President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering appointing an ‘AI czar’ to oversee federal artificial intelligence initiatives and policy coordination. The position would centralise AI strategies across government departments, potentially reflecting growing recognition of AI’s transformative impact.
According to sources cited by Axios, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, though not a candidate for the role, is expected to contribute to discussions on AI’s future use and implications in the United States.
The move could mark a significant shift in the government’s approach to advancing AI capabilities while addressing regulatory and ethical challenges.
Audio platform Pocket FM is leveraging AI to expand its vast library of over 200,000 hours of content. CEO Rohan Nayak highlighted the company’s focus on using AI tools for faster and more cost-effective content production while also exploring new genres and markets. Collaborations with AI firms like ElevenLabs have enabled the platform to produce audio content five times faster and at a fraction of the usual cost.
India-based Pocket FM is also experimenting with AI-powered tools to adapt stories for different regions. These tools not only translate but consider cultural nuances, enhancing relevance for diverse audiences. Additionally, an AI-driven writing assistant provides creators with ideas, alternative storylines, and insights based on user preferences, empowering solo writers to produce high-quality episodes consistently.
To grow its audience, Pocket FM is developing a “blockbuster engine” that analyses user engagement data to predict and create hit shows. However, the company acknowledges the challenge of maintaining content quality as AI accelerates production. Striking this balance remains critical to the platform’s success.
Since its founding, Pocket FM has raised $197M in funding and generated $127M in revenue in 2024. Competing with Audible and other audio platforms, the company aims to use AI as a cornerstone of its growth strategy.
Uber is expanding its gig worker ecosystem with a new initiative aimed at data labeling and AI annotation. The new division, called Scaled Solutions, provides services not only for Uber’s internal needs but also for outside clients like self-driving car company Aurora Innovation and game developer Niantic. This move highlights Uber’s effort to diversify beyond its core ride-hailing and delivery businesses.
The company has started recruiting contractors across multiple countries, including the US, Canada, and India. Scaled Solutions aims to tap into the booming demand for data annotation services, a critical component for training AI models. The initiative positions Uber in a growing market dominated by companies like Scale AI, which recently secured a $1B funding round at a $13.8B valuation.
Uber’s entry into data labeling reflects its push to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving AI world. By leveraging its gig workforce model, the company could establish a foothold in this high-demand sector while diversifying its revenue streams.
OpenAI is allowing employees to sell up to $1.5 billion worth of shares to Japan’s SoftBank Group in a new tender offer, according to sources familiar with the deal. This follows SoftBank’s $500 million investment in OpenAI during an October funding round that valued the Microsoft-backed AI startup at $157 billion. Employees have until 24 December to decide whether to sell their shares, with the offer price matching the last funding round.
SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 will finance the purchase, reflecting CEO Masayoshi Son’s strategy to increase his stake in AI ventures. Son has aggressively expanded his AI portfolio, including investments in OpenAI and chip startup Graphcore, as he positions the conglomerate to ride the AI boom.
OpenAI continues to attract global attention with its flagship product ChatGPT, which now boasts 250 million weekly active users. The company’s rapid growth and high valuation highlight its central role in shaping the AI revolution.
An innovative AI system called Squirrel Agent is being tested across the UK to help conserve endangered red squirrels. Developed by Genysys Engine, the tool uses thousands of images to distinguish between red and grey squirrels with 97% accuracy. It controls access to feeders, ensuring reds receive food while greys are directed to feeders containing contraceptive paste to reduce their population.
Conservationists believe this technology could be transformative. Grey squirrels, introduced to the United Kingdom 200 years ago, have significantly contributed to the decline of red squirrels by outcompeting them and spreading a lethal virus. The AI can rapidly analyse markers like size and weight, making it far more efficient than human observers in distinguishing between the two species.
Future upgrades aim to identify individual squirrels using their unique whisker patterns, enabling researchers to track family lines and monitor populations more closely. Similar AI applications have already proven useful in wildlife conservation, such as mapping animal survival in fire-affected regions.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed the importance of global collaboration in technology during a visit to Hong Kong, even as potential United States policy shifts on export controls loom. Speaking to the media, Huang stressed that cooperation in science and technology underpins societal and scientific progress, a principle he believes will endure despite regulatory changes.
