Tesla Cybertruck bomber used ChatGPT to plan attack: Las Vegas police
Las Vegas police said Tuesday, Jan. 7, that the attacker who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel used the generative artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to plan the attack. An investigation into 37-year-old former soldier Matthew Livelsberger found his ChatGPT search history included questions about firearms and explosives.
Authorities said Livelsberger looked for information on explosive targets, ammunition speed and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona. They say this was when he reportedly considered an attack on the skywalk at the Grand Canyon.
The Las Vegas sheriff said it was the first incident he is aware of in the U.S. where an attacker used ChatGPT to help build a device.
ChatGPT owner OpenAI told the Associated Press, “ChatGPT responded with information already publicly available on the internet and provided warnings against harmful or illegal activities. We’re working with law enforcement to support their investigation.”
The investigation also turned up notes detailing Livelsberger’s motivation. They included that he felt a burden taking lives as a service member. He warned the U.S. was collapsing and urged Americans to rally around President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Trump announces Emirati businessman’s $20 billion investment in US data centers
President-elect Donald Trump revealed a major foreign investment into the United States economy Tuesday, Jan. 7, in an effort to keep up with the fast-moving advancements of artificial intelligence. Trump introduced Emirati businessman Hussain Sajwani, the founder of DAMAC Properties, announcing the company is investing $20 billion to build data centers for AI and cloud storage across the U.S.
“We’re very, very excited now with his leadership and his open strategy and policy to encourage businesses to come to the U.S. For the last four years we’ve been waiting for this moment,” Sajwani said at a news conference with Trump.
Sajwani’s pledge is the latest in foreign business leaders promising to invest in the U.S. as a result of Trump’s election victory.
Last month, the Japanese CEO of Softbank, Masayoshi Son said he will invest $100 billion in the U.S. creating 100,000 over the course of Trump’s second term.
Sajwani said he may eventually double the $20 billion investment as big tech companies race to set up data centers, which are essential for powering AI applications including OpenAI’s ChatCPT and Google’s Gemini.
The challenge is that they require a massive amount of power to operate nonstop. Many companies are now striving to keep their facilities going using primarily clean energy including solar and wind power and developing more nuclear power.
Several companies are also working to implement advanced cooling systems that don’t drain as much power.
Management consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates global spending on data centers is likely to surpass $250 billion by 2030.
Microsoft recently said it will spend about $80 billion this year to ramp up its AI capacity.
Calls for Apple to remove AI after series of incorrect headline summaries
After issuing a series of inaccurate news alerts Apple said it will update its artificial intelligence feature. Some of the false headlines the technology generated included one that said Luigi Mangione, the accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter, had killed himself and another that tennis star Rafael Nadal had come out as gay.
Apple said it’s developing a software update to “further clarify” when news headlines are actually summaries generated by Apple Intelligence and the update will roll out in the coming weeks. However, media outlets and journalist organizations want the feature ended altogether.
The BBC filed a formal complaint in December 2024 after an incorrect news alert summarized by Apple Intelligence but branded with the BBC’s logo claimed Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had shot himself. Mangione had not and is alive and being held in a New York prison.
It’s not just the BBC. In November 2024, a ProPublica journalist flagged an inaccurate Apple AI summary of a New York Times alert that wrongly claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested.
The U.K.’s National Union of Journalists is now calling for Apple to “act swiftly” and remove its artificial intelligence to avoid spreading misinformation. Journalist group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) echoed that sentiment.
“The proposed update looks like an implicit admission that making the feature more trustworthy is not currently an option,” the group said.
RSF also renewed its calls for the feature’s removal.
Nvidia reveals new AI supercomputer, technology to train robots
The world’s second most valuable company showed off a slew of new products Monday, Jan. 6, at the world’s preeminent technology trade show. Nvidia unveiled artificial intelligence (AI) that trains robots and cars, new ultrapowerful gaming chips and its first-ever desktop computer at CES 2025 in Las Vegas.
During the company’s highly anticipated keynote address, CEO Jensen Huang showed off its new Cosmos foundation models, which are capable of creating photorealistic videos to train robots and self-driving technology.
“It is trained on 20 million hours of video,” Huang said of Nvidia Cosmos. “The 20 million hours of video focuses on physical dynamic things. It’s really about teaching the AI, not about generating creative content, but teaching the AI to understand the physical world.”
