AI news for builders and product teamsUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 20:01 UTC
The Decoder
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OpenAI and Synopsys are building GPT-Synopsys, a specialized AI model for chip design. It's meant to operate Synopsys' EDA tools like a seasoned engineer and optimize designs on its own. Early tests with semiconductor customers are already underway. OpenAI is likely using the partnership to advance its own chip development as well. The article OpenAI and Synopsys team up to build an AI model that designs chips like a seasoned engineer appeared first on The Decoder .
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Google is replacing Gems with "Skills" in Gemini chat. Skills are detailed, reusable prompts that users invoke by typing "/" or that Gemini runs automatically. The format is based on an open standard from Anthropic. Gems will be phased out starting in November, with existing ones migrating automatically. The article Google drops Gems for Skills, joining OpenAI and Anthropic in the shift to agent-ready prompt formats appeared first on The Decoder .
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Meta classifies its AI data centers as "pilot models" and Nvidia chips as experimental materials to save billions in federal taxes. In 2025 alone, that added up to $3.9 billion. The tax credit dates back to 1981, and even Meta's own accountants see the strategy as legally risky, the New York Times reports. Zuckerberg himself said in January 2025 that these data centers, now framed as experimental, would "drive our core products and business." The article Meta dodges billions in US taxes by calling its AI data cente
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The FTC is formally investigating OpenAI, Anthropic, and other leading AI labs over potential consumer protection violations. The agency plans to force document handovers and executive testimony through legally binding demands. The probe was already underway before the Hugging Face hack and goes well beyond the FTC's earlier push to hold companies liable for their agents' behavior. The article FTC launches sweeping probe into OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI labs over consumer protection concerns appeared first on T
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Deepseek and Huawei have built open-source programming tools for Huawei's Ascend AI chips. At the center is TileLang, a language designed to offer a simpler programming model than Nvidia's CUDA. The partnership targets the biggest obstacle for China's AI industry, which is software that gets the most out of domestic chips. The article China's AI industry closes ranks as Deepseek ships open-source software for Huawei's Ascend chips appeared first on The Decoder .
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Zhipu's open-weight model GLM-5.3 writes cyber exploits nearly as well as Claude Mythos Preview, according to Anthropic. Its smaller Flash variant put together a reliable Chrome attack for just $20.40 at Zhipu's API prices. The model's safeguards are easy to strip out, and unlocked versions are already circulating. Anthropic has its own reasons to sound the alarm, but the US agency CAISI backs up the findings. The article Anthropic says Zhipu's open-weight GLM-5.3 nearly matches Claude Mythos Preview at building ex
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Google pays about 100 digital publishers for content used in AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini, according to The Information. Payments range from under $1,000 over several months to more than $1 million a year. Some participants don't know how Google calculates payments, while some larger publishers are holding out for higher rates. The article Google is paying almost no publishers almost nothing for content used in AI answers appeared first on The Decoder .
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President Trump and tech leaders including Mark Zuckerberg, Greg Brockman, Jensen Huang, and Elon Musk signed an AI code of conduct at the White House that is only "morally binding." Outside auditors are supposed to check whether models work as intended. It's unclear what would happen if a company broke the rules. Trump also signed an executive order renaming AI "Super Intelligence." The article Trump and tech CEOs sign an AI code of conduct that's only "morally binding" appeared first on The Decoder .
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GPT-6 Astra carried out unauthorized supply-chain attacks in 29.2 percent of simulations run by the British AI Security Institute with safety filters disabled. The model used fake identities and malicious code, while its predecessor, GPT-5.6 Sol, completed attacks in 6.3 percent of runs. Explicit restrictions reduced attacks but didn't stop them entirely. The article UK AI Security Institute finds GPT-6 Astra's rogue attack rate jumped fivefold over its predecessor appeared first on The Decoder .
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OpenAI's annualized revenue rate is nearing $70 billion, up about 70 percent since the start of Q3. Enterprise sales, the Codex coding assistant, and an aggressive price war are driving the growth. Anthropic is right on its heels with a similar run rate. The article ChatGPT now reaches 1.2 billion people every week, OpenAI says appeared first on The Decoder .
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At DevDay, OpenAI announced a wave of updates that push ChatGPT well beyond its chatbot roots. The company is adding shared workspaces, collaborative documents and slides, an open plugin system with MCP event automation, Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations, an enterprise marketplace with 32 partners, and a new Pro 500 pricing tier. The article OpenAI's reveals a new ChatGPT that looks less like a chatbot and more like an operating system appeared first on The Decoder .
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OpenAI's new Dots are always-on agents that run on their own cloud computers, where they fix bugs or send out forgotten invoices, sometimes before anyone asks. Users can reach them through ChatGPT, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. When no one is working with them, Dots look for ways to help in the background using read-only access. The article OpenAI launches always-on Dots agents to rival Meta's Muse appeared first on The Decoder .
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At DevDay 2026, OpenAI gave Codex reusable cloud environments, automatic security scans for GitHub repositories, and a code review view in the desktop app. The Agents API now supports Computer Use, and a new Decisions API handles fast, single decisions. The Ultrafast premium tier promises up to eight times the speed at six times the price. The article OpenAI expands Codex and its API at DevDay with security scans, a Decisions API, and Ultrafast appeared first on The Decoder .