In this newsletter:

• Google releases Veo 3.1 with better audio & editing
• Slack upgrades Slackbot into a full AI assistant
• Google Gemini can now schedule meetings in Gmail

Plus, you’ll find new AI tools and this week’s top AI news headlines!

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🎬 Google Releases Veo 3.1 With Better Audio and Editing Controls

Google launched Veo 3.1, an upgraded video generation model with improved audio output and granular editing controls, rolling it out to the Flow video editor, Gemini App, and APIs.

What's new:

• Veo 3.1 generates more realistic clips with better prompt adherence
• Enhanced audio output for all video generation features
• Add objects to videos that blend into the clip's style
• Object removal feature coming soon to Flow
• Audio now included in reference image-driven character generation
• Audio for first-and-last frame video generation
• Audio for extending existing videos based on the last frames
• Available in Flow video editor, Gemini App, Vertex, and Gemini APIs
• Flow users have created over 275 million videos since the May launch

Why it matters:

Building on May's Veo 3 release, Google is aggressively iterating its video generation capabilities to compete with OpenAI's Sora and other AI video tools.

The addition of synchronized audio across all editing features transforms Flow from a basic video generator into a comprehensive creation tool, while the massive 275 million videos created since launch demonstrate strong user adoption in the competitive AI video generation market.

👀 Read about Google's Veo 3.1 upgrade!

💬 Slack Upgrades Slackbot into Full AI Assistant With Calendar and File Access

Slack is replacing its simple reminder tool, Slackbot, with an AI assistant that drafts content, schedules meetings, and organizes projects by accessing conversations, files, and connected apps, such as Google Drive and Salesforce.

What's new:

• Rebuilt Slackbot appears beside the search bar at the top of the app
• Drafts content, summarizes reports, and identifies daily priorities
• Schedules meetings by checking colleagues' calendars automatically
• Accesses conversations, files, and workspace data for personalized responses
• Integrates with Google Drive, OneDrive, Salesforce, Dropbox, Notion
• Channel Expert agent answers FAQs using organizational data
• ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity agents now available in Slack Marketplace
• Currently in beta with 70,000 Salesforce employees
• Broad rollout planned for the end of 2025
• Companies can opt out, but individuals cannot disable it

Why it matters:

While the original Slackbot only sent reminders and canned responses, the AI rebuild transforms Slack from a chat tool into what Salesforce calls an "agentic OS" for workplace automation, by opening its platform to competing AI agents from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity.

While positioning Slackbot as the primary orchestrator, Slack is directly challenging Microsoft Teams' AI integrations and betting that natural language conversation will replace keyword search as the primary way people find information at work.

👀 Read about Slack's AI assistant upgrade!

📅 Google's Gemini Now Schedules Calendar Meetings From Gmail

Google launched "Help me schedule" in Gmail, a Gemini-powered feature that suggests meeting times based on calendar availability and automatically creates calendar invites when recipients select a time.

What's new:

• "Help me schedule" button appears below the Gmail compose screen
• Gemini analyzes email context to suggest relevant meeting times
• Displays available time slots from your Google Calendar
• Recipients click preferred time, calendar invite auto-generates for both parties
• Works for one-on-one meetings only, not group meetings
• Users can edit or remove suggested time slots before sending
• Integrates Gmail and Google Calendar for the first time with AI

Why it matters:

While tools like Calendly and Doodle already automate meeting scheduling, Google's integration directly into Gmail eliminates the need for third-party services by using Gemini to understand email context, like automatically suggesting only 30-minute slots if that's what you mentioned in your message.

This tighter integration across Google Workspace gives the company a significant advantage over standalone scheduling tools as it continues embedding AI across its productivity suite.

👀 Read about Google's meeting scheduler!

My Latest LinkedIn & X/Twitter Posts:

• How to hire and pay global teams instantly (view post)
• How to build your AI twin for real content authority (view post)
• 15 ChatGPT prompts for research (view post)
• How to build AI-native WordPress sites instantly (view post)
• 3 ways to use AI: non-agentic, AI agents & agentic AI (view post)
• How to turn sales conversations into live CRM data (view post)
• How to book more meetings using AI videos (view post)
• How to scale your business without hiring full-time (view post)
• 9 golden rules for ChatGPT prompts (view post)
• How to turn Sora 2 clips into full-length brand videos (view post)
• Stanford's free AI and ML course (view post)
• 10 ChatGPT prompts to win job interviews (view post)
• How to automate internal linking in WordPress (view post)
• How to turn Veo 3.1 clips into full cinematic videos (view post)
• How to save hours daily with the best AI tools (view post)
• Key AI terms to understand AI easily (view post)

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New AI Tools to Boost Your Productivity:

• CallPod: Automates inbound/outbound calls with AI voice agents.
• Manus: Turns your thoughts into autonomous actions.
• Cambir: Qualifies and routes leads automatically.
• Transor: Translates websites, documents, images, and subtitles.
• Picsman: Expands images and aspect ratio without losing quality.
• Skymel: Create custom agents for task automation and execution.
• ImageTranslate.AI: Translates image text across 130+ languages.
• Demodesk: Analyzes sales calls to automate CRM updates and coaching.
• Transcriptik: Generates transcripts for TikTok videos from a URL.
• AI Diagram Maker: Generates flowcharts and software diagrams from text.
• Brice: Scheduling assistant who handles meeting coordination.
• Veo (Google DeepMind): Creates high-quality video with native audio from text.

This Week's Top AI News Headlines:

• Meta Adds Parental Controls for its AI Chatbot on Instagram to Limit Teen Interactions and Content (View Article)
• Anthropic Integrates Claude AI With Microsoft 365 Through New Connector for Workplace Productivity (View Article)
• Wikipedia Sees Major Traffic Decline as Users Turn to AI Chatbots for Information and Summaries (View Article)
• Pinterest Launches “Tuner” AI Tool to Help Creators Tailor Content Across Different Categories (View Article)
• OpenAI Confirms Construction of Major AI Data Centers in Abu Dhabi Amid Global Infrastructure Expansion (View Article)
• Anthropic Introduces “Skills” for Claude AI, Enabling Customizable Agents for Task Automation (View Article)
• Uber Tests AI “Digital Task Driver” to Train its Systems and Streamline Ride-Hailing Operations (View Article)
• Spotify Strikes Licensing Deals With Major Labels To Expand AI-Generated Music on the Platform (View Article)
• Microsoft Launches New Windows Copilot With Voice and Vision Features for Smarter PC Assistance (View Article)
• Japan Urges OpenAI To Stop Using Manga and Anime Art in Sora Amid Copyright Concerns (View Article)
• VSCO Brings AI Editing Tools to iOS, Offering Automated Photo Enhancements and Style Adjustments (View Article)
• OpenAI Adds Built-in “Buy Now” to ChatGPT, Enabling Instant Etsy Purchases via Agentic Commerce Protocol (View Article)

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• Paid Partnerships: I’ll promote your product on my LinkedIn, X/Twitter or newsletter. Fill out form to get more info.
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Have a wonderful week!

Andrew Bolis