It looks like AI funding keeps rolling along. Despite talk of a slowdown, Q1 2025 actually saw more $100M+ megarounds in the U.S. than the same time last year. TechCrunch has the list—and it’s a jaw-dropper. We’re curious to see how much gets raised this quarter.

In this week’s edition, we’ve got the latest on Google’s AI power play, chatting with AI ghosts, athletic smart moves, and creating kids’ classics the AI way.

Let’s get started!

AI & Google

It's been a while since we caught readers up with all the advances Google has made in AI, and they have been on a bit of a tear in recent months. Here's a summary of what you need to know (and to try!):

Gemini 2.5 Pro is now live for everyone, delivering:

• Advanced reasoning and coding skills, helping you tackle everything from brainstorming to bug fixing.

• A jaw-dropping increase in its ability to recall material— meaning it can "remember" an entire book’s worth of conversation without missing a beat.

Personalization is here (and it’s opt-in):

• Gemini can now use your Google Search history to tailor responses just for you, making answers sharper, suggestions smarter, and conversations more relevant.

Gemini Live goes global:

• Available on both Apple and Google app stores, Gemini Live now supports seamless switching between 45+ languages — even within the same conversation.

• It also better understands dialects and accents, making real-time chats smoother, whether you're practicing French or coordinating with a global team.

Search is getting smarter:

• AI Overviews are those quick answers you see at the top of your Google searches. They're now powered by Gemini 2.0 and used by over 1.5 billion people every month across 100+ countries.

• For deeper dives, Google is testing an “AI Mode” in Search that lets you chat with topics in a more conversational, chatbot-like way, while still surfacing helpful links.

In short, Google isn’t just upgrading search and conversation, it’s quietly rewiring how we interact with the entire digital world.

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AI & the Afterlife

Do AI and Immortality go hand-in-hand? In the not-so-distant future, death may no longer mean having to say goodbye. Thanks to a growing industry in "AI afterlife services," you could keep chatting with a digital version of a deceased loved one — one that remembers, evolves, and even keeps working.

Today’s options include:

• Re;memory by DeepBrain AI: Creates hyper-realistic video avatars of the departed, enabling interactive conversations with loved ones.

• HereAfter: An app that records your stories and memories, allowing future generations to engage in conversations with a virtual version of you.

• StoryFile: Offers interactive video recordings, allowing people to answer questions and share stories, preserving their legacy for future interactions. (check out who’s featured on the home page!)

• Project December: An AI chatbot service that enables users to simulate conversations with deceased loved ones by inputting personal data.

• MIT’s Augmented Eternity: A research initiative exploring the creation of digital personas that can continue to interact and evolve after a person's death.

Now, researchers at Google DeepMind and the University of Colorado have floated a spookier idea: generative ghosts. These aren't just AI clones; they're self-updating, news-reading, conversation-generating entities that can pick up where you left off after you’re gone. DeepMind envisions a future where AI agents can act independently, working, managing finances, maybe even raising a family — making life insurance seem quaint by comparison.

Consumers, however, aren't all-in on AI immortality. In a 2024 Kaspersky survey, 38% called posthumous digital identities unacceptable, while 35% were in favor. But grief remains a major concern: 67% said digital versions would reopen emotional wounds rather than heal them.

In the future, you might attend your own retirement party — and give the speech — without ever actually being there. Ghosting, it turns out, could take on a whole new meaning.

AI & Sports

If you thought sports were still all sweat and instinct, think again. Artificial intelligence is now a power player in stadiums, on the sidelines, and even in your weekend 5K. AI and edge computing are reshaping how pros compete, how fans watch, and how everyday athletes train, making every game smarter, safer, and more personalized.

At the pro level:

• Baseball: Teams use deep-learning models to simulate matchups, monitor player mechanics, and prevent injuries. AI also powers instant replays and personalized content, raising new questions around data ethics.

• Soccer: AI analyzes match footage for scouting and tactics, while wearables and apps like AiScout track player performance and enable algorithm-based talent discovery. AI also improves officiating with real-time camera systems.

• Football: AI sensors in gear collect data on movement and impacts, helping teams refine training, strategy, and play calls. Broadcasts now feature real-time stats and predictive insights for fans.

Elite athletes aren’t the only ones benefitting from AI. It’s changing how the rest of us move, too, with apps for runners to analyze their gait and stride, make real-time form corrections and offer injury prevention tips.

For tennis players, systems like PlaySight track every shot and spin, giving amateurs the kind of match analysis once reserved for pros. And here’s a surprising one – for all you bowlers, there are now AI tools that can analyze ball speed, spin, and trajectory, and even provide personalized coaching and dynamic play-by-play, turning casual games into data-driven showdowns.

AI has quietly become sports’ ultimate utility player — sharpening performance, protecting bodies, and enhancing the thrill of the game. So next time you celebrate a perfect serve or a personal best, remember: somewhere, an algorithm is quietly applauding, too.

AI Creative Pursuits

Looking for a gift for the little ones in your life? 

Now you can unleash your inner child and create personalized children’s books. With childbook.ai, you’re in control, creating characters and worlds that spring directly from your imagination. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, teacher, or aspiring author, this AI-powered story generator empowers you to craft your own children's books in just minutes.

How it works: with a simple title and short description, childbook.ai will conjure up a story as unique as your pint-size audience.

• Visually appealing AI-generated illustrations

• Start from scratch or use one of the library of templates

• It’s one of the few AI graphics tools that can boast consistent characters generated by AI, so you can create a series  

• Canva integration for unlimited editing

• Text-to-speech functionality with a single click

• The final product is available as a webpage and downloadable PDF format, or you can order a printed paperback on the site

• You’ll have full ownership with the option to print, share, or even sell your AI masterpiece!

Pricing ranges from $2.50 per book (12 pages) to a hobby plan for $19/month including 20 books and more personalization features.

Created by Polish developer Klaudia Jaszczak, this has the feel of a personal passion project, but is potentially fun and useful nonetheless. Just beware: there isn’t a toll-free number for human interaction if there’s an issue. Contact is via the website or email with an aim to respond within 24 hours.

True confession: we haven’t tried this AI-product yet, so let us know if you do. We think it might be a great way to introduce the child in your life to storytelling and spark their own imagination.

AI in the News (in case you missed it)

• "Godfather of AI" shares prediction for future of AI, issues warnings. Watch here.

• Anthropic is launching a new program to study AI ‘model welfare’. Read here.

• Researchers secretly infiltrated a popular Reddit forum with AI bots, causing outrage. Read here.

• UPS in talks with startup Figure AI to deploy humanoid robots. Read here.

• AI Helps Unravel a Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease and Identify a Therapeutic Candidate. Read here.

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Here.Now.AI Editorial team: Lori and Justin