Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Many of us in the AI and business worlds are focused — anecdotally and in terms of the number of articles and messages being written/posted — on OpenAI and DeepSeek, especially OpenAI’s o3-powered Deep Research mode, a new reasoning AI agent that performs extensive web research on behalf of the user and compiles it into neat and tidy, well-cited reports. This is natural since it’s a relatively new product (announced earlier this month) and OpenAI remains among the most highly-regarded and widely used AI model providers. Plus, CEO Sam Altman recently shared plans to make this product available outside of the current $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription, at least on a limited trial basis. Yet for those seeking to use AI to perform Deep Research and have it write reports for you, there’s another model worth checking out without waiting for OpenAI’s Deep Research to make its way to more affordable subscription tiers or shelling out the $200-per-month for the ChatGPT Pro plan. Search giant Google’s own Deep Research mode, powered by its prior generation Gemini 1.5 Pro model, is available now on Google’s Gemini chatbot online through the Google One AI Premium plan (~$20 USD per month), and performs many of the same functionality as OpenAI’s Deep Research at 1/10th the monthly cost. Google actually offers the first month free, currently. It also allows you to export the resulting reports directly to Google Docs with one click. For those that use Google Workspace apps like Docs, this is an incredibly helpful and natural integration. How to use Google Deep Research to generate reports in minutes To access it, subscribe to the Google One AI Premium plan using the link above, then navigate to gemini.google.com, click the drop down menu labeled “Gemini Advanced” in the upper left corner, and select “1.5 Pro with Deep Research.” Every query you type into the entry bar at the bottom after this will now engage Deep Research mode. After the user enters the prompt, the Deep Research agent will draft a research plan for the user’s approval that looks something like this: The user can click to edit parts of the plan by prompting with new adjustments, or go ahead and click the “Start Research” button to begin the process. The Deep Research agent will compile a list of websites to perform the research on, and finally, a report in the form of a response that the user can quickly export to Google Docs with the “Open in Docs” button at the top right of the response box. Whether it’s researching scholarly topics such as conflict throughout history, or the science of new materials like graphene, or market fluctuations, or coming up with concrete business plans for mass producing a new physical small consumer goods product, my own extensive hands-on usage of Google’s Deep Research over the last few days has produced informative reports on a wide range of subjects, complete with citations and well-constructed explanations of the topics discussed. Even such controversial subjects that other AI models often refuse to engage with whatsoever — such as the recent Israeli military campaign in Gaza and whether or not it qualifies as a genocide, or the treatment of transgender people throughout history and in recent times — Google’s Deep Research will attempt to address using evidence from a variety of reputable sources, albeit with a bit of prompt engineering to get around initial resistance. I would strongly encourage all and any business leaders, especially those in “knowledge work” or manufacturing fields, to try Google Deep Research: have it produce reports on subjects related to your industry, and ask it to identify new opportunities or helpful insights to grow your business and gain efficiencies, which you might have missed. Basically treat it like a new helpful researcher on your team, give it some instructions in the form of a paragraph (or a few), and let it compile the report for you — mine took anywhere from seconds to less than 10 minutes. I strongly believe you will be impressed with the results, and may find it changes your workflow and approach for the better. Take a look at examples of 8 reports I generated with Google Deep Research below, complete with initial prompt, and try it for yourself. These are all unedited, raw reports produced directly by Google’s Deep Research powered by Gemini 1.5 Pro. I should hasten to add I’m not being paid by Google for this post or any other work, and am simply a tech journalist/geek by constitution who enjoys testing out new products and services and seeing how, if at all, they can be useful to me and my own personal knowledge repository. 1. Sleep research Prompt: “Compile me a report cross referencing various and any recent applicable studies and other scientific information about sleep length per night, and why some people may need less or more sleep than others, any genetic basis for this, and health effects of low sleep as well as whether low sleepers tend to suffer these or have genetics that protect them from the effects of low sleep.” Result: “Sleep Duration, Individual Variability, and Health Consequences: A Comprehensive Review“ 2. Economic boom and bust research Prompt: “Markets globally and for individual countries and commodities are known for having peaks and valleys, with sudden “black swan” events that often drive economic activity down. Research these throughout history, from the Tulip Craze of Amsterdam to the Great Depression and Global Financial Crisis and subsequent Global Recession, plus any other notable examples you can find, and discuss any overlapping commonalities in causes for market decline and resurgence, and also which markets continued to grow and thrive in depression and recessionary environments.“ Result: “Peaks, Valleys, and Black Swans: An Analysis of Market Crashes and Thriving Sectors in Economic Downturns“ 3. Making a new mass produced consumer product Prompt: “I have an idea

