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"AI won’t take your job. A person using AI will."
The real threat isn’t robots. It’s the people adapting faster than you.
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This week in the AI & tech world:
Moonshot AI’s K2 takes open-source crown
Mira Murati’s $12B startup sets launch clock
Runway’s Act-Two for AI motion capture
New ChatGPT agents for Excel & PowerPoint
LTXV unlocks 60-second AI videos
Tips, tricks & tutorials
Free resources & other cool updates
Read time under 8 minutes
Latest updates
Moonshot AI’s K2 takes open-source crown
Chinese startup Moonshot AI released ‘Kimi-K2’, a massive 1T parameter open-weights model that matches or beats frontier-level models across a range of benchmarks, with particular strength in coding and agentic tasks.
Here’s everything you need to know:
K2 surpasses models like GPT-4.1 and Claude 4 Opus on coding benchmarks, also scoring new highs on math and STEM tests among non-reasoning systems.
The model excels at agentic workflows, with examples showcasing complex multi-step tasks like analyzing data and booking travel with extensive tool use.
Moonshot created a new tool called ‘MuonClip’ that enabled stable training with zero crashes, potentially solving a major cost bottleneck in development.
K2 doesn’t have multimodal or reasoning capabilities yet, with Moonshot saying they plan to add those functionalities to Kimi in the future.
Here’s what I think:
Moonshot’s release doesn’t have the fanfare of the “DeepSeek moment” that shook the AI world, but it might be worthy of one. K2’s benchmarks are extremely impressive for any model, let alone an open-weight one — and with its training advances, adding reasoning could eventually take Kimi to another level.
Mira Murati’s $12B startup sets launch clock
Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati just announced a new $2B seed raise for her startup, “Thinking Machines Lab AI”, also revealing that the secretive company will share its first product in the next couple of months.
Here’s everything you need to know:
The $2B seed round brings the company’s value to $12B, less than a year after its creation, with no product and little public information on direction.
Murati said the startup’s first product will feature “a major open-source component” for researchers and startups building custom models.
She also revealed the lab is building multimodal AI that collaborates with users in natural interactions via conversation and sight.
The Information recently reported that TML is planning to develop custom AI models to help businesses increase profits.
Here’s what I think:
With fierce competition among current AI leaders, it’s easy to forget that the two former OpenAI heavyweights, TML and SSI, are still in stealth mode. Despite having little information or product, Murati has had no shortage of investor interest (and acquisition interest), making the startup’s first release a big one to watch in the coming months.
Runway’s Act-Two for AI motion capture
Runway just launched Act-Two, the company’s next-gen motion capture model that translates single performance videos into fully animated characters with head, face, body, and hand tracking across artistic styles and outputs.
Here’s everything you need to know:
The system captures subtle facial expressions, upper body movements, hands, and backgrounds from a single driving performance video.
Requiring just a single character reference photo, Act-Two animates and maps the driving video while maintaining backgrounds and art styles.
Runway claims the model delivers major performance gains over October 2024’s Act-One release, particularly in consistency, fidelity, and movement.
The company has inked partnerships with Hollywood players like ‘Lionsgate’ and ‘AMC Networks’, pushing to infuse AI into filmmaking workflows further.
Here’s what I think:
While AI adoption in Hollywood is publicly frowned upon, it’s privately being adopted en masse, and few companies are pushing that shift harder than Runway. With creative models continuing to evolve at a wild pace, AI’s use in the industry is coming, whether fans and actors want it or not.
New ChatGPT agents for Excel & PowerPoint
OpenAI is reportedly developing ‘ChatGPT agents’ that can create and edit spreadsheets and presentations directly in chat, thereby bypassing the need for suites like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, according to a report from The Information.
Here’s everything you need to know:
ChatGPT will feature dedicated buttons below the search bar to generate spreadsheets and presentations using natural language prompts.
The outputted reports will be directly compatible with Microsoft’s open-source formats, allowing users to open them across common applications.
An early tester reported “slow and buggy” performance from the ChatGPT agents, with a single task taking up to half an hour.
OpenAI reportedly also has a collaboration tool allowing multiple users to work together within ChatGPT, but there is no information on its release yet.
Here’s what I think:
The ability to create sheets and presentations in ChatGPT, away from Microsoft’s Office empire, feels like a personal shot, but OpenAI “steamrolling” some of the most-used business apps isn’t a surprising move. Still, “slow and buggy” won’t cut it if it truly wants to displace Microsoft and Google’s widely adopted products.
LTXV unlocks 60-second AI videos
Lightricks just released an update to its open-weights LTXV model, now allowing for image-to-video generations over 60 seconds long, streamed in real time, with live prompt control and efficient performance on consumer GPUs.
Here’s everything you need to know:
The model streams video live as it generates, returning the first second instantly while building scenes continuously without cuts.
Users can apply control inputs throughout generation, adjusting poses, depth, and style mid-stream for dynamic scene evolution.
LTXV is trained on fully licensed data, with direct integration with LTX Studio’s production suite and the ability to run efficiently on consumer devices.
The open-source model has both 13B and mobile-friendly 2B parameter versions, available free on GitHub and Hugging Face.
Here’s what I think:
With most video models topping out at just a few seconds of output, LTXV’s real-time, 60-second outputs change what’s possible with current AI video content. The shift from waiting minutes for short clips to directing longer scenes as they generate will open up entirely new creative workflows.
