🚀 Elon Musk's xAI Launches Grok 4 🚀
And seems to outperforms competitors on benchmarks

xAI has officially launched Grok 4, its latest flagship AI model, alongside a $300-per-month SuperGrok Heavy subscription plan - the most expensive among major AI providers.

The company released two versions: standard Grok 4 and Grok 4 Heavy, a "multi-agent version" that spawns multiple agents to work on problems simultaneously "like a study group." Musk claimed Grok 4 is "better than PhD level in every subject" and demonstrated strong benchmark performance, scoring 25.4% on Humanity's Last Exam (outperforming Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro at 21.6%) and achieving 16.2% on ARC-AGI-2 - nearly twice the next best commercial model.

SuperGrok Heavy subscribers get early access to Grok 4 Heavy and upcoming features including an AI coding model in August, multi-modal agent in September, and video generation in October.

☄️ Perplexity Debuts Comet AI Browser☄️
New browser features integrated AI agent for Max subscribers

Perplexity has launched Comet, its AI-powered web browser that aims to challenge Google Chrome by transforming browsing into "thinking out loud" rather than traditional tab-based navigation.

Available initially to Perplexity Max subscribers at $200/month and select waitlist invitees, Comet features Perplexity's AI search as default and introduces Comet Assistant, an AI agent that can summarize emails, manage calendars, and navigate webpages autonomously. The browser promises to "amplify human intelligence" by collapsing complex workflows into fluid conversations, allowing users to ask it to book meetings, send emails, or brief them for their day.

Built on Chromium (Google's open-source code), Comet includes built-in AdBlock and one-click import of Chrome extensions and bookmarks. CEO Aravind Srinivas described Comet as developing "an operating system with which you can do almost everything"

🎥 Google Gemini adds Photo-to-Video with Veo 3 🎥
Available exclusively to Gemini AI Pro subscribers

Google has launched a photo-to-video capability in Gemini, allowing users to transform static images into 8-second video clips with AI-generated sound using the Veo 3 model. Available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in select regions, the feature began rolling out Thursday on web and will reach mobile throughout the week.

Users can upload a photo, describe the desired scene and audio, and watch as Veo 3 creates MP4 videos at 720p in 16:9 format with sound effects, ambient noise, and speech. Google reports over 40 million Veo 3 videos generated across Gemini and Flow in just seven weeks, with users creating everything from animated fairy tales to ASMR content.

The feature includes visible and invisible SynthID watermarks to identify AI-generated content and employs extensive safety measures including restrictions on public figures and harmful content.

INTERESTING TO KNOW

🤖 Hugging Face opens orders for Reachy Mini Robots 🤖

Hugging Face has officially opened orders for its Reachy Mini desktop robots, announced as developer-friendly devices for AI experimentation. The company offers two versions: the Reachy Mini Lite at $299 (requires external computing connection) and the Reachy Mini Wireless at $449 (runs on Raspberry Pi 5).

The open-source robots come as DIY kits about the size of stuffed animals, featuring two screen eyes and antennas. Once assembled, they're fully programmable in Python and integrate with the Hugging Face Hub, providing access to 1.7 million AI models and 400,000 datasets.

👓 Meta Invests $3.5 Billion in EssilorLuxottica👓

Meta Platforms has acquired just under 3% of EssilorLuxottica for approximately $3.5 billion, strengthening its commitment to the AI-powered smart glasses market.

The investment consolidates Meta's existing partnership with the world's largest eyewear manufacturer, which produces Ray-Ban and Oakley brands. The two companies have been collaborating since 2019, with Meta currently selling Ray-Ban smart glasses equipped with built-in cameras and AI assistants, and recently launching Oakley-branded smart glasses with similar AI functionality.

EssilorLuxottica shares rose up to 7.1% following the announcement, while Meta is considering expanding its stake to around 5% over time. The deal aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's AI strategy, enabling Meta to control its own hardware distribution rather than relying on competitor smartphones.Rad mor