Key Takeaways

• David Sacks has transitioned from White House AI and crypto czar to co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), influencing broader tech policy.
• The PCAST includes prominent tech leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
• STADLER integrated ChatGPT, creating over 125 custom GPTs, achieving 30-40% time savings and 2.5x faster first drafts with over 85% daily active usage.
• Macy's AI-powered shopping assistant, Ask Macy's, led to users spending 4.75 times more than non-users.
• New Jersey upgraded its in-house generative AI assistant for state employees, featuring a 'thoughts' section for transparency and new input options.
• OpenAI added plugin support to its Codex coding application, competing with Anthropic's Claude Code and Google's Gemini, enabling integration with external services.
• Lawyers are facing penalties for citing AI-generated fake legal precedents, underscoring verification challenges.
• Open-source developers are overwhelmed by a surge of AI-generated bug reports, increasing the burden on project maintainers.
• Ohio Virtual Academy is developing 'AI-resistant' assignments and custom AI tools to prepare students for AI in education.
• Using AI chatbots as a coach can improve memory and reasoning skills, rather than hindering them.

David Sacks leaves AI czar role but keeps policy influence

David Sacks has finished his term as a special government employee advising the White House on AI and crypto. He will continue to influence AI policy by serving as co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). In this new role, Sacks will help make official recommendations and issue reports on technology topics. The White House will not appoint a new AI czar, but Sacks will still advise the president on AI matters.

White House AI czar David Sacks steps down, moves to advisory role

David Sacks, the White House artificial intelligence and crypto czar, is stepping down from his position. He stated that his time as a special government employee, limited to 130 days per year, has concluded. Sacks, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, was appointed in December 2024. During his tenure, he oversaw a relaxation of restrictions on AI chip shipments to China. He plans to continue advising the administration on advancing its technology agenda.

Trump names David Sacks to lead tech council, expands AI and crypto role

David Sacks has been appointed co-chair of a new tech advisory council, expanding his influence beyond AI and crypto. This council will include top tech leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Sacks will continue as AI and crypto czar while advising on a wider range of technology issues. The administration has focused on accelerating AI innovation and has eased some regulations on the crypto industry.

David Sacks no longer White House AI and crypto czar

Venture capitalist David Sacks has announced he is no longer serving as the White House AI and crypto czar. His role as a special government employee, limited to 130 days, has ended. Sacks will now co-chair the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), where he will advise on a broader range of technology topics. The council, including tech leaders like Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg, will study issues and make recommendations to the administration.

David Sacks exits AI and crypto czar role for advisory council

David Sacks, the tech billionaire who served as the White House's AI and crypto czar, is no longer a special government employee. His role was limited to 130 days, and he has now moved to a new position as co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). In this advisory role, Sacks will provide recommendations on AI and other technology topics to the president and the White House.

STADLER uses ChatGPT to boost productivity in manufacturing

STADLER, a 230-year-old waste sorting company, has integrated ChatGPT across its 650 employees to improve knowledge work. The company created over 125 custom GPTs, resulting in 30-40% time savings on common tasks and a 2.5x faster time to first draft. With over 85% daily active usage, ChatGPT is used for tasks like analysis, code support, documentation, and communication. This AI integration aims to enhance speed, quality, and decision-making company-wide.

Four flows to boost AI investment ROI for businesses

To maximize the return on AI investments, businesses need a four-part framework: purpose, workflow, knowledge, and intelligence. This framework helps convert AI-driven speed into strategic impact by aligning AI use with organizational goals. A strong purpose flow ensures clarity on priorities, while a healthy work flow streamlines execution. Effective use of knowledge and intelligence further enhances decision-making and output quality. This approach helps companies achieve better performance and meet strategic objectives.

New Jersey upgrades AI assistant for state employees

New Jersey has released version 2.0 of its in-house generative AI assistant for state employees, following over 300,000 sessions and 1 million prompts. The upgraded tool offers more transparency with a 'thoughts' section to show its reasoning, helping users verify information and identify potential errors or bias. New features include voice input, prompt editing, retrying responses, and conversation history. The AI assistant remains on the state's network for security and allows for faster integration of new tools.

