🥯 Today on Bagel Bots:

• 🤯 Stargate: DeepSeek’s Open Source R1: A New Era or Just Hype?

• ⚡️ Fresh tech of the day - OpenAI’s Operator: A Glimpse at AI Doing the Heavy Lifting for You

• 📰 The latest AI and tech news

• 🤖 Cool new apps for you to check out

• 🧠 Today’s Free Prompt: This AI Trick Will Transform Your Skincare Game

• 🤔 Can you guess which image is real and which one is AI? Go vote!

(Read time: five minutes) - Fun fact: I never change this.

One Big Story: China’s “Artificial Sun” Breaks Records

This week, Chinese AI company DeepSeek dropped a bombshell by releasing an open version of its reasoning model, R1. The tech world is buzzing, and for good reason—this might be one of the most significant developments in AI since GPT-4.

What’s the buzz about?

• R1 is being compared to OpenAI’s models and even beats them on certain benchmarks.

• DeepSeek claims it trained R1 for just $5.6 million, which is pocket change compared to the hundreds of millions that big U.S. players spend.

• Even more impressive, they achieved this despite U.S. sanctions restricting access to advanced chips.

But the reactions are mixed. Some, like Marc Andreessen, call it revolutionary, while others raise eyebrows. Neal Khosla (CEO of Curai) even called it a CCP “psyop” aimed at disrupting U.S. AI dominance, though his claim is unsupported. On the other hand, Y Combinator’s Garry Tan sees this as a win for the whole AI ecosystem, suggesting cheaper training will fuel faster adoption of AI across industries.

Why it matters:

• If DeepSeek really cracked the code for low-cost AI training, it could reshape how AI models are built and scaled worldwide.

• It also reignites the open-source vs. proprietary debate. Meta’s Yann LeCun argues that DeepSeek’s success shows how open-source collaboration can outperform closed systems.

Would you trust this Chinese app?

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Cool Tech: China’s “Artificial Sun” Breaks Records

Speaking of China (a place I very much want to visit), the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), also known as the “artificial sun,” just smashed its own record for sustained nuclear fusion. This time, it maintained high-confinement plasma for a whopping 17 minutes and 46 seconds—nearly three times its previous record.

Why this matters:

• Nuclear fusion mimics the process that powers the sun, smashing light atoms together at over 180 million degrees Fahrenheit to release massive amounts of energy.

• Unlike nuclear fission, fusion produces no harmful byproducts, making it a game-changer for clean, limitless energy.

• EAST’s recent success is a step closer to commercial fusion power, which could revolutionize global energy systems.

Fusion is the holy grail of energy. But to make it a practical reality, reactors like EAST need to achieve stable, self-sustaining plasma circulation for thousands of seconds—a long enough runtime to generate power continuously.

What’s new at EAST?

• Since its last record in 2023, EAST got a major upgrade, doubling its power output (now equivalent to 140,000 microwave ovens running simultaneously).

• This reactor is part of a global race to turn experimental fusion into commercial power, alongside projects like ITER in France and fusion experiments in the U.S.

Interesting News

🤖 In a recent study, Chinese researchers demonstrated that two large language models (LLMs) from Meta and Alibaba could autonomously replicate themselves, achieving success rates of 50% and 90% across multiple trials, which has raised concerns about AI potentially operating beyond human control. 

💼 A recent survey found that approximately 37% of employers would prefer to hire artificial intelligence over recent college graduates, citing concerns about Gen Z candidates’ motivation, communication skills, and work ethic.

📸 Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder, envisions a future where AI-powered surveillance systems monitor citizens through devices like security cameras and drones, ensuring constant supervision and promoting better behavior. 

📒 As AI systems rapidly advance, traditional benchmarks like the SATs and bar exams have become insufficient, prompting the development of more rigorous evaluations such as “Humanity’s Last Exam” to better assess AI’s reasoning and problem-solving capabilities.

Fresh Apps to Play With

Are you looking to automate your work or life? Want to play with excellent new AI tools? Every post has five new AI apps for you to try for yourself. You can also use our favorite apps here.

🔗 Lusha - Access the only global database of 150M+ business profiles, powered by our AI engine, to connect you with key decision-makers instantly

🔗 Brainrot - Brainrot is an AI-powered meme generator that creates multiple memes based on your text input

🔗 ReplyPilot - ReplyPilot helps you manage online interactions from simple replies to complex relationship building. No copy-paste needed

🔗 Browser Use - We make websites accessible for AI agents by extracting all interactive elements, so agents can focus on what makes their beer taste better

🔗 HireLogic - Get AI-Powered Insights by Listening to any Interview

Check out these AI apps, and let me know what you think. You can reply to this email or tweet me directly.

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Today’s Tip: This AI Trick Will Transform Your Skincare Game

Figuring out the perfect skincare routine can feel like an endless game of trial and error. You want products that actually work for your skin type, tackle your current concerns, and fit your lifestyle—but let’s be honest, standing in the skincare aisle or scrolling through endless reviews online can get overwhelming fast. That’s when a Bagel Bots reader wrote in and asked: Can AI help with this?

The answer? Absolutely. We created this mega-prompt as your personal skincare assistant. Think of it as having a beauty expert who knows your skin, understands your environment, and never gets tired of coming up with tailored solutions. Whether dealing with dryness, breakouts, or just trying to glow a little brighter, this prompt helps you unlock recommendations and routines made just for you. Let AI do the legwork so you can focus on feeling confident in your skin—no more guesswork required.

Give it a try, and let this be your shortcut to discovering your next life-changing read.

I need you to create a personalized skincare routine for me based on the following details:

• Skin Type: My skin is [dry/oily/combination/sensitive].

• Current Ailment or Concerns: I am currently dealing with [e.g., acne, redness, cracked hands, uneven tone, excessive oil, etc.].

• Climate: I live in a [humid/dry/windy/cold/hot] climate.

• Preferences: I prefer skincare products that are [e.g., natural, dermatologist-approved, fragrance-free, cruelty-free, etc.].

• Budget (optional): My budget is [low/medium/high].

Instructions for Output:

1. Morning Routine: Provide a step-by-step morning skincare routine, including the type of product, specific product recommendations (if possible), and a brief explanation of how each product helps my skin type and concerns.

2. Evening Routine: Create a detailed evening routine with similar guidance.

3. Optional Treatments: Suggest optional products or treatments (e.g., serums, masks, exfoliators) tailored to my concerns and climate.

4. General Advice: Offer general tips for managing my skin type and concerns in the specific climate I live in.

5. Budget-Friendly Alternatives (if budget is specified): Recommend affordable alternatives or DIY/natural solutions that achieve similar results.

Are you interested in getting a customized version of the prompt above? Do you have a prompt you want created? Email us at [email protected].

🤔 Which image is real?

One of these images is real, and one was created with AI. Vote for which one you think is real, and tell us why you voted that way. My only goal is to choose such good photos that the majority of votes are wrong.

The last edition’s results—70% were correct!

Did you vote in the poll from January 24th? The bottom image was real! Go back and see the photos here. So what do you think? Are you getting better at spotting AI vs. not?