The Daily Populous

Wednesday February 4th, 2026 evening edition

image for Another Blow To Gen AI As NetEase Blocks AI Use Across Company, Shuts Down AI R&D (Update)

This obviously isn't true given NetEase has openly used GenAI in its games and announced GenAI related features as recently as this month.

Statement from NetEase: “The situation described did not occur, and we have not published any related policies.”

Generative AI is quickly becoming deeply ingrained in the industry, but some continue to stand against the use of this technology in games.

According to a veteran developer, the company prohibits the use of generative AI across all its studios.

In fact, the company has even gone as far as to stop R&D efforts related to generative AI.

Like many others in the industry, NetEase Games was also researching the technology not too long ago.

Moreover, the team launched Marvel Rivals in late 2024, establishing itself as one of the leaders of live-service gaming. »

Rep. Nancy Mace made aides upvote her in Reddit “who’s hotter” posts, former staff allege

Authored by dailydot.com

The bombshell report published on Monday draws on stories from staff members who have worked for Mace since she took office in 2021.

Mace accused her ex-fiancé, Patrick Bryant, and three other men of physical and sexual assault and rape, among other crimes.

The article states that Mace directed staff to vote for her in Reddit polls ranking the most attractive congresswomen. »

‘Investigating child sex abuse isn’t controversial’: France rejects Musk’s charge after raid on X’s Paris office

Authored by firstpost.com

France is investigating X’s chatbot Grok for generating sexually explicit deepfakes and Musk has ramped up his anti-EU rhetoric.

After Elon Musk called the raid on X’s Paris office as a “political attack”, French foreign ministry on Wednesday said that investigating child sexual abuse material was not controversial.

In the case related to deepfakes, French authorities searched X’s Paris office on Tuesday and summoned Musk. »

Billionaire US investor Ken Griffin accuses Trump White House of ‘enriching’ itself

Authored by theguardian.com
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The billionaire investor Ken Griffin has accused Donald Trump’s administration of “enriching” its families, and criticised its interference in American businesses as “distasteful”.

Griffin is one of the most vocal critics of Trump on Wall Street, although it is the first time he has commented on how the president’s family appear to have made financial gain from their proximity to the White House.

He did not fund Trump’s re-election campaign, but after Trump won, he gave $1m to the president’s inaugural committee. »

Bill Gates denies allegations in new Epstein files release

Authored by abc.net.au
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The latest documents suggest Mr Gates met with Epstein on multiple occasions after Epstein's 2008 prison sentence to discuss expanding his philanthropic efforts.

Although the pair initially pledged to continue their philanthropic work together, Ms French Gates resigned from the Gates Foundation in 2024.

Millions more 'Epstein files' released by US government The US Department of Justice says it is releasing more than 3 million new documents from the "Epstein files". »