AI News Archive: August 17, 2026 — Part 10
Sourced from 500+ daily AI sources, scored by relevance.
- Proposed PINN framework (IMAGE)
Proposed PINN framework (IMAGE) EurekAlert!
- Your Lifetime Access to More Than 50 AI Models Is Only $40 Right Now
Your Lifetime Access to More Than 50 AI Models Is Only $40 Right Now PCMag
Score: 06🌐 MovesAug 17, 2026https://www.pcmag.com/deals/your-lifetime-access-to-more-than-50-ai-models-is-only-40-right-now - Establishing a Solid Foundation for Cyber Resilience C
Establishing a Solid Foundation for Cyber Resilience C itpro.com
Score: 06🌐 MovesAug 17, 2026https://www.itpro.com/security/establishing-a-solid-foundation-for-cyber-resilience-c - The 2026 Complete Claude AI, Claude Code, Claude Cowork & ChatGPT Training Bundle
The 2026 Complete Claude AI, Claude Code, Claude Cowork & ChatGPT Training Bundle StackSocial
- Claude & ChatGPT for Project Management Bundle
Claude & ChatGPT for Project Management Bundle StackSocial
Score: 05🌐 MovesAug 17, 2026https://store.entrepreneur.com/sales/claude-chatgpt-for-project-management-bundle?aid - Fleck AI
Validate ideas, create build-ready designs, and publish work that gets discovered.
- Zens AI
AI support that fixes your product while it helps customers.
- Spesa Smart
spesa smart
- DEFAI Development Company
Building Intelligent Infrastructure for DeFi
- DCA Trading Bot Development
Automate Crypto Trading with Smarter DCA Strategies
- Ninja Era
An anime-style RPG inspired by Genshin Impact
- Pathrule Studio
Context and workflows for AI coding agents
- Urogenital Schistosomiasis in Dam- Adjacent Communities, Kano State, Nigeria
Abstract Background: Urogenital schistosomiasis remains a major neglected tropical disease in rural communities, particularly in reservoir-adjacent settings where sustained human-water contact facilitates persistent transmission. Despite ongoing control efforts, communities located around reservoirs may experience persistent transmission partly due to socioeconomic water exposure and presence of infected intermediate host snails in aquatic habitats. This study assessed the prevalence, intensity, and epidemiological correlates of Schistosoma haematobium infection in reservoir-adjacent communities in Kano State, Nigeria to better understand local transmission. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 447 consenting participants from six communities located around three water reservoirs in Kano State. Sociodemographic characteristics, water-contact behaviour, sanitation practices, treatment-seeking behaviour, and knowledge related to urogenital schistosomiasis were obtained using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Urine samples collected between 10:00 and 14:00 were examined using microscopy following centrifugation/sedimentation. Schistosoma haematobium isolates were characterised by molecular methods, using PCR and Sanger dideoxy sequencing. Bulinus snails were collected from the reservoirs by handpicking and scooping methods. Nucleotide sequences were analysed using NCBI BLAST to confirm species identity. Epidemiological data on Schistosoma haematobium infection were analysed using chi-square tests and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess associations with explanatory variables. Results: The overall prevalence of S. haematobium infection was 34.23% (153/447), indicating moderate endemicity. Molecular study confirmed the occurrence of pure S. haematobium. Community-specific prevalence ranged from 32.35% to 37.84%. Heavy-intensity infection (>50 eggs/10 mL urine) occurred in 17.65% of infected participants. Infection was most common among children and adolescents and was higher in males than females, although the sex difference was not statistically significant. Water-contact behaviour was the strongest correlate of infection: participants reporting water contact had a markedly higher prevalence than those without such exposure (39.12% vs 3.28%; OR = 18.96, 95% CI: 4.56-78.73). Fetching water (aOR = 2.57; 95% CI = 1.53 -4.34; p < 0.001) and Swimming (aOR = 2.37; 95% CI = 1.42 -3.94; p = 0.001) were the specific activities most strongly associated with higher odds of S. haematobium infection. Age (aOR = 0.91; 95% CI = 0.87 - 0.95; p < 0.001) significantly reduced the odds of infection. In terms of gender, female participants had significantly lower odds of infection compared with males (aOR = 0.52; 0.29 0.92; p = 0.03). Knowledge of transmission was poor, with only a small