This week’s top AI news serves up a mix of drama, innovation, and a dash of chaos. We’ve got Coca-Cola’s AI ad leaving a sour taste online, Nvidia’s AI chips overheating (literally), and Chinese tech giants raiding Silicon Valley for talent like it’s a Black Friday sale. Let’s dive in—it’s all the AI gossip you need in under 5 minutes.
AI Weekly
1.??? Coca-Cola’s AI Ad Fizzles Out
Coca-Cola’s latest AI-generated Christmas ad is getting roasted online. Meant to honor its classic 1995 “Holidays Are Coming” campaign, the video is being called “soulless” and “creatively bankrupt” by critics. Watch it here and let us know your opinion.
- The Details: Created by three AI studios using generative models, the ad replicates holiday cheer with AI-rendered snowy streets, Coca-Cola trucks, and smiling families.
- The Backlash: Artists argue Coca-Cola snubbed human creativity, further fueling fears of AI replacing jobs in creative industries.
- Why It Matters: This debate reflects a larger tension about AI in creative fields. As brands experiment with generative tools, they face increasing scrutiny over ethics, originality, and human displacement.
2.???? AI Voice Cloning Scams on the Rise
Fraudsters are cloning celebrity voices with AI, and laws aren’t keeping up. David Attenborough and Scarlett Johansson have both been victims of eerily realistic voice impersonations used in scams and fake news campaigns.
- What’s Happening: AI tools now replicate speech patterns with incredible accuracy, mimicking tone, pauses, and even breathing. Scammers use cloned voices for fraud, including “Hi Mum” scams, where fraudsters pretend to be family members needing urgent money.
- Celebrity Impact: David Attenborough’s voice was used without consent in fake news, and Scarlett Johansson’s voice was cloned so accurately it fooled her friends. Both have spoken out against the misuse of AI.
- Why it matters:?AI voice cloning isn’t just a celebrity issue. It’s being used for fraud, misinformation, and identity theft. Voice-cloning scams in the UK rose by 30% last year, according to NatWest Bank. Starling Bank found that 28% of people have already been targeted by these scams.?Laws are lagging, leaving both individuals and businesses vulnerable to this growing threat.
3.??? Nvidia’s Blackwell chips overheating and?stock is plummeting?
Nvidia’s highly anticipated Blackwell AI chips are literally too hot to handle. The chips, already delayed, are now facing overheating issues in server racks designed for 72-chip setups.
- The problem: When installed in server racks holding up to 72 chips, Blackwell GPUs are overheating, forcing Nvidia to repeatedly request redesigns of the racks from suppliers. These delays come after the chips were already postponed earlier this year. Customers like Meta, Google, and Microsoft are now worried about meeting their own deployment timelines for AI infrastructure.
- The stakes: Blackwell chips represent Nvidia’s most advanced offering yet, using two silicon dies fused into a single component to handle intense AI workloads. These chips are critical for next-gen applications like generative AI, large language models, and advanced chatbot processing.
- Why it matters:?Nvidia holds more than 80% of the global AI chip market, but the Blackwell setback highlights potential vulnerabilities in its dominance. As demand for powerful AI hardware surges, any delays could give competitors like AMD or Intel an opening to catch up.
4.??? Chinese Tech giants recruit in Silicon Valley
Chinese tech heavyweights Alibaba, ByteDance, and Meituan are aggressively building AI teams in California, seeking to tap into Silicon Valley’s talent pool despite increasing U.S. restrictions on AI hardware exports to China.
- The Strategy: Alibaba is creating an AI team in Sunnyvale to work on generative AI projects, including its AI-powered search engine Accio. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is advancing AI features for its platform while also developing its Doubao large language model. Meituan is forming a new generative AI team to explore applications like AI-driven customer interactions and product recommendations.
- The Tensions: The U.S. has banned the export of advanced Nvidia chips to China, but Chinese companies operating in the U.S. can still access high-performance AI hardware through local data centers.
- Why it Matters:?By recruiting top U.S. talent and leveraging local AI resources, Chinese companies are advancing their AI strategies despite geopolitical barriers. This highlights the delicate balance between innovation, collaboration, and regulatory tension in a highly competitive industry.
5.??? Perplexity Adds Shopping to AI Search
Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine, has launched a new feature called “Buy with Pro,” letting users shop directly through search results. The feature integrates e-commerce into the search experience, offering convenience and speed for shoppers.
- The Features: Available to Perplexity Pro subscribers for $20/month, the feature allows users to compare prices, view product specs, and make purchases directly within search results. Subscribers also get free shipping on purchases, adding extra value to the service.
- The Edge: Unlike Google Shopping, Perplexity doesn’t currently take a cut from sales, focusing purely on improving the user experience. However, the company hasn’t ruled out affiliate revenue in the future. Perplexity also introduced a Merchant Program, inviting retailers to share product details to increase visibility and boost recommendations in search results.
- Why It Matters: AI-powered shopping assistants like this could redefine how people shop online. By combining AI-driven recommendations with seamless purchasing, Perplexity positions itself as a competitor to Google and OpenAI in the evolving AI search landscape. Its move signals a larger trend of AI blurring the lines between search, commerce, and decision-making.
AI Tool of the week ????Akool AI: Transform How You Create
Akool AI is a generative platform for creating videos and images fast. It offers tools like face-swapping, video translation, talking avatars, and background editing—all designed for marketers, e-commerce, and educators. Plans start at $39/month, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.
Why Use It: Akool simplifies content creation, letting you make multilingual ads, product photos, or animated avatars with ease. While it’s user-friendly, avatars could improve with better emotional expression and voice variety.
Verdict: Akool AI is a cost-effective way to scale content creation and try AI-powered visuals. It’s not perfect but delivers value for businesses looking to save time and boost creativity.
That's a wrap for this week's AI highlights. Stay tuned for more exciting developments as AI continues to reshape our world!
