Welcome to Friday’s Newsletter

In today’s scoop 🍨 

• 🚀 $40B on the Table for OpenAI

• 📱 Google’s AI Can Now Call Businesses for You

• 🔥 Apple’s AI Strategy: Do Nothing, Let Everyone Else Burn Billions

• 🔧 3 Trending AI Tools

🚀 $40B on the Table for OpenAI

Looks like OpenAI isn’t done stacking up the cash. The ChatGPT maker is reportedly in talks to raise a casual $40 billion, which would catapult its valuation to a staggering $340 billion. That’s almost double its October valuation of $157 billion—talk about an AI glow-up.

💰 Who’s writing the check?

• SoftBank is leading the charge, potentially dropping between $15B and $25B into OpenAI’s pockets.

• If the deal goes through, SoftBank would dethrone Microsoft as OpenAI’s biggest investor.

• Other players, including Oracle and the UAE-backed fund MGX, are also in the mix, thanks to a massive AI data center project.

💸 Where’s all this money going?

• OpenAI isn’t just hoarding cash; a big chunk will likely fuel Stargate, a $500 billion AI infrastructure project set to span the U.S.

• The company lost $5B in 2024 (yes, billion with a B), despite raking in $3.7B in revenue—so it needs deep pockets to keep up with its ambitions.

• Oh, and let’s not forget the rising competition: China’s DeepSeek is making waves, reportedly training AI models at a fraction of OpenAI’s costs.

🔍 What does this mean?

If OpenAI successfully locks in this funding, it will solidify its lead in the AI arms race—assuming its losses don’t spiral out of control. With SoftBank’s backing, OpenAI gets a financial safety net that could keep it ahead of challengers like DeepSeek, xAI, and Anthropic. However, the increasing investment also raises questions about sustainability—can OpenAI’s aggressive spending on AI infrastructure really outpace more cost-efficient models from competitors? And for Microsoft, this shift could mean reduced influence over OpenAI’s direction, though its deep technical integration remains a key advantage.

💡 The Bottom Line

OpenAI is playing big-league moneyball, betting that bigger models and better chips will keep it ahead. But with competitors closing in, is this massive investment a power move—or just the price of staying on top?

📱 Google’s AI Can Now Call Businesses for You

Hate making phone calls? Google’s got your back. The tech giant just launched “Ask for Me”, an AI-powered feature that does the awkward calling for you. No more talking to humans—just let AI handle it.

📞 What’s the Deal?

Google’s Ask for Me is a new Search Labs experiment that calls businesses on your behalf to ask about pricing and availability.

• 💰 What it does: Calls nail salons and auto shops to gather service details.

• 📲 How to access: Opt into Search Labs and search for local services like “oil change” or “nail salons nearby.”

• 🧑‍🌾 How it works: Enter details (like “tire replacement” or “French manicure”), and Google’s AI will make the call, then send you a summary via SMS or email.

✨ Why It’s a Big Deal

Google has been inching towards full-blown AI personal assistants, and this is another step in that direction. This tech builds on Google Duplex, which could already make restaurant reservations and book appointments. Now, AI is taking on mundane calls for basic info.

• 🌟 Saves time: No more waiting on hold listening to elevator music.

• 🤔 Less human interaction: Great for introverts or people who just don’t want to chat.

• 🎧 Hands-free research: Multitask while AI handles the call.

🚫 Not Everyone’s a Fan

For businesses, this could be a mixed bag. While it might help with customer inquiries, some employees might mistake it for spam and hang up. Google does start each call with a polite AI introduction, but will businesses play along?

Also, privacy concerns are looming—enrolling in Search Labs means sharing data with Google to improve its AI models.

💭 Final Take

Google is betting big on AI-powered assistants, and Ask for Me could be a game changer—if people (and businesses) actually use it.

Would you let an AI call businesses for you? Or does it feel a little too robotic? Let us know! 🤖

🔥 Apple’s AI Strategy: Do Nothing, Let Everyone Else Burn Billions

For years, Apple has been the quiet kid in the AI classroom—watching, taking notes, but never raising its hand. While OpenAI, Google, and Meta were spending Scrooge McDuck levels of money on AI, Apple sat on the sidelines, seemingly unbothered.

Turns out, that patience might have just paid off big time.

💡 Enter DeepSeek: A Chinese AI startup that’s made a massive breakthrough—creating AI models that perform like industry leaders but at a fraction of the cost. This changes everything.

👀 Tim Cook’s Strategic Side-Eye

On Apple’s latest earnings call, Tim Cook subtly nodded at DeepSeek, calling it “innovation that drives efficiency.” Translation: "Finally, an AI model that doesn’t require a Wall Street bailout."

Here’s why Apple is suddenly looking like a genius:

• 📈 They didn’t burn billions like Microsoft and Google on AI arms races.

• 🤖 DeepSeek’s model proves AI can be powerful AND efficient, meaning Apple can now integrate smarter AI into iPhones without building massive data centers.

• ✅ Apple has options. They’re already in bed with OpenAI, but DeepSeek’s success (and open-source approach) means they can adapt, adopt, or even roll their own AI solutions.

🔥 The OpenAI Dilemma

Apple’s partnership with OpenAI always felt like a temporary fling rather than a long-term commitment. But now, Apple might not need OpenAI at all. DeepSeek’s breakthrough gives them an escape hatch—and some serious leverage.

📉 Nvidia’s Loss, Apple’s Gain

DeepSeek’s AI is so efficient it doesn’t need Nvidia’s ultra-expensive GPUs. Investors freaked out, and Nvidia’s stock took a $589 billion nosedive. Apple’s stock? It actually went up.

🔑 Takeaway

Apple didn’t rush into AI like a kid chasing an ice cream truck. Instead, they let everyone else do the hard work (and hemorrhage cash) while they quietly positioned themselves for a smarter, cheaper entry.

That’s not to say it’s been all smooth sailing. Apple’s AI news alerts recently faced a wave of backlash after generating misleading headlines, forcing them to pause the feature. While DeepSeek gives them a promising way forward, Apple still has work to do to regain trust and refine its AI execution.

🔧3 Trending AI Tools

• 🔍 KIVA - AI-powered SEO agent that streamlines keyword research, SERP analysis, and content strategy for agencies, SMEs, and startups, optimizing for Google, Bing, Yahoo, and ChatGPT.

• 🍳 CookTok - AI-powered tool that transforms TikTok cooking videos into easy-to-follow recipes with ingredients, substitutes, step-by-step instructions, and video highlights.

• ✨ Stella AI - Your AI-powered admin assistant that automates reminders, scheduling, research, and email drafting—just send a text or voice message on WhatsApp or iMessage.

That’s a wrap for this week!

Did today’s scoop spark a thought, a laugh, or a new AI obsession? Hit reply and let us know—we love hearing from you!

And don’t forget to pass this along to a friend who’d enjoy a little AI magic in their inbox. The more, the merrier!

Until Monday—stay curious! 👋