Privacy Concerns, Automated Ads, and AI Behind the Counter at Starbucks

Also, what happened to Siri and Apple?

This week has brought a wave of painful headlines from across the globe. My home country is mourning one of its deadliest airline disasters, which claimed the lives of 270 individuals. At the same time, the world faces yet another escalating conflict, adding to the growing sense of unrest and sorrow.

AI has been in the spotlight this week (again), with Meta featuring prominently in the headlines.

AI used to decide continued JFK files’ classification

Worried about whether AI can be used for office tasks? If you're working in national security, the answer is a confident yes. According to reports, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revealed that the administration leveraged artificial intelligence to help review and classify documents related to the assassination of former President Kennedy. Speaking at an Amazon Web Services conference, Gabbard highlighted how intelligence agencies used AI to analyze tens of thousands of pages ahead of their declassification, significantly speeding up the process.

The Meta AI app is facing serious privacy issues, with users unintentionally sharing private conversations, audio, and images publicly. Criticisms highlight unclear privacy settings and the potential for sensitive data exposure, as users may not realize their posts are visible to the world. Read here.

Meta looking to fully automate ad creation by 2026-end as per reports. Brands may soon be able to upload a product image and set a budgetary goal, after which Meta’s AI will generate the entire ad.

Meta is launching a new AI lab focused on superintelligence, investing heavily in Scale AI and bringing on its CEO. The move is aimed at catching up with rivals in advanced AI research and development. Read details here.

Google is reportedly considering buyouts or restructuring within its search ads unit. The move may be part of broader efforts to streamline operations or adapt to changes in the digital advertising landscape.

Starbucks is set to deploy a Microsoft Azure OpenAI-powered assistant for baristas as per this article. This AI tool is expected to enhance efficiency and customer service by assisting staff with order management and other tasks.

What went wrong with Siri and Apple?

Lastly, Joanna Stern sits down with Apple software chief Craig Federighi and marketing head Greg Joswiak at WWDC 2025 in Cupertino to talk about the future of AI, what happened to Siri. Watch the video below: