Stop learning AI. Start using it.

Welcome back apprentices! 👋

Worried you're falling behind because you haven’t “learned AI”? 

Relax — nobody has. 

Most folks aren’t mastering algorithms in their free time; they’re copy-pasting prompts and hoping for magic. And guess what? That’s more than enough. You don’t need to understand AI — you just need to use it like a clever sidekick that never takes lunch breaks.

Today, we’ll show you how to make it handle real business tasks (like replying to that customer email you’ve been avoiding).

In today's email

• Why AI ≠ just another tech fad

• 3 business problems AI can solve today

• Try this one prompt to handle your next customer email

• + 3 new AI tools

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Quick News 

🤝 Sam & Jony Are Building AI’s iPhone Moment. OpenAI has officially acquired io, the hush-hush AI device startup co-founded by Apple design legend Jony Ive, in a $6.5B all-stock deal. The goal? Build AI gadgets that move “beyond screens” — with the first device expected in 2026. This merger brings 50+ ex-Apple engineers into OpenAI’s camp, while Ive’s firm LoveFrom will now design everything from gadgets to interface vibes across the company.

🧩 Nvidia Opens the AI Clubhouse — Other Chips Welcome (Kinda). Nvidia just unveiled NVLink Fusion, a game-changing update that lets third-party chips join forces with its GPUs in AI systems — no exclusive membership required. Previously, NVLink (Nvidia’s ultra-fast interconnect tech) only linked Nvidia’s own processors. Now? Partners like Qualcomm, MediaTek, Marvell, and Synopsys can plug in their custom CPUs or accelerators, creating more flexible, semi-custom AI infrastructure. Think hybrid cloud meets build-your-own-GPU-party.

🛠️  Microsoft Unboxes the AI Agents Toolbox. At Build 2025, Microsoft revealed its bold plan for the “open agentic web” — a future where AI agents don’t just suggest, they do. From smarter Copilots that can take actions across apps, to a brand-new Team Copilot that handles meeting agendas, follow-ups, and summaries (yes, even the ones you forget), Microsoft wants AI to be your proactive digital sidekick.

Together with Wistia

We analyzed millions of videos so you don’t have to

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• Find out how to scale your video strategy for less $$ with AI

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 Why AI ≠ Just Another Tech Fad

Remember when “knowing Excel” made you the office tech wizard? Or when building a website felt like unlocking elite status? Every big tech shift starts out looking complicated and kind of annoying… until suddenly, it’s just how things get done. 

AI — especially ChatGPT — is exactly there right now. 

Over 400 million people use it every week, and not just to write Drake lyrics in Shakespearean English. They’re using it to answer customer emails, brainstorm product names, write blog posts, and chase down overdue invoices (politely).

Even Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, thinks we’re still underestimating it. He says AI isn’t just a clever tool — it’s potentially the most transformative force in 1,000 years. From personalized tutors to scientific breakthroughs to entire business processes run by AI agents, Schmidt says we’re on the brink of something historic. In his words: this is the AlphaGo moment for everything.

And if you're wondering if you're too small to play — think again. According to Verizon’s 2025 State of Small Business Survey, nearly 40% of small and mid-sized businesses are already using AI for tasks like customer communication, content, and lead management. It’s no longer just a Silicon Valley thing — it’s your competitor down the street automating replies while you’re still typing “Hi John…” manually.

And no, you don’t need to “learn AI.” You don’t need to know how the model was trained or what the heck a token window is. If you can type “help me write a refund reply,” congrats — you’re qualified. Think of ChatGPT like a superpowered intern who never sleeps, doesn’t complain, and never misuses “your” and “you’re.”

3 Business Problems AI Can Solve Today

Ever stare at a lead reply and think, “I’ll deal with this later…” and then never, ever do? That’s where AI steps in — not with magic, but with milliseconds.

Here are three places it’s already showing up like a caffeine-fueled assistant who never blinks:

📬 Lead replies: Auto-draft warm, personalized replies to DMs, contact forms, or sales emails — without sounding like a robot or copying/pasting your soul.

📣 Social posts: Turn that 1,200-word blog post into a snappy LinkedIn caption or TikTok script in seconds. It’s like having a content intern who actually reads your stuff.

🤝 Customer service: Transform a “WHERE’S MY REFUND?!” email into a calm, friendly, on-brand response — complete with empathy, clarity, and maybe a coupon.

Quick stat: A new American Express report shows that 86% of small businesses using AI say it helps them make better business decisions and reduces errors. Translation: even the skeptics are becoming fans.

So yes, AI’s about to be your favorite unpaid intern. And the best part? It doesn’t ask for Fridays off.