proportion of participants correctly identifying contact with contaminated water as the cause of infection. A rare ectopic detection of S. mansoni eggs in urine was also observed. Presence of S. haematobium-infected Bulinus intermediate hosts in the water reservoirs was reported. Conclusions: Urogenital schistosomiasis remains actively transmitted in reservoir-adjacent communities in Kano State, with infection strongly associated with frequent human-water contact and poor disease knowledge. These findings support the need for integrated control strategies combining praziquantel-based preventive chemotherapy, targeted health education, improved water and sanitation, and behaviour-focused interventions to reduce reinfection and interrupt transmission. Keywords: Urogenital schistosomiasis, Schistosoma haematobium, water reservoirs, prevalence, risk factors
- Amazon, which started off selling books, is destroying rare texts to train AI
Rare books are incredibly valuable for training LLMs, since these models have already trained on whatever's available online.
- Hidden Airtag reveals Amazon is trashing rare books to train AI
Amazon’s team uses a T. rex preparing to devour a book as its logo.
- AI Companies Are Buying—And Destroying—Antique Books. Here’s Why.
Millions of physical books are being scanned to train AI models. They’re then dumped in the trash.
- AirTag reveals how Amazon destroys rare books for AI training
Amazon buys large quantities of printed books, scans them as AI training data, and destroys them in the process. The article AirTag reveals how Amazon destroys rare books for AI training appeared first on The Decoder .
- AI companies are buying used books by the thousands. Some may be destroyed for training
Not too many years ago, before the dawn of Kindles , used bookstores were a refuge for budget-minded, voracious readers. As the industry evolved, many suffered. Now they’re seeing a resurgence in sales, but the customers increasingly aren’t bookworms. They’re AI companies. Barter Books, for instance, typically sells 2,000 to 3,000 books per week, which isn’t bad for a used bookstore in Northumberland, the least densely populated county in England. Recently, however, the owner got a bulk order from a company in Canada for that many books in a single day. Several other bookshops in the area are seeing similar demand. And while they can’t definitively say what the books are being used for, a recent court ruling offers a clue. The fate of those books may also be a dire one. AI companies have been in hot water with the literary world in recent months. Anthropic recently reached one of the largest copyright infringement settlements in history, agreeing to pay $1.5 billion to more than 300,000 writers who filed a complaint against the AI giant two years ago. OpenAI, meanwhile, is still facing several copyright infringement lawsuits from a variety of sources, including The New York Times , Encyclopedia Britannica, comedian Sarah Silverman, and several nonfiction authors, who accuse the company of copying their books to train its large language model and saying OpenAI has “enjoyed enormous financial gain from their exploitation of copyrighted material.” The Anthropic suit, however, may have provided a path forward for AI companies. The court ruled that it was not illegal for Anthropic to train its AI on copyrighted works, as long as it paid for the books it used. A separate judge ruled similarly last year for Meta. Used books offer AI companies a cheaper way to acquire source material. Some publishers might also refuse to supply copies directly to an AI company if they know what it plans to do with them. The Anthropic suit highlighted a program at the company called “Project Panama,” which Anthropic described as its “effort to destructively scan all the books in the world.” A memo highlighted as an exhibit in the trial explained that the company used a codename for the training method “because we don’t want it to be known that we are working on this.” Destructive scanning physically disassembles bound books so their individual pages can be fed through high-speed scanners and ingested by a large language model. Once the scanning process is complete, the pages are discarded, recycled, or pulped. While it may not be an especially big deal if a copy of a mass-market paperback gets destroyed, something that happens all the time, book enthusiasts worry that rare books, which are often sold by used bookstores to collectors, could