In partnership with
Good morning ☀️, leader of the next generation.
Sometimes we give technology too much credit or too much blame.
The truth is, it’s a tool. How we use it is what matters.
Used with purpose, it helps us see more clearly, build faster, and express ourselves in new ways.
It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about creating something real.
WHAT'S AT STAKE TODAY ⚡<
- 🌲💰 Black Forest Labs raises $300M at $3.25B valuation
- 💻🔧 Nvidia's $2B Synopsys bet tightens its grip on the chip-design stack
- 🤖💸 OpenAI's investment into Thrive Holdings is its latest circular deal
- ⚡📈 Data center energy demand forecasted to soar nearly 300% through 2035
- 👷💵 Construction workers are cashing in on the AI boom
- 🔍🤖 One of Google's biggest AI advantages is what it already knows about you
Apple replaces AI chief amid Intelligence struggles with Microsoft executive
Apple just named a new AI chief with Google and Microsoft expertise, as John Giannandrea steps down
Apple announced Monday that John Giannandrea, who led the company's artificial intelligence efforts since 2018, is stepping down from his role. The tech giant has tapped Amar Subramanya, a Microsoft executive with 16 years of Google experience, to replace him as AI chief.
Subramanya brings impressive credentials to Apple, having most recently led engineering for Google's Gemini Assistant. His deep knowledge of both Google and Microsoft's AI strategies makes this a strategic hire for Apple as it battles to catch up in the competitive AI landscape.
The leadership change comes amid mounting criticism of Apple Intelligence, the company's response to the ChatGPT phenomenon. Since its October 2024 launch, Apple's AI initiatives have faced a series of embarrassing setbacks and technical failures.
The most visible problems involved Apple Intelligence's notification summary feature, which generated false and misleading headlines throughout late 2024 and early 2025. The BBC complained twice after the system incorrectly reported that Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself. In another incident, it prematurely declared a darts champion before the final match concluded.
Perhaps more damaging was the delayed overhaul of Siri, Apple's voice assistant. A Bloomberg investigation revealed that when software chief Craig Federighi tested the new Siri weeks before its planned April launch, many promised features simply didn't work. The launch was postponed indefinitely, triggering class-action lawsuits from iPhone 16 buyers who had purchased devices expecting AI-powered capabilities.
The investigation also uncovered deeper organizational problems within Apple's AI division. CEO Tim Cook had already stripped Siri oversight from Giannandrea in March, transferring it to Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell. Apple's robotics division was also removed from Giannandrea's control.
Internal dysfunction reportedly included poor communication between AI and marketing teams, budget misalignments, and leadership issues so severe that some employees mockingly referred to Giannandrea's group as "AI/MLess." The company also experienced an exodus of AI researchers to competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Meta.
In a particularly humbling development, Apple is now reportedly relying on Google's Gemini to power future versions of Siri. This represents a striking reversal for a company that has competed intensely with Google across mobile operating systems, app stores, browsers, maps, and cloud services for over 15 years.
Subramanya inherits significant challenges as he reports to Federighi with a mandate to help Apple catch up in AI. The company has pursued a fundamentally different approach than its competitors, focusing on on-device AI processing using custom Apple Silicon chips rather than massive cloud-based data centers.
This privacy-first strategy avoids collecting user data and processes more complex requests through Private Cloud Compute servers that promise to delete data immediately after processing. However, this approach comes with clear trade-offs.
On-device AI models are necessarily smaller and less capable than the massive models running in competitors' data centers. Additionally, Apple's reluctance to collect user data has forced its researchers to train models on licensed and synthetic data rather than the vast real-world datasets that power rivals' systems.
Whether Apple's privacy-focused philosophy will ultimately succeed or leave the company permanently behind in AI remains an open question. Giannandrea will remain as an adviser through spring 2025, providing continuity as Subramanya takes on one of the most challenging roles in tech.
Run ads IRL with AdQuick
With AdQuick, you can now easily plan, deploy and measure campaigns just as easily as digital ads, making them a no-brainer to add to your team’s toolbox.
You can learn more at www.AdQuick.com
Nvidia unveils Alpamayo-R1 AI model for autonomous vehicle research
Nvidia announces new open AI models and tools for autonomous driving research
Nvidia introduced Alpamayo-R1, an open-source vision language model designed for autonomous driving research, at the NeurIPS AI conference. This groundbreaking model, based on Nvidia's Cosmos-Reason framework, enables vehicles to process visual and textual data simultaneously, making human-like driving decisions.
The technology is crucial for achieving Level 4 autonomous driving—full automation in defined areas. Nvidia also released the Cosmos Cookbook on GitHub, providing developers with comprehensive guides for training AI models. CEO Jensen Huang emphasizes physical AI as the company's next major focus, targeting robotics and autonomous vehicle markets.
🎙️ NEW EPISODE DROP:
Inventing the Future with Pablos Holman
I sat down with Pablos Holman — hacker, inventor, futurist, and founder of Deep Future — for one of the most mind-expanding conversations I’ve ever had.