Our memories are not infallible, which is why companies with common sense employ checklists to keep things ordered and working well. For instance, take the matter of network and systems security. You’d need to think about workstations, mobile devices, servers, etc. You’d then need to consider the workstations in detail, such as thin clients, corporate desktops, and so on. An organization has to check what elements should be tracked and addressed, when there are seemingly so many threats coming from so many directions. It’s certainly possible for companies to create tech checklists themselves, but consider how much your time is worth. TechRepublic Premium can save you a lot of hassle at a very reasonable price. Our library is a healthy mix of documents and spreadsheets on a wide range of topics. Examples include MSP best practices, equipment, cybersecurity, cloud, data, payroll, quality assurance, GDPR, and project management. Get a taste of what we offer with this FREE macOS Tune-Up Checklist. Subscribe to TechRepublic Premium and get access to 75+ tech checklists. Download a checklist and use or modify as you see fit. We keep things fresh as we’re constantly adding to our library or updating existing ones. A sample of TechRepublic Premium’s checklists Members get access to all our policies, hiring kits, and more Along with our checklists, TechRepublic Premium members get access to all our other resources, such as policies, hiring kits, glossaries, predictions, features and event coverage. source

Ensure their environment is intuitive, easy to test your agents within, and has enhanced options for your agents such as short- and long-term memory. Plus, there should be features for responsible AI — reflection, groundedness, and context relevance — and safe AI — fairness and bias, toxicity check, human-in-the-loop, and PII redaction. You’ll also want to have, at a glance, visibility into your credits used as part of your subscription, as well as value-added features like the ability to improve the role and instructions for your agent using AI. Thorough API documentation Once your agents are built in the AI agent builder platform, the next step is to use API calls to implement these agents within your own applications. Look for plentiful documentation at the API level, but also higher-level information that explains the sequence when provisioning agents on the fly, and so on. This is where clear documentation can help your own IT team get up to speed and learn the required sequence from environment setup, to RAG creation and training, to agent creation, to agent interaction and inquiry.  They’ll also need clear documentation on how to monitor and report on token usage, and how to monitor and display historical inquiries, AI agent and security performance, and integration with other systems. Having this information can often halve your development and testing time since there’s far less back-and-forth between your IT team and the agent provider resolving questions and issues. source

By Jade Martinez-Pogue ( February 12, 2025, 2:25 PM EST) — Software-focused growth equity firm PSG, advised by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, on Wednesday revealed that it clinched its two latest funds after securing a combined $8 billion in capital commitments…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Hugging Face and Physical Intelligence have quietly launched Pi0 (Pi-Zero) this week, the first foundational model for robots that translates natural language commands directly into physical actions. “Pi0 is the most advanced vision language action model,” Remi Cadene, a principal research scientist at Hugging Face, announced in an X post that quickly gained attention across the AI community. “It takes natural language commands as input and directly outputs autonomous behavior.” This release marks a pivotal moment in robotics: The first time a foundation model for robots has been made widely available through an open-source platform. Much like ChatGPT revolutionized text generation, Pi0 aims to transform how robots learn and execute tasks. The future of robotics is open! Excited to see Pi0 by @physical_int being the first foundational robotics model to be open-sourced on @huggingface @LeRobotHF. You can now fine-tune it on your own dataset. ??? pic.twitter.com/ar8SHgyFbv — clem ? (@ClementDelangue) February 4, 2025 How Pi0 brings ChatGPT-style learning to robotics, unlocking complex tasks The model, originally developed by Physical Intelligence and now ported to Hugging Face’s LeRobot platform, can perform complex tasks like folding laundry, bussing tables and packing