April’s AI journey began when xAI acquired the social media platform X in an all-stock deal, valuing xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion. The merger aims to combine data, models, compute, distribution, and talent to advance xAI’s AI ambitions. xAI’s chatbot “Grok” is already integrated into X, providing a large data source and platform for AI tools.
Then we learned that Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab in Washington is aiding earthquake response in Myanmar and Thailand by analysing satellite images to identify damaged areas, despite initial challenges with cloud cover. Microsoft shared this with relief groups like the Red Cross to help speed up the response on the ground.
Google DeepMind is now keeping more of its AI research private to stay competitive, delaying or blocking papers that could reveal too much to rivals. The company is focusing more on product development than pure science, with stricter rules and longer delays for publishing studies. We also noticed that DeepMind is paying some UK AI researchers to stay home for up to a year to prevent them from joining rivals.
There’s been movement in the creation of motion content, with tools like Runway Gen-4. The impact is predicted to be over 100,000 entertainment jobs in the U.S. alone could be disrupted by 2026.
Google’s AI Mode now decodes images, combining Gemini AI with Lens image recognition. The tool can understand full scenes and offer detailed responses with useful links.
OpenAI is considering buying io Products, an AI hardware startup led by Jony Ive, for over $500 million. Jony Ive is the designer behind the iPhone. The new AI-powered device being developed by Ive and OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman is still under wraps and not yet defined. They are also considering “Verified Organization” which requires ID checks for some organisations to access new AI models. The move aims to reduce misuse and protect the platform, with a focus on safety and fair use.
OpenAI is suing Elon Musk, accusing them of trying to interfere with the company’s progress. Musk argues that OpenAI has moved away from its original non-profit mission. A trial is set for March 2026. In the meantime, OpenAI has been incredibly busy lately:
- Open AI is developing a potential competitor to Musk’s X. They have been reported to be building a social platform prototype focused on ChatGPT’s image generation tools, potentially competing with Elon Musk’s Grok and Meta’s AI assistant.
- OpenAI has introduced two new models, o3 and o4-mini, that can analyse and reason through images. The o3 model can interact with images by zooming, rotating, and pulling visual information for problem-solving, especially in maths, science, and code. The o4-mini model offers similar capabilities but is faster and more affordable.
Finally, Microsoft is reintroducing Recall, an AI tool that takes screen snapshots to help users search past activity, with privacy concerns addressed.