The artificial intelligence (AI) realm witnesses rapid developments around the world, reshaping the world of digital transformation and accelerating the pace of AI adoption. In this weekly newsletter, FollowICT is highlighting the most important news and advancements in AI around the globe.
Google & NVIDIA Back Quantum AI Startup SandboxAQ with $450 MLN Funding
SandboxAQ—a quantum AI startup spun off from Alphabet in 2022—has closed a $450 million Series E funding round, bringing its total funding to $950 million.
Major industry players like Google, NVIDIA, and BNP participated in the round. The company says it will use the funds to accelerate research and development (R&D) of its quantum large models and expand cross-industry partnerships.
SandboxAQ uses quantum computing to train AI models in physics, chemistry, and math. These models excel at complex calculations and analytics—key for drug discovery, financial modeling, and more.
The company says its local quantum machines can fuel innovation across fields like biopharma, materials science, cybersecurity, and financial services.
Amazon’s AI Video Model Can Now Create 2-Minute Clips
Amazon has upgraded its AI video model, Nova Reels, now capable of producing up to two-minute-long videos.
First introduced in December 2024, Nova Reels marks Amazon’s entry into the crowded AI video space, competing with OpenAI and Google.
Elizabeth Fuentes of Amazon Web Services said the latest version, Nova Reels 1.1, can generate multi-shot videos with stylistic consistency. Users can submit up to 4,000 characters of text to create two-minute videos made of six-second scenes.
A new “Manual Multi-Shot” mode also lets users guide the model using images and prompts, offering more creative control over each video frame.
Canva Adds AI Features to Supercharge Creativity
Canva has launched a suite of new AI tools to enhance its platform, including a smart assistant, AI-powered spreadsheet support, and editing features.
Its AI assistant “Canva AI” can create images, brainstorm design ideas, write content, and generate documents based on user prompts.
With the new Canva Code tool, users can also build mini-apps like interactive maps or custom calculators and integrate them into their designs.
Canva also upgraded its photo editor with click-to-edit tools and AI-generated backgrounds that adapt to lighting and composition—directly competing with Adobe Photoshop and similar tools.
Industrial Robotics Market to Hit $291 BLN by 2035
A new report predicts the industrial robotics market will grow from $55.1 billion today to $291.1 billion by 2035.
The surge is driven by automation, AI advancements, and Industry 4.0 trends. Automotive and electronics sectors are expected to dominate.
East Asia is highlighted as a key growth region, already accounting for two-thirds of the market.
AI-powered robots are seen as game changers—capable of predictive analytics, adaptive learning, and real-time decision-making, especially critical in high-precision industries like aerospace and pharmaceuticals.
Dexterity Unveils AI-Powered Super-Robot for Manufacturing
Robotics company Dexterity has launched Mech, an AI-powered industrial robot designed to revolutionize logistics and manufacturing.
Mech is a bipedal, two-armed humanoid robot capable of lifting up to 130 lbs, navigating warehouses autonomously, and performing tasks like truck loading and order picking.
It uses “physical AI”—hundreds of AI models running on an onboard supercomputer—to execute complex tasks, from arranging random boxes to handling fragile packages with tactile precision.
Mech comes equipped with up to 16 cameras and four independently controlled wheels, allowing for highly dynamic movement and spatial awareness.
EU Unveils Plan to Become the “AI Continent”
The European Commission (EU) has launched its AI Continent Action Plan—a bold strategy to make Europe a global AI powerhouse.
The plan includes building a network of AI factories, opening specialized labs for better access to high-quality training data, and launching a new service hub to help companies comply with Europe’s groundbreaking AI laws.
The EU aims to transform its industrial strength and tech talent into engines for AI innovation, asserting global leadership while ensuring ethical oversight.
Anthropic Launches $200/Month Subscription for Claude
Anthropic has introduced a new high-tier plan for its chatbot Claude called Claude Max, priced at $200/month.
It offers significantly higher usage limits and priority access to the latest models compared to the $20/month Claude Pro.
There are two Claude Max options: one at $100/month with 5x usage limits over Pro, and another at $200/month offering 20x the limits.
Google Unveils AI Accelerator Chip: TPU “Ironwood”
At its Cloud Next event, Google revealed Ironwood, the 7th-gen TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) designed specifically for running AI inference at scale.
Available later this year to Google Cloud customers, Ironwood will come in configurations of 256 or 9,216 chips.
Google says Ironwood is its most powerful and energy-efficient TPU yet—tailored for high-performance AI inference applications.
Google Launches Gemini 2.5 Flash
Google announced Gemini 2.5 Flash, a lightweight and cost-efficient AI model optimized for speed and real-time tasks.
The model will be available soon on Vertex AI, Google’s platform for building AI apps.
Flash allows developers to fine-tune performance based on speed, accuracy, and cost—ideal for high-volume, budget-sensitive applications.
While not as accurate as premium models, it provides an affordable middle-ground for many users.
ChatGPT Can Now Remember Your Past Conversations
OpenAI is rolling out memory features in ChatGPT that let the bot tailor responses based on prior interactions.
Labeled “reference saved memories” in settings, the feature adds more context and continuity to chats—enhancing writing, image, and voice generation.
OpenAI Launches “Pioneers” Program for Startups
OpenAI has introduced OpenAI Pioneers, a new initiative to help startups build and evaluate AI models tailored to their industry.
Startups will work with OpenAI to develop sector-specific AI solutions and create new performance benchmarks based on real-world use cases.
WordPress Debuts Free AI Website Builder
WordPress.com has launched a free AI-powered website builder, making it easy for anyone—entrepreneurs, freelancers, bloggers—to create a site using a chat-style interface.
Though it doesn’t yet support advanced use cases like e-commerce, it helps WordPress compete with AI site builders from Wix and Squarespace.
More complex customization still requires traditional web design skills, but the builder learns from user edits, promising improvements over time.
Sam Altman Defends AI Art After Studio Ghibli Controversy
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to criticism of AI art—particularly image models mimicking Studio Ghibli’s style—calling it a net positive for creativity.
Altman argued that AI lowers the barriers to artistic expression, allowing anyone with a smartphone and an idea to create and share meaningful work.
He acknowledged the transformation of art in the AI age but emphasized its broader social value.
Logistics Giant GXO Experiments with Humanoid Robots
Logistics leader GXO is piloting humanoid robots from three robotics firms to automate tasks across its client warehouses.
GXO’s Head of Automation, Adrian Stoch, told Business Insider that humanoids show promise for handling multiple tasks, unlike today’s single-task robots.
Though still early in development, these robots are being groomed to play key roles in the future of smart logistics.
AI Video Startup Moonvalley Raises $43 MLN
Los Angeles-based Moonvalley, an AI video generation startup, has raised $43 million in venture capital.
The funding follows the debut of Mari, its first AI video model. Moonvalley previously raised $70 million from backers like General Catalyst and Khosla Ventures.
The company partners with creators to license and compile video datasets, much like Adobe’s model with Adobe Stock.
