Tesla’s ‘creepy’ robots, Google’s biggest buy, and Meta’s headache: Tech news roundup

Tesla’s (TSLA) Optimus robots have come a long way from their often-mocked introduction in 2021 when a human dressed in a costume appeared onstage for a demonstration. However, while the overall design has changed between the first and second generations of the humanoid bot, it still doesn’t look very personable.

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Google (GOOGL) on Tuesday announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for $32 billion in an all-cash transaction.

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Meta (META) prohibited a whistleblower from promoting her tell-all memoir. The book climbed all the way to number three on Amazon’s (AMZN) bestsellers list shortly after.

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People are increasingly treating generative-AI chatbots like personal shopping assistants, Adobe (ADBE) said on Monday.

The software and research firm surveyed 5,000 U.S. consumers and found that 39% have turned to AI for online shopping help, while 53% said they intended to do so this year. However, this doesn’t mean ChatGPT research typically ends with a purchase.

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Oracle (ORCL) unveiled a new feature on Thursday that allows businesses to build their own AI agents. No coding necessary.

“We’ve been infusing AI, we’ve been building agents, and the tools we have been using internally at Oracle we are now making available for customers and partners,” Oracle applications development & strategy group vice president Miranda Nash said.

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Amazon’s (AMZN) popular virtual assistant Alexa has many tricks up its sleeve. Although everyone is familiar enough with its ability to play music, set up a timer or answer questions, Alexa has many more features. Here are eight underused ones you should know about.

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