AP Technology

February 5, 2025

Researchers link DeepSeek’s blockbuster chatbot to Chinese telecom banned from doing business in US

WASHINGTON (AP) — Security researchers say the website of the Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek has computer code that could send some user login information to a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company that’s been barred from operating in the United States. DeepSeek’s chatbot became the most downloaded app in the United States. The chatbot’s web login page contains heavily obfuscated computer script that when deciphered shows connections to computer infrastructure owned by China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company. The code appears to be part of the account creation and user login process for DeepSeek. DeepSeek and China Mobile haven’t responded to emails seeking comment.

Google’s rising holiday’s season ad sales aren’t enough to ease worries about AI letdown

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google’s digital ad sales continued to grow at a healthy clip during the holiday season, but that wasn’t enough to offset investors’ worries about whether its big bet on artificial intelligence will be as lucrative as once envisioned. The October-December results released Tuesday by Google parent Alphabet Inc. showed the company is continuing to reap even more profits from its dominant search engine and other peripheral services. Alphabet’s profit climbed 28% from the previous year to $26.5 billion to eclipse analyst projections, but revenue fell slightly below forecasts. More importantly, revenue growth in the Google Cloud division tethered to the AI craze wasn’t as robust as had been anticipated.

Judge says Elon Musk’s claims of harm from OpenAI are a ‘stretch’ but welcomes possible trial

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Elon Musk’s lawyers faced off with OpenAI in court Tuesday as a federal judge weighed the billionaire’s request for a court order that would block the ChatGPT maker from converting itself to a for-profit company. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said it was a “stretch” for Musk to claim he will be irreparably harmed if she doesn’t intervene to stop OpenAI from moving forward with its transition from a nonprofit research laboratory to a for-profit corporation. But the judge also raised concerns about OpenAI and its relationship with business partner Microsoft and said she wouldn’t stop the case from moving to trial as soon as next year so a jury can decide.

Apple lashes out at iPhone porn app maker and the EU rules allowing its download

LONDON (AP) — Apple has chided a newly introduced pornography app available in the European Union. It also warned that the bloc’s digital rules opening the way for third-party app store downloads undermines consumer confidence in the tech giant. AltStore PAL, an alternative app marketplace, unveiled the Hot Tub app this week, which is described as an adult content browser. The app marketplace launched last year in the EU, in response to the bloc bringing in a new digital rulebook that forces Big Tech companies to open up to more competition.

Patients using diabetes apps can miss critical alerts. Here’s how to make sure you’re getting them

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials are warning about a potentially life-threatening issue with smartphone apps that help manage diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration says patients who use the apps and wearable devices can sometimes miss important notifications needed to control their blood sugar. The FDA warning sent Wednesday applies to a growing field of devices that track patients’ sugar levels or automatically deliver insulin. Most of the devices are now programmed through apps on patients’ phones. But the FDA warns that certain phone settings may cause patients to miss critical updates. The agency has received reports of injury and death related to the problem.

Box-office smash ‘Moana 2’ drives Disney profit in the first quarter

NEW YORK (AP) — Disney easily topped first-quarter expectations thanks in part to the box office success of “Moana 2.” The Walt Disney Co. earned $2.55 billion, or $1.40 per share, for the period ended Dec. 28. The Burbank, California-based company earned $1.91 billion, or $1.04 per share, in the prior-year period. Stripping out certain items, earnings were $1.76 per share. This topped the $1.44 per share that analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research anticipated. CEO Bob Iger said during Disney’s conference call that the company is actually very pleased with its subscriber growth for Disney+ and Hulu, particularly because it raised prices.

China launches an antitrust probe into Google. Here’s what it means

HONG KONG (AP) — The Chinese government’s move to open an antitrust probe into Google is the latest development in a long and entangled relationship that goes back to the early 2000s. The investigation was one of a flurry of Chinese retaliatory measures announced Tuesday in response to a 10% tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on imports from China. Although Google services are not accessible in China, the company maintains a presence in the country, primarily focused on its advertising business. Some experts believe the antitrust investigation will likely center on Google’s Android operating system for smartphones and be used as a bargaining chip in the U.S.-China trade war.

JD Vance will attend AI summit in Paris and Munich security conference in first overseas trip as VP

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance will attend a two-day high-level summit focusing on artificial intelligence in Paris next week and the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany in his first scheduled trip abroad since taking office. The AI Action Summit will gather heads of state and top government officials, CEOs and other people involved in the tech sector, which has been shaken up by galloping advances. The Munich summit is a regular forum for global international security discussions which has taken on new significance amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and other challenges. It will be his first public foray into foreign policy matters since taking office on Jan. 20, as the new Trump administration promises a return to an “America First” agenda.

Japan game maker Nintendo reports lower profit as demand for Switch consoles wanes

TOKYO (AP) — Nintendo’s profits tumbled as sales of its Switch console lost momentum, prompting the Japanese video-game maker to lower its full-year forecasts. Kyoto-based Nintendo, which created the Super Mario franchise, reported Tuesday an April-December profit of $1.5 billion, down 42% from the previous year. The company now expects to rake in a profit of $1.7 billion for the fiscal year through March, down from the previous forecast for $1.9 billion. Nintendo now expects to sell 11 million Switch machines for the full fiscal year, lower than its initial projection of 12.5 million consoles.

Fast fashion, laptops and toys are likely to cost more due to US tariffs on Chinese imports

A sweeping new U.S. tariff on products made in China is expected to increase the prices American consumers pay for a wide array of products. An additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods is likely drive up prices for ultra-cheap apparel sold on online shopping platforms, toys and electronic devices such as computers and cellphones. The tariffs also may affect how much consumers pay for shoes and kitchen items like pots and pans, as well as the big-ticket items, such as appliances, furniture and auto parts. The tariffs on Chinese imports took effect after President Donald Trump agreed to pause his threatened tariffs against Mexico and Canada for 30 days.