Software Engineering

AI Roundup: MIT’s Brain-Inspired Chips, AI Weather Forecasts, and Warehouse Intelligence Today’s top stories in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning feature new research from MIT on energy-efficient, brain-inspired computing. In other news, the World Meteorological Organization has endorsed using AI to improve weather forecasts, and Gather AI is strategically shifting its focus to AI-powered warehouse intelligence. Sources: World Meteorological Organization WeRide and Uber Debut Autonomous Robotaxi Service in Riyadh WeRide and Uber have launched an autonomous robotaxi service in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, introducing self-driving vehicles to the Uber platform in the country for the first time. Initially, the service will operate with a safety operator present in the vehicle. The first public routes are established between Roshn Front and Princess Noura University. This initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for smart mobility. WeRide had previously secured the first robotaxi autonomous driving permit in Saudi Arabia, and this launch follows a similar service introduction on the Uber platform in Abu Dhabi in late 2024. ...

Tech & AI News: Quantum Leaps, Autonomous Driving, and Generative AI Updates GM Unveils ‘Eyes-Off’ Autonomous Driving for 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ General Motors has announced its next-generation autonomous driving technology, enabling hands-free and eyes-free operation on highways. This advanced system is set to debut on the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ electric SUV. The system will leverage a combination of lidar, radar, and cameras to build a comprehensive understanding of the vehicle’s environment. ...

Breakthrough in AI: Fine-Tuning LLMs with Less Data and Power Researchers at the University of California San Diego have pioneered a new method for fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) that requires significantly less data and computing power. This innovative technique avoids retraining a model’s entire parameter set, instead selectively updating only the most critical components. This approach dramatically reduces costs and minimizes the risk of overfitting. In tests on protein language models, the method achieved high accuracy with limited training data, proving to be 326 times more parameter-efficient than traditional fine-tuning. This breakthrough is poised to democratize AI, enabling smaller organizations with limited resources to customize powerful AI models for specialized applications. The findings were published in Transactions on Machine Learning Research. ...

Google DeepMind Reveals AI Agents with Human-Like Computer Skills Google’s DeepMind has made a significant advancement in agentic AI, developing agents that can interact with computers in a manner similar to humans. This development is seen as a major step forward in creating more capable and autonomous AI systems. Researchers at the Bay Area Machine Learning Symposium also discussed the future of AI, with a focus on creating models that can learn through interaction and exploration rather than just being trained on massive datasets. The goal is to achieve systematic generalization, allowing AI to combine known elements into novel meanings and learn with significantly less data than current models require. Google DeepMind’s work on models for more intelligent robots, including the recently released Gemini Robotics 1.5 and E.R. 1.5, further illustrates this push towards more interactive and intelligent AI. ...

Waymo Announces 2026 London Launch for Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving division, has officially announced its plan to launch a fully driverless ride-hailing service in London by 2026. This strategic move represents a major international expansion for the company, which currently operates in several U.S. cities. Waymo will initiate testing with safety drivers on London’s complex streets before transitioning to fully autonomous operations. The company is partnering with vehicle financing firm Moove for its fleet operations and is actively working with UK regulators to secure all necessary approvals. The service will feature an all-electric fleet of Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with Waymo’s advanced autonomous driving technology, signaling significant growth in the global autonomous vehicle industry. ...

Breakthrough in Soft Robotics: Shapeshifting Robot Moves Using Electric Fields In a significant advancement for soft robotics, researchers from the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London have created a highly agile, shapeshifting soft robot. According to a study in Advanced Materials, the innovation lies in an electro-morphing gel (e-MG) that enables the robot to bend, stretch, and perform complex movements by manipulating electric fields. This new material allows the jelly-like humanoid gymnast to swing its body and limbs to move from one location to another. ...

Robotics in Action: Midlakes Schools Automate Field and Pool Maintenance Midlakes Schools are leveraging robotic technology to enhance the efficiency of maintaining their athletic fields and swimming pool. A Tiny Mobile Robot Pro X now paints lines on sports fields using precise GPS-guided templates, while a Wave 200XL robotic vacuum handles the cleaning of the new pool surface. Ryan Tilburg, the Director of Facilities, notes that these robots are generating significant time savings on the athletic fields and conserving water in the pool. This implementation of automation helps the maintenance staff better manage their workload, especially during peak summer months, ensuring maximum availability of the school’s facilities. ...

Google Launches Gemini Enterprise: AI Agents for the Workplace Google has officially launched Gemini Enterprise, a new platform designed to integrate powerful AI agents into workplace workflows. This new offering consolidates Google’s AI models, including the new Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, with a no-code workbench for building and managing these agents. The platform aims to automate complex business processes and significantly increase productivity across organizations. Gemini Enterprise will feature pre-built agents for specialized tasks and will integrate with company data through connectors for systems like Microsoft Teams and Salesforce. The service is priced starting at $30 per user per month. To support adoption, Google is also launching a free learning platform, Google Skills, with a program that aims to enable one million developers to build and deploy agents. ...

S&P Global and IBM Launch Agentic AI to Revolutionize Supply Chains S&P Global and IBM have announced a partnership to integrate IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate agentic AI framework into S&P Global’s offerings, starting with supply chain management. This collaboration aims to provide businesses with AI-powered tools to address global supply chain challenges by enhancing visibility and insights into vendor selection. S&P Global will develop new AI agents for IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate Agent Catalog, utilizing its proprietary data and analytics to help accelerate decision-making. The partnership is a key part of S&P Global’s strategy to use trusted AI agents to transform its enterprise services. Beyond the initial supply chain focus, S&P Global intends to integrate IBM’s AI technology into other risk intelligence services. ...

Anthropic Unveils Claude Sonnet 4.5 with Advanced Reasoning and Coding Anthropic has officially released its latest large language model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, featuring significant improvements in processing long contexts and performing complex mathematical and logical reasoning tasks. The company claims the model can perform tasks autonomously for over 30 hours and has demonstrated state-of-the-art performance on the SWE-bench Verified evaluation for software coding. Alongside the new model, Anthropic launched Claude Code 2.0, an integrated coding environment for developers with an enhanced UI and performance based on Sonnet 4.5. To facilitate the development of AI agents, the company has also released the Claude Agent SDK. The new model is now available through Anthropic’s API, the Claude app, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI. ...