Last Week in AI

• #222 - Sora 2, Sonnet 4.5, Vibes, Thinking Machines

  Our 222st episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news!Recorded on 10/03/2025Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and co-hosted by Jon KrohnFeel free to email us your questions and feedback at [email protected] and/or [email protected] out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/In this episode:OpenAI introduced several new features, including SOA 2 for text-to-video generation, Claude Sonnet 4.5 for coding and agentic tasks, and the pulse feature for personalized morning briefs.Meta launched a new AI video creation feature called Vibes in its Meta AI app and on meta.ai, facing mixed reactions from the public regarding AI-generated content.California's SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier AI Act, has become law, requiring large AI companies to disclose safety and security processes, while SB 942 mandates AI detection tools for user-generated content.AI regulations and industry dynamics, including battles over intellectual property, startup funding, and the integration of AI into everyday tools and services like Microsoft's AI agents for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.In this episode:(00:00:10) Intro / Banter(00:03:08) News Preview(00:03:56) Response to listener commentsTools & Apps(00:04:51) ChatGPT parent company OpenAI announces Sora 2 with AI video app(00:11:35) Anthropic releases Claude Sonnet 4.5 in latest bid for AI agents and coding supremacy | The Verge(00:22:25) Meta launches 'Vibes,' a short-form video feed of AI slop | TechCrunch(00:26:42) OpenAI launches ChatGPT Pulse to proactively write you morning briefs | TechCrunch(00:33:44) OpenAI rolls out safety routing system, parental controls on ChatGPT | TechCrunch(00:35:53) The Latest Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite Preview is Now the Fastest Proprietary Model (External Tests) and 50% Fewer Output Tokens - MarkTechPost(00:39:54) Microsoft just added AI agents to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint - how to use them | ZDNETApplications & Business(00:42:41) OpenAI takes on Google, Amazon with new agentic shopping system | TechCrunch(00:46:01) Exclusive: Mira Murati’s Stealth AI Lab Launches Its First Product | WIRED(00:49:54) OpenAI is the world's most valuable private company after private stock sale | TechCrunch(00:53:07) Elon Musk’s xAI accuses OpenAI of stealing trade secrets in new lawsuit | Technology | The Guardian(00:55:40) Former OpenAI and DeepMind researchers raise whopping $300M seed to automate science | TechCrunchProjects & Open Source(00:58:26) [2509.16941] SWE-Bench Pro: Can AI Agents Solve Long-Horizon Software Engineering Tasks?Research & Advancements(01:01:28) [2509.17196] Evolution of Concepts in Language Model Pre-Training(01:05:36) [2509.19284] What Characterizes Effective Reasoning? Revisiting Length, Review, and Structure of CoTLighting round(01:09:37) [2507.02954] Advanced Financial Reasoning at Scale: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Large Language Models on CFA Level III(01:12:03) [2509.24552] Short window attention enables long-term memorizationPolicy & Safety(01:18:11) SB 53, the landmark AI transparency bill, is now law in California | The Verge(01:24:07) Elon Musk's xAI offers Grok to federal government for 42 cents | TechCrunch(01:25:23) Character.AI removes Disney characters from platform after studio issues warning(01:28:50) Spotify's Attempt to Fight AI Slop Falls on Its FaceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• #221 - OpenAI Codex, Gemini in Chrome, K2-Think, SB 53

