For those that are new around here, this is an extension of my weekly newsletter where I highlight new and innovative AI products that are worth exploring.
Hey {{FirstName | hey}}!
Happy Wednesday!
Here’s your news in newsletter!
Riding off the high of yesterday’s catchup recap, Today’s News issue covers the news from the past week, so it’ll be short and sweet.
In this Issue:
Your Weekly Industry News Recap
The Policy Updates
The Raise Recap
The AI Debate: What’s Next?
Double Header Headliner:
Open AI Opens the Agent SDK 😍 Gemini AI is getting REAL personal 🤔
OpenAI just rolled out a new suite of AI tools designed to make building autonomous AI agents easier than ever. 🔧 These tools will help developers create more dynamic, responsive assistants that can handle complex tasks without constant human intervention. Whether it’s customer support, workflow automation, or research assistance, AI agents are about to get a serious upgrade. Read more: Link
Google's Gemini Is Getting REAL Personal
Google is making Gemini AI more personal, letting users fine-tune responses, set preferences, and enjoy a “more tailored AI experience.” 🧠✨ This means smarter, more relevant interactions across Gmail, Docs, Android, and beyond—kind of like a personal AI assistant that actually knows what you want. 📱💡 This gives me pause, because depending on its implementation, this new direction brings a massive amount of privacy concerns for a doubtful amount of value add? Google power users will definitely stand to benefit from this, but for the average user, is the increment in value really worth all the extra permission grants? Read more: Link
Your Weekly Industry News Recap
Google's Gemini AI Gets Personalized – Google is making Gemini AI even more personal with customized responses & smarter integrations. 📱✨ Read more: Link
Mitsubishi’s AI-Powered Outlander Experience – AI is now customizing the car-buying experience, starting with the Mitsubishi Outlander. 🚗 Read more: Link
China is Embedding DeepSeek AI Everywhere – China is going all in on AI, integrating DeepSeek models into everything from apps to government systems. 🧠Read more: Link
Wearable AI Is Already Here – Smart glasses, AI-powered earbuds, and voice assistants are quietly reshaping daily life. 🕶️ Read more: Link
ServiceNow & Moveworks Team Up for AI Automation – AI-powered workplace automation just got a huge upgrade thanks to this partnership. 🏢Read more: Link
Genesys is Bringing AI to Customer Experience – AI-powered chatbots and automation are changing how brands interact with customers. 💬Read more: Link
⚖️ AI Legislation & Policy Updates 📜
AI & DEI: The Jekyll & Hyde Problem – AI is being used to both improve and undermine diversity & inclusion efforts—what’s the real impact? 🤔⚖️ Read more: Link
AI Regulation & Sustainability—The Jevons Paradox – As AI gets more efficient, it’s also consuming more energy. Can regulation keep up? 🌱⚡Read more: Link
Distraction or Real Change? AI & Government Policies – Governments are talking about AI regulations, but are they actually enforcing anything meaningful? 🏛️ Read more: Link
The Raise Recap 📈💰
ProtectAI Secures $8.7M in Funding – AI security is heating up! ProtectAI just raised $8.7M to fortify machine learning models against cyber threats. 🔐 Read more: Link
King River Capital Building a $157M AI VC Fund – AI startups, take note! This new $157M fund is looking for the next AI unicorns. 🦄💰 Read more: Link
Novarc Raises $50M for AI-Powered Welding – AI is now automating industrial welding, and Novarc just landed $50M to take it to the next level. 🔥 Read more: Link
DRUID AI Raises $46M for AI Chatbots – AI chatbots are getting smarter as DRUID AI raises $46M for enterprise automation. 💬⚡ Read more: Link
Hypergro AI Raises $850K for AI Marketing – AI-driven growth hacking tools are booming, and Hypergro just secured Rs 7 Cr to expand. 📊📈 Read more: Link
Shopify Acquires AI Search Startup Vantage Discovery – AI-powered e-commerce search is getting a boost as Shopify buys Vantage Discovery. 🛍️🔍Read more: Link
Dexterity Grabs $95M to Build AI-Powered Robots – AI is transforming robotics, and Dexterity just raised $95M to push the industry forward. ⚙️
Read more: Link
Cartesia Raises $64M for Voice AI – The next wave of voice AI assistants is here! Cartesia just secured $64M to enhance speech technology. 🎙️ Read more: Link
Nunu AI Raises $6M for AI-Powered Content Creation – AI-generated content is getting a major boost with Nunu AI’s $6M seed round. 📝⚡ Read more: Link
Disputed AI Raises $1.12M for AI-Powered Chargeback Protection – AI is fighting fraud, and Disputed AI just secured $1.12M to tackle chargeback disputes. 💳🛡️ Read more: Link
🔥 The AI Debate: What’s Next?👀
Bold predictions, ethical concerns, and industry shakeups
Due to popular demand, I’m cooking up a recap of the complexities surrounding AI so to get everyone up to pace on what’s been moving. This will probably take a little longer than I’d like to write, but bear with me. It’s coming!
Stay well, and see you next week!
-✌🏽 Sam