Your weekly briefing on all things AI
Presented by Clark Valberg

The government sector, often criticized for inefficiency, is beginning to embrace AI-driven transformations. Early adopters like the NJ Dept. of Labor are partnering with tech giants to fast-track critical services, while Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang is already securing global deals that signal a broader shift in public-sector AI adoption. These developments mark a turning point where governments are active enablers and potential customers of AI innovation. As adoption accelerates, companies positioned to navigate regulatory complexities and align with public-sector needs will likely stand to gain.

Let’s dive in…

> NJ Labor Department Triples Efficiency

> Nvidia Partners With Thailand on Their AI Infrastructure

> Triple Whale: Get Smarter with Your Ecommerce Data

> Elon Musk's xAI Secures $6B to Accelerate AI Development

> Prompts for Risk Mitigation on New Initiatives

Government Agency Actually Makes Something Faster

A state unemployment office has achieved what might sound impossible in government: making processes three times faster without cutting corners. The New Jersey Department of Labor revealed today that their implementation of AI-assisted translation tools has cut processing time for Spanish-language unemployment services to one-third of previous levels, while maintaining human oversight and expertise. Now, in partnership with Google.org and U.S. Digital Response (USDR), they're making their solution freely available to other state governments. (nj.gov)

More Stories

• Nvidia Chases Countries As Clients, Lands Deal in Thailand. (barrons)

• Google Reseaes a “Deep Research” Tool Creators Are Excited About. (ruben-hassid)

• AI Agent Simplifies the Challenges of Software Testing. (venturebeat)

• Google’s AI Can Identify Emotions—Experts Are Concerned. (techcrunch)

• Amazon Launches New AI Lab. (forbes)

• AWS Offers $100M in Cloud Credits for Education Tools. (techcrunch)

Real Estate | California Bans AI Rent Pricing

California cities are pushing back against landlords using AI to raise rents. These systems, like RealPage's pricing software, analyze data to recommend higher rents, which critics say harms affordability. San Francisco has banned such algorithms, with other cities considering similar actions. The debate continues over whether AI is driving up rents or simply offering pricing suggestions. (gizmodo)

Healthcare & Biotech | New Hope For Depression Treatment

Rejoyn has been cleared by the FDA as the first prescription digital therapeutic for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). This app-based solution works alongside traditional treatments, offering users a 6-week program with cognitive-emotional training. Designed to improve brain connections linked to depression, Rejoyn is expected to offer new hope for patients struggling with MDD symptoms. (techcrunch)

Finance & Banking | MuleHunter.ai Cracks Down in India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched MuleHunter.ai, an AI tool designed to stop financial fraud by detecting mule accounts used in money laundering. This AI-based system analyzes banking data to identify suspicious activity and prevent fraudulent transfers. The tool has already been tested successfully by two public sector banks and is part of RBI’s broader effort to improve digital security​. (businesstoday)

Technology | Startup Founder Brings Human-Like Memory to Enterprise AI

After selling his previous AI startup to IBM, a founder is introducing agentic memory (Across AI) to enterprises, enabling AI to remember, reason, and adapt like humans. Unlike traditional AI that forgets after each session, agentic memory adapts and retains relevant information, empowering enterprises with context-aware insights. Across AI's innovation could set a new standard for dynamic, actionable AI in the workplace. (techcrunch)

Retail & E-commerce | Perry Ellis Gets Grant for AI Upgrades

Perry Ellis International has scored a key Digital Transformation Grant, propelling its use of artificial intelligence to elevate the online shopping experience. By leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms, the brand aims to deliver more personalized product recommendations, sharpen its competitive edge, and bolster customer engagement. (apparelresources)

Media & Entertainment | Sora is Finally Out

OpenAI has unveiled Sora, an advanced text-to-video AI that transforms prompts into stunning 1080p videos with customizable storyboards and remixable assets. Integrated safeguards ensure responsible use, making it a game-changer for creative industries. Reddit users like MeanOrangeCat are already creating 2.5 minute long music videos. (openai)

Make Data Work for You with Triple Whale

Triple Whale, a Tiferes portfolio company, is a game-changer for ecommerce businesses looking to make smarter, data-driven decisions. It brings all your important metrics into one easy-to-use dashboard, so you can see everything in real time. Whether you’re tracking sales, comparing your performance to competitors, or just keeping tabs on your business, Triple Whale makes it simple and efficient. You can access everything on the go, with mobile updates and automated reports, so you never miss a thing. It’s designed to help you grow your brand and boost performance without the complexity.

More Tools:

• Auto Gmail: drafts email responses based on your inbox, helping you save time.

• Simple AI: makes phone calls to handle tasks like booking appointments or reservations for you.

• Athina AI: helps AI teams quickly test and improve models and data.

• Pointer: simplifies document editing in Google Workspace by using AI to follow your instructions.

• Exa: helps you find specific information with simple queries and verifies the accuracy of the results.

• Elon Musk’s xAI Gets $6B to Boost AI Development. (techcrunch)

• AMP Robotics Secures $91M to Expand Recycling Systems. (therobotreport)

• Aethir and Partners Invest $40M in Decentralized AI and Blockchain. (venturebeat)

• Aqemia raises $38M to Leverage Theoretical Physics in Drug Discovery. (techcrunch)

• Oversubscribed Lumen Orbit Raises $11M at a $40M Valuation for Space-Ready Data Centers. (techcrunch)

• eSelfExits Stealth with $4.5M to Build More Realistic AI Assistants. (techcrunch)

_. Prompting Tip _.

Leverage AI for Risk Mitigation

​​Going the “extra-mile” is getting easier and easier. Level-up your standard of excellence for new initiatives with an ai-powered gut-check to make sure that you’re covering your bases. After providing thorough context (using voice-to-text makes this easier) try ending off your prompt with one of the following:

“List common risks associated with [specific project or industry].”

“Identify potential legal risks in [specific scenario].”

“Suggest three strategies to mitigate financial risks in [specific context].”

“What are the top five risks within [specific industry] and how can they be addressed?”

If nothing new comes up, you’ve got an extra layer of validation in a matter of minutes. If ChatGPT raises concerns you hadn’t thought of, you can immediately dive into asking about strategies for eliminating or mitigating those concerns. AI isn’t full-proof, but it can certainly point out worthwhile paths for exploration.