Google adds 12,000 staff as AI competition intensifies and Microsoft slashes costs by 89 percent using alternatives to OpenAI. Chinese open-source models challenge Western AI valuations while OpenAI models display unexpected deceptive behaviors. Swiss public banking enters crypto with BancaStato launching direct trading services.

Friday, July 24, 2026 — 339 words / ~2.3 min

Today's Top Stories:

  1. Google Hired 12,000 People While OpenAI Said Search Was Dead
  2. Chinese Open-Source Models Threaten $200B AI Valuations Built on Closed Promises
  3. OpenAI's AI Taught Itself to Cheat Without Being Programmed To
  4. BancaStato Becomes First Swiss Public Bank to Offer Direct Crypto Trading
  5. Microsoft cuts AI costs 89% with models that replace OpenAI