🗞️In this edition

• •Apple working on robots and AI home tech

• •Workflow Wednesday #32 ‘The AI-Powered Workplace’

• •Google adds automatic recall to Gemini

• • In other AI news –

  • •xAI co-founder leaves to start AI-focused VC firm

  • •Doctors get worse at spotting cancer after AI reliance

  • •US uses trackers in AI chip shipments to catch smuggling

  • •Meta leads AI smart glasses boom, Xiaomi close behind

• • 4 must-try AI tools

Apple designing robots, smart display and AI upgrades for Siri

♨️News – Apple is developing a range of AI-powered devices, including home robots, a smart display, and a redesigned Siri, according to Bloomberg. The company has been slower than its competitors in rolling out generative AI, but these projects indicate it sees the smart home as a major area for innovation. 

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• A tabletop robot prototype resembles an iPad on a moving arm that can follow users and perform actions like dancing.

• Siri is being redesigned with large language model technology and could feature animated avatars such as Memoji.

• A smart home display, expected by mid-2026, may support multiple users through facial recognition and personalized content.

• Other projects include a wheeled home robot, a range of security cameras, and exploratory work on humanoid robots

🤓OpenTools POV – If these plans move forward, Apple could position Siri as a more engaging and capable home AI assistant with both personality and practical utility.

This Week in Workflow Wednesday #32: The AI-Powered Workplace

The Autonomous Notetaker: AI Meeting Intelligence with Fireflies.ai

Many of our readers have been asking about how to implement AI automation using Google Workspace apps as a base. In this workflow, we'll discuss how to create an AI note-taker that's integrated into your calendar and docs to help meetings not only run smoother, but to make sure you're on top of your work always.

Step 1: Connect Your Calendar

Inside Fireflies.ai, connect your Google or Outlook calendar so it can automatically detect upcoming meetings and join them without manual invites.

Step 2: Configure Meeting Behaviour

Under Settings → Meeting Settings, decide how Fireflies handles your schedule. For maximum coverage, turn on Auto-…...We break it down fully in this week’s issue, along with 2 other AI workflows

Google rolls out automatic memory recall for Gemini AI

☕News – Google is rolling out a Gemini update that lets the AI chatbot automatically remember past conversations and preferences without you having to ask. This means it can use details from earlier chats to personalize its suggestions. The feature is switched on by default, but you can turn it off in settings.

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• Gemini will recall details such as your interests or previous ideas and use them in future responses.

• The feature is launching on Gemini 2.5 Pro in select countries starting today, with more locations to follow.

• “Gemini Apps Activity” will be renamed “Keep Activity” from September 2, allowing Google to use a sample of uploads to improve services.

• A new “temporary chats” option keeps conversations private, deletes them after 72 hours, and avoids training the AI.

• Users can disable memory in the Personal Context section of settings.

🤓OpenTools POV –  This brings AI assistants closer to feeling truly personal, but it also raises important questions about how much memory users are comfortable giving them. Privacy controls will be the deciding factor for trust.

🙆🏻‍♀️What else is happening?

• Co-founder of Elon Musk’s xAI departs the company // Babuschkin is leaving xAI to launch his own venture capital firm, Babuschkin Ventures, which he says will support AI safety research and back startups that advance humanity and unlock the mysteries of our universe

• Some doctors got worse at detecting cancer after relying on AI // It’s the latest in worrying medical AI headlines

• US secretly embeds trackers in AI chip shipments to catch smuggling to China, sources say // Sources say the trackers are used in shipments of servers from Dell and Supermicro, which include chips from Nvidia and AMD

• Meta drives first-half AI smart glasses surge, as Xiaomi emerges as dark horse // Competition is expected to intensify as more companies, such as Alibaba and ByteDance, enter the space in the second half of 2025

👩🏼‍🚒Discover mind-blowing AI tools

1. Learn How to Use AI - Starting January 8, 2025, we’re launching Workflow Wednesday, a series where we teach you how to use AI effectively. Lock in early bird pricing now and secure your spot. Check it out here

2. Hocoos AI - A website builder that uses artificial intelligence to create customized websites for businesses

3. Taskade - A collaborative productivity tool for teams to plan, organize, and execute projects

4. AdCreative.ai - A platform that helps users generate conversion-focused ad creatives in seconds