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Christmas is just around the corner, and OpenAI has some "gifts" to share—though they come at a price. Meanwhile, AI companies once avoiding defense contracts are now diving in, especially as the new administration taps business leaders for key roles. Plus, we’ve got the latest news, trends, and powerful tools to explore! Share your thoughts and Enjoy your weekend…

• OpenAI Launches $200 ChatGPT Pro Subscription. Would you Pay for It?

• Revolutionize Your Design Process & Inspire Your Followers with Kittl.

• Are AI-Powered Drones the Future of Warfare?

• How the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang is Avoiding $8 Billion in Taxes.

• 🧰 AI Tools

• Our Deep Dives.

  • Perplexity Expands Global Reach.

  • David Sacks, venture capitalist and tech podcaster, will serve as the “White House AI & Crypto Czar.”

• 📰 News and Trends.

OpenAI Launches $200 ChatGPT Pro Subscription. Would you Pay for It?

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Pro, a $200/month subscription offering unlimited access to its advanced AI models, including the enhanced o1 reasoning model. Designed for power users, o1 excels in tasks like coding, math, and data analysis by "checking its own work" for more accurate results. Pro subscribers gain exclusive access to "o1 pro mode," which leverages more computational power for complex queries. Sounds like these models should check their own work without charging you for it.

The subscription also includes unlimited access to GPT-4o, Advanced Voice Mode, and new features like image analysis and future capabilities like web browsing and file uploads. While aimed at reducing OpenAI's financial losses, the high cost may limit adoption to dedicated professionals and researchers.

This announcement is part of OpenAI's holiday celebration, featuring 12 consecutive days of developments that began on December 5th. Highlights are expected to include the debut of Sora, a highly anticipated text-to-video AI tool, and a new reasoning model. Teased on social media, the rollout will showcase new products, demos, and festive updates, such as a potential Santa-inspired voice for ChatGPT.

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Are AI-Powered Drones the Future of Warfare?

Inside the OpenAI-Anduril Partnership.

In remote Texas, Anduril Industries is advancing the future of drone warfare, demonstrating how autonomous weapons could transform modern conflict. At the Anduril Texas Test Site, a single operator used the company’s Lattice for Mission Autonomy software to control a swarm of drones performing complex tasks, including patrolling, intercepting a simulated enemy aircraft, and executing precision maneuvers.

Now Anduril Industries and OpenAI have partnered to develop AI-powered anti-drone systems, combining OpenAI’s advanced models with Anduril’s military technology to detect and respond to aerial threats in real time.

This effort is part of a broader global race, with nations like China and Russia leveraging drone technology for military dominance. The U.S. is investing heavily in autonomous systems, such as the Air Force's collaborative combat aircraft and the Pentagon’s $1 billion Replicator program. Anduril’s approach, blending live testing with digital autonomy, aims to redefine airpower, offering drones as trusted "wingmen" capable of surveillance, jamming, decoying, and targeted strikes. The partnership reflects a broader trend of AI-defense collaborations, balancing innovation with concerns over AI reliability and ethical deployment in national security.

📰 AI News and Trends

• Key leaders behind Google’s viral NotebookLM are leaving to create their own startup (TC)

• DeepMind’s Genie 2 can generate interactive worlds that look like video games (TC)

• The US Department of Defense is investing in deepfake detection. It has signed a contract with startup Hive AI worth $2.4 million over two years (MIT)

🌐 Other Tech news

• Trump Picks Paul Atkins to Run SEC (WSJ)

• The Quest to Turn Human Waste Into Medicine - After success in early stage trials, MaaT Pharma is on the verge of becoming the first company to have an approved microbiome-related product for cancer care (Bloomberg)

• Apple Plans Three-Year Modem Rollout to Challenge Qualcomm with In-House Chips (Bloomberg)

• Instagram Adds Fun New Ways for Creators and Fans to Chat and Share Ideas (Tubefilter)

• Nielsen and TikTok have partnered to allow advertisers to measure TikTok ad performance alongside other platforms like connected TV, digital, and traditional outlets (Variety)

• Uber will deliver your Christmas tree — and even a troupe of carolers — to your front door (TheVerge)

Our Deep Dives.

• Perplexity Expands Global Reach with New Publishers in Groundbreaking Partnership Program - Perplexity announced the addition of over a dozen global news organizations to its Publishers’ Program, including The Independent, Los Angeles Times, and Blavity. This program, launched earlier this year, aims to create a collaborative and fair information ecosystem by enabling publishers to share in advertising revenue, access developer tools, and receive analytics insights. The new partners represent diverse topics and geographies, marking the program's expansion into regions like the UK, Japan, and Latin America.

• David Sacks, venture capitalist and tech podcaster, will serve as the "White House AI & Crypto Czar" in the Trump administration. He will lead U.S. policies on AI and cryptocurrency, aiming to establish global leadership, protect free speech online, and create regulatory frameworks.

  Pros:

  • Expertise in tech and venture capital.

  • Push for U.S. leadership in AI and crypto.

  • Focus on free speech and reducing Big Tech bias.

  Cons:

  • Politicization of tech policy and self business interests.

  • Lack of government experience.

  • Controversial shift in support for Trump.

🧰 AI Tools

How the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang is Avoiding $8 Billion in Taxes.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, worth $127 billion, is using tax loopholes like trusts, GRATs, and donor-advised funds to shield $8 billion from estate taxes. These strategies exploit weakened federal tax laws and reduced IRS enforcement, allowing vast wealth transfers to heirs with minimal taxation. Huang’s actions reflect a broader trend among billionaires avoiding estate taxes as the system generates significantly less revenue despite surging wealth.