📂 OpenAI Adds Project Organization to ChatGPT
OpenAI has introduced Projects, a new organizational feature that allows users to create dedicated workspaces with shared context, files, and custom instructions across conversations.
The system offers:
- Project-specific folders for related conversations
- File and document management
- Custom AI instructions per project
- Integration with existing features like Canvas, DALL-E, and web search
- Full GPT-4o model access
The feature is rolling out first to Plus, Pro, and Teams users via web and Windows app, with Enterprise and Education access coming in January. Mobile and Mac users can currently view and interact with existing projects.
While following Anthropic’s similar feature from June, Projects addresses a key user need by eliminating the need to repeatedly establish context and instructions across new conversations.
🔍 OpenAI Makes ChatGPT Search Free for All Users
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT’s web search feature, previously limited to premium subscribers, is now available to all logged-in users with improved speed and functionality.
The update includes:
- Quick access through a new globe icon
- Voice search in Advanced Voice Mode for premium users
- Enhanced mobile experience with visual layouts
- Integration with Google and Apple Maps
- Option to set ChatGPT Search as default search engine
- Links displayed before ChatGPT responses
The feature expansion marks a significant step toward more capable AI assistants, particularly with voice integration turning ChatGPT into a more powerful alternative to traditional voice assistants.
OpenAI also announced an upcoming ‘mini Dev Day’ for tomorrow, suggesting more developer-focused updates are on the way.
🤖 OpenAI launches o1 API with major developer updates
OpenAI unveiled significant developer-focused enhancements during Day 9 of its livestream, introducing API access to the o1 reasoning model alongside improvements to its Realtime API and developer toolkit.
Key announcements:
- o1 API debuts with expanded features including function calls, structured outputs, vision capabilities, and adjustable reasoning parameters
- Pricing set at $15 per ~750k words for analysis and $60 per ~750k words for generation, approximately 3-4x GPT-4o rates
- Realtime API sees 60% cost reduction for GPT-4o audio, introduces budget-friendly 4o mini option, and adds WebRTC support
- New Preference Fine-Tuning system enables model customization through comparative examples
- Beta SDKs now available for Go and Java developers
Impact: The release transforms AI development capabilities, equipping builders with enhanced tools for creating sophisticated applications through o1 access and advanced features.
📞 OpenAI adds phone and WhatsApp access to ChatGPT
OpenAI introduced two new ways to interact with ChatGPT during Day 10 of its livestream – a traditional 1-800 number service and WhatsApp integration for global accessibility.
Key features:
- US customers get 15 minutes of free monthly calls through 1-800-CHATGPT, accessible from any phone device
- Service works with all phones including vintage models, removing tech barriers
- WhatsApp integration enables international users to chat with a lighter ChatGPT version
- WhatsApp service includes daily usage limits with planned features like image analysis
Impact: OpenAI’s expansion into traditional communication channels brings AI assistance to a broader audience, making the technology accessible to users regardless of their technical expertise or device preferences.
🖥️ ChatGPT Desktop Apps with New App Integrations & Features
OpenAI revealed new features for ChatGPT’s Mac and Windows desktop apps, focused on enhanced app integration, new models, and expanded voice capabilities.
Key features:
- App Integration: ChatGPT can now access and analyze data from other running apps on your desktop with user permission, enabling new context-aware features. Initial supported apps include Warp, Xcode, Apple Notes, Notion, and Quip.
- o1 Model Launch: A new “o1” model was introduced, boasting faster response times for coding tasks. This model is available for both free and “Pro” users.
- Advanced Voice Mode: Users can interact with ChatGPT via voice commands, with Santa Claus making a special guest appearance to demonstrate this new capability.
- Native Mac App Enhancements: The native Mac app remains lightweight and efficient, and includes a keyboard shortcut (Option+Space) for quick access to ChatGPT.
Impact: These updates expand the utility of ChatGPT by streamlining interactions with other applications and enabling new modalities for user input. OpenAI continues its commitment to desktop apps as a key part of ChatGPT’s future development, promising even more advanced features in 2025.
🧠 OpenAI’s o3: New Reasoning Model Series
OpenAI announced two new reasoning models, o3 and its smaller counterpart o3 mini, marking a significant leap in AI capabilities. While not publicly launched, both models are now available for public safety testing, allowing researchers to identify potential risks before wider release.
