The trailer for "As Deep as the Grave" features an AI-generated performance by the late actor Val Kilmer, who passed away in April 2025. Kilmer portrays Father Fintan, a spiritualist, in over an hour of the film, a role he was too ill to complete before his death. Filmmakers collaborated with Kilmer's family, including his daughter Mercedes, and the Screen Actors Guild, ensuring ethical use, compensation, and utilizing archival materials to create his digital likeness. This groundbreaking use of generative AI was previewed at CinemaCon.
In enterprise AI, Databricks has launched a new platform for building real-time product search capabilities. This system integrates Vector Search, Lakeflow, and Lakebase to deliver instant, relevant results by combining semantic search with real-time operational data like inventory. FOX Sports already uses Databricks Vector Search. The broader trend sees hybrid search, which blends semantic similarity with keyword precision, becoming a baseline requirement for effective AI applications, addressing relevance and operational needs.
Google is enhancing user productivity with "Skills in Chrome," a new feature within Gemini in Chrome. Starting April 14, 2026, Mac, Windows, and ChromeOS users in English-US can save AI prompts as reusable, one-click browser workflows. This simplifies repetitive tasks, allowing users to create custom Skills or choose from a library of pre-built options for actions like recipe analysis or product comparisons. The feature operates with Chrome's existing security and privacy safeguards.
Meanwhile, the AI startup Axiom Math, valued at $1.6 billion, is attracting top talent by offering researchers stability and impact, contrasting with the frequent shifts often seen in larger tech companies. Axiom Math focuses on developing an AI mathematician capable of solving complex math problems and generating proofs. Elsewhere, Block CEO Jack Dorsey envisions AI enabling him to directly manage all 6,000 employees, drastically reducing management layers. This shift, he believes, will augment individual workers and redefine roles, with Block already seeing increased engineer productivity.
Concerns about AI transparency persist, with Norwegian professor Harald Martens advocating for Europe to develop more understandable and safer AI solutions, moving away from "black box" systems. He promotes CIM-ML for interpretable models, especially in professional sectors. On a more fundamental level, developer Dave Plummer demonstrated a transformer AI model running on a 47-year-old PDP-11 computer, illustrating AI's core mechanics and the importance of understanding its principles as compute resources become a bottleneck. Separately, Star Media Group warns the public about scam websites impersonating their brand to promote fraudulent AI investment schemes.
Key Takeaways
- AI-generated likeness of the late actor Val Kilmer appears in "As Deep as the Grave," with family and SAG consent for ethical use and compensation.
- Databricks launched a real-time product search platform integrating Vector Search, Lakeflow, and Lakebase for instant, relevant results.
- Google Chrome's new "Skills" feature in Gemini allows users to save AI prompts as one-click workflows, available from April 14, 2026.
- AI startup Axiom Math, valued at $1.6 billion, is developing an AI mathematician and attracting talent seeking stability and impact.
- Block CEO Jack Dorsey believes AI will enable him to directly manage all 6,000 employees, reducing management layers.
- Norwegian professor Harald Martens advocates for Europe to develop understandable and safer AI, promoting interpretable models like CIM-ML.
- A developer successfully ran a transformer AI model on a 47-year-old PDP-11 computer, demystifying AI's core mechanics.
- Hybrid search, combining semantic and keyword precision, is becoming a baseline requirement for effective AI applications.
- PayPal emphasizes human oversight, ethical frameworks, and AI literacy for maximizing AI's value.
- Star Media Group warns the public about scam websites impersonating their brand to promote fraudulent AI investment schemes.
AI brings Val Kilmer back to life in new movie trailer
The trailer for the historical drama 'As Deep as the Grave' uses AI to feature the late actor Val Kilmer. Kilmer, who died in 2025, was cast as Father Fintan but was too ill to film his scenes. With his family's permission, generative AI was used to create his performance, allowing him to appear in over an hour of the film. The filmmakers worked with Kilmer's estate and the SAG union, ensuring ethical use and compensation. The movie tells the story of archaeologist Ann Axtell Morris and her excavation in Arizona.