We talked about using AI to solve real problems, what most entrepreneurs get completely wrong, and how Pablos has spent his career inventing the tools of tomorrow — from laser-powered mosquito killers to nuclear reactors powered by waste.
If you care about the future, technology, or building what others say is impossible — this episode is for you.
⚡ Trends for the Future
Amazon's AI chatbot Rufus drove sales on Black Friday
Amazon's AI chatbot significantly boosted Black Friday purchase conversions.
Amazon's AI chatbot Rufus experienced remarkable success during Black Friday, with new data from Sensor Tower revealing its significant impact on sales conversions. Amazon sessions resulting in purchases that included Rufus interactions surged 100% compared to the trailing 30 days, while sessions without Rufus saw only a 20% increase.
The day-over-day comparison was equally impressive, showing a 75% increase for Rufus-enabled sessions that resulted in purchases, compared to just 35% for sessions without the AI assistant. Amazon's total website sessions increased 20% day-over-day on Black Friday, while Rufus-involved sessions jumped 35%.
Launched in beta in early 2024 and rolled out to all U.S. customers later that year, Rufus helps shoppers find products, get recommendations, and perform comparisons. This success reflects a broader trend of consumers embracing AI for holiday shopping.
Adobe Analytics data, tracking over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail websites, showed AI traffic to retail sites increased 805% year-over-year on Black Friday. Shoppers arriving from AI services were 38% more likely to make purchases compared to non-AI traffic sources. The AI tools were primarily used for electronics, video games, appliances, toys, personal care items, and baby products.
However, whether AI directly contributed to the record $11.8 billion Black Friday spending remains unclear. Salesforce data indicated that higher prices, not increased shopping volume, may have driven the record numbers, with prices up 7% while order volumes declined 1%.
Despite the AI surge, overall consumer behavior suggested more conservative spending due to economic pressures. While Amazon and Walmart saw mobile app download increases of 24% and 20% respectively on Black Friday, these gains were lower than 2024's 50% and 75% increases. An Adobe survey found that 48% of respondents used or planned to use AI specifically for holiday shopping.
⚡ You’re Smart. Strategic. Intentional. So Let’s Be Real:
Where Are You Holding Back— On Purpose?
Every smart operator has something they’re intentionally avoiding.
Not because they’re lazy — but because it’s risky, unknown, or just... a bit *uncomfortable*.
So what’s that thing for you?
That one decision, move, or experiment you know would push you forward — but you’ve been choosing not to do it.
Tell us — and we’ll share a tactical POV or tool to help you rethink it.
No fluff. Just momentum.
AI represents the ultimate expression of human innovation, giving us unprecedented power to solve complex problems and create a world where technology serves our highest values.
John Collison is the co-founder and President of Stripe, making him one of the youngest self-made billionaires through building the payment infrastructure that powers millions of online businesses worldwide. His work alongside his brother Patrick has revolutionized how internet commerce operates, and he continues to advocate for using technology to reduce friction in global trade, expand economic access, and enable entrepreneurs everywhere to participate in the digital economy.
🎬 How to Use AI Agents to Build High-Converting Video Ads
Build once. Scale everywhere. In just minutes.
What if: Instead of spending weeks scripting, editing, and testing ads… you could build 10 variations of a high-converting video in 15 minutes — with agents handling the voiceover, visuals, call-to-action, and even the hook testing?
That’s exactly what we’ll show you this week — live.
Why This Changes Everything for Founders 🧠
- 🎥 Fast-Track Ad Creation: From idea to launch-ready video in under an hour — no team needed.
- 🔁 Test Like a Pro: Run A/B tests on 10 hooks, CTAs, or visuals — while you sleep.
- 💰 Better ROAS, Less Guessing: Let agents learn what your audience *actually* responds to.
- 📦 Works for Any Product: Digital or physical — agents adapt to your niche & brand voice.
📅 Join the Live Session w code Supercharged
We’ll walk you step-by-step through building your own ad-generating agent — no code needed.
👉 Click here to save your seat for the webinar
You’ll leave with a working prototype, free templates, and 5x more speed in your next ad campaign.
🎁 Bonus for Attendees:
- ✅ AI Agent Template for Ad Generation
- ✅ "Top 10 Hooks That Convert" Prompt Pack
- ✅ Entry to win a Free AI Strategy Audit
🌡️ Use the Satisfaction Thermometer to show us how much you enjoyed The Supercharged today ;)
The Supercharged is aiming to be the world's #1 AI business magazine and is on a mission to empower 1,000,000 entrepreneurs worldwide by 2025, guiding them through the transition into the AI-driven creative age. We're dedicated to breaking down complex technologies, sharing actionable insights, and fostering a community that thrives on innovation, to become the ultimate resource for businesses navigating the AI revolution.
The Supercharged is the #1 AI Newsletter for Entrepreneurs, with 25,000 + readers working at the world’s leading startups and enterprises. The Supercharged is free for the readers. Main ads are typically sold out 2 weeks in advance. You can book future ad spots here.
I'm sending this email because you registered for one of our workshops or our affiliates brought you. You can unsubscribe at the bottom of each email at any time.
