This week, tech leaders launched “Humanity’s Last Exam” to test if machines are catching up to real-world human expertise and push AI to its limits.

The project, led by the Center for AI Safety and Scale AI, is crowdsourcing the toughest questions worldwide to create the ultimate AI benchmark. The one restriction? Questions on weapons are off-limits; they’re considered too risky for AI.

The challenge kicks off just as OpenAI unveiled its latest model with reasoning capabilities, raising the stakes in the race for smarter AI.

In this week’s edition, we’ve got Apple’s latest health tech news, Gemini’s voice genius, a clever chatbot curator, and a friendly Aegean AI travel assistant.

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AI Health & Wellness

Apple made waves with the launch of the iPhone 16 and its new onboard AI features. But beyond the buzz around “Apple Intelligence,” the real news might be coming from the Apple Watch and its latest health-focused innovations. 

Apple’s new watch software aims to detect sleep apnea — a condition affecting millions that often goes undiagnosed. Traditionally, diagnosing sleep apnea involves a night in a sleep lab, surrounded by monitors and wires. Apple’s approach is different: It uses the watch’s accelerometer to monitor subtle movements at the wrist, picking up on interruptions in breathing during sleep.

How it works: Every 30 days, the watch will analyze sleep data and alert users if it detects moderate to severe sleep apnea patterns. Users can then share this data with a doctor to explore possible treatments.

Apple expects FDA clearance soon and plans to roll out the feature globally this month, reaching over 150 countries, including the U.S., EU, and Japan. The new sleep apnea detection tool will be available on the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the just-announced Series 10 models.

Apple is also bringing health tech to its AirPods Pro 2, which will soon be able to conduct hearing tests and function as over-the-counter hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss. This feature will be available in over 100 countries, including the U.S., Germany, and Japan, later this fall. Crucially, users can trial the hearing aid capabilities without investing in new hardware.

Apple’s new features underscore a broader strategy: positioning its devices as tools not just for productivity, but for personal health as well.

AI Voice Assistants

Do you own an Android phone? If you do, you can ‘talk’ to Google’s personal AI assistant anytime, anywhere — hands-free and free of charge.

Gemini Live Voice Mode is now available to all users, offering a new way to interact with AI. You can brainstorm, explore ideas, and discuss topics in real-time—all without typing. This shift could redefine how users approach creative thinking, problem-solving, and daily tasks.

This new voice feature is integrated into the Android Gemini app, so you’ll need to update your app or download it from the Google Play Store (for free) if you don’t have it.

Key Features include:

• Conversational Interaction: Speak to Gemini like you would to a human—no typing, just talking.

•  Dynamic Brainstorming: Pitch ideas, plan events, or even workshop a business strategy in real-time.

• Deep Exploration: Dive deep into any topic that sparks your interest—on the go.

• Practice Makes Perfect: Rehearse your pitch, prep for an interview, or get ready for a presentation out loud.

Gemini Live is designed for anyone who thrives on rapid idea generation or needs immediate, thoughtful responses. Right now, it’s English-only and exclusive to Android, but Google has plans to roll it out on iOS and in more languages soon.

AI voice tech is evolving at breakneck speed, promising to revolutionize how we interact with digital assistants, solve problems, and spark creativity. It’s a big step toward a more intuitive, seamless AI experience where ideas can flow as fast as you can talk.

AI Chatbots

Back in June, we featured  Choosy Chat, the app that lets you compare different AI chatbots side-by-side. It was a fascinating glimpse into the diverse strengths of various AI models. 

Now, a new app called NotDiamond is taking that concept a step further. Instead of simply presenting you with options, NotDiamond intelligently selects the best AI model for your specific query.

Harnessing the power of leading AI models like those from ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, NotDiamond acts as a discerning curator. You input your prompt, and behind the scenes, it evaluates which model will deliver the most effective response, streamlining the AI experience.

In our own testing, we were impressed by NotDiamond’s consistent ability to pinpoint the optimal model for different tasks. For instance, it consistently favored Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro for translations, Anthropic’s Claude 1.5 Sonnet for generating human-like text, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 for tackling logical reasoning tasks. 

NotDiamond's creator, Tomas Hernando Kofman, drew inspiration from Netflix founder Reid Hoffman, who said: "The mistake people make is they think there's going to be one model to rule them all… You’re going to see networks of models." Recognizing the diverse strengths of different AI models, Kofman built NotDiamond to leverage this emerging reality. 

If you're eager to experience a more intelligent and efficient approach to AI interaction, NotDiamond is definitely worth exploring. The free tier is enough for any of our readers.

AI Travel & Adventure

Greece has long been a top destination for travelers, with its ancient ruins, breathtaking islands, and a culture that buzzes with energy—drawing over 30 million visitors annually. Now, planning your next Greek adventure has never been easier, thanks to Greece's latest innovation in travel technology: an AI-powered travel assistant named Pythia.

Pythia was developed by US-based Matador Networks and designed exclusively for DiscoverGreece.com. Drawing inspiration from the Oracle of Delphi—the mythic figure who whispered secrets to heroes and kings—Pythia aims to be your modern-day travel whisperer, offering itineraries, restaurant picks, and must-see sites.

We took Pythia for a spin, crafting a 12-day trip through Athens, Santorini, Crete, and Mykonos. (it took us a minute to find Pythia on the DiscoverGreece home page. It’s located on the bottom right side) The results? A detailed rundown of activities, both day and night and seamless options for hopping between islands. 

But when we tested Pythia further—asking for hotel lists under $300 a night—its promise of customization hit a snag. The AI’s picks didn’t quite match the budget constraints, revealing that even the most advanced algorithms can stumble.

The launch of Pythia comes as the demand for travel shows no signs of slowing. The global travel market is projected to expand by over $150 billion in the next four years, and it won’t be long before other countries jump on the bandwagon with their own tailored AI assistants.

As personalization becomes the new frontier in travel, AI holds the promise of curating your trip and simplifying the booking experience.

AI in the News (in case you missed it)

• Study finds AI can change belief in conspiracy theories. Read here.

• Researchers use artificial intelligence to help ALS patient speak again. Watch here.

• If robots could lie, would we be okay with it? Read here.

• Amazon is using AI to drive more same-day shipping using smarter robots and better routes. Watch here.

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Here.Now.AI Editorial team: Lori, Justin, and Lisa