Today in AI

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• News roundup

• Today’s big story

• This week on the podcast

• AI events

News roundup

The top stories in AI today.

NEW LAUNCHES

The latest features, products & partnerships in AI

• Anthropic just gave its AI the ability to control your computer

• Microsoft’s new Copilot Studio is like Erector Set for creating AI agents

• Microsoft and OpenAI offer $10M to news outlets for AI adoption

• Ideogram’s new canvas editor just made AI-powered design a lot better

• Apple Intelligence will have a waitlist — here’s how to jump the line

IMPLEMENTATION

Announcements, strategies, predictions & tools

• Takeaways from BlackLine’s conference on AI transformation for finance teams

• How to think like an AI model

• AI art: The end of creativity or the rise of a new class of artists?

• Why universities are investing big in AI-driven curricula

• AI adoption strategies CTOs must embrace in 2024

MODELS

Deployment, research, training & infrastructure

• Stability just launched Stable Diffusion 3.5 in big move for open-source AI art

• Anthropic announces significant updates to Claude, including agentic powers

• Haiper 2.0 just launched and it makes stunning videos

• Keras integrates Llama 3.2 for advanced AI development

HARDWARE

Computers, phones, chips & AI powered devices

• Google’s AI may soon text and make phone calls for you

• Why Qualcomm’s new chip is a big deal if you’re an Android user

• AI and robotics dominate world’s biggest tech event

• One of the best ultraportable AI-powered laptops this year isn’t a Lenovo or Asus

• Samsung’s hidden setting disables all cloud AI features

• Qualcomm claims its Snapdragon 8 Elite is the fastest mobile CPU ever

What’s happening in AI right now

Agents are here

Microsoft and Anthropic unveil new automation tools that could reshape work as we know it. Tech giants are racing to embed artificial intelligence directly into the tools we use every day. This week, both Microsoft and Anthropic released major updates aimed at automating core business processes - marking an important shift from experimental AI to practical business applications.

The rise of AI agents

Microsoft announced plans to release ten new autonomous AI agents for its Dynamics 365 platform, targeting sales, service, finance, and supply chain teams. These agents can handle complex tasks like qualifying sales leads, resolving customer service issues, and managing supply chain disruptions with minimal human oversight.

Meanwhile, Anthropic introduced a groundbreaking "computer use" capability for its Claude 3.5 Sonnet model, enabling the AI to directly control computers by interpreting screens and interacting with applications. This marks one of the first commercial deployments of AI agents that can actually operate software interfaces rather than just providing text responses.

From experiments to core business tools

These developments signal an important transition in enterprise software. Rather than treating AI as an add-on feature, companies are now embedding it deeply into their core platforms. Microsoft's Copilot Studio exemplifies this trend by allowing operational managers to create custom AI agents without extensive engineering resources - similar to how spreadsheet software democratized financial modeling decades ago.

UK retailer Pets at Home demonstrates the practical impact. Using Copilot Studio, they deployed AI agents to handle routine customer service inquiries and inventory management tasks. This freed up human staff to focus on more complex problems requiring emotional intelligence and strategic thinking.

The human-AI partnership

Both Microsoft and Anthropic emphasize augmenting rather than replacing human capabilities. Their platforms include built-in safeguards like preventing access to sensitive systems and requiring human oversight for critical decisions. This reflects a growing recognition that the most effective AI implementations enhance human judgment rather than trying to replicate it entirely.

Looking ahead

The race between Microsoft, Anthropic, Salesforce, and others to dominate enterprise AI will likely accelerate innovation while driving down costs. Companies that move quickly to experiment with these tools may gain significant competitive advantages in operational efficiency and customer service.

However, success will require carefully balancing automation with human oversight. The winners will be those who view AI not as a replacement for human workers, but as a powerful tool for augmenting their capabilities and unleashing their potential to tackle more meaningful challenges.

We are launching a new letter to cover all things AI agents. Signup here for early access:

This week on the podcast

Can’t get enough of our newsletter? Check out our podcast Future-Proof.

In this episode, the hosts Anthony Batt and Shane Robinson with guest Joe Veroneau from Conveyor discuss outsmarting paperwork. Conveyor is a company that helps automate security reviews and document sharing between companies. They use AI technology, specifically language models, to automate the process of filling out security questionnaires. This saves customers a significant amount of time and improves the quality of their responses.

AI events

Best way to get AI literate? Go to some awesome events.

We’re thrilled to share that COAI is partnering with HumanX 2025—the AI conference that’s set to redefine the future of technology. Taking place on March 10-13, 2025 at The Fontainebleau Las Vegas, this forum is where the brightest minds in AI will gather to shape what’s next. And we want you to join us!

Why attend HumanX?
HumanX isn’t just another tech conference. It’s a unique opportunity to:

• Connect with industry leaders, C-suite executives, policymakers, and innovators from around the globe.

• Learn from top-tier speakers like Kevin Weil, Clara Shih, and Sridhar Ramaswamy about the latest AI trends and how they’re transforming cross-functional industries.

• Explore personalized strategies and solutions to drive your business forward with AI.

Whether you’re a startup, an established business, or an AI pro looking to make meaningful connections, HumanX is the place where AI meets opportunity.

Exclusive offer for our community
As a valued member of our community, we’re excited to extend an exclusive offer to attend HumanX 2025. Register now with our code HX25p_coai and save $250 on general admission!