Thursday🌪️Top AI News: Amazon’s Alexa Plus, Microsoft’s Phi Models, OpenAI’s GPT-4.5, and Nvidia’s Soaring Success!

Happy Thursday, tech enthusiasts! The AI landscape is moving at lightning speed, and today’s headlines are nothing short of groundbreaking. From Amazon’s next-level Alexa Plus to Microsoft’s cutting-edge Phi models, there’s plenty to get excited about. Plus, OpenAI’s highly anticipated GPT-4.5 has been spotted in Android beta, hinting at an imminent launch, while Nvidia continues to dominate with soaring sales, unfazed by rising competition. Let’s dive into the hottest AI updates shaping the future!

1. Amazon unveils AI-powered Alexa Plus

Amazon has officially launched Alexa Plus, a powerful AI-driven upgrade to its virtual assistant, bringing smarter, more intuitive capabilities to millions of devices. This enhanced version offers advanced features like personalized memory, the ability to order groceries, send event invites, and even control smart home devices more seamlessly. Alexa Plus also creates AI-generated music, art, and stories while partnering with brands like Uber Eats, Zoom, and Ticketmaster for expanded services. Priced at $19.99 per month—or free for Amazon Prime members—Alexa Plus rolls out next month, promising a major leap in AI-driven convenience and personalization for everyday life.

Amazon announces AI-powered Alexa Plus

Hopefully the struggle was worth it.

The VergeWes Davis

2. Microsoft launches next-gen Phi AI model

Microsoft has unveiled its latest small language models, Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini, now available on Azure AI Foundry and Hugging Face. Phi-4-multimodal enhances speech recognition, translation, summarization, audio understanding, and image analysis, offering a powerful tool for diverse AI applications. Phi-4-mini, built for speed and efficiency, is designed to perform well on various devices, including smartphones, PCs, and cars. Both models provide developers with accessible, high-performance AI solutions, pushing the boundaries of lightweight language models while maintaining impressive capabilities. This launch marks a significant step in making advanced AI more efficient and widely available.

Empowering innovation: The next generation of the Phi family | Microsoft Azure Blog

We are excited to announce Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini, the newest models in Microsoft’s Phi family of small language models. Learn more.

Microsoft Azure BlogWeizhu Chen

3. OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 spotted in Android beta—launch soon!

OpenAI’s highly anticipated GPT-4.5 model is closer to launch than expected, with a “research preview” reference spotted in the ChatGPT Android app. This hints at a more powerful and advanced AI model, soon available for ChatGPT Pro users at $200 per month. Alongside the new model, OpenAI is also testing a redesigned web interface with features like deep research mode and enhanced file-based interactions, making it easier to select models and switch between tasks. While GPT-4.5’s release date remains unclear, these updates suggest OpenAI is preparing to offer more robust and flexible AI capabilities very soon.

OpenAI’s GPT 4.5 spotted in Android beta, launch imminent

OpenAI’s newest model, GPT-4.5, is coming sooner than we expected. A new reference has been spotted on ChatGPT’s Android app that points to a model called “GPT-4.5 research preview,” but it looks like it will initially be limited to those with a Pro subscription.

BleepingComputerMayank Parmar

4. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shrugs off DeepSeek as sales soar

Nvidia’s unstoppable growth continues, with CEO Jensen Huang reaffirming his confidence despite rising competition from DeepSeek’s R1 model. During the latest earnings call, Huang praised R1 as an "excellent innovation" and emphasized that advanced "reasoning" models like it require significantly more computing power — a win for Nvidia. The company reported a record-breaking $39.3 billion in revenue this quarter, surpassing expectations, with projections hitting $43 billion next quarter. Data center sales have nearly doubled to $115 billion in 2024, driven by extraordinary demand for Nvidia’s Blackwell chip. With major AI investments from Meta, Google, and Amazon, Nvidia’s momentum shows no signs of slowing.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shrugs off DeepSeek as sales soar | TechCrunch

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is more bullish about Nvidia’s sales than ever, despite a market panic last month induced by China’s DeepSeek.

TechCrunchCharles Rollet

As the AI world continues to evolve at an incredible pace, innovations from giants like Amazon, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia are shaping the way we interact with technology. From smarter virtual assistants to more powerful models and industry-defining leadership, it’s clear that we’re on the brink of even more exciting breakthroughs. Stay tuned — the next big AI revolution could be just around the corner!

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