Japanese self-driving technology startup Turing Inc. has secured approximately ¥15.3 billion ($99 million) in funding from investors, including major automotive supplier Denso Corp. This investment highlights the increasing interest in Turing's innovative approach to AI-driven transportation solutions. With a valuation of $388 million, Turing is poised to enhance its development of autonomous technologies in a rapidly evolving market.

Weibo has unveiled its latest open-source AI model, VibeThinker-1.5B, which has demonstrated superior performance compared to DeepSeek-R1, even with a post-training budget of $7,800. This achievement highlights the growing capabilities of Chinese companies in the open-source AI landscape. The advancements in VibeThinker-1.5B could significantly influence future developments in AI technology and applications.

ElevenLabs has secured agreements with renowned actors Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey to create AI-generated audio using their voices. This move highlights the growing trend of leveraging celebrity likenesses in artificial intelligence applications. The partnerships could significantly enhance the company's offerings in the entertainment and media sectors.

AI coding startup Cursor has raised $2.3 billion, bringing its valuation to an impressive $29.3 billion. This funding round marks a significant increase in value, tripling the company's worth in just a few months. The investment highlights growing confidence in AI-driven solutions in the tech industry.

Google has introduced conversational shopping as part of its AI Mode search, marking a significant step towards monetizing this feature. The rollout aims to enhance user experience by allowing more interactive and personalized shopping experiences through AI. This move is expected to reshape the way consumers engage with search results and advertisements, potentially increasing revenue for Google.

LinkedIn is launching an AI-driven people search feature aimed at premium users in the U.S. This new tool is designed to improve the efficiency of finding relevant connections, leveraging artificial intelligence to refine search results. The enhancement is expected to significantly impact networking on the platform, providing users with a more personalized and effective experience.

Google has introduced a new feature called 'Deep Research' in its NotebookLM service, aimed at automating and simplifying the online research process. This update will also expand compatibility with additional file types, enhancing user experience and accessibility. The move is expected to significantly aid researchers and students by streamlining their research workflows.

OpenAI has introduced a new experimental large language model that aims to provide clearer insights into its inner workings, addressing the opacity issues common in current AI models. This development is significant, as it allows for greater understanding and accountability in AI technologies that often function as black boxes. By enhancing transparency, OpenAI's model could pave the way for more responsible AI deployment and foster public trust in AI systems.