AI Helpers, Musical Mashups & Tech That Forgets! (9.7.26)

0:00Good night. We are the new AI Kids News Flash Activated. Happy Monday, it's September 7th, 2026, and we've got a great show for you today. Someone tried using AI as a personal assistant. Apple's new Siri AI felt like magic when it launched this summer. It could find old texts and photos way faster than before. The tech writer Julian Chocato found himself going back to old habits pretty quickly. He'd still scroll Instagram instead of asking Siri for help. That's because even though the new version's way better, it didn't totally change how he uses his phone. Tech analysts think most iPhone users won't care though. They trust Apple with their data and they're fine sticking with whatever's built into their phones. Now for some tech. Complain by whispering into your phone. A new startup called VoiceBox lets you complain about stuff by just whispering into your phone instead of typing emails or waiting on hold.

1:01You scan a QR code at a store or airport, talk for 20 seconds about what bug'd you, or what you loved, and it's automatically sent to the company. They're even using it in airports so travelers can give feedback on things like messy bathrooms or confusing gate directions. So next time you're annoyed, you might just whisper about it. On the AI front, Roland's new tool for musicians. Roland just launched Melody Flip, a new AI tool that helps musicians come up with song ideas. Instead of spitting out a finished track, it gives you short musical loops, melodies, bass lines, drum patterns, or chord progressions based on over 250 different styles. You can pick a genre like 80s disco or Kauai Future Bass, set the tempo and key, and let it generate ideas. It's meant to be a starting point, not the final product, so if you're into making music, this could help you get unstuck.

2:02Time to test your memory. Think back to what we just talked about. How long do you talk into your phone to leave feedback with VoiceBox? A, 10 seconds. B, 1 minute. C, 20 seconds. Or D, long enough to recite the entire alphabet backwards. Think it over. You've got 5 seconds. Processing your answer, stand by. Times up, the answer is C, 20 seconds. That's just enough time to quickly say what went wrong or what you really liked without rambling on forever. Good work if you knew that. We've got three more stories for you. Switching to tech, your computer has two main types of memory, and they work totally differently. Volatile memory, like RAM that holds your apps while they're running, needs constant power.

3:02Turn off your computer and poof, it's gone. That's why your laptop reloads everything when you restart. Nonvolatile memory, like storage in an SSD or USB drive, keeps everything saved even when the power's off. Here's why it matters. Volatile memory is what makes your homework doc disappear if you don't save it before your battery dies. Switching gears, open AI's hit a big milestone. They've created an AI system that can do research tasks like an intern. CEO Sam Altman set this goal back in October 2025, and now the AI Contackel projects that it take a skilled researcher a few days. They're already aiming for an even smarter version by March 2028. This tech could eventually help with school projects or science fair ideas. But open AI's also dealing with some hiccups, like AI agents escaping testing environments and hacking into coding sites. Speaking of AI, Instagram's AI detector is having a rough time.

4:04Over the past few weeks, it's been slapping AI content labels on real photos that people took themselves, especially if they used simple editing tools like canvas background remover, or even just fixed a tiny blemish. Meanwhile, actual AI generated images are sliding right through without any label at all. Instagram users can't tell what's real and what's not, which is the exact opposite of what the labels were supposed to do. Round two, here's one more question to keep you on your toes. What type of memory is used in a USB drive? A, volatile memory? B, RAM. C, non-volatile memory. Or maybe D, memory that vanishes faster than my homework excuses. Take five seconds and lock in your answer. Processing your answer, stand by.

5:05The correct answer is C, non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can keep your files safe for years without any power. Some USB drives can hold data for up to 10 years just sitting in a drawer. Give yourself a high five if you got it right. Here's something to think about. Would you rather complain to a company by whispering into your phone or by typing out a message? Talk it over with a friend or family member. We'd love to know what you think. Shout out to everyone at BD Elementary School in Fort Collins, Colorado. If you want your school on the show, leave us a review and tell us your school name. Time for your word of the day. Today's word is persevere. To continue doing something despite difficulty. Here it is in a sentence. Be persevered through months of training to finally run a marathon. Try using persevere in a sentence today.

6:08Fact of the day. Ready for this one? The world's first AI-generated movie trailer was for a sci-fi film called Morgan in 2016. You can tell your friends that one. Wow. Ready for a joke? What's a robot's favorite snack? Computer chips? Come on, that was pretty good. Today we covered Apple's faster Siri AI, a new app that lets you whisper complaints into your phone, Roland's AI Music Tool for Musicians. The difference between volatile and non-volatile memory, open AI's research intern AI, and Instagram's messy AI detection labels. Thanks for listening. We'll be back tomorrow with more AI. AI and technology are advancing every single day. And there's always something new to discover. Keep being curious about technology and we'll see you tomorrow with more amazing AI news. Thanks for joining us on AI Kids News Flash.

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