May 20, 2025 News
Google Expands Project Mariner AI Agent to Handle Multiple Web-Browsing Tasks Simultaneously
Google is rolling out Project Mariner, an experimental AI agent that browses websites and completes tasks like purchasing tickets or groceries without users visiting sites directly. The updated version runs on cloud virtual machines and can handle up to 10 tasks simultaneously, addressing previous limitations that required users to remain idle while the agent worked.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): Autonomous AI agents that can independently navigate and take actions across the web represent a step toward more general AI capabilities with less human oversight. The ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and operate in background environments reduces human control over AI actions.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The commercial deployment of autonomous web agents accelerates the timeline for AI systems operating independently in digital environments. This represents practical implementation of agentic AI capabilities moving from experimental to consumer-facing products.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): Multi-task autonomous agents that can navigate complex web interfaces and complete goal-oriented tasks demonstrate significant progress toward general intelligence capabilities. The ability to operate across diverse websites and handle simultaneous objectives shows advancing generalization.
AGI Date (-1 days): Google's move from experimental to commercial deployment of agentic AI capabilities accelerates the practical implementation timeline for AGI-adjacent technologies. The integration with APIs and developer tools suggests rapid scaling of autonomous AI capabilities.
Google Unveils Deep Think Reasoning Mode for Enhanced Gemini Model Performance
Google introduced Deep Think, an enhanced reasoning mode for Gemini 2.5 Pro that considers multiple answers before responding, similar to OpenAI's o1 models. The technology topped coding benchmarks and beat OpenAI's o3 on perception and reasoning tests, though it's currently limited to trusted testers pending safety evaluations.
Skynet Chance (+0.06%): Advanced reasoning capabilities that allow AI to consider multiple approaches and synthesize optimal solutions represent significant progress toward more autonomous and capable AI systems. The need for extended safety evaluations suggests Google recognizes potential risks with enhanced reasoning abilities.
Skynet Date (+0 days): While the technology represents advancement, the cautious rollout to trusted testers and emphasis on safety evaluations suggests responsible deployment practices. The timeline impact is neutral as safety measures balance capability acceleration.
AGI Progress (+0.04%): Enhanced reasoning modes that enable AI to consider multiple solution paths and synthesize optimal responses represent major progress toward general intelligence. The benchmark superiority over competing models demonstrates significant capability advancement in critical reasoning domains.
AGI Date (+0 days): Superior performance on challenging reasoning and coding benchmarks suggests accelerating progress in core AGI capabilities. However, the limited release to trusted testers indicates measured deployment that doesn't significantly accelerate overall AGI timeline.
Google Integrates Project Astra's Real-Time Multimodal AI Across Search and Developer APIs
Google announced Project Astra will power new real-time, multimodal AI experiences across Search, Gemini, and developer tools through its Live API. The technology enables low-latency voice and visual interactions, with plans for smart glasses partnerships with Samsung and Warby Parker, though no launch date is set.
Skynet Chance (+0.05%): Real-time multimodal AI that can see, hear, and respond with minimal latency represents significant advancement in AI's ability to perceive and interact with the physical world. Smart glasses integration could enable pervasive AI monitoring and response capabilities.
Skynet Date (+0 days): While the technology demonstrates advanced capabilities, the lack of concrete launch dates for smart glasses suggests slower than expected deployment. The focus on developer APIs indicates infrastructure building rather than immediate widespread deployment.
AGI Progress (+0.04%): Low-latency multimodal AI that integrates visual, audio, and reasoning capabilities represents substantial progress toward human-like AI interaction and perception. The real-time processing of multiple sensory inputs demonstrates advancing general intelligence capabilities.
AGI Date (+0 days): The integration of multimodal capabilities across Google's ecosystem and developer APIs accelerates the availability of AGI-like interfaces. However, the delayed smart glasses launch suggests some technical challenges remain in real-world deployment.
Android Studio Introduces Autonomous AI Development Agents with Journeys and Agent Mode
Google is adding "agentic AI" capabilities to Android Studio, including Journeys for natural language app testing and Agent Mode for autonomous multi-stage development tasks. The AI can handle complex workflows like API integration, dependency management, and bug fixing without extensive manual coding.
Skynet Chance (+0.03%): AI agents that can autonomously write, test, and debug code represent increased AI capability in critical infrastructure development. Self-improving AI systems that can modify and create software pose potential risks if deployed without sufficient oversight.
