🗞️In this edition

• •Musk announces kid-safe version of Grok

• • Workflow Wednesday #28 ‘AI Independence’

• •Perplexity pitches Comet to phone makers

• • In other AI news –

  • •Meta refuses to sign EU AI code

  • •China eyes Global South to counter US

  • •China’s robot swaps its own batteries

  • •AI may be driving more layoffs than disclosed

• • 4 must-try AI tools

Elon Musk unveils baby Grok, a safer AI chatbot for kids

♨️News – Elon Musk has announced plans to launch Baby Grok, a new version of his Grok AI chatbot designed specifically for children. The move comes shortly after the release of Grok 4 and amid criticism over unsafe content in earlier versions. 

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• Musk revealed the plan on X, saying Baby Grok will be a separate app focused on kid-friendly content.

• It will be a simplified version of the Grok chatbot, aimed at safe and educational use.

• The announcement follows Grok 4’s launch, which includes more advanced training features.

• Grok recently came under fire for sharing antisemitic comments and flirtatious responses, even in kids mode.

• Musk also claimed Grok could begin discovering useful new technologies as early as this year.

🤓OpenTools POV – Turning Grok into a tool for kids is a big shift, but trust will be hard to earn. For parents, safety cannot just be a feature; it needs to be built into the foundation. 

This Week in Workflow Wednesday #28: AI Independence

Create a Stunning Sales Presentation Solo Using Gamma.app
We’ve all been there - wrangling ChatGPT to piece together presentation content, only to spend hours copy-pasting and tweaking every slide to match your vision. It’s slow, tedious, and, frankly, outdated.

Step 1: Sign Up and Set Up

• Head to Gamma.app and sign up for the free trial.

• Use your work email for a polished touch or a personal one—Gamma’s cool with either.

• Complete the quick onboarding process, and you’re ready to roll.

Step 2: Let AI Handle the Hard Stuff

• Once inside Gamma, click “Create New” and select “Presentation.”

• In the prompt box, describe your sales deck. Example: “Create ……
   We break it down fully in this week’s issue, along with 2 other ultra-simple AI workflows:

Perplexity wants its AI browser preloaded on your next phone

☕News – Perplexity AI, the search startup backed by Nvidia, is in talks with major smartphone makers to pre-install its Comet browser on mobile devices. The goal is to grow its user base by taking advantage of how people often stick with whatever browser comes preloaded.

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed discussions with Apple and Samsung to bring Comet to mobile.

• The browser is currently in beta on desktop and integrates Perplexity’s AI directly into web browsing.

• Users can ask questions based on their emails, calendars, or browsing history, and perform tasks like scheduling or summarizing pages.

• Comet is designed with agentic AI, which can take action and make decisions with little human input.

• Perplexity is aiming for “tens to hundreds of millions” of users in 2025 after completing a $500 million funding round.

🤓OpenTools POV – Perplexity is betting big on becoming the default entry point to AI. As search and assistant tools converge, control over the browser could shape how users interact with information itself. 

🙆🏻‍♀️What else is happening?

• Meta says it won’t sign Europe AI agreement, calling it an overreach that will stunt growth // Meta said it won’t sign the European Union’s artificial intelligence code of practice because it is an overreach that will stunt growth

• China could counter US tech curbs by engaging Global South on AI, analysts say // Meanwhile, America risks being ‘sidelined during a critical period’ as the international norms and rules around the technology are shaped 

• China unveils world’s first humanoid robot that changes its own batteries // The Walker S2 returns to a charging point and swaps out its batteries when low on power, allowing it to work with minimal supervision

• In recent layoffs, AI’s role may be bigger than companies are letting on // While IBM and Klarna have been open about AI-driven job cuts, most firms use vague terms like "restructuring," AI’s role in layoffs may be larger than they let on

👩🏼‍🚒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. Checkmyidea - An AI-powered service that helps entrepreneurs evaluate their side business ideas

3. CardZap - A free digital business card app that allows users to create and share professional business cards

4. No Stress - An innovative relaxation tool that combines ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) and AI technology