A Great Guide to AI: 5 Practical Ways to Use AI to Add Value to Your Work (Everyday AI Podcast)
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If you're looking to upskill your AI work, listen to this podcast featuring Google Cloud’s Richard Seroter who breaks down five simple ways to use AI with Google. No technical background needed.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly integrating into daily operations, but many still overcomplicate its adoption or underestimate the tangible benefits.

• Deep Research with Google Gemini: Using Gemini’s deep research, complex questions can be answered in minutes by aggregating insights from over 150 relevant web sources and synthesizing them into actionable perspectives.
  
  

• Contextual Learning with NotebookLM: Google’s NotebookLM lets employees ask questions and get tailored explanations directly from company documents, producing answers in formats like summaries or flashcards to support onboarding and ongoing learning.
  
  

• Gemini CLI & Code Assist: Nontechnical users can now build lightweight apps, automate spreadsheet work, and prototype solutions by describing the intent, or goal, of your work, with Gemini generating functional code in real time.
  
  

• Autonomous Agents with Google Jewels: Google Jewels handles ongoing background work on its own by following clearly defined instructions, completing tasks independently and returning results teams can act on.
  
  

• AI as a Smart Interface: AI built into tools like Google Sheets, Docs, and Search lets users describe what they want to do, while the system carries out the task, making everyday work faster and more intuitive.

The podcast discusses faster research, better learning, building ideas without overthinking, and why “demos over memos” might change how teams work.

Listen to the episode on Spotify here or read the transcript here. 

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OpenAI's Health Play

Doctor Assistant: OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT Health to Review Test Results, Diets (Bloomberg)

OpenAI is introducing a new feature in ChatGPT that will allow users to analyze medical test results, prepare for doctors appointments and seek guidance on diets and workout routines — marking the company’s biggest push yet into the health care sector. 
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ChatGPT Health, announced Wednesday, is intended to help provide useful health and fitness information but stop short of making formal diagnoses. The new feature can connect with peoples’ electronic medical records, wearable devices and wellness apps, such as Apple Health and MyFitnessPal, the company said.

Initially, OpenAI will let users sign up for a waitlist to try out the product. The company plans to expand access more widely in the coming weeks.

More than 200 million people already ask ChatGPT health and wellness questions every week, according to the company. OpenAI said it has also consulted with more than 260 physicians over two years in refining its AI technology’s health capabilities. Additionally, it plans to wall off health conversations from other parts of the app and add enhanced privacy features. 

OpenAI’s team stressed the service is designed to supplement, not replace, the judgment of doctors. 

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Tragic Shooting in Minnesota 

ICE Minneapolis Shooting Sparks Anger and Deepens Divisions (Bloomberg)

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An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a woman during a confrontation in Minneapolis, sparking an uproar over the presence of ICE agents in the city and heightening political divisions around the Trump administration’s migrant enforcement. 
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The Wednesday shooting — caught on video and shared widely on social media — happened during what federal officials described as a targeted operation amid a broader immigration effort. President Donald Trump and his allies cast it as an incident of self-defense, a view that the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, called a “garbage narrative.”
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A statement from Minneapolis City Council members and multiple media outlets identified the woman who was killed as Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three and a devout Christian. 

A video obtained by Minnesota Public Radio News and posted on X showed how the shooting unfolded in a residential area of Minneapolis.

The footage showed a Honda Pilot blocking part of the road as two federal agents approached. As one of them tried to open the door, the SUV backed up slightly. A third agent then appeared in front of the automobile, and he fired at the driver as it began to turn and move forward. The vehicle briefly continued to move ahead before crashing.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has urged protesters to “use your First Amendment rights, but to do so in a peaceful manner.” Public schools across the city have been closed for the rest of the week, which gives an indication of the local concern, according to Politico Playbook.

Another noteworthy point from Playbook was that yesterday’s shooting took place less than a mile from the spot where George Floyd was killed in May 2020.

