AI Spotlight keeps you up-to-speed on the latest cool stuff in AI and tech. This week, we'll show you new tools, how businesses can use AI, and what's hot in the world of AI.

In today’s email:

• Microsoft Ramps Up AI Efforts to Compete with OpenAI

• DuckDuckGo Expands AI Push as Its Chat Interface Exits Beta

• OpenAI Reportedly Plans $20K/Month AI Agent for Advanced Research

• Tutorial: Control Your Apps with Just Your Voice

• 📢Top AI Tools of the Week

Microsoft Ramps Up AI Efforts to Compete with OpenAI

Microsoft and OpenAI have been close collaborators, with Microsoft investing $14 billion into the AI giant. But now, tensions are rising as Microsoft is developing its own AI models, aiming to reduce reliance on OpenAI and compete directly in the AI space.

According to reports, Microsoft has built new AI “reasoning” models comparable to OpenAI’s o1 and o3-mini. The company has also developed a family of models called MAI, which could be made available through an API later this year. Meanwhile, Microsoft is exploring AI alternatives, testing models from xAI, Meta, Anthropic, and DeepSeek as potential replacements for OpenAI’s tech in its Copilot assistant.

With AI becoming an increasingly competitive and strategic battleground, Microsoft appears to be hedging its bets to ensure it isn’t dependent on a single partner.

Key Points

• Microsoft has developed reasoning models similar to OpenAI’s o1 and o3-mini, signaling a shift toward greater independence in AI.

• OpenAI has reportedly refused to share technical details about its o1 model, creating friction between the two companies.

• Microsoft is evaluating models from xAI, Meta, Anthropic, and DeepSeek as potential replacements for OpenAI in Copilot.

• Microsoft’s new family of AI models, MAI, may be offered via an API later this year, further expanding its AI ecosystem.

• Microsoft has hired DeepMind and Inflection co-founder Mustafa Suleyman to lead its AI strategy, reinforcing its long-term commitment to AI.

  Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/07/microsoft-reportedly-ramps-up-ai-efforts-to-compete-with-openai/

DuckDuckGo Expands AI Push as Its Chat Interface Exits Beta

DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, is doubling down on generative AI. After months of testing, its AI chatbot interface, now called Duck.ai, is officially out of beta. This move brings AI-powered search answers to more users while maintaining DuckDuckGo’s signature focus on privacy.

Unlike Google’s AI-infused search results, Duck.ai offers conversational answers powered by models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Mistral—without requiring an account or tracking user data. Additionally, AI-generated summaries are appearing more frequently in regular DuckDuckGo search results, with users able to control how often they see them.

By blending traditional search with AI assistance, DuckDuckGo hopes to stand out in the competitive AI-driven search market while keeping privacy at the core.

key Points

• Users can access AI-powered search responses via Duck.ai, leveraging models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Mistral.

• Unlike other AI services, Duck.ai doesn’t track users or use chats for AI training. Conversations are anonymized and deleted within 30 days.

• DuckDuckGo’s search engine now integrates AI-generated summaries more frequently, with user-controlled settings for AI visibility.

• A chat button allows users to switch between traditional search and AI chat easily, making AI assistance more accessible.

• While Duck.ai is currently free, DuckDuckGo is exploring a paid option for higher query limits and access to advanced AI models.s a free tier, with a professional subscription starting at $16 per month.

  
  Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/duckduckgo-leans-further-into-genai-as-its-ai-chat-interface-exits-beta/

OpenAI Reportedly Plans $20K/Month AI Agent for Advanced Research

OpenAI is considering launching specialized AI "agents" with a reported price tag of $20,000 per month for high-level applications, according to a report from The Information. One such agent is said to be designed for PhD-level research, suggesting that OpenAI is targeting enterprise users and cutting-edge research institutions.

The staggering cost reflects OpenAI’s growing financial needs, as the company reportedly lost $5 billion last year due to operational expenses and computing costs. While details on these AI agents remain sparse, their potential launch signals OpenAI’s push toward monetizing AI in new, high-value ways.

key Points

• OpenAI may launch specialized AI agents with premium pricing, including one built for high-level academic and research work.

• The rumored AI agents aren’t for general consumers, focusing instead on businesses and research institutions needing advanced AI capabilities.

• The company reportedly lost $5 billion in 2024, emphasizing its need to develop high-margin AI products to sustain operations.

• AI agents are gaining traction as businesses seek custom AI solutions, potentially making this a lucrative direction for OpenAI.

• If OpenAI’s high-priced AI agents prove successful, other AI firms may follow suit, leading to a new era of premium AI-driven services.

  
  Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/08/week-in-review-openai-could-charge-20k-a-month-for-an-ai-agent/

Control Your Apps with Just Your Voice

Want to manage your apps using natural language? Here’s how to do it with Concierge AI:

1. Head over to the Concierge website and create a free account or sign in.

2. Link Gmail, Slack, Jira, Notion, HubSpot, and more.

3. Simply type or say commands like.
   “Show my upcoming meetings from Google Calendar.”

   “Find unread urgent emails from this week.”

Top AI Tools of the Week

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