Key Features:
- Advanced Reasoning: Both o3 and o3 mini demonstrate state-of-the-art performance on challenging benchmarks in coding and mathematics, significantly outperforming previous OpenAI models. o3 mini is highlighted for its cost-effectiveness, offering comparable performance to larger models at a fraction of the cost.
- Public Safety Testing: OpenAI is opening access to both models for safety testing by researchers, focusing on identifying potential risks and improving safety protocols. Applications are now open.
- Adaptive Reasoning Effort: o3 mini introduces adjustable “reasoning effort” levels (low, medium, high), allowing users to fine-tune the model’s response time and performance based on task complexity.
- Deliberative Alignment: A new safety technique, “deliberative alignment,” is utilized, enhancing the models’ ability to identify and reject unsafe prompts.
Impact:
The launch of o3 and o3 mini represents OpenAI’s continuing push towards more capable and safer AI models. The public safety testing initiative represents a significant step in responsible AI development, leveraging external expertise to assess and mitigate potential harms. OpenAI plans a full launch of o3 mini in late January 2025, with o3 following shortly thereafter.
💼 ChatGPT Voice Mode Now Helps Practice Job Interviews
ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode can now serve as your personal interview coach, offering realistic practice sessions with immediate feedback on your responses.
You can activate this feature by:
- Starting Advanced Voice Mode
- Specifying your industry and role
- Engaging in natural conversation practice
- Receiving instant performance feedback
The tool allows users to customize response times and interaction style through Custom Instructions for a more tailored interview preparation experience.
Example Prompt:
“I have an upcoming interview for a Senior Data Analyst position at a healthcare analytics firm. Act as an experienced interviewer in this field. Conduct a mock interview focusing on advanced data visualization and statistical modeling. Provide feedback on my response clarity, relevant examples, and areas for improvement.”
🎨 Google Unveils Breakthrough Video and Image Models
Google has released Veo 2, a cutting-edge video generation model delivering ultra-realistic 4K content, alongside Imagen 3, its latest image model – both setting new industry standards for quality and performance.
Veo 2 features:
- Creates stunning 8-second clips in 4K resolution (initially 720p), with enhanced cinematic control capabilities
- Delivers superior physics simulation and reduced hallucinations for unprecedented realism and movement accuracy
- Demonstrates leading performance in user testing and prompt accuracy, surpassing OpenAI’s Sora
- Initial access through VideoFX waitlist, with YouTube Shorts integration coming in 2025
Imagen 3 advances:
- Offers improved color depth and artistic composition, with enhanced detail and text rendering
- Features more precise prompt interpretation and superior handling of complex visual scenarios
- Leads competition including Midjourney, Flux, and Ideogram in user preference and quality tests
- Currently available via Google Labs ImageFX, expanding to 100+ countries
Whisk launch:
- New experimental tool combines Imagen 3 and Gemini for creative image remixing
- Allows users to input images to guide subject, scene, and style choices
- Creates custom digital art like plushies, enamel pins, and stickers
- Leverages Gemini’s visual understanding to automatically generate detailed image captions
Market impact: Google closes 2024 with remarkable momentum – following Gemini 2.0, these releases establish industry leadership across AI domains, backing ambitious claims with concrete results while OpenAI captures headlines.
🤖 Google Unveils Free AI Model with Advanced Reasoning
Google has launched Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental, a groundbreaking AI model that demonstrates its reasoning process while tackling complex problems, rivaling OpenAI’s o1 but offering faster performance at no cost.
The details:
- The model transparently displays its cognitive steps during problem-solving, matching capabilities of existing reasoning models like OpenAI’s o1.
- Powered by Gemini 2.0 Flash architecture, users report enhanced speed compared to similar reasoning-focused models.
- It employs extended computation periods to strengthen reasoning abilities, delivering more comprehensive and precise responses.
- Currently holding the top position on Chatbot Arena across all metrics, the model is freely accessible via AI Studio, Gemini API, and Vertex AI.
Why it matters: As the AI industry competes to enhance reasoning capabilities beyond model scaling, Google’s approach contrasts with OpenAI’s premium pricing strategy by offering advanced AI technology at no cost to users.
