#14 - Zuckerberg Wants Meta AI Bots To Be Your Friends

Google’s AI Training Loophole, NotebookLM Apps, Apple-Anthropic Coding, Meta’s AI Companions, and Palantir’s DOGE Recruiter

May 03, 2025

Welcome back to today’s edition of the Altern Newsletter — your daily dose of the most exciting breakthroughs, tools, and trends shaping the world of AI.

Apple and Anthropic reportedly partner to build an AI coding platform

Apple and Anthropic are developing a “vibe-coding” platform, integrating Claude Sonnet into an updated Xcode for writing, editing, and testing code, initially for internal use. Apple may roll it out publicly, collaborating with OpenAI and Google to bolster its AI-driven developer tools. This strengthens Apple’s ecosystem amid growing competition in AI coding solutions. - TechCrunch

Zuckerberg wants Meta AI bots to be your friends and companions

Meta is crafting AI bots as friendly companions powered by Llama 4, with Mark Zuckerberg envisioning them as daily tools for creativity and advice. Aimed at rivaling xAI’s Grok, these bots focus on emotional engagement across Meta’s platforms. The initiative sparks debate about AI’s role in human relationships and social dynamics. - Axios

Google’s NotebookLM Android and iOS apps are available for pre-order

Google’s NotebookLM, an AI tool for summarizing and querying documents, is now open for pre-order on Android and iOS, enhanced by Gemini 2.0. It offers improved note-taking and research features, competing with Microsoft Copilot. The mobile launch expands access, catering to professionals and students on the go. - TechCrunch

DOGE Recruiter: How Palantir’s AI Agents Got a Meme-Inspired Name

Palantir’s DOGE Recruiter, named after a meme coin and clown emoji, uses Claude models to streamline Defense Department hiring by analyzing resumes and matching candidates. Built on Palantir’s platform, it showcases AI’s practical yet quirky military applications. Critics question its reliance on Anthropic’s AI amid defense sector scrutiny. - Wired

Google Can Train Search AI With Web Content Even After Opt-Out

Google testified in court that its publisher opt-out for AI training applies only to DeepMind, not search AI products like AI Overviews, allowing web content use despite opt-outs. This raises concerns about digital rights, copyright, and publisher leverage, potentially undermining trust in Google’s AI practices. The revelation emerged during the US v. Google case, highlighting tensions in AI data usage. - Bloomberg

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