OpenAI Gives Sneak Peek Into Its First AI Agent ‘Operator’ With Launch Due Soon

OpenAI promised that 2025 would be a major year for AI agents and it seems like the company is staying true to that.

In case you’re still wondering, these are tools that can conduct tasks automatically. We mean they can even perform human-like actions on their own when instructed to do so. OpenAI shared a sneak peek at what many users can expect from its Operator agent as it hopes for a launch in the US soon.

The general purpose agent takes control of web browsers and conducts certain tastes independently. It would be up for grabs to those paying $200 a month for Pro subscriptions first which does make sense. However, the agent will soon be a part of the Plus, Enterprise, and Team tiers.

Altman shared how he plans on a global launch as well but a launch in the EU might take some time, thanks to the greater laws related to the tech world involved. Those wanting a little extra information can head on over to operator.chatgpt.com for the research preview. With time, the AI agent would soon become part of its host of clients on ChatGPT.

So far, tasks that can be performed with ease by the Operator include making travel bookings, reservations at restaurants, and carrying out online shopping tasks. There’s a list of categories that users can select from such as dining, shopping, travel, and delivery. All of these enable various types of automation.

When the Operator is activated, a tiny window pops up that displays dedicated web browsers that agents use for fulfilling tasks, alongside explanations for certain actions that they would be performing. Users could still take full command of their screen if and when the Operator is in action. This is related to the fact that the Operator has a separate dedicated browser.

As per OpenAI, the tool is powered using CUA that merges visual services with the firm’s GPT-4o model. This also entails reasoning abilities in more advanced systems. The agent can interact more with websites which means it does not need to make use of APIs facing developers to perform tasks.

The CUA makes use of various navigation menus, buttons, and options for filling forms on pages like we do in the regular world. Soon, the company also hopes to collaborate with other leading firms such as Instacart, StubHub, Uber, and Priceline to make way for seamless partnerships that respect their service agreements.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

AI-Driven Changes Will Reshape Mobile Engagement, Social Media Budgets, and Consumer Data Collection by 2027

According to Gartner Inc. mobile usage is expected to drop 25% by 2027 due to AI assistants. Many users are going to use AI assistants like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence and Meta AI to perform a lot of functions that they were doing on many apps previously. In the future, many app companies are also going to get partnered to create shared apps which will help apps reach more users and will help split the cost for developing and maintaining apps.

Emily Weiss from Gartner says that CMOs should start planning the future with less mobile app usage, and brands with low app engagement are going to be the ones most affected by it. Brands that depend on apps can face challenges if users start engaging more with AI assistants for services. If an app is losing users, it means losing first-party data and the ability of brands to reach out to people through their mobile notifications.

Gartner’s 2024 CMO Spend Survey finds that a lot of website traffic is driven by search, followed by direct visits. This means that any change in algorithm can also result in search traffic which will negatively impact businesses. If CMOs want to adapt to this change, they will have to hire individuals with GenAI expertise to monitor how AI-driven changes are affecting content performance in search algorithms. It is also becoming important to invest in upskilling teams to create and optimize content that can help in rankings with evolving search technologies because by 2026, more than one third of web content will be created for Gen-AI powered search (this means content will be optimized for AI algorithms that understand user intent, instead of optimizing it for regular search engines results like Google or Bing).

By 2028, 30% of the social media budget of marketers will be shifted on advertising and partnerships on subscription based platforms. Users will be moving away from traditional social media to platforms like Discord and Patreon because they offer more self-selected audiences and are also more engaging which makes them attractive for brands to advertise. It is also predicted that 85% of the consumer data is going to be collected through automated interactions or AI driven agents by 2027 and brands will rely on them for future customer interactions. Marketers will have to make strategies about their usage and will have to know when to trust those AI agents in roles which require interacting with customers.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: ChatGPT Leads Global AI Search Trends, Google Gemini Follows Closely
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Study Links Short-Form Video Consumption to Poor Academic Performance in Children

According to new study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, children who watch a lot of short-form videos like TikTok show signs of poor academic performance as they have reduced attention spans. The study shows that digital media is negatively influencing young kids. As the study was based in China where academic performances are highly important, the trend of young kids getting addicted to short-form videos is really alarming. Influence of parental media use and attention of students also affect academic performances of children a lot.

For the study, researchers gathered 1,052 elementary students from Shenzhen through their academic records and questionnaires. The students were asked to provide information about their short-form video watching habits and their parents were asked to provide information about their own media usage habits as well as their perspective of screen time of their children. The academic performance of children was assessed through their exam scores and the researchers also designed a test to measure stability, breadth, shifting and allocation habits of attention in those children.

The results of the study proved that there is a negative relationship between children watching short-form videos for a long time and their academic performance. As children were using a lot of time watching short-form videos, there was a decrease in their attention span and they were finding it difficult to focus on tasks related to their academics. This shows that there's a relationship between screen time and cognitive function and it can highly affect our attention and ability to perform various tasks.

