Week of October 18, 2026
Hi there! Welcome to this week’s roundup of AI fun, tools, and updates.
Games: a new round every day
Game of the week · Picture game · 3 minutes
Picture Puzzle
Today's picture is mixed up. Slide the tiles back into place in as few moves as you can.
Play nowLearn to spot scams, fakes and AI
- Scam or Not?: Five messages. Scam or legit? Find out in two minutes.
- Real or AI?: Six pictures. A camera photo, or made by AI? Learn the giveaways as you go.
- Spot the Fake Link: Eight web addresses. Safe, or a fake made to fool you? Learn the one trick that catches them.
Just for fun · quick picture games for all ages
- Odd One Out: Find the one that is different, as fast as you can. Six rounds, and the grids get bigger.
- Memory Match: Flip the cards and find all six matching pairs in as few moves as you can.
- Spot the Difference: Two pictures, five differences. Find them all as fast as you can.
See all the games →
Free kits: step by step, done in minutes
Kit of the week · Free · 20 min
The Kids & Teens AI Kit
Age rules, parental controls and a family agreement for AI chatbots.
Open the kitMore free kits
Coming soon: the Household AI Toolkit, ready-made AI helpers for family life.
Browse all the kits →
AI Guides
More guides
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This week's AI news
October 18
- New Tool Tests Programmers on AI-Generated Code to Prevent Blind Use: Sphinx quizzes developers on AI code before publishing.
- Former Nvidia Executive Says AI’s Role in the Physical World Goes Beyond Robots: A former Nvidia veteran discusses physical AI beyond robotics.
- AI Company Anthropic Reports a More Experienced Workforce and More Time in Meetings: Anthropic shifts to senior staff and spends more time in meetings.
- Meta removes wording that sparked worries over data scraping and AI training: Meta updates policies to address data scraping concerns.
October 17
- Turning Off AI in Your Google Account Will Cost You Other Features: Disabling AI tools also removes other Google services.
- Actor Mark Wahlberg says he is open to an AI clone continuing his work in movies: Wahlberg considers a digital version of himself for future roles.
- A new AI model called Jev has become the fastest-adopted tool in Vercel’s history: Jev reaches record adoption speed on Vercel.
- Elorian introduces its first AI model designed to reason using images: Elorian’s model uses images directly for reasoning.
- Why robotics hasn't had its ChatGPT moment yet, according to a former Nvidia insider: A VC explains why robotics lags behind ChatGPT.
- Testing Meta's Muse AI Shopping Assistant Led to Higher Price Options: Meta’s Muse AI nudges users toward pricier choices.
- India is the latest country to report issues with rogue AI agents: India reports unauthorized AI activity.
- San Francisco Tech Week offers a look into how Silicon Valley feels about the rise of AI: NPR explores tech hub attitudes at the event.
- Software company Replit has ended its partnership with AI maker Anthropic, its CEO announced: Replit ends collaboration with Anthropic.
- CNET Reviews the Top AI Image Generators for Everyday Users: CNET compares leading image generators for everyday use.
October 16
- Amazon’s Bee Unveils Two New Personal AI Devices Starting at $75: Amazon releases affordable AI assistants for home use.
- AI agents are coming to Rivian’s cars: Rivian adds natural‑language AI agents to vehicles.
- Bluesky updates its Attie app to help everyday users create websites and games with AI: Attie expands to broader audiences.
- Anthropic Gives Outside Researchers Full Employee-Level Access to Study Its AI: Anthropic opens employee-level access to external researchers.
- Amazon’s devices chief predicts future AI hardware could make phone apps obsolete: Amazon envisions AI hardware handling daily tasks.
- Meta Releases New Free AI Model Designed to Run Directly on Mac Computers: Meta launches a local‑running AI model for Macs.
- Europe’s Largest Airline Turns to AI to Stop Airport Travel Disruptions: Ryanair uses predictive AI to reduce travel chaos.
- Robots Get Real‑Life Training: AI Firms Pay Indians to Record Everyday Chores: AI firms hire Indians to film chores for robot training.
- Cal AI’s Viral Rise Fueled by Influencer Campaigns: Influencers boost Cal AI’s popularity.
October 15
- Deezer Adds Option to Filter Out AI‑Generated Tracks: Deezer will let users turn off AI music.
- AI firm Apate deploys undercover bots to fall victim to scams and collect fraud data: Apate uses AI agents to gather fraud intel.
- YouTube Music Adds New Labels to Tackle Rising AI‑Generated Songs: YouTube Music launches labels for AI tracks.
- Google’s Demis Hassabis Puts a Hopeful Spin on AI’s Environmental Impact: Hassabis says AI can reduce carbon emissions.
- FBI Arrests OpenAI Employee Over Alleged Surveillance Bug: FBI detains an OpenAI employee over a hidden recorder.
- Toilet paper and secret recorders: Saudi engineer arrested over alleged spying claims: A Saudi engineer linked to OpenAI is detained for hidden devices.
- Gudea Uses AI to Spot and Stop Social Media Crises Before They Start: Gudea’s AI flags potential backlash early.
- OpenAI Faces Lawsuit Over Use of Children’s Data in ChatGPT Training: A lawsuit claims OpenAI used minors’ data for training.
- Anthropic Lures Investors as It Prepares for IPO: Anthropic seeks capital ahead of a planned public listing.
- Ricursive Intelligence Bets on AI‑Designed Chips to Ease Computing Shortages: Ricursive develops AI‑designed chips to boost processing power.
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Hand-picked AI products this week
- Ivy AI Desk Companion: The brand describes an internal plant behavior tree and machine-learning-driven responses that make the planter react to light, water, and touch.
- Anki Vector 2.0 AI Robot: A ChatGPT-subscription-gated conversational AI lets the little robot hold real, open-ended conversations, not just canned responses.
- Amazon Smart Thermostat: AI-assisted scheduling (Alexa Hunches) can automatically adjust the temperature based on your actual routines and presence.
- Echo Show 15: A far-field AI assistant (Alexa) plus an on-screen recommendation engine that adapts to your household's routines.
- Lockly Visage Zeno: A 0.2-second on-device AI fingerprint sensor plus facial recognition unlocks the door without a key or code.