AP Technology SummaryBrief at 12:33 a.m. EST

AI song generator startups Suno and Udio angered the music industry. Now they're hoping to join it

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — AI music platforms Suno and Udio were sued by major record labels in 2024 for allegedly exploiting the recorded works of professional musicians. Since then, the pair have strived to make peace with the industry through settlements and licensing deals. While many professional musicians remain skeptical of the budding AI music industry, some artists, like Christopher “Topher” Townsend, already are embracing the technology and creating hit new tracks and digital extensions of themselves.

One Tech Tip: Group chats are a way of life but come with unspoken etiquette

Group chats now run much of daily life, and etiquette experts say a few simple habits keep them sane. In the latest One Tech Tip, The Associated Press shares tips from etiquette experts at Debrett’s on how to avoid annoying others. Think before you post, and match your message to the group’s purpose. In a practical chat, stay on task. In a social chat, light posts can fit. Keep messages short. Assume work chats can be forwarded. Use emoji carefully. In big groups, do not reply to everything. Mute noisy chats, and leave if needed.

Nvidia delivers another quarter of stellar growth amid growing concern over AI economy

Artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia on Wednesday announced another quarter of astounding quarterly growth as investors try to decipher whether technology’s latest craze is overblown hyperbole or a springboard into a new era of prosperity and productivity. The results for November-January period blew past the analyst projections that shape investors’ perceptions, as has been the case since Nvidia’s high-end chips emerged as AI’s best building blocks three years ago. Nvidia’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue surged 73% from the previous year to $68.1 billion while its profit nearly doubled. Nvidia’s stock price rose nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, but then backtracked and was slightly down a few hours later.

Samsung rolls out more AI, new privacy shield mode with the new Galaxy S26 lineup

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its latest Galaxy smartphones, which boast an even bigger toolbox of artificial intelligence technology than the previous two generations and introduce a new privacy shield that blocks snoopy bystanders from sneaking a peek at the display screen. The upgrades on the Galaxy S26 lineup, coming to stores March 11. will also include price increases of 10% to 13% on the basic and mid-tier models while the Ultra device will cost the same as last year’s version. Samsung also is dangling another reason to pony up for its most expensive Galaxy S26 with a new feature called “Privacy Display” that will only be available on the Ultra.

A settlement is reached in a case tied to eBay's bizarre deliveries and harassment campaign

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts couple who were targeted in a harassment campaign by former eBay employees have reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the company. David and Ina Steiner run an online newsletter covering the e-commerce industry and said the company tried to silence them to stifle their reporting on eBay. They said employees sent them threatening messages and disturbing anonymous deliveries, including live cockroaches and spiders, a funeral wreath and a bloody pig mask. Seven former employees were criminally charged, and most pleaded guilty to conspiracy and cyberstalking. In 2024, eBay agreed to pay a $3 million penalty under a deferred prosecution agreement. Settlement terms in the civil case were not disclosed.

New York sues Counter-Strike game developer saying 'loot boxes' promote gambling

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general is suing video game developer Valve, claiming the “loot boxes” found in Counter-Strike and other popular video game franchises illegally promote gambling. State Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday that games such as Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2 charge users for the chance to win rare items held in the virtual containers. The items can then be sold online for significant sums. James’ office wants the to company stop promoting what it says is essentially gambling. The state also wants Valve to pay a fine, restitution and damages to users. Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday for the Washington-based company.

Solar-powered truck charging gains ground on South Africa’s freight corridors

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s push to decarbonize freight is gaining momentum as Cape Town-based Zero Carbon Charge rolls out fully off-grid, solar-powered charging hubs for electric trucks along South Africa’s key N3 corridor. Backed by development finance, the project follows global models such as U.S.-based WattEV and Europe’s Milence. They pair solar power with battery storage for high-capacity truck charging. While other African companies are integrating renewables into motorbike charging, Charge is pioneering dedicated solar microgrid facilities for heavy-duty freight trucks. They require high-capacity charging sites. South Africa's imports of EVs are rising, but charging stations are limited and mostly concentrated in major cities. Meeting surging demand is another challenge.

Discord postpones age verification rollout amid criticism, promises transparency

Discord is postponing its controversial age verification policy after users of the popular platform for gamers to communicate online expressed strong objections and privacy concerns. The company announced earlier this month it would roll out an age verification policy in March that would include face scanning or requests for an ID upload for users it could not determine were adults. When it rolls out the revised age verification system in the second half of 2026, Discord will now offer more options to verify users' ages. The company also promised users it would be transparent about its internal age determination methods and the vendors it partners with going forward.

Waymo's robotaxis now being dispatched in 10 major U.S. markets with expansion in Texas and Florida

Waymo will begin dispatching its robotaxis in four more cities in Texas and Florida, expanding the territory covered by its fleet of self-driving cars to 10 major U.S. metropolitan markets. The move into Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, Florida, announced Tuesday widens Waymo’s early lead in autonomous driving while rival services from Tesla and the Amazon-owned Zoox are still testing their robotaxis in a few cities. In contrast, Waymo’s robotaxis already have been providing more than 400,000 weekly trips in the six metropolitan areas where they already have been picking up passengers. Those inroads prompted investors to value Waymo at $126 billion in a recent fundraising.

Hegseth warns Anthropic to let the military use the company’s AI tech as it sees fit, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pressuring Anthropic to give the military broader access to its artificial intelligence technology or lose its Pentagon contract. Defense officials warned Tuesday that they could designate Anthropic a supply chain risk or use the Defense Production Act to essentially give the military more authority to use its products even if it doesn’t approve of how they are used. That’s according to a person familiar with the meeting and a senior Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Anthropic makes the chatbot Claude and is the last of its peers to not supply its technology to a new U.S. military internal network.