Your weekly briefing on all things AI
Presented by Clark Valberg

AI is stepping into a new phase of genuine usefulness for the layperson. With the relaunch of Hugging Face’s Spaces (where you can get recommended tools for any use case) and Google’s AI Studio (more on this below) for anyone with a Gmail account, the ability to build and deploy AI-driven tools is becoming more accessible than ever. The number of practical, time-saving applications is set to multiply.

Let’s dive in… 

> Google AI Studio Available to Gmail Users
> HuggingFace Lets You Search Apps by Task
> Real Estate Agents Claim 70% Reduction in Contract Reviewing Time With AI
> SoftBank Invests $230M in Indian AI Startup
> Peasy.ai  Automates Personalized Touchpoints on WhatsApp
> Let ChatGPT Help You Brainstorm New AI Use Cases

Google AI Studio is Reshaping Creative and Business Workflows

AI-driven productivity tools are rapidly changing the way professionals work, and Google AI Studio is emerging as a powerful example. Recent demonstrations highlight how users are leveraging the tool for design assistance, marketing automation, and business strategy.

One compelling use case comes from Mordy Golding, a group product leader at Linkedin Learning, who used Google’s Gemini AI to walk him through recreating a hand-drawn sketch in Adobe Illustrator. The AI acted as an on-demand tutor, providing step-by-step guidance—offering a glimpse into how AI can bridge skill gaps for designers and professionals.

Meanwhile, marketing strategist Jimmy Slagle showcased another striking application: using Google AI Studio to scrape Facebook ad libraries, analyze video content, categorize insights in Google Sheets, and generate new ad scripts automatically. By integrating Gemini with tools like Claude AI, this setup automates what would traditionally take hours of manual work.

These examples signal a broader shift in AI’s role—not just as a chatbot, but as a dynamic workflow assistant across industries. As professionals continue to explore its capabilities, AI-driven automation is quickly becoming an essential layer of creative and business processes rather than a futuristic experiment.

More Stories

• HuggingFace relaunches an app-store-like experience where you can search for various tasks and get recommended models/tools to use. (Linkedin)

• Google has started rolling out AI voice agents that call businesses on behalf of potential customers. (TheVerge)

• SoftBank to spend $3B annually to leverage OpenAI for their product line “Cristal intelligence” in Japan (InsideAInews)

• OpenAI leveraged Reddit’s /r/ChangeMyMind subreddit to test and develop its reasoning model. (TechCrunch)

• Google quietly removes commitment to keep AI out of weaponry. (TechCrunch)

• Despite strong earnings, Workday lays off close to 2000 workers. Expecting to hire AI. (TechCrunch)

• Softbank commits $3B annually to OpenAI. (The-Decoder)

• Y-Combinator is looking for startups automating data-center development and operations. (DataCenterDynamics)

• Study shows curse words get more authentic search results (most AI content doesn’t use profanity). (PCWorld)

Real Estate | AI Slashes Contract Review Time from 45 Minutes to 10

A game-changer for real estate professionals, Adobe Acrobat’s new AI-powered feature drastically reduces contract review time from 45 minutes to just 10. By automating document analysis and summarization, the tool enables real estate agents to quickly grasp key terms and potential red flags, improving efficiency and accelerating deal closures. This advancement underscores AI’s increasing role in streamlining complex transactions. (VentureBeat)

Healthcare & Biotech | Taking AI to Bed

AI-driven sleep monitoring is being adopted in new applications that analyze biological signals during rest to detect potential health concerns. Companies and research institutions are deploying AI tools to track coughing, breathing irregularities, and movement patterns, with some devices already in clinical use for detecting conditions like sleep apnea. Additionally, anonymized sleep data is being explored for public health applications, including predicting respiratory illness trends. (AI Business)

Finance & Banking | Auquan’s New Agent Automates ESG Reporting

Auquan has introduced the financial industry's first AI agent tailored for sustainability teams. This platform autonomously handles tasks such as company screening, monitoring, and generating framework-aligned reports, enabling professionals to focus more on strategic initiatives. Currently, 25% of the top 25 global financial services firms utilize Auquan's technology to enhance productivity and accelerate decision-making processes. (FintechFutures)

Technology | OpenAI Hints at Humanoid Robots and Smart Wearables

A newly uncovered trademark filing by OpenAI suggests that the company is eyeing developments in humanoid robotics, AI-powered jewelry, and more. This revelation fuels speculation about OpenAI’s ambitions beyond language models, hinting at a broader push into physical AI-driven assistants and consumer tech. (TechCrunch)

