Good morning ☀️, leader of the next gen.

The future belongs to you. Let’s make conscious leadership the norm and embrace innovation as the driving force for positive change 🌍✨

WHAT’S AT STAKE TODAY ⚡

• New AI skills reshaping job market. Future-proof your career or else! 🎯💼
• Perplexity bags $500M funding. Search startup joins the big leagues! 💰🚀
• Altman had secret OpenAI shares via Sequoia. Plot twist in Silicon Valley drama! 🎭💸
• AI giving job seekers false confidence. Digital delusions of grandeur! 👻💭
• Truth Terminal charmed $50K from Andreessen. AI smooth-talked its way to bitcoin! 🤖💰
• Decart scores $32M for 'open world' AI. Digital sandbox gets serious funding! 🏗️✨
• Google launches reasoning AI competitor. Everyone wants a smarter bot! 🧠⚡
• Instagram teasing AI video editing tools. Social media gets more artificial! 🎬🎨
• Ex-Twitch CEO starting AI startup with a16z backing. From streaming to dreaming! 🎮🚀

⚡ Latest in AI

Here are skills that today’s AI-first world is bringing

AI-driven workforce transformation in India

India's technology sector is undergoing a significant transformation as it adapts to an AI-first world, with industry leaders developing comprehensive frameworks for workforce development and skills enhancement. Nasscom, India's premier technology association, has introduced a five-tier framework to address the varying levels of AI expertise needed in the modern workplace.

Skill Hierarchy and Essential Competencies

The framework establishes a clear hierarchy of AI-related skills, starting with AI experts at the top – PhD-level professionals capable of building AI models from scratch. Below them are AI architects who develop AI-related software, followed by AI integrators who implement AI tools into existing systems. The framework also includes AI enthusiasts focused on productivity improvements and emphasizes basic AI literacy for all citizens.

Data management and infrastructure skills prove crucial in this new landscape. Experts highlight the importance of data preparation, cleaning, and visualization, along with competencies in AIOps for automating IT operations. Cloud computing expertise has also become essential as these platforms form the backbone of AI model deployment.

The industry is shifting away from traditional STEM-only requirements. Domain expertise, critical thinking, and understanding of human behavior are increasingly important. Liberal arts backgrounds are valued for addressing AI bias and ethical considerations.

Industry and Academia Partnerships

Nasscom reports that over a million employees have already received AI training. Companies like Cognizant have trained thousands of associates in generative AI programs. Stronger partnerships between tech companies and academia are emerging to ensure graduates possess relevant skills, with Centers of Excellence and hackathons becoming integral.

Data quality remains critical, as even the most sophisticated AI models rely on high-quality data. Skills in ensuring data relevance and accuracy are becoming paramount for effective AI deployment.

Why it matters: Success in an AI-first world requires a balanced approach combining technical expertise with domain knowledge and soft skills. By equipping its workforce for AI, India is positioning itself as a global leader in technological advancement while preparing for the societal impacts of AI’s integration into everyday life.

⚡ The companies of the future

Perplexity has reportedly closed a $500M funding round

Perplexity secures major funding amidst growing competition

Perplexity has reportedly secured a $500 million funding round led by Institutional Venture Partners, valuing the AI search startup at $9 billion. The funding comes amid increasing competition in AI-powered search, with OpenAI launching ChatGPT Search and Google developing similar capabilities and a potential AI mode for its search engine.

Perplexity recently acquired Carbon to enhance its AI capabilities, even as it faces a class action lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement. This strategic funding positions Perplexity as a significant player in the race for AI-driven search dominance.

Why it matters: As AI-powered search becomes more competitive, Perplexity’s rapid growth and valuation highlight investor confidence in its ability to challenge industry giants like OpenAI and Google. The funding underscores the potential for AI startups to disrupt established tech leaders in search.

⚡ MORE AI BITES

Sam Altman once owned some equity in OpenAI through Sequoia

Sam Altman previously held equity in OpenAI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed he previously held indirect equity in OpenAI through a Sequoia fund, which he has since sold, alongside his known small investment through Y Combinator.

This disclosure contrasts with his earlier statements about having no equity in OpenAI, including during Congressional testimony. OpenAI confirms Altman’s “negligible stake” but details about the timing and value of the shares remain unclear.

The revelation comes as OpenAI navigates its transition to a for-profit model amid Elon Musk's lawsuit and Meta's reported objections. In the same interview, Altman criticized Musk as a "bully" and accused Meta of acting in bad faith.

Why it matters: Altman's prior equity adds another twist to the ongoing tensions surrounding OpenAI’s leadership and its attempts to balance governance, transparency, and profitability in a fiercely competitive AI industry.

