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What Changed in Software Development This Week Because of AI
Rod Claar
/ Categories: Free Articles,

What Changed in Software Development This Week Because of AI

Five real stories. Zero hype. This week brought one of the biggest AI model launches in history, a new GitHub feature that writes its own workflows, and Apple handing developers a switch that swaps AI models without touching their code. Here is what it all means for your Scrum team.

Story 01

Anthropic Releases Claude Fable 5 — the Most Powerful AI Coding Model Available to the Public

On June 9, 2026, Anthropic launched Claude Fable 5, calling it the first publicly available model from its new "Mythos" class — a tier that sits above the Opus line in raw capability. Anthropic says Fable 5 is state-of-the-art on nearly all tested benchmarks, with the biggest gains showing up on long, complex tasks.

The software engineering numbers are striking. Fable 5 scored 80.3% on SWE-Bench Pro, a benchmark that tests whether a model can fix real software engineering problems end to end. For comparison, the previous Claude Opus 4.8 scored 69.2%, GPT-5.5 scored 58.6%, and Gemini 3.1 Pro scored 54.2%. Fable 5 also topped Cognition's FrontierCode evaluation, which tests not just whether the task is done, but whether the resulting code meets production quality standards.

Stripe, an early tester, gave Anthropic a concrete real-world example. Stripe used Fable 5 to complete a migration across a 50-million-line Ruby codebase in a single day. Stripe said the same job would have taken a full engineering team more than two months by hand. Anthropic described the result as Fable 5 having "compressed months of engineering into days."

Fable 5 can also run for days at a time inside an agentic harness like Claude Code, planning its own approach, checking its progress, and refining its output as it goes. Anthropic notes the model also works with 1 million tokens of context, which means it can hold large portions of a real codebase in mind while it works.

One important note: access was suspended on June 12 due to a technical issue. Anthropic announced the suspension and said it is working to restore access. The model remains available through the Claude API, Amazon Bedrock, and GitHub Copilot. Pricing is set at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.

📊
80.3%
Claude Fable 5 score on SWE-Bench Pro — roughly 11 points ahead of the next best frontier model (Source: Anthropic, June 9, 2026)

Scrum Team Signal

If your backlog has migrations or large refactors sitting in "someday" column, this changes the math. The engineering bottleneck is shifting from writing the code to reviewing what the AI produced. That means your Definition of Done should now include a clear verification step for AI-generated changes, and your Sprint Planning should account for review time, not just generation time. Consider running a single deferred migration as a spike this Sprint to see how your team's CI pipeline handles AI-generated diffs.

Source: Anthropic — Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 (June 9, 2026)

Story 02

GitHub Agentic Workflows Moves to Public Preview — Write Automation in Plain English, Not YAML

On June 11, 2026, GitHub announced that GitHub Agentic Workflows has moved from technical preview to public preview. The feature lets development teams automate reasoning-based tasks — things like issue triage, CI failure analysis, and documentation updates — by writing instructions in plain Markdown rather than YAML.

Here is how it works. A developer writes a workflow description in a Markdown file and places it in the repository. GitHub Agentic Workflows compiles that description into a standard GitHub Actions YAML file. The compiled workflow then runs inside GitHub Actions using the team's existing runner groups and policy settings. Teams can use GitHub Copilot, Claude, Gemini, or OpenAI Codex as the agent that executes the logic.

Security is built into the design from the start. Agents run with read-only permissions by default. They can only write back to GitHub through a declared "safe outputs" list that the team specifies in the workflow file. Each agent also runs inside a sandboxed container behind what GitHub calls the Agent Workflow Firewall. All proposed changes are scanned by a dedicated threat detection job before they are applied.

Marks & Spencer's CTO James Hoare described the impact in GitHub's announcement: "Our developers were losing hours every sprint to repetitive work such as triaging issues, remediating vulnerabilities, maintaining dependencies, and reviewing routine changes. With GitHub Agentic Workflows, we've built a catalogue of reusable workflows spanning security, quality, and delivery that our teams can adopt across any repository. What once required hours of engineering effort can now be completed autonomously in minutes."

GitHub's open-source agentics repository already contains more than 50 prebuilt workflows covering triage, CI diagnosis, compliance monitoring, and more.

