NEW LAUNCHES

The latest features, products & partnerships in AI

• Novo Nordisk and Valo expand AI partnership to 20 drug programs targeting chronic diseases

• OpenAI launches dedicated robotics team

• Leaked updates hint at customizable ChatGPT personas

• AnyVoice’s AI generates realistic voices from 3-second audio samples

• What to expect with FT’s upcoming AI and tech podcast ‘Tech Tonic’

• New merger aims to transform art industry with AI authentication and blockchain tech

• Google’s Daily Listen creates personalized podcasts from your search history

AI AGENTS

Launches, research & more from the AI Agent Report Newsletter 

• Fleets of AI agents could redefine science, transforming researchers into system managers

• Why AI agents may soon overtake humans as primary app users

• NVIDIA advances AI from digital agents to physically-aware AI

• AI agents will drive the future of autonomous businesses

IMPLEMENTATION

Announcements, strategies & case studies

• World Economic Forum shows how AI could create 78 million net new jobs by 2030, study finds

• Generative AI in life sciences could unlock $110B upside but faces scaling challenges

• How AI shapes product strategies at Figma, Cloudflare, GitHub and Ramp

• Retailers plan major AI investments by 2025, Honeywell survey finds

• LinkedIn data reveals AI’s rise in the job market alongside growth in traditional service roles

AI MODELS

Research, training, alignment & reasoning

• Stanford and DeepMind’s AI clones your personality after just one conversation

• Token probability distributions highlight persistent challenges in LLM fact handling

• How applying homeostasis principles to AI could enhance alignment and safety

• Google DeepMind tackles LLM hallucinations with new benchmark

• OpenAI’s o1 model struggles with NYT Connections game, highlights current gaps in reasoning

• Meta-CoT framework enhances AI reasoning with explicit thought processes

IN OTHER NEWS

Compelling stories beyond the usual categories

• HPE lands $1B deal to supply AI-optimized servers for Elon Musk’s X platform

• 161 years ago AI doom was predicted by a New Zealand sheep farmer

• Perplexity AI expands to India with major hiring plans

• Alignment Mapping pilot program tries to foster independent thinking in AI safety research

• YouTubers monetize unused footage by selling to AI giants like OpenAI and Google

• Cybersecurity in 2025 faces AI-powered attacks, evolving ransomware, and critical infrastructure risks

What’s happening in AI right now

Big retail bets big on AI

Walk into a Walmart these days and you might be greeted by Adam or Scorpion - not employees, but sophisticated humanoid robots capable of making your coffee or mixing your drink. These AI-powered service robots, developed by Richtech Robotics, represent just the tip of the iceberg in retail's dramatic transformation.

The numbers tell the story

A new Honeywell survey reveals that over 80% of U.S. retailers plan to significantly expand their AI investments by 2025. The retail sector's enthusiasm for AI isn't just talk - it's backed by serious spending. Industry analysts at CES 2025 project retail technology revenue will reach $537 billion this year, driven largely by AI integration across the sector.

Big players make bold moves

Major retailers are racing to deploy AI solutions. Amazon recently announced it's ending its Try Before You Buy program to focus on AI-powered fitting solutions - a clear signal that even successful traditional retail programs are being reimagined for the AI era. Lenovo just unveiled three new AI and robotics retail solutions at NRF 2025, including an innovative content management platform and modular robots that have already proven successful in pilot programs.

The customer experience revolution

The post-purchase experience is getting an AI makeover too. Narvar's new IRIS platform processed data from over 42 billion consumer interactions across 1,500 global retailers to learn how to combat fraud and improve customer retention. Early results show significant reductions in fraud-related inquiries and shipping compensation costs.

Small business opportunities

While headlines focus on major retailers, small businesses aren't being left behind. The emergence of scalable AI solutions means even smaller retailers can access sophisticated tools previously reserved for industry giants. Jimmy Choo's JCA London Fashion Academy, for instance, is showing how smaller fashion retailers can blend traditional craftsmanship with AI innovation through their new e-commerce platform.

The trust factor

The big question remains: will consumers trust AI to make their shopping decisions? Early data suggests trust varies significantly based on the task's importance. While many consumers are comfortable with AI handling basic transactions, they remain cautious about delegating more complex purchasing decisions.

Looking ahead

The retail landscape is clearly at an inflection point. Success will likely depend not on who deploys the most AI, but on who best balances automation with human interaction. As one retail executive noted in the Honeywell survey, "The goal isn't to replace human workers but to augment their capabilities."

For consumers, this means shopping experiences that are increasingly personalized and efficient. For retailers, it means adapting to a world where the line between physical and digital retail continues to blur. The only certainty? The store of tomorrow will look very different from the one we know today.

We publish daily research, playbooks, and deep industry data breakdowns. Learn More Here

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