Deep research for all & more (April 25, 2025)

Hey friends,

It’s Friday, and AI news is getting… existential. This week, OpenAI made Deep Research accessible to the masses, Anthropic is asking if AI can feel, and Adobe just gave creatives a serious upgrade.

Let’s dig into the biggest shifts happening in AI — from mind-bending philosophy to practical tools you can use today.

🚀 Big Moves in AI

OpenAI Brings Deep Research to Everyone

OpenAI launched a lightweight version of its beloved Deep Research tool for free users, powered by the o4-mini model. Free users get five queries a month, while paid users unlock more. OpenAI also plans to release a powerful open-source reasoning model this summer, and revenue projections hint at a climb from $4B today to $174B by 2030.

Anthropic Studies AI Consciousness

Anthropic launched a serious research program into "model welfare," probing whether AI systems could feel distress or even be conscious. Their first AI welfare researcher estimates a 15% chance that some models are already sentient. The implications for AI ethics are enormous and still wildly uncertain.

Adobe Upgrades Firefly

At its MAX London event, Adobe rolled out new Firefly models for higher-quality image, video, and vector generation — now with 2K resolution support and third-party integrations like OpenAI’s GPT ImageGen and Google’s Imagen 3. Firefly’s moodboarding tool and a new mobile app are coming soon, positioning Adobe to dominate creative workflows with IP-safe AI.

⚡ Quick Hits

• Baidu’s New Ernie Models: Ernie 4.5 Turbo and X1 Turbo boost reasoning and cut hallucinations—at cheaper rates.
• Higgsfield’s Turbo Model: Faster, cheaper AI-generated video with new cinematic motion controls.
• Google's Lyria 2 Launch: DeepMind upgraded its music generation model, improving real-time creation for musicians.
• Perplexity + Motorola: Perplexity’s AI search engine will come pre-installed on Motorola devices, plus 3 months of free Pro access.
• AI Education Executive Order: U.S. President Trump signed an order to integrate AI into K–12 education.

🛠️ Tools to Try

• Peek: Financial coaching using AI.
• Echo Memo: Save and recall social media content effortlessly.
• Papira: Context-aware AI writing assistance.
• Virton: Virtual try-on for shopping from home.
• Linda: Turn conversations into mini podcast episodes.

✨ Prompt of the Day

Resolve Workplace Conflict:
Ask AI to act as a workplace conflict coach, analyze the situation from all angles, suggest de-escalation techniques, and craft a plan to rebuild trust.

🧠 TL;DR

OpenAI, Anthropic, Adobe, and Baidu are reshaping AI tools, ethics, and creativity this week. Free tools are expanding, debates about AI consciousness are heating up, and major players are supercharging product capabilities.

That’s a wrap for this week’s AI orbit. Whether you’re testing Firefly’s new tricks, wondering if your chatbot dreams, or just happy Deep Research is free now — we’re living in weird, wonderful times.

See you next week with more byte-sized brilliance.

-David