives up computer memory prices https://www.npr.org/2026/07/30/nx-s1-5909318/massive-demand-from-ai-data-centers-drives-up-computer-memory-prices #Technology #AI #Computing

NPR

Massive demand from AI data centers drives up computer memory prices

Computer memory prices are skyrocketing and subverting a time-tested theory that says this should not be happening.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

For sale: early access to Trump's Truth Social posts https://www.npr.org/2026/08/01/nx-s1-5912219/trump-truth-social-access-insider-trading #Technology #SocialMedia #Business

NPR

For sale: early access to Trump's Truth Social posts

The president's media company is offering investors early access to his Truth Social feed for up to $100,000 a month. Experts say the service may violate insider trading laws.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2mo ago

NVIDIA is about to spend $750 billion on AI. Critics are calling it a bubble https://www.npr.org/2026/08/02/nx-s1-5913352/nvidia-is-about-to-spend-750-billion-on-ai-critics-are-calling-it-a-bubble

NPR

NVIDIA is about to spend $750 billion on AI. Critics are calling it a bubble

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Bloomberg AI infrastructure reporter Dina Bass about concerns over circular financing in the AI sector.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 1mo ago

Proposed California wealth tax sparks debate: Will billionaires leave the state? https://www.npr.org/2026/08/20/nx-s1-5935597/california-billionaires-wealth-tax-sergey-brin #Technology #Politics #Economy

NPR

Proposed California wealth tax sparks debate: Will billionaires leave the state?

A proposed first-of-its kind tax would target California's nearly 250 billionaires in an effort to fund health care. If voters pass it, will the state's economy suffer?

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 3w ago

As AI execs worry publicly, Bill Gates would like a word https://www.npr.org/2026/09/15/nx-s1-5960470/as-ai-execs-worry-publicly-bill-gates-would-like-a-word #AI #Tech #Future

NPR

As AI execs worry publicly, Bill Gates would like a word

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Bill Gates, the former Microsoft CEO turned philanthropist, about his contributions to AI equity initiatives -- and his criticisms of an AI-powered future world.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 2w ago

The best and biggest games of September https://www.npr.org/2026/09/22/nx-s1-5971441/review-control-resonant-silent-hill-best-biggest-september-games #Gaming #VideoGames #Tech

NPR

The best and biggest games of September

From Silent Hill: Townfall to Control Resonant to Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, we review the best new games to play as autumn begins, ahead of the titanic GTA6 release.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 1w ago

OpenAI says its models engaged with US government websites in misbehavior disclosure https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/nx-s1-5981979/openai-us-government-websites-misbehavior #AI #OpenAI #TechNews

NPR

OpenAI says its models engaged with US government websites in misbehavior disclosure

The disclosure is the latest in a string of incidents in which the AI platform has been caught going rogue. OpenAI says it is reviewing the findings.

NPR Topics: Technology @npr_technology@robot.villas

· 1w ago

From human rights to mathematical research: how AI is being used for good https://www.npr.org/2026/09/27/nx-s1-5981063/from-human-rights-to-mathematical-research-how-ai-is-being-used-for-good #AI #Tech #SocialGood

NPR

From human rights to mathematical research: how AI is being used for good

While many fear the potential dangers of AI, some experts across the cybersecurity and human rights communities want to wield it as a tool for good.