TL;DR

OpenAI targets August GPT-5 launch; Trump bans “woke” AI in federal procurement; Nvidia chips flood China.

Highlights

• OpenAI targets early August for GPT-5 launch (standard, mini, nano), plus a late-July open-weight model release 1.
• OpenAI completes rollout of autonomous ChatGPT Agent for paid users, adding web browsing, code execution, and app integration 2.
• Microsoft prepares Copilot for GPT-5 with “Smart Mode” and aims for persistent AI assistant integration across Windows, Office, and cloud 7.
• President Trump signs executive order banning “woke” AI in federal procurement, mandating political neutrality and new compliance rules 3.
• Nvidia AI chips worth $1B smuggled into China since April, fueling a repair industry and exposing export-control gaps 5.
• Intel beats revenue estimates but announces 15% layoffs, scraps European fabs, and may halt 14A node without a major external customer 4.
• Microsoft CEO Nadella defends layoffs, details $80B AI infrastructure investment, and reiterates focus on security and AI transformation 6.
• Tesla to launch paid robotaxi rides in San Francisco with safety drivers, despite lacking full regulatory approval 8.
• Google debuts Gemini-powered “Web Guide” in Search Labs, clustering search results thematically for improved relevance 9.
• Unitree unveils $5,600 R1 humanoid robot, undercutting previous models and pushing toward consumer adoption 10.
• Perplexity AI tests Comet browser, seeks Samsung pre-installs, and expands in India via Airtel partnership 12.
• ServiceNow raises outlook on strong “agentic AI” demand; IBM stock drops after software revenue miss despite AI backlog growth 14.
• AEye’s Apollo lidar integrates with NVIDIA DRIVE AGX, granting automaker access and boosting AEye shares over 200% 15.
• Blaize stock surges on $120M hybrid AI infrastructure deal in Asia, targeting smart cities and automation 13.

Commentary

OpenAI and Microsoft are accelerating product integration and deployment: OpenAI’s GPT-5 is set for early August with multiple tiers, and its open-weight model will precede it 1. Microsoft is embedding GPT-5 into Copilot, introducing “Smart Mode” and aiming for a persistent AI assistant across its platforms 7. OpenAI’s autonomous ChatGPT Agent, now available to all paid users, further blurs the line between conversational AI and autonomous agents, with new guardrails for safety and enterprise use 2.

Regulatory and compliance risks are rising. President Trump’s executive order bans “woke” or ideologically biased AI in federal procurement, requiring vendors to prove political neutrality 3. This creates new technical and legal challenges for model evaluation and could slow or complicate federal contracts for major AI vendors. Meanwhile, Nvidia GPUs worth over $1 billion continue to flow into China via grey markets, fueling a local repair industry and highlighting the limits of current U.S. export controls 5. Congressional bills may soon require tighter post-sale tracking.

AI hardware and infrastructure remain under pressure. Intel’s restructuring includes 15% layoffs, scrapped European fabs, and a possible halt to its 14A node unless it secures a major customer, reflecting ongoing struggles to match TSMC and Samsung 4. Microsoft , in contrast, is investing $80 billion in AI infrastructure, even as it trims headcount to refocus on security and AI transformation 6. In edge and automotive AI, AEye ’s lidar integration with NVIDIA and Blaize’s $120M Asian deal signal continued demand for specialized, energy-efficient hardware 1513.

Enterprise and consumer AI adoption show diverging trends. ServiceNow’s “agentic AI” momentum contrasts with IBM ’s software revenue miss, as enterprise budgets shift toward platforms delivering automation and measurable ROI 14. On the consumer side, Unitree’s sub-$6,000 humanoid robot and Tesla’s paid robotaxi pilot (despite regulatory uncertainty) point to rapid commercialization of AI-powered automation 108. Google ’s Gemini-powered “Web Guide” and Perplexity’s browser push show ongoing competition to redefine search and information access 912.