The AI race just got more intense.

Baidu has stepped up, launching a model that reportedly outperforms GPT-4.5 at just 1% of the cost.

Meanwhile, OpenAI and Anthropic are making big moves in the space, and startups are redefining AI applications across industries.

Let’s dive in.

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NEED TO KNOW

Baidu’s AI Breakthrough: A GPT-4.5 Killer?

  • Chinese tech giant Baidu has released ERNIE 4.5, claiming it outperforms GPT-4.5 while costing just a fraction to operate.

  • Alongside it, Baidu’s ERNIE X1 challenges DeepSeek’s R1, promising top-tier reasoning capabilities at half the price.

  • A chatbot featuring both models launches April 1—OpenAI and DeepSeek have just weeks to respond.

Y Combinator Startups Go All-In on AI
OpenAI & Anthropic Updates

REGULATORY & ETHICAL ISSUES

  • A federal judge denied Elon Musk’s injunction against OpenAI, allowing its for-profit transition to continue.

  • Court documents suggest Musk once proposed merging OpenAI into Tesla—a contradiction to his current stance.

  • The lawsuit’s outcome could reshape OpenAI’s trajectory, with billions at stake.

  • Harvard & MIT researchers introduced TxAgent, an AI system that tailors medical treatments using real-time biomedical data.

  • The agent evaluates drugs at molecular, pharmacokinetic, and clinical levels, offering safer, more personalized healthcare recommendations.

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  • The directors of Avengers: Endgame are launching an AI-driven film and gaming studio.

  • The goal? Reduce production costs and democratize filmmaking for new creators.

  • The latest Pika 2.2 update allows seamless video transitions. Here’s how to try it:

    1. Sign up on Pika AI’s website.

    2. Click “Get started with Pikaframes”, selecting Pika 2.2.

    3. Upload first & last frame, set video duration, add a prompt (e.g., "smooth transition from [scene A] to [scene B]").

    4. Download your AI-generated video.

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