News from the AI & ML world

DeeperML - #developers

@google.github.io //
Google Cloud has announced the public preview of Vertex AI Agent Engine Memory Bank, a significant advancement for developers building conversational AI agents. This new managed service is designed to empower agents with long-term memory, enabling them to maintain context, personalize interactions, and remember user preferences across multiple sessions. This addresses a critical limitation in current AI agent development, where agents often "forget" previous interactions, leading to repetitive conversations and a less engaging user experience. Memory Bank aims to eliminate this by providing a persistent and up-to-date information store for agents.

The integration of Memory Bank with the Google Agent Development Kit (ADK) and support for popular frameworks like LangGraph and CrewAI are key features of this announcement. Developers can now leverage Memory Bank to create more sophisticated and stateful agents that can recall past conversations and user details, leading to more natural and efficient interactions. The service utilizes Google's powerful Gemini models to extract and manage these memories, ensuring that agents have access to relevant and accurate information. This move by Google Cloud is set to streamline the development of truly personalized and context-aware AI assistants.

This release marks a crucial step forward in making AI agents more helpful and human-like. By moving beyond the limitations of solely relying on an LLM's context window, which can be expensive and inefficient, Memory Bank offers a robust solution for managing an agent's knowledge. This capability is essential for building production-ready AI agents that can handle complex user needs and provide consistent, high-quality assistance over time. The public preview availability signifies Google Cloud's commitment to providing developers with the tools needed to innovate in the rapidly evolving field of generative AI.

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Steve Newman@Second Thoughts //
New research suggests that the integration of AI coding tools into the development process may not be the productivity silver bullet many have assumed. A recent study conducted by METR, a non-profit AI benchmarking group, observed experienced open-source developers working on complex, mature codebases. Counterintuitively, the findings indicate that these AI tools actually slowed down task completion time by 19%. This slowdown is attributed to factors such as the time spent prompting the AI, waiting for responses, and meticulously reviewing and correcting the generated output. Despite this empirical evidence, many developers continued to use the tools, reporting that the work felt less effortful, even if it wasn't faster.

The study involved 16 seasoned developers and 246 real-world programming tasks. Before engaging with the AI tools, participants optimistically predicted a 24% increase in their productivity. However, after the trial, their revised estimates still overestimated the gains, believing AI had sped up their work by 20%, a stark contrast to the actual observed slowdown of 19%. Furthermore, fewer than 44% of the AI-generated code suggestions were accepted by the developers, with a significant portion of their time dedicated to refining or rewriting the AI's output. Lack of contextual knowledge and the complexity of existing repositories were cited as key reasons for the reduced effectiveness of the AI suggestions.

While the study highlights a potential downside for experienced developers working on established projects, the researchers acknowledge that AI tools may offer greater benefits in other settings. These could include smaller projects, less experienced developers, or situations with different quality standards. This research adds a crucial layer of nuance to the broader narrative surrounding AI's impact on software development, suggesting that the benefits are not universal and may require careful evaluation on a case-by-case basis as the technology continues to evolve.

