AI Sec Watch

As AI tools like ChatGPT become common among students, university professors worry that critical thinking and deep learning in humanities subjects are at risk. One Stanford literature professor is experimenting with offline learning methods, like having students memorize and recite poems and examine art in person, to help students experience learning directly rather than relying on AI to do their work for them.

Zoom is launching AI-powered avatars (realistic digital representations that can mimic a user's appearance and movements) that can represent users in meetings, along with new AI tools like document and presentation apps, an AI agent builder for non-technical users, and a deepfake detection technology (software that identifies when audio or video has been artificially manipulated or impersonated) to alert meeting participants of possible impersonation. The company is also expanding its AI Companion assistant across desktop and other products, and introducing custom AI agents that users can control through natural language prompts (instructions written in everyday English rather than code).

Adobe has released an AI assistant for Photoshop on web and mobile (now in public beta, meaning it's available for anyone to test) that lets users edit images by describing changes in plain language to a chatbot instead of using traditional menus. The assistant can perform tasks like removing distractions, changing backgrounds, adjusting lighting, and modifying colors through conversational requests.

Google is adding new Gemini AI features to its productivity apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive) that help users create and organize content faster by pulling information from their emails, files, and the web. These tools include features like automatically drafting documents, generating formatted spreadsheets, creating slides that match your theme, and searching across files using natural language (plain English questions instead of technical search terms). The goal is to let users accomplish tasks within Google's apps without switching to separate tools.

Google is expanding its Gemini AI assistant into more of its Workspace apps, including a new chat window in Google Docs that lets users describe documents for AI to create, AI-powered spreadsheet generation, and a Gemini-powered search feature in Drive. The Gemini assistant can pull information from the web, Drive, Gmail, and other sources to help users with their work.

This newsletter covers multiple AI and technology developments, including AI's expanding role in military decision-making during the Iran conflict through 'vibe-coded' intelligence dashboards (AI systems that present information in visually appealing but potentially unreliable formats), legal disputes between AI companies and governments, and emerging threats like GPS jamming in the Middle East. The piece also highlights concerns about AI cloning real people's voices without consent, developments in AI agents, and psychological effects of AI companions on users.

Sandbar, a startup founded by former Meta employees, raised $23 million to develop the Stream ring, a wearable device with a microphone that records notes and lets users chat with an AI assistant through a phone app. The ring's microphone is off by default and only activates when users lift their hand to their face, which signals intent for private note-taking rather than recording surrounding conversations.

Anthropic, an AI company, filed a lawsuit against the federal government after the Pentagon blacklisted it as a 'supply chain risk' (a security classification typically reserved for foreign adversaries), claiming the move is unlawful and causes irreparable harm. The blacklisting followed Anthropic's disagreement with the Pentagon over how its AI systems could be used. Defense experts worry this precedent could harm U.S. competitiveness by cutting off access to a major American AI vendor.

In February 2026, organizations worldwide faced an average of 2,086 cyber attacks per week, a 9.6% increase from the previous year, indicating that high attack volumes are now a constant threat rather than a temporary spike. While ransomware attacks declined compared to last year, overall attack activity remains near record levels due to automation, expanded digital systems, and security risks from enterprise GenAI (generative AI used by businesses) usage.