gen SMRs poised to power America’s AI future

Wired reports that Meta has added facial recognition “NameTag” code for its smart glasses to the Meta AI app through multiple updates this year. The feature reportedly identifies people captured by Meta Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses and can alert wearers. Meta says it is only exploring, with nothing shipped and no central face database. Investors may weigh privacy and regulatory risks.

Ohio lawmakers held a Joint Data Center Committee hearing with lobbyists from Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft, but adjourned with unanswered questions. Companies defended long-term Ohio investments and said some issues should be handled by utilities, regulators or local governments. Microsoft said it will end local NDAs; residents criticized NDAs and lawmakers questioned tax incentives and utility impacts. The committee meets again next week.

Instagram Plus is rolling out globally, Meta said, offering a $3.99/month subscription (about £3 or AU$5.60). The paid tier adds features such as Story Spotlight, animated “Super Hearts,” longer 48-hour stories, and more customization, while the free tier remains available with existing features for now. Ads still apply even for subscribers, according to the report.

Meta criticised Australia’s revived “news tax” plan, saying it is “grossly unfair”. Under the proposal, major platforms including Meta, Google and TikTok would pay a 2.25% levy on Australian revenue unless they strike deals with local publishers. Australia says it closes a loophole from its earlier code; Meta says it could breach trade rules.

A New York Times review of internal documents cited in lawsuits by 1,400+ school districts says Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube targeted students despite internal safety concerns. Snap allegedly sent in-class alerts and called phone use “under the desk” time; TikTok’s team sought disabling school notifications but leadership rejected it. Meta used “teen ambassadors.” All four settled with Breathitt County Schools for $27 million; Tucson Unified seeks $1 billion.

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, in an All In podcast interview, said investor behavior resembles the 2000 dot-com bubble, with capital chasing “new” sectors like chips, semiconductors and energy while “high-quality” stocks may be neglected. He cited past valuation swings, argued companies such as Amazon, Meta and Microsoft remain undervalued, and noted Pershing Square’s April IPO.