AI Briefly – August 15, 2025
Today’s Highlights:
From smart AI phones in Europe to billion-dollar infrastructure plans and video-making AI tools going free—AI is quietly reshaping how we connect, create, and power the future.
🧬 Deutsche Telekom’s Affordable AI-Powered Phones
Deutsche Telekom just launched budget-friendly AI phones and tablets in ten European countries for around €149 and €199. These devices come loaded with the Perplexity Assistant—ready to answer questions, draft messages, translate on the fly, or plan your next trip. It’s a clever move to bring AI into everyday life without breaking the bank.
🏛️ OpenAI’s Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure Ambition
OpenAI’s Sam Altman is planning nothing less than a trillion-dollar ramp-up in data centers and computing infrastructure in the “not very distant future.” He admits it sounds excessive, but he basically dares the skeptics: “Let us do our thing.” He’s even working on new financial instruments to fund it.
💼 xAI’s Grok 4 and Imagine Tools Go Free
Elon Musk’s xAI is opening up Grok 4—its smartest AI model—and the Grok Imagine text-to-video tool, to free users around the world. You can experiment with short video generation from text prompts with generous usage limits. It’s a bold play for visibility—and a direct challenge to paywalled AI services.
🧠 Rapid AI Adoption Continues
MarketingProfs’ latest digest highlights that AI tools—from automation to insight generation—are becoming standard in marketing and beyond. The trend? Fast adoption, practical use cases, and businesses adopting AI to save time and stay competitive.
🔍 Why It Matters:
Today’s AI headlines reflect something bigger: AI is moving from research labs into daily life, big infrastructure, and creative tools—all at once. From phones to data centers, these aren’t isolated events—they're the cornerstones of tomorrow’s AI-driven world.