AI news and funding updates from the last 24 hours(06th March 2025):
✅ Alibaba
- QwQ 32B Model Release & Investment:
Alibaba unveiled QwQ 32B, a 32-billion parameter AI model under its Qwen umbrella—comparable in performance to larger models like DeepSeek-R1. Alongside its open-source release and various specialized models (e.g., QwQ-Max-Preview, Wan 2.1), Alibaba announced a major commitment of over $52 billion in cloud computing and AI over the next three years.
✅ Google
- AI Mode for Search:
Google introduced “AI Mode” for Search, an experimental feature powered by a custom version of Gemini 2.0. It uses a “query fan-out” technique to deliver detailed, multi-part answers. The mode is available to Google One AI Premium subscribers and extends Google’s efforts with AI Overviews and a Data Science Agent for Colab.
- Enhanced Shopping & AR Features:
The company is also upgrading its Shopping tab with new AI and augmented reality (AR) capabilities. “Vision Match” helps users describe clothing items for matching product suggestions, while expanded AR features enable virtual makeup try-ons and fitting for apparel.
✅ Microsoft
- AI Sales Agents for 365 Copilot:
Microsoft announced two new AI-powered sales tools—Sales Agent and Sales Chat—for Microsoft 365 Copilot. These agents, set for a public preview in May, integrate with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce to autonomously manage leads and deliver real-time CRM insights.
- AI Accelerator for Sales:
In addition to its new agents, Microsoft launched the AI Accelerator for Sales program to support businesses in migrating to AI-enhanced processes.
✅ Agora
- Conversational AI Engine:
Agora launched a public beta of its conversational AI engine, which supports interactive voice experiences using any AI model. Featuring ultra-low latency responses and built-in noise suppression, the engine is built on Agora’s TEN framework and leverages Oracle for cloud infrastructure.
✅ Meta
- GibberLink Hackathon Project:
Two Meta engineers developed GibberLink during a weekend hackathon. This proof-of-concept enables AI agents to communicate over the phone in a robotic language using the GGWave protocol—potentially reducing computational costs in scenarios where AI-driven customer service is expanding.
✅ Anthropic
- AI Safety Commitments Removal:
Anthropic has removed several of its voluntary AI safety commitments—initially made in 2023—in a move that coincides with broader shifts in US AI policy. While some safety measures remain, the change follows similar steps by other AI companies.
✅ OpenAI
- GPT-4.5 Rollout:
OpenAI is rolling out its new GPT-4.5 model to ChatGPT Plus subscribers. The update claims improvements in world knowledge, emotional intelligence, and reduced hallucination rates, although it remains expensive to run.
- Specialized AI Agents:
OpenAI is reportedly planning to launch specialized AI “agents” for diverse applications—priced between $2,000 and $20,000 per month—with SoftBank committing $3 billion to these efforts amid significant operating losses.
- Voice Engine Update:
OpenAI’s Voice Engine, capable of cloning voices from a 15-second sample, remains in limited preview. Safety safeguards such as watermarking and consent requirements are in place as the company addresses regulatory and misuse concerns.
✅ Apple
- App Store Review Summaries:
With iOS 18.4 now in public beta, Apple is introducing AI-powered summaries of App Store reviews. Using its Apple Intelligence and large language models, the feature distills reviews into short, weekly-updated summaries—initially available in English for US users.
✅ Prime Video
- AI-Assisted Dubbing Test:
Prime Video is testing AI-assisted dubbing for select licensed movies and TV shows. The pilot, offering English and Latin American Spanish dubbing, combines AI with human oversight and follows trends seen in similar services by Deepdub and YouTube.