be swept up in the process as well. Anthropic tells the BBC that’s not the case, saying “none of our data acquisition programs buy and destroy rare or antiquarian books” in a statement. It’s unlikely, however, that Anthropic is the only AI company using this method to train its systems, and other companies may not have the same limitations on what they destructively scan. Antique and rare books, after all, often contain information that other books don’t, which could make them particularly valuable as training material. One recent shipment containing at least one rare book, for instance, was tracked to an Amazon AI training facility in Las Vegas, which destructively scans books for AI training. Most used booksellers can’t say definitively who is buying books from them in bulk. The orders come through marketplaces like Biblio , which anonymizes buyers. But when thousands of books are ordered at once, it’s unlikely they’re all going to avid readers adding to their personal collections. While some store owners might have ethical reservations about where the books are going, the cash infusion is welcome. Bookstore sales peaked in 2007 at $17.18 billion and have largely been falling ever since. Although the industry has seen a slight comeback in the past three years, many bookstores have still had to reevaluate their business models or close their doors for good.
- Amazon Caught Destroying Rare Books to Train AI
"They just want the content as a bunch of words strung together." The post Amazon Caught Destroying Rare Books to Train AI appeared first on Futurism .
- Nvidia invests $1.5B into massive AI campus that will serve OpenAI
The project includes at least $4.2 billion in regional grid upgrades and an $80 million community benefits fund. The campus is being developed on a former uranium enrichment facility site.
- Nvidia invests $1.5B in SB Energy for OpenAI Ohio AI campus
The project includes at least $4.2 billion in regional grid upgrades and an $80 million community benefits fund. The campus is being developed on a former uranium enrichment facility site.
- Uber adds Zipline drones to its Eats delivery network
Uber is also making investing in Zipline a part of the tie-up.
- Uber aims for 1 million daily drone deliveries with Zipline partnership
The first Zipline drone deliveries for Uber Eats orders will start later this year.
- Uber Aims For 1 Million Drone Deliveries Per Day By 2029
Uber Aims For 1 Million Drone Deliveries Per Day By 2029 PCMag
- Uber, Zipline team up to drive toward 1M drone deliveries a day
The partnership, which begins in Houston and Dallas, includes an undisclosed investment by the ride-hailing company.
- Wispr talks its way to a $2 billion valuation. The company says dictation’s only the beginning
Wispr has raised $280 million in its Menlo Ventures-led Series B, as it looks beyond dictation. Read More
- Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio data center
Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio data center Reuters
- Nvidia to Back Ohio Data Center With as Much as $105 Billion
The data center, one of the world’s largest, could cost as much as $500 billion and will be leased by OpenAI.
- Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio data centre
The new deal is the latest example of Nvidia financing the infrastructure built around its chips, a strategy that helps drive demand but has also raised questions about circular funding flows between the chip giant and its customers. Huang said the new deal was not circular financing and that Nvidia is using "its scale and long-term visibility" to help.
- Nvidia to provide up to US$105 billion guarantee for OpenAI’s Ohio data centre
Nvidia has agreed to provide a guarantee of up to US$105 billion to help OpenAI lease a sprawling data centre in Ohio being developed by SoftBank-backed SB Energy, in one of the chipmaker’s largest infrastructure financing commitments. The Jensen Huang-led firm said on Monday it will also invest US$1.5 billion in SB Energy, months after a US$1 billion investment from OpenAI and SoftBank to expand data centre infrastructure. The new deal is the latest example of Nvidia financing the...
- OpenAI Launches Computer History for ChatGPT and Codex on Mac
OpenAI’s Computer History turns Mac activity into searchable memories. See how it works, who can use it, and the privacy and security risks. The post OpenAI Launches Computer History for ChatGPT and Codex on Mac appeared first on TechRepublic .