groceries — activities that have traditionally been extremely challenging for robots to master. “Today’s robots are narrow specialists, programmed for repetitive motions in choreographed settings,” the Physical Intelligence research team wrote in their announcement post. “Pi0 changes that, allowing robots to learn and follow user instructions, making programming as simple as telling the robot what you want done.” The technology behind Pi0 represents a significant technical achievement. The model was trained on data from seven different robotic platforms and 68 unique tasks, enabling it to handle everything from delicate manipulation tasks to complex multi-step procedures. It employs a novel technique called flow matching to produce smooth, real-time action trajectories at 50Hz, making it highly precise and adaptable for real-world deployment. Credit: Physical Intelligence New FAST technology accelerates robot training by 5X, expanding AI’s potential Building on this foundation, the team also introduced “Pi0-FAST,” an enhanced version of the model that incorporates a new tokenization scheme called frequency-space action sequence tokenization (FAST). This version trains five times faster than its predecessor and shows improved generalization across different environments and robot types. The implications for industry are substantial. Manufacturing facilities could potentially reprogram robots for new tasks through simple verbal instructions rather than complex coding. Warehouses could deploy more flexible automation systems that adapt to changing needs. Even small businesses might find robotics more accessible, as the barrier to programming and deployment significantly decreases. However, challenges remain. While Pi0 represents a significant advance, it still has limitations. The model occasionally struggles with very complex tasks and requires substantial computational resources. There are also questions about reliability and safety in industrial settings. The release comes at a crucial time in the AI industry’s evolution. As companies race to develop and deploy artificial general intelligence (AGI), Pi0 represents one of the first successful attempts to bridge the gap between language models and physical world interaction. The technology is now available through Hugging Face’s platform, where developers can download and use the pretrained policy with just a few lines of code: pythonRunCopy policy = Pi0Policy.from_pretrained(“lerobot/pi0”) For enterprise users, this accessibility could accelerate the adoption of advanced robotics across industries. Companies can now fine-tune the model for specific use cases, potentially reducing the time and cost associated with deploying robotic solutions. Credit: Physical Intelligence Why enterprise leaders should pay attention to open-source robotics The development team has also released comprehensive documentation and training materials, making the technology accessible to a broader range of users. This democratization of robotics technology could lead to innovative applications across various sectors, from healthcare to retail. As the technology matures, it could reshape how we think about automation and human-robot interaction. The ability to control robots through natural language could make robotic assistance more accessible in homes, hospitals and small businesses — areas where traditional robotics has struggled to gain traction due to programming complexity. With this release, the future of robotics looks increasingly conversational, adaptive and accessible. While there’s still work to be done, Pi0 represents a significant step toward making versatile, intelligent robots a practical reality rather than a science fiction fantasy. source

Money market accounts (MMAs) and checking accounts may share some similar features, such as earning interest, getting FDIC insurance coverage, and allowing check writing and debit card access. However, they differ in terms of yields, withdrawal limits, and transaction flexibility. MMAs typically offer higher returns than checking accounts, which usually provide little to no interest earnings. When it comes to account access, checking accounts have fewer restrictions on withdrawals and transfers, while MMAs are often limited to six withdrawals or transfers per month due to Federal Reserve Regulations. What is a money market account? A money market account is a savings product that offers some checking account features. Generally, MMAs provide higher interest than checking accounts, but will also require higher initial deposits and minimum balance requirements. While they allow you to write checks and use debit cards, they can have a strict limitation of six monthly withdrawals or transfers. MMAs can be a great choice if your main goal is to earn more interest on your savings and you don’t need constant access to your money. However, you need to consider the higher deposit requirements and transaction restrictions before opening this type of account. What is a checking account? A checking account is designed for day-to-day transactions, making it ideal for those who need to manage regular transactions like paying bills, receiving payments, or making purchases. It also comes with paper checks and debit cards. Typically, it offers unlimited withdrawals and transfers, making