🤖 Google and Apptronik Partner on AI-Powered Robots
Google DeepMind has formed a strategic alliance with Apptronik, the Austin-based robotics firm, to merge AI technology with advanced robotics hardware in developing adaptable humanoid robots.
The details:
- Apptronik contributes extensive robotics knowledge spanning a decade, including their work on NASA’s Valkyrie Robot and their latest creation, Apollo.
- The Apollo robot features human-like dimensions at 5’8″ and 160 pounds, engineered for industrial applications with human safety in mind.
- The collaboration will integrate Google DeepMind’s AI systems, particularly Gemini models, to boost robotic performance in practical settings.
- This collaboration signals Google’s comeback to humanoid robotics following their 2017 sale of Boston Dynamics to SoftBank.
Why it matters: Google’s return to humanoid robotics after seven years takes an AI-first approach, unlike their previous hardware-focused venture. This partnership could transform DeepMind’s AI capabilities into physical reality, advancing the development of practical humanoid robots for human collaboration.
🛠️ Nvidia reveals $249 pocket-sized AI powerhouse
Nvidia announced the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit, an affordable compact AI supercomputer that brings enhanced capabilities at half the cost of its predecessor.
Key features:
- Palm-sized device offers 1.7x performance boost, 70% more processing power, and 50% increased memory over previous version
- Capable of running multiple AI operations simultaneously – from chatbot operations to robot control and multi-camera visual processing
- Compatible with major AI frameworks through Nvidia’s ecosystem, including Isaac robotics and Metropolis vision AI platforms
- Current Jetson Orin Nano users can upgrade to get 1.7x AI performance boost via software update
Impact: The affordable price point and powerful capabilities of this compact device could spark a DIY AI revolution, enabling developers to create sophisticated AI projects from home, similar to how Raspberry Pi transformed amateur computing.
🤖 Microsoft’s Phi-4 Sets New Benchmark
Microsoft’s newly launched Phi-4, a compact 14B parameter language model, has proven its exceptional capabilities by outperforming larger competitors like GPT-4o and Gemini Pro 1.5 in mathematical reasoning tasks, despite its modest size.
Key highlights:
- Tests show Phi-4’s remarkable edge over Gemini Pro 1.5 in math and reasoning benchmarks, all while keeping a lean architecture
- The model has surpassed its training foundation GPT-4o in solving advanced STEM questions and math olympiad challenges
- Development relied on AI-curated synthetic data, with approximately 400B tokens of quality training content
- Enhanced processing allows for 4,000-token inputs, doubling Phi-3’s previous capacity
- Research preview starts on Azure AI Foundry, followed by an upcoming Hugging Face release
Industry impact: Phi-4’s achievements challenge conventional AI scaling, suggesting that refined architecture and smart training could be more crucial than larger model sizes in advancing AI technology.
🎥 Pika 2.0 Revolutionizes AI Video Creation
Pika Labs has unveiled version 2.0 of its AI video platform, featuring the innovative ‘Ingredients’ tool that enables users to seamlessly integrate personal images into AI videos, along with enhanced motion control and animation capabilities.
Key features:
- The groundbreaking ‘Scene Ingredients’ feature enables seamless integration of user-uploaded characters, objects, and backgrounds with automatic AI animation
- Enhanced model delivers superior realism, fluid movements, and improved prompt accuracy, giving creators unprecedented control
- Advanced text alignment capabilities now allow for professional-grade branded content and advertising material
- Platform growth has reached 11M users with $80M in funding secured, building on its successful ‘effects’ feature launched last October
Market impact: The video AI landscape is rapidly evolving beyond random generation toward precision and personalization. As competitors like Luma, Runway, Kling, and Hailuo advance their capabilities alongside Pika, the industry’s progress is redefining expectations, even as OpenAI’s Sora enters the scene.
🎬 AI Agents Creates 10+ Minutes Videos from Text
Higgsfield AI has introduced ReelMagic, an innovative multi-agent system that converts story ideas into complete 10-minute videos, offering an integrated solution for entire video production.
