AP Technology SummaryBrief at 12:02 a.m. EDT

Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI

A growing number of U.S. college instructors are turning to oral exams to help combat an AI crisis in higher education. Some are replacing written assignments with oral exams. Others are pairing Socratic-style questioning with written assignments or requiring students to attend office hours. Instructors say they know student use of AI is ubiquitous but hard to police, and it's impacting student learning. Oral exams allow instructors to determine what students know and where they need help. Students say they don't always love the testing format, but many agree that it's effective. As one student says, knowing that you will be face-to-face with a professor “makes you realize, ‘I should study this.’”

Judge questions Pentagon's motives for labeling Anthropic as a security threat in battle over AI

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge weighing the merits of the Pentagon’s designation of rising Silicon Valley star Anthropic as a security threat repeatedly questioned the government’s reasons for vilifying the company following a dispute over how its artificial intelligence technology can be used in war. During a 90-minute hearing, Judge Rita Lin probed into why President Donald Trump’s administration took the extraordinary step of labeling Anthropic as a supply chain risk after balking at the company’s attempt to prevent its AI technology from being deployed in fully autonomous weapons or surveillance of Americans. The judge indicated she will rule on Anthropic's request for an order reversing the Pentagon's actions by the end of the week.

New Mexico jury says Meta harms children's mental health and safety, violating state law

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico jury finds that social media conglomerate Meta is harmful to children’s mental health and in violation of state consumer protection law. The jury announced its verdict Tuesday as another jury deliberates a similar case in California against Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. State prosecutors said Meta prioritized profits over safety in violation of the state’s Unfair Practices Act and failed to adequately monitor the platforms for child sexual exploitation. Attorneys for Meta say company discloses risks and makes efforts to weed out harmful content and experiences, but that some bad material gets through its safety net. A Meta spokesperson says the company will appeal.

OpenAI pulls the plug on Sora, the viral AI video app that sparked deepfake concerns

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI is shutting down its social media app Sora, which went viral last fall as a place to share short-form videos generated by artificial intelligence but also raised alarms in Hollywood and elsewhere. OpenAI said in a brief social media message Tuesday that it was “saying goodbye to the Sora app” and that it would share more soon about how to preserve what users already created on the app. The company behind ChatGPT released Sora in September as an attempt to capture the attention, and potentially advertising dollars, that follow short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube or Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.

Epic Games lays off more than 1,000 amid slowing Fortnite engagement

Fortnite publisher Epic Games said Tuesday it is laying off 1,000 employees to save money as it grapples with industry-wide and company-specific challenges. The North Carolina video game publisher said in a memo to employees that the job cuts are not related to AI. Rather, they stem from industry-wide challenges such as slower growth, weaker spending, and tougher cost economics. Games like Fortnite are also competing for people's attention with social media and other forms of online entertainment.

A group of Oscar winners set out to make the definitive AI documentary

A new documentary tries to explain generative AI fast, clearly and without taking sides, even as the technology keeps changing. On Friday, “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” reaches theaters after nearly three years of work. Directors Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell say they set out to answer basic questions about what artificial intelligence is, why it is good and why it is bad. They found it almost impossible to fit into one film. The team interviews more than 40 people, including major AI leaders and critics.

Poland faced a surge in cyberattacks in 2025, including a major assault on the energy sector

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland has said it faced a sharp surge in cyberattacks in 2025. A deputy digital affairs minister said Tuesday that Poland saw about 270,000 incidents over the last year. That's 2½ times more than in the previous year. Poland has strengthened cyber defenses since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Polish officials have repeatedly said that they suspect Russia of being behind cyber actions targeting Poland. Authorities have raised concerns about a particularly destructive attack on the energy sector in December. Attacks hit a heat and power plant and several wind and solar sites. Experts see signs tying the attacks to Russian-linked groups. But authorities haven't named a culprit.

Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel turned it into a targeting tool

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s use of Tehran street cameras to help kill Iran’s supreme leader shows how everyday surveillance can turn into a wartime weapon. On Feb. 28, Israel exploited hacked city camera feeds to track Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hundreds of millions of cameras have been installed above shops, in homes and on street corners across the world, many connected to the internet and poorly secured. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.

Melania Trump hosts world counterparts and tech reps to discuss children, education and technology

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is calling on nations to work together to improve access to education and technology for children. The first lady issued her plea on Tuesday at the State Department in Washington while opening a summit of her Fostering the Future Together initiative. The two-day gathering brought together her counterparts and representatives from more than 40 countries as well as technology companies and pioneers of artificial intelligence. Melania Trump said the purpose is to cultivate the skills young people need to succeed in a changing world. The second day of the summit takes place at the White House on Wednesday.

Here's how to recycle those old laptops, iPhones and earbuds lying around

Most consumers are guilty of the same habit — filling drawers or closets with devices such as old laptops, cellphones, fitness trackers and other electronics once those things are no longer needed. It’s hard to know where to take these items for recycling, or it’s seemingly costly and inconvenient to do so. The world generates millions of tons of electronic waste — also called e-waste — each year. The United Nations’ most recent estimate said that 137 billion pounds were produced in 2022, and only about 22% of it was collected and recycled. In the U.S., estimates say even less than that is recycled each year.