Born from an OpenAI exodus and backed by billions from tech giants, Anthropic is betting that ethics and innovation can coexist in AI. Their AI assistant Claude can read entire novels in seconds—but can they prove that safer AI is better AI?
Good Morning from San Francisco 🌉 Silicon Valley, who once begged for AI guardrails, now wants them gone. Their new battle
AI helped them work faster and better. Then their colleagues found out. New research reveals an unexpected tension in today's workplace: using AI tools can boost performance but damage professional reputation. Data from 4,400 workers shows why many now hide their AI use
Jensen Huang spots $50 billion vanishing before his eyes. But Nvidia's CEO isn't blinking. As Washington tightens the AI screws on China, he's gambling on a bold strategy that could reshape tech's biggest battleground. The stakes? Nothing less than America's AI crown.
Good Morning from San Francisco,
Nvidia's China dreams are crumbling. CEO Jensen Huang watches a $50 billion opportunity slip through his fingers as US chip restrictions bite deep. The company took a $5.5 billion hit last quarter, and its stock stumbled 15% this year. 💸
Meanwhile, Google caught everyone off guard by unleashing Gemini 2.5 Pro weeks ahead of schedule. 🚀 The AI model crushes web development tasks with an 84.8% score in video understanding. Developers get the upgrade free, while Google flexes its muscles against OpenAI and xAI. 💪
Stay curious,
Marcus Schuler
Jensen Huang sees a $50 billion opportunity slipping away. Nvidia's CEO told CNBC that losing access to China's AI market would hurt both his company and American jobs.
Last month's US restrictions on Nvidia's H20 chip exports to China triggered a $5.5 billion quarterly charge. The company's stock has dropped 15% this year after soaring in 2023.
Huang isn't ready to give up on China. Speaking alongside ServiceNow's CEO in Las Vegas, he stressed the need for "agility" in navigating US policies. His comments come as Nvidia walks a tightrope between US security concerns and its growth ambitions.
The timing couldn't be worse. Nvidia faces slowing growth just as AI competition heats up. Analysts expect 65% revenue growth this year – impressive, but far below last year's 260% surge.
China's AI development isn't standing still. Huang himself recently praised Huawei as "one of the most formidable technology companies in the world." This admission suggests the US restrictions might hurt American companies more than their Chinese rivals.
Despite the headwinds, Huang remains focused on global AI leadership. "The world is hungry, anxious to engage AI," he said. "Let us get American AI out in front of everybody right now."
Why this matters:
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CNBC: Nvidia CEO says being locked out of China AI market would be ‘tremendous loss’
Prompt:
holy moley
Google just pushed out Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview ahead of schedule. The surprise release targets developers, with a focus on building better-looking websites and apps.
The new model tops the WebDev Arena leaderboard, which tests how well AI can create functional, visually appealing web applications. It scores an impressive 84.8% on video understanding tasks, opening up new possibilities for turning video content into interactive learning apps.
Developers using Gemini through Google's API won't need to change anything. The update automatically replaces the previous version at no extra cost. Enterprise customers can access it through Vertex AI.
The timing hints at Google's strategy. By releasing early, they're putting fresh tools in developers' hands before their I/O conference later this month. It's a smart move in the increasingly heated AI race against OpenAI and xAI.
The improvements focus on practical coding tasks. The model now handles function calls more reliably and makes fewer errors when transforming or editing code. It's particularly good at matching design specifications – helping developers nail details like colors, fonts, and spacing without manual tweaking.
Replit's president Michele Catasta praised the model's balance of capability and speed. Cognition's founding team member Silas Alberti noted it handles complex code refactoring tasks like a senior developer.
Why this matters:
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Google: Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview: even better coding performance
You are a Creative Freelance Business Strategist with 15+ years of experience helping designers, writers, photographers, and other creative professionals build sustainable, profitable businesses. Your guidance is both tactical and strategic, balancing creative fulfillment with business success.
Provide a practical roadmap for established freelancers ready to scale their business. Focus on:
Use specific examples from real creative businesses that successfully made this transition. Include templates, scripts, and frameworks that can be immediately implemented. Address mindset challenges creative professionals face when transitioning from "freelancer" to "business owner."
The response should be comprehensive yet actionable, with clear next steps organized by immediate (this week), short-term (next 30 days), and long-term (3-6 months) priorities.
A research team in Shanghai built an AI that watches soccer with uncanny insight. Their system, SoccerAgent, spots plays that slip past even veteran referees.
The AI packs 18 specialized tools into one system. It tracks every detail - from goalkeeper head movements to striker positioning. Its built-in SoccerWiki database covers nearly 10,000 players, 266 teams, 202 referees, and 235 venues.
In head-to-head tests, SoccerAgent beat both GPT-4 and Claude at analyzing soccer plays. When shown video clips, it identifies players, breaks down movements, and explains tactical decisions faster than other AI systems.
The system isn't perfect. It sometimes stumbles on rapid player movements and complex tactics. But it never tires. It processes thousands of game scenarios while maintaining consistent focus.
For coaches, this means powerful new analysis tools. For fans, it could transform how we watch games. Imagine instant breakdowns of why a defender's split-second decision changed the whole play.