  Our 221st episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news!Recorded on 09/19/2025Note: we transitioned to a new RSS feed and it seems this did not make it to there, so this may be posted about 2 weeks past the release date.Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and co-hosted by Michelle LeeFeel free to email us your questions and feedback at [email protected] and/or [email protected] out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/In this episode:OpenAI releases a new version of Codex integrated with GPT-5, enhancing coding capabilities and aiming to compete with other AI coding tools like Cloud Code.Significant updates in the robotics sector include new ventures in humanoid robots from companies like Figure AI and China’s Unitree, as well as expansions in robotaxi services from Tesla and Amazon’s Zoox.New open-source models and research advancements were discussed, including Google's DeepMind's self-improving foundation model for robotics and a physics foundation model aimed at generalizing across various physical systems.Legal battles continue to surface in the AI landscape with Warner Bros. suing MidJourney for copyright violations and Rolling Stone suing Google over AI-generated content summaries, highlighting challenges in AI governance and ethics.Timestamps:(00:00:10) Intro / BanterTools & Apps(00:02:33) OpenAI upgrades Codex with a new version of GPT-5(00:04:02) Google Injects Gemini Into Chrome as AI Browsers Go Mainstream | WIRED(00:06:14) Anthropic’s Claude can now make you a spreadsheet or slide deck. | The Verge(00:07:12) Luma AI's New Ray3 Video Generator Can 'Think' Before Creating - CNETApplications & Business(00:08:32) OpenAI secures Microsoft's blessing to transition its for-profit arm | TechCrunch(00:10:31) Microsoft to lessen reliance on OpenAI by buying AI from rival Anthropic | TechCrunch(00:12:00) Figure AI passes $1B with Series C funding toward humanoid robot development - The Robot Report(00:13:52) China’s Unitree plans $7 billion IPO valuation as humanoid robot race heats up(00:15:45) Tesla's robotaxi plans for Nevada move forward with testing permit | TechCrunch(00:17:48) Amazon's Zoox jumps into U.S. robotaxi race with Las Vegas launch(00:19:27) Replit hits $3B valuation on $150M annualized revenue | TechCrunch(00:21:14) Perplexity reportedly raised $200M at $20B valuation | TechCrunchProjects & Open Source(00:22:08) [2509.07604] K2-Think: A Parameter-Efficient Reasoning System(00:24:31) [2509.09614] LoCoBench: A Benchmark for Long-Context Large Language Models in Complex Software EngineeringResearch & Advancements(00:28:17) [2509.15155] Self-Improving Embodied Foundation Models(00:31:47) [2509.13805] Towards a Physics Foundation Model(00:34:26) [2509.12129] Embodied Navigation Foundation ModelPolicy & Safety(00:37:49) Anthropic endorses California's AI safety bill, SB 53 | TechCrunch(00:40:12) Warner Bros. Sues Midjourney, Joins Studios' AI Copyright Battle(00:42:02) Rolling Stone Publisher Sues Google Over AI Overview SummariesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• #221 - OpenAI Codex, Gemini in Chrome, K2-Think, SB 53

  Our 221st episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news! Recorded on 09/19/2025 Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and co-hosted by Michelle Lee Feel free to email us your questions and feedback at [email protected] and/or [email protected] Read out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/ In this episode: OpenAI releases a new version of Codex integrated with GPT-5, enhancing coding capabilities and aiming to compete with other AI coding tools like Cloud Code. Significant updates in the robotics sector include new ventures in humanoid robots from companies like Figure AI and China’s Unitree, as well as expansions in robotaxi services from Tesla and Amazon’s Zoox. New open-source models and research advancements were discussed, including Google's DeepMind's self-improving foundation model for robotics and a physics foundation model aimed at generalizing across various physical systems. Legal battles continue to surface in the AI landscape with Warner Bros. suing MidJourney for copyright violations and Rolling Stone suing Google over AI-generated content summaries, highlighting challenges in AI governance and ethics. Timestamps: (00:00:10) Intro / Banter Tools & Apps (00:02:33) OpenAI upgrades Codex with a new version of GPT-5 (00:04:02) Google Injects Gemini Into Chrome as AI Browsers Go Mainstream | WIRED (00:06:14) Anthropic’s Claude can now make you a spreadsheet or slide deck. | The Verge (00:07:12) Luma AI's New Ray3 Video Generator Can 'Think' Before Creating - CNET Applications & Business (00:08:32) OpenAI secures Microsoft's blessing to transition its for-profit arm | TechCrunch (00:10:31) Microsoft to lessen reliance on OpenAI by buying AI from rival Anthropic | TechCrunch (00:12:00) Figure AI passes $1B with Series C funding toward humanoid robot development - The Robot Report (00:13:52) China’s Unitree plans $7 billion IPO valuation as humanoid robot race heats up (00:15:45) Tesla's robotaxi plans for Nevada move forward with testing permit | TechCrunch (00:17:48) Amazon's Zoox jumps into U.S. robotaxi race with Las Vegas launch (00:19:27) Replit hits $3B valuation on $150M annualized revenue | TechCrunch (00:21:14) Perplexity reportedly raised $200M at $20B valuation | TechCrunch Projects & Open Source (00:22:08) [2509.07604] K2-Think: A Parameter-Efficient Reasoning System (00:24:31) [2509.09614] LoCoBench: A Benchmark for Long-Context Large Language Models in Complex Software Engineering Research & Advancements (00:28:17) [2509.15155] Self-Improving Embodied Foundation Models (00:31:47) [2509.13805] Towards a Physics Foundation Model (00:34:26) [2509.12129] Embodied Navigation Foundation Model Policy & Safety (00:37:49) Anthropic endorses California's AI safety bill, SB 53 | TechCrunch (00:40:12) Warner Bros. Sues Midjourney, Joins Studios' AI Copyright Battle (00:42:02) Rolling Stone Publisher Sues Google Over AI Overview Summaries

