The Neuron

Pete Huang & Grant Harvey

20 stories we have summarised that The Neuron covered.

Singapore opens first data center using living neurons

Singapore, DayOne, Cortical Labs, and NUS Medicine activated a biological data center using neurons grown from stem cells instead of traditional silicon chips. The living neurons can perform certain computing tasks while consuming far less electricity than conventional server farms, with biological brains using around 20 watts of power. This represents the first operational biological data center of its kind in Singapore, marking a shift toward exploring alternative computing substrates.

Singapore opens first biocomputer data center using living neurons

Singapore activated a prototype data center built from living neurons grown in labs, which process information similar to how brains work. The system uses wetware, meaning actual biological tissue rather than silicon chips, to perform computing tasks. Biological computing consumes significantly less electricity than traditional server farms, addressing energy demands of data centers.

Singapore activates first biological data center using living neurons

Singapore turned on a data center built from neurons grown from stem cells, a collaboration between DayOne, Cortical Labs, and NUS Medicine. The system processes information similarly to how a brain does, completing computing tasks with significantly less electricity than traditional server farms. Biological computing uses living neural tissue instead of silicon chips to perform certain computational work.

Samsara deploys AI agents to physical fleet equipment

Samsara, a fleet management company, is moving AI agents from software interfaces into physical devices like trucks, warehouses, and dash cameras. The company's chief technology officer is building agents that analyze fleet data to spot problems before equipment breaks down. AI agents can now act on real-world equipment rather than existing only as software tools users interact with through screens.

Samsara deploys AI agents into fleet operations and vehicles

Samsara, a fleet management company, is using AI agents (software that takes independent actions) in trucks, warehouses, and dash cams to monitor operations. The AI agents analyze vehicle and operational data to identify problems before equipment fails, rather than simply recording what happened. This represents AI agents moving beyond chat interfaces and web browsers into physical infrastructure that companies depend on daily.

Samsara connects AI agents to real-world fleet operations

Samsara, a fleet management company, is deploying AI agents that work with truck and warehouse data to predict problems before equipment fails. The system integrates with existing hardware like dash cams and sensors already installed in vehicles, rather than requiring new tools. AI agents can now flag operational issues directly in physical environments, moving beyond software-only analysis.

Relay automation startup shuts down, CEO joins Google Chrome

Relay, a workflow automation tool launched in 2021 to compete with Zapier, is closing. Paying customers lose access September 14. Jacob Bank, Relay's founder and CEO, is rejoining Google as VP of Product for Chrome to lead product and developer relations. Bank previously founded Timeful, a scheduling app Google acquired in 2015. He spent six years at Google before leaving to start Relay.

Relay AI startup shuts down, CEO joins Google Chrome

Relay, a workflow automation tool launched in 2021 to compete with Zapier, ceased operations with paying customers losing access September 14. CEO Jacob Bank is rejoining Google as VP of Product for Chrome, leading product and developer relations for the browser. Bank previously founded Timeful, a scheduling app Google acquired in 2015, and worked on Gmail, Calendar, and Chat before launching Relay.

Relay AI automation startup shuts down, CEO joins Google Chrome

Relay, a workflow automation tool launched in 2021 to compete with Zapier, is closing permanently on September 14 for paying customers. Founder Jacob Bank is rejoining Google as VP of Product for Chrome, leading product and developer relations for the browser. Bank previously sold a scheduling app called Timeful to Google in 2015 and worked on Gmail, Calendar, and Chat before starting Relay.

OpenAI adds Computer History feature to ChatGPT desktop app

ChatGPT's macOS app now includes Computer History, an opt-in feature that tracks clicks and keystrokes to help the AI remember what you were working on. The feature builds a timeline of your actions that ChatGPT can reference to suggest automations, find half-finished tasks, and provide activity recaps. Users can exclude specific apps and websites, delete individual entries, and the feature automatically ignores content in private or incognito browser tabs.

OpenAI adds activity tracking feature to ChatGPT desktop app

ChatGPT's macOS app now includes Computer History, which tracks your clicks and keystrokes across applications to help the AI remember what you were working on. The feature is opt-in and lets you exclude specific apps or websites, automatically skipping private browser tabs, and you can delete individual entries. Computer History records text-based events rather than screenshots or audio, then uses that activity log to suggest automations and surface half-finished tasks when you ask ChatGPT for help.

