Google OpenAI Face Lawsuit While NIST Invests $20 Million

NIST and MITRE are collaborating to bolster the security of critical infrastructure against cyber threats using AI defense technology. This partnership, backed by a $20 million NIST investment, establishes two new research and development centers run by MITRE. Their mission is to protect US leadership in AI innovation, secure vital systems like power plants and hospitals, and enhance American manufacturing productivity. The initiative aims to foster "true AI assurance" where humans effectively interact with these advanced systems, tackling pressing national challenges. Meanwhile, major tech companies like Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic face a lawsuit from New York Times reporter John Carreyrou and five other writers. Filed in a California federal court, the suit alleges these companies used millions of copyrighted books without permission to train their AI chatbots, calling it theft and copyright infringement. Unlike previous cases, these writers seek individual jury assessments. AI companies often argue their use of copyrighted material falls under fair use, claiming their systems generate new content. Concerns about AI's impact extend beyond copyright. Actor Mark Hamill voiced apprehension regarding AI deepfakes and their potential use to create future content featuring his character, Luke Skywalker, even after he is gone, noting Disney's partnership with OpenAI. Separately, NPR reporters Geoff Brumfiel and Shannon Bond highlighted a significant increase in low-quality AI-generated content in 2025, which is altering perceptions of online reality and raising questions about information truthfulness. Seattle is proactively addressing these issues by appointing Lisa Qian as its first AI Officer to ensure responsible and effective AI use across 39 city departments. In the competitive AI hardware market, South Korean startup Rebellions AI is forming a strategic alliance with Samsung, SK Hynix, and Arm to develop AI inference chips. Samsung supplies HBM memory and acts as Rebellions' foundry, positioning the 2020-founded company to challenge established players like Nvidia and AMD. Elsewhere, InstaDeep launched Nucleotide Transformer v3 (NTv3), a multi-species genomics AI model trained on 9 trillion base pairs, designed to predict and design genomic information across various organisms. Gold Hunter Resources Inc. is also leveraging AI from Windfall Geotek to accelerate gold discovery at its Great Northern Project in Newfoundland, analyzing geological data to pinpoint promising areas. The mortgage industry is also integrating AI into point-of-sale systems to improve underwriting speed, though human judgment remains vital for complex cases. Looking ahead, an analysis published in late 2025 suggests that 2026 will be a pivotal year for global power, with AI identified as a critical factor alongside geopolitical situations like Venezuela. The Trump administration's deployment of a military force in the Caribbean, targeting drug trafficking and illicit oil shipments, underscores a broader assertion of US dominance, with the outcome for Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro in 2026 potentially reflecting the impact of this new policy.

Key Takeaways

• NIST is investing $20 million in partnership with MITRE to establish two new AI research and development centers focused on securing critical infrastructure and protecting US leadership in AI.
• Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic are facing a lawsuit from six writers, including John Carreyrou, for allegedly using millions of copyrighted books without permission to train their AI chatbots.
• Rebellions AI, a South Korean startup, is collaborating with Samsung, SK Hynix, and Arm to develop AI inference chips, aiming to compete with Nvidia and AMD in the AI accelerator market.
• InstaDeep launched Nucleotide Transformer v3 (NTv3), a multi-species genomics AI model trained on 9 trillion base pairs, capable of predicting and designing genomic information.
• Gold Hunter Resources Inc. is utilizing AI from Windfall Geotek to accelerate gold discovery at its Great Northern Project in Newfoundland by analyzing geological data.
• Seattle appointed Lisa Qian as its first Artificial Intelligence Officer on December 15, tasked with ensuring responsible and effective AI use across 39 city departments.
• The mortgage industry is integrating AI into point-of-sale systems to enhance underwriting speed, while emphasizing the continued necessity of human judgment for complex cases.
• Actor Mark Hamill expressed concerns about AI deepfakes potentially creating future content featuring his character, Luke Skywalker, and noted apprehension about Disney's partnership with OpenAI.
• NPR reporters highlighted a significant increase in low-quality AI-generated content in 2025, raising concerns about the truthfulness and quality of online information.
• An analysis suggests 2026 will be a pivotal year for global power, with AI identified as a critical factor alongside geopolitical developments like the situation in Venezuela.

NIST and MITRE join forces to secure critical infrastructure with AI

NIST and MITRE are partnering to test and develop AI defense technology for critical infrastructure. This collaboration aims to boost the security of systems like power plants and hospitals against hackers. They will focus on making AI-based systems more reliable and helping US industry use AI wisely. The partnership includes two new AI centers to protect US leadership in AI and address threats. Experts believe this effort will create true AI assurance where humans interact with these vital systems.

NIST invests $20 million in AI centers with MITRE

NIST is investing $20 million in a major AI security project, partnering with MITRE. This investment will create two new research and development centers run by MITRE. These centers aim to protect US leadership in AI innovation and secure critical infrastructure from cyber threats. They will also boost American manufacturing productivity and help US companies make high-value products more efficiently. This initiative is part of NIST's plan to tackle pressing national challenges with advanced AI technology.

Writers sue tech giants for using copyrighted books to train AI

New York Times reporter John Carreyrou and five other writers sued major tech companies like Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic. They accuse these companies of using millions of copyrighted books without permission to train their AI chatbots. The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, claims this is a clear act of theft and copyright infringement. Unlike other cases, these writers seek individual jury assessments instead of a class-action settlement. AI companies often argue their use of copyrighted material falls under fair use because their systems create new content.