Free Resources
Best ChatGPT FREE course
Prompts of the week
Get unstuck in your career
Prompt: "I want to become irreplaceable at work. Analyze my current role, responsibilities, and team dynamics. Then: - Identify the 3 highest-leverage skills that will make me indispensable in my position - Break down each skill into sub-skills I can build - Create a 90-day mastery plan with weekly milestones and daily actions - Include learning resources, tools, and checkpoints to measure progress Format output into a table with columns for Day, Task, Skill Focus, Time Required, and Outcome" Follow-Up Questions: You can tell ChatGPT to ask these first to tailor the plan: 1. What is your current job title and industry? 2. What are your main responsibilities? 3. What type of work do your teammates rely on you for most? 4. What are your career goals in the next 12 months? Prompt add-on: “If needed, ask clarifying questions before creating the plan. Then begin only once you have enough context.”
Viral Hooks
Prompt: “You are a viral video strategist trained in neuroscience and copywriting. Give me 5 high-impact video hooks (under 10 seconds) based on brain triggers like: pattern interrupt, novelty, open loops, emotional salience, or reward prediction. Each hook must: • Be spoken-friendly (Reels, Shorts, TikTok) • Trigger curiosity or emotion fast • Include the name of the brain principle used Steps: 1. Ask for my topic + audience 2. Generate 5 hooks with labeled brain triggers 3. Help script the full 20s video if I like one 4. Offer alternates if needed Start with: "What's your topic and audience?"
AI Tips, Tricks & Tutorials
How to create LinkedIn headshot portraits with ChatGPT
Follow these steps:
Open ChatGPT
Upload your image
Use the prompt below and press Enter
Prompt: "Using the attached selfie as an exact reference, generate a high-resolution professional headshot that preserves 100% of my facial features, including face shape, hair, skin, tone, and expression. Apply studio quality lighting and a soft neutral background, and adjust my attire to formal professional wear, ensuring the image exudes confidence and approachability for a LinkedIn profile."
Wait for your result and tweak if necessary
PRODUCTIVITY
Top AI tools of the week
🗣️ Speech in Flow - Bring images to life with speech in Google Flow
📚️ 15minutes - Get 15-minute book summaries, analysis, and more.
✍️ Rytr - A better, faster way to write profile bios, ads, and landing pages.
📓 NotebookLM - New featured notebooks for expert advice on specific topics
⚡️ Comet - Perplexity’s AI browser for enhanced productivity.
AI-GENERATED IMAGES
Sushi room
Prompt: “A photorealistic bedroom where every element is crafted entirely from sushi ingredients. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all made from layered sushi rolls, showcasing rice, fresh fish, and seaweed textures. The bedframe is constructed from large, sturdy sushi rolls, supporting a mattress made from soft rice blocks layered with thin sashimi slices. The pillows and cushions on the bed are also made from carefully folded sushi pieces, resembling plush comfort. The floor is covered with a sushi-patterned rug, composed of various sushi rolls arranged artistically.”
Full throttle
Prompt: “3:4 POV of a Formula 1 driver during a high-stakes lap, weaving through tight corners and accelerating hard out of each turn. Dashboard lights blink rapidly, engine roars thunderously, tires screech under pressure, and gear shifts crack through the mix. Cars blur as they whiz past, and the cockpit vibrates intensely with each maneuver. Sunlight glints off the polished track surface, and reflections flash across the helmet visor. Occasional team radio snippets crackle in, heightening tension. Cinematic motion blur enhances the sense of speed, with sleek, high-budget motorsport cinematography, dramatic speed ramps, intense close-up moments, dynamic lighting, and rich, stylized color grading. Ultra-detailed, 4K, immersive, and thrilling.”
Top Video Of The Week
AI treatment 2023 VS 2025!
💡 The Latest in AI and Tech
Tesla is incorporating xAI’s ‘Grok assistant’ into its vehicles, with newly purchased cars coming with a built-in integration and support via software updates for older models.
Meta acquired voice AI startup ‘PlayAI’, with the entire team reportedly joining the company next week and reporting to former Sesame AI ML Lead Johan Schalkwyk.
Google launched featured notebooks in ‘NotebookLM’, partnering with The Economist, The Atlantic, and expert authors to offer curated collections on a variety of topics.
Suno released ‘v4.5+’, a new audio generation model with new song creation features including vocal swaps, playlist inspiration, and more.
Udio launched updates to its ‘Styles’ feature for song generation, with new Blending, Library, and Artist Styles coming alongside expanded access for all users.
French AI lab Mistral just introduced a new ‘Deep Research’ mode, native multilingual reasoning, ‘voice mode’, ‘advanced image editing’, and ‘Projects’ to its Le Chat chatbot.
OpenAI just rolled out ‘ChatGPT Agent’, a major upgrade that allows the AI to control its own virtual computer to tackle complex workflows and agentic tasks, while setting new highs across benchmarks.
Adobe is introducing new, ‘playful AI tools’ for creating sound effects and controlling generated video outputs.
Anthropic announced a new ‘Canva integration’, letting you generate images and designs directly inside Claude.
Mistral unveiled ‘Voxtral’, a low-cost, open-source speech understanding model family that combines transcription with native Q&A capabilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced over $90B in AI and energy investments at a Pennsylvania summit, saying America’s destiny is to be the “AI superpower.”
Anthropic launched ‘Claude for Financial Services’, a solution that integrates Claude with market data and enterprise platforms for financial institutions.
Microsoft is rolling out ‘Desktop Share’ for Copilot Vision to Windows Insiders, allowing the app to view and analyze content directly on users’ desktops in real-time.
ChatGPT Plus subscribers can now use Record mode, which lets you transcribe and summarize audio recordings, on the platform’s macOS app.
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That’s a wrap, my fellow Sapiens. Until next week:
Stay informed, stay adaptable, and keep thriving!
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