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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has set off a “code red” alert to employees to improve its flagship product, ChatGPT, and delay other product developments, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported that Altman sent an internal memo to staff saying more work was needed to enhance the artificial intelligence chatbot's speed, reliability, and personalization features.

Several weeks ago marked three years since OpenAI first released ChatGPT, sparking global fascination and a commercial boom in generative AI technology and giving the San Francisco-based startup an early lead. But the company faces increased competition with rivals, including Google, which last November unleashed Gemini 3, the latest version of its own AI assistant.

OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Tech news outlet The Information also reported on the memo.

Altman said this fall that ChatGPT now has more than 800 million weekly users. But the company, valued at $500 billion, doesn’t make a profit and has committed more than $1 trillion in financial obligations to the cloud computing providers and chipmakers it relies on to power its AI systems.

The risk that OpenAI won't make enough money to fulfill the expectations of backers like Oracle and Nvidia has amplified investor concerns about an AI bubble.

Nick Turley, an OpenAI vice president and its head of ChatGPT, posted on social media that online search is one of the product's biggest areas of opportunity as the company focuses on making ChatGPT more capable and “even more intuitive and personal.”

OpenAI makes revenue from premium subscriptions to ChatGPT, but most users get the free version. OpenAI introduced its own web browser, Atlas, in October, an attempt to compete with Google's Chrome as more internet users rely on AI to answer their questions. But OpenAI hasn't yet tried to sell ads on ChatGPT, which is how Google makes money from its dominant search business.

Altman's memo said the company was delaying work on advertising, AI agents for health and shopping, and a personal assistant called Pulse, according to the journal.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

For many children, the experience of getting their first pair of glasses is an inevitable milestone, the first in a lifetime of visits to the eye doctor. But what if those lenses could actually help preserve the child's vision and reduce the chances of more serious eye problems in adulthood?

That's the promise of a new type of lens approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September. While the technology has previously been available in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, it's now rolling out in the U.S.

What is myopia, and why is it increasing? Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, is when people can clearly see objects at close range but struggle with distant objects, which often appear blurry or indistinct. Studies conducted around the world have shown rising rates of myopia, which researchers have associated with increased time indoors looking at screens, books, and other objects held close to the eyes.

In the U.S., 30% to 40% of children will have myopia by the time they finish high school, according to Dr. Michael Repka, a professor and pediatric ophthalmologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Until now, doctors have had few options for treating the condition.

It was typically and simply: 'Your child needs to wear glasses and they'll live with it,' Repka said. It will be lifelong and it will likely get worse over the next few years.

The specialized glasses, sold under the brand Essilor Stellest, are approved by the FDA to slow nearsightedness in 6- to 12-year-olds. The FDA said it cleared the lenses based on company data showing children experienced a 70% reduction in the progression of their myopia after two years.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Chain stores have Black Friday. Online marketplaces have Cyber Monday. For local businesses, it's Small Business Saturday.

In the last 20 years, more segments of the retail industry have vied for their own piece of the holiday shopping season. The travel trade firmly joined the trend with another post-Thanksgiving sales push: Travel Tuesday.

On the same day as the nonprofit world's Giving Tuesday, December 2, airlines, hotels, cruise ship companies, travel booking platforms, and tour operators got in on the annual spirit to spend by promoting one-day deals. Consumer advocates say there are legitimate savings to be had, but also chances to be misled by marketing that conveys a false sense of urgency.

“People see ‘40 percent off’ and assume it’s a once-in-a-lifetime steal, without recognizing that the underlying price may have been inflated or that the same itinerary was cheaper last month (October),” Sally French, a travel expert at personal finance site NerdWallet, said.

She and other seasoned travelers advised consumers who wanted to see if they could save money by booking trips on Travel Tuesday to do research in advance and to pay especially close attention to the fine print attached to offers.

People who were hoping to score last-minute deals for Christmas or New Year's needed to double-check for blackout dates or other restrictions, recommended Lindsay Schwimer, a consumer expert for the online travel site Hopper.

