Welcome back to your daily dossier talking AI, robotics, crypto and the future of tech. 👾

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🎮 Sony is experimenting with AI-powered PlayStation characters.
🐞 This tiny beetle-inspired robot does what human hands can’t.
⏳ Circle trims USDC cross-chain settlement time to seconds with protocol update.
💼 The art of selling enterprise software with ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott.
📅 Gmail gains an ‘Add To Calendar’ button powered by Gemini.

AI

• Sony is experimenting with AI-powered PlayStation characters

  • Sony is working on a prototype AI-powered version of at least one of its PlayStation game characters.

  • An anonymous tipster has shared an internal video from Sony’s PlayStation group that demonstrates an AI-powered version of Aloy.

  • The technology demo uses OpenAI’s whisper for speech-to-text, and both GPT-4 and Llama 3 for conversations and decision making.

• In another chess move with Microsoft, OpenAI is pouring $12B into CoreWeave

  • OpenAI has signed a five-year, $11.9 billion agreement with the GPU-heavy cloud service provider CoreWeave.

  • The deal involves OpenAI receiving $350 million worth of equity in CoreWeave, the sources told Reuters.

  • CoreWeave filed to become a public company last week, but it has not yet priced or scheduled its debut.

• Fidelity backs chip startup Celestial AI at $2.5B value

  • Celestial AI has raised $250 million in a funding round led by Fidelity Management & Research.

  • This investment brings the company's total funding to $515 million and values Celestial AI at over $2.5 billion.

  • The company focuses on developing a ‘photonic fabric’ to improve the efficiency and speed of connections between AI chips.

ROBOTICS

• This tiny beetle-inspired robot does what human hands can’t

  • Researchers have developed a miniature robot inspired by the purple stem beetle capable of precise movements in confined and inaccessible.

  • The HB-3 robot utilizes a hook-pad cooperation mechanism, mimicking the beetle's thoracic legs, to ensure stable landings on various surfaces.

  • This design enables the robot to perform delicate tasks in spaces that are difficult or impossible for humans or larger robots to access.

• Paralyzed man controls robotic arm using only his thoughts

  • Researchers at UC San Francisco have enabled a paralyzed man to control a robotic arm that transmits signals from his brain to a computer.

  • By simply imagining himself performing the actions, he was able to grasp, move, and drop objects.

  • The device, known as a brain-computer interface, functioned for a record seven months without requiring adjustments.

• Scientists use game-changing robots to extract valuable materials from piles of garbage

  • Researchers at the IFF in Germany have developed a groundbreaking robotic system called iDEAR.

  • iDEAR combines AI and robotics to disassemble electronic waste and reclaim valuable metals.

  • The project aims to create a closed-loop waste management system, making it easier to recycle electronics like computers.

CRYPTO

• Circle trims USDC cross-chain settlement time down to seconds with protocol update

  • Circle unveiled a protocol update on Tuesday, it says will reduce cross-chain settlement time from several minutes to a matter of seconds.

  • The company's newly launched Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol V2, or CCTP V2, will improve upon CCTP V1.

  • Out of the roughly $235 billion worth of USD stablecoins in circulation, Circle's USDC accounts for $58 billion.

• Sol Strategies nearly doubles Solana stake with Laine acquisition

  • Solana-focused holding company Sol Strategies disclosed that it acquired Laine, Solana’s 65th largest individual validator.

  • The acquisition adds another 1.5 million to Sol Strategies’ existing pile of 1.8 million delegated staked SOL, nearly doubling its position.

  • Sol Strategies has now acquired three Solana validator operators since its September pivot into Solana.

• Ethereum’s Holesky hits finality after 2 weeks as Pectra testing continues

  • Ethereum’s Holesky testnet finally reached finality on Monday, nearly two weeks after the Pectra upgrade went live.

  • Epoch 119,090 sealed the deal at around 19:00 UTC, with over two-thirds of validators validating the network.

  • Finality, which locks transactions irreversibly within two epochs, or about 13 minutes, had been absent since February 24.

CONTENT

• The art of selling enterprise software with ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott

  • In this masterclass, ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott shares invaluable insights into the art of enterprise sales.

  • McDermott's journey has taken him to remarkable heights, including becoming CEO of global software giant SAP and leading ServiceNow.

  • Under his leadership, ServiceNow’s market cap has soared to nearly $200B, making it one of the largest enterprise software companies.

• 3 proven startup trends that will make $124k/month with Cody Schneider

  • In this conversation with Cody Schneider, the duo explores three groundbreaking business trends and online ventures.

  • They emphasize that we are living in the Golden Age of Online Business Opportunities, where AI tools make it easier than ever.

  • Their conversation highlights how AI is leveling the playing field, making it accessible for anyone to start a business.

• Trump 2.0, DOGE, and America's global decline with Sam Harris and Jonah Goldberg

  • Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about the damage Trump is doing domestically and abroad.

  • They discuss issues regarding Trump’s tariffs, Curtis Yarvin and the Tech Right, and threats against Republicans who criticize Trump.

  • Jonah Goldberg is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Dispatch. A Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

AND MORE…

• Gmail gains an ‘Add to calendar’ button powered by Gemini

  • A nifty new Gmail capability powered by Google’s Gemini AI has arrived for Google Workspace customers.

  • Gemini will automatically detect calendar-related content in an email and present an ‘Add to calendar’ button.

  • ‘Add to calendar’ is only the latest Gemini-powered tool to reach Gmail inboxes.

• 101,421 founders, investors and leaders read this*

  • Founders and leaders that read Open Source CEO end up with 2.3x the cerebral horsepower of those that don’t.

  • Ok, we cannot actually prove that, but we think it’s about right. What we do know is that 101k readers from Google, TikTok, OpenAI and Deel love our deep dive business content.

  • Subscribe here to see what it’s all about.

• China's Manus AI challenges OpenAI's $200 agent if you can get an invite

  • The agent-focused platform was launched earlier this month by startup Monica AI, which is reportedly headquartered in Beijing.

  • Manus bills itself as a ‘general AI agent’ able to book trips, analyze stocks, create educational content, and more.

  • The platform is designed to do tasks without the user having to configure APIs, or set up complex environments.

• Radiology AI software provider Gleamer expands into MRI with two M&A transactions

  • French startup Gleamer now aims to tackle magnetic resonance imaging or MRI.

  • Gleamer has acquired a startup that has already been working on AI-powered MRI analysis, Caerus Medical, and is merging with Pixyl.

  • Gleamer is part of the second wave of startups trying to improve medical imaging using artificial intelligence.