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Apple AI executive Ke Yang departs for Meta amid intensifying talent war

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Apple has lost another key artificial intelligence executive to Meta, as competition for top AI talent across Silicon Valley continues to escalate. Ke Yang, who was recently appointed to lead Apple’s new Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) division — a team central to the overhaul of Siri and Apple’s web-based AI search project — is reportedly leaving to join Meta Platforms, according to Bloomberg News.

Yang’s departure comes just weeks after her promotion, which positioned her at the forefront of Apple’s push to develop a ChatGPT-like AI-driven search tool. The project was expected to debut in March as part of Apple’s broader effort to integrate generative AI into its ecosystem.

Neither Apple, Meta, nor Yang have commented publicly on the move. Yang joined Apple in 2019, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has been aggressively recruiting AI experts from competitors including Apple, Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic, as major tech firms pour billions into advancing generative AI and large language models. Bloomberg previously reported that other Apple executives, including Ruoming Pang and Robby Walker, have also recently left the company amid the growing AI talent war.

The move underscores the fierce competition among tech giants seeking to gain an edge in the race toward AI-powered search and digital assistants — a space increasingly defined by breakthroughs in conversational models and multimodal intelligence.

OpenAI to permit mature content on ChatGPT for verified adults from December

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OpenAI will begin allowing mature content on ChatGPT starting in December for users who verify their age, CEO Sam Altman announced on Tuesday. The decision marks a major policy shift under OpenAI’s new “treat adult users like adults” principle, following earlier restrictions that limited the chatbot’s ability to handle sensitive topics.

Altman said on X (formerly Twitter) that the company made ChatGPT “pretty restrictive” to avoid harm to users experiencing mental distress, which he acknowledged had made the chatbot “less useful or enjoyable” for others. “As we roll out age-gating more fully … we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” he said.

The move comes as OpenAI develops new safety tools and moderation systems aimed at identifying mental health risks and ensuring appropriate usage. Altman added that the company now feels confident it can safely relax restrictions for most adult users while maintaining strong protections for minors.

In parallel, OpenAI plans to roll out a customization feature that lets users adjust ChatGPT’s tone and personality, including more expressive or conversational styles. “If you want ChatGPT to act more human-like or friendly, it should — but only if you want it,” Altman said.

The announcement came the same day Meta introduced new PG-13-style content filters on Instagram, underscoring the growing trend among tech firms to tailor content standards by user age and consent verification.

Walmart teams up with OpenAI to launch ChatGPT-powered shopping feature

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Walmart announced a new partnership with OpenAI on Tuesday, enabling customers and Sam’s Club members to shop directly through ChatGPT using the platform’s Instant Checkout feature. The move marks the retail giant’s latest step toward integrating artificial intelligence into its e-commerce operations.

Following the news, Walmart shares rose 5% to $107.21, reflecting investor optimism about the company’s expanding digital strategy. The collaboration allows users to browse and purchase Walmart products directly within ChatGPT, using conversational prompts to find items and complete transactions seamlessly.

The world’s largest retailer has been steadily expanding its AI efforts, rolling out Sparky, a generative AI assistant within its mobile app that helps users discover products, summarize reviews, and find personalized suggestions.

The tie-up with OpenAI aligns Walmart more closely with rivals like Amazon, which earlier launched its own AI shopping assistant Rufus, designed to streamline online searches and product recommendations.

The partnership follows OpenAI’s recent collaborations with Etsy and Shopify, as ChatGPT becomes increasingly integrated into online retail ecosystems. According to SimilarWeb, ChatGPT referrals accounted for 15% of Walmart’s referral traffic in September, up from 9.5% in August, although they still make up less than 1% of overall web traffic.

Walmart said the initiative reflects its broader commitment to using generative AI to improve customer experience and simplify the shopping journey both online and in stores.