AI Weekly News Updates

The world of AI keeps moving at lightning speed, and this week brought some fantastic updates worth exploring. From groundbreaking acquisitions to new tools making coding and productivity a breeze, here's what you need to know

GitHub Copilot Goes Free for VS Code

GitHub announced a free version of its Copilot code completion/AI pair programming tool, now shipping by default with Microsoft’s popular VS Code editor.

Credit: @TechCrunch

Dial-Up ChatGPT ??

You can now talk to ChatGPT by calling 1-800-ChatGPT (1-800-242-8478) in the U.S. or by sending a WhatsApp message to the same number—available globally.

Credit: @OpenAI

Perplexity Acquires Carbon for Smarter AI Search

Perplexity AI has acquired Carbon, a Seattle-based startup specializing in connecting AI systems to external data sources. This move will enhance Perplexity’s ability to search through files in tools like Notion, Google Docs, and Slack by early 2025.

Credit: @TechCrunch

Grammarly + Coda = AI Productivity Powerhouse

Grammarly announced its acquisition of productivity startup Coda. The deal brings generative AI chat and a productivity suite to Grammarly customers, turning its AI assistant into an “AI productivity platform.

Credit: @TechCrunch

DeepMind Unveils Veo 2 to Rival OpenAI’s Sora

Google DeepMind announced Veo 2, a cutting-edge video-generating AI capable of creating 4K, two-minute-plus clips. It’s a major leap forward in video AI, offering more resolution and duration than OpenAI’s Sora.

Credit: @TechCrunch

OpenAI Introduces o3 Model

Capping off its “12 Days of OpenAI” event, OpenAI unveiled o3, a new reasoning model with a smaller distilled version, o3-mini, optimized for specific tasks.

Credit: @OpenAI

Nvidia Secures Approval for Run:ai Acquisition

Nvidia cleared a regulatory hurdle from the EU, paving the way for its acquisition of Run:ai, further solidifying its position in the AI chip market.

Credit: @TechCrunch

Code Assist Expands with Third-Party Tools

Google’s Gemini-powered Code Assist now supports third-party tools, enhancing its enterprise-focused AI coding assistant. Available through VS Code and JetBrains, it allows reasoning over large chunks of code.

Credit: @TechCrunch

That wraps up this week’s AI and tech highlights! This week has been nothing short of inspiring, with strides in AI making our tools smarter, our work more efficient, and our imaginations wilder. From groundbreaking new models to productivity-driven collaborations, the AI space continues to amaze.

As we sign off, let’s look forward to another week of discovery and innovation. Keep exploring, engaging, and staying ahead of the curve, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter here straight to your inbox. See you next week for more updates!