💬 AlexaGPT is here

Today’s Highlights:

• 🌐 Amazon Brings Alexa+ to the Web

• 🚀 xAI Hits $230B Valuation With Nvidia Backing

• 🎶 Universal & Nvidia Launch AI Music Tool

• 🎮 Intel Builds Its Own Handheld Gaming Device

• 🚗 Nvidia Launches Alpamayo for AV Reasoning

• 🧬 AI Finds Pancreatic Cancer Doctors Miss

• 👋 OpenAI Loses Key GPT-4 Researcher

• 🕶️ Meta Pauses Ray-Ban Display Rollout Abroad

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LATEST AI NEWS

xAI

🚀 xAI Hits $230B Valuation With Nvidia Backing

xAI has secured a massive late-stage funding round that values Elon Musk’s AI startup at about $230 billion, with strategic backing from Nvidia and other major investors, underscoring the ferocious competition in generative AI infrastructure and model development. 

The Details:

• xAI completed an upsized $20 billion Series E funding round, exceeding its original $15 billion target, that helped drive its valuation to roughly $230 billion. 

• Strategic participants in the round include Nvidia and Cisco, alongside investors like Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, MGX, and others. 

• The capital will be used to accelerate AI infrastructure expansion, model development (including future Grok models), and research initiatives. 

• The valuation places xAI among the highest-valued AI startups globally, trailing some rivals but highlighting significant investor confidence. 

• Nvidia’s participation signals deeper ties between leading AI hardware providers and model developers, with investments tied to compute build-outs and cloud partnerships. 

Why it matters:

Valuations this large show how critical investors see frontier AI labs in shaping technology’s future. Nvidia’s support further blurs lines between AI research and infrastructure leadership, signaling that compute makers want a seat at the table in where models are built and deployed.

AMAZON

🌐 Amazon Brings Alexa+ to the Web

Amazon is expanding Alexa+ beyond devices, launching Alexa.com so users can access its AI assistant directly on the web, as the company pushes to make Alexa a true cross-platform AI.

The Details:

• Alexa.com is rolling out to Alexa+ Early Access users, offering chatbot-style interactions similar to ChatGPT or Gemini

• Amazon is also revamping the Alexa mobile app with a more agent-first, chat-focused interface

• Alexa+ on the web supports tasks like content creation, trip planning, smart home control, shopping, and family coordination

• New service integrations include Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp, alongside Uber, OpenTable, and Ticketmaster

• Amazon is encouraging users to share documents, emails, and calendars to turn Alexa+ into a household management hub

Why it matters:

Amazon knows AI assistants can’t live only on smart speakers anymore. By pushing Alexa+ onto the web and phones, Amazon is betting that family-focused, home-centric AI workflows can differentiate it from general-purpose chatbots and keep Alexa relevant in an AI-first world.

AI TUTORIAL

🛠️ Create 3D Models from Single Photos with Imagen3D

Turn any 2D image into a professional, production-ready 3D model in minutes. Imagen3D uses advanced AI to generate meshes with clean topology, making it perfect for game development, marketing visuals, and 3D printing.

Steps to Follow:

1. Open Imagen3D and upload a single photo of your object (or multiple angles for better accuracy).

2. Select your quality mode: Fast (20 seconds), Pro (30 seconds), or Ultra (under 3 minutes).

3. Wait for the AI to analyze the image and build the 3D geometry and textures.

4. Preview your model and inspect the mesh density to ensure it fits your project needs.

5. Download your file in industry-standard formats like GLB, OBJ, or STL for use in Blender or Unity.

✨ Skip the manual sculpting: Imagen3D automates the hardest part of 3D modeling so you can go from concept to asset in record time.

MORE AI & TECH NEWS

• Jerry Tworek, who led major efforts on GPT-4 and o-series models, is leaving OpenAI after seven years to pursue research outside product constraints.

• At CES 2026, Nvidia unveiled Alpamayo, a 10B parameter vision-language model built to help self-driving cars make human-like, step-by-step decisions.

• UMG and Nvidia introduced “Music Flamingo” to help fans discover music via AI understanding of lyrics and melody. Musicians will co-create AI tools, keeping artists at the center of creativity.

• Intel is developing a Steam Deck rival powered by its next-gen Panther Lake chips. It aims for longer battery life and smoother portable PC gaming.

• New AI model PANDA can detect early-stage pancreatic cancer in regular CT scans. It’s FDA fast-tracked, but high false alarms raise concerns.

• High U.S. demand for Meta’s Ray-Ban Display glasses has delayed launches in the U.K., France, and Canada, with waitlists now stretching into 2026.

NEW AI TOOLS TO 10X YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

🎵 VlogMusic – Generate custom royalty-free music from simple text prompts.

🎙️ Noiz – Create podcasts, audiobooks, dubs, and videos from one prompt.

🚀 Astra – Turn cold leads into qualified prospects instantly. No manual screening.

✏️ PictureToDrawing – Transform photos into stunning hand-drawn art instantly.

🗣️ VoiceType – Turn speech into clean, formatted text across any app.

📄 NextDocs – Create full documents from templates in seconds with AI.

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