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Happy Tuesday, AI & Data Enthusiasts! In today’s newsletter, we’ve got Elon Musk’s new smartest AI model, Grok-3, challenging OpenAI and DeepSeek. South Korea blocks DeepSeek downloads over data concerns, while AI takes a leap in understanding animal emotions. Plus, Perplexity unveils a freemium research tool. Let’s jump into it!
In today’s edition:
🧠 Musk Launches Grok-3 to Compete
🚨 South Korea Blocks DeepSeek App
🐾 AI Decodes Animal Emotions
🔍 Perplexity Launches Deep Research
- Naseema Perveen
WHAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION MOST
🧠 Musk Unveils Grok-3 to Challenge OpenAI & DeepSeek
Elon Musk is taking his AI competition to the next level with the launch of Grok-3, the newest model from his company, xAI. He calls it the "smartest AI on Earth," and it's built to challenge OpenAI's GPT-4o, Google's Gemini, and DeepSeek V3. With more computing power and advanced features, Musk wants xAI to become a major player in the AI world.
Performance Powerhouse – Grok-3 reportedly outperforms leading AI models in math, science, and coding benchmarks. It boasts ten times the computing power of its predecessor and completed training in January. Musk claims daily improvements are being made to refine its capabilities further.
New Features & Expansion – xAI introduced DeepSearch, a reasoning chatbot designed for research, brainstorming, and data analysis. A voice-based chatbot is also in the works, set for release soon.
Subscription & Open-Source Plans – Grok-3 is now available to X Premium+ subscribers, with xAI launching a new SuperGrok subscription for mobile and web access. Older versions of Grok will be open-sourced once Grok-3 matures.
The AI Power Struggle – Musk’s push for Grok-3 escalates his rivalry with OpenAI, which he criticized for shifting to a for-profit model. Meanwhile, xAI is seeking $10 billion in funding, while OpenAI eyes a $40 billion raise, intensifying the AI investment race.
With AI development moving at breakneck speed, Grok-3’s launch adds another layer to the competition. Whether it can truly challenge OpenAI remains to be seen, but Musk’s ambitions in AI are far from slowing down.
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WORTH WATCHING
Why AI is a Threat & how to Use it for Good
In his TEDxAthens talk, John Tasioulas explores the dual-edged nature of artificial intelligence, discussing both the potential risks it poses and the transformative good it can achieve. He emphasizes the importance of ethical frameworks to guide AI development, advocating for responsible innovation that maximizes its benefits for society while minimizing its dangers. Tasioulas challenges us to think critically about AI's impact on the future, urging action to ensure it is used for positive, constructive purposes.
You can watch the full talk here.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT
🚨 South Korea Blocks DeepSeek Downloads Over Data Privacy Concerns
South Korea is taking a hard stance on data privacy, temporarily blocking downloads of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek. The move comes after an investigation found potential violations of local data protection laws.
🇰🇷 Why the Ban?
The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) halted downloads of DeepSeek until the company aligns with South Korea’s privacy laws. While existing users can still access the app, officials warn against sharing personal data until compliance issues are resolved.
🔍 Data Transfers to ByteDance: Investigations revealed that DeepSeek had transferred South Korean user data to ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company. This raised national security concerns, prompting government agencies to restrict access to the app on official devices.
🌍 Global Scrutiny on DeepSeek: South Korea isn't alone in its caution. Australia has banned DeepSeek on government devices, while Italy and Taiwan have imposed similar restrictions, citing security risks tied to its Chinese origins.
🏆 DeepSeek’s AI Ambitions Face Roadblocks: Founded in 2023, DeepSeek gained attention for its open-source AI model, DeepSeek R1, which competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, regulatory challenges could slow its global growth.
DeepSeek’s ability to regain access in South Korea—and other markets—will depend on its willingness to comply with local regulations. As AI governance tightens worldwide, companies handling sensitive data must prioritize transparency and security or risk being shut out of key regions.
🐾 AI Learning to Decode Animal Emotions
Artificial intelligence is stepping into a surprising new role: helping us understand and interpret animal emotions. Researchers are developing systems that can analyze facial expressions and behavior to detect signs of pain, distress, or happiness in animals. AI could soon help identify subtle signs that animals are feeling discomfort or even joy—something that’s not always easy for humans to discern.
Intellipig: Tracking Pig Pain and Emotions: Researchers at the University of the West of England Bristol and Scotland’s Rural College have developed the Intellipig system. This AI analyzes photos of pigs' faces to detect signs of pain, sickness, or emotional distress, alerting farmers to potential issues.
AI for Dog Facial Recognition: A team at the University of Haifa is advancing facial recognition AI, which has previously been used to help find lost dogs. Now, the focus is on detecting signs of discomfort in animals by analyzing facial expressions, which share similarities with human facial movements.
Understanding Horses' Pain Signals: Researchers at the University of São Paulo trained AI using photos of horses' faces before and after surgery or painkillers. The AI was able to accurately identify pain-related facial changes with 88% success, focusing on key features like the eyes, ears, and mouth.
These advancements in AI could revolutionize animal care by offering a better understanding of their emotional and physical states. As AI continues to improve, it may become an essential tool in monitoring and improving the well-being of animals in various settings.
🔍 Perplexity Launches Freemium ‘Deep Research’ Tool
Perplexity has launched its in-depth research tool called Deep Research, joining the ranks of AI giants like Google and OpenAI. This new feature is designed to provide expert-level answers with citations for professional tasks, from finance and marketing to product research. The tool aims to offer more detailed insights than a standard chatbot, making it a valuable resource for professionals and researchers.
🧠 What Is Perplexity Deep Research?
Deep Research is an advanced AI tool that allows users to request thorough, well-cited reports. By selecting the “Deep Research” option when submitting a query, users receive a detailed research report that can be exported as a PDF or shared as a Perplexity Page. The tool’s ability to learn and refine its approach is designed to mimic how a human might research a new topic.
Performance and Benchmarking: Perplexity’s Deep Research tool recently excelled in Humanity’s Last Exam, an AI benchmarking test, achieving a score of 21.1%. While this was an impressive result, it still falls short of OpenAI’s Deep Research, which scored 26.6%. However, Perplexity’s tool outperformed others, including Gemini Thinking (6.2%) and Grok-2 (3.8%).
Access and Pricing: Unlike OpenAI’s Deep Research, which requires a $200-per-month Pro subscription, Perplexity’s Deep Research tool is available for free. Non-subscribers have a limited number of queries per day while paying users enjoy unlimited access.
Speed and Efficiency: Perplexity’s tool is also faster than its competitors. Most tasks are completed in under three minutes, compared to 5-30 minutes for OpenAI’s Deep Research, making it a more efficient option for casual researchers and professionals alike.
The Future of AI in Research
As more research tools like Perplexity Deep Research become available, the landscape for both casual and professional researchers is changing. While Perplexity excels in speed and accessibility, OpenAI dominates in analytical depth, and Google integrates seamlessly with productivity tools. The growing presence of AI research assistants could change how we approach learning, but some experts warn against relying too heavily on AI for creative thinking and problem-solving.
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