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:

• OpenAI Invests $50M in NextGenAI Research Consortium

• Amazon’s New AI Model Challenges OpenAI & Anthropic

• Google Enhances Online Shopping with AI-Powered Tools

• Amazon to Establish New Division Focused on Agentic AI

• And more AI news….

Top Developments

OpenAI

OpenAI Invests $50M in NextGenAI Research Consortium

The Gist: OpenAI is launching a $50 million initiative to fund AI research at 15 universities and institutions, aiming to advance AI applications and prepare the next generation of AI leaders.

Key Details:

• Partner institutions include Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and the University of Michigan.

• Research will focus on AI applications in healthcare, education, and digital literacy.

• Harvard and Boston Children's Hospital will use AI to improve rare disease diagnoses.

• Texas A&M will develop AI literacy programs for students.

Amazon

Amazon’s New Nova AI Model Challenges Competitors

The Gist: Amazon is developing an advanced AI model under its Nova brand, designed for hybrid reasoning—balancing quick responses with more complex problem-solving.

Key Details:

• Expected to launch by June 2025, competing with OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s latest models.

• Uses a hybrid reasoning approach to improve long-form problem-solving.

• Aims to be more cost-efficient than competitors like Claude 3.7 and Gemini 2.0.

• Targets top rankings on AI benchmarks for software development and math skills.

Google

Google Enhances Online Shopping with AI-Powered Tools

The Gist: Google is expanding its AI shopping tools, introducing Vision Match and virtual try-ons to help users find and preview clothing and makeup more easily.

Key Details:

• Vision Match lets users describe clothing and see AI-generated matches.

• AR beauty tools now allow virtual makeup try-ons across multiple brands.

• Virtual try-on for pants and skirts joins existing features for tops.

• Features are available in Google Shopping on mobile and desktop.

Quick Gist

Microsoft's Windows 11 Notepad is rolling out a new AI-powered 'Rewrite' feature, which requires a Microsoft 365 subscription to access, despite its current global availability (Read More).

Google launched an AI-powered scam detection tool for Android users that monitors messages in real-time and alerts them to potential scams, initially rolling out in the US, UK, and Canada (Read More).

Microsoft is testing a new "Copilot block" feature in Bing search results that promotes its Copilot AI assistant by allowing users to message it directly when searching for rival AI tools (Read More).

Microsoft is rolling out a new version of its generative AI Copilot for Windows 11 testers, featuring an updated interface with a query history panel and enhanced functionalities (Read More).

ByteDance launched Trae, an AI-powered code editor offering unlimited free access to the Claude 3.7 Sonnet model, aiming to compete in the AI code editor market (Read More).

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a staggered rollout of GPT-4.5 to ChatGPT Plus subscribers due to GPU shortages, intending to enhance user experience with improved functionality (Read More).

Amazon is establishing a new division focused on agentic AI to enhance task automation and drive innovation, potentially positioning it as a multi-billion-dollar business within AWS (Read More).

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!