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 Updates GPT-4o; Reclaims Top Spot in AI Rankings

• Microsoft Teams Unveils Real-Time AI Speech Translator

• Meta Upgrades Messenger Calls with AI and HD Features

• xAI Gets $50 Billion Evaluation

• And more AI news….

Top Developments

OpenAI

OpenAI Updates GPT-4o; Reclaims Top Spot in AI Rankings

The Gist: OpenAI has launched an improved GPT-4o model, excelling in creative writing and analysis of uploaded files. It now ranks as the top AI in Chatbot Arena.

Key Details:

• GPT-4o enhances creative writing with more natural, engaging, and tailored responses, alongside better analysis of uploaded files.

• Available globally via ChatGPT and APIs, it retains a 128,000-token context window and maximum 16,384 output tokens.

• Reclaimed the #1 spot in Chatbot Arena, surpassing Gemini-Exp-1114, with strong scores in creative writing, coding, and hard challenges.

• Marks a shift in focus from logical reasoning to creative versatility, setting it apart in the AI industry.

Microsoft

Microsoft Teams Unveils Real-Time AI Speech Translator

The Gist: Microsoft teased an AI-powered interpreter for Teams that can translate speech in real time while mimicking the speaker’s voice, promising smoother multilingual communication.

Key Details:

• Announced at Ignite 2024, the AI interpreter translates speech in real time across nine languages, including English, Mandarin, Spanish, and French.

• It can replicate the speaker’s voice, intonation, and mannerisms, enhancing the natural feel of translations.

• A preview version is set to launch in early 2025, with wider availability to follow.

• Aimed at overcoming communication barriers in meetings, it’s ideal for international collaboration.

Meta

Meta Upgrades Messenger Calls with AI and HD Features

The Gist: Meta has enhanced Messenger’s calling experience by introducing AI-generated video call backgrounds, HD video support, and new messaging options, addressing some of the most requested user features.

Key Details:

• Users can create personalized AI backgrounds for video calls, such as party-themed designs.

• HD video calls are now the default on WiFi, with options for mobile data and noise suppression.

• Audio and video messages can be recorded and sent when recipients are unavailable.

• Siri integration on iOS allows hands-free messaging via voice commands.

Quick Gist

Microsoft signed a licensing deal with HarperCollins to access nonfiction titles for training its AI models, enhancing their intelligence while respecting authors' rights (Read More).

Microsoft unveiled the Zero Day Quest, a new hacking event for security researchers focused on identifying vulnerabilities in its AI and cloud services, with doubled bug bounties and a total of $4 million in potential awards (Read More).

OPPO has partnered with Microsoft to integrate advanced AI productivity features into ColorOS 15, enhancing user experience with tools like AI Speak and improved translation capabilities (Read More).

Google Cloud launched an AI agent ecosystem program to assist partners in developing and marketing customized AI agents on its platform, including a new AI Agent Space in its Marketplace (Read More).

Google shelved its AI music tool "Orca" due to copyright issues despite its potential to generate songs mimicking famous artists, but later launched a limited version called Lyria (Read More).

Microsoft introduced new AI features in Microsoft 365, enabling corporate users to create automated workflows for routine tasks through its "Copilot Actions" (Read More).

xAI, the developer of Grok, has raised $5 billion in funding, boosting its valuation to $50 billion as it competes in the burgeoning AI sector (Read More).

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek launched its new reasoning model, DeepSeek-R1, claiming it outperforms OpenAI's o1 in accuracy on math and science tasks while maintaining a transparent problem-solving process (Read More).

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority confirmed that Google's partnership with AI firm Anthropic does not warrant further investigation under merger provisions, as Google lacks material influence over Anthropic (Read More).

A church in Switzerland unveiled an AI Jesus hologram for confessions, sparking debate about the role of technology in spirituality and concerns over its implications (Read More).

Google's Gemini generative AI assistant has launched a dedicated app for iPhone, enhancing user experience with natural conversations and integration with other Google services (Read More).

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!