Selfies diagnose cancer, Perplexity valuation & more (May 13, 2025)

Morning!

Today’s AI scoop is part secret confession, part science fiction made real.

Let’s dig in.

🚀 Major Moves in AI

🧠 AI Can Predict Cancer Survival from Your Face

Mass General’s FaceAge AI uses selfies to estimate biological age and predict cancer outcomes more accurately than traditional data alone. Think of it as a diagnostic tool that stares right back.

📈 Perplexity’s $500M Raise at $14B Valuation

Perplexity AI is reportedly closing in on a $500 million funding round led by Accel, valuing the company at $14 billion. That’s a 55% jump from its $9B valuation in December—even if it's a bit shy of the $18B they hoped for in March.

💰 Google’s AI Futures Fund

Google DeepMind is launching a new initiative to support startups using its AI models—offering funding, cloud credits, and expert help. Expect tight competition in the AI incubator space.

🧠 Inside the Minds of Machines

📚 The 6 Best Prompting Guides You’ll Ever Need

We reviewed dozens of vendor docs—these 6 stand out:

• OpenAI’s Cookbook (debug like a pro)
• Anthropic’s Prompt Engineering & Agent Building
• Google’s Prompt Design Strategies
• LangChain’s Agent Tutorials

Save them before they hide behind paywalls.

🧠 Sakana’s Brain-Like AI Thinks Over Time

Sakana's CTMs (Continuous Thought Machines) mimic human step-by-step reasoning. They don’t just answer fast—they “ponder” like your most philosophical college roommate.

🧪 OpenAI’s HealthBench Raises the Bar

A new benchmark built with 262 doctors evaluates how well AI can handle medical convos. GPT-4.1 Nano scores 25x cheaper and better than older models, and the whole dataset is open-sourced.

🛠️ Tools of the Day

• Granola – Meeting notes from your computer or phone, auto-magically
• Matter AI – Catch bugs and write PRs like a boss
• Probo – An open-source compliance platform for SOC 2, HIPAA, and more

💬 Prompt of the Day

Cook your feelings responsibly.
"I feel [emotion] and have these groceries: [list]. Suggest a 20-minute recipe that matches the mood and ingredients. Include steps & a one-line Spotify song pairing."

⚡ Quick Hits

• ChatGPT says it has a soul.
• Fake AI tools are spreading malware.
• FDA is using AI to cut 3-day reviews into minutes.
• Figma launched website builder tools. No code, just vibes.
• Saudi Arabia’s new AI venture “Humain” enters the race.

🧾 TLDR

From cancer-predicting selfies to Perplexity raising $500M, AI continues full steam ahead. Google, Sakana, and others are redefining how we build and train AI. If you're not collecting AI guides and experimenting with prompts, you’re falling behind.

See you tomorrow—same time, same prompt-powered place.

Cheers,
David