It’s also wise to keep an eye out for nonrefundable fares, resort fees, double occupancy requirements, or upgrade conditions that may be hidden within advertised discounts, according to French.

Shoppers should be wary of travel packages with extra transportation options or add-on offers, French said. Instead of lowering fares or room rates, some companies use statement credits, extra points, included amenities, and bundled extras as a way to tempt potential customers, she said.

“Many travel brands want to keep sticker prices high to maintain an aura of luxury, but they still need to fill planes, ships, and hotel rooms,” French said. “Add-on perks are their workaround.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

On a quiet street in one of Tokyo’s trendiest neighborhoods, a floral terrier mascot stands beneath a pastel signpost that reads “London,” forming part of the entrance to a Cath Kidston store. Cath Kidston is a British brand that has disappeared from the U.K. high streets but is now enjoying a revival in Japan.

The British retailer known for its vintage-inspired floral prints entered administration during the pandemic and closed all 60 U.K. stores. But the brand is thriving in Japan for a second time thanks to the country’s deep affection for British nostalgia and aesthetics. The brand resonates deeply with Japanese consumers drawn to soft romanticism and Anglophilia.

“I think they see potential in Japan. I'm not sure about the numbers, but I think Cath Kidston in Japan is pretty big compared to other franchise partners. We will have like six stores in a year, and that's a lot,” says Tiara Simmons, the brand director for Cath Kidston Japan.

Unlike past booms for luxury brands, today's Western companies, often overlooked at home, are being reborn here through local partnerships and a focus on quality. Global brands like Gap and Ikea are learning that to do well in Japan, where consumers demand a level of quality that borders on perfection, requires more than good marketing or translation skills.

Barneys New York was a cultural icon in the 1990s and early 2000s but folded in 2019. Now owned by Authentic Brands Group, it has a partnership with Laox Holdings in Japan, with 10 retail outlets.

“Barneys was something that appeared in many different places, like lines in movies, dialogue in TV dramas, or parts of novels. It was a brand that was truly loved by a wide range of celebrities and influential people,” says Barneys Japan president Penny Luo.

“So, in that sense, Barneys New York really became a kind of cultural icon. And so, when it came to Japan, there were a lot of customers who were genuinely thrilled: ‘It’s that Barneys; it has come to Japan!’ I believe that the image and status that Barneys developed in New York is something that people in Japan can still understand and appreciate.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Perhaps some of the most digitized countries on Earth, Scandinavian and Nordic nations are now going old-school—introducing nationwide bans on mobile devices, including smartphones, in schools. In Denmark, the country’s government hopes to introduce a ban on smartphones in public schools starting August next year.

Trongårdsskolen in Kongens Lyngby, 12 kilometers north of Copenhagen, is a mobile-free school. Two years ago, teachers at the Danish high school, which educates around 700 children aged between 9 and 16, put forward a motion to parents and school officials.

Teacher Bent Povlsen, 64, says things were getting out of hand—from constant interruptions in classes to “zombie” students sitting quietly on their phones, not interacting with fellow pupils. Parents would even call in the middle of class to discuss dinner or shopping trips. We saw a lot of students losing focus, we saw them lose concentration. They were mentally not really present in school,” recalls Povlsen. “They stopped playing, they stopped doing sports, they actually stopped talking with each other during breaks. That was a really sad moment.”

Now, when students arrive for the school day, they place their mobile devices—including smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches—into a secure cabinet, where they’re locked away until the end of classes. Special exceptions are made for students who need devices for diabetes apps or for disabilities like dyslexia, for example.

Povlsen, who’s been teaching at the school for 39 years, says it’s been a “really good decision.” It's been a huge success,” he says. “Today, we are back to normal. We see happy and smiling students. We see children playing. In classrooms, we see more focus, more concentration. So, we are on track again.

