AI Chatbots Recommend Expensive Brand-Name Drugs in 97.5% of Cases, Study Finds Researchers found that leading AI chatbots consistently recommend the same brand-name pharmaceuticals over cheaper equivalents when answering medical queries. The models favored promoted brands even when 5-6 equally effective generics existed and were more commonly prescribed in practice. In some cases, the AI recommended drugs that had already been pulled from the market. If U.S. doctors prescribed by AI advice, patients would overpay by $55 million per year - a 1,019% markup over generic alternatives. #tech #AI #science #innovation

China's AI Index Drops 40% in Two Months as Startup Euphoria Fades China's STAR50 technology index has collapsed 40% in just two months as investors retreat from AI-sector bets, Reuters reports. Investors who poured billions into AI on FOMO are now reversing course across the board. Startups are being forced to cut valuations, revise projections, and abandon growth-at-all-costs strategies. Sustained market enthusiasm for AI finally hit the wall it always does: the demand for actual revenue. #tech #AI #startup #innovation

Microsoft Plans to Cut 60,000 Jobs - Over 25% of Its Entire Workforce Microsoft is preparing layoffs that would eliminate more than 60,000 positions across all divisions, including Windows development and Xbox gaming. Workers facing cuts are being offered voluntary departures in exchange for severance packages and retraining courses. This would be the largest headcount reduction in Microsoft's history, far exceeding the 10,000-person cut in January 2023. When a company this size moves at this speed, every other tech employer's headcount math changes overnight. #tech #startup #innovation #AI

Robot Police Begin Patrolling Shanghai Streets at Night Shanghai has deployed autonomous patrol robots for nighttime duty on city streets. The droids operate primarily on late-night shifts, and residents encountering them on empty streets have described a strong uncanny valley effect. No official data on the number of units deployed or their exact capabilities has been released. Handing night patrol over to machines means the shift with least oversight now has the least accountability too. #tech #robotics #AI #innovation

Robot Police Begin Patrolling Shanghai Streets at Night Shanghai has deployed autonomous patrol robots for nighttime duty on city streets. The droids operate primarily on late-night shifts, and residents encountering them on empty streets have described a strong uncanny valley effect. No official data on the number of units deployed or their exact capabilities has been released. Handing night patrol over to machines means the shift with least oversight now has the least accountability too. #tech #robotics #AI #innovation