• Read next: Short-Form Video Consumption Alters Brain Structure, Affecting Emotions and Attention

The study also found that there is an influence of parental role, as parents who watch short-form videos for a long time showed a negative relationship between their children’s attention and screen time. Children tend to copy what their parents do, but reduced opportunities for parent-child interactions because of high screen time of parents or children can also impact children’s focus. Children with less attention span due to watching short-form videos also had parents with more screen time, while children who showed moderate attention span had parents with less screen time.

These findings show that there is an influence of the family environment on children’s social media habits and parents’ behavior can shape children's experience with digital media. More studies need to be done to find out more behavioral implications between attention and media usage. It should also be done among various other cultures and regions so we can find out if that's the case in other parts of the world too.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

TikTok Sparks Outrage After Labeling ‘Free Palestine’ as Hateful Behavior

TikTok is now flagging posts featuring phrases in support of Palestine as ‘Free Speech’ or ‘Hateful Behavior’.

Users shared how the timing of the incident is ironic as it comes after a short ban of the app in America, before being reinstated by an executive order by new President Donald Trump. The platform remains off from Apps Stores around the country as the fate remains in limbo regarding a sellout to a US firm.

Trump wants a portion of the company sold to an American and even shares who he thinks would be great candidates for buyers. He was credited for being the platform’s hero and TikTok was seen sharing its gratitude for extending the deadline by 75 days.

However, censorship is running strong on the app after this sudden turn of events. One user shared screen recordings of the effect of writing ‘Free Palestine’ on a post published through TikTok. In seconds, he gets an alert about a systems notification that this comment was deleted. It refers to the comment, place, time of publications, and how it’s a violation of hate speech and not welcomed on TikTok.

Image: AdameMedia / X

That post was published and shared by millions and that has urged others to come forward and share similar experiences while condemning the platform’s shocking behavior. This has given way to a bigger conversation about the content moderation policies at stake that keep being perceived under the bias theme. Many believe Donald Trump’s influence is greatly related to this outcome.

What’s also interesting is how frequently the app hides searches related to anti-Trump content, ever since it was reinstated. On the other hand, some users shared how they were shocked to see accounts following Trump and Vance out of the blue.

Today, social media platforms are bending down to this fascist behavior which is wrong, one furious user shared the violation they received on TikTok. Others were quick to note that this situation is similar to the times of authoritarian regimes.

Another went as far as to call TikTok dead and hope the switch to RedNote would not disappoint. For now, TikTok is yet to speak or comment on the matter. But this entire incident is leaving many questions in users’ minds about the app’s future.

Read next: Dutch Police Use Flawed Algorithm to Predict Juvenile Offenses, Raising Ethical Concerns
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Dutch Police Use Flawed Algorithm to Predict Juvenile Offenses, Raising Ethical Concerns

According to Dutch investigative journalists at FTM, Dutch police are using algorithms that can tell if young people can become offenders in the future. The algorithm is unofficially named as Preselect Recidive evaluates young people between the ages of 12 and 18 to find out if they will reoffend after having contact with law enforcement. The general idea of this algorithm is similar to a 2002 film called Minorities Report. Just like in the movie, we cannot tell the future because the results of the algorithm also showed many incorrect scores. One in three children who had been evaluated were mislabeled and the system categorized them as future offenders.

Law enforcement using algorithms to assign youngsters a score is questionable. The children have to provide their age, personal and household police interactions and even information if they were a bystander witness in a crime. The algorithm gives scores on the basis of some similar factors and a child can be predicted as a future offender if any relative of his experiences any police custody a long time ago. The algorithm’s score also decides if a young person is going to have to face any penalities. Some Dutch experts say that the high number of false positives by the algorithm only give correct scores by chance.

Some Dutch municipalities have made lists of young people who are likely to offend in the future or may be subjected to police attention. Some experts also said that Preselect Recidive can be helpful in determining who is going to offend in the future while other factors are at play too. There are some risks too like the selected young people getting more attention from law enforcement and being incriminated even if they are not prone to crime.

Other people who get low scores may become more prone to crime and could commit many offences. But as people with high scores would be more under police scrutiny, actual criminals would be overlooked. This will make matters worse because lawyers and offenders both didn't know that Dutch law enforcement had employed this method at all. The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security said that they know that there are limitations in the algorithm but the system is good enough for now.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

How to Defend Against Cyber Threats in 2025

Cybersecurity threats are more than just technical glitches—they are real and potential dangers that threaten individuals, businesses, and governments. With cybercriminals becoming increasingly sophisticated, the stakes have never been higher. As we step into 2025, it's clear that cybersecurity must remain a top priority for everyone navigating the digital environment.

Understanding Cybersecurity Threats: Why They’re Dangerous

Cybersecurity threats encompass a range of malicious activities targeting digital systems, networks, and devices. These can include ransomware, phishing attacks, data breaches, and even exploitation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. But why are these threats so dangerous?

