AI News Flash | China's DeepSeek Releases New "R1" Model on Hugging Face

Hello from the world of AI! 🚀In today's newsletter, we bring you the following top stories:　・China's DeepSeek releases new "R1" model on Hugging Face — a light update under a commercially usable license　・Microsoft unveils "Copilot for Gaming" beta for the Xbox app on iOS and Android　・Opera unveils "Neon," a next-gen browser that automates work with AI

DEEPSEEK

China's DeepSeek Releases New "R1" Model on Hugging Face — a Light Update Under a Commercially Usable License

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has released the latest version of its reasoning model "R1" on Hugging Face, the open ML platform, per a WeChat post Wednesday morning.

Source: Getty Images

This is more a minor upgrade than an overhaul, distributed under the MIT license, a flexible open-source license allowing commercial use. The repository skips detailed docs, mainly holding config and weight files needed to run the model.The updated R1 has a massive 685 billion parameters, built around heavy compute needs — unrealistic on typical devices without optimization or distributed processing.DeepSeek drew major attention earlier this year with its original R1, seen as matching OpenAI's models, though the tech also faces U.S. scrutiny over national-security concerns.

MICROSOFT

Microsoft Unveils "Copilot for Gaming" Beta for the Xbox App on iOS and Android

Microsoft has begun a mobile trial of its AI assistant "Copilot for Gaming," now in beta for select users via the Xbox app on iOS and Android.This early version answers questions about games of interest, links to more info, and responds using account data like gameplay history and achievements.For example, users can ask things like "what's my current Gamerscore and how do I raise it fast?" or "I like horror movies — any game recommendations?" It also handles account-specific questions such as "what's the latest achievement I unlocked in Starfield" or "when does my Game Pass renew."

Source: Microsoft

According to Xbox senior program manager Taylor O'Malley, "this mobile Copilot works as a second screen without interrupting the gaming experience."To answer users, Copilot combines player activity from Xbox with public info from Bing. Microsoft is also developing more advanced personalization and proactive coaching.Microsoft's "Copilot for Gaming" beta currently supports English only and is limited to users 18 and older. It covers more than 60 countries and regions, including Japan, such as Albania, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.This limited rollout is a test phase, and Microsoft plans to expand to more regions and users going forward.

OPERA

Opera Unveils "Neon," a Next-Gen Browser That Automates Work With AI

On Tuesday, Opera unveiled "Opera Neon," a browser built around AI workflows that can shop, fill forms, and even code on a user's behalf.For now, Neon is waitlist-only and will launch on a subscription basis; pricing isn't announced yet.

Source: TechCrunch

At the core of the product are three new tools: "Chat," "Do," and "Make.""Chat" lets users ask questions and search for information about the page they're currently viewing."Do" uses Opera's own "Browser Operator" AI agent to automate tasks such as building a travel itinerary or filling out forms. All of this runs inside the browser, with no need to send information externally.And "Make" turns simple text instructions into games, web apps, and reports. Running in a cloud virtual environment, Neon keeps working without user input, letting it handle several tasks at once.These AI features sound groundbreaking in theory, but many AI tools still fall short in practice. Nor is AI-in-the-browser new: The Browser Company unveiled a similar browser late last year, and Google is likewise building AI agents to present search results and handle tasks for users. Competition here is only set to accelerate.

In Closing

We hope today's stories help you make the most of AI and stay informed.If this was useful, please share it with colleagues or friends who might be interested.We'll keep curating the topics that matter most, bringing you valuable information.Look forward to our next newsletter too.Thank you very much for your continued support.