Digimasters Shorts - Salesforce’s Marc Benioff ditches OpenAI for Google’s Gemini 3, EU tech laws in chaos amid US pressure, breakthrough optical AI chip revolutionizes computing, UAE pours $1B into African AI, Curiosio AI transforms Thanksgiving road tri

Welcome to Digimasters Shorts, your quick-hit source for the latest developments in the digital world. Hosts Adam Nagus and Carly Wilson bring you concise updates on groundbreaking AI advancements, shifting tech policies across the globe, innovations in optical computing, strategic investments in emerging markets, and smart travel tools for the modern explorer. Tune in to stay informed and ahead of the curve with insights into the most exciting and impactful stories shaping the future of technology.

Transcript

Adam N2: 0:05

Welcome to Digimasters Shorts, we are your hosts Adam Nagus

Carly W: 0:09

and Carly Wilson delivering the latest scoop from the digital realm. Salesforce C.E.O Marc Benioff has declared he is abandoning Open A.I's Chat G.P.T in favor of Google's new AI model, Gemini 3. Benioff described his experience with Gemini 3 as an"insane" leap forward in reasoning, speed, and multimodal capabilities. After spending two hours with Gemini 3, he tweeted that the model is sharper and faster, handling images and video with ease. His reaction quickly gained viral attention, overshadowing even discussions from other tech leaders. Sam Altman, C.E.O of Open A.I, congratulated Google on the Gemini 3 launch, acknowledging its strengths. Former Tesla AI director Andrej Karpathy praised Gemini 3 as having"clear tier 1 L.L.M" potential. Stripe C.E.O Patrick Collison highlighted Gemini 3’s ability to create interactive web pages summarizing complex topics. Google and DeepMind describe Gemini 3 as their most powerful agentic model yet, integrated across text, images, video, and code. This endorsement from Benioff highlights shifting preferences among tech executives amid rapid advancements in AI. The release intensifies competition with Open A.I’s Chat G.P.T 4.5 Turbo and 5, and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5, all vying for AI supremacy.

Adam N2: 1:28

The European Commission is facing significant delays and potential rollbacks in its key tech policy initiatives, including the EU AI Act, Digital Services Act, and Digital Markets Act. Since the EU AI Act took effect in August 2024, full implementation is scheduled for 2027, but proposed amendments could soften its impact. Pressure from big tech and U.S. interests, backed by previous U.S. administration support, is influencing these potential changes. The Digital Networks Act has also stalled, with disagreements among member states delaying discussions until 2026. Germany opposes the proposed 2030 deadline to shut down copper networks, while many resist strengthening the European regulatory body BEREC. The EU Space Act faces sharp criticism from the United States, which claims it restricts American companies and threatens retaliatory trade measures. American companies like Apple and Google have voiced strong opposition to the Digital Markets Act, complicating enforcement efforts. Meanwhile, the U.S. lobbied European states to allocate more radio spectrum for Wi-Fi, challenging mobile operators’ interests. With multiple disputes and slow progress, Europe’s digital sovereignty goals are at risk of being undermined or postponed. The European Commission now faces a critical test in balancing regulatory ambitions with international and internal pressures. Scientists have introduced a new optical computing architecture called Parallel Optical Matrix-Matrix Multiplication, or POMMM, which uses light instead of electricity to process data at unprecedented speeds. This breakthrough enables multiple tensor operations to be executed simultaneously with a single laser burst, overcoming the linear processing limits of traditional optical systems. Current AI models, such as large language models, rely heavily on tensor processing, which is a key bottleneck limiting their speed and size. Unlike conventional GPU setups that require thousands of units running in parallel, POMMM's passive, single-shot design drastically reduces energy consumption while boosting computational power. The technique encodes digital data into the amplitude and phase of light waves, allowing physical properties of light to perform mathematical operations passively as it propagates. This approach eliminates the need for additional control or switching power during computation. Published in Nature Photonics, the experimental prototype demonstrates superior speed and energy efficiency compared to existing optical and electronic processors. Researchers believe this optical hardware could underpin future AI systems, potentially accelerating progress toward Artificial General Intelligence by scaling beyond current hardware limits. While some experts remain skeptical about L.L.Ms achieving AGI, POMMM represents a significant step forward in overcoming hardware constraints in AI development. The team plans to integrate this framework onto photonic chips, promising low-power, high-speed AI processors for complex tasks in the near future.

Carly W: 4:25

The UAE has announced a$1 billion investment in artificial intelligence projects across Africa. This initiative was revealed at the G20 summit in Johannesburg by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Although the UAE is not a G20 member, it participated as an invited guest. The funding aims to support African nations in sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, digital identity, and climate adaptation. The UAE has already signed digital infrastructure agreements with countries like Egypt and Kenya. Currently, the UAE ranks as the fourth-largest investor in Africa. Its investments have mainly targeted renewable energy, logistics, and critical minerals. Bilateral trade between the UAE and Africa reached$107 billion in 2024. This marks a 28% increase from the previous year. The UAE’s growing presence underscores its ambition to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. This Thanksgiving week, about 73 million people are expected to hit the road, prompting many to seek efficient travel planning tools. Curiosio AI emerges as a helpful platform offering route optimization, budget calculations, and personalized itineraries within seconds. Created by Vas Mylko and Roman Bilusiak, Curiosio targets solo, budget-conscious, and multistop travelers. The free tool features distinct modes: Travel Mode for simplified real-time guidance, Geek Mode for detailed route customization, and Beta Mode for experimental AI enhancements. Users appreciate Curiosio's focus on road trips rather than generic travel planning, enhanced by country-specific branding and an intuitive interface. It serves digital nomads, couples, and small groups seeking flexible, detailed trip plans without relying on packaged tours. While great for road trip enthusiasts, Curiosio may not suit those wanting all-inclusive vacations or city-centered stays. Overall, it provides a streamlined, efficient way to plan personalized journeys while discovering hidden gems. The platform is free to use and emphasizes saving time with an accessible, adventurous experience. For travelers aiming to optimize road trips, Curiosio stands out as a practical AI travel assistant.

Don: 6:38

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