Aug 1, 2025
Retter Reboot #31
Microsoft Joins $4 Trillion Club on Strength of Azure and AI
Microsoft’s market cap has reached $4 trillion, driven by surging demand for Azure cloud services and its aggressive integration of AI tools like Copilot across its product suite. Analysts cite Microsoft’s dominant enterprise positioning and early AI bets as key growth drivers. This milestone further cements Microsoft’s lead in the AI-cloud race, ahead of rivals like Amazon and Google.
Zuckerberg Backs Open AI Progress, Says Meta Will Build Superintelligence at Scale
Mark Zuckerberg has signaled Meta’s intention to build artificial superintelligence (ASI), echoing OpenAI’s goals but emphasizing open-source development. In a public letter, he highlighted Meta’s commitment to scaling AI infrastructure and advancing models like Llama 3 and beyond. Zuckerberg framed openness as critical to ensuring safety, innovation, and access—contrasting with the more closed approaches of some competitors.
Zuckerberg: AI Glasses Will Be Essential for Future Productivity
Mark Zuckerberg stated that people without AI-powered glasses may soon be at a disadvantage, suggesting the devices will be crucial for accessing real-time information, translation, and digital assistance in everyday life. He positioned AI glasses as the next major computing shift, with Meta investing heavily in hardware like Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to lead this transformation.
OpenAI Reaches $12B in Annualized Revenue
OpenAI has reportedly hit $12 billion in annualized revenue, largely driven by its enterprise products and ChatGPT subscriptions. This milestone reflects the growing adoption of AI across businesses and developers globally. The company’s revenue growth signals increasing competition with rivals like Google and Anthropic, as the generative AI market continues to expand rapidly.
OpenAI to Build First European AI Data Center in Norway
OpenAI has announced it will establish its first European AI data center in Norway, expanding its global infrastructure and aligning with European regulations on data privacy and energy sourcing. The center will be powered entirely by renewable energy. This move highlights OpenAI’s strategic focus on regional presence and sustainability, as demand for AI services grows across the continent.
OpenAI Launches “Study Mode” in ChatGPT
OpenAI has introduced a new Study Mode in ChatGPT, aimed at helping students learn more effectively by providing step-by-step explanations, quizzes, and interactive educational support. The feature is designed to promote active learning rather than just giving direct answers. This update makes ChatGPT more student-friendly and educationally compliant, positioning it as a smarter alternative to traditional homework tools.
ChatGPT Queries Are Being Indexed by Search Engines
Some publicly shared ChatGPT conversations are being indexed by Google and other search engines, raising privacy concerns. This only applies to users who share links to their chats via the “Share” feature — private conversations remain untouched. OpenAI clarified that these links are publicly accessible by design. The incident has sparked debate around user awareness, content visibility, and responsible sharing of AI-generated content online.
Google AI Mode Gains ‘Canvas’ Feature and Live Search Help
Google is expanding AI Mode in Search with a new “Canvas” feature that offers users a real-time workspace to draft, edit, and organize ideas directly during search. This enhancement also introduces live collaborative search, where users can receive AI-guided help in real time while browsing. These upgrades aim to shift search from passive result delivery to an interactive co-thinking tool, marking a broader push to integrate Gemini across user workflows.
Google Agrees to Sign EU’s AI Code of Practice
Google has confirmed it will sign the European Union’s AI Code of Practice, a voluntary agreement designed to align tech companies with the bloc’s upcoming AI regulations. This marks a significant step, especially as Meta has refused to sign, signaling a divide among major players on regulatory cooperation. The move shows Google’s intent to align early with EU AI governance, potentially giving it a competitive edge in shaping standards and accessing the European market.
Google NotebookLM Adds AI-Generated Video Overviews and Launches Studio Tool
Google has upgraded NotebookLM with AI-generated video overviews, turning written documents into short explanatory videos using text-to-video tech. This is part of a broader push to make knowledge digestion more visual and intuitive for users. Alongside this, Google introduced a new creation tool called Studio that allows users to fine-tune these video summaries and add custom visuals. The updates position NotebookLM as a more versatile research and learning platform.
Showrunner Launches AI-Powered “Netflix of AI” Where Users Star in Their Own Shows
Showrunner, backed by Amazon and founded by former Google DeepMind engineers, has launched an AI entertainment platform that lets users create, customize, and even star in their own animated series. Users can edit plotlines, add voiceovers, and influence the episode structure using simple prompts — with episodes already streaming on the platform. The tool leverages generative AI to deliver fully scripted, voiced, and animated shows, aiming to reinvent traditional content creation and consumption by giving users creative control.
Uber Eats Adds AI Features for Menu Photos and Descriptions
Uber Eats is rolling out new AI tools that automatically generate menu item descriptions and enhance food photos for restaurants. These features aim to help smaller businesses present their dishes more professionally without extra effort. The system uses image recognition and natural language generation to create appetizing, accurate dish profiles. This update reflects Uber’s broader strategy of integrating AI into the user and merchant experience to streamline operations and boost engagement.