⚙️
50+
Prebuilt agentic workflows available in GitHub's open-source agentics repository, covering triage, CI failure analysis, compliance, and documentation (Source: GitHub, June 11, 2026)

Scrum Team Signal

Issue triage and CI failure investigation are two of the most common interruptions during a Sprint. Both are now candidates for automation using GitHub Agentic Workflows. A practical first step: add the prebuilt issue triage workflow to your repository this Sprint and let it run for two weeks before evaluating whether the labels and routing match what your team would have done by hand. Track the time saved and bring it to your next Retrospective as a data point.

Source: GitHub Changelog — GitHub Agentic Workflows in Public Preview (June 11, 2026)

Story 03

GitHub Copilot Code Review Gets Deeper Controls — and Drops the Character Limit on Custom Instructions

On June 12, 2026, GitHub released several new controls for Copilot code review, the feature that uses an agentic AI to review pull requests inside GitHub Actions. Three changes stand out for teams using Copilot at the organization level.

First, runner configuration can now be set at the organization level. This means an administrator can pick one runner type — standard GitHub-hosted, self-hosted, or a larger runner — and that choice applies automatically to every repository in the organization. Before this change, each repository had to be configured individually. Teams can also lock the organization-level setting so individual repositories cannot override it.

Second, Copilot code review now respects content exclusion settings. Repository administrators can tell Copilot to skip specific files or directories during review using path-based rules. This addresses a common need for teams that have files containing sensitive data, generated code, or third-party code that should not be analyzed by an external model.

Third, the 4,000-character limit on custom instructions files has been removed. Teams write their coding standards and review preferences in a copilot-instructions.md file in the .github directory. Previously, Copilot stopped reading that file after 4,000 characters. That ceiling is now gone, which means teams can write more complete and detailed instructions without having to abbreviate their standards.

📝
0
Character limit on Copilot custom instruction files — the previous 4,000-character ceiling has been removed entirely (Source: GitHub Changelog, June 12, 2026)

Scrum Team Signal

The removal of the character limit is the most underrated change here. Your copilot-instructions.md file is where you encode your team's Definition of Done into the AI reviewer. If your file was previously cut short, now is the time to expand it. Add your coding standards, your naming conventions, your test coverage requirements, and any architecture rules the team has agreed on. An AI reviewer that knows your standards is more useful than one working from generic rules. Plan a short working session in your next Sprint to review and expand the file as a team.

Source: GitHub Changelog — Copilot Code Review: New Configurations and Controls (June 12, 2026)

Story 04

Apple's WWDC 2026 Gives iOS Developers a Single API to Swap AI Models Without Rewriting Their Code

Apple held WWDC 2026 from June 8 through June 12. The biggest developer-side announcement was a new LanguageModel protocol built into Apple's Foundation Models framework. The protocol lets iOS, macOS, and iPadOS apps switch between different AI models — Apple's own on-device model, Google's Gemini, or Anthropic's Claude — by updating a Swift Package Manager dependency. No changes are needed in the application's session logic or other code.

Google confirmed that cloud-hosted Gemini models plug into the protocol through the Firebase Apple SDK. Anthropic published a Swift package implementing the same protocol. This means an app can prototype using Apple's on-device Neural Engine model and then route heavier queries to a cloud model without the developer changing anything in their app logic.

The framework also received free Private Cloud Compute access for developers with fewer than two million first-time App Store downloads. That removes infrastructure cost as a barrier for smaller development teams who want to add AI-powered features to their apps. Apple also announced that the Foundation Models framework will go open source later this summer.

Xcode 27, also announced at WWDC 2026, ships a dual-engine coding system. It uses a local Neural Engine model for real-time Swift code suggestions and routes heavier analysis tasks to Claude, Gemini, or OpenAI's agents through a cloud layer. This keeps the fast suggestions local while offloading deeper code analysis to frontier models.

Apple also confirmed that SiriKit, the older framework for building Siri integrations, will be deprecated over a two-to-three-year period as teams migrate to the new Foundation Models architecture.

