Welcome to Monday’s Newsletter

In today’s scoop 🍨 

• 🔎 OpenAI Launches Deep Research

• ✨️ DeepSeek Founder Returns Home to a Hero's Welcome

• 🤝 AI Is Your New Work BFF (Whether You Like It or Not)

• 🔧 3 Trending AI Tools

🔎 OpenAI Launches Deep Research

OpenAI just dropped another AI tool, and this time, it's designed to do the tedious research work most of us pretend we enjoy. Meet Deep Research, a ChatGPT-powered agent that can scour the internet, analyze PDFs, and deliver reports in minutes instead of hours.

🚀 What It Does

Deep Research is built to handle complex information-gathering tasks, pulling insights from multiple sources, synthesizing findings, and delivering detailed reports. Here’s what you need to know:

• 📈 Who it's for: Professionals in finance, science, policy, engineering, and anyone who spends way too much time researching big purchases (yes, it can compare cars and appliances for you).

• 🔗 How it works: Select "Deep Research" in ChatGPT, enter your query, attach relevant files, and wait 5-30 minutes for your AI-generated report.

• 🌍 Where it searches: The tool scans web pages, PDFs, and even user-uploaded documents, making it one of the most powerful AI research assistants available.

• 💰 Who gets access: Only those subscribed to ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) for now, with plans to expand to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users soon.

• 🎯 The catch: Users are limited to 100 queries per month, and OpenAI warns that the AI isn’t perfect—it might mix facts with fiction and struggle to distinguish between real news and conspiracy theories.

✨ Why It Matters

Deep Research is part of OpenAI’s broader push into AI agents that can automate complex workflows. CEO Sam Altman has called these agents the "next giant breakthrough" in AI, and OpenAI is betting big that this tool will reshape how professionals handle knowledge work.

But there’s competition. Microsoft, Anthropic, and even Google are launching their own AI-powered research tools. With OpenAI's Pro-tier pricing, it’s clear they’re targeting high-end users, but how well will Deep Research stack up against human analysts? And will people actually trust AI-generated reports without rigorous fact-checking?

🔍 The Big Picture

If Deep Research delivers on its promises, it could save professionals countless hours of manual work. But with AI still prone to hallucinations, we might not be firing our research teams just yet.

Would you trust an AI to handle your research? Or is this just another expensive AI toy for the tech elite? Let us know what you think! 

✨️ DeepSeek Founder Returns Home to a Hero's Welcome

Liang Wenfeng, the man who single-handedly sent Silicon Valley into a mild existential crisis, is now getting the rockstar treatment back home. The 40-year-old founder of DeepSeek—China’s latest AI powerhouse—returned to his hometown of Mililing, Guangdong, for the Lunar New Year, and let’s just say, it wasn’t your average family gathering.

🎉 The Hometown Parade

Liang, a former quant trader turned AI disruptor, was met with banners, an influx of visitors, and a level of hometown pride usually reserved for Olympic gold medalists. His village, previously a quiet blip on the map, has suddenly become a tourist attraction. Why? Because DeepSeek pulled off the unthinkable—building world-class AI models at a fraction of the cost and computing power used by US giants like OpenAI and Google.

🚀 DeepSeek's AI Disruption

• 📊 DeepSeek’s research showed that cutting-edge AI could be developed with fewer and less powerful Nvidia chips—sparking a $600 billion market shakeup.

• 🌍 The company’s breakthroughs have put China back in the AI arms race despite US chip restrictions.

• ⚖️ While Liang is hailed as a digital David against the Big Tech Goliaths, he’s keeping a low profile—likely aware of how too much limelight hasn’t worked out for Chinese tech moguls in the past.

🎭 The Man Behind the Mystery

Hometown locals remember Liang as a quiet, comic book-loving math whiz from a family of educators. But his journey from a rural village to the epicenter of AI disruption is nothing short of legendary. With China’s leadership now backing his mission, Liang’s name is cemented in the country’s AI ambitions.

🔑 Takeaway

DeepSeek’s rise is a wake-up call for the AI world. While the US tightens its grip on semiconductor access, China is proving that innovation doesn’t need unlimited chips—just the right mind at the helm. And right now, that mind belongs to Liang Wenfeng.

🤝 AI Is Your New Work BFF (Whether You Like It or Not)

If you’re still debating whether to brush up on your AI skills, here’s your wake-up call: AI fluency is the new Excel. Employers aren’t just looking for AI whizzes—they’re expecting AI know-how in almost every role. And if you’re not keeping up? Well, good luck competing with the folks who are.

🔍 The Job Market’s AI Makeover

• 📈 AI hiring is growing 30% faster than overall hiring, according to LinkedIn.

• 📅 By 2030, 70% of job skills will change due to AI’s influence.

• 🤖 AI literacy isn’t just a bonus—it’s becoming an interview staple.

Companies aren’t just looking for people who can use AI. They want people who can think with AI. Expect questions like: How have you used AI in your work? If your answer is “Uh, I played around with ChatGPT once,” it might be time to level up.

🛠️ AI Is a Productivity Powerhouse

Sure, AI is replacing some entry-level tasks, but it’s also making employees more efficient. The rise of cheaper AI tools means automation isn’t just for big corporations anymore—it’s trickling down to startups and small businesses too.

• 💻 AI is helping workers get more done in less time—think of it as a digital sidekick rather than a job thief.

• 📏 Roles in HR, marketing, and customer support are getting AI copilots to assist with tasks.

• 🏢 Even Salesforce is considering hiring fewer engineers because AI agents are handling more work.

🔑Takeaway: Adapt or Get Left Behind

Whether you’re an intern or a senior exec, AI is changing how work gets done. The best move? Get comfortable using AI now, because in a few years, not knowing how to use it will be like not knowing how to use email.

🔧3 Trending AI Tools

• 🚀 OpenAI o3-mini - OpenAI's most cost-efficient reasoning model, optimized for STEM tasks like science, math, and coding, with function calling and structured outputs for fast, high-performance results.

• 🛡️ Scam AI - AI-powered fraud detection tool using NLP, visual, and audio authentication to identify synthetic media and malicious intent before scams catch you.

• 📊 Basedash - AI-native business intelligence platform that connects 500+ data sources, letting you create dashboards and get instant insights using natural language.

Monday’s AI scoop—delivered!

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Until tomorrow—stay curious! 👋