Open's AI's $40 Funding, the latest Image Model & Gemini's 2.5 Pro making waves

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Welcome Back, AI Geeks!

It’s time to stay updated with What’s Up in AI.

OpenAI is making headlines with a record $40B funding round valuing them at $300B, while pausing their viral Ghibli-style image generator for free users. Meanwhile, Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro enters the race with competitive code generation and a massive 1-million token context window. 🚀💰

In today’s issue:

🚀 OpenAI secures a historic $40B funding round
💻️ OpenAI pauses Ghibli-style image gen for free users
🧪 Automate 50 tasks at once with AI
⚡ 5-4-3-2-1 hits you just can't miss
😂 Your AI-Powered Laugh

Read time: 5 mins

TODAY IN AI

1. OpenAI nears $40B funding round: OpenAI is finalizing a historic $40B funding round led by SoftBank, valuing the ChatGPT creator at approximately $300B—nearly doubling its previous valuation and marking the largest private funding in history. SoftBank plans a two-phase investment: $7.5B initially followed by $22.5B later this year, with Magnetar Capital, Coatue, and Founders Fund joining as co-investors. Despite 2024 losses of $5B against $3.7B revenue, OpenAI projects tripling revenue to $12.7B in 2025 and achieving cash-flow positivity by 2029 with revenue exceeding $125B.

2. OpenAI pauses image gen for free users, updates GPT-4o: OpenAI has temporarily halted its multimodal image generation rollout to free ChatGPT users due to overwhelming demand. The Studio Ghibli-inspired art style has gone viral across social media, even prompting CEO Sam Altman to update his profile picture with an AI-generated Ghibli portrait. Simultaneously, the company released a significant GPT-4o update featuring improved prompt adherence, better intuitive reasoning, and overall performance enhancements.

3. Gemini 2.5 Pro challenges AI competitors: Google's new Gemini 2.5 Pro positions itself as a serious AI contender, matching OpenAI and Grok in code generation while outperforming both in code editing. Although somewhat secretive about specific improvements, Google emphasizes refinements in reinforcement learning and chain-of-thought prompting. A major differentiator remains Gemini's massive 1 million token context window—with plans to expand to 2 million tokens—enabling more comprehensive document analysis across lengthy inputs.

BRAIN BOOST 🧠 

TODAY IN THE ROBO WORLD 🧠 

Figure AI dropped jaws with their latest video showing Figure 02 robots walking with stunning human-like fluidity. Using reinforcement learning in physics simulators, they compressed years of movement learning into hours—resulting in natural heel strikes, toe-offs, and synchronized arm swings that redefine what's possible in humanoid robotics.

QUICK HITS 💥 

It’s time for some quick hits that you’ll love. Let’s go in…..5-4-3-2-1 👇️ 

5-PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

📹 Guidde AI*: create stunning tutorials and how-tos in seconds—auto voiceovers, step-by-step flows, and zero hassle. Perfect for training teams or impressing your boss.

🖼️ FreePik: unlock a massive library of visuals—AI-powered tools help you craft on-brand images, videos, and even audio in seconds.

🗣️ ElevenLabs: clone voices, narrate content, or build full-on characters with hyper-realistic AI speech in any language or tone.

🤖 Zendesk: power up your support game with AI-driven tools for smarter, faster customer service and streamlined sales.

✍️ Reword: your content team’s AI partner—co-write people-first, SEO-smart articles that actually make readers (and Google) happy.

Looking for a specific AI tool and can’t find it? Post a request 🔍

4-AI JOB OPPORTUNITIES

1. Juji is hiring a Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trainer

2. MayoClinic is hiring a Research Fellow -Artificial Intelligence

3. Pxyl is hiring an Artificial Intelligence Engineer

4. Amazon Development Centre is hiring a Applied Scientist, Artificial General Intelligence

Want us to search for tech related jobs in your country/city ? Post a request 🔍

3-THINGS IN TREND

1. 90% of the code will be written by AI 🤯

2. Hayao Miyazaki's critique of AI art goes viral. The OpenAI vs. Studio Ghibli controvery is slowly unlocking

3. Repli CEO Amjad Masad said that “Don’t study coding now,’ ‘instead learn how to…’

2-USEFUL LINKS

1. How Manus can automate 50 tasks with AI Agents

2. How I force LLMs to generate the correct code.

1-PROMPT OF THE DAY

Try this prompt on ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or any other chatbot putting your own preferences. Hope this helps you out !

"Act as an expert in [insert any topic or field].
Create a detailed, step-by-step beginner’s guide on how to get started with [insert goal or task].
The guide should include:

- A brief overview of the topic

- A list of tools or resources needed

- A week-by-week action plan (4 weeks)

- Common mistakes to avoid

Final tips for staying consistent or improving further
Make the language clear, engaging, and motivational—like you're explaining it to a friend who’s just starting out."*

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED IN AI 📰 

📢 Elon Musk's AI venture, xAI, has acquired the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in an all-stock deal valued at $33 billion.

🧑‍⚕️ Bill Gates suggests that AI advancements could lead to the replacement of roles such as doctors and teachers within the next ten years.

📸 Aitana López, an AI-created virtual influencer from Barcelona, has amassed over 350,000 followers and collaborates with brands, earning approximately £1,000 per post.

🩺 Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed an AI tool capable of accelerating coeliac disease diagnosis by providing almost instant results.

📱 Alibaba Group has announced a new AI model optimized to run on smartphones and laptops, marking a significant advancement in mobile AI capabilities.

GET AN AI-POWERED LAUGH 😁 

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