OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son have announced a significant partnership, with SoftBank pledging to invest $3 billion annually in OpenAI products. The collaboration aims to develop a platform called "Cristal Intelligence," which will focus on automating millions of traditionally white-collar workflows. While the partnership promises to bring about significant advancements in AI technology, it has also raised concerns about the potential impact on employment, with many fearing widespread job automation and subsequent unemployment.

The announcement was made during an onstage chat between Altman and Son in Tokyo, where they discussed the potential of AI "agents" to revolutionize various industries. SoftBank, a major investor and partner of OpenAI, has committed to supporting the development of OpenAI's massive data center infrastructure project in the U.S. In return, OpenAI will provide SoftBank with access to its AI products and expertise.

However, the partnership has sparked concerns about the potential consequences of automation on the workforce. With millions of jobs potentially at risk, critics argue that the focus on automation and efficiency may come at the expense of workers' welfare. The issue is not new, with many experts warning about the potential downsides of unchecked AI adoption. As Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of fintech Klarna, has often emphasized, the replacement of human workers with AI agents may lead to significant unemployment and social unrest.

In a press release, SoftBank stated that the goal of the partnership is to "transform its business and services, and create new value" by automating and autonomizing tasks and workflows. While the promise of increased efficiency and productivity is enticing, it remains to be seen how the partnership will address the concerns about job automation and its impact on workers.

In other OpenAI news, the company has launched a new AI "agent" designed to help people conduct in-depth, complex research using ChatGPT, its AI-powered chatbot platform. Additionally, OpenAI has launched a new AI "reasoning" model, o3-mini, which boasts improved efficiency and response speed.

Meanwhile, the European Union has introduced new regulations allowing regulators to ban AI systems deemed to pose "unacceptable risk" or harm. The move comes as governments and industries grapple with the challenges and implications of AI adoption.

In related news, a new play has premiered, exploring the culture of AI "doomers" and the potential consequences of unchecked AI development. The play is loosely based on Sam Altman's ousting as CEO of OpenAI in November 2023.

Google's X "moonshot factory" has also announced the graduation of Heritable Agriculture, a data- and machine learning-driven startup aiming to improve crop yields. The development highlights the diverse applications of AI technology and its potential to drive innovation across various industries.

A recent research paper has shed light on the limitations of reasoning models, which are often touted as a solution to complex problem-solving. The study, conducted by researchers at Chinese company Tencent, found that "underthinking" patterns tend to occur more frequently with harder problems, leading models to switch between reasoning chains without arriving at answers. The team proposes a fix that employs a "thought-switching penalty" to encourage models to thoroughly develop each line of reasoning before considering alternatives, boosting models' accuracy.

Finally, a team of researchers backed by TikTok owner ByteDance, Chinese AI company Moonshot, and others has released a new open model capable of generating high-quality music from prompts. The model, called YuE, can output a song up to a few minutes in length complete with vocals and backing tracks. While the development is impressive, it raises concerns about the potential use of copyrighted data in the model's training set, which could lead to future intellectual property challenges.

In conclusion, the partnership between OpenAI and SoftBank marks a significant milestone in the development of AI technology. However, it also raises important questions about the potential impact on employment and the need for responsible AI development. As the industry continues to evolve, it is essential to address these concerns and ensure that the benefits of AI are shared equitably.