This Week in AI & Startups: Major Developments Across Products, Funding, and Global Strategies
As the AI revolution unfolds, this week brought significant advancements and funding milestones that underscore the momentum AI continues to build in technology and investment landscapes. From new product launches and fresh funding rounds to sovereign AI initiatives, here’s a look at the must-read highlights that are shaping the future of AI and tech.
Google’s ‘Jarvis’ Browser Assistant
Google is reportedly working on Project Jarvis, an AI-powered browser assistant designed to automate online tasks such as shopping, research, and travel booking. Project Jarvis interprets screenshots to navigate websites, perform actions like clicking buttons, and enter information. While optimized for web browsers rather than full computer use, Jarvis could provide users a highly practical, web-optimized AI assistant with a preview expected in December, potentially aligning with Google’s release of its Gemini 2.0 model. Source
Meta’s AI-Powered Search Engine
Meta is developing a proprietary AI-driven search engine, aiming to reduce its reliance on competitors like Google and Bing. This initiative, bolstered by a partnership with Reuters for news content, signifies Meta’s vision to establish a self-sufficient AI ecosystem. With a chatbot reaching 185 million weekly active users across Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, Meta is positioning itself to compete directly in the search engine market by providing real-time, conversational responses to user queries. Source
GitHub Opens Copilot to Multiple AI Models
At GitHub Universe, GitHub announced a major update to Copilot, empowering developers to select from multiple language models (LLMs) that best suit their coding needs. The lineup includes Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro, and OpenAI’s o1 models. This multi-model flexibility gives individual developers and organizations the choice of models for specific workflows and tasks, including coding, code review, and security. GitHub also introduced Spark, a tool that lets developers create fully functional micro apps using natural language, significantly reducing the technical overhead involved in app creation. Source
Meta Is Reportedly Developing Its Own AI-Powered Search Engine And ...
Meta is developing a proprietary AI-driven search engine, aiming to reduce its reliance on competitors like Google and Bing. This initiative, bolstered by a partnership with Reuters for news content, signifies Meta’s vision to establish a self-sufficient AI ecosystem. With a chatbot reaching 185 million weekly active users across Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, Meta is positioning itself to compete directly in the search engine market by providing real-time, conversational responses to user queries.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search
OpenAI recently launched a web search feature within ChatGPT, transforming it into a real-time information hub that challenges traditional search engines. This update, powered by a fine-tuned GPT-4o model, allows ChatGPT to deliver instant answers on topics like news, stocks, and weather, complete with source attribution and clickable links. OpenAI has already secured partnerships with AP, Reuters, and Axel Springer, enhancing content reliability and expanding access to this new feature for Plus, Team, and enterprise users. Source
xAI Eyes a $40 Billion Valuation
Elon Musk’s xAI is reportedly in discussions to raise billions in a new funding round, targeting a $40 billion valuation. This would mark a notable increase from its previous $24 billion valuation, and Musk’s ambitious plans underscore his competitive stance against AI giants like OpenAI. With recent investments in a supercomputer, xAI is expanding its compute capacity — a strategic advantage that could position it as a formidable player in the AI ecosystem.
Sierra Achieves a $4.5 Billion Valuation
Founded by former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and Google veteran Clay Bavor, Sierra reached a $4.5 billion valuation after raising $175 million in a round led by Greenoaks Capital. Sierra specializes in AI-powered customer service chatbots, serving enterprise clients like WeightWatchers and Sirius XM. This funding highlights investor enthusiasm for enterprise-focused AI solutions, especially as Sierra tackles the common challenge of “hallucinations” in large language models to deliver reliable and scalable customer service. Source
Read AI Valued at $450 Million
Productivity and automation startup Read AI raised $50 million in a Series B round led by Smash Capital, with additional investments from Madrona and Goodwater Capital. Read AI, known for its AI-driven tools that enhance meeting productivity, recently launched “Read AI for Gmail,” integrating data from other productivity apps like Slack and Zoom. This round underscores the demand for AI solutions that streamline workflows and reduce app-switching, positioning Read AI as a leader in productivity automation. Source
Buddy.ai Raises $10.8 Million
Buddy.ai, an interactive AI tutor for children, raised $10.8 million to further its mission of providing accessible, personalized education. The AI tutor, which has already surpassed 50 million downloads, offers English lessons through game-based interactions for children under 12. With COPPA-compliant Speech Recognition technology specifically tuned to children’s voices, Buddy.ai is addressing global education gaps with scalable, affordable tutoring solutions.Source
Auquan Secures $4.5 Million
London-based Auquan, an AI-powered financial analytics startup, raised $4.5 million to advance its platform for automating complex financial workflows. The funds will support the company’s Bengaluru engineering team and further development of its Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture, enabling finance professionals to focus on decision-making rather than repetitive, manual data tasks. Source
Boardy Raises $3 Million
Boardy, an AI-powered networking platform, secured $3 million in pre-seed funding led by HF0 Residency. The startup uses AI voice technology to connect users with relevant professionals based on their project needs. Following its initial launch, Boardy facilitated thousands of connections, leading the team to implement an invite-only model to ensure user experience. Boardy aims to foster meaningful connections through human-AI collaboration, addressing the loneliness epidemic by supporting users in building networks.
OpenAI Develops In-House Chip
OpenAI is making a strategic move to develop its first custom chip, partnering with Broadcom for design and TSMC for manufacturing. This shift towards a more diversified hardware ecosystem comes as OpenAI looks to reduce reliance on Nvidia and manage rising compute costs. Alongside Nvidia GPUs, OpenAI will now also use AMD’s MI300X processors in Microsoft’s Azure, aiming for a balanced hardware strategy to meet growing infrastructure demands.
Denmark Launches Gefion Supercomputer
Denmark recently unveiled Gefion, its first sovereign AI supercomputer, powered by NVIDIA’s DGX SuperPOD with 1,528 H100 Tensor Core GPUs. Operated by the Danish Center for AI Innovation (DCAI), Gefion is poised to drive breakthroughs in quantum computing, clean energy, biotechnology, and more. With Gefion, Denmark joins an elite group of countries with sovereign AI infrastructure, signaling a commitment to advancing national innovation capabilities.
Costa Rica Pioneers AI-Driven Branding Strategy
Costa Rica has become the first country to employ AI for refining its national brand, focusing on sustainability and environmental leadership. Through analysis of extensive data, Costa Rica’s AI-driven strategy aims to attract more tourists and investors by positioning itself as a leader in sustainability. This AI initiative sets a precedent for smaller nations using technology to enhance their global image and compete with larger, better-funded countries. Source