Nvidia’s new Cosmos foundation models
Cosmos can generate video that obeys the laws of physics. Nvidia said this would make it much less expensive to train systems like self-driving models, which, today, require putting cars on the road to gather video.
Nvidia also unveiled its RTX 50 series of gaming chips that use its “Blackwell” AI technology. The new line of chips looks to provide video games with even more lifelike graphics. They will range in price from $549 to $1,999. The top-of-the-line Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) will be released at the end of January.
Huang pointed out that the lower-end GPUs, priced at $549, will have the power of the previous generation’s top-of-the-line 4090 chips, which retail for at least $1,599.
Backbone of the AI revolution
Nvidia’s GeForce GPUs have been the backbone of the AI revolution in recent years. The massive demand for the chips propelled Nvidia to compete with Apple for the top spot as the world’s most valuable company. Since the start of 2023, Nvidia’s stock price has surged more than 850%.
“We used GeForce to enable artificial intelligence, and now artificial intelligence is revolutionizing GeForce,” Huang said Monday.
Nvidia also announced its first-ever desktop computer called Project DIGITS. The computer isn’t a gaming machine but rather a workstation designed for computer programmers. The machine will use the same chips that power its enterprise data center processors. The machines will let developers test their AI systems more efficiently, essentially operating as an out-of-the-box supercomputer.
“This is an AI supercomputer,” Huang said of Project DIGITS. “It runs the entire Nvidia AI stack. All of Nvidia software runs on this.”
Meanwhile, Huang announced a partnership with Toyota to use the company’s Orin chips and automotive operating system to operate its driver assistance products. The company did not announce which vehicle models would feature its hardware.
Zuckerberg says Meta is ditching fact-checkers for community-driven oversight
Meta announced Tuesday, Jan. 7, that it will replace its third-party fact-checking program with a community-driven system called Community Notes. The change will begin rolling out in the United States on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, with plans for global implementation in 2025, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
In a video statement, Zuckerberg explained that the transition is aimed at simplifying policies, reducing moderation errors and prioritizing free expression. He criticized the existing fact-checking system as overly complicated, leading to errors that impacted millions of users.
“So we’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms. More specifically, here’s what we’re going to do,” Zuckerberg said. “First, we’re going to get rid of fact checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X starting in the U.S.”
Meta’s fact-checking initiative, launched in 2016, involved partnerships with independent organizations certified by the International Fact-Checking Network and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network. These groups reviewed flagged content, assessed its accuracy and assigned ratings such as “False,” “Altered” or “Missing Context.”
Under the outgoing system, flagged posts had their visibility reduced while users received notifications before sharing inaccurate content. Repeat offenders faced penalties, including reduced reach and restrictions on monetization. Zuckerberg said the complexity of the system led to unintended consequences.
“So we built a lot of complex systems to moderate content. But the problem with complex systems is they make mistakes even if they accidentally censor just 1% of posts. That’s millions of people. And we’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes in too much censorship,” Zuckerberg said.
Community Notes, modeled after a similar feature implemented by X, will rely on user contributions to flag and add context to posts. Meta plans to refine the system in the United States before expanding it globally. The company described the move as part of an effort to enhance transparency and involve users more directly in content moderation.
Meta emphasized that strict oversight will remain for content related to terrorism, child exploitation and drug-related issues. While the company acknowledged concerns about the potential for increased misinformation, it expressed confidence that refinements to Community Notes will mitigate these risks.
At least 95 killed in 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Tibet
A powerful earthquake proves deadly in East Asia on Tuesday morning. And winter weather pounds the United States from the Great Plains to the East Coast. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
7.1 magnitude earthquake kills at least 95 in Tibet
At least 95 people are dead Tuesday after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Tibet, China, according to Chinese state media. The quake occurred just after 9 a.m. on Jan. 7 near Shigatse, one of Tibet’s holiest cities.
The quake reached a depth of 6.2 miles, damaging buildings and sending people running to the streets in neighboring Nepal and India. Cities as far away as Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city about 240 miles away, felt tremors.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 7.1, while the China Earthquake Networks Center reported it at 6.8. Multiple aftershocks followed the initial quake.
In addition to the dozens of lives lost, local authorities said the disaster injured at least 130 people.
First winter storm of 2025 leaves at least 4 dead across multiple states
The system moved east on Monday, Jan. 6, from the Great Plains to the East Coast. It brought snow, blizzard conditions and ice. The storm hit cities like Kansas City and Cincinnati the hardest.
