Microsoft is rolling out its first internally developed AI models. Branded Microsoft AI (MAI), the two initial releases are MAI-Voice-1, a “highly expressive and natural speech generation model,” and MAI-1-preview, a mixture-of-experts LLM designed for consumer facing applications. The move demonstrates Microsoft’s intent to move beyond exclusive reliance on OpenAI models to power its Copilot assistant and other applications. By striking out on its own, Microsoft is paving a smoother road for OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit entity, which the company is scheduled to initiate by the end of the year. Continue reading Microsoft AI Introduces Proprietary Foundation, Voice Models

Apple has partnered with live audio provider TuneIn in a deal aimed at expanding global access to Apple Music’s six commercial-free live radio stations. The agreement marks the first time Apple’s 24/7 radio stations are available outside of the company’s own ecosystem. The move aims to boost Apple Music’s market share, closing the gap with Spotify by tapping TuneIn’s 75 million monthly active users, connected through more than 200 device partnerships spanning smart speakers, headphones and more than 15 auto brands. MIDiA Research says Apple Music and Spotify had user parity in 2020, with Apple subsequently losing ground. Continue reading Apple Music Chases Spotify with TuneIn Streaming Radio Deal

Google has released a free consumer version of the Veo-powered Vids generative video creation and editing tool that debuted in November 2024 as part of the Google Workspace productivity suite, a subscription product starting at $7 per month for individual users. Subscribers will continue to have access to a more full-featured Vids app, which has been updated with AI avatars, image-to-video capability and automatic transcript trimming that removes “filler words and awkward pauses with just a few clicks.” But the free tier provides basic AI-enhanced editing and video creation using templates that casual users will no doubt find helpful. Continue reading Google Releases Free Version of Veo 3-Powered Vids Editor

Instagram has started to let creators link multiple Reels, effectively creating their own “series.” The new capability, which TikTok already offers, makes it more convenient for viewers to discover and follow related content. The new “Link a Reel” feature lets creators sequentially either link generally related content or connect specific, sequentially related material, as in Part 2, Part 3, etc. Meta Platforms has also added a free AI-powered voice translation feature. Now available globally on Facebook and Instagram, it automatically dubs and lip syncs Reels into other languages using the sound and tone of the creator’s own voice. Continue reading Meta Updates Features for Reels on Facebook and Instagram

AI audio firm ElevenLabs has launched Eleven Music, which lets businesses and individuals generate studio-caliber music using natural language prompts. Users can generate tracks in any genre or style, even adding vocals in different languages. The Eleven Music model was developed in partnership with music licensing firm Merlin and independent publisher Kobalt. Artists and songwriters from the two groups will participate in the development of Eleven Music Pro, a subsequent model planned for release in the coming months. The company says it built-in guardrails to protect rightsholders. Continue reading ElevenLabs Debuts Eleven Music with Kobalt, Merlin Backing

Grok Imagine is xAI’s new video and image generator, which is currently available via the X social platform, the Grok mobile app, and Grok web interface. Imagine replaces AI image generator Aurora, which was retired in May following a string of offensive posts that led to media criticism and user concerns. Despite the backlash, Elon Musk’s xAI seems determined to have Imagine push conventional limits, with a “spicy” mode that outputs imagery including adult content. Its text-to-image capabilities work with text or voice prompts, while the video tool relies on image prompts to make short clips using images from a user’s gallery or generated by Grok. Continue reading Grok Imagine from xAI Offers Video Generation, ‘Spicy’ Mode

Amazon has agreed to purchase AI wearables firm Bee, it was announced via a LinkedIn post by the San Francisco-based startup. Bee’s principal product is a $50 wrist device called the Pioneer that records all audio within range unless manually muted. Combined with a $19 per month subscription the device records and transcribes “daily memories” to create to-do lists and reminders based on what it hears. It can also answer questions. Bee’s website says the product is backordered due to “high demand” with shipments resuming in September. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Continue reading Amazon Buying Startup Bee, Maker of the Pioneer AI Bracelet

T-Mobile has begun updating its 5G network to the L4S standard (Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable), becoming the first mobile service to do so. The technology reduces latency, resulting in improved video calls and smoother cloud gaming. T-Mobile says the format is “a key step toward a smarter, programmable 5G,” describing L4S as consistently delivering “low latency, minimal packet loss and real-time responsiveness — even under heavy traffic,” marking a significant improvement in “performance-driven use cases where every millisecond matters,” including Extended Reality (XR) “and even remote driving” for driverless cars. Continue reading T-Mobile 5G Update to L4S Improves Gaming and Video Calls

