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The Rise of AI-Powered Weapons: Anduril’s $1.5 Billion Leap into the Future
Anduril’s $1.5 billion investment in AI-powered weapons is transforming defense technology, with a focus on autonomous drones and innovative manufacturing strategies.
Published
7 months agoon
By
AIinAsia
TL;DR:
- Anduril, a defense tech startup, raises $1.5 billion to produce AI-powered autonomous weapons.
- The company plans to build a software-optimized factory to manufacture drones and other battlefield tech.
- The shift reflects a new era of military thinking, focusing on drones and AI.
- Anduril aims to counter US military weaknesses exposed by the Ukraine war.
- The Pentagon is increasingly working with nontraditional defense contractors.
In the ever-evolving landscape of defense technology, one company is making waves with its ambitious plans to revolutionize military hardware production. Anduril, founded by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, has secured a staggering $1.5 billion in funding. This investment will fuel the company’s vision to build a Tesla-style, software-optimized factory for manufacturing autonomous drones and other advanced battlefield technologies.
Anduril’s Ambitious Plans
Anduril’s latest funding round, led by Founders Fund and Sands Capital, marks a significant milestone for the seven-year-old startup. The company aims to transition from a defense industry upstart to a major US defense contractor. This shift reflects a broader trend in military thinking, where battlefields are increasingly dominated by drones and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Shift in Military Strategy
The Pentagon is adapting to the prospect of battlefields ruled by autonomous systems. Policymakers are searching for ways to ramp up America’s capacity to produce military hardware to match that of potential adversaries like China. Greg Allen, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), notes that the Department of Defense (DoD) is becoming more open to working with nontraditional defense contractors and investing in small, cheap, autonomous systems.
“The stars are aligning in terms of the [Department of Defense] changing its approach, new companies coming with a different approach, and the venture capital community finally willing to put big money at risk to make things change,” says Allen.
Anduril’s AI-Powered Manufacturing Platform
Anduril is betting on a lean and efficient tech industry approach to manufacturing. The company has developed an AI-powered manufacturing platform called Arsenal. This platform aims to speed up the production of its growing armory of drones and other hardware. Arsenal will follow the approach used by high-tech manufacturers like Apple and Tesla, designing products with manufacturing in mind and using software to monitor and optimize operations.
The company plans to spend several hundred million dollars to build the first factory of this kind, Arsenal-1, at an undisclosed location. Anduril has already expanded its manufacturing capabilities with a factory in Mississippi for building solid rocket motors and another in Rhode Island for producing drones.
Countering US Military Weaknesses
In a manifesto titled “Rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy,” Anduril highlights critical US military weaknesses exposed by the war in Ukraine. The report states that the US stockpile of critical munitions would take years to replace and could be depleted in less than a week of a war with China. Anduril draws inspiration from Tesla’s software-heavy approach to car design and its ability to rapidly scale up the production of electric vehicles.
“Leading commercial companies are achieving what many thought impossible because they are, first and foremost, software companies, and it is software that enables them to design, develop, and manufacture their hardware products in entirely new and different ways,” the report reads.
Pentagon Initiatives and the War in Ukraine
Anduril’s move is also inspired by the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative, launched last August. This program funnels money into companies capable of producing thousands of “attritable,” or expendable, autonomous systems per year. The war in Ukraine has further highlighted the importance of low-cost drones equipped with AI software. In May, Anduril won a contract to develop a new kind of drone for the US Air Force and Navy, called the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which will have sophisticated autonomous and swarming capabilities.
A study on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program coauthored by CSIS’s Allen notes that the project signals a new approach from the Department of Defense. This shift is inspired by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and reports suggesting that the Chinese military is preparing to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.
“Everything needs to change, and it needs to change fast,” says Allen.
The Future of AI in Defense
Anduril’s ambitious plans reflect a broader trend in the defense industry. The integration of AI and autonomous systems is becoming increasingly crucial for military strategies. As the Pentagon continues to invest in nontraditional defense contractors, companies like Anduril are poised to play a significant role in shaping the future of military technology.
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Google’s Gemini AI is Coming to Your Chrome Browser — Here’s the Inside Scoop
Google is integrating Gemini AI into Chrome browser through a new experimental feature called Gemini Live in Chrome (GLIC). Here’s everything you need to know.
Published
1 day agoon
March 25, 2025By
AIinAsia
TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds
- Google is integrating Gemini AI into its Chrome browser via an experimental feature called Gemini Live in Chrome (GLIC).
- GLIC adds a clickable Gemini icon next to Chrome’s window controls, opening a floating AI assistant modal.
- Currently being tested in Chrome Canary, the feature aims to streamline AI interactions without leaving the browser.