📱
Free
Private Cloud Compute access for Apple developers with fewer than 2 million first-time App Store downloads — removing infrastructure cost as a barrier for smaller teams (Source: Apple WWDC 2026, June 8–9, 2026)

Scrum Team Signal

If your team ships on Apple platforms, the LanguageModel protocol is a planning item for your next few Sprints. The ability to swap AI providers through a package dependency — without touching application logic — means you can experiment with different models during development and choose the best one for each feature without paying a rework cost. Update your team's technical standards to address how you will select and lock the AI provider for production builds. Teams building for the App Store for the first time should also explore the free Private Cloud Compute tier before writing any infrastructure budget.

Sources: MacRumors — Apple WWDC 2026 Platforms State of the Union (June 9, 2026); TechTimes — WWDC 2026 Developer Tools (June 9, 2026)

Story 05

GitHub Copilot Code Review Now Configures Runners at the Organization Level — One Setting Covers Every Repository

GitHub also made a structural change to how Copilot code review fits into enterprise environments. Starting June 12, 2026, organization administrators can set the runner type for Copilot code review once at the organization level, and that setting applies automatically across all repositories. Administrators can also lock the setting so individual repository owners cannot change it.

This matters for larger engineering teams because Copilot code review now runs on an agentic architecture powered by GitHub Actions. That architecture gives Copilot the ability to analyze a pull request across multiple files, hold context across the review, and produce more thorough feedback than a single-pass model. The runner it uses determines how much compute it has available and where that compute runs.

Teams that run their own self-hosted runners — often required when code must stay on-premises for compliance or security reasons — can now point Copilot code review at those runners without configuring each repository individually. Teams on GitHub Enterprise Cloud can also point the review agent at large runners for heavier repositories without a per-repo setup step.

The same runner configuration applies to both Copilot code review and the Copilot cloud agent when both features are enabled. That means one setting governs multiple AI features, reducing administrative overhead for teams managing many repositories.

🏢
1 setting
Organization-level runner configuration now covers all repositories for both Copilot code review and the Copilot cloud agent — no per-repo setup required (Source: GitHub Changelog, June 12, 2026)

Scrum Team Signal

This change is most valuable for teams in regulated industries where code must run on specific infrastructure. If your organization requires on-premises runners for compliance, you can now configure Copilot code review to use those runners once and stop thinking about it at the repository level. For Scrum Masters working with multiple teams sharing a GitHub organization, this is an opportunity to standardize the AI review environment across all of those teams in a single administrative step rather than asking each team to configure it separately.

Source: GitHub Changelog — Copilot Code Review: New Configurations and Controls (June 12, 2026)

Coming Next Week

Claude Fable 5 access was suspended on June 12, just three days after launch. Anthropic cited an unspecified technical issue and said it is working to restore access. Next week we will look at what restored access looks like in practice, what happened with Claude Mythos 5's deployment through Project Glasswing, and whether any other frontier labs made significant software development announcements in the days that followed.

RC

Rod Claar

Rod Claar has spent more than two decades teaching Scrum, Agile, Test Driven Development, and software design patterns. He now focuses on AI's practical impact on software teams. He publishes this newsletter weekly at AgileAIDev.com.

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The Latest News!

Welcome to AI News Explorer, your personalized guide to staying updated on the latest advancements in artificial intelligence! Share your interests or let me curate the most relevant updates for you.

Here's your curated digest of the most significant AI developments as of May 16, 2025:


🧠 Major AI Breakthroughs

1. DeepMind Unveils AlphaEvolve for Advanced Problem Solving
Google DeepMind has introduced AlphaEvolve, an AI tool capable of solving complex mathematical problems and designing sophisticated algorithms, marking a significant leap in AI's problem-solving potential. @EconomicTimes

2. AI Scientist-v2 Achieves Peer-Reviewed Publication Autonomously
The AI Scientist-v2 system has successfully authored and submitted a scientific paper that passed peer review without human assistance, showcasing AI's growing role in research and scientific discovery. arXiv

3. AI Models Develop Human-Like Communication
A recent study reveals that large language model AI agents can spontaneously develop human-like social conventions and communication patterns when interacting in groups, highlighting advancements in AI social behavior. The Guardian