In a speech at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Huang celebrated the transformative potential of AI, calling it ‘the most important technology of our time.’ He urged graduates to embrace the opportunities presented by a rapidly evolving industry and highlighted Nvidia‘s contributions to advancing AI and computing over the past 25 years.
Huang received an honorary doctorate at the event alongside other distinguished honourees, noting that the emerging era of AI offers a unique chance for young innovators to tackle global challenges and revolutionise industries.
AI is transforming daily life for visually impaired individuals like Louise Plunkett, who has Stargardt disease, a condition causing progressive vision loss. Apps like “Be My AI” use ChatGPT to generate detailed descriptions of images, helping users identify everyday items, read packaging, and navigate spaces. While Plunkett praises its convenience, she notes that its descriptions can sometimes be overly detailed.
Developed by the Danish firm Be My Eyes, the app initially relied on human volunteers to describe visual elements over video calls. Now, its AI-driven features are expanding, with users increasingly turning to it for tasks such as analysing WhatsApp images. The company envisions future applications like live-streamed AI assistance to describe surroundings in real time.
Other innovations include the AI-powered WeWalk cane, which offers navigation, obstacle detection, and public transit updates through voice commands. Advocates like Robin Spinks of the Royal National Institute of Blind People emphasise AI’s potential to revolutionise accessibility, offering tools that make life easier for those with vision impairments. Despite some skepticism, many find the technology invaluable.
Biotech startup Cradle has raised $73 million to expand its labs and team, aiming to make AI-powered protein design more accessible. Founded in 2022, the company uses language models to analyse proteins, often described as “an alien programming language,” to suggest modifications that improve functionality, such as heat resistance or manufacturability.
Cradle’s software has gained traction among biotech and pharmaceutical companies by reducing the time and cost of experimental rounds, which can be both expensive and unpredictable. Its simple SaaS model eliminates concerns about royalties or intellectual property, offering a streamlined approach compared to competitors that co-develop drugs or processes.
Despite being a software provider, Cradle maintains a laboratory in Amsterdam to validate protein designs and build datasets to refine its models. The latest funding, led by IVP with participation from Index Ventures and Kindred Capital, will support lab expansion and further hiring. CEO Stef van Grieken aims to scale Cradle’s tools to reach a million scientists worldwide.
Anthropic has unveiled the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source standard designed to improve AI assistant performance by connecting them directly to data systems. MCP allows AI models to access diverse sources, such as business tools and development environments, enabling more relevant and context-aware responses. Developers can build two-way connections using MCP servers and clients, eliminating the need for fragmented custom integrations.
Major companies like Block and Apollo have already integrated MCP, and developers can start building with prebuilt servers for platforms like Google Drive and Slack. Subscribers to Anthropic’s Claude Enterprise can use MCP to link the Claude chatbot to internal systems. The company hopes MCP will encourage scalable, seamless AI implementations while fostering collaboration through open-source contributions.
Despite its promise, MCP faces competition from proprietary solutions, including OpenAI‘s app-connecting features. Anthropic‘s claims of improved AI functionality remain unverified, with no performance benchmarks currently available.
Zoom, once synonymous with video conferencing during the pandemic, is pivoting to redefine itself as an ‘AI-first work platform for human connection.’ The company has dropped ‘Video’ from its name, now operating as Zoom Communications Inc., as part of its broader strategy to move beyond video services and compete with tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Slack.
Amid declining growth following its pandemic-era boom, Zoom has expanded its offerings to include a comprehensive suite of tools under its Zoom Workplace solution, featuring team chat, email, and productivity apps. CEO Eric Yuan envisions AI as the cornerstone of this transformation, with tools designed to automate routine tasks and create ‘digital twins’ for users, freeing up time and enabling a four-day workweek.
In October, Zoom introduced its upgraded AI companion, which offers advanced summarisation and assistance capabilities. Yuan emphasises that leveraging AI for smarter, hybrid work solutions will be critical to keeping Zoom relevant as workers return to offices and competition in the enterprise software market intensifies.