Welcoming Google’s Gemini AI to Your Chrome Browser
If there’s one thing tech giants love more than AI right now, it’s finding new ways to shove that AI into everything we use. And Google—never one to be left behind—is apparently stepping up their game by sliding their Gemini AI directly into your beloved Chrome browser. Yep, that’s the buzz on the digital street!
This latest AI adventure popped up thanks to eagle-eyed folks at Windows Latest, who spotted intriguing code snippets hidden in Google’s Chrome Canary version. Canary, if you haven’t played with it before, is Google’s playground version of Chrome. It’s the spot where they test all their wild and wonderful experimental features, and it looks like Gemini’s next up on stage.
Say Hello to GLIC: Gemini Live in Chrome
They’re calling this new integration “GLIC,” which stands for “Gemini Live in Chrome.” (Yes, tech companies never resist a snappy acronym, do they?) According to the early glimpses from Canary, GLIC isn’t quite ready for primetime yet—no shock there—but the outlines are pretty clear.
Once activated, GLIC introduces a nifty Gemini icon neatly tucked up beside your usual minimise, maximise, and close window buttons. Click it, and a floating Gemini assistant modal pops open, ready and waiting for your prompts, questions, or random curiosities.
Prefer a less conspicuous spot? Google’s thought of that too—GLIC can also nestle comfortably in your system tray, offering quick access to Gemini without cluttering your browser interface.

Why Gemini in Chrome Actually Makes Sense
Having Gemini hanging out front and centre in Chrome feels like a smart move—especially when you’re knee-deep in tabs and need quick answers or creative inspiration on the fly. No more toggling between browser tabs or separate apps; your AI assistant is literally at your fingertips.
But let’s keep expectations realistic here—this is still Canary we’re talking about. Features here often need plenty of polish and tweaking before making it to the stable Chrome we all rely on. But the potential? Definitely exciting.
What’s Next?
For now, we’ll keep a close eye on GLIC’s developments. Will Gemini revolutionise how we interact with Chrome, or will it end up another quirky experiment? Either way, Google’s bet on AI is clearly ramping up, and we’re here for it. Don’t forget to sign up to our occasional newsletter to stay informed about this and other happenings around AI in Asia and beyond.
Stay tuned—we’ll share updates as soon as Google lifts the curtains a bit further.
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Adobe Jumps into AI Video: Exploring Firefly’s New Video Generator
Explore Adobe Firefly Video Generator for safe, AI-driven video creation from text or images, plus easy integration and flexible subscription plans
Published
1 week agoon
March 18, 2025By
AIinAsia
TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds
- Adobe Has Launched a New AI Video Generator: Firefly Video (beta) is now live for anyone who’s signed up for early access, promising safe and licensed content.
- Commercially Safe Creations: The video model is trained only on licensed and public domain content, reducing the headache of potential copyright issues.
- Flexible Usage: You can create 5-second, 1080p clips from text prompts or reference images, add extra effects, and blend seamlessly with Adobe’s other tools.
- Subscription Plans: Ranging from 10 USD to 30 USD per month, you’ll get a certain number of monthly generative credits to play with, along with free cloud storage.
So, What is the Adobe Firefly Video Generator?
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the AI scene, you’ll know it’s bursting with new tools left, right, and centre. But guess who has finally decided to join the party, fashionably late but oh-so-fancy? That’s right — Adobe! The creative software giant has just unveiled its generative AI video tool, Firefly Video Generator. Today, we’re taking a closer look at what it does, why it matters, and whether it’s worth your time.
If you’ve heard whispers about Adobe’s foray into AI, it’s all about Firefly — their suite of AI-driven creative tools. Adobe has now extended Firefly to video, letting you turn text or images into short video clips. At the moment, each clip is around five seconds long in 1080p resolution and spits out an MP4 file.
We’ve got great news — Generate Video (beta) is now available. Powered by the Adobe Firefly Video Model, Generate Video (beta) lets you generate new, commercially safe video clips with the ease of creative AI.
The unique selling point is that Firefly’s videos are trained on licensed and public domain materials, so you can rest easy about copyright concerns. Whether you’re a content creator, a social media guru, or just love dabbling in AI, this tool might be your new favourite playground.
Getting Started: Text-to-Video in a Flash
Interested? Here’s the easiest way in:
- Sign In: Head over to firefly.adobe.com and log in or sign up for an Adobe account.
- Select “Text to Video”: Once logged in, you’ll see a selection of AI tools under the Featured tab. Pick “Text to Video,” and you’re in!
