virtual assistant

Neuroscientists have unveiled a method to train people to experience lucid dreams, in which sleepers become aware they are dreaming and can sometimes control the dream. The approach combines virtual reality and meditation, according to reporting by Live Science. The work suggests that guided mindfulness practice and VR exposure before sleep may increase the likelihood of lucidity, a phenomenon long studied for its potential therapeutic and research value.

Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach said on the company's third-quarter earnings call that one-time virtual cards, used as an intermediary between AI agents and merchants, are not a long-term solution for agentic payments. He argued agentic tokens are the more durable infrastructure as AI agents increasingly make purchases on behalf of consumers. The comments signal Mastercard is positioning token technology as central to commerce driven by autonomous AI shopping assistants.

A German IT professional has published an analysis of an incident involving the AI coding tools Claude Code and Cursor that occurred on Friday, asking peers how they protect their development environments. The write-up has prompted discussion among developers about whether they rely on sandboxed virtual machines, Docker containers, or only the built-in sandbox of the AI agent itself when running such tools.

ChatGPT has introduced a virtual try-on feature that lets shoppers see how clothing would look on them without visiting a store, a move commentators say shows how AI chatbots are reshaping the apparel retail experience. The tool could let users browse, compare and preview garments conversationally, raising questions about the future role of traditional e-commerce sites and fitting rooms.