Google is Calling

Author

Adam Smith
July 17, 2025

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  • Markets ended in the green after a turbulent day

  • Scale AI is scaling down

  • Trending AI tools

  • Google will make calls for you

  • Fresh Business idea

  • Other News

Read time: 5 minutes

AI Markets

Data is provided by Google Finance as of market close 7/17/2025.

Markets Summary: Markets were all over the place yesterday thanks to a roller‑coaster Fed drama. Rumors swirled that President Trump might oust Fed Chair Powell, triggering a sharp selloff in stocks, a dip in the dollar, and a slide in short‑term Treasury yields. But once Trump denied the rumors, equities bounced back and finished the day higher: the Dow gained roughly 0.5%, the S&P 500 climbed 0.3%, and the Nasdaq chalked up a record close. Meanwhile, strong bank earnings and cooler inflation data lent extra support to investor sentiment

Business News

Just weeks after Meta invested a cool $14 billion into Scale AI and brought founder Alexandr Wang into its Superintelligence Lab, the startup has hit the brakes by cutting 14% of its workforce. That’s around 200 full-time employees and 500 contractors, gone overnight.

The Breakdown

  • Too fast, too bloated
    Interim CEO Jason Droege says the company scaled its GenAI operations too quickly. With 16 experimental pods chasing too many shiny objects, Scale is now trimming down to five focused tracks: code, languages, experts, experimental, and audio.

  • Meta’s mega stake caused ripples
    Meta’s near-half ownership spooked other big customers like OpenAI, Google, and xAI, who now see Scale as part of the Meta machine. Not great for a company that used to be a neutral data-labeling Switzerland.

  • Hard landing for employees
    The layoffs came swiftly. Staff were locked out of internal systems early in the morning. Contractors, who make up a huge chunk of Scale’s workforce, were also cut.

  • Profit still out of reach
    Despite its big valuation, Scale isn’t profitable. The layoffs are part of a broader reset to streamline operations and aim for sustainability, especially with government and enterprise customers.

Why this matters

This isn’t just another tech layoff. Scale’s course correction signals a bigger reality check across the GenAI world. Growth at all costs is out. Focus, profitability, and partner trust are in. And when Meta money moves in, the rest of the AI ecosystem takes a cautious step back. Scale might survive this pivot, but the honeymoon phase for GenAI darlings is clearly over.

Trending Tools

Ridley: The DIY home-selling platform letting homeowners ditch real estate agents, using AI-guided checklists and optional human support for a flat‑fee sale.

Qodo: An AI code integrity sidekick that auto-generates tests, reviews code, and helps keep your IDE squeaky clean.

Anam: Creates hyper-real digital-human avatars that can deliver lifelike training, support, and sales convos.

Product Release

Hate making phone calls? You’re not alone. Google just rolled out a dream feature for introverts everywhere. Now, its AI can call local businesses for you, ask about prices or availability, and deliver the answers via text or email. No small talk required.

The Breakdown

  • AI does the talking
    When you search for services like dog groomers or auto shops, you’ll now see a “Have AI check pricing” option. Tap it, answer a few quick questions, and Google’s AI will place the call using its Duplex tech. You get the reply via text or email.

  • No impersonation tricks
    The AI always introduces itself as a Google automated system. It makes it clear it's calling on your behalf.

  • Limited free use, better perks if you pay
    Businesses can opt out if they don't want these AI calls. For users, the number of AI calls depends on your plan. Free-tier folks get a few. Pro and Ultra subscribers get more calls and better features.

  • Gemini 2.5 Pro enters the chat
    Google also added Gemini 2.5 Pro to AI Mode in Search. This model is built for heavy lifting, with advanced math, coding, reasoning, and a feature called Deep Search that breaks down queries and pulls together detailed, cited results.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just another AI feature, it’s a glimpse at how digital assistants are evolving from passive tools to proactive agents. By handling phone calls for you, Google is turning Search into something closer to a personal assistant that actually gets stuff done. It’s also a smart move in the ongoing AI showdown, as Google looks to stay ahead of rivals like ChatGPT and Perplexity by offering real-world utility. Of course, the fact that the AI identifies itself and gives businesses the option to opt out shows that Google knows trust is on the line. The future of search is less about links, more about legwork, and Google's AI is now doing more of it for you.

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