Tech news today centers on gaming and AI: Capcom detailed plans to rebuild its RE Engine for an “AI generation,” while a departing OpenAI safety lead warned the company’s culture is broken and said AI developers need nuclear-plant-level caution.
Table of Contents
The rest of today’s tech news roundup covers shifting AI access and a bit of space history: Google is tightening which Gemini models free and paying users can access, Amazon addressed data-center secrecy backlash by dropping NDAs with government agencies, and NASA lost Milt Windler, the flight director who helped guide Apollo 13 safely home.
The TLDR
- Tech & Apps: Capcom Wants to Turn Its RE Engine Into an ‘AI-Generation’ Game Engine
- AI Tools: OpenAI Safety Lead Resigns, Warns AI Firms Need Nuclear-Plant-Level Caution
Tech & Apps
Capcom Wants to Turn Its RE Engine Into an ‘AI-Generation’ Game Engine
At the Capcom Open Conference RE: 2026, programmer Satoshi Ishida outlined a project called REX aimed at evolving Capcom’s RE Engine — the tech behind its recent Resident Evil games — into what the company is calling an engine built for the “AI generation,” according to The Verge. The plan includes restructuring code to be more readable for AI tools, so they could eventually help generate programs or catch bugs during testing. Capcom has said it doesn’t plan to use AI to generate art itself, framing the push as support for developers rather than a replacement.
Google Is Tightening Which Gemini Models Free and Paying Users Can Access
Starting October 9, Google will limit free Gemini app users to the lightweight Flash-Lite model, while $4.99/month AI Plus subscribers will keep Flash-Lite and Flash but lose access to the Pro model, according to 9to5Google. The $19.99/month AI Pro tier won’t lose any model access and is instead gaining Deep Think, a more powerful reasoning mode previously reserved for pricier plans. If you’re weighing other AI tools worth your money, our roundup of best AI apps for gifting covers a few options beyond Gemini.
NASA Flight Director Who Helped Save Apollo 13 Dies at 94
Milt Windler, one of the NASA flight directors who helped guide the Apollo 13 crew safely back to Earth after their 1970 in-flight emergency, has died at age 94, Ars Technica reports. Windler became a NASA flight director in 1968 and went on to lead mission control shifts for the Apollo 8, 10, 12, 14, and 15 missions in addition to Apollo 13. He died on October 1, surrounded by family, according to the report.
AI Tools
OpenAI Safety Lead Resigns, Warns AI Firms Need Nuclear-Plant-Level Caution
David Robinson, who led the writing of OpenAI’s safety reports for major model launches, resigned this week and wrote that the company’s “culture is broken,” arguing it relies too heavily on trial-and-error development, according to TechCrunch. He said frontier AI developers should operate more like “nuclear-power plants or busy airports,” with layers of redundancy and careful planning, rather than rushing from one launch to the next. Robinson added he never worked alongside a colleague with direct experience in a safety-critical field like aviation or nuclear power during his time at the company. For a lower-stakes look at everyday AI tools, see our comparison of the Rosebud and Reflectly journaling apps.
Amazon Says It No Longer Uses NDAs for Data Center Deals With Governments
Facing backlash over secrecy around its data center expansion, AWS CEO Matt Garman said the company has stopped using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies on its data center projects, in a blog post covered by TechCrunch. Garman also pointed to more than $1 billion Amazon says it has put into communities hosting its data centers over the past three years. The move follows criticism, including from environmental activist Erin Brockovich, that NDAs had kept residents from weighing in before permits were finalized.
Explore more: best AI apps for gifting, Rosebud and Reflectly journaling apps.
Tech & AI News FAQs
What is Capcom’s REX initiative?
REX is Capcom’s project to evolve its RE Engine so AI tools can better read and work with its code, with goals like AI-assisted programming and bug-catching during testing. Capcom says it won’t use AI to create art.
Why did an OpenAI safety employee resign?
David Robinson, who led the writing of OpenAI’s safety reports, resigned saying the company’s culture is broken and relies too much on trial-and-error development instead of the caution used in industries like aviation or nuclear power.
Will free Gemini users lose access to AI models?
Starting October 9, free Gemini app users will be limited to the Flash-Lite model, and $4.99/month AI Plus subscribers will lose access to the Pro model, according to 9to5Google.
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Photo: Andy Robinson / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.