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Beginners in AI
Good morning and thank you for joining us again!
Welcome to this daily edition of Beginners in AI, where we explore the latest trends, tools, and news in the world of AI and the tech that surrounds it. Like all editions, this is human curated and edited, and published with the intention of making AI news and technology more accessible to everyone.
THE FRONT PAGE
15 Million Workers Now Pay $30/Month for Microsoft's AI Assistant
TLDR: Microsoft revealed for the first time that 15 million people now pay for Copilot, its AI assistant that drafts emails, analyzes data, and generates presentations, with subscriptions growing 160% year over year at $30 per user per month.
The Story:
Microsoft finally told investors how many people are actually paying for Copilot, the AI tool it's been betting on to compete with ChatGPT. The answer: 15 million paid seats for Microsoft 365 Copilot, up 160% from last year. Businesses pay $30 per employee per month to get AI that can draft presentations, summarize email chains, analyze spreadsheets, and create charts. Several companies now have over 35,000 employees using it, including Fiserv, ING, the University of Kentucky, the University of Manchester, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Microsoft offers different tiers, from a free version with basic chatbot access to premium plans with higher usage limits across Office apps. The paid enterprise version integrates directly into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Its Significance:
This is the first real proof that businesses will pay serious money for AI tools. Fifteen million seats at $30 each means Microsoft is pulling in at least $450 million per month from Copilot alone. That's $5.4 billion a year. The 160% growth rate tells you adoption isn't slowing down. When companies are buying tens of thousands of seats, they're betting AI can make their workers more productive. If you don't use AI tools at work yet, your company is probably shopping for them right now. And if Microsoft can get 15 million people to pay $360 a year for AI, expect every other company to try the same thing.
QUICK TAKES
The story: A new report found that despite heavy marketing from Apple, Google, and Samsung, most consumers aren't interested in AI features on their smartphones. The data shows a disconnect between what tech companies are building and what people actually want to use.
Your takeaway: Phone makers are betting billions on AI, but consumers aren't buying it yet. This matters because if AI features don't drive phone upgrades, companies will either have to make them genuinely useful or stop charging premium prices for them.
The story: The Defense Department announced Monday it'll incorporate ChatGPT into GenAI.mil, the military's AI platform now used by over 1 million Pentagon personnel. Google's Gemini launched on the platform in December, and Elon Musk's Grok is coming early this year. The Pentagon awarded OpenAI $200 million last year for frontier AI projects.
Your takeaway: ChatGPT is going into weapons systems and military planning. The DOD says it's building an "AI ecosystem for speed, security, and enduring mission impact," though the announcement didn't address security concerns like data leakage or the risk of factual errors in military operations. This continues to be one of the most important trends that we're tracking.
The story: Cisco launched its Silicon One G300 switch chip Tuesday, designed to speed data through massive AI data centers. Expected to go on sale in the second half of 2026, the chip will compete for a piece of the $600 billion AI infrastructure spending boom. Cisco says the chip can help AI jobs get done 28% faster by rerouting data around problems within microseconds.
Your takeaway: Networking has become a key battleground in AI. When Nvidia unveiled its newest systems last month, one of six chips was a networking chip. The fact that Cisco is jumping in shows the $600 billion infrastructure build isn't just about compute power.
TOOLS ON OUR RADAR
🧘 Alarmy Freemium: High-intensity alarm clock app for heavy sleepers that requires you to solve math problems or perform physical tasks to silence the alarm.
🐧 Simplenote Free and Open Source: Extremely lightweight note-taking application that focuses on speed and simplicity, offering instant sync across all your devices. (Alternative to Google Keep)
🎙️ AudioPen Freemium: "Thought-to-text" tool that records your rambling voice notes and uses AI to rewrite them into clear, structured text like summaries, emails, or articles.
🛡️ Opal Freemium: Screen-time management tool that "hard-blocks" distracting apps during focus sessions, making it nearly impossible to bypass your own digital boundaries.
TRENDING
ChatGPT Started Testing Ads for Free Users - OpenAI announced yesterday it's testing ads in ChatGPT for Free and Go tier users. Ads will be matched to your conversations and chat history, but advertisers won't see your actual chats. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education users won't see ads.
Waymo Getting 50,000 Autonomous Vehicles From Hyundai - Hyundai Motor Group is supplying up to 50,000 electric IONIQ 5 vehicles to Waymo as the automaker transforms into a "physical AI" company combining artificial intelligence and robotics. Hyundai has pledged $87 billion in Korea and $26 billion in the US by 2030 for AI and robotics.
Nvidia Surpasses $5 Trillion Valuation on AI Chip Demand - Nvidia's market value crossed $5 trillion, driven by surging demand for AI chips. Analysts say the company should benefit from OpenAI's massive spending plans and continued AI infrastructure buildout across the industry.