Authorities said a public works employee in Missouri suffered a fatal injury while working to remove snow. Two people in Wichita, Kansas, died in a weather-related crash, and one person in Houston, Texas, most likely died as a result of the cold weather, according to local authorities.
The storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes across at least a half-dozen states.
While the heavy snow ended, the danger remained. Forecasters said the winter system is drawing cold air behind it, meaning states across the entire U.S. will experience a cold front.
Pentagon transfers 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Oman
The Pentagon said the U.S. transferred 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman, which agreed to help re-settle them. Two of the detainees are former bodyguards for Osama Bin Laden and were being held at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
None of the 11 detainees released were charged with crimes.
The move comes amid steps to reduce the population at the controversial U.S. military facility. Only 15 detainees remain at Guantánamo Bay’s detention facility, which the U.S. set up as the war on terror began after Sept. 11, 2001.
Of the 15 current detainees, only three are eligible for transfer. Three more are eligible for a periodic review, seven are involved in the military commissions process and two detainees were convicted and sentenced by military commissions.
In recent weeks, the Biden administration transferred four other detainees from Guantánamo, including one brought to the detention facility the day it opened in 2002. That person was never formally charged.
The move follows a recent ruling by a military judge that plea agreements with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and two other accused terrorists are valid and binding. Those deals take the death penalty off the table for the three men, who remain at Guantánamo Bay.
Biden attends memorial service for New Orleans terror attack victims
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a memorial service Monday, Jan. 6, for the 14 victims killed in the New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans. The interfaith prayer service was held at the famous St. Louis Cathedral in the city’s French Quarter, less than a mile away from the scene of the Bourbon Street terror attack.
Jill and I traveled to New Orleans to stand with a community defined by strength and resilience.
To grieve. To pray. And let them know that America stands with them, and mourns with them. pic.twitter.com/26Phe203WF
The president spoke at the service, reassuring the people of New Orleans they are not alone and highlighting the city’s enduring strength and resilience amid tragedy. He referred to past devastation experienced by the city, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“If there’s one thing we know: New Orleans defines strength and resilience,” the president said. “You define it, whether it’s in the form of this attack, from this attack, or hurricanes or super storms. This city’s people get back up.”
The president and first lady also visited the Bourbon Street memorial, where they placed flowers and prayed for the victims.
While in New Orleans, the Bidens met privately with grieving families, survivors and first responders.
Though both cases were dismissed, the special counsel is required to provide a report to Garland, who can then decide whether to make it public.
According to the letter and a legal filing, Trump’s lawyers and two former co-defendants in the documents case viewed a two-volume draft copy of the report over the weekend. They called the report “one-sided” and “slanted.”
In the letter, Trump’s lawyer requested Garland fire Smith, who is set to resign before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, or let the decision on the release of the report be handled by Trump’s incoming attorney general, Pam Bondi.
The lawyers for Trump’s two former co-defendants in the documents case also asked the judge who dismissed the case to halt the report’s release, citing her ruling that Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional.
While it is not clear when the report will be released, the lawyers have asked the judge for a hearing on their request by Friday, Jan. 10, believing the release is “imminent.”
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary announces bid to buy TikTok
With millions of social media users counting down TikTok’s days in the U.S., one businessman is looking to prevent the ban from taking effect. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary issued a press release Monday announcing his interest in purchasing TikTok.
O’Leary — known by “Shark Tank” fans as “Mr. Wonderful” — said he is partnering with former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on the bid.
Speaking to Fox Business, O’Leary said he would need Trump’s help to seal the deal. O’Leary said he’s “protecting the privacy of 170 million American users” and “empowering creators and small businesses.”
TikTok faces a federal ban on Jan. 19 unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells. The Biden administration and other federal lawmakers believe TikTok threatens national security, accusing the Chinese government of using it to spy on Americans. Lawmakers fear the app is being used to weaponize and influence content Americans view.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments from ByteDance on why it should prevent the ban.
Google announces new AI dev team aimed at simulating the physical world
Google has a new team seeking to advance artificial intelligence even further, possibly changing the game in simulation technology. Tim Brooks, who left OpenAI for Google’s AI research lab DeepMind, announced this week he’s leading the initiative.
“DeepMind has ambitious plans to make massive generative models that simulate the world,” Brooks posted to X. “I’m hiring for a new team with this mission.”