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• #220 - Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, Claude for Chrome, DeepConf

  Our 220th episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news! Recorded on 08/30/2025 Check out Andrey's work over at Astrocade , sign up to be an ambassador here Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and co-hosted by Daniel Bashir Feel free to email us your questions and feedback at [email protected] and/or [email protected] Read out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/ In this episode: Google's newly released Gemini 2.5 image editing model showcases remarkable advancements, enabling highly accurate modifications of subjects while retaining their original features. Anthropic expands Claude with an AI browser agent for Chrome and adds features to remember past conversations, enhancing the user experience and personalization. NVIDIA and AMD to share revenue from AI chip sales to China with US government, marking a notable shift in export control policies and trade practices. AI companion apps are experiencing substantial growth, with projected revenues expected to reach $120 million by 2025, raising questions about social implications and user engagement. Timestamps + Links: Tools & Apps (00:02:12) Google Gemini's AI image model gets a 'bananas' upgrade | TechCrunch (00:05:32) Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent that lives in Chrome | TechCrunch (00:08:30) Anthropic’s Claude chatbot can now remember your past conversations | The Verge (00:11:46) Google Launches AI ‘Guided Learning’ Tool to Teach Users (00:14:55) Apple Intelligence’s ChatGPT integration will use GPT-5 starting with iOS 26 | The Verge (00:15:39) OpenAI Adds New Features to Codex, Like IDE Extension and GitHub Code Reviews Applications & Business (00:16:49) Lovable projects $1B in ARR within next 12 months | TechCrunch (00:18:56) Decart hits $3.1 billion valuation on $100 million raise to power real-time interacti | Ctech (00:20:19) Cohere raises $500M to beat back generative AI rivals | TechCrunch (00:21:25) Pony AI, Nearing Full-Year Robotaxi Goal, Eyes European Markets - Bloomberg (00:22:41) Co-founder of Elon Musk's xAI departs the company | TechCrunch Projects & Open Source (00:24:39) Meta AI Just Released DINOv3: A State-of-the-Art Computer Vision Model Trained with Self-Supervised Learning, Generating High-Resolution Image Features - MarkTechPost (00:27:02) GLM-4.5: Agentic, Reasoning, and Coding (ARC) Foundation Models (00:29:49) China’s DeepSeek Releases V3.1, Boosting AI Model’s Capabilities - Bloomberg (00:30:36) Open weight LLMs exhibit inconsistent performance across providers (00:32:02) Microsoft Released VibeVoice-1.5B: An Open-Source Text-to-Speech Model that can Synthesize up to 90 Minutes of Speech with Four Distinct Speakers - MarkTechPost Research & Advancements (00:33:43) Deep Think with Confidence (00:36:30) Generative AI reshapes U.S. job market, Stanford study shows Policy & Safety (00:41:42) Inside the US Government's Unpublished Report on AI Safety | WIRED (00:44:10) U.S. Government to Take Cut of Nvidia and AMD A.I. Chip Sales to China - The New York Times (00:45:13) Anthropic Settles High-Profile AI Copyright Lawsuit Brought by Book Authors (00:46:56) AI companion apps on track to pull in $120M in 2025 | TechCrunch See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• #219 - GPT 5, Opus 4.1, OpenAI's Open Source, Astrocade