it a convenient option if you wish to access your funds often. However, many checking accounts offer low to no interest on your balance, which won’t allow you to grow your funds compared to an MMA. Still, its flexibility and ease of access make it an essential account for most people. Key differences: money market vs checking account Below is a table highlighting the differences between a money market vs checking account. Money Market Account Checking Account Initial deposit amount Higher Lower or none Minimum balance requirement Higher Lower or none Monthly fee Yes; waivable Mostly yes; waivable Earns Interest Higher Lower or mostly none Monthly withdrawal limits Usually six but varies per provider Mostly none Debit card Yes, some Yes Check-writing Yes, some Yes Federally insured Yes Yes Transaction types Can include direct deposits, wire transfers, mobile check deposits, check deposits, ACH transfers, and debit card transactions. Can include direct deposits, wire transfers, mobile deposits, check deposits, ATM withdrawals, ACH transfers, bill pay, and debit card transactions. Interest rates of money market account vs checking account Money market accounts are classified as interest-bearing accounts while checking accounts may or may not offer returns. Money market account: MMAs generally offer higher interest rates than checking accounts, with rates ranging from 0.5% to over 3%, depending on your provider and account balance. Some MMAs have tiered interest, meaning you earn higher returns the more money you have in your account. Checking account: Meanwhile, checking accounts typically offer very little to no interest, often ranging from 0% to 0.5% annual percentage yield (APY). However, a few online banks may offer slightly higher rates. If your priority is earning maximum interest and you’re comfortable with limited access to your funds, I recommend opening a money market account. However, if you need an account for everyday transactions and aren’t concerned with interest, a checking account is your best option. Before making a decision, I encourage you to compare the interest rates from various providers before choosing a business bank. More Banking Coverage Access to funds of money market account vs checking account When it comes to accessing your money, MMAs and checking accounts differ in flexibility. Money market account: MMAs typically allow up to six monthly withdrawals or transfers, though this can vary by provider. Exceeding the limit can result in a fee. While some MMAs offer check-writing and debit card access, your account may still be subject to transaction limits. Checking account: Compared to MMAs, most checking accounts offer unlimited withdrawals or transfers monthly. You can access your account through check writing and debit cards, which are useful for paying bills and making large in-store or online purchases. If you need unrestricted access to your funds for daily transactions, I recommend opening a checking account. Minimum balance and fees of a money market account vs checking account The fees and balance requirements for MMAs and checking accounts can vary, but some general differences exist. Money market account: It typically requires a higher opening deposit and minimum balance (between $1,000 and $5,000) than a checking account. Some online banks may offer lower minimums. Monthly maintenance fees usually range from $5 to $30 though some providers waive this fee if you maintain the required balance. Checking account: Basic checking accounts can often be opened with no initial deposit and typically don’t have a minimum balance requirement. However, to avoid monthly service fees (usually $5 to $30), you may need to maintain a balance between $500 and $1,500. Additional fees might apply for overdrafts, ATM withdrawals outside the bank’s network, and paper statements. Read our article on overdraft protection to learn how it works and avoid the common overdraft fee. If you seek a low-maintenance, everyday account, a basic checking account may be the right choice. However, if you’re willing to maintain a higher balance for better interest and fewer fees, an MMA could work for you. Transaction types of a money market account vs checking account The types of transactions available on each account type can differ, depending on how you plan to use your account. Money market account: You can make direct deposits, wire transfers, and mobile check deposits with an MMA. Some accounts allow check-writing, though not all providers offer this feature. You can also make ACH transfers and, in some cases, use a debit card for purchases or ATM withdrawals. However, note that MMAs often have transaction limits, and exceeding them may incur fees. Checking account: This account is designed for frequent transactions. You can perform direct deposits, wire transfers, mobile deposits, check deposits, and ATM withdrawals without

The insurance giant’s EVP and CTO sees a bright future for IT in digitizing the ordinary things workers do in order to humanize the extraordinary things they do. source

By Emma Cueto ( February 11, 2025, 4:15 PM EST) — Washington, D.C., firm Wiley Rein LLP has added a former Federal Trade Commission official as counsel, the firm said in a Tuesday announcement…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

