AI and Tech Update: GPT 4.5 Disappointment, Raise's Blockchain Platform, OpenAI's Pivot, and Bayer's Transformation

OWITH.ai - Only What's Important to Hear around AI and Tech

Good morning from OWITH.ai: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in AI and tech world.Investors should not get too excited about the upcoming release of GPT 4.5, as it is unlikely to revolutionize AI or meet high expectations. Despite efforts to scale up AI capabilities, problems with reasoning and hallucination persist. Other AI advancements, such as Gemini, have also not lived up to the hype. The field of AI as a whole is facing challenges in producing significant advancements, impacting companies like Nvidia. While Nvidia has seen financial success, the fundamental problems of AI remain unsolved. It is essential to consider the sustainability of demand for AI technologies and the profitability of companies like Nvidia in the long run. Gary Marcus warns against basing investment decisions solely on quarterly reports and emphasizes the need for a more critical examination of the state of AI technology.Gift card startup Raise, founded by George Bousis, has raised $63 million in a strategic round led by Haun Ventures to develop a blockchain-backed platform for gift cards. The company aims to combat fraud and simplify the payments system using blockchain technology. Raise has already invested over $100 million in developing "smart cards" and has brought on former crypto executives to support their expansion into the crypto space. The platform has facilitated over $5 billion in gift card purchases and sales since its inception, offering a more secure and efficient payment process through stablecoins. Retailers have shown interest in Raise's platform, with Fortune 500 companies already on board. The company plans to eventually decentralize its platform through a nonprofit organization and proprietary cryptocurrency.OpenAI has announced a $19.6 billion pivot in its core strategy, moving away from its previous scaling approach to develop its next AI model, GPT-5. The delay in releasing GPT-5 was due to the limitations of the scaling approach used for previous models. Meanwhile, Tesla investors are concerned about a weak first quarter for the company, with European sales dropping significantly in January. In response to threats from President Trump about regulating U.S. tech firms, the U.K. and EU have resisted, with the EU vowing to defend its rights and regulatory autonomy.Bayer CEO Bill Anderson is waging war against bureaucracy to make the company more nimble and customer-focused. He has flattened the structure, eliminated rules, and created teams with 90-day cycles to achieve goals. Trump has secured a minerals deal with Ukraine, while NVIDIA's earnings report is highly anticipated. Tesla shares fell due to concerns about Q1 sales, and Jamie Dimon apologized for cursing but not for his stance on remote work.The text discusses the global robotics landscape in 2025, focusing on the emergence of humanoid robots and their interaction with people at work and in the home. It highlights key players in the industry like Apple, Meta, and Nvidia, as well as emerging startups such as 1x and Figure AI. The text also covers funding and innovation in robotics, as well as advancements in vision-language-action models like Helix. It discusses the increasing interest in robotics in countries like China and the US, as well as the impact of national security on robotics innovation.

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