Some Trongårdsskolen students embrace the rules, while others feel they are excessive. We talk a lot at recess now. We used to maybe just play some games on our phones or scroll or something, but now, we talk,” smiles 14-year-old Nanna Christiansen. “At first, people were kind of like, ‘Oh, so annoying, you have to give up your phone,’ and they just didn't really hand them in,” says 15-year-old student Sally Jensen, who calls it a “pointless rule.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The pollution from food is sneaky. Because the apple sitting on your kitchen counter isn't really causing any harm. But chances are good that you didn't pick it from a tree in your backyard. It required land and water to grow, machines to harvest and process, packaging to ship, trucks to transport, and often refrigerators to store. Much of that process releases planet-warming greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

That's why the global food system makes up roughly a third of worldwide human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EDGAR FOOD pollution database.

Meanwhile, roughly a third of the U.S. food supply is lost or wasted without being eaten, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It might never get harvested, it might spoil in transit, or the grocery store might reject it for being the wrong size or color. That's a big reason why some consumers are looking for less-wasteful alternatives, ranging from farmers markets to delivery services for produce that didn't meet supermarket size or appearance standards.

There's a whole breadth of opportunities to purchase food, said Julia Van Soelen Kim, food systems adviser with the University of California Cooperative Extension.

Jane Kolodinsky, professor emerita at the University of Vermont and director of research at Arrowleaf Consulting, has bought her produce directly from a local farmer for 30 years. It's called Community-Supported Agriculture, or CSA. At the beginning of every harvest season, Kolodinsky pays that farm a fee. Then, once per week, she picks up a box of produce at the farm. Some CSA programs pick the produce, while others let you customize. Some deliver. An online database shows which farms participate in CSA programs.

Since the food is grown nearby, there is less processing and packaging. There's a smaller carbon footprint for purchasing locally compared to global or national food distribution channels, said Van Soelen Kim. When they're local, they're traveling less distance, so less gas, less fuel.

Kolodinsky said the oldest alternative food system is the farmers market, where vendors gather and sell directly to consumers. Growers also sell at farm stands that aren't tied to a centralized, scheduled event. Farmers markets allow consumers more flexibility to pick the produce than a typical CSA.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Writers in U.S. prisons now have a new path to getting their work seen through a website managed by PEN America that includes information on publishers, agents, journalists, and other potential contacts.

In November, PEN's Prison and Justice Writing Program announced the launch of the Incarcerated Writers Bureau, an initiative developed with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and designed to “make the literary community more inclusive of writers behind bars.”

“For too long, powerful storytellers in prison have been left out of publishing and writing opportunities due to the challenges of connecting with the wider world,” Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, co-interim CEO of PEN and chief program officer of the free expression organization's Literary Programming, said in a statement.

The new resource has a mission to help those in prison navigate the “dance of limited access and burdensome logistics.” It facilitates getting in touch with industry professionals and allows publishers and other outlets to promote opportunities for writers. It also offers advice and background on how and how much writers in prison should be paid, the ethics of working with incarcerated writers, and the challenges involving those who lack access to a computer or typewriter.

Biographies, writing samples, and contacts are included for 21 writers affiliated with PEN and/or its decades-old prison program. The writer-critic PM Dunne, the recipient of four PEN prison writing awards, noted the long history of human beings who “penned masterpieces while locked in cages” and added, “We’re here to continue that good work, to enrich society on both sides of the wall.”

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The world's biggest music labels have struck AI licensing deals with a little-known startup named Klay Vision, the companies said, the latest in a series of deals that underline how the technology is shaking up the music industry's business model.

Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment, and their publishing arms, all signed separate agreements with Klay, according to an announcement posted on Warner's website. It comes a day after Warner inked two other deals involving artificial intelligence, with startups Udio and Stability AI. There were few details released about the agreements or about Klay, which is based in Los Angeles, and what it does.

The deal terms will help Klay further evolve music experiences for fans, leveraging the potential of AI, while fully respecting the rights of artists, songwriters, and rightsholders, the announcement said. Klay has been working with the music industry on a licensing framework for an AI-driven music experience and has built a large music model trained only on licensed music.