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  • Marcus on AI: Coding has been the strongest use case. But a new study from METR just dropped.
  • Erik Moeller: Pretty sensibly designed study that focuses on Cursor use in particular and shows that agents slow things down rather than speeding them up for experienced folks maintaining large, complex codebases: That matches my experience so far; they're still too likely to make dumb or destructive suggestions or go in circles.
  • Bernard Marr: Study Shows That Even Experienced Developers Dramatically Overestimate Gains
  • Second Thoughts: Study Shows That Even Experienced Developers Dramatically Overestimate Gains
  • NextBigFuture.com: Study Shows That Even Experienced Developers Dramatically Overestimate Gains
  • Peter Lawrey: It's a mistake to assume AI saves time, especially for experienced developers. For senior developers, "analysis reveals that AI actually increased task completion time by 19%. ... However, despite the slowdown, many developers continued to use AI tools because the work felt less effortful, making work feel more pleasant even if it wasn't faster."
  • The Register - Software: AI coding tools make developers slower but they think they're faster, study finds
  • www.infoworld.com: AI coding tools can slow down seasoned developers by 19%
  • www.techradar.com: It's a mistake to assume AI saves time, especially for experienced developers. For senior developers, analysis reveals that AI actually increased task completion time by 19%.
  • bsky.app: It's a mistake to assume AI saves time, especially for experienced developers. For senior developers, "analysis reveals that AI actually increased task completion time by 19%. ... https://www.techradar.com/pro/using-ai-might-actually-slow-down-experienced-devs
  • metr.org: Pretty sensibly designed study that focuses on Cursor use in particular and shows that agents slow things down rather than speeding them up for experienced folks maintaining large, complex codebases
  • PCMag Middle East ai: Tasks like prompting the AI, waiting for responses, and reviewing its output for errors actually slowed down developers in the study by 19% compared to the control group.
  • Digital Information World: Conducted by the non-profit group , the research tracked the performance of 16 long-time contributors to open-source projects as they completed a series of real-world programming tasks.

Eddú Meléndez@Docker //
The development of Artificial Intelligence applications is rapidly evolving, with a significant surge in interest and the creation of new tools for developers. Open-source command-line interface (CLI) tools, in particular, are generating considerable excitement within both the developer and AI communities. The recent releases of Claude's Codex CLI, OpenAI's Codex CLI, and Google's Gemini CLI have underscored the growing importance of CLIs. These tools are fundamentally altering the way developers write code by integrating AI capabilities directly into routine coding tasks, thereby streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity.

For Java developers looking to enter the Generative AI (GenAI) space, the learning curve is becoming increasingly accessible. The Java ecosystem is now equipped with robust tools that facilitate the creation of GenAI applications. One notable example is the ability to build GenAI apps using Java, Spring AI, and Docker Model Runner. This combination allows developers to leverage powerful AI models, integrate them into applications, and manage local AI model inference with ease. Projects like building an AI-powered Amazon Ad Copy Generator, which can be accomplished with Python Flask and Gemini, also highlight the diverse applications of AI in marketing and e-commerce, enabling users to generate content such as ad copy and product descriptions efficiently.

The integration of AI into developer workflows is transforming how code is created and managed. Tools like Claude Code are proving to be highly effective, with some developers even switching from other AI coding assistants to Claude Code due to its practical utility. The VS Code extension for Claude Code simplifies its use, allowing for parallel instances and making it a primary interface for many developers rather than a secondary tool. Even terminal-based interfaces for chat-based code editing are showing promise, with features like easy file tagging and context selection enhancing the developer experience. This signifies a broader trend towards AI-powered development environments that boost efficiency and unlock new possibilities for application creation.

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@www.helpnetsecurity.com //
References: cloudnativenow.com , DEVCLASS , Docker ...
Bitwarden Unveils Model Context Protocol Server for Secure AI Agent Integration

Bitwarden has launched its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, a new tool designed to facilitate secure integration between AI agents and credential management workflows. The MCP server is built with a local-first architecture, ensuring that all interactions between client AI agents and the server remain within the user's local environment. This approach significantly minimizes the exposure of sensitive data to external threats. The new server empowers AI assistants by enabling them to access, generate, retrieve, and manage credentials while rigorously preserving zero-knowledge, end-to-end encryption. This innovation aims to allow AI agents to handle credential management securely without the need for direct human intervention, thereby streamlining operations and enhancing security protocols in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

The Bitwarden MCP server establishes a foundational infrastructure for secure AI authentication, equipping AI systems with precisely controlled access to credential workflows. This means that AI assistants can now interact with sensitive information like passwords and other credentials in a managed and protected manner. The MCP server standardizes how applications connect to and provide context to large language models (LLMs), offering a unified interface for AI systems to interact with frequently used applications and data sources. This interoperability is crucial for streamlining agentic workflows and reducing the complexity of custom integrations. As AI agents become increasingly autonomous, the need for secure and policy-governed authentication is paramount, a challenge that the Bitwarden MCP server directly addresses by ensuring that credential generation and retrieval occur without compromising encryption or exposing confidential information.

