Hey {{first_name | there}},

The same company that partnered with OpenAI in 2024 to bring ChatGPT to iPhones has now decided to use Google’s Gemini to power the next version of its voice assistant.

Reports say Apple is paying Google around $1 billion a year for this deal.

That’s serious money. And it shows who’s ahead in the AI race right now.

This isn’t really about which AI model is better.
It’s about who controls distribution.

OpenAI had first-mover advantage. They launched ChatGPT when everyone else was still figuring out what to build.

But Google has stronger distribution. It owns the roads AI travels on. Search, Android, Gmail, YouTube, and now Siri.

Here’s where it gets more serious.

This week, Trump enacted a 25% tariff on certain advanced AI chips, including Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X. 

These aren’t just any chips. They’re the backbone of AI systems.

There’s an exception, though. Chips used to build or strengthen the US tech supply chain may be exempt.

That tells you everything you need to know.

AI isn’t just about software or models anymore. It’s about hardware. Factories. Supply chains. Control.

Nvidia sits at the center of this shift. Its chips power the data centers behind most major AI tools today. That’s why AI has become a national security issue, and why governments are now stepping in.

The real AI race isn’t happening in chat windows.
It’s happening in chip fabs, trade policy, and geopolitics.

At the same time, AI is getting scarier in a different way.

Tools like Hailuo, Higgsfield, and similar video models are making ultra-realistic fake videos easier to create every day. These aren’t obvious deepfakes anymore. They look real. They feel real.

People online are already worried about where this leads.

If someone is insecure, lonely, or emotionally vulnerable, this kind of tech can be used to manipulate them. Scam them. Build fake trust. Fake relationships. Fake authority.

We never really solved scam calls or phishing emails.
Now we’re adding hyper-realistic video and voice to the mix.

That’s not innovation without consequences. That’s pouring fuel on an existing fire.

The tech itself isn’t evil. But misuse is becoming cheaper, faster, and harder to detect.

And creativity isn’t slowing it down. It’s accelerating it.

This part should worry you.

A new study published in Nature found that scientists who use AI publish three times more papers, get five times more citations, and reach leadership roles faster than those who don’t.

Sounds great, right?

There’s a catch.

The same study found that these scientists are more likely to work on small improvements to existing problems instead of exploring new ideas.

In short: AI makes researchers faster and more productive—but not more innovative.

One of the study’s authors, James Evans, said it clearly. We want AI-driven science to create new fields, not just squeeze more results out of old questions.

This pattern isn’t limited to science.

AI helps you do more of what you already do.
It doesn’t automatically make you more creative, strategic, or curious.

The real winners will be those who use AI to explore different problems, not just solve the same ones faster.

Meanwhile, a new report from the Brookings Institution says something blunt.

Right now, the risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits.

Not “might.”
Do.

The issue is access. The free AI tools used most by underfunded schools are also the least accurate and least reliable.

Instead of closing gaps, AI could actually widen educational inequality.

The report calls for better AI literacy for teachers and students, clear government regulation, and a shift away from using AI just to complete tasks. The focus should be on curiosity and learning.

If you’re building AI products, stop chasing features. Build for distribution. Google didn’t win by having the “best” model. They won by putting it in front of billions of people.

If you’re using AI at work, don’t just use it to move faster. Use it to ask better and different questions. Speed isn’t the advantage. Original thinking is.

If you work in education or with young people, push for AI literacy and regulation now. The gap between AI haves and have-nots is growing every day.

The AI race is already creating winners and losers.
The choices you make this week matter.

So, what are you building?
And who is it actually helping?

Hit reply and tell me. I read every response.

- Aashish