Google's Reasoning Model | Weekly Edition
PLUS HOT AI Tools & Tutorials
Hello and welcome to our weekly roundup!
We continue to follow the 12 Days of OpenAI and other important AI news of the passing year. And while ChatGPT’s developer is trying its best to be a major newsmaker, this week's most interesting release was offered by Google.
Let’s discuss it! (well, and a bunch of other AI news)
This Creators’ AI Edition:
Featured Materials 🎟️
News of the week 🌍
Useful tools ⚒️
Weekly Guides 📕
AI Meme of the Week 🤡
AI Tweet of the Week 🐦
(Bonus) Materials 🎁
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Featured Material 🎟️
Google Releases Its Own Reasoning Model
Google has launched Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, an experimental model designed to enhance reasoning capabilities. Yes, it's a direct competitor for OpenAI's o1-preview. This new model builds upon the previously released Gemini 2.0 Flash platform and aims to provide users with a transparent view of its problem-solving processes.
The announcement was made by Google DeepMind representatives, including Jeff Dean and Logan Kilpatrick. They noted that this model is part of Google's efforts to develop "agentic" AI—systems that can understand their environment and make informed decisions with user oversight.
Here are its key features:
Transparent Reasoning: One of the main features of this model is its ability to explain its thought processes as it addresses complex problems. "Thinking Mode" allows users to observe how the AI breaks down tasks into smaller steps before reaching a conclusion, which may help to identify potential errors or biases.
Multimodal Understanding: Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking can process various input types, including text, images, audio, and video. This capability enhances its performance in fields such as mathematics, physics, and programming.
Performance Considerations: The model is designed to be efficient and fast, similar to the Gemini 2.0 Flash architecture. However, it may take longer than traditional models due to its multi-step reasoning process, which involves verification and explanation.
Google's new model has beaten the competition in every category on LMArena and is now ranked #1. Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking also performs five times faster than any other AI in math problems!
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Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking is currently available for experimentation through Google AI Studio and the Gemini API for developers and testers. General availability is expected early next year.
As this model is still experimental, Google encourages users to explore its capabilities while recognizing that improvements are needed.
News Of The Week 🌍
12 Days of OpenAI: ChatGPT Calls, o1 API, and More
Here's what you need to know about the OpenAI’s latest releases:
OpenAI has offered a new way to communicate with the chatbot: 1-800-CHATGPT. By dialing the number in the US (1-800-242-8478) or sending messages via WhatsApp, you can access “a simple and inexpensive way to try out ChatGPT through familiar channels.” The company promised that callers would get 15 free minutes/mo.
Starting this week, the reasoning model began rolling out for “tier 5” users.” To qualify for this category, you must spend at least $1,000 on OpenAI and have an account older than 30 days from the first successful payment. O1 will replace the o1-preview model that was already available in the API.
The company also introduced Realtime API updates, Preference Fine-Tuning, and New Go and Java SDKs.
ChatGPT Search is finally available to all registered users. The update also includes improvements in search speed and accuracy, meaning users can now expect faster and more accurate search results, improving the overall efficiency of information access. The search function now supports embedded content, including YouTube videos, images, and movies.
DeepMind Unveils New Rival for Sora
Google DeepMind introduced Veo 2, a next-generation AI video generator that significantly enhances video creation capabilities, boasting resolutions up to 4K and the ability to produce clips longer than two minutes. Regarding these features, Veo 2 noticeably outperforms OpenAI's Sora, which is limited to 1080p and 20 seconds long. The first tests also showed that Veo 2 can generate high-quality videos.
Veo is currently only available to a limited number of users in the US.
Instagram Teases AI Video Editing Tools
According to The Verge, Instagram is gearing up to release a big AI update. The new AI tools are powered by Meta's Movie Gen AI and allow users to “change nearly any aspect of your videos.” Using the Prompts, you'll be able to replace backgrounds, apply various filters, or even turn yourself into a Muppet.
The release of AI tools for Instagram is scheduled for next year.
Sharing is caring! Refer someone who recently started a learning journey in AI. Make them more productive and earn rewards!
Huge Pivot and First AI Model by TuSimple
TuSimple, formerly known for its work in autonomous trucking, has renamed itself CreateAI and completed a significant pivot. The company explained that the change reflects a shift toward AI for games and animation. CreateAI also launched its first generative AI model, Ruyi. This text-to-video, open-source model promises to simplify the development of various tools for game production and animation.
TuSimple's pivot is an interesting development. I remember writing about it a few years ago when the company conducted the first successful tests of driverless trucks in Arizona. Well, let's see what CreateAI will accomplish.
Perplexity’s Funding & Acquisition
Perplexity was the occasion for two big news stories this week.
Perplexity AI secured $500M in funding led by Institutional Venture Partners, tripling its valuation to $9B. Even by the standards of the AI industry, the startup has shown remarkable growth. According to FirstPageSage, the company's share of the AI search market has grown from 2.7% to 5.8% this year.
Perplexity has acquired Seattle-based startup Carbon, which specializes in connecting AI systems to external data sources. CEO Aravind Srinivasan said the deal will allow Perplexity to search for users' files and work messages in Notion, Google Docs, Slack, and other enterprise applications as early as 2025.
Odyssey’s New AI Tool Generates Photorealistic 3D Worlds
AI startup Odyssey has introduced a new tool called Explorer, which can transform text or images into interactive, photorealistic 3D scenes. This platform is designed to cater to the needs of filmmakers and game developers by generating visuals from prompts.
This was made possible because Explorer was trained on real-world landscapes captured by the company’s custom-designed 360-degree camera system.
Cursor Raised $100M At $2.6B Valuation
Anysphere, developer of AI coding assistant Cursor, has successfully raised $100M in a Series B funding round, raising its valuation to $2.6B. This round was led by Thrive Capital, with participation from previous investors, a16z. The funding comes just four months after Anysphere raised $60M in a Series A round at a valuation of $400M.
Useful Tools ⚒️
Eapy Beta – Organize, share, and co-create music
Revv Invest – A magical way to invest in AI, space & other frontier stocks
GenFuse AI – Automate any work with AI agents. No technical skills needed
Interruptible - Bring AI-powered conversations to your videos
Impakt AI App – AI Coach that can see, talk, and instruct
Otterly.AI – Monitor brand & link visibility on ChatGPT, Perplexity & AIO
We've already entered the era of search AI (in case you haven't noticed, here's a post on the topic), so it's time to arm yourself with the proper tools. If you're growing your brand or launching a startup online, Otterly AI can help you automatically track its mentions on search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity. It's a nice way to get instant insights into content, brand, and link visibility on Generative Search Engines.
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Weekly Guides 📕
ADVANCED Python AI Agent Tutorial - Using RAG, Langflow & Multi-Agents
5 AI Business Ideas For 2025 – These Make Me $50K/Month
The Leader’s Guide to Transforming with AI
How to Rank on SearchGPT (And Other AI Search Engines)
AI Meme Of The Week 🤡
AI Tweet Of The Week
It seems that Google is back in the race!
(Bonus) Materials 🏆
Generative AI Still Needs to Prove Its Usefulness
OpenAI Build Hour: On-Demand Library
How to create AI to improve mental health | Stevie Chancellor | TEDxMinneapolis
The Killer App for Android XR Headsets Is AI
AI's impact on industries in 2025
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