This release positions Bitwarden at the forefront of enabling secure agentic AI adoption by providing users with the tools to seamlessly integrate AI assistants into their credential workflows. The local-first architecture is a key feature, ensuring that credentials remain on the user’s machine and are subject to zero-knowledge encryption throughout the process. The MCP server also integrates with the Bitwarden Command Line Interface (CLI) for secure vault operations and offers the option for self-hosted deployments, granting users greater control over system configurations and data residency. The Model Context Protocol itself is an open standard, fostering broader interoperability and allowing AI systems to interact with various applications through a consistent interface. The Bitwarden MCP server is now available through the Bitwarden GitHub repository, with plans for expanded distribution and documentation in the near future.

Recommended read:
References :
  • cloudnativenow.com: Docker. Inc. today extended its Docker Compose tool for creating container applications to include an ability to now also define architectures for artificial intelligence (AI) agents using YAML files.
  • DEVCLASS: Docker has added AI agent support to its Compose command, plus a new GPU-enabled Offload service which enables […]
  • Docker: Agents are the future, and if you haven’t already started building agents, you probably will soon.
  • Docker: Blog post on Docker MCP Gateway: Open Source, Secure Infrastructure for Agentic AI
  • CyberInsider: Bitwarden Launches MCP Server to Enable Secure AI Credential Management
  • discuss.privacyguides.net: Bitwarden sets foundation for secure AI authentication with MCP server
  • Help Net Security: Bitwarden MCP server equips AI systems with controlled access to credential workflows

@gbhackers.com //
The rise of AI-assisted coding is introducing new security challenges, according to recent reports. Researchers are warning that the speed at which AI pulls in dependencies can lead to developers using software stacks they don't fully understand, thus expanding the cyber attack surface. John Morello, CTO at Minimus, notes that while AI isn't inherently good or bad, it magnifies both positive and negative behaviors, making it crucial for developers to maintain oversight and ensure the security of AI-generated code. This includes addressing vulnerabilities and prioritizing security in open source projects.

Kernel-level attacks on Windows systems are escalating through the exploitation of signed drivers. Cybercriminals are increasingly using code-signing certificates, often fraudulently obtained, to masquerade malicious drivers as legitimate software. Group-IB research reveals that over 620 malicious kernel-mode drivers and 80-plus code-signing certificates have been implicated in campaigns since 2020. A particularly concerning trend is the use of kernel loaders, which are designed to load second-stage components, giving attackers the ability to update their toolsets without detection.

A new supply-chain attack, dubbed "slopsquatting," is exploiting coding agent workflows to deliver malware. Unlike typosquatting, slopsquatting targets AI-powered coding assistants like Claude Code CLI and OpenAI Codex CLI. These agents can inadvertently suggest non-existent package names, which malicious actors then pre-register on public registries like PyPI. When developers use the AI-suggested installation commands, they unknowingly install malware, highlighting the need for multi-layered security approaches to mitigate this emerging threat.

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  • Cyber Security News: Signed Drivers, Silent Threats: Kernel-Level Attacks on Windows Escalate via Trusted Tools
  • gbhackers.com: New Slopsquatting Attack Exploits Coding Agent Workflows to Deliver Malware

@www.infoq.com //
Google has launched Gemini CLI, a new open-source AI command-line interface that brings the full capabilities of its Gemini 2.5 Pro model directly into developers' terminals. Designed for flexibility, transparency, and developer-first workflows, Gemini CLI provides high-performance, natural language AI assistance through a lightweight, locally accessible interface. Last Week in AI #314 also mentioned Gemini CLI, placing it alongside other significant AI developments. Google aims to empower developers by providing a tool that enhances productivity and streamlines AI workflows.

