Welcome back, AI Enthusiasts!
In today’s AI summary rundown:
Sam Altman is backing a new venture called Merge Labs, which develops brain-computer interface (BCI) implants. It places him in direct competition with Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
This isn’t spontaneous. Altman first penned thoughts about “the merge” between humans and machines back in 2017. Now, he’s building it—to make a faster, more capable link between mind and machine.
Merge Labs is already raising serious capital. Reports suggest it's valued around $850 million, with OpenAI’s venture fund likely spearheading a roughly $250 million funding round.
Neuralink, ahead in human trials and UK testing, sits at the forefront today. Altman’s entry ratchets up the BCI race, pushing the frontier of human-machine convergence.
Read time is 4 min..
Insight: OpenAI Backtracks: GPT-4o Returns After GPT-5 Sparks User Outcry
Swift reversal after backlash
Within a day of making GPT-5 the default and dropping GPT-4o, users rebelled. OpenAI responded just as fast—bringing GPT-4o back for Plus subscribers.
Personality over perfection
GPT-5 scored big on benchmarks and had technical upgrades—but many users complained it felt “flat,” “less helpful,” even “corporate beige zombie.” They missed GPT-4o’s friendly vibe.
Commitment to customization and transparency
OpenAI admitted it misjudged how much people value AI personalities. Going forward, they promise to give advance notice before retiring models and are investing in better AI “steerability.”
Custom modes to soften the landing
To ease adjustment, GPT-5 now offers three selectable modes—Auto, Fast, and Thinking—along with steps to make its tone warmer while being less sycophantic than GPT-4o.
Broader industry reflection
This isn't an isolated misstep. The backlash echoes similar moments in the AI world where user attachment beats benchmarks—that eulogy for Claude 3 wasn’t just dramatic flair, it was a wake-up call.
AI Training: Tutorial of the Day
🎓 AI Tutorial of the Day
Writing Web Copy That Works
Here’s the thing — web copy isn’t about stuffing words on a page. It’s about guiding someone’s attention, holding it, and nudging them to take the next step.
1. Start with the hook
The first sentence decides if they’ll read the second. Ask a question, highlight a pain point, or promise a benefit — quickly. No warm-up paragraphs.
2. Keep it lean
Online readers scan, not study. Use short sentences, subheadings, and bullet points. Cut every unnecessary word. If a sentence still makes sense after you remove a word, remove it.
3. Write for one person, not “the audience”
Imagine you’re talking to one ideal reader. “You” beats “our customers” every time. This makes copy feel personal instead of corporate.
4. Lead with benefits, back it up with proof
Features tell, benefits sell. Explain what’s in it for them, then prove it with examples, testimonials, or data.
5. End with a clear action
Don’t leave them wondering. Tell them exactly what to do next — “Book a demo,” “Get your free quote,” “Start now.”
What this really means is: web copy should feel like a conversation with a clear purpose- not a brochure trying too hard.
Quirky AI Tools
Aviso is a revenue intelligence platform that acts like a co-pilot for your sales and revenue teams. It uses AI to forecast deals with high accuracy, flag risks before they become losses, and give real-time insights pulled from your CRM and sales conversations. Instead of just showing you numbers, it nudges you with the next best action so you can move deals faster and close with more confidence.
Salesforce has embedded AI into nearly every corner of its CRM ecosystem. From Einstein GPT generating customer insights to Agentforce handling repetitive service tasks, it’s built to automate the busywork while empowering teams to focus on real relationships. Whether it’s prepping a pitch deck, summarising a customer’s history, or automating follow-ups, Salesforce AI ensures you’re better prepared, faster, and more personal in every interaction.
Clari is all about pipeline clarity and predictable revenue. It unifies your sales, marketing, and customer success data into a single AI-powered view, so you can see exactly which deals are on track and which need attention. With real-time updates, risk alerts, and forecasting tools, it’s designed for teams managing complex, multi-layered sales cycles where every handoff needs to be seamless.
Smartlead.ai takes cold outreach to a smarter level by making bulk campaigns feel personalised and keeping your messages out of spam. It automates email warm-ups, uses AI to tailor messaging for each prospect, and manages multi-channel outreach from a single inbox. The result is scalable lead generation that feels human and maintains a high deliverability rate.
Trending AI Startups
Sobek AI is building workflow GPS for life sciences. Their platform turns scattered learning experiment logs, SOPs, error reports into tools that guide R&D, especially in high-stakes fields like mRNA vaccine development. It helps institutions share best practices securely, avoids vendor lock-in with open architecture, and meets strict compliance needs while improving collaboration across labs and pharma partners. Founded in 2023, it’s small just a couple of people but already funded to the tune of $7.3 million in pre-seed rounds as of May 2025.
Dresslife tackles a familiar pain point for fashion e-commerce: generic recommendation engines don’t cut it. Their AI focuses on styling. They factor in imagery, garment tags, and precise measurements to suggest outfits that convert better. The result? They claim up to a 6× uplift in net revenue compared to traditional personalization engines. Still early stage they raised a seed round back in 2018 but the niche they’ve carved out in fashion AI is clever and compelling.
Richpanel is your AI-empowered customer support hub for e-commerce. Powered by GPT-4, it brings you Richpanel Sidekick AI agents that whip up responses, route tickets, offer product recommendations, generate invoices, and streamline multichannel messaging in one dashboard. Teams love its ease of use, automation templates, and analytics. On Shopify alone, it carries a 4.7 average rating, with merchants praising its ability to reduce tickets, cut costs, and improve response times. Backed by Sequoia and serving over 2,000 brands.
Iterative Health is transforming how GI (gastroenterology) trials and diagnostics get done, using AI and precision medicine. Their tech applies machine learning and computer vision to interpret endoscopy images, standardize disease scoring (like for IBD), and smooth patient recruitment for clinical trials. They’re partnered with big names like Gastro Health and the Florida Research Institute, extending access to trials and improving screening accuracy. Based in Cambridge, MA, they’re moving fast in their niche.
AI-Generated Image of the Day
Prompt: A hyper-realistic scene of a cheerful professional cook in a modern stainless-steel kitchen, wearing a crisp white chef’s coat and tall hat, skillfully tossing vegetables in a sizzling wok with vibrant flames rising. Fresh ingredients like herbs, peppers, and tomatoes are scattered around the counter. Warm natural light streams through a nearby window, highlighting the textures and colours, high detail.
Tip: the more specific the better
Question of the Day
How do you view AI in predictive maintenance for industries?
Today’s Meme
That’s a Wrap
That’s it for today’s news in the world of AI!
If you have anything interesting to share, please reach out to us by sending us a DM on Twitter: @dthareja or email me at [email protected]
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