Business Tech News: OpenAI Is Now Building Robots
Here are five things in business tech news that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
This Week in Business Tech News
Business Tech News #1 — OpenAI’s secret robot plans revealed.
OpenAI is in the process of refocusing its efforts to develop robotics technology. The company has revealed its renewed interest in creating humanoid robots designed to perform automated tasks in warehouses and assisting with household chores among other “versatile” functions. According to the company, their new robotics team will focus on “unlocking general-purpose robotics and pushing towards AGI-level intelligence in dynamic, real-world settings.” OpenAI’s previous robotics department was suspended in 2021, but they’ve maintained an active interest through investing in companies like Figure AI Inc. and 1X, which are already developing humanoid robots. Further details about the team can be found here. (Source: The AI REPORT)
Why this is important for your business:
Does this come as a surprise? Not to me. OpenAI isn’t going to stop at just generative AI chatbots. It’s technology can be applied for many use cases from office automation to autonomous vehicles and yes…to robots. My prediction is that within the next decade, many products will be powered by OpenAI’s technology without us even knowing about it — or caring, as long as they work.
Business Tech News #2 — The 10 best laptops of CES 2025
Tech journalist Matthew Smith reported on the laptops that were showcased at this year’s CES 2025 — the premier event where the latest gadgets and innovations are on display from tech companies around the globe. A few of the laptops on PCWorld’s 10 best list include — Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable which features a rollable OLED display that extends from 14 inches to 16.7 inches. Razer Blade 16 — a powerful gaming notebook with bold design changes. Asus Zenbook A14 — the world’s lightest Copilot+ PC, weighing just under 2.2 pounds and Smith’s “overall pick.” Visit the link to see the rest. (Source: PC World)
Why this is important for your business:
I bookmarked this article as I’m continuing the search for a new laptop. But bear in mind these are the latest and greatest technologies. Which means that that most are pricey and some aren’t even available yet. But they’re all a good indication of what’s to come. The “rollable” functionality from Lenovo received the most attention both from the crowd and the critics and any opportunity to cut down on hardware cost (less monitors needed) should be of interest to businesses.
Business Tech News #3 — Why a tech journalists uses both ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity Pro.
Danny Maiorca of MakeUseOf makes the case for using both ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity Pro as users typically choose one or the other. His general assessment is ChatGPT has a broader range of capabilities whereas Perplexity Pro shines in “niche areas.” Maiorca uses ChatGPT Plus for things like organizing abstract ideas, project planning and conversations. Perplexity Pro is used for his in-depth research as the tool is very efficient with finding resources based on extensive queries. It also leverages large datasets and offers citation support, making it ideal for academic research. “I think the best approach is to use both… My subscriptions pay for themselves each month,” Maiorca concludes. (Source: MakeUseOf)
Why this is important for your business:
I do the same! Perplexity is my research tool when writing articles. ChatGPT is my everyday tool for answering questions and helping me with business and personal decisions. I have subscriptions for both, as both have become important tools to help me run my business and my life. I’m starting to think that no one chatbot tool can do it all and that there will be a number of them that specialize in certain topics or functions.
Business Tech News #4 — An AI search expert predicts what the future of search is going to look like.
AJ Ghergich — AI search expert and Global VP at Botify — shared in an interview the evolving trends he anticipates with search tools in 2025. Search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how we look for information, making it more conversational rather than keyword-based. Ghergich predicts that ads will soon be integrated into AI search engines as they are a primary revenue source for free services. AI systems will become highly personalized, making ads feel less intrusive and more relevant to users. AI agents will increasingly interact with each other on the web, reducing the need for human intervention in searches. “In the future, the majority of searchers will be AI, not human. We’ll cross this threshold, and the way we communicate will have to change,” Gherich said. (Source: TechRadar)
Why this is important for your business:
I agree with Ghergich’s predictions. SEO will be — and already is — significantly disrupted in the next few years. For a long time Google had the monopoly on ads. But new AI chatbot platforms are delivering answers — not just links to answers — and will be using the best content available so that their responses are as accurate as possible. How will they incorporate ads into this new and better delivery of content? Ghergich’s ideas seem to make sense.
Business Tech News #5 — Microsoft Teams wants to use Copilot to keep your meetings going, whether you like it or not.
Copilot is taking a more autonomous role in Microsoft Teams meetings. The AI will soon be suggesting follow-up questions in meetings. When users respond to a prompt, Copilot will also suggest team members to “keep the conversation going” whether that’s the intended choice or not. This feature was discovered in a post titled “Copilot in Meetings will suggest follow up questions to ask it.” According to reports, Microsoft plans to roll out this feature in March. (Source: TechRadar)
Why this is important for your business:
This feature seems like it would be annoying and mostly ignored. Don’t people want to keep meetings and conversations shorter, not longer? Hey, what do I know? Regardless, I’ll check it out once it’s available and report back.
