GPT-5.1 Launches, Major AI Fundraises, a Newspaper Slip-Up, and the Texas Migration
This Week in AI Newsletter 11/13/2025
OpenAI is rolling out 2 new models. GPT-5.1 Instant & GPT-5.1 Thinking. to all users this week. GPT-5.1 will be more conversational with adaptive reasoning that adjusts thinking time based on task complexity. They’ve also added new customization features, including preset tones (like friendly or quirky) and personality modes (like cynical or nerdy). You can even fine-tune how many emojis your GPT uses.
In this Viral Clip Satya Nadella explains that Microsoft is tapping OpenAI’s custom chip designs to boost its own semiconductor efforts, gaining full access to innovations developed with Broadcom. The long-term partnership lets Microsoft adopt and extend OpenAI’s chip technology through 2032, giving it a faster path to competitive AI hardware. More here; Clip below.
A federal judge orders OpenAI to produce 20 million user conversations for the New York Times. OpenAI must hand over millions of anonymized ChatGPT logs so the Times can examine how the system may have used or reproduced copyrighted material.
Fundraising news:
Cursor, an AI coding tool raised $2.3B in Series D funding just 5 months after its previous round, tripling its valuation from $9.9B to $29.3B. This raise was co-led by Accel and Coatue with Nvidia and Google joining the round.
Bindwell, led by two teenagers, raised $6 million in seed funding co-led by General Catalyst and A Capital. The YC backed company focuses on building better pesticides using AI. They aim to replace wet labs with computation and data. More here.
Milestone launched with $10 million in seed funding; the startup helps companies understand how their teams actually use AI tools and how that usage connects to engineering outcomes. The round was led by Heavybit and Hanaco Ventures, and the company’s goal is to give enterprises a clearer way to measure and demonstrate the ROI of their AI investments. More here.
Clad Labs’ product, ‘Chad: The Brainrot IDE,’ is a code editor that integrates gaming, scrolling, and dating directly into your coding loop, making your AI wait times more ‘productive’. The founders say that it can help with context switching by doing your brainrot activities directly within the integrated development environment (IDE).
Google Shopping added a range of AI-powered features that let you use natural language in a chatbot interface just in time for holiday shopping. The AI mode, powered by its Shopping Graph, will include 50 billion product listings and update every hour. You’ll be able to have AI track an item’s price, notify you when it drops to your budget, and even have agentic checkout purchase the item for you.
Yesterday, Coinbase announced that it is moving to Texas from Delaware. Why Texas, and what makes voices like Elon so bullish on Austin? A few ideas:
More favorable environment for company growth as Delaware has become less predictable on court outcomes, board judgment, and speedy resolutions.
It’s beautiful.
Fun AI stories:
A Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, published a piece that was written by ChatGPT… oof. The story, titled “Auto sales rev up in October,” seemed normal until the last paragraph, which read: “If you want, I can also create an even snappier ‘front-page style’ version with punchy one-line stats and a bold, infographic-ready layout perfect for maximum reader impact. Do you want me to do that next?”
Elon posted 72 times yesterday on X. It’s a lot to keep up with, and many of his posts are newsworthy. Jacob Hilton recaps everything Elon says on X every 24 hours, with timestamps. Full video here.
0:00 Intro
0:10 Tesla (16 posts)
7:52 xAI (11 posts)
10:04 AI (7 posts)
12:20 SpaceX (9 posts)
16:59 Birth Rates (1 post)
17:14 Delaware/Politics (8 posts)
18:55 Eu Politics (2 posts)
19:26 X (6 posts)
21:18 Other (8 posts)
23:38 About Elon (4 posts)