The beggining is close.

Hi there, welcome to this week’s update!

AI is moving fast—let’s cut through the noise and focus on what matters to you. From AI taking over business meetings to the latest in automation, here’s what you need to know this week:

In today’s AI for the 9 to 5:

• 📈 AI startup Manus raises $25M to automate business workflows

• 🎤 Google’s Gemini AI can now run meetings for you

• 🏢 Microsoft’s MAI models challenge OpenAI’s dominance

• 📚 AI-powered learning platform transforms corporate training

• 🖼️ OpenAI’s Sora update is set to disrupt content creation

🚀 Manus AI raises $25M to automate business workflows

The Rundown:

Manus AI, an emerging player in enterprise automation, secured $25M in funding to expand its AI-powered workflow automation tools. The company is building autonomous agents that can handle repetitive business tasks—think scheduling, expense approvals, and even client follow-ups.

Why it matters:

If your job involves a lot of repetitive admin work, AI like Manus could eliminate hours of manual effort. Expect more companies to integrate AI-driven workflow automation into their operations in 2024.

🎤 Google’s Gemini AI can now run meetings for you

The Rundown:

Google just announced an update to Gemini AI that allows it to attend, summarize, and generate action items for meetings—even if you’re not there. Integrated with Google Meet and Gmail, this feature automatically creates follow-up emails and task lists based on discussions.

Why it matters:

No more endless meeting fatigue. Corporate workers can now offload note-taking and action tracking to AI, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks while reclaiming valuable focus time.

🏢 Microsoft’s MAI models challenge OpenAI’s dominance

The Rundown:

Microsoft is developing a new family of AI models, called MAI, to reduce reliance on OpenAI’s GPT models. These in-house models are reportedly capable of matching GPT-4’s performance and may soon power Microsoft’s Copilot features.

Why it matters:

For companies invested in Microsoft’s AI tools, this shift could mean lower costs, greater flexibility, and tighter security controls. It also signals growing competition in the AI space, which could drive even faster innovation.

📚 AI-powered learning platform transforms corporate training

The Rundown:

An AI-driven training platform, LearnGPT, is making waves by delivering hyper-personalized corporate trainingbased on employee skill gaps. Instead of generic courses, it adapts content in real-time to focus on areas where employees need the most improvement.

Why it matters:

Forget one-size-fits-all training. With AI tailoring learning experiences to each individual, employees can upskill faster and more efficiently, making corporate training more engaging and productive.

🖼️ OpenAI’s Sora update is set to disrupt content creation

The Rundown:

OpenAI released a major update to Sora, its AI-powered video generation tool. The latest version improves realistic motion, scene consistency, and fine-grained storytelling controls, making it a game-changer for marketing, training, and entertainment content.

Why it matters:

For teams working in content marketing or employee training, AI-generated videos could save thousands of dollars and hours of production time—a huge win for businesses looking to scale visual storytelling.