Meta is playing hard to win in the AI race

Today, we’re looking at Meta’s latest step to dominate AI wearables acquiring Limitless, the startup behind a voice-recording pendant. It’s a quiet but telling move not for the hardware, but for the talent. We’re also looking at The New York Times’ latest legal strike against generative AI, a lawsuit targeting Perplexity for allegedly scraping and repackaging its journalism.

In today’s post:

• Limitless joins Meta but its hardware is dead

• The battle between AI and journalism just got louder

• RFK Jr. pushes AI deeper into healthcare

• AI tools list (most people don’t know about these)

What’s Trending Today

ACQUISITION

Meta just bought an AI pendant startup

Meta has acquired Limitless, the AI wearable startup formerly known as Rewind.
But the pendant that made it famous? It's being shut down.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• Limitless built a $99 AI pendant that recorded conversations and turned them into searchable memories.

• As part of the Meta acquisition, Limitless will stop selling devices and wind down its desktop product “Rewind.”

• Existing customers will get a year of support and a free upgrade to its Unlimited Plan.

• Limitless raised over $33 million from a16z, NEA, and others before competition made the market unsustainable.

• Meta didn’t confirm if it’ll revive the pendant, but the Limitless team will join Reality Labs to support its AR/AI wearables.

• Meta’s current focus is on AI-enabled glasses not voice-capturing necklaces.

• The acquisition reflects a broader trend: startups are either partnering with tech giants or shutting down in the AI hardware race.

Limitless didn’t fail, it proved the concept and got absorbed. In a market dominated by giants, even smart hardware bets need big backers to survive. The AI wearable wave is coming, but it’s going to look a lot more like Meta’s glasses than a necklace mic.

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STRATEGY

NYT sues Perplexity again

The New York Times is taking Perplexity AI to court. Again. This time, it’s about more than training data, it’s about how AI startups are repackaging news itself.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• The Times filed a lawsuit accusing Perplexity of copyright infringement and content theft.

• It claims Perplexity’s AI outputs include verbatim or near-verbatim summaries of its paywalled journalism.

• The suit targets how Perplexity’s RAG system scrapes and regurgitates content without licensing.

• The Times argues this directly competes with its product journalism while bypassing compensation.

• Perplexity counters that this is just history repeating, like past tech fights over radio and the web.

• Meanwhile, the Times has inked paid AI licensing deals, including one with Amazon.

• The legal battle mirrors another pending case against OpenAI and reflects growing pressure on AI firms to pay up.

This lawsuit isn’t just about legal precedent, it’s a proxy war over the future economics of information. The Times knows AI is inevitable. But it wants a seat and a cut at the table. Whether courts agree could shape how AI startups operate for years.

AI HEALTHCARE

HHS unveils plan to use AI across U.S. health system

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just rolled out a strategy to expand AI adoption across all its operations. It’s a bold move and a controversial one led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• The 20-page plan calls for “tearing down bureaucracy” and using AI to modernize everything from drug discovery to patient care.

• HHS employees now have access to ChatGPT and are being encouraged to adopt a “try-first” AI mindset.

• Five pillars guide the strategy: governance, toolkits, workforce empowerment, research standards, and AI in public health.

• Critics warn that the strategy lacks specifics on how sensitive health data will be protected.

• Some in RFK Jr.’s own “Make America Healthy Again” movement worry about Big Tech’s access to private medical data.

• HHS previously faced backlash for sharing health data with immigration enforcement, raising questions about its data ethics.

• Experts say the plan is ambitious and risky given Kennedy’s track record on scientific rigor and regulation.

Modernizing a massive agency with AI is the right ambition. But health data is sacred ground and without clear protections, this plan could backfire fast. If HHS wants to lead the AI health race, it needs to lead on trust, not just tech.

AI TOOLS

AI TOOLS VERY FEW KNOW ABOUT

• Poe: Access multiple AI models (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini) in one place and create custom chatbots for different tasks

• Quickchat AI: Build conversational AI chatbots for customer support without any coding using GPT-powered engines

• Upscayl: Free open-source tool that uses AI to upscale low-resolution images and make them crystal clear

• Glif: Visual workflow builder that lets you create AI automations by dragging blocks - no coding needed

• AutoDraw: Google's free tool that turns your messy sketches into polished illustrations instantly

• Topaz Gigapixel: Professional-grade AI upscaler that enlarges images up to 600% without losing quality

• Krikey AI: Creates animated 3D avatars from text or video that you can use in games or videos

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