📉 Meta Delays Behemoth, Apple Leads Inclusion, Google Chrome Enhances Text

Newslit Daily

0:00

-1:36

📉 Meta Delays Behemoth, Apple Leads Inclusion, Google Chrome Enhances Text

Plus: Microsoft Faces Internal Unrest; Japan Embraces Cyber Offense.

Jose Montes de Oca

May 16, 2025

Transcript

Good morning. It’s Friday, May 16. Today we are covering:

Meta Is Delaying the Rollout of Its Flagship AI Model
Apple Goes Beyond 'Reasonable Accommodation' With Inclusive Tech
Chrome's Android app will now let you zoom in on text without affecting the webpage
Microsoft: No evidence Israeli military used its technology to harm civilians, reviews find
Japan enacts new Active Cyberdefense Law allowing for offensive cyber operations

Let’s dive in

Meta Is Delaying the Rollout of Its Flagship AI Model

By Meghan Bobrowsky via Wall Street Journal

Meta is delaying the release of its flagship AI model Behemoth, originally planned for April 2025, due to performance issues and internal doubts about its readiness, despite billions in AI investments.
Senior executives are frustrated with the Llama 4 development team, considering management shake-ups, while concerns grow that Behemoth’s capabilities don’t meet public claims amid industry-wide AI development slowdowns.
Meta’s struggles mirror delays at OpenAI and Anthropic, with broader signs that significant AI breakthroughs are becoming harder and more costly to achieve across the sector.

𝕏: The WSJ is reporting that Behemoth has now been delayed till 'fall or later'. They said 'engineers are struggling to significantly improve' Behemoth and that 'researchers are concerned its performance wouldn't match public statements about its capabilities.' - Andrew Curran (@AndrewCurran_)

Apple Goes Beyond 'Reasonable Accommodation' With Inclusive Tech

By Bill Schiffmiller via Forbes

Apple redefines accessibility by moving beyond "reasonable accommodation" to proactive, built-in solutions like Magnifier for Mac, Live Listen and Live Captions, expanded Braille support, and Vision Pro enhancements, empowering users without requiring self-disclosure or special requests.
Through Sophie’s story, Apple illustrates how personalized technology enables individuals to learn and contribute freely, shifting the narrative from accommodation to personalization and empowerment.
This marks a new leadership standard in tech and education, where accessibility is not a compliance checkbox but a strategic, dignified design philosophy that benefits all users.

The best way to reach new readers is through word of mouth. If you click THIS LINK in your inbox, it’ll create an easy-to-send pre-written email you can just fire off to some friends.

Chrome's Android app will now let you zoom in on text without affecting the webpage

By Emma Roth via The Verge

Google Chrome for Android now lets users zoom in on text only without altering webpage layouts, with options to set this preference per page or across all sites.
TalkBack screenreader integrates further with Gemini AI, enabling users to ask follow-up questions about images, such as identifying colors, materials, and other objects.
Expressive Captions, using AI to convey tone and non-verbal sounds like whistling or throat clearing, is rolling out in English on devices running Android 15+ across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Microsoft: No evidence Israeli military used its technology to harm civilians, reviews find

By Todd Bishop via GeekWire

Microsoft found no evidence its Azure and AI technologies were used by the Israeli military to harm civilians in Gaza, but admitted limited visibility into private server usage and systems outside its cloud.
The employee activist group No Azure for Apartheid continues to protest, criticizing Microsoft’s findings as contradictory and demanding a full termination of contracts with the Israeli military.
Internal tensions escalated with employee protests at major company events, firings, and a petition signed by 1,515 workers opposing Microsoft’s ties to Israel, coinciding with a planned demonstration during the upcoming Build developer conference.

Japan enacts new Active Cyberdefense Law allowing for offensive cyber operations

By Alexander Martin via The Record

Japan has enacted the Active Cyberdefense Law, enabling preemptive offensive cyber operations to neutralize threats before they cause damage, breaking from its traditional pacifist stance under Article 9.
The law grants authorities the power to infiltrate hostile servers, analyze foreign internet traffic (excluding domestic data), and mandates an independent oversight panel for approving data collection and offensive actions.
This move follows a surge in state-sponsored and financially motivated cyberattacks, including significant breaches by Chinese hackers and a recent $2 billion financial fraud via online trading platforms.

We're thrilled to bring you ad-free news. To keep it that way, we need your support. Your pledge helps us stay independent and deliver high-quality insights while exploring new ideas. What would you love to see next? Share your thoughts and help shape the future of Newslit Daily. Thank you for being part of this journey!

Pledge your support