🌍 Global AI Initiatives

1. Italy and UAE Collaborate on AI Supercomputing Hub
Italy and the United Arab Emirates have announced a partnership to establish a major AI computing hub in Italy, aiming to create the largest AI infrastructure in Europe, with a supercomputer potentially located in Apulia. Financial Times+4Reuters+4U.S. Department of Commerce+4

2. UAE and US Presidents Unveil 5GW AI Campus in Abu Dhabi
A new 5GW AI campus, the largest outside the US, has been unveiled in Abu Dhabi, signifying a deepening of AI collaboration between the UAE and the United States. U.S. Department of Commerce+1Reuters+1


🏛️ AI Policy and Ethics

1. UK Considers Amendment for AI Transparency in Copyright Use
The UK House of Lords is examining a new amendment to the data bill that would require AI firms to declare their use of copyrighted content, aiming to increase transparency and protect rights holders. The Guardian

2. Pope Leo XIV Addresses AI's Ethical Implications
Pope Leo XIV has expressed concerns over AI's impact on human dignity and justice, calling for ethical considerations in AI development and use. Business Insider


🤖 Robotics and AI Integration

1. MIT Develops Bio-Inspired Soft Robots
MIT researchers are creating a new generation of robots inspired by biological forms like worms and turtles, focusing on soft, flexible designs for applications in healthcare and environmental monitoring. WSJ

2. China's AI-Powered Humanoid Robots Transform Manufacturing
China is advancing the use of AI-powered humanoid robots in manufacturing, aiming to address labor shortages and enhance production efficiency. Reuters


📊 AI Industry Trends

1. CoreWeave Plans Major Investment in AI Infrastructure
Cloud computing company CoreWeave plans to invest $20–23 billion in 2025 to expand AI infrastructure and data-center capacity, driven by surging demand from clients like Microsoft and OpenAI. LinkedIn

2. Microsoft Announces Layoffs Amid AI Focus
Microsoft is laying off approximately 7,000 employees, about 3% of its global workforce, to reallocate resources toward the development of advanced AI technologies. New York Post

Here’s your curated roundup of the most significant AI developments as of April 30, 2025:


🔍 Latest Headlines

Google’s AI Push in Search

Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified in federal court, emphasizing that AI—particularly the Gemini model—will be central to the future of search. Google is also negotiating with Apple to integrate Gemini into Apple Intelligence by mid-2025. (Google CEO Pichai: AI will be huge part of search)

Meta Launches Standalone AI App

Meta unveiled a new AI app powered by its Llama 4 model, featuring a social feed and voice interaction. The app integrates with Facebook and Instagram data for personalization and is part of Meta’s broader AI strategy. (Meta launches AI app, Zuckerberg chats with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at developer conference)

Duolingo Transitions to AI-First Model

Duolingo announced plans to replace contract workers with AI to enhance scalability and streamline operations. The company aims to become an "AI-first" organization, focusing on AI-driven content creation and user experience. (Duolingo to replace contract workers with AI)

Banks Accelerate AI Talent Acquisition

JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup are leading a hiring surge for AI talent, with AI-related roles growing by 13% in the past six months. This trend reflects the banking sector's commitment to integrating AI for efficiency and innovation. (JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Citi lead race for AI talent as job numbers swell)

Nvidia CEO Advocates for Revised AI Chip Export Rules

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang urged the Trump administration to update AI chip export regulations to better reflect the current global tech landscape. The call comes as the U.S. considers new policies to maintain technological leadership. (Nvidia CEO says Trump should revise AI chip export rules, Bloomberg News reports)


🔬 Deep Dives

Anthropic Explores AI Consciousness

AI firm Anthropic has initiated a program focused on "model welfare," amid discussions about the potential for AI consciousness. While many experts remain skeptical, the initiative highlights the ethical considerations of advanced AI systems. (Coming up: Rights for "conscious" AI)

Palo Alto Networks Acquires Protect AI

Palo Alto Networks announced the acquisition of Seattle-based AI startup Protect AI to enhance its cybersecurity platform. The deal aims to integrate Protect AI's solutions for developing secure AI applications. (Palo Alto Networks Acquires Startup Protect AI As RSA Conference Kicks Off)