AI-generated music has been flooding streaming services amid the rise of chatbot-like song generators that instantly spit out new tunes based on prompts typed by users without any musical knowledge. The synthetic music boom has also resulted in a wave of AI singers and bands that have climbed the charts after racking up millions of streams, even though they don't exist in real life.

Last year, Warner, Universal, and Sony sued Suno and Udio, makers of two popular AI song generation tools, accusing them of exploiting the recorded works of artists without compensating them. But there are signs that the disputes are being resolved through negotiation.

Warner, which represents artists including Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa, said that it resolved its copyright infringement litigation against Udio. The two companies said they're teaming up to develop Udio's licensed AI music creation service set to launch in 2026 that will allow users to remix tunes by established artists.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

No one wants a weasel on their Thanksgiving table, but swapping turkeys for other animals was once surprisingly common.

Trading turkeys–for wildlife management, not dinner–was a key part of one of North America’s biggest conservation success stories. After dwindling to a few thousand birds in the late 1880s, the wild turkey population has grown to about 7 million birds in 49 states, plus more in Canada and Mexico, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation.

In many cases, restoration relied on trades. The exchange rates varied, but Oklahoma once swapped walleye and prairie chickens for turkeys from Arkansas and Missouri. Colorado traded mountain goats for turkeys from Idaho. The Canadian province of Ontario ended up with 274 turkeys from New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Michigan, Missouri, and Iowa in exchange for moose, river otters, and partridge.

West Virginia, in particular, appears to have had an abundance of turkeys to share. In 1969, it sent 26 turkeys to New Hampshire in exchange for 25 fishers, a member of the weasel family once prized for its pelt. Later trades involved otters and bobwhite quail.

“They were like our currency for all our wildlife that we restored,” said Holly Morris, furbearer and small game project leader at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

Wild turkeys were abundant across the U.S. until the mid-1800s, when the clearing of forestland and unregulated hunting led the population to plummet. Early restoration efforts in the 1940s and 50s involved raising turkeys on farms, but that didn’t work well, said Patt Dorsey, director of conservation for the National Wild Turkey Federation’s western region.

“That’s when we started capturing them out of the wild and moving them around to other places to restore their population, and they really took off.”

Turkeys play an important role in a healthy ecosystem as both predator and prey, and are a popular draw for hunters, said Dan Ellingwood, a biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. But the restoration effort is also important just for the sake of ensuring native species continue to persist, he said.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.

A copy of the first Superman issue, unearthed by three brothers cleaning out their late mother's attic, netted $9.12 million last month at a Texas auction house, which says it is the most expensive comic book ever sold.

The brothers discovered the comic book in a cardboard box beneath layers of brittle newspapers, dust, and cobwebs in their deceased mother's San Francisco home last year, alongside a handful of other rare comics that she and her sibling had collected on the cusp of World War II.

She had told her children she had a valuable comic book collection hidden away, but they had never seen it until they put her house up for sale and decided to comb through her belongings for heirlooms, said Lon Allen, vice president of comics at Heritage Auctions. The brothers uncovered the box of comics and sent a message to the auction company, leading Allen to fly out to San Francisco earlier this year to inspect their copy of Superman No. 1 and show it to other experts for appraisal.

It was just in an attic, sitting in a box, could have easily been thrown away, could've easily been destroyed in a thousand different ways, Allen said. A lot of people got excited because it's just every factor in collecting that you could possibly want all rolled into one.

The Superman No. 1 comic, released in 1939 by Detective Comics, Inc., is one of a small number of copies known to be in existence and is in excellent condition. The Man of Steel was the first superhero to enter pop culture, helping boost the copy's value among collectors, alongside its improbable backstory, Allen said.

The previous record for the world's most expensive comic book had been set last year, when an Action Comics No. 1—which first introduced Superman to the world as part of an anthology—sold for $6 million. In 2022, another Superman No. 1 sold for $5.3 million.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.