Pentagon Awards AI Giants Contracts Worth Up to $200 Million to Boost Military Tech - 1

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Pentagon Awards AI Giants Contracts Worth Up to $200 Million to Boost Military Tech

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

The Pentagon is investing up to $200 million in top AI firms to develop advanced tools for military operations.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Recipients include Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI.
  • AI tools will support warfighting, intelligence, and enterprise systems.
  • xAI launches “Grok for Government” for federal agency use.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has granted contracts amounting to $200 million each to four major AI developers, including Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI, as first reported by Bloomberg . These contracts aim to support the military’s adoption of advanced artificial intelligence tools..

Announced on Monday by the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), the initiative aims to fast-track the implementation of advanced AI systems in warfighting, intelligence, and business systems

“The adoption of AI is transforming the Department’s ability to support our warfighters and maintain strategic advantage over our adversaries,” said Dr. Doug Matty, the Department’s Chief Digital and AI Officer.

The contracts allow these companies to create AI agents and agentic workflows tailored to the Defense Department’s needs. The CDAO adopted a “commercial-first” strategy, leveraging technologies already available in the private sector to meet national security demands more rapidly.

xAI also announced “Grok for Government” as a specialized version of its chatbot designed for federal agencies. This follows recent backlash against earlier versions of Grok for producing offensive content.

The new product, along with OpenAI’s “ OpenAI for Government ” launched in June, is now available through the General Services Administration schedule, making it accessible to various government departments.

The DoD’s move not only gives AI firms a new public-sector revenue stream but also reflects growing government interest in using generative AI for real-world applications.

AI Chatbots Are Changing The Way We Speak - 2

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AI Chatbots Are Changing The Way We Speak

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

A new study shows ChatGPT is influencing speech, with people using more formal language in everyday conversations.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Study analyzed 740,000+ hours of YouTube and podcast content.
  • Words like delve and meticulous have surged post-ChatGPT.
  • Influence is strongest in science, business, and education.

A new study shows that AI chatbots like ChatGPT are influencing the words people use in everyday conversations. Researchers found that terms favored by ChatGPT (such as delve, comprehend, boast, swift, and meticulous) have surged in spoken language since the AI’s release in late 2022.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, analyzed over 740,000 hours of YouTube academic talks and podcasts. Using advanced statistical methods, they detected a clear shift in word choices, after ChatGPT became widely available.

The researchers argue that terms like delve, comprehend, boast, swift, and meticulous have experienced a significant increase in spoken language since the AI’s release in late 2022.

“These findings suggest a scenario where machines, originally trained on human data and subsequently exhibiting their own cultural traits, can, in turn, measurably reshape human culture,” said Hiromu Yakura, one of the study’s lead authors.

The researchers argue that ChatGPT generates its unique writing approach, favouring formal and refined vocabulary instead of basic human expressions. For example, it uses ‘‘delve’’ far more often than humans typically do. Scientists detected a significant increase of formal terms since ChatGPT launched, especially in academic and professional settings like science, business, and education.

Interestingly, the effect wasn’t uniform across all areas. Indeed, the term ‘‘delve’’ became more prevalent in science and business podcasts, yet its use didn’t change much in discussions about sports and religion.

The researchers warn that this trend could create a “closed cultural feedback loop”. This means that AI, trained on human language, starts influencing how people talk, which then feeds back into AI training data. The findings raise concerns regarding linguistic diversity, while also showing potential risks of AI-driven manipulation.

“Language is known to influence human cognition,” the authors write, noting that AI’s linguistic patterns could lead to “deeper integration into human thinking processes.”

The research team stresses the importance of conducting additional investigations about AI cultural effects, alongside monitoring these changes for proper oversight.

As reported by Scientific American , James Evans, a sociology and data science professor at the University of Chicago, said that analyzing word distribution is the right method for studying LLMs at this stage. He noted that as models mature, these patterns will become harder to detect, and scientists may need to examine broader linguistic features.