The Daily AI Briefing - 17/02/2025

Welcome to The Daily AI Briefing, your daily dose of AI news! I'm Bella, and here are today's headlines! Today, we're diving into Meta's ambitious entry into humanoid robotics, Perplexity's impressive new Deep Research tool, groundbreaking AI innovations in the NBA, and several major developments from leading AI companies. Let's explore how these advances are shaping our technological future. Meta is making waves with its new humanoid robotics initiative. Under the leadership of former Cruise CEO Marc Whitten, Meta's Reality Labs division is developing comprehensive AI and software platforms for humanoid robots. Rather than creating branded robots, Meta aims to provide the underlying technology platform, leveraging their AR/VR expertise. They're already in talks with companies like Unitree and Figure AI, focusing specifically on household robotics applications. Perplexity has launched an impressive new Deep Research tool that's turning heads in the AI community. This AI-powered research agent can produce detailed reports in just 2-4 minutes, processing hundreds of sources through dozens of searches. It's particularly noteworthy that it scored 21.1% on Humanity's Last Exam, outperforming both Gemini Thinking and Grok-2. With 5 free daily uses for regular users, it's positioning itself as a more accessible alternative to OpenAI's $200 monthly Deep Research feature. The NBA is embracing AI and robotics in fascinating ways, as revealed at their 2025 All-Star Technology Summit. Teams like the Golden State Warriors will soon benefit from innovations like the Automated Basketball Engine for practice sessions, M.I.M.I.C. robots for play simulation, and the Kinematic Interface Tool for player health monitoring. These advancements promise to revolutionize both training and game preparation. In other significant developments, we're seeing major moves across the AI industry. xAI has announced Grok 3, while OpenAI has enhanced their 4o model. Figure AI is in discussions for a massive $1.5 billion funding round at a $39.5 billion valuation. Meanwhile, Google has upgraded Gemini Advanced's memory capabilities, and Apple is developing new intelligence features for the Vision Pro. Perhaps most notably, OpenAI's board has declined Elon Musk's $97.4 billion purchase offer. As we wrap up today's briefing, it's clear that AI development is accelerating across multiple sectors. From Meta's robotics platform to NBA's tech innovations, we're seeing AI reshape both consumer technology and professional sports. Thank you for joining me for The Daily AI Briefing. Stay informed, stay curious, and I'll see you tomorrow with more AI news!