🇸🇦 Saudi’s $Billion AI Power Play

ALSO: Google Bets Big on AI Startups & Stargate Hits a Tariff Wall

Author

Golam Rabbani
May 13, 2025

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Today’s Insights:

  • Saudi Arabia Bets Big on AI

  • Google Bets Big on AI Startups

  • OpenAI's $500M Setback

  • 5 Hand-Picked AI Tools

  • How to Get Found by AI with Simple SEO Tips

  • Social Media Management using ChatGPT

  • More AI & Tech News

Read Time: Under 5 minutes

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NEWS

Saudi’s $Billion AI Power Play

What's the story

Saudi Arabia just launched a massive new AI company called Humain to lead its tech future—backed by billions and the Crown Prince himself.

Key Takeaways:

  • Saudi’s $940B fund is backing Humain, aiming to drive the kingdom’s AI strategy.

  • Humain will build Arabic AI models and run big data centers.

  • Launch aligns with major U.S.-Saudi AI talks, including OpenAI’s global expansion plans.

  • Other AI deals in Saudi include $1.5B to chipmaker Groq and a partnership with Cerebras.

  • OpenAI might bring its custom chip into the mix, competing with Nvidia.

Why It’s Important: 

This move shows how serious Saudi Arabia is about becoming a global AI powerhouse. By investing early and big, they're betting on AI to transform their economy beyond oil—and they want to lead the charge in the Arab world.

NEWS

Google’s Rolling AI Fund Launches

What's the story 

Google just launched the AI Futures Fund to invest in startups using its DeepMind AI tech—no deadlines, just smart funding when you're a fit. Applications open May 12.

Key Takeaways:

  • Startups can apply starting May 12 for AI funding and support from Google.

  • Perks include early access to DeepMind models, Google experts, and Cloud credits.

  • Funding is flexible—no fixed deadlines, open to early through late-stage companies.

  • Direct investments possible, with check sizes based on startup needs.

  • Google’s broader push includes $160M+ in AI education, science, and nonprofit support.

Why It’s Important:

Google is putting serious muscle behind the future of AI by helping startups grow with tools, funding, and support—making this a major opportunity for builders to get ahead with one of the top AI players on their side.

NEWS

Stargate Hits a Tariff Wall

What's the story 

OpenAI’s massive Stargate data center project is stuck in limbo, with tariffs and market jitters scaring off investors and slowing progress.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tariffs could hike costs by 5–15%, making data center construction much pricier.

  • Investors like SoftBank are holding back, with no clear financing plan yet.

  • OpenAI hopes to raise $500M for Stargate, meant to boost AI infrastructure globally.

  • Cheaper AI services and market shifts are making big backers hesitant.

  • Even giants like Microsoft and Amazon are dialing down data center builds.

Why It’s Important:

This shows that even AI giants like OpenAI aren’t immune to economic roadblocks. Delays in projects like Stargate could slow the race to build powerful AI infrastructure—and change how fast the AI revolution rolls out.

PRODUCTIVITY  

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MORE AI & TECH NEWS

Everything else you need to know today

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    Google’s Gemma AI models have been downloaded over 150 million times! Launched in Feb 2024, Gemma now supports 100+ languages, works with images, and has 70K+ spinoffs on Hugging Face. But it still trails Meta’s Llama, which crossed 1.2 billion downloads.

  • Reasoning Roadblock

    AI models built for deep thinking—like solving math and coding problems—may be hitting their limit. New analysis warns that big leaps in reasoning AI could slow down by next year, even with more computing power thrown at them.

  • Pics to Flicks

    Google’s new AI turns photos into short videos—and it’s debuting on Honor’s new phones. Buy a Honor 400 or 400 Pro and you’ll get early access to this image-to-video magic, built right into the Gallery app.

  • Robots Come Home

    Huawei and UBTech are teaming up to bring humanoid robots out of the lab and into your home. From smart factories to household helpers, they want robots to be as common as your smart speaker.

  • Smarter Battery Life

    Apple may use AI in iOS 19 to learn how you use your iPhone—then stretch your battery life by adapting charging and power settings just for you.

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֎ PROMPT OF THE DAY

Social Media Management

Prompt: Create a 30-day social media content calendar for [platforms, e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn], aimed at boosting engagement for [campaign or product launch], including post ideas, hashtags, visual content suggestions, and optimal posting times based on audience analytics.

Source: LearnPrompt

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Signing off,

Until next time,

Golam Rabbani - AI Educator, Founder & Investor

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