AI round-up: Week of January 20, 2025
Wow. One week later … four days into the new Trump administration … and we are seeing history on the daily.
Let’s get into it.
The Heavy Stuff
Story 1: Introducing the Stargate project.
What do you get when the biggest names in tech throw a few hundred billion around and decide it's time to form the AI Avengers? Stargate.
The headline links to the OpenAI announcement, but here's a quick excerpt detailing the new partnership between OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and MGX:
“The Stargate Project is a new company which intends to invest $500 billion over the next four years building new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the United States. We will begin deploying $100 billion immediately. This infrastructure will secure American leadership in AI, create hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and generate massive economic benefit for the entire world. This project will not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies.”
As you might suspect, because he's not part of it, Elon Musk isn't a fan:
Story 2: Oh, one more thing about Stargate.
AGI and ASI are 'confirmed' to be on their way. (According to SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son.)
Whether he's right or wrong … he said it. At the White House. In a press conference. Historical times, people.
Story 3: The Future of Work in the AI World (Christopher Penn)
A world with 30% fewer jobs?
This is how Chris teases his take on the latest Future of Work report. Not that we need a tease. This is a huge storyline that everyone is talking about, bringing their own perspective.
I love how Chris breaks things down. He was one of my favorite MAICON speakers, and he doesn't disappoint here. If you just read one article this week … you may want to make it this one.
Those potentially lost jobs being talked about in the Future of Work? Technically, those workers are no longer protected.
Now, take this with a grain of salt. While Biden's order was better than nothing … it wasn't much of anything given a lot of what it was referring to/protecting was still largely unknown.
Nevertheless…it's been reversed.
Story 5: OpenAI releases an AI agent that books travel, orders food for users.
It has not yet been widely released, but it is being rolled out to select paying (the $200 package) users. So GenAlpha and Z – you have a little bit of time to figure out how to use this to prank call your local pizza shop.
Story 6: Consumers spent over $1B on AI apps in 2024.
That number will seem so small, so soon… (TechCrunch)
The not-so-heavy stuff
Story 1: Yes, ChatGPT was down on Thursday. (TechCrunch)
And we all stayed calm. Didn’t frantically hit refresh or try to restart our computers. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.
How are you?
Story 2: Perplexity launches Sonar. An API for search.
So what? Well, now you can build an AI-search function into your applications. (TechCrunch)
Story 3: CIA is going all ‘character.ai’ on us.
The CIA is creating AI profiles of world leaders to better understand how they think and simulate different scenarios. Is it smart? Hell yes, it is. Is it accurate? Well … maybe? The info being used to build these comes from public information and spies. Can we get an AI version of Tom Clancy to write a book about this?
Story 4: Still haven’t tried Gemini Deep Research?
It’s at the center of this Digital Trends article, “I’ve experienced the next era of AI, and I’m never going back.”
A few that don’t fit in either category
Story 1: Are “Ph.D.-level superagents” coming? As soon as January 30? And will Sam Altman and OpenAI deliver it?
Story 2: Read that story through the lens of this tweet.
Story 3: Because it seems like Sam Altman and President Trump are talking a lot.
Story 4: Although I’m not sure the president knows his real name … right now, he’s ‘one of the people Elon hates’ (CNN)
Final Note
It didn’t take long to get here.
The news is coming fast. The industry is moving faster. And I strongly believe we have seen only about 60% of what tech companies have seen … meaning either they don’t think we’re ready for it or they’re trying to play their cards right. Either way, one things for sure – this is the golden age of tech. How fast we adapt and how hard we work to keep up is our call. But one thing we know for sure is it won’t wait for us.
Thanks for reading.
-Ben
As a reminder, this is a round-up of the biggest stories, often hitting multiple newsletters I receive/review. The sources are many … which I’m happy to read on your behalf. Let me know if there’s one you’d like me to track or have questions about a topic you’re not seeing here.