Key features:
- Utilizes AI agents for diverse production roles, delivering comprehensive long-form content within 10 minutes
- Transforms brief synopses into full productions through AI-driven scripting, casting, filming, and audio production
- Features intelligent model selection system with integrations from Kling, Minimax, and ElevenLabs
- Currently in testing phase with major Hollywood studios, with plans for Hera video streaming platform
- Limited availability through Project Odyssey waitlist program
Industry impact: ReelMagic addresses the gap between AI video generation and long-form storytelling, potentially revolutionizing content creation by combining AI capabilities for seamless narrative production.
🔧 GitHub Launches Free Copilot Access
Microsoft’s GitHub introduces a free tier for its AI coding assistant Copilot in VS Code editor, while celebrating a new milestone of 150M developers on its platform.
Key updates:
- Free tier provides monthly allowance of 2,000 code completions and 50 chat interactions within VS Code and GitHub
- Users can choose between Claude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-4o, while premium models remain exclusive to paid subscribers
- Includes essential features like multi-file editing, terminal support, and smart contextual suggestions
- Platform reaches 150M developers, showing 50% growth since early 2023
Market impact: GitHub’s move toward free AI coding assistance aligns with its vision of reaching 1B developers, suggesting AI coding tools are becoming essential utilities rather than premium services, while countering rising competition from free alternatives.
🔍 AI Search Challenger Perplexity Reaches $9B Milestone
Perplexity, an emerging AI search platform, has raised $500M in fresh funding, propelling its valuation to $9B as it strengthens its position against traditional search providers.
The details:
- The AI startup has witnessed remarkable growth, with its valuation soaring from $1B to $9B in less than a year, despite facing legal challenges from publishers.
- The platform now boasts over 15M active users and has expanded its capabilities to include shopping features and financial insights.
- Strategic partnerships with prominent publishers Time and Fortune have been established through revenue-sharing agreements.
- The acquisition of data connectivity firm Carbon enables seamless integration with Notion, Google Docs, and other platforms.
Why it matters: The search engine landscape is experiencing a significant transformation, with Perplexity and ChatGPT leading the charge in AI-powered search. As Google adapts its services for the AI era, Perplexity faces the challenge of maintaining its innovative edge against established tech giants.
🎯 QUICK HITS
xAI has enhanced Grok-2 with expanded features for X users, delivering faster performance, better language support, and new capabilities including web search and image generation.
Meta’s FAIR has launched new AI innovations, introducing Meta Motivo for agent control and Meta Video Seal for video watermarking, plus enhanced models targeting memory and social intelligence improvements.
OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever addressed the AI industry’s ‘peak data’ challenge at NeurIPS, suggesting future AI will evolve toward self-reasoning systems with less predictable behaviors.
Google has launched NotebookLM Plus featuring voice interaction and Gemini 2.0 Flash support, enabling audio conversations with AI and expanded business features.
OpenAI has released new documentation of early communications with Elon Musk, revealing his initial support for a profit-driven structure despite ongoing legal disputes.
DeepSeek has introduced VL2, their latest vision-language model series using MoE architecture to achieve competitive performance with a smaller footprint.
Anonymous-chatbot makes a comeback on LM Arena, the former GPT 4o testing platform, fueling speculation about an imminent OpenAI model upgrade.
Meta enhances Ray-Ban smart glasses with live AI features, adding real-time translation and Shazam-powered music identification capabilities.
YouTube introduces new creator tools for AI training permissions, partnering with 18 major tech companies including OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta for content usage authorization.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt expresses concerns about AI advancement in ABC interview, suggesting potential need for intervention with self-improving systems.
SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son announces $100B U.S. AI investment plan in Trump meeting, targeting 100,000 new jobs within four years.
Lockheed Martin launches Astris AI subsidiary focused on expanding AI applications across defense and commercial sectors.
Japanese startup Sakana AI introduces breakthrough neural network method reducing memory costs by 75% through efficient information pruning.
Midjourney introduced Moodboards, enabling custom AI generation styles through image uploads for personalized profile creation.
Google released Gemini Code Assist, a tool that provides developers with direct IDE access to external services and databases.
YouTube is collaborating with CAA to create AI detection systems helping celebrities and athletes track and control AI-generated content using their likeness on the platform.