Footage Analysis: Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis (New York Times) 

What I'm Reading

Bulletin: Trump Expands US Climate Retreat With Exits From UN Bodies (Bloomberg)
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President Trump extended the US retreat from global cooperation on climate action by signaling a withdrawal from flagship international organizations, including the main United Nations and scientific bodies focused on the issue.
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are among a total of 66 groups the US will exit, spanning multiple sectors. The climate moves are seen as likely to diminish the US role in addressing greenhouse gas emissions, and significantly limit the global influence of those entities.

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The decision to quit the UNFCCC would formally withdraw the US from the UN institution that rallies nations to set emissions reduction targets and coordinates global COP summits to advance action on areas like decarbonization and climate finance. By quitting the UNFCCC, any future administration would likely face a more complex task to rejoin global climate efforts.

Crude Control: US Says It Will Control Venezuelan Oil Exports Indefinitely (Bloomberg)

The Trump administration plans to control future sales of Venezuelan oil and hold the proceeds in US accounts, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, making the clearest statement yet on Washington’s strategy to bring the impoverished nation’s crude to market and manage its most valuable resource.

Wright, who spoke at a Goldman Sachs conference in Miami on Wednesday, said initially the barrels would come from crude Venezuela is holding in storage, which has been filling up amid the US blockade and threatening to force some production off line.

The plan comes as the Trump administration is pushing for US energy companies to rebuild Venezuela’s decaying oil infrastructure and revive its flagging production. The US is also selectively rolling back sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector as part of the effort, the Energy Department said.

Aftermath: Maduro Is Gone, but Repression in Venezuela Has Intensified (New York Times)

Security forces have boarded buses, searched phones and interrogated people, looking for evidence that they welcomed the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Alliance Strain: Trump Airs Doubts on NATO Usefulness as Greenland Tensions Rise (Bloomberg)

President Trump leveled fresh criticism toward NATO, days after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said his desired takeover of her nation’s territory of Greenland would mean the end of the military alliance. The US military raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro fueled worries that Trump is becoming more unrestrained in his willingness to use military force to achieve his goals. 

Unprecedented Demand: Trump Seeks 50% Boost in Annual Defense Budget to $1.5 Trillion (Bloomberg)

President Trump demanded the US boost annual defense spending by more than 50% to $1.5 trillion for 2027, an unprecedented jump that he said would be paid for by revenue brought in by the tariffs imposed over the last year:

The demand would mark the biggest ever spending increase for the US military, with national-security spending authorized at $901 billion for the current fiscal year.

It would also go against other Trump administration priorities given that the White House had previously sought to slash some spending at the Pentagon as part of Elon Musk’s cost-cutting efforts.

The US already spends more on defense than the next nine countries put together, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

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Housing Affordability Push: Trump to Target Institutional Purchases of Single-Family Homes (Bloomberg)

Trump said he would move to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes as part of a push to address housing affordability.

The initiative comes after Trump’s allies have repeatedly raised alarms that affordability has become a political albatross for the GOP heading into the November elections. Trump urged Republican lawmakers Tuesday to avoid losing control of the House this year, saying it would lead to his impeachment.

Workforce Under Review: Hiring in the Age of AI Means Proving You Need a Human (Bloomberg Businessweek) 

Artificial intelligence is evolving so quickly, corporate executives don’t fully know what it can and cannot do. But it’s already made them think twice about hiring actual people.

With the rapid acceleration of generative AI, management is casting a more critical eye on any role it could potentially farm out to the likes of ChatGPT instead, including the entry-level ones that have traditionally trained the next generation of workers. When companies do hire, it comes with more friction and fewer approvals.

Safety Net: Inside Singapore’s AI Bootcamp to Retrain 35,000 Bankers and Retain Workers (Bloomberg)

Singapore’s AI efforts underscore a unique balancing act: The government is working hand in glove with the country’s largest banks to teach new technology skills. The unspoken intent is to limit the large-scale job losses seen at some financial firms in the US and Europe.

Companies around the world are turning to agentic AI as it’s more powerful than earlier technology iterations, with its models able to take actions independently and do multiple steps at once.