This move has potentially major implications for the AI coding assistant market, especially for developers who previously relied on costly tools. An article on Towards AI highlights that Gemini CLI could effectively eliminate the need for $200/month AI coding tools. This is because it will match or beat expensive tools for $0. The open-source nature of Gemini CLI fosters community-driven development and transparency, enabling developers to customize and extend the tool to suit their specific needs.

Google is also integrating Gemini with other development tools to create a more robust AI development ecosystem. Build Smarter AI Workflows with Gemini + AutoGen + Semantic Kernel suggests that Gemini CLI can be combined with other frameworks to enhance AI workflow. This is a new step to provide developers with a complete suite of tools. Google's launch of Gemini CLI not only underscores its commitment to open-source AI development but also democratizes access to advanced AI capabilities, making them available to a wider range of developers.

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  • Towards AI: Google Just Killed $200/Month AI Coding Tools With This Free Terminal Assistant
  • Last Week in AI: Google is bringing Gemini CLI to developers’ terminals, Anthropic now lets you make apps right from its Claude AI chatbot, and more!
  • www.infoq.com: Google Launches Gemini CLI: Open-Source Terminal AI Agent for Developers
  • www.theverge.com: Google is bringing Gemini CLI to developers’ terminals

Matthew S.@IEEE Spectrum //
References: Matt Corey , IEEE Spectrum ,
AI coding tools are transforming software development, offering developers increased speed and greater ambition in their projects. Tools like Anthropic's Claude Code and Cursor are gaining traction for their ability to assist with code generation, debugging, and adaptation across different platforms. This assistance is translating into substantial time savings, enabling developers to tackle more complex projects that were previously considered too time-intensive.

Developers are reporting significant improvements in their workflows with the integration of AI. Matt Corey (@matt1corey@iosdev.space) highlighted that Claude Code has not only accelerated his work but has also empowered him to be more ambitious in the types of projects he undertakes. Tools like Claude have allowed users to add features they might not have bothered with previously due to time constraints.

The benefits extend to code adaptation as well. balloob (@balloob@fosstodon.org) shared an experience of using Claude to adapt code from one integration to another in Home Assistant. By pointing Claude at a change in one integration and instructing it to apply the same change to another similar integration, balloob was able to save days of work. This capability demonstrates the power of AI in streamlining repetitive tasks and boosting overall developer productivity.

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  • Matt Corey: User testimonial about increased speed and ambition due to Claude Code.
  • IEEE Spectrum: Overview of AI coding tools, including Cursor and Anthropic's Claude Code.
  • Matt Corey: With Claude Code, I did all of this work in 2 days, PLUS refined some animations in the app and fixed a few small bugs that I found. And I only started using Claude Code 3 weeks ago. I can't wait to see the kind of impact this will have on my business.

@www.marktechpost.com //
Apple is enhancing its developer tools to empower developers in building AI-informed applications. While Siri may not yet be the smart assistant Apple envisions, the company has significantly enriched its offerings for developers. A powerful update to Xcode, including ChatGPT integration, is set to transform app development. This move signals Apple's commitment to integrating AI capabilities into its ecosystem, even as challenges persist with its own AI assistant.

However, experts have voiced concerns about Apple's downbeat AI outlook, attributing it to a potential lack of high-powered hardware. Professor Seok Joon Kwon of Sungkyunkwan University suggests that Apple's research paper revealing fundamental reasoning limits of modern large reasoning models (LRMs) and large language models (LLMs) is flawed because Apple lacks the hardware to adequately test high-end LRMs and LLMs. The professor argues that Apple's hardware is unsuitable for AI development compared to the resources available to companies like Google, Microsoft, or xAI. If Apple wants to catch up with rivals, it will either have to buy a lot of Nvidia GPUs or develop its own AI ASICs.

