Your weekly briefing on all things AI
Presented by Clark Valberg

AI is steadily embedding itself into everyday experiences—from bathroom lines at Long Island’s UBS Arena to Sbarro’s pizza buffets. These small but impactful applications highlight a larger trend: AI becoming an invisible but essential layer of daily operations, reshaping expectations for customer service and operational efficiency.

Deloitte’s latest tech trends report reinforces this shift, claiming that “we’ll eventually think of AI in the same way that we think of HTTP or electricity.”

Let’s dive in… 

> AI In Strange Places
> AI Enabled Doctor to Actually Make Eye Contact with Patient 
> Automated B2B Prospecting for 2-minute Outreach
> Databricks Raises $10B (at $62B Valuation) in Oversubscribed Funding Round
> Prompts with Specific Roleplay Lead to More Nuanced Responses

AI Everywhere—Even Bathroom Lines?

AI has officially moved into unexpected places. Sbarro has been using AI to track buffet consumption (using cameras to track how long certain pizzas have been out/not eaten) and optimize food production, reducing waste and keeping items fresh. Meanwhile, updates to UBS Arena are underway to deploy AI to manage bathroom queues, preventing overcrowding and improving guest experiences.

Viam, the company behind these innovations, is built on the premise that anything can be made “smart,” through the combination of its software platform, existing hardware and AI. (wsj)

More Stories

• Microsoft Pushes AI Assistant Integration – Microsoft faces criticism for aggressively embedding AI tools across its platforms.

• AI Dominates Europe’s VC Funding – AI startups captured 25% of Europe’s VC funding in 2024.

• Meta Tests AI Features on Facebook and Instagram – Meta quietly tests AI-generated posts and recommendations on its social platforms.

• New AI-embedded Superyacht Predicts Guests Next Desire – The fully decked-out Solsea yacht will be the first to have AI aimed at delighting guests by anticipating their every desire.

• Google Bets Big on AI in 2025 – CEO Sundar Pichai names Gemini AI as Google's top priority for 2025.

• OpenAI’s AGI Goals Revealed – Leaked documents show OpenAI’s plans and definition of artificial general intelligence ($100B in profits).

• AI Tackles Israeli Border Security – Israel deploys AI surveillance tools to strengthen border security and intelligence efforts.

Real Estate | AI Platform Janover Adopts Crypto Payments

Janover, a leading AI-driven real estate financing platform, has announced it will accept cryptocurrency payments for its services. This move highlights the growing adoption of blockchain technologies within real estate, enabling faster, more secure transactions and opening doors to international investors seeking alternative payment methods. Analysts predict this could accelerate digital asset adoption across commercial real estate. (cryptonews)

Healthcare & Biotech | AI’s Role in Patient-Doctor Trust

A reporter’s visit to an AI-assisted doctor highlighted how AI is transforming medical consultations. The AI system managed real-time data and documentation, enabling the doctor to maintain eye contact and build a more personal connection. While the AI streamlined the process, questions emerged about whether patients trust AI’s role in such intimate settings. Providers are now exploring ways to balance AI’s efficiency with genuine empathy to improve patient experiences and trust. (yahoo)

Finance & Banking | AI Raises The Bar for Junior Bankers

Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are leveraging AI to automate tasks like report drafting and data analysis, improving efficiency by 20-30%. AI adoption has also cut processing times for financial modeling by 40%, shifting focus to AI-proficient hires and raising questions about junior role displacement in 2025. (fnlondon)

Technology | OpenAI Eyes Humanoid Robot Development

OpenAI has revealed plans to develop advanced humanoid robots, signaling a major leap toward blending AI with robotics. This initiative targets tasks in industries ranging from manufacturing to elder care. With humanoid AI expected to disrupt labor markets, businesses will need to prepare for the next wave of automation and human-machine collaboration. (yahoo)

Retail & E-commerce | 78% Surveyed Want Personalized Experiences

A recent report from Rezolve AI highlights emerging trends in ecommerce, revealing that 78% of customers prefer personalized experiences, driving demand for AI-powered targeting and 65% of consumers feel more secure with AI-powered fraud detection. (yahoo)

Media & Entertainment | Sketch2Sound is Audio Magic

Sketch2Sound, from Adobe, can essentially turn a “vvvvroom vroom” into realistic engine sounds. It’s mindblowing to watch. Sketch2Sound transforms voice imitations and text prompts into high-quality audio, simplifying sound design with minimal editing. By analyzing pitch, loudness, and tone, it enables creators to produce custom sound effects and music quickly, offering a game-changing solution for audio production. (aibase)

Featured Tool: Prosp.ai

Prosp.ai simplifies B2B sales prospecting by using AI to automate lead generation and outreach. Instead of spending hours researching and drafting messages, users can set criteria, and Prosp.ai handles the rest—finding leads, crafting outreach, and even suggesting follow-ups. You can also upload your voice and send personalized voice notes - getting 3-5x higher response rates.

Alfie Carter shared on Linkedin how he spent just 2 minutes on outreach using Prosp.ai and still landed new clients. His experience highlights how AI tools can streamline repetitive tasks, allowing sales teams to focus on meaningful conversations and closing deals.

For businesses looking to scale outreach without scaling overhead, Prosp.ai offers a practical, time-saving approach to sales prospecting. There are still questions on the perceived authenticity of using AI for outreach, so it’s important to be sensitive to when and how you use it.

More Tools:

• DevPilot – AI-powered code assistant for faster debugging, code completion, and optimization.

• Adligator – AI-driven ad creative generator for personalized and scalable marketing campaigns.

• PopShort – AI tool for creating engaging short-form video content optimized for social media platforms.

• AI Graph Maker – Simplify data visualization with AI-generated charts and graphs for reports and presentations.

• Otio – AI-powered meeting assistant for transcription, summarization, and action item tracking.

• Databricks Raises $10B – Opening up hiring and potential M&A opportunities for their big-data management platform.

• SandboxAQ Raises $300M – Funding to advance AI and quantum technologies for enterprise solutions.

• AusperBio Secures $73M – Focused on developing a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B.

• Waveform Raises $40M – Expanding AI-driven voice communication solutions.

• Basis Raises $34M – Enhancing AI-powered financial forecasting and budgeting tools.

• Justt Closes $30M – Scaling AI-based fraud prevention and chargeback mitigation.

• Bureau Secures $30M – Improving AI fraud detection and compliance tools.

• Boon Secures $20.5M – Optimizing AI-driven supply chain forecasting.

• CareCode Raises $4.3M – Building AI-powered customer service tools for healthcare.

_. Prompting Tip _.

Prompting Tip: Simulate Conversations for Nuanced Responses

Want sharper insights from your AI assistant? Try simulating a conversation with a specific role at a specific company.

Example Prompt

"Imagine you’re the Head of AI Strategy at Microsoft. I’m a startup founder looking to integrate AI into my supply chain operations. What recommendations would you give to future-proof my business and stay competitive in the next 3 years?"

Why It Works:

• Contextual Framing: It provides the AI with a clear role and perspective, ensuring its responses align with that persona’s expertise.

• Specific Goals: By outlining a scenario, it narrows down the focus to actionable insights.

• Domain Knowledge: Asking the AI to step into a role mimics expert analysis, leading to more thoughtful and strategic recommendations.