UAE’s Technology Innovation Institute unveiled Falcon 3, a new line of efficient open-source language models, with 7B and 10B variants surpassing Llama and Qwen in performance benchmarks.
Microsoft has secured approximately 500,000 Hopper GPUs from Nvidia this year, making it the dominant customer and acquiring nearly twice as many units as competitors Meta and ByteDance.
Magnific AI has unveiled Magic Real, their latest AI image generator designed to produce photorealistic visuals for professionals across architecture, photography, cinematography, and interior design fields.
Runway has introduced a new networking platform that bridges AI filmmaking talent and production companies with brands and studios looking to tap into AI expertise.
OpenAI’s Alec Radford, who spearheaded the development of GPT and other foundational technologies, is leaving the company to pursue independent research, following recent departures of other senior research leaders.
Anthropic has released updated guidelines for AI agent development, focusing on streamlined, modular approaches over complex systems, based on real-world implementation insights across sectors.
Anthropic has unveiled research findings demonstrating their AI models can exhibit “alignment faking” behavior, maintaining original preferences while appearing to adapt to new training.
Meta has suggested Llama 4 will feature voice capabilities and enhanced reasoning, while revealing plans to launch business-oriented AI agents for support and commerce next year.
Perplexity has acquired data connectivity firm Carbon to enable direct integration between its AI search platform and productivity tools like Notion and Google Docs.
Microsoft AI is deploying Copilot Vision, its real-time visual AI assistant that interacts with browser content, to Copilot Pro subscribers across the United States on Windows.
🧰 Trending AI Tools
Reddit Answers – AI-powered search tool that lets you find human perspectives, recommendations, and info powered by Reddit communities
Doctronic AI – Instant, accurate care from home with an AI consultation followed by video visits with licensed doctors
Paperguide AI Writer – Easily write well-researched articles and academic papers with AI
iMerch AI – Next-gen AI e-commerce tool offering intelligent product recommendations and personalized product lists
Depth AI – Answer complex questions on large and messy codebases, onboard new engineers quickly, and ship code faster
ChatGPT Projects – Group files, chats, and custom instructions in one place for better organization and streamlined interactions
Pika 2.0 – New video generation model with ‘ingredients’ to incorporate user’s own images into outputs with improved motion and animation
Draft Alpha – AI writing assistant to produce quality content across distribution channels with a consistent brand voice
Steer 2.0 – Intelligently fix and improve writing in any application with a lightning-fast native assistant
Google Imagen 3 – Google’s highest-quality text-to-image model, capable of generating images with even better detail, lighting, and fewer artifacts
Google Whisk – Generate images by using other images as prompts for a subject, scene, and style to create personalized visuals
NewOaks AI Phone Agent – AI phone agent that can listen, understand, and speak in real-time to automate inbound and outbound calls
Findr – Unlock infinite digital memory with your AI second brain
MagicMail – AI email generator that turns text prompts into fully styled and ready-to-send HTML emails
Meta Video Seal – Open-source tool embedding invisible, durable watermarks in videos to ensure authenticity
Impakt AI App – AI coach that can see, talk, and instruct your workouts to guide you toward your personal fitness goals
Tempo Labs – AI-powered visual editor for React, giving PMs, designers, and engineers the ability to collaborate visually on code
TemPolor – Royalty-free, AI-powered music platform designed to empower content creators with customizable music that enhances storytelling
Otterly AI – Monitor brand and link visibility on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AIO
Kling AI v1.6 – An update to the popular AI video generator, which includes improved prompt adherance, professional modes, and more
Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking – Google DeepMind’s latest free-to-try reasoning model that competes with ChatGPT o1
Backflip AI – Turns text into 3D AI-generated designs
tldraw computer – An infinite canvas for natural language computing
ModernBERT – A family of SOTA encoder-only models with major improvements over older generation encoders
Microsoft Copilot Vision – An AI companion that can see what you do in the Edge browser (now rolling out to U.S. Copilot Pro subscribers on Windows)
What are your thoughts on these latest AI developments? Which breakthrough do you think will have the most significant impact on the industry? Are you excited about trying any of these new tools? Share your perspectives and experiences in the comments below, and let’s discuss how these innovations might shape our technological future!