The Shanghai team trained their AI on thousands of hours of match footage. Unlike many AI systems, SoccerAgent explains its calls by highlighting player positions and analyzing momentum.
Why this matters:
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OpenAI will help nations build AI infrastructure. The company plans to start with 10 international projects. Each country gets custom help - from new data centers to AI upgrades. The catch? China and its allies aren't invited to the party.
CrowdStrike will cut 500 jobs - 5% of its staff. The security firm will still hire engineers and customer-facing roles, even as it shells out $56 million for severance and tells everyone to work from home while the cuts roll out.
Ox Security raised $60 million in Series B funding. The startup scans AI and human code for risks, processes 100 million code lines daily, and serves major clients like Microsoft and SoFi while pulling in $10 million yearly revenue.
Finom secured $105 million from General Catalyst without giving up equity. The digital bank serves 100,000 European businesses. It makes money from subscriptions and just launched AI accounting and lending tools. The company doubled its revenue last year.
A security researcher discovered TeleMessage, the app used by Trump officials, can read all message content. The Israeli company's server holds plaintext copies of supposedly private chats. The code shows that messages flow unencrypted through TeleMessage's systems before reaching government archives.
AI has evolved beyond basic assistance. It now handles complex tasks on its own, from customer service to data analysis. While most AI still needs human oversight, companies report time savings of up to 90% in some areas. But there's a catch - AI agents can access sensitive data, raising security concerns.
Employers started using AI to screen job candidates. Now applicants use AI to beat those systems. The results? HR teams drown in fake applications. Candidates feel dehumanized. And everyone loses in an escalating tech war that was meant to make hiring better.
Netflix launches its first major interface update since 2013. The new design shows fewer titles but adds instant video previews and smarter recommendations. It hits TV screens next week, where 70% of Netflix viewing happens.
Most top buyers of Trump's digital tokens come from overseas exchanges that ban US users. They're competing for dinner with the president on May 22. While Trump's company can't sell its tokens yet, the dinner announcement drove prices from $9 to $14, with foreigners making the biggest purchases.
World.org (formerly Worldcoin) scans human irises to verify personhood in an AI-bot-filled digital landscape. Sam Altman's ambitious project combines biometrics, blockchain and a quest to build a global identity network for "every human." 🔮
Founded in 2019 by Sam Altman (OpenAI CEO), Alex Blania (theoretical physics student), and Max Novendstern (former Bridgewater associate). Novendstern departed by early 2021, leaving Blania as CEO with Altman remaining as co-founder/board member. The company employs enough staff to operate Orbs globally, with headquarters in San Francisco and Berlin. Altman created the project to distinguish humans from AI agents and potentially enable universal basic income.
World.org offers a digital identity platform with a cryptocurrency component. Its core service, World ID, provides "proof of personhood" - verifying users are unique humans without revealing personal data. The verification happens through "the Orb" - a spherical device that scans users' irises, converting biometric patterns into cryptographic codes. The system uses zero-knowledge proofs for privacy, allowing identity confirmation without revealing biometric data. Users receive WLD tokens as incentives and manage everything through the World App. The company recently launched World Chain, a specialized blockchain giving World ID holders privileged access and free transaction fees.
Billions Network markets itself as a privacy-friendly alternative, offering digital ID without biometrics. Humanity Protocol raised $30M to create a similar system using palm scans instead of irises. Its founder argues existing solutions are "too invasive," positioning palm scanning as less intrusive than iris scanning. Jack Dorsey's TBD/Web5 project and the "Human" initiative (from ex-Snapchat technologists) are developing alternative verification systems. With 15 million verified users, World currently leads its competitors in scale.
World.org raised an initial $25 million led by Andreessen Horowitz in October 2021, valuing the company at $1 billion. Within months, it secured an additional $100 million from investors including Khosla Ventures, pushing its valuation to $3 billion. In May 2023, the company announced a $115 million Series C round led by Blockchain Capital, bringing total funding to $240 million. This maintained the company's unicorn status with a reported $3 billion valuation. Investors include Reid Hoffman, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Three Arrows Capital founders alongside top venture firms.
World.org stands at a crossroads: 15 million users and aggressive expansion plans clash with regulatory hurdles and public skepticism. The company is rolling out next-gen Orbs and World Chain blockchain while targeting 180 million Americans by late 2025. New partnerships with Visa and dating apps could drive mainstream adoption, but regulatory challenges in Europe threaten the company's global ambitions. Competition from less invasive alternatives looms. World's future hinges on proving it can be both useful and trustworthy. 🔍
Good Morning from San Francisco 🌉 Silicon Valley, who once begged for AI guardrails, now wants them gone. Their new battle
Good Morning from San Francisco, AI just rattled Google's $20 billion Apple deal. In court, Apple's
Good Morning from San Francisco, 🌉 Apple swallowed its pride and tapped AI startup Anthropic to rescue its failing developer tools.
Good Morning from San Francisco, Silicon Valley's AI giants are squabbling like schoolchildren - over chips. 🍿 Anthropic wants
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