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You ever see someone hype something up for months… then quietly act like it never existed?
Yeah. Meta just pulled that move — and not just for the drama. There’s in-fact a major shift brewing behind the scenes.
Here's what we have for you today
🤖 Meta’s Open-Source Era Might Be Ending
So Meta had this massive AI project in the works called Behemoth…
And get this: It was meant to be their big open-source flex — a powerhouse model that would make waves. But after months of training and internal buzz, it apparently fell flat in testing.
And now? Meta’s reportedly hitting pause. And not the “we’ll circle back later” kind of pause — more like “maybe this whole open-source strategy needs a rethink” kind of pause.
Yep. Word on the street (okay, The New York Times) is that inside Meta’s brand-new Superintelligence Lab, there’s talk of ditching open models altogether and going full closed.
That basically means Meta might be joining the “you-can-look-but-you-can’t-touch” club alongside OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and the rest of the closed-model gang.
Why?
Because closed models = more control, more $$$, and honestly? Open source sounds great… until your rivals are raking in profits and your model’s just sitting there not delivering.
And let’s be real — Meta’s “we’re so open-source” energy always felt a bit... non-committal.
Even Zuck said last year that they’d only stay open as long as it felt “responsible.” If things ever got too powerful or risky, they’d pull back — and folks, it kinda feels like that moment is now.
So what happens if Meta actually walks away from open source? A lot:
They were the MVP of the open-source movement. Models like Llama sparked a whole wave of innovation. If Meta dips now, that momentum could stall — especially for smaller startups building tools for safety, fine-tuning, and alignment.
The balance of power shifts. Fewer open models mean more gatekeeping, more paywalls, and more control in the hands of a few big players.
And weirdly, China could win big. Over there, open-source AI is still booming. Models like DeepSeek and Moonshot AI are powering China’s global AI strategy — and if Meta backs out, it could open the door even wider for them to take the lead.
Long story short:
Meta might be done playing open-source superhero. Behemoth underwhelmed, the vibes shifting, and now it’s looking like it’s all about control, monetization, and keeping the good stuff locked up tight.
Here’s the complete report.
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💰 xAI Goes From Controversy to $200M DoD Contract
If you caught the drama last week, you know Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot went totally rogue — spewing some wildly controversial, even antisemitic, remarks.
But here’s the real kicker: despite all that, the U.S. government just handed Musk’s AI company, xAI, a $200 million contract.
And not for some side project — it's to help modernize the freakin’ Department of Defense. 🧐
Plot twist, right?
Well, that’s the fact. xAI now joins Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic as one of the companies tapped for this gig.
Now, the timing? Kinda wild — considering Grok’s still under fire for that whole “MechaHitler” mess, and the fact that the debate around using AI in military tech was already pretty heated.
Add in Musk’s track record of slashing federal contracts — especially during his stint at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which, btw, didn’t exactly win him any fans in D.C. — and yeah, it’s no surprise this move has people doing double takes. Like seriously… Where did this even come from?
Anyway, here’s what we do know: the contract announcement comes via the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), and while the full details are hush-hush, the goal is to help the DoD build advanced agentic AI workflows across a variety of mission areas.
Alongside this, the U.S is also getting:
“Grok for Government”: yep, xAI is launching a new initiative to bring AI-powered tools and products to the U.S. government.
Through the General Services Administration (GSA), federal agencies — not just the DoD — will now be able to purchase xAI’s tech.
Expect custom AI models geared toward national security, healthcare, and science, even AI tools that can run in classified environments.
Now, to be fair, xAI did issue an apology after the Grok debacle, blaming it on a rogue update. And according to them, new safeguards are in place to make sure that kind of chaos doesn’t happen again.
Bottom line:
xAI just waltzed into the world of government contracts like it’s business as usual. Say what you want, but Musk knows how to bounce back.
Now let’s just hope Grok doesn’t go completely off the rails again. 🤞
🧱 Around The AI Block
🤔 How AI can make us better decision-makers.
🤝 Meta acquires voice startup Play AI.
💰 AI ‘Nudify’ websites are raking in millions of dollars.
💸 Mark Zuckerberg builds 5GW AI data center.
👨🏫 Saudi Arabia plans to train 1 million citizens in AI.
👧 Elon Musk’s Grok is making AI companions, including a goth anime girl.
🥳 Anthropic’s Claude chatbot can now make and edit your Canva designs.
😱 Scientists reportedly hiding AI text prompts in academic papers to receive positive peer reviews.
🛠️ Trending Tools
ShiftApp lets you edit any text on your laptop by highlighting, double-tapping shift, and entering your prompt to transform it instantly.
Agora is a product search engine that aggregates items from different online stores (totally free).
Zefi automatically collects and categorizes all your user feedback in one place to help you make better product decisions.
ISSEN helps you master any language through real-time conversations with a tutor available whenever you want.
Draft Alpha helps you maintain consistent brand voice across different marketing channels.
🤖 ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: Generate Complex Formulas with Zero Headaches
Tired of Googling Excel formulas that almost work but don’t quite hit the mark? This prompt is your go-to tool for generating powerful, custom-built Excel formulas that solve real spreadsheet headaches.
Whether it’s filtering, conditional sums, dynamic references, or nested logic, you’ll get not just the formula—but a breakdown of how it works and how to use it confidently.
Tips for Getting the Best Results:
Be Specific: Share column names, ranges, conditions, and expected outputs clearly.
Describe the Goal: Are you filtering, calculating, flagging data, or combining multiple conditions?
Include sample column names or ranges: This helps the formula fit your actual sheet setup.
Include Context: Mention if the data changes often, if you're using Excel or Google Sheets, or if dynamic updating is important.
Mention Excel version or limitations: (e.g., are you using Excel 365 with dynamic arrays, or older versions?)
Here’s the prompt:
You are an expert in advanced Excel formulas. I need help building a formula that solves a specific spreadsheet problem. Please ask any follow-up questions if something is unclear. Then, provide:
--The complete, correct Excel formula i should use
--A breakdown of how the formula works, step-by-step
--Any tips or warnings for implementation, especially around edge cases or dynamic updates.
Here’s my issue:
[Clearly describe your use case—e.g., “Calculate the sum of values in Column D only if Column A contains a date from the last 30 days and Column B equals ‘North’.”]
Optional details:
--Excel version: [e.g., Excel 365, Excel 2016, Google Sheets]
--Output format or special logic I’d like: [e.g., ignore blank rows, return 0 instead of error, etc.]
--Are helper columns allowed?
--Should the formula auto-update with new data?Here’s a sneak peek:
Upgrade now to see this whole month’s prompt videos and more, or buy TODAY’S WOD for just $1.99
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