Weekly Tech Recap: Apple rolls out iOS 18.2 update, Google unveils Gemini 2.0, OpenAI hits back at Elon Musk and more | Mint

With Apple releasing iOS 18.2 update, Google launching Gemini 2.0 model and OpenAI revealing some key documents to tackle Elon Musk’s allegations, this week was full of interesting tech developments. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the top developments happening in the world of technology.

Top tech news this week:

1) iOS 18.2 rolled out: 

Apple rolled out the second iteration of its Apple Intelligence features with the iOS 18.2 update this week. The new update included many highly touted features like Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, ChatGPT integration in Siri and more.

2) Indian origin OpenAI whistleblower found dead:

Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old Indian-American OpenAI whistleblower, has been found dead in his San Francisco apartment. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office said the manner of death was ruled a suicide, and San Francisco police found no evidence of foul play in his apartment.

Balaji worked as a researcher at OpenAI before finally quitting the company earlier this year. After leaving the company he was vocal about how the ChatGPT maker violated copyright law by imitating online data and substituting for anything on the internet and replacing existing services.

3) OpenAI hits back at Elon Musk:

San Francisco-based OpenAI has added a new twist to its ongoing controversy with Elon Musk by releasing a list of emails on its website claiming that the Tesla CEO wanted a for-profit structure for the startup. Notably, Musk has been overly critical of OpenAI changing its status from non-profit to for-profit, and has also sued the company, while adding Microsoft to the mix.

In a blog post on Saturday, OpenAI said Musk not only wanted for-profit status for the company, but also proposed a new structure. OpenAI shared documents showing that Elon Musk instructed his wealth manager, Jared Birchall, to register a company called “Open Artificial Intelligence Technologies, Inc.”, which would be the for-profit arm of OpenAI.

4) Apple to begin assembling AirPods in India: 

Apple is reportedly set to begin assembling its popular AirPods wireless earphones in India, marking a major step in the company’s ongoing efforts to expand its manufacturing footprint beyond China.

According to a Bloomberg report, Foxconn Technology Group, a key Apple supplier, is preparing to begin AirPods production at a new facility near Hyderabad, Telangana, as early as the first quarter of 2024 (via TOI).

Reportedly, the trial production is already underway, with plans to rapidly scale up once full-scale manufacturing begins. This move will make AirPods the second major Apple product to be assembled in India, following the iPhone, which has already been manufactured in the country for some time.

5) Gemini 2.0 launched: 

Gemini 2.0 Launch: Google has unveiled the second generation of its artificial intelligence model, Gemini, marking what CEO Sundar Pichai calls a “new agentic era” in technology. The release highlights Google’s ongoing push to outpace competitors in the AI space, combining advanced capabilities with widely-used applications