U.S. congressional commission calls for major AI funding initiative to counter China's advancements

A U.S. congressional commission has proposed a major initiative to fund the development of advanced AI systems, likening it to the Manhattan Project. This comes amid growing concerns about China's progress in AI technology. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission recommends prioritizing funding for leading AI companies and enhancing national security measures to prevent technology leaks to China. Current U.S. policies have already restricted China's access to advanced AI hardware. In other AI news, Microsoft announced new products, including a voice cloner, and OpenAI expanded its voice features. Additionally, Google’s Gemini chatbot can now remember user preferences, and a U.K. authority approved Alphabet's investment in Anthropic.