Welcome to Get The Gist, where every weekday we share an easy-to-read summary of the latest and greatest developments in AI—news, innovations, and trends—all delivered in under 5 minutes! ⏱

In today’s edition:

• Google’s Gemini Live is Now Free for Everyone

• SoftBank to Invest $500 Million in OpenAI

• LiquidAI Becomes Game Changer in AI Technology

• Microsoft Copilot 2.0 Brings New Features

• And more AI news….

Top Developments

Gemini

Google’s Gemini Live is Now Free for Everyone

The Gist: Google has made its Gemini Live feature available for free to all users of the Gemini app on Android, allowing for more natural and engaging voice conversations with the assistant. Originally limited to Pixel 9 devices and subscribers, this expansion enhances user interaction with smart technology.

Key Details:

• Gemini Live supports unlimited voice chats, making conversations feel more natural and fluid.

• Users can choose from various voice options, adding a personal touch to the experience.

• The feature includes context retention, so it remembers past chats for smoother follow-ups.

• While currently only for Android, there are hints that it could come to iOS in the future.

OpenAI

SoftBank to Invest $500 Million in OpenAI Amid $6.5 Billion Funding Round

The Gist: SoftBank's Vision Fund is set to invest $500 million in OpenAI as part of the AI company’s latest $6.5 billion funding round, which values OpenAI at $150 billion.

Key Details:

• SoftBank's first investment in OpenAI is part of a larger funding round, aimed at raising $6.5 billion.

• OpenAI’s valuation is contingent on potential restructuring to remove a profit cap for investors.

• Apple reportedly backed out of this funding round.

• OpenAI may convert its core business to a for-profit entity, removing its non-profit control structure.

LiquidAI

LiquidAI: A Game Changer in AI Technology

The Gist: LiquidAI, a Boston startup, has revealed its innovative software that promises to outperform major AI players like ChatGPT while being more efficient and cost-effective. It's now available for public testing.

Key Details:

• LiquidAI's technology uses "liquid foundational models," making it quicker, lighter, and less power-hungry than traditional large language models.

• The founders drew inspiration from the neural network of a tiny roundworm, resulting in a flexible architecture that can generate text, video, and support various AI tasks.

• The software can run on different devices, from smartphones to larger servers, and has shown promising results in competitive benchmarks.

• LiquidAI has secured $37.5 million in funding and will showcase its software at MIT on October 23.

Quick Gist

Microsoft's Copilot 2.0 introduces a redesigned pastel interface, new voice features, and enhanced accessibility for general users, currently being rolled out in India and Brazil (Read More).

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled a national cloud policy and AI regulations amid rising investments from tech giants, including a $2 billion Google data center, to position the country as a hub for generative AI (Read More).

Google is investing $1 billion in Thailand to build new data centers and expand cloud infrastructure, creating 14,000 jobs and boosting the economy by $4 billion over five years (Read More).

OpenAI's Sam Altman envisions a premium, iterative development model for AI, similar to Apple's iPhones, focusing on creating significant advancements with each release while making older models less appealing (Read More).

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!