Meta’s Metaverse Workers Go AI-First - DTNS 5123

Apple is offering a $2 million bug bounty for its most critical exploit chains, and Instagram Reels are coming soon to a TV set near you.

Starring Jason Howell and Jenn Cutter.

JASON: This is the Daily Tech News for Friday, October 10, 2025. We tell you what you need to know, follow up on the context of those stories and help each other understand.

JENN: Today, a leaked message at Meta shows the company has high expectations around how AI is used by its workers.

I’m Jason Howell,

I’m Jenn Cutter.

JASON: Let’s start with what you need to know with the big story.

BIG STORY

Meta Tells Its Metaverse Workers to Use AI to ‘Go 5X Faster’

JASON: Meta still believes in the Metaverse, so much so that the company is pushing its metaverse workforce to use AI tools to make their work five times faster. Meta's VP of Metaverse Vishal Shah posted an internal message, obtained and shared by 404 Media, that made clear he was talking about small changes. "Think 5X, not 5%." He's pushing for his teams to treat AI as a critical part of their workflow and not a curiosity and, as he put it, a novelty.

He's looking for team members to use AI for tasks like rapid prototyping, bug fixes, and all kinds of workflow improvements, with a goal of 80% of its metaverse team using AI daily by the end of the year.

Mark Zuckerberg has spoken in recent months about company goals that illustrate just how critical the company sees AI to its growth and goals. He's said that he expects most of the company's code to soon be written by AI, and even new job applicants might get to use AI in coding tests.

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JASON: There’s more we need to know today, let’s get to the briefs.

BRIEFS

Apple Announces $2 Million Bug Bounty Reward for the Most Dangerous Exploits
Apple Announces $2 Million Bug Bounty Reward
Apple to Move Health, Fitness Divisions to Services in Reorganization

JENN: Apple has raised its maximum bug bounty payout to $2 million for its most critical exploit chains that could target spyware on the iPhone. Apple is also offering extra rewards totaling $5 million for hacks that bypass Lockdown Mode along with bugs found in its beta software. New expanded categories include WebKit and wireless proximity exploits that use any kind of radio. The changes to the program will go into effect in November 2025.

Apple is also reportedly about to restructure leadership as COO Jeff Williams prepares for retirement. Eddy Cue is expected to oversee health and fitness divisions, Craig Federighi will lead the Watch OS team, John Ternus will lead the Apple Watch hardware team, and Sumbul Desai will be in charge of all health and fitness teams as he reports to Cue. Apple has declined to comment on the Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman that reported on these upcoming changes.

China issues port crackdown on all Nvidia AI chip imports, says report — enforcement teams deployed to quash smuggling and investigate data center hardware, targeting H20 and RTX 6000D shipments | Tom's Hardware
China Launches Port Crackdown on Nvidia Chips

JASON: The Financial Times reports that China's customs officials have deployed enforcement teams to major ports to inspect data-center hardware being brought into the country. The teams are focusing on Nvidia’s H20 and RTX 6000D chips, which are designed specifically to comply with US export controls. The inspections are coordinated with the Cyberspace Administration of China and are designed to prevent smuggling. This follows an expansion of export restrictions on rare earth minerals used in chip manufacturing. China is clearly playing hardball as trade negotiations with the US continue.

UK slaps Google Search with special market status, making way for stricter regulations
UK Slaps Google Search with Special Market Status

JENN: The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has labeled Google Search as having "strategic market status." What does that mean? The UK sees Google as playing a dominant role in search and online ads and this gives the regulator the ability to apply stricter rules to promote fair competition. It does not come with any immediate changes to enforce, but does highlight the likelihood of future requirements. Google's AI-focused search features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are included in the designation, but Gemini AI isn't included for the time being.

Google says 'likely over 100' affected by Oracle-linked hacking campaign
Google Says Dozens of Organizations Affected by Oracle-Linked Hacking Campaign

JASON: Google has revealed that more than 100 companies were likely affected by a major hacking campaign targeting Oracle's suite of business products. The attack saw "mass amounts of customer data" stolen, according to Google, and reportedly began three months ago. Google associates the attack with the CL0P group, a hacking group with a long list of previous attacks under its belt. CL0P members have not commented on its involvement, but had made claims recently that Oracle had "bugged up their core product."

Instagram Is ‘Exploring’ a Dedicated TV App in Video Push
Instagram Is Exploring a Dedicated TV App

JENN: Instagram is working on a dedicated TV app, according to CEO Adam Mosseri speaking at the Bloomberg Screentime conference. He shared that the app is still in the exploratory phase and does not have a launch date at this time.

This comes at a time when Instagram is also testing making Reels the default home tab in its mobile app for select users, illustrating Instagram's evolution from a photo-first platform to a short-form video product that competes directly with TikTok.

Sora copycats flooded Apple’s App Store, and some still remain
Sora Copycats Flooded Apple’s App Store
OpenAI Video App Sora Hits 1 Million Downloads Faster Than ChatGPT

JASON: The Sora app for iOS continues to climb the App Store charts, and as of today it's being reported that it hit 1 million downloads in less than five days after release. According to Bill Peebles who heads the Sora team, that's even faster than ChatGPT and it's made even more impressive considering Sora requires invites and only targets North America.

Considering its such a hot commodity, that places it firmly in the sites of people looking to capitalize on that success by releasing copycat apps in the App Store. Appfigures noted more than a dozen fake Sora-branded apps that were somehow able to pass through Apple's App Review process. Fake apps are also appearing in the Google Play Store despite there being no official Android app currently. Many of those apps have since been removed but be cautious if you plan on installing the app on your own device!

Copilot on Windows can now create Office documents and connect to Gmail
Copilot on Windows Adds Document Creation and Gmail Connection

JENN: Microsoft Copilot on Windows now lets users create Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files with one-click export options surfacing from the chat interface. Users can also connect directly to Gmail and Outlook accounts and linking those accounts is opt-in for users. The update is available to Windows Insiders first, with a wider rollout coming soon.

You can now buy Microsoft’s Windows XP Crocs for $79.95
Microsoft’s Windows XP Crocs Now on Sale

JASON: If you wanted those limited edition Windows XP Crocs that were featured as an Instagram sweepstakes prize by Microsoft back in August, but if you didn’t win, you now have another chance to get them. Microsoft hadn't planned to sell them initially, but something must have changed because you can now buy them for $79.95 from the company's online store. The shoes include six familiar XP-inspired Jibbitz to attach to the toe holes. The bundle also includes an XP-themed drawstring backpack. The shoes are a celebration of Microsoft's 50th anniversary and are a limited time offer.

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HELPING EACH OTHER UNDERSTAND

JASON: We end every episode of DTNS with some shared wisdom. Today Jochen (Jo-Chen) has another use case for live translation with AirPods.

JENN: Jochen writes:
I work for a Japanese company and visit the headquarters in Japan regularly. While some colleagues speak good English, others not so much. We tried using translation apps or a dedicated translation device, but it is not very conversational.
In meetings, the Japanese colleagues also tend to have more in-depth (hidden?) conversations in Japanese with each other and only present the "important" summary to us English speakers.

I think the capabilities in the new AirPods or similar devices will make meetings more effective, as shown in remote-only meetings with Microsoft Teams Premium live translation feature.

I already have several executives asking about this, showcasing Apple ad-reach but also the broader interest in those kind of tools. I will try this out later this month and also see how it works in a more informal setting with a group of people and a lot of background noise (the infamous after-work dinners)...

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