Malaysia's AI chip, OpenAI tests rival models & more (August 28, 2025)

Good morning,

Today’s stories highlight the tension between innovation and responsibility. From Malaysia’s leap into edge AI hardware to OpenAI’s call for rival safety checks, startups and enterprises alike are recalibrating how they deploy AI at scale.

Let's dig in👇

🚨 Big Moves in AI

🤖 SkyeChip puts Malaysia on the map

Malaysia’s SkyeChip unveils the country’s first edge AI processor as the nation aims to carve out a role in global AI competition. The move signals Southeast Asia’s growing ambitions to shift from being a consumer of AI to a creator. Analysts say this could attract foreign investment and partnerships in chip design and smart devices.

🧠 OpenAI calls for rival testing

OpenAI co-founder calls for AI labs to safety-test rival models in a bid to raise industry-wide accountability. If adopted, this could set a precedent where labs check each other’s systems for risks before deployment. Critics argue implementation will be messy, but it may nudge regulators toward standardized oversight.

🚀 Startups debate AI vs humans

AI hires or human hustle? Inside the next frontier of startup operations at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 as founders reveal replacing early hires with AI agents. The approach slashes costs and scales faster, but raises culture and accountability concerns. Investors are closely watching whether agent-first startups outperform traditional teams.

🌍 Science & Strategy

💰 Maisa AI tackles enterprise flops

Maisa AI gets $25M to fix enterprise AI’s 95% failure rate by building accountable AI agents instead of black-box automation. With most corporate AI projects failing, Maisa sees opportunity in transparency and control. The raise underscores investor appetite for solutions that make AI deliver real ROI.

📊 $100M+ club expands in US

Here are the 33 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2025 highlighting just how hot the market remains. The list spans enterprise software, AI agents, and hardware, suggesting investors still see massive upside despite volatility. The concentration of mega-rounds also shows how funding is consolidating among fewer but faster-scaling players.

💰 Nvidia’s record-breaking quarter

Nvidia reports record sales with $46.7 billion in Q2 revenue, a 56% jump from last year. The surge reflects insatiable demand for GPUs powering AI training, cloud data centers, and next-gen consumer devices. Analysts expect Nvidia’s dominance to continue, though competition from custom chips and geopolitical scrutiny could reshape the market.

📈 Still Trending from Yesterday

Authors eye Anthropic settlement

Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action with lawyers signaling terms could be finalized within weeks. The deal may set a legal precedent for how AI companies license training data.

Plaud Note Pro buzz continues

Plaud launches a new AI hardware notetaker, the $179 Note Pro with better mics and range, drawing attention as hybrid workers seek smarter recording devices. Early reviews suggest demand could outpace supply.

🧰 Tools of the Day

→ NeuralAgent - control your computer using natural language AI commands
→ brek.ai - track and analyze your brand mentions on ChatGPT
→ Eternal AI - decentralized, peer-to-peer uncensored AI platform
→ Stratify AI - gather actionable user feedback in hours, not weeks

✍️ Prompt of the Day

"Draft a 3-month rollout plan for introducing AI agents into a 20-person startup, covering tasks to automate, integration with existing tools, training needs, risk management, and measurable KPIs."

⚡ Quick Hits

→ Mark Cuban reveals disruption formula across streaming, healthcare, and AI investment strategies
→ India’s TransBnk raises $25M to bridge the gap in corporate banking
→ 911 centers turn to AI as staffing shortages worsen nationwide
→ 10+ European startups reach unicorn status across AI, biotech, and defense tech
→ Investors love Lovable with unsolicited offers valuing the Swedish startup at $4B+

🧾 TLDR

Malaysia debuts its first edge AI processor while OpenAI pushes for safety checks across labs, signaling both ambition and responsibility in the AI race. Maisa AI raises to tackle enterprise flops, U.S. startups rack up mega-rounds, and India’s fintech push accelerates. Meanwhile, yesterday’s Anthropic lawsuit settlement buzz and Plaud’s notetaker show lasting traction. The theme: AI is scaling globally, but accountability and execution are the real differentiators.

Cheers,
David