Apple's much-anticipated Siri upgrade, powered by Apple Intelligence, is now reportedly targeting a "spring 2026" launch. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple has set an internal release target of spring 2026 for its delayed upgrade of Siri, marking a key step in its artificial intelligence turnaround effort and is slated for iOS 26.4. The upgrade is expected to give Siri on-screen awareness and personal context capabilities.

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  • MarkTechPost: Apple Researchers Reveal Structural Failures in Large Reasoning Models Using Puzzle-Based Evaluation
  • www.techradar.com: Apple reportedly targets 'spring 2026' for launch of delayed AI Siri upgrade – but is that too late?
  • www.tomshardware.com: Expert pours cold water on Apple's downbeat AI outlook — says lack of high-powered hardware could be to blame
  • www.marktechpost.com: Apple researchers reveal structural failures in large reasoning models using puzzle-based evaluation

@www.sify.com //
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, held on June 10, showcased a significant transformation in both user interface and artificial intelligence. A major highlight was the unveiling of "Liquid Glass," a new design language offering a "glass-like" experience with translucent layers, fluid animations, and spatial depth. This UI refresh, described as Apple's boldest in over a decade, impacts core system elements like the lock screen, home screen, and apps such as Safari and Music, providing floating controls and glassy visual effects. iPhones from the 15 series onward will support Liquid Glass, with public betas rolling out soon to deliver a more immersive and dynamic feel.

Apple also announced advancements in AI, positioning itself to catch up in the competitive landscape. Apple Intelligence, a system-wide, on-device AI layer, integrates with iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and other platforms. It enables features such as summarizing emails and notifications, auto-completing messages, real-time call translation, and creating personalized emoji called Genmoji. Visual Intelligence allows users to extract text or gain information from photos, documents, and app screens. Siri is slated to receive intelligence upgrades as well, though its full capabilities may be slightly delayed.

In a significant shift, Apple has opened its foundational AI model to third-party developers, granting direct access to the on-device large language model powering Apple Intelligence. This move, announced at WWDC, marks a departure from Apple's traditionally closed ecosystem. The newly accessible three-billion parameter model operates entirely on-device, reflecting Apple’s privacy-first approach. The Foundation Models framework allows developers to integrate Apple Intelligence features with minimal code, offering privacy-focused AI inference at no cost. Xcode 26 now includes AI assistance, embedding large language models directly into the coding experience, and third-party developers can now leverage Visual Intelligence capabilities within their apps.

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@www.artificialintelligence-news.com //
Apple has announced a significant shift in its approach to AI development by opening its foundational AI model to third-party developers. This move, unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), grants developers direct access to the on-device large language model that powers Apple Intelligence. The newly accessible three-billion parameter model operates entirely on the device, reflecting Apple’s commitment to user privacy. This on-device approach distinguishes Apple from competitors relying on cloud-based AI solutions, emphasizing privacy and user control.

The new Foundation Models framework enables developers to integrate Apple Intelligence features into their apps with minimal code, using just three lines of Swift. This framework offers guided generation and tool-calling capabilities, making it easier to add generative AI to existing applications. Automattic's Day One journaling app is already leveraging this framework to provide privacy-centric intelligent features. According to Paul Mayne, head of Day One at Automattic, the framework is helping them rethink what’s possible with journaling by bringing intelligence and privacy together in ways that deeply respect their users.

Apple is also enhancing developer tools within Xcode 26, which now embeds large language models directly into the coding environment. Developers can access ChatGPT without needing a personal OpenAI account and connect API keys from other providers or run local models on Apple silicon Macs. Furthermore, Apple has upgraded the App Intents interface to support visual intelligence, allowing apps to present visual search results directly within the operating system. Etsy is already exploring these features to improve product discovery, with CTO Rafe Colburn noting the potential to meet shoppers right on their iPhone with visual intelligence.

