🎙️ ElevenLabs' action-taking assistant 🎙️
Beyond voice - it actually works

ElevenLabs has released 11ai Alpha, a voice assistant designed to complete tasks rather than just respond to commands. The assistant connects with productivity tools like Linear, Slack, Perplexity, and Notion through Model Context Protocol, enabling workflows like "Add my tasks to Linear and schedule time blocks in Google Calendar." With enterprise-grade performance, sub-500ms latency, and over 5,000 voice options, it offers professionals a new way to manage workflows through natural voice commands.

🤖 Japan's robot control revolution 🤖
Control robots with muscle precision

Japanese startup H2L has introduced the "Capsule Interface" system that enables real-time, full-body robot control with unprecedented precision. Unlike traditional motion tracking systems, the technology uses advanced muscle displacement sensors to capture both movement and applied force, instantly translating physical actions into exact robot motions. The system operates through chair or bed-mounted systems with 300Hz sampling rate and less than 5ms latency, allowing users to control humanoid robots performing complex tasks like cleaning and lifting with lifelike physicality.

🍎 Apple's massive AI acquisition move 🍎
$14B bet on search independence

Apple is in early talks to acquire Perplexity, the AI-powered search startup valued at approximately $14 billion. If completed, this would mark Apple's largest acquisition ever, eclipsing its $3 billion Beats purchase in 2014. The deal would significantly bolster Siri and Safari capabilities while reducing Apple's reliance on Google's search engine. Key executives including Eddy Cue and Adrian Perica are already involved in discussions, though no formal offer has been extended yet.

INTERESTING TO KNOW

🧠 Brain massage for mental health 🧠

Sanmai Technologies has raised $12M to develop an AI-powered helmet that performs targeted brain ultrasounds to treat conditions like depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Backed by LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, the non-invasive device features an AI companion that guides users through treatments and identifies effective approaches. The company joins at least 20 firms working on brain-computer interfaces, including Neuralink, but stands out for its completely non-invasive approach.

📊 AI medical advice reality check 📊

A major Oxford study with ~1,300 participants revealed that people using AI chatbots for medical advice performed worse than those using Google, correctly identifying conditions only 34.5% of the time versus 47% with traditional search. While AI alone achieved 90-99% accuracy, humans struggled to provide complete information and distinguish good from bad suggestions. Meanwhile, professional medical AI tools like OpenEvidence are used by ~25% of US physicians an average of 10 times daily for complex cases.