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Google releases Gemini 2.0 Flash and teases new Mariner web agent, OpenAI and Apple get official and more

Google goes bonkers with a handful of huge AI announcements, Apple getting into the AI chip game, and OpenAI continues with its 12 Days of Shipmas.

Author

Everyday AI
December 11, 2024

Sup y’all! 👋

Apparently you all REALLY wanted the scoop on all new things OpenAI.

Make sure to go visit our livestream preview page here and drop any questions you have, or if there’s any tests you may want to do!

(Side note… Google went absolutely AI ham today with Gemini updates. Check out the news section. lolz)

✌️

Jordan

(Let’s connect on LinkedIn. Tell me you’re from the newsletter so I know!)

Outsmart The Future

Today in Everyday AI
8 minute read

🎙 Daily Podcast Episode: You think AI implementation is a tech thing? Nope. It’s a people thing. And if you wanna scale, here’s how to put people first. Give it a listen.

🕵️‍♂️ Fresh Finds: Midjourney gets multiplayer, a new AI tool to help you build AI tools (lol), Church’s Chicken is getting all AI-y and how researchers are trying to kick bias out of AI models. Read on for Fresh Finds.

🗞 Byte Sized Daily AI News: Google launches Gemini 2.0 Flash, OpenAI makes it official with Apple Intelligence, Google releases Mariner and agents tool in early testing and wait...more Google updates!?! Read on for Byte Sized News.

🚀 AI In 5: Oh snap. Did AI just make you a first-rate web designer? Maybe. Maybe not. Find out in today’s AI in 5.

🧠Learn & Leveraging AI: Wanna know the secrets of AI implementation from the person in charge at one of the largest companies in the world? Oh. OK. Then, keep reading for that!

↩️ Don’t miss out: Did you miss our last newsletter? We talked about OpenAI's Canvas mode updates, an AI chatbot in hot water, our Sora review and more. Check it here!

Why Scaling AI is a People-First Challenge 🤖

You think AI is a technical implementation? 🤔 
 
Nope.
 
It's about the people.

Also on the pod today:

• The hidden cost of saving time
• W️hy good AI can be bad
• Why some humans are resistant to change

It’ll be worth your 28 minutes:

Listen on our site:

Click to listen

Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast platform

Listen on:

Upcoming Everyday AI Livestreams

Thursday, December 12th at 7:30 am CST ⬇️

Here’s our favorite AI finds from across the web:

New AI Tool Spotlight – Smyth lets you easily build and deploy AI agents, Remention uses AI to get your product name in all of the internets discussions,  and AISmartCube gives no-code people an AI tool building BFF. 

Change Management — Right on brand with today’s episode, this article from Forbes looks at Change Management’s role in AI. 

AI in Food — Church’s Chicken is going all-in on AI in the drive thru. (Can a bot take your order?) 

AI Images — Midjourney is going multiplayer with its new ‘Patchwork’ product.

AI in Politics — How states are leading the AI regulation charge as federal regulation lags behind. 

AI Research — How researchers are trying to keep AI models accurate while reducing bias.

2025 AI Outlook — What some experts are saying is in store for AI in 2025.  

1. Google Launches Gemini 2, Ushering in the 'Agent Era' ⚡

In a bold move, Google has unveiled Gemini 2 Flash, a groundbreaking AI model marking the dawn of what the tech giant calls the 'agent era.' Google says this model not only speeds past its predecessor with twice the velocity but also excels in reasoning and visual understanding, setting high benchmarks in AI development.

Gemini 2's advanced capabilities allow it to generate images, text, and speech natively, simplifying previously complex tasks.

As Google integrates this AI across its products by 2025, expect a transformative impact on industries and individuals eager to leverage cutting-edge AI technology for career and business growth.

2. Gemini 2.0 Brings new Project Astra and Project Mariner abilities 🤯

Google wasn’t done with Gemini 2.0 Flash, as they revealed they showcased Project Astra and Project Mariner's innovations. Google says that Project Astra aims to be a universal AI assistant, now boasting multilingual dialogue and enhanced tool use, while Project Mariner is designed to navigate the web, acting like a savvy digital assistant.

In addition, Google is testing Astra in prototype glasses and a Chrome extension to bring these capabilities to life for everyday use. These developments are part of Google's broader ambition to integrate AI across various domains, including coding and gaming, promising practical impacts on personal and professional life.

Project Mariner is currently being tested as a Chrome extension by select testers, functioning as an AI agent that can navigate websites by controlling the browser in the active tab.

Project Astra is being tested through an Android app and prototype glasses, with plans to eventually integrate into the Gemini app for consumers. Both projects are built on Google's newly announced Gemini 2.0 platform and remain in early development stages, with no public release dates announced.

3. Google Deep Research: Your New AI Research Assistant 🤝

Y’all. We told you Google went ham with AI updates today. Sheesh.

Google ALSO unveiled "Deep Research," a cutting-edge feature for its Gemini Advanced users, designed to streamline your web research efforts.

By automating the multi-step process of online inquiry, this AI-powered tool creates a detailed report, complete with source links, making it easier for users to delve into topics and refine their understanding.

Currently rolling out for desktop and mobile web users, the feature is part of Google's $20-a-month AI Premium plan, which also includes perks like 2TB storage and enhanced video calling. As AI continues to integrate into everyday tasks, tools like Deep Research could revolutionize how individuals and businesses gather information and make informed decisions.

So far, we’re kinda digging it.

4. OpenAI gets official with Apple Intelligence 🫂

How is this the #4 AI news story? Wowzers.

In an exciting move for AI enthusiasts, Apple has officially launched ChatGPT into its Apple Intelligence system across iOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia, allowing Siri to tackle more complex tasks by collaborating with OpenAI's tech.

