AI Is Getting Real: From Lab Coats to Inboxes (And Even Scams)
Every week, the AI world is shifting gears.
🧠 Why This Matters
Some companies are betting billions on research.
Some are wiring AI into the tools we use daily.
And some… are unfortunately abusing it.
This week’s LLMentary covers 5 developments that show how AI is quietly (but undeniably) leaking into our businesses, homes, and classrooms.
No technical jargon. Just clear stories and practical insight.
Meta’s Superintelligence Labs
🧠 What even is this?
Meta launched a new division called Meta Superintelligence Labs, led by top AI figures like Alexandr Wang and Nat Friedman. It combines all of Meta’s AI teams under one roof and follows a massive $14 billion investment in Scale AI.
🔍 What does it mean?
This isn’t about “adding chat to Instagram.”
It’s Meta gunning for artificial general intelligence (AGI), and making AI central to future products, like smart glasses, assistants, and content tools.
💡 Why it matters:
Meta is officially treating AI as a platform shift, like mobile and social were.
Their focus isn’t narrow, it's building models that can reason, learn, and adapt.
For us? Expect AI features in everything from WhatsApp to Ray-Bans.
If OpenAI, Google, and Meta are the “big 3,” this feels like Meta saying:
“I’m not just playing catch-up. I’m building the whole stadium.”
AI-Powered Scams Are Flooding Small Businesses
🧠 What even is this?
According to a recent Business Insider report, AI-generated scams are now targeting small businesses at scale. These include:
Fake job applications with AI-written resumes
Lookalike websites that clone real businesses
Deepfake emails from “team members” asking for sensitive info
AI-generated invoices that look eerily legit
🔍 What does it mean?
Tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney (which help businesses grow) are now being weaponized by scammers who automate entire fraud pipelines.
And it’s not just big brands.
Mom-and-pop shops, freelancers, and Etsy sellers are reporting waves of suspicious leads and phishing links.
💡 Why it matters:
The same AI that makes you more productive… can now impersonate your business.
This isn’t “deepfake dystopia” anymore, it’s quietly hitting inboxes right now.
For small teams, basic digital hygiene is now table stakes.
✨ LLMentary Real Talk
AI is like fire: it can warm your house or burn it down.
Don’t panic, but don’t be naive either.
If you’re running a business, it’s time to:
✅ Upgrade passwords
✅ Verify links
✅ Educate your team
✅ And yes, double-check that “new hire” with a flawless résumé
Thinking Machines Raises $2B With Just a Vision
🧠 What even is this?
Thinking Machines, founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, raised $2 billion in seed funding (yes, seed!!) valuing it at $10 billion. They haven’t shipped a product yet.
🔍 What does it mean?
Investors are placing huge bets on who’s building, not just what’s built. Murati’s track record and the idea of “multimodal AI systems for collaborative work” were enough.
💡 Why it matters:
The bar for innovation is high, but the bar for imagination is higher.
For readers: This is how fast the AI space is moving. Great teams can raise billions before showing a demo.
It’s like pre-ordering a rocket ship… because the people building it once worked at NASA.
Grammarly Acquires Superhuman to Build the AI Inbox
🧠 What even is this?
Grammarly, known for making your writing sharper, just acquired Superhuman, the productivity-focused email startup. The goal? Create an AI-powered communication assistant that lives inside your inbox.
Think:
Smart replies that match your tone
Summarized threads and tasks
Email triage based on importance
Calendars that coordinate themselves
🔍 What does it mean?
Grammarly is becoming more than a grammar checker. It’s shaping up to be your personal AI secretary, streamlining email, scheduling, and task management.
💡 Why it matters:
Shows that AI is creeping into tools we already use. Quietly, but powerfully.
It’s not just new chatbots: it’s AI transforming your daily workflow.
For most users, this is where AI will show up first, not in labs, but in Outlook.
✨ LLMentary Nudge
If you’ve ever ended a 12-tab email binge with “Wait… what was I even doing?”
You might love what Grammarly is building.
Google’s Gemini On-Device Robots
🧠 What even is this?
Google DeepMind built a new model “Gemini On‑Device” that lets robots act autonomously using vision and voice commands. No cloud. No server. Just the robot thinking and reacting on its own.
🔍 What does it mean?
Robots that once needed full cloud access can now fold clothes, pick up tools, and follow instructions like “zip up the bag” or “stack these cups.”
💡 Why it matters:
Moves AI from the screen into the real world
Opens doors for use in areas without good internet: homes, farms, even disaster zones
Starts to feel less like “future tech” and more like “future roommate”
The internet once came to your phone.
Now AI is coming to your furniture.
🔗 Wrapping It All Up
Here’s what this month in AI tells us:
Big Tech is centralizing power
Smart people are raising smart money fast
Small teams are both empowered and endangered
It’s not hype anymore.
It’s here… and it’s personal.
AI word of the day!
Multimodal Models.
AI systems that can understand and generate across different formats (like text, images, audio, and video) all at once.
I’m trying out this new format for LLMentary because the world of AI is moving really fast and it’s hard to keep track of what’s new.
LLMentary can be your forum to stay up-to-date! :)
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Stay sharp.
Stay skeptical.
Stay curious.
✍️ Written by Lakshith Dinesh