Good morning. It's Tuesday, January 13, and we're covering AI’s surprising blind spots, Huang vs. the doomers, Apple’s Gemini bet, and more. First time reading? Join a community of 600k+ people keeping up with the future of tech. Sign up here.

🤝 Apple Taps Google Gemini For AI
Apple will use Google’s Gemini models and cloud tech to power AI features like Siri. The multi-year deal follows Apple testing rivals including OpenAI and Anthropic. Pricing wasn’t disclosed, though reports estimate around $1 billion. Apple says privacy standards will remain intact. A long-delayed Siri upgrade is expected later this year.

💻 Anthropic’s Claude-Based Desktop AI Agent
Anthropic introduced Cowork, a Claude-powered tool that lets users automate everyday desktop tasks with plain-English instructions. Built into the Claude Desktop app for macOS, Cowork can read, edit, and organize files inside approved folders—no coding needed. It’s now in research preview for Claude Max subscribers.

🕵 China Probes Meta’s AI Deal (Paywall)
China is investigating whether Meta’s acquisition of AI startup Manus violated its export and outbound investment rules. Regulators are examining if approval was required to transfer interactive AI technology. Manus is based in Singapore but has Chinese roots and operations in China. Meta has declined to comment.

❤‍🩹 Anthropic Launches Claude for Healthcare
Anthropic launched Claude for Healthcare on, offering a HIPAA-compliant AI assistant for providers, payers, and patients. It connects to medical data sources and personal health apps to automate tasks like summarizing records and explaining test results. The move follows OpenAI’s similar push into healthcare AI.

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Researchers have found that some artificial intelligence systems can be tricked by optical illusions in ways that closely resemble human perception, challenging assumptions that machine vision is purely objective. Studies using deep neural networks (DNNs) show that AI trained on natural visual scenes can misinterpret static images as moving—mirroring how human brains rely on predictive shortcuts.

Scientists say this supports the theory of predictive coding, in which the brain constantly forecasts what it expects to see. The findings are opening new, ethically safer ways to probe how perception works—and where human and machine vision still diverge. → Read the full article here.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said persistent pessimism about artificial intelligence has “done a lot of damage” to society, industry, and governments. Speaking on the No Priors podcast, Huang argued that fears ranging from mass job loss to existential risk discourage investment needed to make AI safer and more productive.

While acknowledging concerns aren’t entirely baseless, he criticized what he called a dominant “end of the world” narrative. The comments reflect a broader debate between AI leaders over regulation, risk, and economic impact as generative AI adoption accelerates. → Read the full article here.

⚕️ Google Pulls AI Health Answers: Google removed some AI Overviews from medical searches after experts warned inaccurate advice could harm users, renewing concerns about trusting AI.

🏛️ Voters Wary of Trump–Big Tech Ties: A Morning Consult poll finds most Americans fear Big Tech wields too much influence in Washington and doubt Trump’s AI agenda benefits workers.

🚧 Indonesia, Malaysia Block Grok: Both countries temporarily banned xAI’s chatbot after it generated nonconsensual sexualized deepfakes, escalating global scrutiny of AI tools.

🛡️ Harmattan AI Becomes Defense Unicorn: The French defense startup raised a $200M Series B led by Dassault Aviation, hitting a $1.4B valuation to scale AI-driven drones and combat.

🛍️ Google Unveils AI Commerce Protocol: The new Universal Commerce Protocol lets AI agents handle shopping end-to-end across retailers, aiming to streamline discovery, checkout, and support.

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Matthew Berman & The Forward Future Team
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