AI-rendered Val Kilmer appears in 'As Deep as the Grave' trailer
Filmmakers revealed the trailer for 'As Deep as the Grave,' featuring an AI-generated performance by the late actor Val Kilmer. Kilmer's character, Father Fintan, a priest and spiritualist, speaks in the trailer. The filmmakers collaborated with Kilmer's children and the Screen Actors Guild, ensuring consent, compensation, and adherence to union guidelines. Kilmer's estate provided archival materials to help create his digital likeness. The film, which focuses on archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, was structured around Kilmer's character before his passing.
Val Kilmer's AI likeness stars in 'As Deep as the Grave' trailer
The trailer for 'As Deep as the Grave' showcases the AI-generated likeness of actor Val Kilmer, who plays Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. Kilmer passed away in April 2025 after battling throat cancer. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, supported the use of digital technology to complete his role, which he was too ill to film. The filmmakers stated that Kilmer was spiritually and culturally connected to the character. The film also stars Abigail Lawrie and Tom Felton and focuses on archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris.
AI Val Kilmer previewed at CinemaCon for 'As Deep as the Grave'
The makers of the independent film 'As Deep as the Grave' presented a trailer at CinemaCon featuring the AI-generated likeness of the late actor Val Kilmer. Kilmer portrays a Southwestern spiritual leader named Father Fintan in the movie. Producer John Voorhees stated they were breaking new ground with this technology. The film aims to showcase Kilmer's performance, created posthumously with AI.
Databricks introduces real-time search platform
Databricks has launched a platform designed for building real-time product search capabilities. The system integrates Vector Search, Lakeflow, and Lakebase to handle data ingestion, retrieval, and operational data. This architecture aims to provide instant and relevant search results by combining vector search with real-time operational context like inventory and pricing. Databricks also offers agent-ready search features and a framework for measuring search success through operational, relevance, and user engagement metrics. FOX Sports is already using Databricks Vector Search for its AI-powered search bar.
Hybrid search frameworks evolve for AI applications
The rise of AI has made vector search a common feature, but enterprise needs now demand hybrid search. This approach combines semantic similarity with keyword precision, addressing relevance gaps and operational overhead in AI applications. Organizations can extend existing platforms like MongoDB Atlas or Databricks, upgrade their search layer for better relevance, or adopt dedicated vector platforms like Pinecone. The choice depends on factors like governance, platform simplicity, and the need for specialized retrieval capabilities. Hybrid search is becoming a baseline requirement for effective AI applications.
Google Chrome adds AI Skills for one-click workflows
Google has introduced 'Skills in Chrome,' a new feature within Gemini in Chrome that allows users to save AI prompts as reusable, one-click browser workflows. Starting April 14, 2026, this feature will be available to Mac, Windows, and ChromeOS users in English-US. Skills address the tedium of re-entering prompts for repetitive AI tasks across different web pages. Users can save their own prompts as Skills or use a library of pre-built Skills for common tasks like recipe analysis or product comparisons. The feature emphasizes security and privacy, using existing safeguards from Gemini in Chrome.
Chrome's new AI Skills turn prompts into instant workflows
Google is rolling out 'Skills in Chrome,' a feature that lets users save and reuse AI prompts as one-click workflows. Available on Mac, Windows, and ChromeOS for English-US users, Skills simplify repetitive AI tasks. Users can save their own prompts or utilize a library of ready-made Skills for tasks like recipe analysis or gift selection. Skills run on the current page and can be applied across multiple tabs for tasks like comparing product specifications. The feature is built with Chrome's security and privacy standards, requiring confirmation for actions like calendar entries or emails.
Europe seeks understandable AI solutions
Norwegian professor Harald Martens advocates for Europe to develop AI that is safer, more cost-effective, and understandable, contrasting with current AI dominated by the US and China. He argues that many AI systems, often seen as 'black boxes,' lack transparency and reliability in critical situations. Martens promotes an alternative approach called CIM-ML, which uses domain knowledge and modern measurement data for interpretable models. This method is designed for professional use in areas like process industries and environmental monitoring, prioritizing trust and explainability over sheer speed.