⚡ Insights on AI Today

1. 👻 💼 AI Is Giving Job Seekers Ghost Confidence
2. 🤖 ₿ The promise and warning of Truth Terminal, the AI bot that secured $50,000 in bitcoin from Marc Andreessen
3. 🚀 💰 Decart nabs $32M at $500M+ valuation to build AI tech and 'open world' apps
4. 🧠 🤖 Google releases its own reasoning AI model
5. 📱 🎨 Instagram teases AI tools for editing appearances, backgrounds in videos using prompts
6. 🎮 💡 Ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear is founding an AI startup backed by a16z

⚡ Trends for the Future

BlueQubit Raises $10M to Bridge the Quantum Computing Gap

Explain The Picture

The details:

Sometimes breakthrough ideas come from unexpected places — like a conversation between two surfboards. That's where Hrant Gharibyan and Hayk Tepanyan, inspired by IBM's latest quantum computing announcement, decided to launch BlueQubit, a startup aimed at making quantum computing practical for everyday business applications.

The San Francisco-based company has just secured $10 million in seed funding led by Nyca Partners to advance its quantum-software-as-a-service (QSaaS) platform. At a time when traditional computing is reaching its limits in sectors like finance, pharmaceuticals, and materials science, BlueQubit's approach could help bridge the gap between quantum potential and practical application.

Google's recent Willow quantum chip announcement demonstrated computations that would take today's fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years to complete. BlueQubit's solution involves using GPU-powered emulators to develop and test quantum algorithms before deploying them on actual quantum processors, making the technology more accessible and practical.

Gharibyan, a MIT graduate known for his "wormhole teleportation" algorithm later implemented by Google's Quantum AI team, and Tepanyan, a Stanford alumnus with Google infrastructure experience, bring impressive credentials to the challenge. Their platform runs quantum emulators up to 100 times faster than common alternatives, combined with proprietary algorithms.

"We have been looking for a team to invest in who are looking to enable financial services firms to hit the ground running once quantum is here," says Tom Brown, partner at Nyca. The round also attracted investors including Restive, Chaac Ventures, and NKM Capital, suggesting strong confidence in BlueQubit's approach to making quantum computing practical for real-world applications.

Why it matters: BlueQubit’s breakthrough could help accelerate quantum computing adoption for critical industries, bridging the gap between potential and practical use cases.

Do you have a business problem keeping you up at night?

Here’s your chance to get it solved! Share your most staggering challenges with us, and I’ll use the power of AI to find solutions tailored just for you. I’ll feature the answers in one of our upcoming Supercharged issues—let’s tackle it together!

⚡ AI Playground: Code & Craft

🔧 This Week’s Tool: YouWrite 🔧

Overview: YouWrite is an AI-powered writing assistant developed by You.com, designed to help users generate high-quality content effortlessly. Ideal for students, professionals, and content creators, YouWrite assists in drafting emails, essays, articles, and more, enhancing productivity and creativity.

Why Is It Better Than Other Tools?

• Integrated Search and Writing: Combines AI-driven writing assistance with real-time search capabilities, providing up-to-date information and context.
• User-Friendly Interface: Offers an intuitive platform that requires no prior technical expertise, making it accessible to all users.
• Free Access: Provides robust writing assistance without subscription fees, making it a cost-effective solution for quality content creation.

What Does It Do Best?

• Content Generation: Assists in creating well-structured and coherent text for various purposes, including emails, reports, and creative writing.
• Idea Development: Helps brainstorm and expand on ideas, providing suggestions to enhance your writing.
• Editing and Proofreading: Offers grammar and style suggestions to improve the clarity and readability of your content.

Applications:

• Academic Writing: Draft essays, research papers, and study notes with enhanced clarity and coherence.
• Professional Communication: Compose polished emails, reports, and presentations for workplace communication.
• Content Creation: Generate engaging blog posts, social media updates, and marketing copy to captivate your audience.
• Creative Writing: Develop stories, poems, and scripts with AI-driven inspiration and assistance.

Follow This Simple Guide to Get Started with YouWrite:

1. Visit You.com: Navigate to you.com and select the YouWrite feature.
2. Enter Your Prompt: Provide a brief description or topic for the content you wish to create.
3. Generate Content: Let YouWrite produce a draft based on your input, which you can then review and edit as needed.
4. Refine Your Text: Utilize the editing suggestions to enhance grammar, style, and clarity.
5. Finalize and Use: Once satisfied, incorporate the generated content into your projects or communications.

Leverage YouWrite to streamline your writing process, enhance creativity, and produce high-quality content with ease.

📝 Challenge: Use YouWrite to draft a piece of content—be it an email, article, or social media post. Share your creation by replying to this email. At the end of the week, we will select one winner to receive a special prize! Happy writing!