  Our 219th episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news! Recorded on 08/08/2025 Check out Andrey's work over at Astrocade , sign up to be an ambassador here Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and Jeremie Harris. Feel free to email us your questions and feedback at [email protected] and/or [email protected] Read out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/ In this episode: OpenAI reveals GPT-5, a consolidated model combining all previous versions, marking notable improvements and introducing a new infrastructure and product update. Multiple major releases from leading AI labs, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google reflect the ongoing competitive landscape with significant business updates and new model capabilities. Discussions on geopolitical influences in AI development highlight China’s evolving stance on AI safety and governance, contrasting with U.S. approaches and raising concerns over export bans and international cooperation. Papers from leading AI entities such as OpenAI and Anthropic delve into the complexities of AI alignment and safety, proposing new methodologies for auditing and mitigating risks in model behaviors. Timestamps + Links: (00:00:10) Intro / Banter (00:02:14) Plug: Astrocade rolls out AI agent-powered game creation experience so anyone can create games Tools & Apps (00:03:07) OpenAI’s GPT-5 is here (00:17:02) Anthropic Releases Claude Opus 4.1 With Agentic, Coding and Reasoning Upgrades (00:21:06) Google rolls out Gemini Deep Think AI, a reasoning model that tests multiple ideas in parallel | TechCrunch (00:24:04) Grok Imagine, xAI’s new AI image and video generator, lets you make NSFW content | TechCrunch Applications & Business (00:26:35) Meta, Microsoft stocks rise on strong earnings and AI spending boom (00:29:17) OpenAI to Establish Stargate Norway With 230MW Data Center - Bloomberg (00:32:12) Anthropic Revenue Pace Nears $5 Billion in Run-Up to Mega Round — The Information (00:37:18) OpenAI Hits $12 Billion Annualized Revenue (00:40:06) Noma Security raises $100 million to defend against AI agent vulnerabilities | Ctech Projects & Open Source (00:42:13) OpenAI Just Released Its First Open-Weight Models Since GPT-2 (00:53:13) Falcon-H1: A Family of Hybrid-Head Language Models Redefining Efficiency and Performance (00:57:39) Meta CLIP 2: A Worldwide Scaling Recipe (01:01:12) BFL and Krea release FLUX.1 Krea: Open image model designed for realism Research & Advancements (01:02:33) Google’s Newest AI Model Acts like a Satellite to Track Climate Change | WIRED (01:04:50) Google’s new AI model creates video game worlds in real time (01:10:55) AlphaGo Moment for Model Architecture Discovery (01:17:22) METR evaluates Grok 4 Policy & Safety (01:20:05) Estimating Worst-Case Frontier Risks of Open-Weight LLMs (01:23:14) Anthropic's AI 'Vaccine': Train It With Evil to Make It Good - Business Insider (01:27:26) Anthropic unveils 'auditing agents' to test for AI misalignment | VentureBeat (01:28:31) Optimizing The Final Output Can Obfuscate CoT (Research Note) (01:31:23) Why China isn’t about to leap ahead of the West on compute (01:33:15) Inside the Summit Where China Pitched Its AI Agenda to the World | WIRED (01:38:47) Nvidia H20 GPUs reportedly caught up in U.S. Commerce Department's worst export license backlog in 30 years — billions of dollars worth of GPUs and other products in limbo due to staffing cuts, communication issues | Tom's Hardware (01:42:35) Response to listener comments See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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