- Craft a Prompt: Type out a description of what you want to see. For best results, Adobe recommends specifying the shot type, character, action, location, and aesthetic — the more detail, the better — up to 175 words.. For example:
Prompt: A futuristic cityscape at sunset with neon lights reflecting off wet pavement. The camera pans over a sleek, silver skyscraper, then zooms in on a group of drones flying in formation, their lights pulsating in sync with the city’s rhythm. The scene transitions to a close-up of a holographic advertisement displaying vibrant, swirling patterns. The video ends with a wide shot of the city, capturing the dynamic interplay of light and technology.
- Generate: Hit that generate button, and watch Firefly do its magic. Stick around on the tab while it’s generating, or else your progress disappears (a bit of a quirk if you ask me).
The end result is a 5-second video clip in MP4 format, complete with 1920 × 1080 resolution. You can’t exactly produce a Hollywood blockbuster here, but for quick, creative clips, it’s pretty handy.
Here’s another one:
A cheerful, pastel-colored cartoon rabbit wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt. The rabbit is standing on a sunny beach, surrounded by palm trees and colorful beach balls. As it dances to upbeat music, it starts to juggle three beach balls while spinning around. The camera zooms out to show the rabbit’s shadow growing larger, transforming into a giant beach ball that bounces across the sand. The video ends with the rabbit laughing and winking at the camera.
Image-to-Video: Turn That Pic into Motion
To use this feature, you must have the rights to any third-party images you upload. All images uploaded or content generated must meet our User Guidelines. Access will be revoked for any violation.
If you prefer a visual reference to a text prompt, Firefly also has your back. You can upload an image — presumably one you own the rights to — and let the AI interpret that into video form. As Adobe warns:
Once uploaded, you can tweak the ratio, camera angle, motion, and more to shape your final clip. This is a brilliant feature if you’re working on something that requires a specific style or visual element and you’d like to keep that vibe across different shots.
A Dash of Sparkle: Adding Effects
A neat trick up Adobe’s sleeve is the ability to layer special effects like fire, smoke, dust particles, or water over your footage. The model can generate these elements against a black or green screen, so you can easily apply them as overlays in Premiere Pro or After Effects.
In practical terms, you could generate smoky overlays to give your scene a dramatic flair or sprinkling dust particles for a cinematic vibe. Adobe claims these overlays blend nicely with real-world footage, so that’s a plus for those who want to incorporate subtle special effects into their videos without shelling out for expensive stock footage.
How Much Does Adobe Firefly Cost?
There are two main plans if you decide to adopt Firefly into your daily workflow:
- Adobe Firefly Standard (10 USD/month)
- You get 2,000 monthly generative credits for video and audio, which means you can generate up to 20 five-second videos and translate up to 6 minutes of audio and video.
- Useful for quick clip creation, background experimentation, and playing with different styles in features like Text to Image and Generative Fill.
- Adobe Firefly Pro (30 USD/month)
- This plan offers 7,000 monthly generative credits for video and audio, allowing you to generate up to 70 five-second videos and translate up to 23 minutes of audio and video.
- Great for those looking to storyboard entire projects, produce b-roll, and match audio cues for more complex productions.
Both plans also include 100 GB of cloud storage, so you don’t have to worry too much about hoarding space on your own system. They come in monthly or annual prepaid options, and you can cancel anytime without fees — quite flexible, which is nice.
First Impressions: Late to the Party?
Overall, Firefly’s biggest plus is its library of training data. Because it only uses Adobe-licensed or public domain content, creators can produce videos without fear of accidental infringement. This is a big deal, considering how many generative AI tools out there scrape the web, causing all sorts of copyright drama.
Adobe’s integration with its existing ecosystem is another big draw. If you’re already knee-deep in Premiere Pro and After Effects, having a built-in system for AI-generated overlays, quick b-roll clips, and atmospheric effects might streamline your workflow.
But let’s be honest: the AI video space is already pretty jam-packed. Competitors like Runway, Kling, and Sora from OpenAI have been around for a while, offering equally interesting features. So the question is, does Firefly do anything better or more reliably than the rest? You’ll have to try it out for yourself (and please let us know your thoughts in the comments below).
This sentiment might ring true until Adobe packs in some advanced features or speeds up its render times. However, you can’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Adobe does offer free video generation credits, so have a go. Generate your own videos, add flaming overlays, and see if the results vibe with your style.
Will Adobe’s trusted brand name and integrated workflow features push Firefly Video Generator to the top of the AI video world? Or is this too little, too late?
Ultimately, you’re the judge. The AI video revolution is in full swing, and each platform has its own perks and quirks.
Wrapping Up & Parting Thoughts
Adobe’s Firefly Video Generator is an exciting new player that’s sure to turn heads. If you’re already an Adobe devotee, it makes sense to give it a whirl and see how seamlessly it slides into your existing workflow. You’ll enjoy its straightforward interface, the security of licensed content, and some neat editing options.
