The Verge – Page 9

Samsung phones are getting a weird AI shopping platform nobody asked for

Glance AI, a brand owned by mobile advertising company InMobi, has announced a partnership with the Samsung Galaxy Store to roll out its e-commerce platform to Galaxy phones in the US. The company’s app centers around what it calls “a Generative AI shopping platform,” which is a serious contender for the most cursed phrase I’ve read today. The “experience” comprises both a standalone app and a lock screen component to try and sell you clothes. Crucially, the whole thing is “fully opt-in,” which, thank Christ. But even if you opt out — which you absolutely should! — this feels like a sign of things to come as advertisers try to leverage AI to sell us more stuff. Buckle up.
https://www.theverge.com/news/679541/samsung-galaxy-glance-ai-lock-screen-app

Glitch is basically shutting down

image via theverge.com

Glitch, the coding platform where developers can share and remix projects, will soon no longer offer its core feature: hosting apps on the web. In an update on Thursday, Glitch CEO Anil Dash said it will stop hosting projects and close user profiles on July 8th, 2025 — but stopped short of saying that it’s shutting down completely.
https://www.theverge.com/news/673457/glitch-coding-platform-shutting-down

Adobe is switching some Creative Cloud users to a pricier AI plan

Some of Adobe’s most expensive Creative Cloud subscriptions are about to get even pricier for users in North America. Starting from June 17th, the Creative Cloud All Apps plan will be renamed Creative Cloud Pro for users in the US, Canada, and Mexico, adding a bunch of generative AI perks in exchange for bumping up subscription costs.
https://www.theverge.com/news/670241/adobe-ai-creative-cloud-all-apps-pro-increase

The Overwatch developer team has unionized

“After a long history of layoffs, crunch, and subpar working conditions in the global video game industry, my coworkers and I are thrilled to be joining the broader union effort to organize our industry for the better, which has been long overdue,” organizing committee member Foster Elmendorf said in the CWA’s statement.
https://www.theverge.com/news/664873/overwatch-union-microsoft-activision-blizzard

Roku says its ads aren’t meant to be ‘interruptive’ after controversial test

Rost didn’t say as much directly, but it’s apparent that Roku was keenly aware of the bubbling up of complaints. “Advertisers want to be part of a good experience. They don’t want to be interruptive,” he told me. “We’re always testing. We listen to consumer feedback, we do all of our own A/B testing on the platform. We’re constantly tweaking and trying to figure out what’s going to be helpful for the user experience.”
https://www.theverge.com/tech/654389/roku-2025-event-ads-interview

Adobe and Figma tools are getting ChatGPT’s upgraded image generation model

Adobe’s leading ecosystem of creative tools including its Firefly and Express apps will provide access to OpenAI’s image generation capabilities, giving creators the choice and flexibility to experiment with different aesthetic styles – something business professionals, consumers and creators all value when generating new creative ideas. Figma is leveraging the latest model to bring advanced image generation and editing capabilities across its platform. Rolling out starting today, users can use ‘gpt-image-1’ in Figma Design to generate and edit images from simple prompt – adjusting styles, adding or removing objects, expanding backgrounds, and more. This new integration lets designers rapidly explore ideas and iterate visually, all in Figma.
https://www.theverge.com/news/654561/openai-chatgpt-image-generation-model-adobe-figma

How AI is reshaping wildlife conservation — for better or worse

To rescue species from the brink of extinction, first you have to know what you have, and how many – which is often easier said than done, especially in fields with a lot to count. Scientists estimate less than 20 percent of insect species on Earth have been identified. After AI reviewed just a week’s worth of camera trap footage in Panama, researchers say they found over 300 species previously unknown to science.
https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/653322/ai-wildlife-conservation