AI can boost memory skills if used as a tool, not a crutch

Using AI chatbots as a coach rather than a crutch can help individuals improve their memory and reasoning skills. While AI can sometimes lead to forgetting information, it can also be a powerful tool for learning and retention. By actively engaging with AI for learning and problem-solving, users can strengthen their cognitive abilities. This approach emphasizes leveraging AI to enhance, not replace, human memory and critical thinking.

Ohio Virtual Academy prepares students for AI in education

Ohio Virtual Academy is adapting to the rise of AI in education by forming a teacher-led committee to guide its use. The school is developing 'AI-resistant' assignments and projects that require original thinking to combat plagiarism. Teachers are shifting towards practical projects instead of essays and even creating custom AI tools to simulate real-world scenarios, like a loan officer reviewing business plans. The goal is to prepare students to use AI effectively in their future careers.

Turbo Stars wins AI innovation award at GamingTECH Awards 2026

Turbo Stars won the AI product innovation category at the GamingTECH Awards 2026 for its AI infrastructure. This system personalizes experiences, acts as a customer support assistant, and manages the full operator lifecycle from registration to retention. The platform helps operators manage player interactions and user activity. The award recognizes products currently in use, highlighting Turbo Stars' success in bridging the gap between product decisions and their impact on players.

AI bug reports overwhelm open-source developers

Open-source maintainers are facing a surge of AI-generated bug reports, creating a significant challenge for software security. New code analysis tools are flooding projects with vulnerability reports, forcing a rethink of how the software supply chain is secured. While AI helps find bugs, the sheer volume of reports is increasing the burden on developers. Efforts are underway to provide developers with tools and guidance to securely manage these AI-generated reports and influence the systems creating them.

Macy's AI chatbot boosts customer spending significantly

Macy's AI-powered shopping assistant, Ask Macy's, has led to a significant increase in customer spending, with users spending 4.75 times more than non-users. Launched on the retailer's app and digital platforms, the chatbot helps customers complete outfits and offers virtual try-ons. Powered by IBM's watsonx, the AI assistant provides personalized product suggestions based on budget, occasion, and style. Macy's is increasingly using AI across various business functions to improve performance.

Lawyers face consequences for trusting AI-generated legal citations

Lawyers are increasingly being penalized for citing fake legal precedents generated by AI in court filings. A recent custody case involving a dog highlighted how both sides cited nonexistent cases fabricated by AI. This trend is surprising given the publicity around such errors, and judges are imposing fines for this 'laziness.' AI's ability to generate false citations is creating extra work for lawyers who must now verify all references, impacting the integrity of legal proceedings.

OpenAI adds plugins to Codex coding app

OpenAI has introduced plugin support to its coding application Codex, aiming to compete with similar features from Anthropic's Claude Code and Google's Gemini. These plugins allow users to easily integrate Codex with external services like GitHub, Gmail, and Cloudflare. While not introducing entirely new capabilities, the plugins offer a one-click installation for configuring Codex for specific tasks. This move expands Codex's functionality beyond coding, enabling broader knowledge-work applications.

Sources

• David Sacks drops "AI czar" label, not policy influence
• White House AI czar Sacks to step down, moves to advisory role
• Trump names David Sacks co-chair of tech advisory council, expanding AI, crypto role
• David Sacks says he’s no longer White House AI, crypto czar
• David Sacks is no longer the White House AI and Crypto Czar
• STADLER reshapes knowledge work at a 230-year-old company
• Translating AI investment into enterprise performance
• New Jersey releases upgraded AI assistant for state employees
• Opinion | AI Doesn’t Have to Rot Your Mind
• 'We want to prepare them to be able to use AI effectively' How Ohio Virtual Academy is traversing the new era of learning
• Turbo Stars wins AI product innovation category at GamingTECH Awards 2026
• Open-source security leaders brace for AI bug surge
• Macy’s AI Chatbot Quadruples Customer Spending
• Hiltzik: Why do lawyers keep getting snowed by AI?
• OpenAI brings plugins to Codex, closing some of the gap with Claude Code