Skynet Date (+0 days): Autonomous development tools accelerate AI deployment by reducing barriers to AI application creation. However, these are still experimental features with limited immediate impact on overall AI development pace.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): AI agents capable of complex software development tasks, from planning to execution to testing, demonstrate significant progress in general problem-solving capabilities. The ability to understand requirements and autonomously implement solutions across multiple development stages shows advancing intelligence.
AGI Date (+0 days): Autonomous development tools accelerate the creation of AI applications and reduce technical barriers for developers. This could create a feedback loop where AI-assisted development leads to faster AI advancement and deployment.
Apple to Release AI Development Framework for Third-Party Developers at WWDC
According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to unveil a set of AI products and frameworks at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. The new tools will allow third-party developers to build applications using Apple's AI models, initially focusing on smaller models, as part of the company's strategy to catch up with competitors in the AI space.
Skynet Chance (+0.01%): Apple's expansion of AI accessibility to third-party developers slightly increases potential risk by broadening the AI application ecosystem, though Apple's typically controlled approach to technology implementation mitigates more serious concerns.
Skynet Date (-1 days): By accelerating AI integration across Apple's ecosystem and enabling third-party development, this initiative could modestly speed up the timeline for advanced AI proliferation, contributing to a slightly faster overall pace of AI capability development.
AGI Progress (+0.02%): Apple's entry as a major platform for AI development represents meaningful progress toward broader AI integration, though the focus on smaller models suggests incremental rather than revolutionary advancement toward AGI capabilities.
AGI Date (-1 days): Apple's commitment to AI development and the creation of developer frameworks indicates acceleration in the commercial race for AI capabilities, potentially bringing forward the timeline for more advanced AI development as competition intensifies among major tech companies.
Amazon AGI SF Lab's Cognitive Scientist to Speak at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Conference
Danielle Perszyk, who leads human-computer interaction at Amazon's AGI SF Lab, will be speaking at TechCrunch Sessions: AI on June 5 at UC Berkeley. She will join representatives from Google DeepMind and Twelve Labs to discuss how startups can build upon and adapt to foundation models in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Skynet Chance (+0.01%): Amazon's explicit focus on 'AGI' and building 'AI agents that can operate in the real world' indicates continued industrial pursuit of increasingly autonomous systems, marginally increasing existential risk potential by normalizing AGI development.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The establishment of dedicated 'AGI Labs' by major tech companies like Amazon suggests acceleration in the timeline for potential control risks, as it demonstrates significant resource allocation toward developing autonomous AI agents that operate in physical environments.
AGI Progress (+0.01%): Amazon's explicit investment in an AGI-focused lab with dedicated teams for human-computer interaction indicates serious resource allocation toward AGI capabilities, though this announcement alone reveals no specific technical breakthroughs.
AGI Date (-1 days): The establishment of Amazon's dedicated AGI SF Lab, combined with their focus on 'practical AI agents' operating in both digital and physical environments, suggests acceleration in the corporate race toward AGI, potentially compressing development timelines.
OpenAI Launches Codex as It Enters the Emerging Field of Autonomous Coding Agents
OpenAI introduced Codex, a new coding system designed to perform complex programming tasks from natural language commands, placing it among a new generation of agentic coding tools. Unlike traditional AI coding assistants that function as intelligent autocomplete, these agentic tools aim to operate autonomously without requiring users to interact directly with the code, though current systems still face significant challenges with reliability and hallucinations.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): Codex represents a step toward more autonomous AI systems that can take initiative to complete complex tasks with minimal human supervision, which increases risk of unintended behaviors in critical systems. However, the current reliability issues and need for human oversight described in the article provide some natural limitations.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The emergence of increasingly autonomous coding agents accelerates the development of AI systems that can self-modify and improve software without human intervention, potentially shortening timelines to more advanced AI. The competitive landscape described suggests rapid progress in this field.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): Codex demonstrates meaningful progress in AI systems understanding and implementing complex multi-step tasks from natural language instructions, an important component of general intelligence. The ability to solve 72.1% of issues on SWE-Bench (though unverified) suggests substantial capability improvements over previous systems.
AGI Date (-1 days): The competition among multiple companies developing agentic coding tools and the reported high benchmark scores indicate accelerating progress in autonomous problem-solving capabilities. This suggests we may achieve AGI-relevant milestones sooner than previously anticipated as these systems improve.