Issue #56
AI price war, Google watermark changes, and a PBS data scare
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Today's digest covers pricing competition among major AI labs, a change to Google's AI watermark policy, and new work on GPU inference efficiency. Also included are questions about hyperscaler energy bets and a public broadcaster's cloud storage dispute.
1 of 5 · Ars Technica
OpenAI and Anthropic in price war as Chinese AI rivals gain ground
OpenAI and Anthropic have released lower-priced models as competition from Chinese AI developers intensifies. The move follows new pressure on the US companies' commercial ambitions.
Read the full story →2 of 5 · TechCrunch AI
Google will now allow users to remove visible watermark from its AI generations
Google now lets users remove the visible watermark from images created with its AI tools. The change does not affect invisible markers that Google uses to identify AI-generated files.
Read the full story →3 of 5 · TechCrunch AI
Kog is going deeper to squeeze more inference out of GPUs
Kog, a French startup, argues that GPUs are better suited for agentic workflows than commonly assumed and is developing methods to extract more inference performance from existing hardware.
Read the full story →4 of 5 · TechCrunch AI
Hyperscalers might regret embracing natural gas if new forecast proves correct
A new forecast projects that natural gas prices could triple in some parts of the U.S., potentially raising power costs for hyperscalers running AI data centers. The projection raises questions about the reliance of major tech companies on natural gas to meet growing energy demands.
Read the full story →5 of 5 · Ars Technica
PBS station fears losing 50TB of data after being ghosted by cloud storage provider
A PBS station says it may lose 50TB of archived data after its cloud storage provider stopped responding to requests for access. Iron Mountain, the vendor involved, told Ars Technica it does not have access to the data on the relevant hardware and servers.
Read the full story →That's all for this morning. See you tomorrow.
Morning Roost Issue #56