Welcome to Lead with AI, the only executive AI brief for busy leaders. ​
​Every edition, I deliver the latest AI updates through real-world insights and discussions from our community of 150+ forward-thinking executives.

Only 9%.

That's the fraction of professionals proficient enough with AI to see its time-saving benefits, Reader.

The section’s latest AI Proficiency Report also revealed that 77% feel anxious and overwhelmed by AI's implications.

It's no wonder so many teams are struggling to adapt, with the pressing gap not just in skills but in confidence. And without proper support, the promise of AI can feel more like a burden than an opportunity.

How far are you getting your team on board with AI?

In this issue, I have insights and inspiration for you to apply AI in your work, team, and organization:

• “Your AI Team” Updates: Give ChatGPT a Personality, Google’s Deep Research Tutorial
• AI Implementation Case Study: AI Cuts Backlogs and Processes 30,000 Documents Daily
• The Executive AI Brief: What AI Search Means for the World and the Work
• Weekly Quick Hits: Anthropic Hits $60B Valuation, ByteDance Reveals AI Text-to-Video Upscaling Tool, Nvidia's $3K Personal AI Supercomputer, AI Playbook for Government Sectors, and more.

And other interesting sharings from the Lead with AI PRO community.

“Your AI Team” Platform Updates

ChatGPT

Chances are you’ve spotted this too, like some X users: new ChatGPT custom instructions menu. This update gives more, easier-to-answer fields to personalize ChatGPT’s tone and give it personalities with ‘traits’ like “Chatty,” “Encouraging,” or “Gen Z.”

Google’s Deep Research

​

This isn’t a launch from last week but one that may have slipped through the cracks during December’s deluge of AI updates.

Google’s Deep Research is an ‘AI research agent’ that received positive feedback from early users and testers. It currently pairs with Gemini 1.5 Pro and is free for the first month on the Gemini Advanced bundle. Here’s what it can assist differently with in-depth research:

• Propose a research plan and let you edit it before execution.
• Analyze 50+ websites at once using Google Search.
• Generate detailed findings with source citations that can be exported to Google Docs.
• Allow follow-up questions or deeper exploration of specific points within the report.
• Leverage data from Google products like Gmail, Docs, and Drive (with permissions).

Above is a 4-minute tutorial to get started with it.

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• Expert guidance: Live masterclasses every month to help you integrate AI into your workflow and make an impact.
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How Companies Implement AI

A Healthcare Insurer Boosts Document Processing with AI

In 2024, a major U.S. healthcare insurer partnered with Ricoh to tackle massive document backlogs worsened by the pandemic.

The initiative, which required a $500,000 upfront investment and $200,000 monthly in AI operating costs, reached breakeven in just 10 months with a threefold boost in productivity and a significant reduction in errors.

Here’s how they did it:

• Fuzzy Logic: An AI-powered OCR tool classified documents and extracted data, halving the workload for employees.
• Generative AI (Claude via AWS): Used for unstructured forms, it interprets complex contexts, such as distinguishing “California” as a state, street, or provider name.
• Hybrid Workflow: AI handled 97% of documents autonomously, while humans focused on low-confidence cases and quality control.

​>> Read the HBR deep-dive on how they scaled AI to process 30,000 documents daily.​

The AI Executive Brief

What AI Search Means for the World and the Work

AI is transforming search as we know it; think AI Overview, Perplexity, and ChatGPT Search. The shift to conversational, AI-driven search raises big questions about its impact on businesses and beyond.

Mat Honan, editor-in-chief at MIT Technology Review, explores this seismic shift in his latest piece, revealing how these advancements will reshape business:

• Disruption of traffic funnels: Publishers already felt the “zero-click” squeeze as AI tools summarize their content, sidestepping clicks to original sources.
• The rise of proactive AI agents: Tools like Google’s Project Mariner hint at a future where AI not only answers questions but takes action, from making purchases to scheduling services.
• Accuracy risks and brand trust: Generative AI can hallucinate answers, presenting challenges for maintaining customer trust and ensuring reliable business operations.

​>> Read Mat’s article on the AI search era with insights from Google’s leaders.​

Quick Hits

• Anthropic, backed by Amazon and Google, is set to raise $2 billion at a $60 billion valuation, making it now the 5th most valuable U.S. startup.
• ByteDance unveils STAR, a new AI model for video upscaling that uses text prompts to enhance low-quality videos. Pre-trained versions are available on GitHub.
• Nvidia debuts Digits, a $3,000 personal AI supercomputer powered by the Grace Blackwell Superchip, capable of running 200 billion-parameter models and in the size of a Mac Mini.
• Google DeepMind has launched a "world modeling" AI team to simulate real-world environments for video games and robot training, led by Tim Brooks, ex-OpenAI leader behind the Sora project.
• AI-powered chatbots boosted retail site traffic by 1,300%, driving ‘smarter’ purchases and helping push online holiday spending up nearly 9%, according to Adobe Analytics.
• HubSpot just acquired Frame AI, whose technology excels at turning unstructured data from emails, calls, meetings, and conversations into real-time insights and actionable recommendations.
• The DHS has released the “Generative AI Public Sector Playbook,” offering U.S. government agencies actionable steps and lessons from its own pilots to deploy AI responsibly, enhance services, and address privacy and security challenges.
• OpenAI’s Economic Blueprint urges federal AI leadership, proposes voluntary safety standards, and pushes for using copyrighted data in training to counter China’s growing AI dominance.
• Creators are earning up to $4/min by selling unused footage to AI companies like OpenAI and Google, helping train AI video models capable of generating realistic, high-quality videos.

From The Lead with AI Community

Every day, Lead with AI PRO members discuss practical ways to benefit from AI in their work and organizations. This week's highlights include:

• We had successful dual masterclasses on “Creating Visual Content with AI” with FlexOS Design Director Quang Nguyen and “Automating AI Content Creation” with Hola Amigo CEO Mateo Folador. (PRO members, recordings and materials are available in your library here!)
• I shared a WSJ article featuring five practical examples of AI agent implementation from Johnson & Johnson, Moody’s, eBay, Deutsche Telekom, and Cosentino.

If you made it this far, reply and tell me what you'd love AI to take over in your daily workflow.

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If you have any other questions or feedback, just reply or inbox me.

See you next week,

​Daan van Rossum​ Host, Lead with AI

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