Hello AI Enthusiast,
Once again, we opened our news discussion to our community, and you'll see some of their insights throughout this newsletter.
This week Claude launched interactive tools that let you work with apps like Slack and Figma directly in chat. Shopify merchants now face a 4% fee when customers check out through ChatGPT, and OpenAI released Prism, a free scientific writing tool. Let's dig in.
The Big Picture 🔊
Claude Adds Interactive Tools Inside Chat Interface
Claude users can now interact with workplace tools directly in the chat. Instead of just getting text responses, you can see live previews when working with services like Asana, Slack, Figma, and Canva. The feature uses MCP Apps, an extension of the Model Context Protocol. Available for Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.
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Claude's integrations feel seamless because everything stays in one interface. We're hitting a confusing phase where products add AI features while AI companies pull products into their platforms. Claude positions itself as the hub where you connect all your tools, rather than giving each individual app access to your entire digital life. |
AI Academy Insider: "The battle is between the larger LLMs competing for the user, trying to connect all those tools with API capabilities onto their platform so the LLM becomes the single source of truth.”
As AI tools like Claude integrate deeper into workflows, we help companies understand how to use them effectively. We build custom training programs that match the specific AI tools your team uses, whether that's Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or other platforms. Our programs help integrate these tools into your actual workflows.
Shopify to Charge 4% Fee for ChatGPT Sales
Shopify merchants will pay OpenAI a 4% fee on sales made through ChatGPT's checkout feature, starting January 27th. Sales through Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot won't have extra fees for now. Merchants can opt in or out of each AI platform, but their products will still appear in AI responses with website links unless they actively block web crawlers.
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The 4% fee works if ChatGPT brings you new customers. The problem is when someone already wants your product and just happens to check out through ChatGPT instead of your website. Then you're paying what feels like a tax for convenience. OpenAI needs to prove they're creating demand, not just processing payments that would've happened anyway. |
OpenAI Launches Free AI-Powered Scientific Writing Tool
OpenAI introduced Prism, a free workspace for scientific writing powered by GPT-5.2. The LaTeX-native platform lets researchers draft papers, manage equations, search literature, and collaborate in real time. Available to anyone with a ChatGPT account with unlimited projects and collaborators.
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OpenAI keeps building different interfaces for the same models to reach new markets. Prism is essentially Canvas with LaTeX. The real test is collaboration: can three people (two humans and AI) actually work on the same document together? Targeting academics seems questionable from a business perspective when they lack enterprise-level budgets to spend. |
AI Academy Insider: "It seems like a very good editing tool for building beautiful texts and finding papers, but I'm not sure it's scientifically reproducible.”
Bits and Bobs 🗞️
Claude can now be integrated into Microsoft Excel with new financial analysis features and real-time data connections to automate company reviews.
Microsoft's new Maia 200 AI accelerator chip uses advanced technology to deliver fast, efficient AI inference, boosting performance for large models like GPT-5.2 on Azure.
Google's affordable AI Plus plan, offering access to Gemini 3 Pro and other AI tools, is now available in 35 countries starting at $7.99 per month.
Anthropic has published a detailed constitution guiding their AI model Claude's values and behavior to promote safety, ethics, and transparency in its training and use.
NVIDIA's Earth-2 open AI models dramatically speed up and improve weather forecasting, making advanced climate prediction accessible to scientists and industries worldwide.
Clawdbot is an open-source autonomous AI agent that can execute real-world actions but poses significant risks due to high operational costs and security vulnerabilities.
From Our Founder’s Channels 🤳
In his latest TikTok, Gianluca Mauro shares some Rome-inspired thoughts on AI, vibe coding, and feeling pride for your work.
@gianluca.mauro Are you going to feel pride and awe for whatever you “vibe-built”? #Ai #learnontiktok #business
That's a wrap on our newsletter! Before you go, here’s a quick recap of our offerings:
AI Academy Membership: Get 12 months of access to all our cohort-based programs, live webinars, on-demand courses, and tutorials.
AI Agent Bootcamp: Accelerate processes and solve business problems by mastering prompts and building AI Agents, without coding.
Practical Introduction to ChatGPT: A free course on using ChatGPT confidently, understanding its workings, and exploring its potential.
Customized Corporate Training: Equip your team with the skills they need to unlock the potential of AI in your business.
Catch you next week! 👋