- OpenAI signs record Ohio data center lease with Nvidia backing up to $105 billion
OpenAI has signed a 20-year lease for an 8-gigawatt data center in Ohio. Nvidia is guaranteeing up to $105 billion for the residual value of the facilities and becomes the exclusive chip supplier. According to the Wall Street Journal, nine tech companies now hold around $3 trillion in AI commitments that don't appear on any balance sheet. The article OpenAI signs record Ohio data center lease with Nvidia backing up to $105 billion appeared first on The Decoder .
- Nvidia to provide up to $105bn guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio data center
Nvidia to provide up to $105bn guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio data center Nikkei Asia
- OpenAI to lease massive new AI data centre in US, backed by Nvidia
OpenAI to lease massive new AI data centre in US, backed by Nvidia The Straits Times
- OpenAI To Lease Massive New AI Data Center In US, Backed By Nvidia
OpenAI To Lease Massive New AI Data Center In US, Backed By Nvidia Barron's
- Trump crypto firm backs venture offering AI from restricted Chinese companies
Trump crypto firm backs venture offering AI from restricted Chinese companies
- Trump Kids Back Venture That Sidesteps Trump Administration’s AI Firewall
The not-so-great walling off of China.
- AI market correction is coming, ECB blog predicts
A market correction to tech stock exuberance in the US is likely and could have far-reaching consequences due to limits in fiscal and monetary policy buffers to blunt the potential economic hit, a European Central Bank blog post said today.
- Europe risks financial crisis if AI bubble bursts, warns ECB
Europe risks financial crisis if AI bubble bursts, warns ECB The Telegraph
- ByteDance signs AI copyright pact with Hollywood trade group
ByteDance signs AI copyright pact with Hollywood trade group The Straits Times
- ByteDance agrees to reel in its AI models to protect Hollywood IPs
TikTok's parent company signed a memorandum of understanding with The Motion Picture Association.
- Albertsons says AI is to thank for shoppers spending more
The news is a bright spot in an otherwise mediocre year for Albertsons
- Albertsons says AI is to thank for shoppers spending more
The news is a bright spot in an otherwise mediocre year for Albertsons
- AI decodes the mathematical ‘fingerprints’ of famous jazz musicians, from Chick Corea to Thelonious Monk
Music and math often come together in ways we don’t expect
- Can computers learn what makes the most iconic jazz musicians stand out?
Machine learning models can identify jazz pianists from recordings and reveal the musical "fingerprints" that make individual performers recognizable, according to a study investigating 20 famous jazz pianists. The research, published in Nature Machine Intelligence, could offer insight into artist attribution and style, cultural heritage, and music education.
- Claude to start watermarking AI-generated text – but will it make quality worse?
Anthropic says it will change way chatbot makes small, random choices, to comply with EU regulation The world is familiar by now with the usual tropes of machine-generated text: overuse of the word “delve”, an excess of em dashes, and the chirpy, relentless construction of “it’s not X but Y” . But is it about to get even worse? Continue reading...
- Claude Text Watermark Explained: How Anthropic Will Detect AI Content
Anthropic has explained the technology behind Claude’s upcoming text watermarking system, which will use word-selection patterns to indicate whether the AI contributed to a passage. The company says the method will not alter response quality, add hidden characters or increase costs. Detection will be less reliable for short, factual or lightly edited text, while cod...
- What Claudes AI text watermark actually does
Anthropic explains how Claude's new text watermarking works, why it's rolling out, and what it can and can't prove.
- Anthropic explains how Claude’s controversial new ‘watermarking’ feature works
Attempt to mark out AI-generated text has led to intense criticism – and explanation has only made it stronger
- Anthropic's new invisible watermark marks content generated by AI chatbot Claude
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Fortune Magazine AI reporter Beatrice Nolan about the invisible watermark embedded in anything new models of Anthropic's AI assistant Claude processes.