AI News Recap: March 21, 2025
Industry Shifts: Leadership Changes and Acquisitions Shape AI Landscape
Friday’s rolled in like it owns the place. Hope you’re holding up.
This week’s AI recap highlights Baidu’s Ernie 4.5 and X1 models, Google’s UK AI push, and OpenAI’s costly o1-pro launch. It also spotlights ReactWise speeding up drug production, xAI’s video ambitions, and a new Nvidia-backed robotics startup.
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Your Weekly Recap
Baidu Unveils Two New Versions of AI Model Ernie
Google Expands UK AI Operations with Agentspace Data Residency
YC-backed ReactWise Uses AI to Accelerate Drug Manufacturing
OpenAI Tests ChatGPT Connectors for Google Drive, Slack
Elon Musk's xAI Acquires Generative AI Video Startup
DeepMind Expert Departs Google; Nvidia Backs New Stealth Startup
Fei-Fei Li's Group Urges AI Laws to Address Future Risks
OpenAI Launches Most Expensive AI Model, o1-pro
OpenAI Enhances Transcription and Voice AI Models
Anthropic Enhances Claude Chatbot with Web Search Feature
🕖 Short on time? - A TL;DR section has been provided for you at the end of this post.
Baidu Unveils Two New Versions of AI Model Ernie
Published: 2025-03-16
Key Points
Baidu releases Ernie 4.5 and Ernie X1 AI models with multimodal capabilities.
Ernie X1 is cost-effective, matching DeepSeek R1's performance at half the price.
Ernie 4.5 understands memes and satire, enhancing its emotional intelligence.
Source(s)
Google Expands UK AI Operations with Agentspace Data Residency
Published: 2025-03-17
Key Points
Google expands UK AI business with local data hosting for Agentspace.
New incentives for AI startups include up to £280,000 in Google Cloud credits.
Chirp 3 audio model added to Vertex AI developer platform.
Source(s)
YC-backed ReactWise Uses AI to Accelerate Drug Manufacturing
Published: 2025-03-17
Key Points
ReactWise uses AI to accelerate drug manufacturing by optimizing chemical processes.
The AI copilot reduces trial-and-error in drug production, speeding up development.
The startup's AI models predict optimal chemical reactions, enhancing efficiency.
Source(s)
OpenAI Tests ChatGPT Connectors for Google Drive, Slack
Published: 2025-03-17
Key Points
OpenAI will test ChatGPT Connectors for Google Drive and Slack.
Connectors allow ChatGPT to access files and conversations for informed responses.
The feature aims to integrate ChatGPT into business software toolkits.
Source(s)
Elon Musk's xAI Acquires Generative AI Video Startup
Published: 2025-03-17
Key Points
xAI acquires Hotshot, a generative AI video startup, to enhance its video generation capabilities.
Hotshot developed three AI video models, indicating a focus on global education and entertainment.
The acquisition suggests xAI's plans to compete with existing AI video models like Google's Veo 2.
Source(s)
DeepMind Expert Departs Google; Nvidia Backs New Stealth Startup
Published: 2025-03-19
Key Points
Pete Florence, a former DeepMind researcher, launched a robotics startup, Generalist AI.
Nvidia has invested in Generalist AI through its venture arm, NVentures.
The startup aims to create general-purpose robots to reduce the cost of physical labor.
Source(s)
Fei-Fei Li's Group Urges AI Laws to Address Future Risks
Published: 2025-03-19
Key Points
Fei-Fei Li's group urges AI laws to consider unobserved future risks.
The report calls for transparency in AI safety tests and data practices.
It recommends third-party evaluations and whistleblower protections for AI safety.
Source(s)
OpenAI Launches Most Expensive AI Model, o1-pro
Published: 2025-03-19
Key Points
OpenAI's o1-pro is a costly AI model, priced higher than GPT-4.5.
o1-pro offers improved performance but struggles with some tasks like Sudoku.
The model is available to select developers with significant API spending.
Source(s)
OpenAI Enhances Transcription and Voice AI Models
Published: 2025-03-20
Key Points
OpenAI introduces new transcription and voice AI models, improving accuracy and realism.
The models support nuanced speech and context-specific voice modulation.
New transcription models outperform Whisper but are not open-source.
Source(s)
Anthropic Enhances Claude Chatbot with Web Search Feature
Published: 2025-03-20
Key Points
Anthropic's Claude chatbot now includes web search for U.S. paid users, with plans for broader access.
Claude provides answers with direct citations from web sources for real-time insights.
Web search aligns Claude with competitors like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
Source(s)
TL;DR
Baidu releases Ernie 4.5 and cost-effective Ernie X1 AI models with multimodal skills.
Google boosts UK AI with local Agentspace data hosting and £280,000 in Cloud credits.
ReactWise AI speeds up drug manufacturing by optimizing chemical processes.
OpenAI tests ChatGPT Connectors for Google Drive and Slack integration.
xAI acquires Hotshot to enhance AI video generation capabilities.
Ex-DeepMind researcher’s Generalist AI robotics startup gets Nvidia backing.
Fei-Fei Li’s group pushes for AI laws focusing on future risks and transparency.
OpenAI’s pricey o1-pro model offers better performance, limited to select developers.
OpenAI upgrades transcription and voice AI for better accuracy and realism.
Anthropic’s Claude chatbot adds web search for U.S. paid users with citations.
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