New York-based satellite and online radio provider SiriusXM is adding an ad-supported music tier to subscription offering, with SiriusXM Play coming to market for in-car streaming at “less than $7” per month for more than 130 content channels. SiriusXM already offers talk channels with ads, and also has an existing car plan that costs $9.99 per month. A $24.98 monthly “all access” plan also includes car coverage. The Play package, which SiriusXM first began talking about in May, is now available “on a limited basis,” with additional details coming later in 2025, the streamer says. Continue reading SiriusXM Adds Car-Targeted Music Plan for Under $7 with Ads

Adobe’s Firefly Video model has introduced new updates including Generate Sound Effects, in beta, and a text-to-avatar feature that lets users turn scripts into avatar-led videos “in just a few clicks.” Firefly becomes the second video model to generate audio, joining Veo 3, although unlike Google’s AI video tool Firefly does not yet generate dialogue. What it can do is output foley-like sound and sound effects, while text-to-avatar can generate speech. As with Firefly’s generative visuals, Adobe says Generate Sound Effects is “commercially safe,” which means they are trained only on licensed or publicly available material. Continue reading Adobe Adds Generative Audio and Text-to-Avatar to Firefly AI

Google has added photo-to-video capability to its Gemini AI app. Powered by Veo 3, Google’s latest generative video model, launched in May, Gemini AI can now turn images into 8-second videos complete with AI-generated sound including speech, environmental sounds and background noises. Available now via the Web to anyone with a $20 per month Google AI Pro subscription or those on the $125 per quarter Google AI Ultra plan, the new feature is also being released to mobile users this month for both iOS and Android devices. The videos are finished as 720p resolution MP4 files in 16:9 landscape format. Continue reading Google Offers Gemini AI Subscribers Photo-to-Video Function

Apple announced a new 15,000-square-foot Apple Music Los Angeles studio in Culver City will open later this summer. The three-story complex that Apple says is “designed with artists in mind” includes two radio studios with support for immersive Apple Spatial Audio playback, a spatial audio mixing room, an art gallery, a “social media lab” and a 4,000-square-foot soundstage. Commemorating the 10th anniversary of Apple Music, the new structure is situated nearby to the future home of Apple TV+, a 550,000-square-foot building going up where Culver City borders the City of Los Angeles. Continue reading Apple Music Opening Three-Story Creative Hub in Culver City

ElevenLabs is bringing its powerful AI voice tools to mobile. Previously, the company’s apps and voice libraries were only available via the Web. Now iOS and Android users can tap ElevenLabs tech on the go with a “faster, intuitive, more powerful experience built natively for mobile” rather than awkwardly through a mobile browser. Combining mobility with creativity, the app lets users create realistic voiceovers for social media or narrate video using ElevenLabs’ text-to-speech models — including Eleven v3, now in alpha, which lets users fine-tune vocalizations using tags. The company has also introduced a new voice assistant, 11ai. Continue reading ElevenLabs Text-to-Voice AI Tools Now Available for Mobile

Google has launched Search Live with voice-input, a two-way conversational query function for exploring online resources. Presently available via the Google app for Android and iOS to U.S. users enrolled in Google Labs’ AI Mode experiment, Search Live is designed to handle complex, multi-part questions. Google suggests the new feature is “perfect for when you’re on the go or multitasking, like if you’re packing for a trip.” The discursive voice feature follows Google’s general rollout of AI Mode, recently launched to compete against products such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search and Perplexity AI. Continue reading Google Search Live Features Conversational Voice Capability

YouTube Shorts is getting a free Veo 3 upgrade that will let creators generate high-quality AI video clips using text prompts. The news was announced by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where it was positioned as a means for brands to transform how advertisements are produced. Veo 3 functionality will be integrated “later this summer,” according to Mohan. The Google DeepMind video generation model has been made available for use in YouTube Shorts starting with Veo 2. With Veo 3, the platform gets audio capability and what Mohan describes as “vastly improved” video quality. Continue reading Google Adding AI Video Generator Veo 3 to YouTube Shorts