Microsoft stock falls on AI chip shortage report

The Guardian investigated and reported that Microsoft may have installed significantly fewer AI chips than its data center capacity statements indicate. Microsoft's stock price declined following publication of the report. The discrepancy suggests a gap between the company's public claims about AI computing resources and what it has actually deployed.

Math conjecture proven three times in one week using ChatGPT

A 40-year-old unsolved math problem was proven three separate times within seven days, each proof assisted by ChatGPT. Multiple independent mathematicians reached the same discovery in parallel, all relying on the same AI tool to guide their work. The simultaneous proofs raise questions about how to assign credit when AI helps multiple people solve the same problem at once.

Math conjecture proved three times in one week using ChatGPT

A 40-year-old unsolved math problem was independently proven three separate times within seven days. All three proofs relied heavily on ChatGPT, the conversational AI tool made by OpenAI, to work through the mathematics. The simultaneous discoveries raise questions about how to assign credit when AI helps multiple mathematicians reach the same answer.

Guardian investigation reveals Microsoft has far fewer AI chips than capacity claims suggest

Microsoft reported having 2.2 million AI chips installed globally by mid-2024, significantly lower than what experts expected given the company's public statements about datacentre capacity. The company claimed it added 5 gigawatts of datacentre capacity in two years, but academic analysis of Microsoft's own sustainability reports suggests actual AI capacity is roughly one-fifth of that figure. Several major Microsoft AI projects announced as operational appear incomplete or offline. The company's CEO acknowledged having chips in inventory that cannot be deployed due to insufficient electrical power infrastructure.

Guardian investigation questions Microsoft's AI chip capacity claims

The Guardian reported Microsoft may possess fewer AI chips than its stated data center capacity would require, raising questions about the company's actual infrastructure. Microsoft's stock price fell following the investigation's publication. The discrepancy suggests a potential gap between Microsoft's public statements about AI infrastructure and its operational reality.

Alibaba releases laptop-ready model days after Meta's open-weight push

Alibaba launched Qwen3.8-27B, designed to run on consumer laptops, and opened the weights of its most powerful model Qwen3.8 Max for free download and use. Meta announced last week it would open-source its Muse Glimmer model family for laptops, responding to two years of Chinese companies dominating the open-weight market. Qwen-based models have been downloaded and adapted 151,448 times on Hugging Face, a major developer repository, compared to 2.6 times Meta's total usage.

Alibaba releases laptop AI model days after Meta's announcement

Alibaba launched Qwen3.8-27B, a model small enough to run on personal laptops, and opened the weights of its most powerful model Qwen3.8 Max for free download. Meta announced similar plans last week with its Muse Glimmer models, aiming to compete in the laptop AI space after Chinese companies dominated open-weight AI for two years. Alibaba's Qwen models are downloaded and reused 2.6 times more than Meta's total open-weight footprint, according to Hugging Face, a major model repository.

OpenAI dissolves team that assessed catastrophic AI risks

OpenAI disbanded its Preparedness team, which evaluated whether AI models posed serious risks and developed ways to prevent harm. Risk assessment responsibilities were split into specific areas like biology and cybersecurity, then distributed to existing teams rather than kept centralized. This continues a pattern of safety team changes at OpenAI, including dissolution of the AGI readiness and superalignment teams, and departures of ethics and safety leaders.

Nvidia finances $105 billion Ohio data center for OpenAI

Nvidia is providing up to $105 billion in credit to back OpenAI's data center in Pike County, Ohio, which will supply 4.25 gigawatts of computing capacity initially, scaling to 8 gigawatts by 2028. Nvidia's guarantee covers only the asset value if OpenAI leaves and SB Energy cannot find a replacement tenant, not the full lease payments, and Nvidia becomes the exclusive chip supplier for half the site. The $3 trillion in AI infrastructure commitments across major tech companies mostly do not appear on balance sheets because leases are only recorded when payments begin, making actual debt levels hard for investors to assess.