One Angry Email, Zero Stress

Let’s make this real. You don’t need a “vision board” for AI — just a mildly annoying customer email.

🧾 The Before:

Subject: Extremely Frustrated

I ordered a sweater two weeks ago and still haven’t received it. I’ve emailed twice, no response. I needed this for a birthday gift, and now it’s too late. I’m honestly shocked at the lack of communication. Please refund me ASAP — this was a total disappointment.

Now, you could spend 20 minutes trying to write something polite while muttering under your breath… or you could do this:

✨ The After (via one ChatGPT prompt):

Hi Jacob,
I'm really sorry to hear about the delay — and that we missed the mark on getting back to you. I've processed your full refund, and if there's anything else I can do to make this right, please let me know.

That took one prompt, about 30 seconds, and zero emotional damage.

And tools are only getting better. Startups like Affiniti are now building AI-powered “CFO agents” to help small business owners automate financial decisions too — think refund tracking, expense planning, and budget forecasting, without needing to know the difference between EBITDA and EBITDA-ish.

Try It Yourself (You Literally Just Have to Paste This)

Alright, your turn.

Next time you open an email that makes your soul sigh, just copy this into ChatGPT:

“Write a warm, professional reply to this customer email. Make it sound empathetic, clear, and human — like a helpful small business owner who genuinely cares. Gently explain our refund policy, offer next steps if needed, and keep it short and friendly. Here’s the email:”

[📝 Paste customer message here]

That’s it. Paste the whole angry message under it. Hit send.
Out comes a reply that sounds like it was written by your calmest, most diplomatic self — even if you're rage-snacking on pretzels IRL.

You don’t need to master AI.
You just need to try it once.

🛠️ What do you actually want help with?
We’ll send you bite-sized, business-friendly tips. (No tech degree required.)

📬 Tell us what fits — we’ll keep it simple, useful, and real.

Help Your Friends Level Up! 🔥

Hey, you didn’t get all this info for nothing — share it! If you know someone who’s diving into AI, help them stay in the loop with this week’s updates.

Sharing is a win-win! Send this to a friend who’s all about tech, and you’ll win a little surprise 👀

Even Quicker News 

🛍️ Shopify's AI Gets a Summer Glow-Up. Shopify just dropped its Summer ‘25 AI Edition, adding smarter product descriptions, AI-generated email campaigns, and new media tools to help merchants sell faster with less effort.

⚙️ Codex Cracks Code So You Don’t Have To. OpenAI dropped Codex — an AI that turns plain English into working code, meaning your next app idea might not need a developer (just good prompts).

🎧 Babelfish, But Make It AirPods. University of Washington’s new AI headphones can translate multiple people at once — in real time — and tell who said what, where. Spatial speech translation might finally fix the chaos of cross-language convos.

Today’s Toolbox

📥 Vic.ai – Accounts payable without the paper chase

👉 Automates your invoice processing so you can skip the data entry and stop chasing down approvals.

🪄 Pro tip: Let it flag unusual spending patterns — it’s like having an AI-powered watchdog for your budget.

🧠 Nyota – Your meetings, remembered (so you don’t have to)

👉 Automatically captures key takeaways, action items, and decisions from your meetings so you can stay present, not scribbling notes.

🪄 Pro tip: Set it up to email action items to your team after every call — it's like having a project manager who never zones out.

Also from our partner:

Work wonders with HoneyBook

Scale yourself and your business with leads, projects, proposals, and payments—all in one place.

Plus, HoneyBook’s AI tools summarize project details, generate email drafts, take meeting notes, predict high-value leads, and more.

Try HoneyBook for free

🧪 Test the Prompt

A playground for your imagination (and low-key prompt skills).

Each send, we give you a customizable DALL·E prompt inspired by a real-world use case — something that could help you in your business or job if you wanted to use it that way. But it’s also just a fun creative experiment.

You tweak it, run it, and send us your favorite. We pick one winner to feature in the next issue.

Bonus: you’re secretly getting better at prompt design. 🤫

👑 The winner is…

Last week, we challenged you to test GPT-4o’s visual generation skills with this prompt.

Here’s the WINNER:

Congrats to Paul from San Francisco!🥳

Want to be featured next? Keep those generations coming!

🎨 Prompt: The Monument of Ambition

“Design a surreal monument built to honor human ambition. The structure rises out of a vast reflective surface and is constructed from [impossible material], with staircases spiraling endlessly around it. At the peak, a glowing orb shaped like [abstract symbol] floats silently, casting dramatic light across the landscape.
Style: cinematic wide-angle concept art, sharp contrast, monumental scale, eerie beauty.”

We’ll be featuring the best generations in our next edition!

_FEEDBACK