In Singapore, the country is banking on a higher level of government involvement to help carve out a path for workers that focuses on improving skill sets and cushions the need for mass layoffs.

Trump's Weakening Labor Market: US Job Openings Decline to Lowest Level in More Than a Year (Bloomberg)

Robots in Vegas: CES Convention Puts the Coolest Technology of 2026 on Display (Associated Press)

Crowds flooded the freshly opened showroom floors on Day 2 of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and were met by thousands of robots, AI companions, assistants, health longevity tech, wearables and more, according to the Associated Press.

Siemens President and CEO Roland Busch kicked off the day with a keynote detailing how its customers are harnessing artificial intelligence to transform their businesses. He was joined onstage by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to announce an expanded partnership, saying they are launching a new AI-driven industrial revolution to reinvent all aspects of manufacturing, production and supply chain management.
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Humanoid robots are among the biggest draws this year at CES. The Consumer Technology Association, which organizes the annual show, dedicated an exhibition hall to robotics, reflecting how “physical AI” has become the tech industry’s next big phase.

Anticipated Adaptations: Books to Read Before They Hit Your Screens in 2026 (New York Times)

If you land firmly in the “read the book first” camp, then now is the perfect time to dive into the source material for some of this year’s most anticipated series and films. “People We Meet on Vacation,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Project Hail Mary” are some of this year’s noteworthy adaptations.

Five Top Tables: Where to Eat in London This Winter (Bloomberg Pursuits)

Bloomberg Pursuits has picked five stellar dining rooms around town. Among them is Bethnal Green's attention-getting Vietnamese restaurant Tempo, part of an invigorating crop of new Southeast Asian dining spots. There’s also great comfort cooking — and great value — at Saperavi Social, a Georgian restaurant in North London. Plus, a user-friendly French place, Luc's Brasserie, conveniently located in the City, a favorite on the Bloomberg Terminal’s DINE Index. (If you don’t know DINE, that’s where you’ll find the places ranking high among Bloomberg’s users.)

Insights from Mike Bloomberg

In case you missed it, Mike recently appeared on the In Good Company podcast with Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank.

Mike discussed building the Bloomberg Terminal, lessons from serving as New York City’s mayor, and his philosophy on leadership and risk-taking.

Tangen, who leads Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, asked Mike about his journey from Wall Street to founding Bloomberg LP and the values that continue to shape his philanthropic work. Along the way, Mike reflected on transforming New York City and gave an insightful look at a life devoted to building, improving, and giving back.

Don't miss it. Click here to watch on YouTube and here to listen to the podcast.

A few highlights from the conversation:
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Why Bloomberg has been successful:  

I think we focused on doing and building something that was useful. We didn't try to make it into something that it wasn't. There was a need. 

Nobody really thought that having that computer that I just described was useful. And by the time it was done, which was three years before we really had a customer, it was too late for anybody to catch up. 

And we just focused on building the best thing we could. 

We just kept adding functionality and didn't increase the price. We kept going and sitting with people and asking them what they wanted and watching them try to use what we had. 

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On running for Mayor of New York City:  

Everybody thought I was crazy, nobody thought I had a chance. 

On running New York City and increasing life expectancy by three years by the end of his term:  

With the public, if you explain to them what the problem is and how you're going to fix it, and you put your career on the line for them and then build credibility as things work, it's amazing how you can change things. 

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Best of Late Night

“The world is still in shock over Donald Trump’s surprise DoorDash-ing of Nicolás Maduro to Brooklyn, and he didn’t even tip.”
-- Ronny Chieng

“His wife was trafficking cocaine with him? I guess in other countries, first ladies have actual responsibilities. Hey, I mean, I bet Trump is jealous of their relationship. I mean, he must be, like, ‘Melania, why can’t we ever do couples stuff like the Maduros?’”
-- Ronny Chieng

“He’s going to run Venezuela? He can’t even run the country he runs. This is like if JCPenney decided to buy Sears.”
-- Jimmy Kimmel

And from Late Night with Stephen Colbert: Science-loving late night host Stephen Colbert brings you the latest science news in his science segment, "The Sound Of Science."
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