Hey AI visionaries,
While Google made headlines with Gemini 2.0, OpenAI is quietly filling the space beneath our Christmas tree with a package of holiday surprises that could reshape your 2025 AI strategy. The company’s “12 Days of OpenAI” campaign is in full swing, unleashing new AI capabilities daily until December 20th.
Here’s your executive briefing on the most impactful releases to date:
🚀 The Big Launches :
- The full version of the o1 reasoning model + ChatGPT Pro - Bringing enhanced logic and problem-solving capabilities to enterprise AI
- Sora - A breakthrough text-to-video AI model that could revolutionize content marketing
- Canvas Expansion - Now available to all users, simplifying AI-powered creative workflows
- ChatGPT in Apple Intelligence - Expanding the AI assistant’s reach across Apple’s ecosystem
- Advanced Voice with Vision - Adding webcam capabilities to voice AI, similar to Google’s Project Astra
OpenAI isn’t just shipping features – they’re laying the groundwork for a new era of AI-powered business operations. The integration with Apple Intelligence signals a push toward seamless AI accessibility, while Sora’s text-to-video capabilities could dramatically reduce content production costs and timelines.
The Strategic Landscape
OpenAI’s rapid-fire releases come at a crucial moment in the AI race. While Google’s Gemini 2.0 release grabbed headlines with giant leaps in performance and multimodal capabilities this week, OpenAI’s focus on practical business applications and integration into existing workflows suggests a different strategy – one centered on immediate business value rather than just technical achievements.
What’s Next?
As we track the remaining releases, one thing is clear: OpenAI is positioning itself as the go-to provider for enterprise AI solutions. Their new reinforcement fine-tuning research program suggests a commitment to continuous improvement – a crucial factor for businesses investing in AI infrastructure.
Action Steps for Business Leaders:
- Evaluate how Sora could transform your content marketing strategy
- Consider upgrading to ChatGPT Pro for enhanced business capabilities
- Explore Canvas’s expanded features for creative workflow optimization
- Monitor the remaining releases for additional business opportunities
We’ll keep tracking OpenAI’s releases and bringing you actionable insights on how to leverage these tools for your business advantage. Stay tuned to The Lodestone for deep dives into each major release and expert guidance on implementation.
The AI Welcome Video: Why Your First Customer Touchpoint Needs a Makeover
Remember the last welcome email you received? Neither do most of your customers. In an era where inbox fatigue is real, innovative businesses are turning to AI-generated personalized welcome videos to make unforgettable first impressions.
OpenAI’s launch of Sora earlier this week is another entrant in the rapidly improving text-to-video model provider market that also includes providers like RunwayML and Kling AI. Each of these vendors have made rapid jumps in generated video quality.
This means that a great-looking on-brand personalised welcome video is no longer a thing of the future: you can create a campaign around this today!
Why Video Welcomes Matter
Traditional welcome emails average a 31.6% open rate, leaving nearly 70% of your new customers in the dark. Personalized videos, on the other hand, create an immediate emotional connection and help your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Leading AI Video Generation Platforms
The competitive landscape for AI video generation is heating up:
- Sora by OpenAI
- RunwayML's Gen 3
- KlingAI
- Google DeepMind's Veo
Making the Switch: Implementation Tips
To maximize the impact of AI-generated welcome videos:
- Keep messages brief and focused
- Include the customer’s name and relevant personal details
- Maintain consistent branding
- Test different video styles and messaging
The Bottom Line
As competition intensifies in the AI space (with recent moves from both OpenAI and Google DeepMind), businesses have unprecedented access to sophisticated video generation tools. Early adopters of personalized AI welcome videos have the opportunity to set themselves apart and create meaningful first impressions that convert to lasting customer relationships.
This week in AI
• OpenAI’s 12 Days of Shipmas: OpenAI has launched a holiday campaign featuring daily announcements of new AI products and features for 12 consecutive weekdays. The lineup includes the much-anticipated launch of Sora, a cutting-edge text-to-video AI model, and a premium version of OpenAI’s reasoning AI, ““o1,”” priced at $200 a month.
• Google’s Gemini 2.0 and Veo: Google has released its Gemini 2.0 models to the public and is working on Veo, a generative video product, indicating the company’s continued investment in AI research and development.
• Anthropic’s Claude: Anthropic has unveiled a demo of its chatbot Claude’s ability to use a computer by screenshotting through desktop interfaces, showcasing the company’s advancements in AI capabilities (check out this YouTube video about Claude Computer Use I recently posted for more details):
• Microsoft’s CoPilot: Microsoft has announced a version of CoPilot that can follow along with users while they browse the web using AI vision, further integrating AI into daily workflow.