According to the joint announcement, this feature enhances user experience by seamlessly switching to ChatGPT when it's better suited for a request, provided users activate the option. The update also brings creative tools like Image Playground and Genmoji, while ensuring privacy as OpenAI won't store requests unless an account is used.

5. Apple's Puts more of its chips into…. chips 🍟

Apple is reportedly teaming up with Broadcom to develop its first server chip designed for artificial intelligence, according to The Information.

This strategic shift aligns Apple with tech giants like Google in reducing reliance on NVIDIA’s costly processors, with mass production expected by 2026. The chip, code-named Baltra, is set to be produced using Taiwan Semiconductor's advanced N3P process, further cementing Apple's leap into AI hardware innovation.

As Broadcom shares soar, this development underscores the growing AI boom and its impact on the tech industry's supply chains.

Wegic: Your new website designer?

Should you fire your website designer and use AI?

Probably not.

Yet, Wegic is trying to give anyone web design superskills sprinkled with some AI.

Is it any good/

Find out in today's AI in 5.

Lenovo built the perfect AI sales prediction engine for one of its big tech clients. 

Prolly cost a pretty penny. 

Took a year. 

The results?

Mind-bending 30% boost in sales closure rates.

The code? Flawless. The AI algos – chef's kiss. 

Like printing money cha-ching. 

Then their top sales executive derailed the gravy train with a few words: 

“Retire my sales quota right now for the year.”

The AI side was straightforward enough. But to get the people to use this wizardry that made them geniuses at closing their sales? 

Two. Years. Of. Human. Cleanup.

Yikes. 

And Lenovo AI Center of Excellence Director Rick Kreuser saw it all unfold. 

He joined Everyday AI today to spill the real tea about why your precious tech stack aint the problem when it comes to AI implementation. 

It’s your humans homies. 

Scaling your AI is a people-first problem. 

Make sure to check out the full episode on our site to soak up all of Rick’s insights, and keep reading for the 1-2-3 of what you need to know. 

Let’s gooooooooooooooo 👇

1 – The Hidden Psychology of AI Resistance

When your best performers ghost your AI tools, it's not about the technology. 

It's about identity. 

Your top sellers don't just sell – they're master relationship builders, instinct-driven deal closers, autonomous decision makers.

And your shiny new AI? It's threatening all three.

At Lenovo, Rick said they discovered something fascinating: The better the AI performed, the harder humans fought against it. Not because it was wrong. Because it was RIGHT.

Try This 

Transform your AI from a replacement threat into a personal power-up. 

Start by mapping your team's "ego touchpoints" – the moments where their expertise shines brightest. Build AI that amplifies these moments instead of automating them away.

Create a "proof of expert" system where humans validate and improve AI suggestions. Give them ownership of the algorithm's evolution. Track and reward these contributions separately from sales metrics.

Most importantly: Let them keep their superpowers. 

If someone's a relationships wizard, have AI handle their paperwork instead of their client interactions. Play to strengths with AI, don't replace them.

2 – Pocketing AI gains = huge problem

Your employees are already AI productivity ninjas.

They're just hiding it from you.

At Lenovo while working with a client, they uncovered a pattern: Individual productivity skyrocketing 30-50% with AI. 

But those gains? 

Buh bye. Vanishing into thin air.

No reports. No scaling. No organization-wide impact.

The kicker? This isn't about hoarding productivity. It's about survival instincts. Every unreported AI win is an employee protecting their value proposition.

If you’re not two-way transparency around AI, the tech stack don’t matter. 

Employees need to share where they’re winning back time, like netting 50% efficiency gains. 

And employers need to have a transparent plan about what happens AFTER employees win back time. And it should prolly be more insightful and ethical than, ‘Yeah, we’re cutting your department by 50% Bill.” 

Try This 

Flip the incentive structure on its head. 

Create an "AI Innovation Fund" where 50% of productivity gains go back into employee-led projects. Let them pick their next challenge.

Institute "AI Power Hours" where teams demo their personal AI workflows – anonymously at first if needed. Focus on learning, not measuring.

Build a "Future Role Roadmap" showing exactly how each position evolves WITH AI, not because of it. Get stupidly specific. Show them the path from "report writer" to "insight strategist."

Take that transparency pill and swallow it. 

Your bottom line will thank us. 

(You’re welcome.) 

3 – AI efficiency and human employment can coexist

Wait…. You can crush manual work without cursing the workers? 

(Head nods approvingly up and down.) 

Their Studio AI system slashed their marketing content production time by 80%. Translations? Instant. Localization? Automated. Agency fees? Decimated.

Delish. 

Traditional playbook says: Fire 80% of the team.

What Lenovo actually did: Unleashed their creatives. Those hundreds of saved hours? All channeled into strategy, innovation, and the kind of creative work AI can't touch.

Better marketing. 

Event marketing. 

Humans still flourished. 

Try This 

Don't start with the AI. 

Start with the outcome and the "After AI" vision. 

Document every creative idea your team's been sitting on. Every strategic initiative they never had time for. Make that your AI roadmap.

Build a "Creativity Bank" where every hour saved by AI must be reinvested in innovation. 

Track it religiously. Make it visible. Turn automation into imagination fuel.

Create "Strategy Sprints" where AI handles the execution while humans focus purely on breakthrough thinking. Let them taste the future before it arrives.

The real reason AI scaling fails? 

We lead with laptops when we should lead with humans. We optimize code when we should optimize trust. We measure efficiency when we should measure imagination.

Your tech stack isn't the bottleneck.

Your human stack is.

⌚

Numbers to watch

20 trillion

According to a recent report, AI is expected to add nearly 20 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Yes. Trillion.

Now This …

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