OpenAI Wins Legal Battle Against Authors in Copyright Case - OpenAI won a key discovery battle in ongoing lawsuits from authors claiming the company illegally used copyrighted books to train its AI models. The court ruling gives OpenAI ground in defending against claims that its training methods violate intellectual property law.
Radiology Becomes Case Study for Why AI Won't Replace Workers - CNN reports radiology has become the ultimate example of why AI won't fully replace human workers, despite early predictions that AI would make radiologists obsolete. The field shows AI augmenting rather than replacing skilled professionals.
DeepMind CEO Says China AI Models Trail US by Only Months - Google DeepMind's CEO warned that China's AI models are only months behind US capabilities, narrowing what was once thought to be a significant technological gap. The assessment raises questions about America's AI lead and competitive advantages.
TRY THIS PROMPT (copy and paste into Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini)
💡 Argument Mapper: Break down any argument into claims, evidence, and conclusions—then find the weak points
**💡 Argument Mapper: Break down any argument into claims, evidence, and conclusions—then find the weak points**
**Copy and paste into Claude:**
```
Build a fully functional Argument Mapper as an interactive React app. Render the working application immediately - no code display.
**Argument to analyze**: [Paste the argument, claim, or position you want to examine]
**Source**: [Where this argument comes from]
Create these sections:
1. **Argument Input**
• Paste the argument or claim
• Or enter it piece by piece:
- Main claim (what they're arguing)
- Supporting reasons
- Evidence offered
• "Map This Argument" button
• "Search Logical Analysis" button
2. **Claim → Evidence → Conclusion**
• Visual flowchart breakdown:
📌 CLAIM: What are they saying?
📎 EVIDENCE: What supports it?
🔗 REASONING: How do they connect?
🎯 CONCLUSION: What follows?
• Drag-and-drop to rearrange
• See the structure clearly
• Missing pieces highlighted
3. **Logical Fallacy Scanner**
• Check for common errors:
⚠️ Ad hominem (attacking the person)
⚠️ Straw man (misrepresenting opposition)
⚠️ False dichotomy (only two options)
⚠️ Appeal to authority (trust me)
⚠️ Slippery slope (leads to disaster)
⚠️ Circular reasoning (because I said so)
• Flag what's detected
• Brief explanation of each
4. **Evidence Strength Meter**
• Rate the support:
- Anecdote (weakest)
- Expert opinion
- Correlational data
- Experimental evidence
- Scientific consensus (strongest)
• Visual strength gauge
• "The evidence is weak here" flags
• What would make it stronger?
5. **Steelman Builder**
• Make the BEST version of this argument:
- Strongest interpretation
- Most charitable reading
- What if they're right?
• Understand before you refute
• "Search Steelman Technique" button
• Intellectual honesty practice
6. **Counter-Argument Generator**
• Poke holes:
- Where's the evidence weakest?
- What assumptions are hidden?
- What would disprove this?
- Alternative explanations?
• Build your rebuttal
• Point-by-point response option
• Fair but rigorous
Design specs:
• Debate flowchart aesthetic
• Connected nodes and arrows
• Courtroom / academic vibes
• Navy, burgundy, gold accents
• Chalkboard or whiteboard styling
• Diagram and mind-map energy
• Logic tree visualization
• "Building blocks" of arguments
• Professor's analysis feel
• Clean, intellectual design
When search buttons are clicked, use web search to find logical fallacy guides and argument analysis frameworks.
```
**What this does:** X-rays any argument to show you what's really there. Maps the structure, spots logical fallacies, rates evidence strength, and helps you build counter-arguments or strengthen your own case. Think critically, argue better.What this does: X-rays any argument to show you what's really there. Maps the structure, spots logical fallacies, rates evidence strength, and helps you build counter-arguments or strengthen your own case. Think critically, argue better.
What this looks like:
WHERE WE STAND(based on today’s news)
✅ AI Can Now: Convince 15 million businesses to pay $360 per employee per year for AI that drafts emails and analyzes spreadsheets
❌ Still Can't: Win over consumers who don't want AI features on their phones despite billions in marketing spend
✅ AI Can Now: Power weapons systems and military operations for over 1 million Pentagon personnel through GenAI.mil
❌ Still Can't: Replace radiologists despite years of predictions, proving the "AI will take your job" narrative is more complex than headlines suggest
FROM THE WEB
RECOMMENDED LISTENING/READING/WATCHING
In a world where genetic engineering determines your life prospects, a man with inferior genes assumes another's identity to achieve his dreams. The film is about genetic discrimination, but its themes of algorithmic sorting and predetermined outcomes extend to AI. Beautifully shot and still powerful. A youngEthan Hawke and Uma Thurman star.
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Thank you for reading. We’re all beginners in something. With that in mind, your questions and feedback are always welcome and I read every single email!
-James
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