🗞️In this edition

• •Musk’s xAI unveils AI character lineup

• • Workflow Wednesday #28 ‘AI Independence’

• •Meta plans Manhattan-scale AI centers

• • In other AI news –

  • •Google AI can now make calls

  • •ChatGPT to get checkout system

  • •Pixel event on Aug 20, AI focus

  • •Murati raises $2B for new lab’s first product

• • 4 must-try AI tools

Elon Musk’s AI startup is now in the Waifu business

♨️News –  Elon Musk’s xAI has launched a new set of AI companions, including a goth waifu named Ani and a violent red panda called Bad Rudy. The company is now hiring for a role titled “Fullstack Engineer – Waifus” to help build anime-inspired bots people can bond with. 

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• xAI’s new chatbots include emotionally expressive characters like Ani and Rudy.

• The waifus are part of xAI’s broader plan to build AI that understands the universe.

• The job listing asks engineers to design companions people can fall in love with. 

• Ani is described as a submissive, pocket-sized girlfriend; Rudy as homicidal.

• xAI is hiring for many roles, but waifus are clearly getting dedicated focus. 

🤓OpenTools POV – xAI’s waifus may seem like a meme, but they reflect a growing market for emotionally engaging AI. As companion bots get more lifelike, companies are racing to shape the emotional layer of human-AI interaction and turn it into a product.

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 It’s slow, tedious, and, frankly, outdated.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:

Meta plans Manhattan-sized AI centers in superintelligence spending spree

☕News –  Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is ready to pour hundreds of billions into AI, backing the bold plan with new mega data centers and record-high researcher pay. The company aims to lead the race toward superintelligence, even as questions swirl around the payoff.

👨‍💻Fast facts –

• Meta is building data centers the size of Manhattan, including Prometheus (online by 2026) and Hyperion (scaling to 5 gigawatts).

• It’s paying some AI researchers up to $100 million to accelerate progress.

• A new “Superintelligence Labs” unit now leads AI efforts following Llama 4 setbacks.

• Meta is projected to be the first to launch a gigawatt-plus AI supercluster.

• Zuckerberg says the ad business is strong enough to fund the massive spend.

🤓OpenTools POV –  Meta’s moonshot bet on AGI could reshape its future and the industry’s. But with investor pressure mounting and rivals closing in, the race to superintelligence may be as risky as it is ambitious.

🙆🏻‍♀️What else is happening?

• Google’s AI can now make phone calls for you // A new option in Search can have AI check pricing at businesses near you

• OpenAI working on payment checkout system within ChatGPT // Merchants that fulfill orders through the payment system will pay a commission to OpenAI; The move would allow OpenAI to tap a new source of revenue, taking advantage of the heavy user traffic on ChatGPT, in addition to its traditional subscription model

• Google to unveil new Pixel hardware on Aug. 20 with AI in focus // The company is certain to demonstrate new features that make heavy use of its Gemini AI software

• Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati raises $2 billion for new AI startup Thinking Machines Lab // The company's first product will include an open source component for researchers and other startups, Murati said

👩🏼‍🚒Discover mind-blowing AI tools

1. Reztune - An app that automatically rewrites your resume for every job posting and tracks all your applications in one place**

2. 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

3. Saruna - Improves users' speaking skills in over 20 languages

4. Uizard - Helps users design wireframes, prototypes, and mockups quickly and easily