For business professionals, it’s essential to have an active travel schedule, and you can enhance your experiences by learning a new language. With a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning, you’ll be set up for success no matter where you’re going. Now through February 17, you can get a lifetime subscription on sale for just $129.99 (reg. $599) with coupon code LEARN40. About the Babbel app Developed by more than 100 expert linguists, Babbel takes a practical approach to language learning, with 15-minute lessons focused on topics like navigation, ordering food, shopping, and making friends — things you’ll actually need to know when you travel abroad. You can learn at a level that works for you and use Babbel’s technology to keep your pronunciation on point and identify points of weakness to work on. Babbel offers 14 languages: Spanish, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, Dutch, Polish, Indonesian, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, and English. Babbel is the world’s top-grossing language app, trusted by more than 10 million people worldwide. Its accessible, bite-sized courses help make up a curriculum that has helped propel it to a 4.5/5-star rating in the Google Play Store and a 4.6/5-star rating on the App Store. Learn a new language in your own time at a great price. Now through February 17, you can get a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning for just $129.99 when using the LEARN40 coupon code. Prices and availability are subject to change. source

The IT market in Germany is estimated to grow by $31.3 billion USD by 2028, a new report has found. This equates to an annual growth rate of almost 4.07%, spurred on by increased adoption of IT solutions within SMEs and big data solutions within enterprises. Despite this growth, German businesses will face challenges in recruitment and retention due to a shortage of skilled IT professionals, according to the report by technology research and advisory company Technavio. And yet, Germany is the third most technically proficient country in Europe. “Insufficient professional qualifications limit the pool of potential candidates for open positions,” the authors wrote in a press release. “In response, professionals with the necessary qualifications, experience, and skillsets command high salaries. Consequently, small and medium enterprises, as well as the public sector, struggle to find suitable candidates.” Shortfalls in this area could be made up for by Germany’s dedication to AI investment. Just this month, renowned publisher Wiley found that 57% of researchers in Germany are integrating AI into their work, which is much higher than the global adoption rate of 44%. The country is also regarded as being in the top 10 of global AI leaders. SEE: Europe Selects German Site for AI Factory More must-read AI coverage Key factors to driving growth in Germany’s IT market The report’s authors wrote, “These factors are expected to drive the growth of the IT market in Germany during the forecast period.” Shift in focus from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 The Technavio research noted that Germany’s National AI Strategy “boosts the artificial intelligence market, with software AI and automation leading the way.” Launched long before ChatGPT in 2018, it outlines key initiatives such as establishing national competence centers for AI research, increasing AI professorships, investment of about €5 billion, and expanding its leadership in Industry 4.0. However, Technavio analysts said that, over the next four years, Germany will be shifting its focus to Industry 5.0 — a digitised manufacturing sector that prioritises worker wellbeing and sustainability. Germany has had a strong presence in engineering, particularly robotics, for decades, but hopes to maintain its lead by incorporating machine learning for the benefit of its people and the environment. The country ranks fourth in the world for industrial robotics adoption, with 429 robots per 10,000 employees, based on 2023 data. How big data and analytics will be key “Big Data and analytics are key technologies enabling this transformation, with data collected from production equipment, enterprise systems, and customer management systems,” the authors wrote. “This data is used to optimize production quality, reduce costs, expedite production times, and deliver superior customer support.” Autonomous robots can increase productivity They go on to highlight autonomous robots that handle painting, assembling, welding, and product inspection, and how they can boost productivity while reducing waste. Last month, at CES 2025, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang predicted that generative AI could make humanoid robots a reality in the near future, despite previous difficulties commercialising them. Investments in “manufacturing execution systems” German enterprises are apparently investing in “manufacturing execution systems” — software solutions that manage manufacturing processes in real time. “The use of manufacturing intelligence allows industries to closely speculate on mechanical and procedural challenges, moving to advanced modes of data collection using sensors, actuators, assets, production analysis, and more,” the Technavio analysts wrote. source