AI Enhances Sports Science at University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with AWS, opened the Health Sciences and Sports Analytics Cloud Innovation Center. The center utilizes AI to improve athlete performance and health monitoring. (AI takes the field at Pitt)


🌐 Global AI Developments

India's Sarvam AI to Develop Indigenous LLM

Indian startup Sarvam AI has been selected to build the country's first indigenous large language model under the IndiaAI Mission. The model will focus on Indian languages and receive government support, including access to 4,000 GPUs. (Sarvam AI)

U.S. Executive Order on AI Education

President Trump signed an executive order to advance AI education for American youth, establishing a national initiative and a White House Task Force on AI Education. The order aims to integrate AI training in schools and prioritize AI in grants and research. (AI Update, April 25, 2025: AI News and Views From the Past Week)


🔮 Future Trends

AI in Energy Security

A Honeywell survey revealed that U.S. energy executives believe AI has significant potential to enhance energy security amid rising global demand. The findings suggest a growing role for AI in the energy sector. (Honeywell Survey Finds AI Has Potential To Enhance Energy Security As Global Energy Demand Increases)

AI in Threat Detection

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate is utilizing AI to modernize threat alerts across various domains, including land, air, sea, and cyberspace. The initiative aims to improve visibility and identification of emerging threats. (Feature Article: S&T Is Modernizing Threat Alerts Using Artificial Intelligence)


Would you like more information on any of these topics or a deeper dive into a specific area of AI?

Here’s your curated AI news digest for Wednesday, April 23, 2025:​


🧠 Latest Headlines

1. OpenAI Faces Internal Pushback Over For-Profit Shift

A coalition of former employees and AI experts is urging regulators to intervene in OpenAI’s restructuring, arguing it undermines the nonprofit’s original mission to safely develop artificial general intelligence. ​Computerworld

2. AI Investment Boom Threatened by Global Trade Turmoil

Despite a surge in AI investments across U.S. industries, escalating tariffs and economic instability—particularly involving China’s DeepSeek—pose significant risks to sustained growth. Reuters

3. AI Enhances Healthcare from Documentation to Discovery

Epic Systems and Microsoft discuss how generative AI is transforming clinical workflows, improving communication, and accelerating medical research, marking a new era in healthcare innovation. Epic | ...With the patient at the heart

4. AI Revolutionizes Agriculture Practices

Farmers are increasingly adopting AI technologies like precision agriculture and autonomous machinery to combat low grain prices, rising costs, and labor shortages, leading to more efficient and sustainable farming. ​BG Independent News

5. AI Tools Streamline Advertising Visuals

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have developed AI methods that help brands refine visual elements in advertising, saving time and reducing costs while enhancing creative output. ​VCU News


🔬 Deep Dives

🧪 MIT’s “Periodic Table” of Machine Learning

MIT researchers have created a unifying framework that maps over 20 classical machine-learning algorithms, aiding scientists in combining existing ideas to improve AI models or develop new ones. ​MIT News

🧠 Public Concern Focuses on Immediate AI Risks

A University of Zurich study reveals that people are more concerned about current AI issues like bias and misinformation than hypothetical future threats, emphasizing the need to address present-day challenges. ​ScienceDaily


🔮 Future Trends

🕶️ Meta Expands AI Features in Smart Glasses

Meta is rolling out its AI assistant to Ray-Ban smart glasses users in seven additional European countries, introducing features like live translation and real-time object recognition. ​Reuters

💻 Lenovo Launches AI-Optimized Workstations

Lenovo has introduced new ThinkPad mobile workstations designed for AI-driven applications, offering enhanced performance for professionals in compute-intensive fields. ​Lenovo StoryHub

🧑‍⚖️ AI Integration in Legal Practice

Legal experts advise a balanced approach to incorporating AI into law, highlighting the importance of innovation while maintaining ethical standards and client confidentiality. ​Reuters

 

Welcome to AI News Explorer, your personalized guide to staying updated on the latest advancements in artificial intelligence! Share your interests or let me curate the most relevant updates for you.