2026 will be a pivotal year for global power and AI

An analysis published on December 24, 2025, suggests that 2026 will be a pivotal year for global power. Several major issues, including AI and the situation in Venezuela, will reach critical points. The Trump administration has deployed a large military force in the Caribbean, targeting drug trafficking and illicit oil shipments from Venezuela. This action, called the "Trump Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine, aims to assert US dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The outcome for Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro, in 2026 will show the impact of this new policy.

Rebellions AI partners with Samsung and Arm to challenge Nvidia

South Korean startup Rebellions AI is forming a strong alliance with Samsung, SK Hynix, and Arm to create AI inference chips. Samsung and SK Hynix supply HBM memory, and Samsung also acts as Rebellions' foundry. This partnership aims to help Rebellions compete with major players like Nvidia and AMD in the global AI accelerator market. The company, founded in 2020, has secured significant funding from various investors including Arm Holdings and SK Telecom. Rebellions believes its strategic timing and strong ecosystem support will lead to success.

InstaDeep launches NTv3 a new genomics AI model

InstaDeep has launched Nucleotide Transformer v3, or NTv3, a new AI model for genomics. This multi-species foundation model helps predict and design genomic information by connecting local patterns with large-scale regulatory contexts. NTv3 works across many organisms and can predict functional tracks, annotate genomes, and generate sequences. It was trained on 9 trillion base pairs from OpenGenome2 and then refined using data from 16,000 functional tracks across 24 species. NTv3 shows top performance in genomic prediction and can even design DNA sequences with specific activities.

Gold Hunter uses AI to find gold at Great Northern Project

Gold Hunter Resources Inc. partnered with Windfall Geotek to use advanced AI and Machine Learning technology. This collaboration will help Gold Hunter find gold faster at its Great Northern Project in Newfoundland. Windfall Geotek's AI platform analyzes large amounts of geological data to pinpoint areas likely to contain gold. This smart approach aims to reduce exploration risks and speed up discoveries in the promising Central Newfoundland Gold Belt. Gold Hunter also extended the expiry date for 1,750,000 share purchase warrants to December 24, 2025, to gain more financial flexibility.

Seattle appoints Lisa Qian as its first AI officer

Seattle City has hired Lisa Qian as its first-ever Artificial Intelligence Officer. Qian, a former data scientist from LinkedIn and Airbnb, started her new role on December 15. She will work across all 39 city departments to ensure Seattle uses AI responsibly and effectively. Outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell announced this new position in September as part of the city's wider AI strategy. Qian brings expertise in developing AI evaluation frameworks and fraud detection models.

Mortgage industry discusses AI, jumbo loans, and market trends

On Christmas Eve 2025, the mortgage industry discussed several key topics, including the role of AI in point-of-sale systems. Experts believe AI will improve speed in underwriting, but human judgment remains crucial for complex cases. The MAXEX platform is offering competitive pricing for jumbo loans, potentially saving 50-100 basis points. Servbank introduced its SIME technology for transparent subservicing, giving clients 24/7 access to their loan portfolios. Mortgage executives are focusing on resilient operating models to navigate an unpredictable market. Additionally, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae news included updates on renovation financing and defect monitoring.

Mark Hamill shares concerns about AI and his Star Wars legacy

Actor Mark Hamill shared his concerns about AI deepfakes and his "Star Wars" legacy. He discussed how AI could be used to create future content featuring his character, Luke Skywalker, even after he is gone. Hamill noted the realistic appearance of AI-generated videos of Luke Skywalker and expressed apprehension about Disney's partnership with OpenAI. Despite these worries, Hamill had a busy year, promoting three major projects and voicing The Flying Dutchman in "The SpongeBob Movie." He finds voice acting allows him to play diverse roles, untethered by age.

AI generated low quality content exploded in 2025

NPR reporters Geoff Brumfiel and Shannon Bond discussed how 2025 saw a huge increase in low-quality content created by AI. They explained that these AI-generated videos are now changing how people see reality online. This "explosion" of content raises concerns about the quality and truthfulness of information found on the internet.

Sources

• NIST and MITRE partner to test AI defense technology for critical infrastructure
• NIST, MITRE Partner on $20m AI Centers For Manufacturing and Cyber
• Reporter Sues AI Companies For Training Chatbots with Copyright Books
• From AI to Venezuela: Why 2026 is a hinge year for global power
• Rebellions AI Puts Together An HBM And Arm Alliance To Take On Nvidia
• InstaDeep Introduces Nucleotide Transformer v3 (NTv3): A New Multi-Species Genomics Foundation Model, Designed for 1 Mb Context Lengths at Single-Nucleotide Resolution
• Gold Hunter Deploys Machine-Learning Artificial Intelligence with Windfall Geotek to Expedite Drill Targeting at Great Northern; Extends Warrant Duration
• Seattle hires its first-ever artificial intelligence officer
• Christmas Eve: AI POS, Subservicing, Jumbo Products; Thoughts Operating Models; Freddie and Fannie News
• Mark Hamill on ‘Star Wars’ AI Deepfakes, Weighing Retirement and Voicing The Flying Dutchman in ‘The SpongeBob Movie’
• 2025 has seen an explosion of AI-generated slop