But with so many alternatives on the market, is Firefly truly innovative, or just the next step in AI’s unstoppable march through our creative spaces?
Could Adobe’s pedigree and safe licensing edge truly redefine AI video for commercial use, or is the industry already oversaturated with better and bolder solutions?
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Tencent Takes on DeepSeek: Meet the Lightning-Fast Hunyuan Turbo S
Tencent introduces Hunyuan Turbo S, an AI model responding faster than DeepSeek’s R1, creating competition among China’s top tech companies.
Published
3 weeks agoon
March 8, 2025By
AIinAsia
TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds about this Tencent AI model
- Tencent launched the Hunyuan Turbo S AI model with response times under a second.
- Turbo S directly competes with and surpasses DeepSeek’s acclaimed R1 model in speed.
- The model significantly lowers usage costs, responding to DeepSeek’s aggressive pricing.
- Increased AI competition in China is accelerating innovation and affordability.
Introducing the Tencent AI Model Hunyuan Turbo S
When it comes to AI models, speed and affordability are king—and Tencent just raised the stakes. The Chinese tech giant recently unveiled its new Hunyuan Turbo S AI model, boldly claiming it can answer your queries faster than you can blink. Well, maybe not literally, but at under one second per response, it’s leaving notable competitors, including DeepSeek’s hugely popular R1 model, in the digital dust.
Turbocharged AI: How Fast Are We Talking?
Tencent’s latest model doesn’t just aim for speed—it practically redefines it. According to Tencent, the Turbo S responds significantly faster than other AI heavyweights, especially when compared to DeepSeek’s R1, which Tencent cheekily described as a “slow-thinking model” needing a bit of a pause before answering. This claim isn’t just hype; tests in complex fields like mathematics, general knowledge, and reasoning have shown Turbo S holding its own, matching—and sometimes exceeding—DeepSeek’s acclaimed V3 model, a chatbot that has famously dethroned OpenAI’s ChatGPT in app store popularity.
Why the Sudden Need for Speed?
DeepSeek’s rapid global adoption, notably in Silicon Valley, has clearly rattled its Chinese peers. With DeepSeek-R1 triggering stock market shifts and gaining widespread international acclaim, giants like Tencent and Alibaba have been pushed into a competitive sprint, accelerating their AI development cycles and aggressively cutting costs to remain competitive.
The Tencent AI model response is strategic, focusing on more than just raw speed. A major highlight of Turbo S is its cost efficiency. By significantly reducing usage costs compared to earlier models, Tencent is directly challenging DeepSeek’s open-source, low-cost strategy. Clearly, competitive pressures have forced Chinese AI developers to rethink pricing strategies, which can only mean good news for users.
Tencent Isn’t Alone: Alibaba Joins the AI Arms Race
The competition doesn’t stop with Tencent. Just weeks ago, Alibaba jumped headfirst into the fray by launching the Qwen 2.5-Max AI model, boldly claiming performance superior to DeepSeek’s V3. Alibaba’s determination to dominate the AI landscape was underscored by a massive $53 billion commitment to AI and cloud computing infrastructure over the next three years.
DeepSeek’s Growing Influence Across Industries
The AI frenzy sparked by DeepSeek isn’t confined to just Tencent and Alibaba. Major telecom providers—China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom—have integrated DeepSeek models into their cloud services. Leading smartphone brands, including Huawei, Vivo, and Oppo, have also jumped aboard, embedding these powerful AI tools into their offerings.
Even Tencent’s own messaging app, Weixin (WeChat’s domestic counterpart), and Baidu’s search engine and Ernie Bot have begun integrating DeepSeek technologies, reflecting an industry-wide recognition of DeepSeek’s impressive capabilities.
Education Sector: Embracing the AI Revolution
Chinese universities are enthusiastically integrating DeepSeek into their curriculum. Shenzhen University launched an AI course centered around DeepSeek, tackling essential topics from technological fundamentals to ethical implications. Zhejiang University and Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University have also adopted DeepSeek in classrooms, aiming to enhance teaching, research, and administrative functions.
What This Means for You
This rapid-fire innovation spells exciting times for users and businesses alike. With AI models becoming both more powerful and affordable, expect deeper integration across digital and physical experiences, enhanced efficiency in operations, and even new business opportunities.
Tencent’s Hunyuan Turbo S isn’t just another tech headline—it’s a sign of an intensifying AI competition reshaping how we interact with technology.
What are your thoughts on Tencent’s bold moves? Are we seeing a real game-changer or just another entry in an increasingly crowded space? Join the conversation! Or subscribe to our free newsletter by tapping here.
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