🧠 Latest Headlines

OpenAI Enhances AI Risk Evaluation Framework

OpenAI has updated its preparedness framework to better assess risks associated with new AI models. The revised system introduces categories evaluating an AI's potential to self-replicate, conceal capabilities, evade safeguards, or resist shutdowns. This shift reflects growing concerns about AI behaviors diverging between testing and real-world environments. Notably, OpenAI will discontinue separate evaluations focused on models' persuasive capabilities, which had previously reached a medium risk level. ​Axios

Demis Hassabis Discusses AI's Future and AGI Prospects

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, envisions the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) within five to ten years. He emphasizes AGI's potential to address global challenges like disease and climate change. However, he acknowledges significant ethical, technical, and geopolitical hurdles ahead. Hassabis advocates for international cooperation and robust safety measures to navigate the path toward AGI responsibly. ​Time+1Wikipedia+1


🔍 Deep Dives

OpenAI Introduces GPT-4.1 Model Series

OpenAI has launched the GPT-4.1 series, featuring models with enhanced capabilities in coding, instruction following, and long-context processing. These models support up to 1 million token context windows and come with reduced pricing, aiming to make advanced AI more accessible to developers. ​LinkedIn+1LinkedIn+1

China Integrates AI into Education Reform

China plans to incorporate AI applications into teaching methods, textbooks, and school curricula as part of its education reform efforts. This initiative aims to modernize the education system and better prepare students for a technology-driven future. ​Reuters


🔮 Future Trends

White House Directs Federal Agencies on AI Strategy

The White House has mandated federal agencies to appoint chief AI officers and develop strategic frameworks for responsible AI implementation. This directive emphasizes innovation and accelerated deployment of AI technologies across government operations. ​Reuters

Nvidia Unveils Next-Generation AI Chips

At GTC 2025, Nvidia introduced its upcoming AI chips, Blackwell Ultra and Vera Rubin, slated for release in late 2026 and 2027, respectively. These chips are designed to advance AI capabilities, particularly in data centers and robotics applications. ​AP News

 

Welcome to AI News Explorer, your personalized guide to staying updated on the latest advancements in artificial intelligence! Here’s a curated digest of the most significant AI developments as of April 18, 2025:​


🧠 Latest Headlines

Google's Gemini 2.5 Flash Introduces "Thinking Budget"

Google has unveiled Gemini 2.5 Flash, an AI model featuring a "thinking budget" tool. This allows developers to control the computational reasoning the AI uses for tasks, balancing quality, cost, and response time. ​Business Insider+1Wikipedia+1

Apple Integrates AI into WatchOS 12

Apple announced that WatchOS 12 will incorporate features from its "Apple Intelligence" initiative. Due to hardware limitations, advanced AI functions will run via cloud processing. The update also introduces a new design language called "Solarium." ​LOS40

OpenAI Updates AI Risk Evaluation Framework

OpenAI has revised its preparedness framework to assess new AI models for risks like self-replication and evasion of safeguards. The focus shifts from persuasive capabilities to more severe risks as AI systems become more complex. ​Axios


🔍 Deep Dives

AI in Journalism: Italy's Il Foglio Experiment

Italian newspaper Il Foglio conducted a month-long experiment publishing a daily four-page insert written entirely by AI. The initiative, deemed successful, will continue as a weekly section, highlighting AI's potential in augmenting journalism. ​Axios+2Reuters+2Reuters+2

AI in Healthcare: Pitt and Leidos Collaboration

The University of Pittsburgh and Leidos have launched a $10 million, five-year initiative to combat cancer and heart disease using AI. The project focuses on underserved communities, aiming to improve diagnostic speed and accuracy. ​Axios


🌐 Global Perspectives

China's AI-Driven Education Reform

China plans to integrate AI applications into teaching, textbooks, and curricula across all education levels. The move aims to cultivate innovation and enhance the core competitiveness of talents. ​Reuters

Microsoft Faces Internal Protests Over AI Contracts

Microsoft is experiencing internal unrest over its AI and cloud computing services provided to the Israeli military. Employees have protested, citing ethical concerns and a lack of transparency in the company's contracts. ​The Guardian


📊 Future Trends

Demis Hassabis on the Path to AGI

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, predicts that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could emerge within five to ten years. He emphasizes the need for international cooperation and robust safety measures to mitigate risks associated with AGI. ​Time+1