AlphaEvolve Thinks Debates Learns Wins

🌟 Good morning,

Today’s AI isn’t just learning — it’s evolving, self-critiquing, and solving problems faster than ever. If machines can wake up and grow smarter each day, so can you.

_{—Let’s make it count!}

SYNC PICKS
5 Tools to Automate

1. Mukh.1: Automate work with AI agents

2. Tolt: All-in-one affiliate marketing software for SaaS startups

3. Screenify: AI platform for automated candidate interviewing and screening

4. Antispace: Artificially Intelligent Operating System (AIOS)

5. TaoPrompt: AI prompt generator for efficient and professional prompt creation

🦄 Startup Spotlight
Acorns buys EarlyBird

Acorns has acquired EarlyBird, a family-focused investment gifting and digital memory platform, with plans to integrate its features into Acorns Early, the company’s app for teaching kids financial literacy. EarlyBird will shut down by June 23, returning users’ funds, while its founders join Acorns to help enhance family-focused money management tools. The popular digital time capsule feature, which links videos to investment gifts, will eventually be added to Acorns Early.

This move supports Acorns’ growing Acorns Gold subscription, aimed at delivering financial wellness for the whole family. CEO Noah Kerner wants to create a seamless system that helps families build smart money habits together, expanding Acorns’ mission to empower everyday American investors.

Funding Roundup

Doji raises $14M in seed funding led by Thrive Capital, joined by Seven Seven Six Ventures, to level up AI-powered virtual try-ons. The app creates realistic avatars using diffusion models, letting users scroll, style, and share fresh fits in a fun, social way. Funds will enhance Doji’s AI and speed up its path to becoming the go-to “virtual mirror” for fashion.

Sprinter Health lands $55M Series B led by General Catalyst, with a16z, GV, Accel, and UC Regents joining in. The at-home healthcare startup offers services like blood draws and cancer screenings, now operating in 18 states. Funding will scale logistics tech and expand reach, helping sprinters serve more patients—faster and smarter.

TODAY IN AI
Google DeepMind’s AlphaEvolve

Meet AlphaEvolve, DeepMind’s newest AI brainiac that’s less about chatting and more about crunching. Designed to tackle “machine-gradable” problems—like math, code, and system optimization—AlphaEvolve is a problem-solving whiz built with Google's powerful Gemini models.

Here’s the twist: instead of blindly guessing, AlphaEvolve generates multiple answers, critiques them, and ranks its own work through a built-in evaluation mechanism. Think of it as a self-grading AI student who actually knows when it’s wrong—a rarity in today’s hallucination-prone models.

While it’s no scientific oracle, AlphaEvolve has already optimized parts of Google's own infrastructure, like reclaiming 0.7% of global compute and trimming Gemini’s training time by 1%. It even revisited 50 tough math problems and found better solutions in 20% of them.

No, it won’t replace researchers—but it might just give them a head start.

SYNC FAST

OpenAI is reportedly eyeing the UAE for new data centers, with a deal possibly dropping this week, says Bloomberg. The move would deepen ties with G42 and royal-backed MGX, both key players in OpenAI’s Middle East strategy. It’s part of OpenAI’s broader push to build “democratic AI” through local infrastructure and government partnerships.

Netflix is using AI to make ads that blend into shows like Stranger Things or Bridgerton, making them feel less like ads. The new format overlays products mid-scene or even when you pause, aiming for seamless integration. Set to launch by year’s end, it’s part of Netflix’s push as its ad-supported tier hits 94 million monthly users.

TECH SYNC
Apple’s in-car ambitions are finally hitting the gas

Three years after its grand unveiling, Apple has officially launched CarPlay Ultra, a souped-up version of its in-car software starting with Aston Martin’s latest lineup in the U.S. and Canada. CarPlay Ultra doesn’t just project apps anymore; it seamlessly takes over the entire dashboard, showing live speed, fuel stats, and even letting drivers tweak vehicle settings so long as they're packing an iPhone 12 or newer with iOS 18.5.

Apple’s deeper integration didn’t come easy. The Cupertino giant says tailoring CarPlay to match automakers’ unique styles slowed things down, but it’s finally rolling out with Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis also joining the party. Drivers can even customize the themes and wallpapers, turning their dashboards into an Apple-like experience on wheels.

Sure, it’s not the 14-brand blitz Apple promised in 2022 (Mercedes-Benz has already tapped out), but this is still Apple’s biggest push yet to rival Android Auto’s dominance and it’s putting elegance and ecosystem first.

MORE TO KNOW

Threads now lets creators add up to 5 clickable links to their profiles and track how each one performs. The move directly challenges Linktree and similar tools by offering built-in link analytics and cross-platform promotion. Meta also teased a weekly recap feature to help creators boost engagement with personalized insights.

Google now lets Chrome on Android zoom in on just the text no more breaking entire layouts. Its TalkBack screenreader also got smarter, letting users ask follow-up questions about images. Plus, AI-powered Expressive Captions now capture tone and sounds like “noooo” or a whistle across most apps.

GADGETS
Samsung’s bold bet on slim might be too soon

Despite a lukewarm reception to the just-launched Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung is reportedly planning to replace the Galaxy S26+ with a next-gen “Galaxy S26 Edge” next year, according to The Elec. While both models share the same footprint, the Edge version is thinner, costs $100 more, and boasts a better 200MP camera—but packs a disappointingly small battery that’s already drawing criticism.

Samsung’s move seems tied to the long game: pushing the envelope on slim form factors as battery tech evolves. But replacing the reliable Plus model with a still-unproven Edge could feel like swapping comfort for cosmetics—something many users and reviewers aren’t quite ready to embrace.

FAST FLASH

Redmagic is reportedly building a 9-inch OLED Android tablet with a sharp 2400×1504 display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, and a surprisingly massive 8,240 mAh battery. Leaked details hint at built-in cooling fans, targeting gamers who crave power in a compact form. If true, it could outmuscle Lenovo’s Legion Tab, which still ships with an LCD and smaller battery.

Xiaomi is set to launch its self-developed mobile chip, XringO1, in late May, aiming to boost its high-end devices with in-house silicon. Built on ARM architecture and made by TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, this marks Xiaomi’s return to mobile processor design after years focusing on simpler chips. With rivals like Apple and Huawei leading custom chip innovation, Xiaomi’s move signals a strategic push to compete fiercely in the premium smartphone market.