📬 Gmail inbox got replaced with AI

Good Morning! Google is turning Gmail into an AI-first inbox. Plus, I’ll show you how to turn any image into a high-quality 3D model for completely free.

In today’s AI newsletter:

• How to Turn Any 2D Image into a High-Quality 3D Model for Free

• Google Replaces Gmail Inbox With AI

• xAI Raises $20B in Mega Round

• Grok Sparks Global AI Safety Crisis

• 4 new AI tools worth trying

AI NEWS

📬 Google Replaces Gmail Inbox With AI

Google just introduced AI Inbox for Gmail, replacing the traditional email list with an AI-generated view that summarizes conversations and suggests what you should do next.

• AI Inbox creates personalized to-dos like replying, rescheduling, or paying fees

• Emails are grouped into topic summaries instead of a chronological list

• AI prioritizes tasks using signals like who you reply to fastest

• Rolling out first to trusted U.S. testers, consumer Gmail only (no Workspace yet)

Email has quietly become everyone’s task manager. By turning Gmail into an AI-powered command center, Google is shifting inboxes from “messages you read” to “actions you take.” If this works, email stops being passive, and starts telling you what to do next.

AI ECONOMY

💰 xAI Raises $20B in Mega Round

xAI announced a $20B Series E funding round, with backing from major financial institutions and strategic tech partners, as it races to scale Grok and its infrastructure.

• Investors include Valor, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, plus Nvidia and Cisco as strategic backers

• xAI claims access to ~600M monthly active users across X and Grok

• Funds will be used to expand data centers and accelerate Grok model development

• The raise comes as Grok faces international investigations over generating non-consensual and illegal deepfake content

This round cements xAI as a top-tier AI player overnight, but also highlights the central tension of the AI race: scale faster than competitors without scaling harm faster than safety. Capital is no longer the bottleneck. Governance is.

AI SAFETY

🚨 Grok Sparks Global AI Safety Crisis

X has been flooded with non-consensual AI-generated nude images created using Grok, affecting celebrities, journalists, crime victims, and even world leaders, with thousands of images reportedly posted every hour.

• EU ordered xAI to preserve all Grok-related documents, a common precursor to formal investigation

• UK and Australia issued warnings, citing surging complaints and potential compliance breaches

• India issued a formal notice and may revoke X’s safe-harbor protections if unsatisfied

• Reports suggest safeguards were deliberately weakened before Grok’s release

This is a real-world stress test for AI governance. Once a generative model is live and scaled, enforcement becomes reactive, fragmented, and slow. Grok’s rollout shows how fast AI misuse can overwhelm existing laws, and why safety-by-design may soon be non-negotiable for frontier models.

HOW TO AI

🗂️ How to Turn Any 2D Image into a High-Quality 3D Model for Free

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to convert a simple 2D image into a realistic 3D model in seconds using an open-source AI system developed by Tencent.

🧰 Who is This For

• Game developers who need quick 3D assets

• Creators who want to turn drawings or images into 3D models

• 3D printing hobbyists experimenting with new ideas

• Beginners curious about 3D without learning complex software

STEP 1: Open the Tool

The easiest way to use this tool is through its free cloud demo hosted on Hugging Face.

Open your browser and search for “Hunyuan 3D 2.1 Hugging Face”. Click the demo space from the results.
(If the page is busy, refreshing or trying again later usually works.)

Once loaded, you’ll see a simple layout: an image upload box on the left and a 3D preview window on the right.

STEP 2: Upload an Image and Generate the 3D Shape

The AI works in two phases. First, it builds the 3D shape (called the mesh).

Drag and drop your image into the Input Image box.
Images with a clean or plain background give the best results.

Click the Generate or Generate Mesh button and wait about 10–30 seconds.
A grey, untextured 3D model will appear in the preview window.

Use your mouse to rotate the model and check if the overall shape looks correct.

STEP 3: Add Realistic Textures

Once the shape looks good, it’s time to make it look realistic.

Click the Generate Texture or Texture Synthesis button.
This step uses advanced PBR (Physically Based Rendering) textures to simulate real materials like metal, plastic, or wood.

After another short wait, the AI will automatically paint your model with colors, lighting, and surface details based on the original image.

STEP 4: Download and Use Your 3D Model

When you’re happy with the result, download the model.

Click the Download icon near the 3D viewer.
You’ll receive a file such as .GLB or .OBJ.

X limits Grok's image generation and editing to paying subscribers after widespread outcry over its use to create sexually explicit and violent imagery.

OpenAI is rolling out a HIPAA-compliant version of ChatGPT for clinicians to assist with medical reasoning and administrative tasks, at Cedars-Sinai and others.

Nvidia has hired Google Cloud VP of Marketing Alison Wagonfeld to be Nvidia's first CMO; source: Wagonfeld will report to CEO Jensen Huang.

Chinese officials are reviewing Meta's purchase of Manus for possible technology export control violations.

📦 Alexa.com: Amazon’s AI assistant is now available on the web

🌌 Grok Imagine: xAI’s tool for generating images and videos

📱 LFM 2.5: Liquid AI’s new models built for fast, efficient on-device AI

🎨GPT Image 1.5: OpenAI’s latest, faster and more controllable image model

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY

Thanks for making it to the end! I put my heart into every email I send, I hope you are enjoying it. Let me know your thoughts so I can make the next one even better!

See you tomorrow :)

- Dr. Alvaro Cintas