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

In today’s edition, we are tackling the following:

📜 Trump reportedly ousts U.S. copyright head after critical AI training report.
📈 Coinbase surges post-market on news of possible S&P 500 inclusion.
🤖 Amazon’s Vulcan robot combines vision and touch for warehouse automation.
🧠 Pope Leo XIV calls for an AI ethics framework in his first major address.
📷 Google’s image-to-video tool launches on Honor phones with Gemini integration.

AI

• Perplexity AI looks to raise $500 million

  • Perplexity AI is raising $500 million at a $14 billion valuation to accelerate its challenge against Google in search.

  • Its hybrid search combines traditional indexing with AI summaries, reshaping how users consume and navigate online content.

  • The move signals intensifying competition in AI-powered search, putting pressure on Google's market share and strategy.

• Trump reportedly fires head of US copyright office after release of AI report

  • Shira Perlmutter was removed after releasing a report questioning AI training’s compatibility with existing copyright laws.

  • The report warned that AI using copyrighted materials may violate fair use, prompting legal and policy concerns.

  • Her dismissal follows broader reshuffling after Trump’s reelection, sparking criticism over the politicization of federal agencies.

• Google's AI image-to-video generator launches on Honor's new phones

  • Honor's new phones feature Google’s Gemini-powered Veo tool that converts images into short, realistic five-second videos.

  • The tech does not need text prompts, though animations of dynamic or crowded scenes remain inconsistent.

  • The feature includes a two-month free trial, with a paid plan expected for continued access to Veo tools.

ROBOTICS

• Meet Amazon's robot Vulcan, the first with a sense of touch

  • Amazon’s Vulcan robot uses both vision and tactile sensors to handle packages, improving dexterity in cluttered warehouse environments.

  • Vulcan mimics human-level touch sensitivity, enabling faster and more accurate identification and retrieval of items.

  • The robot represents a significant step toward fully autonomous fulfillment centers powered by advanced AI and robotics.

• Murderbot season 1 review: Apple TV Plus

  • Murderbot follows a rogue security android navigating human emotion, independence, and media obsession in a darkly funny sci-fi world.

  • The Apple TV+ adaptation combines sharp writing with introspective narration, voiced by Alexander Skarsgård.

  • It offers a unique perspective on artificial intelligence, control, and consciousness through the eyes of a semi-sentient machine.

• Amazon offers a peek at new human jobs in an AI bot world

  • As robots like Vulcan take over repetitive tasks, Amazon highlights emerging roles like robot maintenance and workflow design.

  • The company is investing in retraining programs to help employees transition into AI-augmented operational roles.

  • Amazon positions itself as blending human oversight with robotic precision to reshape the modern warehouse job market.

CRYPTO

• Coinbase shares jump 8% post-market on S&P 500 inclusion report

  • Coinbase stock surged after reports it will be added to the S&P 500, signaling growing institutional acceptance of crypto.

  • The potential inclusion reflects Coinbase’s strong financials and its pivotal role in the U.S. digital asset ecosystem.

  • Analysts view this as a milestone for crypto firms entering traditional finance benchmarks and index portfolios.

• There’s another Bitcoin holding company—it just raised $710 million

  • A new investment firm raised $710 million to build Bitcoin reserves, following the model of MicroStrategy and Tether.

  • The firm aims to hold BTC as a treasury asset, citing inflation hedging and store-of-value dynamics.

  • This signals growing interest in Bitcoin-centric corporate strategies among institutional and long-term investors.

• Strategy Stacks adds more Bitcoin to the balance sheet

  • Strategy Stacks increased its Bitcoin holdings, emphasizing digital assets as core to long-term corporate treasury strategy.

  • The company joins a wave of firms doubling down on BTC amid renewed market optimism and ETF momentum.

  • Executives say the move aligns with their conviction in decentralized finance and global currency diversification.

CONTENT

• The Golden Age of AI is happening right now (Here's Why)

  • AI tools are giving small teams the productivity of hundreds, opening a window of massive leverage and cost efficiency.

  • Founders are advised to master AI tools personally before delegating, especially in content creation and workflow automation.

  • The current low-cost phase of AI presents a rare arbitrage opportunity that may vanish as prices normalize.

• "I Made a $10M Mistake at Microsoft"

  • Rich Barton reflects on a costly mistake during Expedia’s early days, emphasizing the value of bold decision-making.

  • He shares lessons on navigating uncertainty and building resilience while scaling companies like Zillow and Glassdoor.

  • The conversation highlights how setbacks can catalyze insight, innovation, and long-term entrepreneurial growth.

• 20VC Exclusive: Mercury Founder Launches First $26M Fund with Immad Akhund

  • Mercury’s CEO unveils a $26M fund to back early-stage startups with capital, guidance, and sector-specific expertise.

  • Akhund discusses investing lessons from backing 350+ startups and the importance of speed, focus, and founder empathy.

  • He sees a major opportunity in AI and vertical SaaS and predicts a shift in how founders raise and deploy capital.

AND MORE…

• Improvements in reasoning AI models may slow down soon, analysis finds

  • A new report suggests reasoning capabilities in large language models are plateauing despite continued data scaling.

  • Researchers highlight diminishing returns from model size alone, pushing focus toward architecture and fine-tuning innovations.

  • The finding challenges assumptions that performance growth will continue linearly, prompting strategic shifts in AI development.

• Pope Leo XIV warns of artificial intelligence threats in first major address

  • Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over AI’s unchecked influence, urging global dialogue on ethics and responsibility.

  • He emphasized preserving human dignity and agency as machines take on larger roles in society.

  • The Vatican plans to convene experts and world leaders to shape a framework for humane AI development.

• Google launches new initiative to back startups building AI

  • Google unveiled its AI Startup Fund to support early-stage companies advancing applied and foundational AI models.

  • Selected startups gain funding, technical mentorship, and access to Google Cloud and Gemini infrastructure.

  • The initiative aims to foster innovation beyond Big Tech by decentralizing AI development opportunities globally.

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