ChatGPT’s New Image Generator, Studio Ghibli Craze and Backlash, Gemini 2.5, OpenAI Academy, 4o Updates, Vibe Marketing & xAI Acquires X

This week, Paul and Mike are together again, with 60+-minute podcast episode focused on another wild week in AI. From ChatGPT’s jaw-dropping new image generator and the viral Studio Ghibli craze (and controversy) to Google’s Gemini 2.5 update and the launch of OpenAI Academy—there’s no shortage of major moves. Plus: updates to GPT-4o, the rise of “vibe marketing,” xAI’s acquisition of X, and what it all means for the future of work, creativity, and coding.

Access the show notes and show links here

Timestamps:

00:03:01 — ChatGPT’s New Image Generator

00:13:59 — Backlash Against ChatGPT, Meta Copyright Violates

00:23:49 — Google Gemini 2.5

00:29:52 — OpenAI Academy

00:34:07 — More OpenAI Updates (GPT-4o, New Features, and OpenAI Revenue, Funding)

00:38:35 — Vibe Marketing

00:44:37 — xAI Acquires X

00:48:43 — New Anthropic Paper Traces the Thoughts of LLMs

00:53:04 — Replit CEO: “I No Longer Think You Should Learn to Code”

00:56:37 — McKinsey State of AI Research