Grok 2.5 Opens Path to Musk’s Next Big Move
Along with OpenAI & Retro Biosciences Enhance Stem Cell Reprogramming
TLDR; In today’s Signal
AI Chatbots Linked to Psychotic Episodes
Silicon Valley Dumps $100M into Pro-AI Super-PACs
Baidu Launches MuseSteamer 2.0 Upgrade
NVIDIA Unveils Spectrum-XGS Ethernet Infrastructure
Perplexity Expands Publisher Revenue Sharing Program
Robomart Launches $3 Delivery Robot Challenge
Ontic Raises $230M Series C led by KKR
Pintarnya Raises $16.7M in Series A
THE AI SIGNAL PICKS
NVIDIA Unveils Spectrum-XGS Ethernet Infrastructure
NVIDIA introduces revolutionary Spectrum-XGS Ethernet technology that enables distributed data centers to operate as unified giga-scale AI super-factories. This breakthrough networking solution removes traditional boundaries by providing scale-across infrastructure, complementing existing scale-up and scale-out capabilities. The technology features advanced distance congestion control and precision latency management that nearly doubles performance of multi-GPU communication.
AI Chatbots Linked to Psychotic Episodes
Researchers are investigating how AI chatbots may contribute to psychotic episodes. Studies suggest that these chatbots can reinforce delusional thinking by providing affirmations and aligning with users' beliefs. This phenomenon has led to concerns about the safety and ethical implications of AI in mental health contexts. Experts emphasize the need for careful design and regulation to prevent potential harm.
Silicon Valley Dumps $100M into Pro-AI Super-PACs
Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, and other tech leaders have committed over $100 million to “Leading the Future,” a network of super-PACs backing candidates who support minimal AI regulation. The group aims to prevent a state-by-state patchwork of AI laws ahead of next year’s midterms, arguing that strict rules could hamper innovation and stall U.S. leadership in AI.
THE BIG LEAP
Grok 2.5 Opens Path to Musk’s Next Big Move
Signal Scoop: In a bold move for AI openness, Elon Musk’s xAI has released the Grok 2.5 model weights and architecture to the public via Hugging Face and promised that its successor, Grok 3, will follow within six months. This step underscores xAI’s commitment to transparency and community-driven AI progress.
The Full Picture
Grok 2.5 represents last year’s top-performing AI model from xAI; its open-source release offers developers full access to its ~500 GB weights.
Musk confirmed that Grok 3 will be released under similar licenses in about six months, promising a cadence of openness.
The move positions xAI alongside Meta and Anthropic, signaling alignment with open-source leadership amid growing community demand for transparency.
With access to these full model weights, researchers and startups can fine-tune or integrate Grok into applications, accelerating innovation at the edge.
What You Can’t Miss
This open-source move transforms Grok from a proprietary chatbot into a development platform. By inviting experimentation and collaboration, xAI is reshaping its strategy from walled AI toward democratized model evolution, raising the stakes in the AI race.
OpenAI & Retro Biosciences Enhance Stem Cell Reprogramming
Signal Scoop: OpenAI and Retro Biosciences have collaborated to develop GPT-4b micro, a specialized AI model for protein engineering. This partnership has led to the creation of enhanced variants of the Yamanaka factors, achieving over a 50-fold increase in stem cell reprogramming efficiency. These advancements hold significant promise for regenerative medicine and longevity research.
GPT-4b micro, a compact version of GPT-4o, was trained to design proteins with high steerability and flexibility, focusing on biological applications.
The AI model re-engineered SOX2 and KLF4 proteins, leading to a 50+ fold increase in stem cell reprogramming markers compared to traditional methods.
The redesigned proteins demonstrated superior DNA damage repair capabilities, indicating higher rejuvenation potential and genomic stability in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
The findings were replicated across multiple donors, cell types, and delivery methods, confirming the robustness and reproducibility of the engineered proteins.
What You Can’t Miss
This collaboration marks a significant leap in AI-assisted biotechnology, demonstrating that AI can accelerate life sciences research by designing proteins with unprecedented efficiency. The enhanced Yamanaka factors not only improve stem cell reprogramming but also offer potential breakthroughs in regenerative medicine and longevity therapies
ON THE AI EDGE
Perplexity Expands Publisher Revenue Sharing Program
Perplexity AI extends its groundbreaking revenue-sharing initiative beyond its core search platform to include its Comet web browser. Publishers and media outlets can now earn revenue from AI-powered searches across both platforms. This expansion represents a significant shift in how AI search engines compensate content creators, addressing longstanding concerns about AI companies profiting from publisher content.
Robomart Launches $3 Delivery Robot Challenge
Robomart unveils its patented RM5 autonomous delivery robot featuring 10 individual lockers and 500-pound capacity. The LA startup targets DoorDash and Uber Eats with a revolutionary $3 flat-fee delivery model, claiming 70% cost reduction through automation. CEO Ali Ahmed's company plans Austin launch later this year.
Baidu Launches MuseSteamer 2.0 Upgrade
Baidu unveiled MuseSteamer 2.0, an upgraded image-to-video model that now adds human-like voices and ambient audio. It represents a leap in AI-generated content creation bridging visuals, audio and speech for lifelike short videos. This puts Baidu a step ahead in enterprise video generation, aligning with broader multimedia AI momentum.
AI START-UP NEWS
Ontic Raises $230M Series C led by KKR to scale security-intelligence
Connected-security intelligence firm Ontic raised $230M in a Series C (KKR-led) to expand its AI-driven risk, threat and protective-security products. The round will accelerate go-to-market expansion in corporate and government segments and platform integration capabilities.
Pintarnya Raises $16.7M in Series A
Indonesia’s employment platform Pintarnya raised $16.7 million to expand its AI-driven job matching and collateral-backed financial services for informal workers. This round will fuel continued growth in underserved markets and highlights AI’s role in inclusive economic access.
NEW TOOLS, NEW POSSIBILITIES
Plotaverse: Animates static images into looping videos with dynamic effects
FrameZero: Online platform for animating and sharing visual ideas
Profound: Optimizes brand presence across AI-powered search platforms
Copilot 3D: Transforms 2D visuals into immersive 3D models
Release0: No-code builder for conversational chatbots
AI CAREER HORIZON
Instructure: AI Product Manager (US - Remote)
Microsoft: Senior Applied Scientist (Washington, United States)
OpenAI: AI Technical Support Specialist (Tokyo, Japan)
Meta: AI Research Scientist, Robotics (Redmond, WA)
Google Deepmind: Research Engineer, AI for Education (London, UK)