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Happy Wednesday, AI & Data Enthusiasts! From China's DeepSeek accelerating its next-gen AI launch to Google making its AI coding tool-free, the AI landscape is shifting rapidly. Meanwhile, DBS Bank is cutting 4,000 jobs due to AI automation, and Perplexity is fueling the next wave of AI startups with a $50M fund. AI is moving fast - are you keeping up?
In today’s edition:
🌍 China’s AI Disruptor: DeepSeek Fast-Tracks R2 Launch
🔓 Google Gemini’s AI Coding Tool is Now Free
🚨 AI Reshapes Banking: DBS to Cut 4,000 Jobs
💰 Perplexity Unveils $50M VC Fund for Early-Stage AI Startups
- Naseema Perveen
WHAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION MOST
🌍 China’s AI Disruptor: DeepSeek Fast-Tracks R2 Launch
DeepSeek is moving fast. After shaking up global markets with its budget-friendly AI model, the Chinese startup is now accelerating the release of its next-generation R2 model—potentially launching it before May. As China goes all in on AI, DeepSeek’s rapid rise is drawing global attention.
⚡ Speeding Up R2’s Release
DeepSeek had originally planned to release R2 in early May, but the company is now pushing for an even earlier launch. The new model is expected to offer improved coding capabilities and support multiple languages beyond English. Despite using less-powerful Nvidia chips, DeepSeek's AI models have already proven to be strong competitors against those developed by Western tech giants at much higher costs.
🌏 China’s AI Bet & Global Reactions
China is embracing DeepSeek's AI advancements, with many companies already integrating its models into their products. This rapid adoption is likely to fuel China’s broader AI ambitions. However, the U.S. government is keeping a close watch, as AI leadership remains a national priority. DeepSeek’s growing influence could challenge Western dominance in AI development, adding another layer of complexity to the global AI race.
🏗️ A Startup Breaking the Mold
Unlike traditional Chinese tech giants, DeepSeek operates with a flat hierarchy and a research-driven approach. Its founder, Liang Wenfeng, a former hedge fund billionaire, has remained low-profile, rarely engaging with the media. Employees describe DeepSeek as functioning more like a research lab than a profit-driven enterprise, setting it apart from other AI firms that prioritize rigid corporate structures and long working hours.
🔮 The Bigger Picture
DeepSeek’s rapid rise underscores the shifting power dynamics in AI innovation. With its cost-effective models and ambitious expansion, the company is setting new standards—and forcing global tech giants to rethink their strategies.
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WORTH WATCHING
The Existential Threat of AI to Human Civilization
The video "The Existential Threat of AI to Human Civilization" dives into the potential dangers AI poses to society. It examines the risks of AI outpacing human control, including ethical issues, societal upheaval, and the urgent need for regulation. 🚨
Want to know more? 📲 Watch the full video and explore the conversation on how we can safeguard our future!
KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT
🔓 Google Gemini’s AI Coding Tool Is Now Available for Free
Google is making AI-powered coding more accessible with the free release of Gemini Code Assist for individual developers. The tool, previously available only to businesses, now helps solo developers, freelancers, and students write, debug, and improve code — all without switching between multiple tabs or tools.
What makes Gemini Code Assist stand out? Let's explore:
More Generous Usage Limits – Gemini Code Assist offers up to 180,000 code completions per month—90x more than GitHub Copilot's free tier, which caps at 2,000 completions. This makes it one of the most powerful free coding assistants available today.
Natural Language Prompts – Developers can simply type requests like “Build an HTML form with name, email, and message fields” to generate entire code blocks without writing every line manually.
Multi-Platform Support – It integrates with popular developer tools like Visual Studio Code, GitHub, and JetBrains, supporting 38+ programming languages.
AI-Powered Assistance – Built on Gemini 2.0, Google's latest AI model, the tool can generate, modify, and debug code while processing up to 128,000 tokens — giving it a deeper understanding of complex prompts.
Enterprise Features Reserved – While the free version covers most coding needs, advanced features like Google Cloud integrations, productivity metrics, and private data customization remain exclusive to paid tiers.
With this move, Google is not only challenging GitHub Copilot but also making AI coding tools more accessible to a broader community of developers.
🚨 AI Reshapes Banking: DBS to Cut 4,000 Jobs
AI is shaking up the banking industry, and Singapore’s largest bank, DBS, is making a bold move. Over the next three years, the bank plans to cut 4,000 temporary and contract roles as AI takes over tasks once handled by humans. But it’s not all about job losses—DBS is also creating new AI-related opportunities.
🔍 AI-Driven Job Cuts
DBS will phase out 4,000 temporary and contract roles across 19 markets.
The cuts will happen through natural attrition as projects wrap up.
Permanent employees won’t be affected.
🚀 AI’s Expanding Role at DBS
The bank currently uses 800 AI models across 350 use cases.
AI’s economic impact is expected to exceed S$1 billion ($745M) by 2025.
AI is streamlining operations, reducing manual work, and increasing efficiency.
🏗️ New AI Jobs on the Horizon
DBS plans to hire 1,000 AI specialists to support its transformation.
AI-driven roles will focus on data science, machine learning, and automation.
🌍 The Bigger Picture: AI & Global Jobs
The IMF predicts AI will impact 40% of jobs worldwide.
Experts are divided—some see job losses, while others believe AI will create new opportunities.
The Bank of England suggests workers will adapt, learning to collaborate with AI.
🔄 A New Era for Banking
DBS’s shift highlights a broader trend—AI is redefining roles rather than simply eliminating them. As technology advances, the challenge will be reskilling workers and ensuring AI serves as a tool for growth rather than just cost-cutting.
💰 Perplexity Unveils $50M VC Fund for Early-Stage AI Startups
Perplexity is launching a $50 million venture fund to invest in seed and pre-seed startups. While most of the funding comes from limited partners, Perplexity is also contributing capital from its own recent funding rounds—including its $500 million raise at a $9 billion valuation in December.
Here’s what we know:
Backed by Experienced Investors – The fund is led by Kelly Graziadei and Joanna Lee Shevelenko, co-founders of early-stage VC firm F7 Ventures, which has previously invested in startups like women’s health company Midi.
Strategic Growth Move – Unlike OpenAI’s Startup Fund, which doesn’t use its own capital for investments, Perplexity is reinvesting part of its growth funding to anchor its venture fund.
AI Ecosystem Play – By backing promising AI startups, Perplexity is positioning itself as both a tech innovator and an early-stage investor, potentially shaping the future of AI-powered search and beyond.
With AI startups facing increasing competition for funding, having a dedicated AI-focused VC like Perplexity could provide a crucial boost for founders looking to break into the industry. Whether this fund gives Perplexity a competitive edge over search rivals like OpenAI and Google remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Perplexity isn’t just searching for answers—it’s investing in the future.
ICYMI
$$$ MONEY MATTERS
That’s all for now. And, thanks for staying with us. If you have specific feedback, please let us know by leaving a comment or emailing us. We are here to serve you!
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