Tech Brew Ride Home Is Avocado… Toast?
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Mar 13, 2026 A delayed AI rollout after underwhelming tests sparks questions about who can catch up next. A landmark trial examines whether social platforms worsened mental health. Streaming services are copying mobile-first, short-form video features. Weekend reading picks include a take on why the iPhone reshaped bank jobs and a quirky mystery about a painting of James Mason with a cat.
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Meta Delays Avocado After Performance Shortfall
- Meta delayed its new foundational AI model Avocado after internal tests showed it trailed top competitors on reasoning, coding, and writing.
- Avocado beat Llama 4 and an older Gemini 2.5 but underperformed versus Gemini 3.0, pushing the launch to at least May and prompting talks of licensing Gemini temporarily.
Bellwether Trial Puts Social Platforms' Harm On Trial
- Closing arguments wrapped in the social media addiction bellwether trial where plaintiff Kaylee claims Instagram and YouTube worsened depression and suicidal thoughts.
- Jurors must decide negligence as a substantial factor and will separately assess damages; 9 of 12 jurors needed per count in this civil case.
Streaming Apps Adopt TikTok Style Personalized Feeds
- Streamers are turning apps into TikTok-like vertical feeds to boost mobile engagement, using AI for personalization and even AI avatars to narrate clips.
- Peacock's Bravo-Verse stitches 5,000+ hours of Bravo footage into personalized playlists narrated by a generative AI avatar of Andy Cohen; Disney+ launched Verts similarly.