Retail & E-commerce | AI-Driven Retail Startup Secures $10M to Personalize Shopping

A group of ex-Google and DeepMind researchers has raised $10M to launch Qee, an AI-powered platform that promises hyper-personalized shopping experiences. By leveraging deep learning and behavioral analytics, Qee aims to revolutionize how online retailers understand and predict consumer preferences, potentially setting a new standard in AI-driven e-commerce. (TechCrunch)

Media & Entertainment | Spoiler Alert: AI Ads Coming to Super Bowl

AI is taking center stage at Super Bowl 2025, with OpenAI, Google, and Meta investing heavily in AI-driven commercials. OpenAI will make its TV ad debut, while Google will showcase its Gemini AI for job prep and sports analysis. Meta will be promoting its Ray-Ban smart glasses with AI-powered features like real-time translation. For the full spoiler check out CNET for details. (CNET)

Featured Tool: Peasy.ai

Peasy.ai is an AI-powered sales automation platform that helps businesses close deals faster—with a special focus on WhatsApp-driven sales. By leveraging AI, Peasy.ai automates lead qualification, follow-ups, and customer engagement, making WhatsApp a seamless and powerful sales channel.

Why it’s useful:

• WhatsApp-native automation – Engage prospects directly through WhatsApp with AI-personalized conversations.

• AI-driven sales forecasting – Predicts customer behavior and optimizes messaging for higher conversions.

• Automated lead nurturing – Ensures timely and tailored responses to keep prospects engaged.

• Seamless CRM integration – Syncs with existing sales tools for a streamlined workflow.

Businesses using Peasy.ai report higher engagement rates and faster deal closures—all while reducing manual effort. If WhatsApp is a key part of your sales strategy, Peasy.ai could be worth exploring.

More Tools:

• Incogni prevents spammers from stealing your info online

• Martin is an AI PA that manages calendars, emails, to-do lists, and Slack

• Newtn is an AI-powered content platform for optimizing SEO content

• ChatNode is for building custom, advanced AI chatbots that enhance customer support with a free tier

• BooSum is an AI-powered PDF reader

• SoftBank-backed billionaire invests $230M in Indian AI startup Krutrim – The startup, founded by Bhavish Aggarwal, aims to build India’s own AI ecosystem, focusing on natively built language models and applications. (TechCrunch)

• Smart Wires raises $65M to enhance electric grid capacity – The funding supports AI-driven solutions to improve power grid efficiency and integrate renewable energy more effectively. (Pulse2.0)

• Oligo Security raises $50M Series B to redefine application security – The company enhances security for modern applications by integrating AI to detect and mitigate vulnerabilities. (BusinessWire)

• Motif secures $46M in new venture capital funding – The company is developing AI-driven solutions aimed at transforming financial services and investment strategies. (VCNewsDaily)

• Finout raises $40M Series C for its cloud cost management service. (TechCrunh)

• Tana secures $25M for AI-powered 'knowledge graph’ – With a waitlist of 160K users, Tana is revolutionizing information organization and workflow automation. (TechCrunch)

• GetWhys raises $2.75M to help businesses better understand their customers – The startup is leveraging AI to improve customer insights and predictive analytics. (VCNewsDaily)

_. Prompting Tip _.

Prompting Tip: Leverage AI for Strategic Implementation Insights

Want to explore the best ways to implement AI tools in your industry? Try a two-step approach that blends research with expert consultation.

Example Prompt

1. Research Phase:
   "Please research the capabilities and limitations of [Tool X]. Provide an exhaustive list of capabilities and limitations”

2. Expert Consultation Phase:
   "Using that research as a reference, act as an experienced consultant in [Your Industry] and interview me with critical questions to determine areas of opportunity for implementing [Tool X]."

Why It Works:

• Informed Decision-Making – Researching first ensures that responses are grounded in accurate, up-to-date information.

• Industry-Specific Insights – By instructing AI to assume the role of a consultant, you receive targeted, expert-like guidance.

• Actionable Strategy – The interview format forces deeper thinking, uncovering gaps and opportunities you may not have considered.

By structuring your prompt this way, you turn ChatGPT into both a researcher and a strategic advisor—maximizing its potential for real-world implementation.