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:

• ChatGPT launches new Study Mode with deeper learning tools

• Elon Musk's xAI Seeks Major Cash Boost Amid Rapid Growth.

• OpenAI Lands $200M Pentagon Deal—Leaving Microsoft in the Cold.

• Tutorial: How to automate your web browsing with AI.

• 📢Top AI Tools of the Week

OpenAI Sets New Safety Rules for ChatGPT Users Under 18

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced major policy updates to make ChatGPT safer for teens. The company is rolling out an age-prediction system, stricter content moderation, and parental control features. These changes come after a wrongful death lawsuit and increased government scrutiny on AI’s impact on young users.

Key Points:

• Age Verification: OpenAI will use an age-prediction system based on user interaction and may require ID verification in some regions.

• Safer Teen Mode: The under-18 experience will block explicit sexual content, flirtatious interactions, and include stronger safeguards for mental health conversations.

• Parental Controls: Parents can link accounts, manage features, get usage notifications, and set blackout hours for their teens.

• Crisis Intervention: In severe cases, ChatGPT may alert parents or local authorities if a teen discusses suicidal thoughts.

Source: https://openai.com/index/building-towards-age-prediction/

OpenAI Launches GPT-5-Codex to Supercharge AI-Powered Coding

OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5-Codex, its latest and most advanced coding model, designed to significantly improve code generation, refactoring, and review. With dynamic “thinking time” and higher benchmark scores, GPT-5-Codex is positioned to compete with top coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot.

• Dynamic Reasoning Time: GPT-5-Codex can spend anywhere from a few seconds to seven hours solving complex coding tasks.

• Superior Performance: Outperforms GPT-5 on SWE-bench Verified and large-scale code refactoring benchmarks.

• Smarter Code Reviews: Trained with feedback from professional software engineers, resulting in fewer incorrect comments and more actionable insights.

• Broader Availability: Rolling out to all Codex-enabled ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise users, with API access coming soon.

  
  Source: https://openai.com/index/gpt-5-system-card-addendum-gpt-5-codex/

ByteDance launches Nano Banana rival Seedream 4.0

ByteDance has unveiled Seedream 4.0, its most advanced AI image generation model to date, aiming to outpace Google’s Nano Banana. The new model delivers faster generation, sharper visuals, and 4K resolution while being more cost-efficient.

• Advanced Capabilities: Combines text-to-image and image editing in one system, supports reference images, control signals, and multiple aspect ratios.

• High-Quality Output: Produces images up to 4K resolution, outperforming Nano Banana’s 1080p square-only limitation.

• Speed & Accuracy: Over 10x faster than competitors and excels at rendering text, tables, and diagrams with clarity.

• Benchmark Leader: Ranked first in ByteDance’s internal “MagicBench” and “MagicArena” tests for generation and editing.

• Flexible Pricing & Access: Available on Volcano Engine Ark, Doubao chatbot, and partner platforms like FAL.ai, Freepik, and Wavespeed.ai, priced at $30 per 1,000 generations for enterprise or $0.03 per image for partners.

How to Make Your Own 3D Figurines with NanoBanana

3D figurines of real people are trending across Instagram and TikTok, with celebrities, influencers, and even politicians sharing stunningly realistic digital versions of themselves. Thanks to Google’s NanoBanana (Gemini 2.5 Flash), you can now create your own collectible-style figurine in just minutes.

1. Choose the Right Model: Go to the Gemini website or mobile app and select Gemini 2.5 Flash, or use Google AI Studio with the nano-banana/gemini-2.5-flash-image-preview model.

2. Upload Your Image: Pick a clear, high-quality full-body photo for the best results.

3. Use This Prompt:
   “Create a 1/7 scale commercialized figurine of the characters in the picture, in a realistic style, in a real environment. The figurine is placed on a computer desk. The figurine has a round transparent acrylic base, with no text on the base. The content on the computer screen is a 3D modeling process of this figurine. Next to the computer screen is a toy packaging box, designed in a style reminiscent of high-quality collectible figures, printed with original artwork. The packaging features two-dimensional flat illustrations.”

4. Customize Your Look: Modify the prompt for special effects (e.g., a Bandai-style toy box or custom packaging designs).

Tips for Best Results:

• Use good lighting and sharp details in your image.

• Full-body photos create more accurate figurines.

• Experiment with prompt variations to match your preferred toy style.

Top AI Tools of the Week

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