DeepMind has ambitious plans to make massive generative models that simulate the world. I'm hiring for a new team with this mission. Come build with us!https://t.co/pqvALtAvLshttps://t.co/vtwgeXl9Dl
The job listings say the new group will look to develop “real-time interactive generation” tools on top of the models they build. The team aims to study how to integrate them with existing models like “Gemini,” Google’s AI-powered assistant.
One of the job post descriptions says that the team will be on a path to “artificial general intelligence,” or AGI, which is AI that can accomplish the same tasks as humans.
Several companies are on that path, including Elon Musk’s Tesla. While it’s not directly building AGI, its work on self-driving cars involves the same AI technologies and push towards machine learning.
Not everyone in the creative industry is on board though. A recent study by the Animation Guild found that over 100,000 U.S. based film, television and animation jobs will be disrupted by AI in 2026.
Some companies are pledging to work with creative professionals, like 3D start up Odyssey, which is planning to have creators wear cameras enabled with an AI system that will allow them to capture cinematic worlds with complete control of the scenery, characters, lighting and motion.
Experts say achieving true AGI still requires work in several areas, like fully trusting its judgement over our own.
Italian PM denies SpaceX talks with Trump as nation nears €1.5 billion deal
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied talking with President-elect Donald Trump about SpaceX supplying the country with Starlink services over the weekend. The denial comes as reports indicate the nation is closing in on a €1.5 billion deal ($1.55 billion) for the private space company to provide secure telecommunications to the Italian government.
Meloni made an unannounced visit to the U.S. over the weekend, which resulted in a meeting on Saturday, Jan. 4, with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Meloni, who has served as the Italian prime minister since 2022, posted on social media that she is “ready to work together” with Trump as he prepares to move back into the White House.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is nearing a €1.5 billion deal with Italy to provide encrypted telecom equipment to the government, according to a report from Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the situation. Bloomberg’s report points out, “The negotiations appeared to move forward after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.”
Meloni and Musk have shared praise back and forth in recent weeks. The world’s wealthiest man became a close ally to the president-elect in the final months of the election and beyond.
“The prime minister’s office categorically denies, considering it ridiculous, that SpaceX was a topic during the meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump,” her office said, according to Reuters.
“Contacts with SpaceX are part of regular discussions that state departments have with companies, in this instance those that provide protected connections such as data encryption,” the statement continued.
Ready to provide Italy the most secure and advanced connectivity!
For his part, Musk posted on X that SpaceX is “ready to provide Italy the most secure and advanced connectivity!”
No official details of the meetings were released, but Italy’s deputy prime minister shed some light on what was discussed.
“Well done Giorgia Meloni for visiting Donald Trump to talk about peace, industrial and commercial cooperation, security, and the freeing of Cecilia Sala,” Matteo Salvini posted on X.
Details emerge about New Orleans suspect’s actions in weeks before attack
More details emerged about the man authorities said killed 14 people and injured dozens more when he drove a rented truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. The FBI said Sunday the attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, visited the city twice in the weeks leading up to the deadly act of terrorism and recorded video of the area using Meta Smart Glasses.
Investigators said Jabbar wore the glasses to capture video while he rode a bicycle through the city’s French Quarter. He reportedly wore the glasses during the attack on Bourbon Street but was not livestreaming.
Authorities also believe Jabbar set fire to a short-term rental house in New Orleans where investigators found bomb-making material. They said he planted two bombs in the French Quarter before the truck attack but neither detonated.
Jabbar was killed after opening fire on responding police officers.
Congress to certify Trump’s win; Biden issues warning to ‘not forget’ riots
Congress prepares to re-affirm President-elect Donald Trump as the next president of the United States on the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. And after a weekend of blizzard-like conditions in the Plains and Midwest, a major winter storm aims for the East Coast. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Congress to certify Trump’s win; Biden issues warning to ‘not forget’ Jan. 6 riots
Senators and members of the House of Representatives will gather to tally the electoral votes of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., confirming Trump will be the 47th president of the United States.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Jan. 5, House Speaker Mike Johnson said a major winter storm heading toward the area would not prevent the congressional joint session from counting the electoral votes.
Monday’s joint session comes four years after the certification of votes affirming President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. Biden’s certification turned into chaos when rioters stormed the Capitol, looking to prevent then-Vice President Mike Pence from presiding over the certification. Many rioters insisted the election was stolen from Trump.