1. Data Vulnerability: Sensitive personal and corporate data is at risk of being stolen or manipulated. A single breach can expose millions of users' private information.
2. Financial Loss: Cyberattacks cost businesses billions annually. From ransom payments to the fallout of disrupted operations, the economic implications are staggering.
3. Erosion of Trust: Customers lose confidence in brands that fail to protect their data. Similarly, employees may need to be more confident in their ability to trust employers with their information.
4. National Security Risks: Critical infrastructure, such as healthcare, energy, and defense, is a prime target, putting entire nations at risk.

Why Preparation Is Crucial for Combating Cyber Threats

Preparation is not just a good practice; it’s essential. The future of cybersecurity in 2025 will demand proactive measures rather than reactive responses. Here’s why preparation matters:

1. Prevention is Cheaper Than Recovery: Recovering from a cyberattack often costs more than implementing preventive measures. This includes both direct costs and indirect losses like reputational damage.
2. Compliance Requirements: Governments worldwide are tightening cybersecurity regulations, and failure to comply can result in hefty fines.
3. AI-Powered Threats: According to this blog post, cybercriminals are expected to leverage AI to execute more precise and large-scale attacks. Being prepared now is key to mitigating these future risks.
4. Business Continuity: A well-prepared cybersecurity strategy ensures your systems can withstand attacks and recover quickly without significant downtime.

Making the Most Out of Cybersecurity in 2025

So, how can you stay ahead of cybersecurity threats in 2025? Here are some actionable steps:

1. Embrace AI and Machine Learning

AI and machine learning are double-edged swords. While cybercriminals use them to enhance attacks, these technologies can bolster your defense. AI-driven threat detection tools can analyze vast amounts of data in real time, identifying anomalies before they become full-blown attacks.

2. Invest in Employee Training

Your team is your first line of defense. Regular training ensures that employees recognize phishing attempts, use secure passwords, and follow best practices for online safety. Training programs tailored to diverse teams and younger employees can foster a cybersecurity-conscious culture.

3. Strengthen Endpoint Security

With remote work becoming a norm, endpoint devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets are prime targets. Implement endpoint protection solutions that safeguard these devices, especially in decentralized work environments.

4. Adopt Zero Trust Architecture

Zero Trust is a security framework where nothing is trusted by default. This means continuously verifying users and devices, ensuring only authenticated entities access critical resources.

5. Leverage Blockchain for Security

Blockchain technology provides decentralized and tamper-proof solutions for securing transactions and data. It protects supply chains, financial systems, and healthcare data.

6. Prepare for IoT-Specific Threats

The explosion of IoT devices adds new vulnerabilities. Secure your IoT systems by updating firmware regularly, using secure networks, and ensuring devices are not exposed to unnecessary risks.

7. Keep Software and Systems Updated

Outdated software often contains vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. Regular updates and patch management can close these loopholes, reducing the attack risk.

8. Utilize Threat Intelligence Services

Stay informed about emerging threats by subscribing to threat intelligence services. These platforms provide real-time insights into cyber risks relevant to your industry or personal interests.

Looking Ahead for a Secure Digital Future

The fight against cybersecurity threats will require vigilance, innovation, and a proactive mindset as we move into the digital age. It’s not just about installing antivirus software; it’s about building a resilient framework capable of withstanding even the most advanced attacks. Whether you're an individual, a business, or a government entity, the strategies you implement today will determine your security tomorrow.

Image: DIW-Aigen
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Millennials Lead AI Adoption Through Trust, Education, and Technological Exposure

AI adoption is fairly new and in its early stages, but younger generations are going to adopt it completely in the future. Just like the people in their 20s who do not know a world without Google, younger generations are also not going to know a world without AI. AI is still improving a lot and it is important to know how younger generations are viewing AI tools in their everyday lives. MSCI created a data-visualization which shows how younger generations are feeling about AI adoption.

Millennials are driving the AI revolution due to educational edge, high acceptance and early exposure to technology. As millennials have higher education than other younger generations, they tend to earn more and learn new skills on the job. People between the ages 35-44 have more education (43%) than any other generation. Millennials are also more likely to trust (42%) and accept AI (40%) than older generations. In comparison, Gen-X shows 37% trust and 31% acceptance of AI. Because of high levels of trust and acceptance, millennials are also more likely to adopt AI technology and find AI useful at work.

Millennials are also the generation who have lived through many technological innovations throughout their childhood and adult years and that's why they are comfortable and confident in using AI too. Millennials have lived through the first web browser, Bluetooth, iPhone, Amazon Echo and ChatGPT being released through four decades.

The infographic (featured below) also shows that millennials have more sector exposures, comprising communication services (26.9%), consumer discretionary (18.9%), information technology (17.6%) and financials (12.7%). Top five companies which are making products and services targeted at millennials are Apple (5.2%), VISA (4.9%), Meta (4.9%), Amazon (4.8%) and NVIDIA (4.7%).

Read next: Global AI Adoption Soars, but Developed Nations and Gender Gaps Pose Challenges
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World