Recommended read:
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  • machinelearning.apple.com: With Apple Intelligence, we're integrating powerful generative AI right into the apps and experiences people use every day, all while protecting their privacy.
  • AI News: Apple has opened its foundational AI model to third-party developers for the first time, allowing direct access to the on-device large language model that powers Apple Intelligence.
  • www.artificialintelligence-news.com: Apple opens core AI model to developers amid measured WWDC strategy
  • jonnyevans: Apple may not have made Siri the smart assistant it wants it to become quite yet, but for developers working to build AI-informed applications it has decisively enriched its offering to enable them to do that,

Mark Tyson@tomshardware.com //
OpenAI has recently launched its newest reasoning model, o3-pro, making it available to ChatGPT Pro and Team subscribers, as well as through OpenAI’s API. Enterprise and Edu subscribers will gain access the following week. The company touts o3-pro as a significant upgrade, emphasizing its enhanced capabilities in mathematics, science, and coding, and its improved ability to utilize external tools.

OpenAI has also slashed the price of o3 by 80% and o3-pro by 87%, positioning the model as a more accessible option for developers seeking advanced reasoning capabilities. This price adjustment comes at a time when AI providers are competing more aggressively on both performance and affordability. Experts note that evaluations consistently prefer o3-pro over the standard o3 model across all categories, especially in science, programming, and business tasks.

O3-pro utilizes the same underlying architecture as o3, but it’s tuned to be more reliable, especially on complex tasks, with better long-range reasoning. The model supports tools like web browsing, code execution, vision analysis, and memory. While the increased complexity can lead to slower response times, OpenAI suggests that the tradeoff is worthwhile for the most challenging questions "where reliability matters more than speed, and waiting a few minutes is worth the tradeoff.”

Recommended read:
References :
  • Maginative: OpenAI’s new o3-pro model is now available in ChatGPT and the API, offering top-tier performance in math, science, and coding—at a dramatically lower price.
  • AI News | VentureBeat: OpenAI's most powerful reasoning model, o3, is now 80% cheaper, making it more affordable for businesses, researchers, and individual developers.
  • Latent.Space: OpenAI just dropped the price of their o3 model by 80% today and launched o3-pro.
  • THE DECODER: OpenAI has lowered the price of its o3 language model by 80 percent, CEO Sam Altman said.
  • Simon Willison's Weblog: OpenAI's Adam Groth explained that the engineers have optimized inference, allowing a significant price reduction for the o3 model.
  • the-decoder.com: OpenAI lowered the price of its o3 language model by 80 percent, CEO Sam Altman said.
  • AI News | VentureBeat: OpenAI released the latest in its o-series of reasoning model that promises more reliable and accurate responses for enterprises.
  • bsky.app: The OpenAI API is back to running at 100% again, plus we dropped o3 prices by 80% and launched o3-pro - enjoy!
  • Sam Altman: We are past the event horizon; the takeoff has started. Humanity is close to building digital superintelligence, and at least so far it’s much less weird than it seems like it should be.
  • siliconangle.com: OpenAI’s newest reasoning model o3-pro surpasses rivals on multiple benchmarks, but it’s not very fast
  • SiliconANGLE: OpenAI’s newest reasoning model o3-pro surpasses rivals on multiple benchmarks, but it’s not very fast
  • bsky.app: the OpenAI API is back to running at 100% again, plus we dropped o3 prices by 80% and launched o3-pro - enjoy!
  • bsky.app: OpenAI has launched o3-pro. The new model is available to ChatGPT Pro and Team subscribers and in OpenAI’s API now, while Enterprise and Edu subscribers will get access next week. If you use reasoning models like o1 or o3, try o3-pro, which is much smarter and better at using external tools.
  • The Algorithmic Bridge: OpenAI o3-Pro Is So Good That I Can’t Tell How Good It Is
  • datafloq.com: What is OpenAI o3 and How is it Different than other LLMs?
  • www.marketingaiinstitute.com: [The AI Show Episode 153]: OpenAI Releases o3-Pro, Disney Sues Midjourney, Altman: “Gentle Singularity†Is Here, AI and Jobs & News Sites Getting Crushed by AI Search