This year, Vice President Kamala Harris will oversee the electoral count of the election she lost and declare Trump the winner. Harris already conceded the race to Trump after he won 312 electoral college votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency. Harris won 226 votes.
Following the 2021 Capitol attack, Congress passed the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022. This act clarified that the vice president does not have the power to determine, accept, reject or adjudicate the vote results.
On Sunday, Biden spoke to new Democratic members of Congress about the events that unfolded in 2021 and the importance of the date.
“Tomorrow’s Jan. 6; we gather to certify the results of a free and fair presidential election and ensure a peaceful transfer of power,” Biden said. “It’s a day that [for] most of our history we took for granted, the sixth, but I hope we never take it for granted again.”
Biden wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post on Sunday. In it, he told Americans that while some may no longer want to mention what happened four years ago, it cannot be forgotten.
“We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault. And we should be glad we will not see such a shameful attack again this year…” he wrote. “The election will be certified peacefully. I have invited the incoming president to the White House on the morning of Jan. 20, and I will be present for his inauguration that afternoon. But on this day, we cannot forget.”
Monday’s proceedings are the last official opportunity for any member of Congress to object to the electoral votes. Following the certification, Trump will be sworn into office on Jan. 20 for his second term. He vowed to pardon those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 riots.
Biden signs Social Security Fairness Act into law
Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law Sunday. It’s expected to be one of the last major pieces of legislation of his term.
Today, I signed legislation expanding Social Security benefits for millions of teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers, other public employees, and their spouses and survivors.
The law repeals a rule that limited certain public sector job retirees who collect pensions — such as firefighters, teachers, postal workers and police officers — from also claiming social security benefits.
The new law also eliminates limits on the benefits that surviving spouses can receive after they die.
The Senate passed the bill in December after the House approved it in November with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign this week: Reports
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation as early as Monday, according to multiple news outlets. It comes as his party, the Liberal Party, is set to hold its national caucus meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Last month, Trudeau’s finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, publicly announced her resignation in a letter criticizing the prime minister. Since then, calls for his resignation have grown publicly and privately within his own party.
This is just the latest in a series of recent political struggles for the prime minister. In September, Trudeau faced a no-confidence vote in parliament, which later failed.
Trudeau and Trump have been locked in a public back-and-forth over tariffs with Trump threatening to put a 25% levy on Canadian imports.
Details emerge about New Orleans suspect’s actions in weeks before attack
More details emerged about the man authorities said killed 14 people and injured dozens more when he drove a rented truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
The FBI said Sunday the attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, visited the city twice in the weeks leading up to the deadly act of terrorism and recorded video of the area using Meta Smart Glasses.
The glasses allow users to record video hands-free and can also livestream on Meta platforms. Investigators said Jabbar wore the glasses to capture video while he rode a bicycle through the city’s French Quarter. He reportedly wore the glasses during the attack on Bourbon Street but was not livestreaming.
Authorities also believe Jabbar set fire to a short-term rental house in New Orleans where investigators found bomb-making material. They said he planted two bombs in the French Quarter before the truck attack but neither detonated.
Jabbar was killed after opening fire on responding police officers.
Millions of Americans under blizzard alerts as winter storm moves east
A major winter storm will continue to move through the Mid-Atlantic region today, followed by dangerously cold temperatures spreading across the central and eastern U.S. pic.twitter.com/sogRlbC6Y9
Major cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia are preparing for snowy and icy conditions Monday and into Tuesday, Jan. 7. Meanwhile, parts of Virginia are expecting 5 to 12 inches of snow.
Impacts of this weather system could also be felt in the South, with severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and damaging winds expected to hit Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and other southern states Monday night.
2025 Golden Globes crown best in movies, television
The 2025 Golden Globes rolled out the red carpet Sunday night for the best and brightest stars of film and television — but only a select few walked away with awards.
In the movie categories, the big winners were the films “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist.” “Emilia Pérez” won four awards, including best musical or comedy. “The Brutalist” took home best drama and two other awards.
Over on the TV side of things, “Shōgun” topped the competition with four awards, including Best TV Drama. “Hacks” won Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy.
It was an especially memorable night for actress Demi Moore, who won her first acting award. She won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role as an aging Hollywood star who undergoes a cloning procedure in “The Substance.”