PayPal manager shares AI lessons from MBAi program
Lincoln Holt, a senior AI product manager at PayPal, is applying lessons from his MBAi program to his work. He leads PayPal's orchestrator product, helping businesses integrate payment services. Holt emphasizes that AI is a powerful tool but requires human oversight, ethical frameworks, and constant refinement, noting it's not infallible. He credits the MBAi program for teaching him to translate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and for promoting an action-oriented approach. Holt believes AI literacy, including problem framing and context provision, is key to maximizing AI's value.
Jack Dorsey: AI could let him manage all 6,000 Block employees
Block CEO Jack Dorsey believes AI will revolutionize organizational structures, potentially allowing him to directly manage all 6,000 employees. He aims to reduce management layers to two or three, with the ideal scenario being a single layer where everyone reports to him. Dorsey explains that AI agents will augment individual workers, enabling one person to perform tasks previously requiring a team. This shift could redefine roles to include builders, operators, and those augmented by AI agents. Block has already seen increased engineer productivity and reduced headcount since September 2025.
AI Prognosis newsletter covers $15 AI test and Project Glasswing
STAT's AI Prognosis newsletter provides a roundup of significant developments in AI for healthcare and medicine. This week's edition highlights a $15 AI test, details on Project Glasswing, and the Doctronic pilot's impact on the Utah medical board. The newsletter is a subscriber-exclusive guide offering in-depth analysis and news alerts on AI in the health sector. The author is taking a break next week and is seeking recommendations for northern Arizona sights and Phoenix ice cream.
Beware scam AI investment articles impersonating The Star
Star Media Group Berhad warns the public about scam websites impersonating The Star newspaper. These fake sites use the brand's identity and deepfake images to promote fraudulent investment opportunities supposedly powered by AI. The articles falsely claim an exchange between Sunway University professor Datuk Yeah Kim Leng and Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour. Star Media Group clarifies that these articles are not affiliated with their official publications and advises checking the URL for authenticity. They encourage reporting fake news to Facebook.
AI runs on 47-year-old computer in 'absurd' project
Veteran Windows developer Dave Plummer demonstrated AI, including a transformer model, running on a 47-year-old PDP-11 computer with a 6 MHz CPU and 64KB of RAM. Plummer wrote the Attention 11 model in PDP-11 assembly language to demystify AI, showing its fundamental principles. The project successfully trained the model to reverse an eight-digit sequence, illustrating how AI learns by adjusting weighted links. Plummer argues that understanding AI's core mechanics, rather than viewing it as magic, is crucial, especially as compute resources become a bottleneck.
AI startup Axiom Math attracts talent over Big Tech
Carina Hong, founder of Axiom Math, a startup developing an AI mathematician, believes researchers are drawn to 'neolabs' over larger tech companies. Hong stated that researchers seek stability, wanting their work to have impact for more than a few months, which can be challenging in Big Tech where research directions change frequently. Axiom Math, valued at $1.6 billion, focuses on AI that can solve complex math problems and generate proofs. These 'neolabs' are typically small, fast-moving teams with lower operating costs, building AI-native products from the ground up.
Sources
- Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI in 'As Deep as the Grave' Trailer
- AI-rendered Val Kilmer debuts in 'As Deep as the Grave' trailer
- Val Kilmer's AI-Generated Likeness Leads As Deep as the Grave Trailer
- AI-generated Val Kilmer applauded at Cinemacon during 'As Deep as the Grave' preview
- Databricks Powers Real-Time Search
- Hybrid search demands reshape retrieval frameworks for AI
- Google Launches ‘Skills’ in Chrome: Turning Reusable AI Prompts into One-Click Browser Workflows
- Turn your best AI prompts into one-click tools in Chrome
- Can Europe create artificial intelligence that we actually understand?
- Bringing AI Literacy to PayPal
- AI Will Enable All 6,000 Block Employees To Report To Me: CEO Jack Dorsey
- A $15 AI test, Project Glasswing, and how Doctronic pilot blindsided Utah medical board
- Beware scam AI investment article on fake site impersonating The Star
- Veteran Windows dev shows off AI running on 47-year-old PDP11 with 6 MHz CPU and 64KB of RAM — 'gloriously absurd' project runs transformer model written in PDP-11 assembly language
- Axiom Math's Carina Hong says researchers see the advantage of working at a neolab versus Big Tech
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