The Chinese startup Synyi AI is piloting its first AI-powered medical clinic in Saudi Arabia. At the clinic, located in the eastern part of the country, a virtual doctor called "Dr. Hua" handles diagnoses and drafts treatment recommendations, which are then reviewed and signed by a human physician. The system analyzes symptoms, images, and patient data collected by human assistants. For now, Synyi AI focuses on respiratory illnesses, covering around 30 conditions such as asthma and pharyngitis. The company plans to expand the service to about 50 diseases in the future, including gastroenterological and dermatological conditions. The pilot is designed to generate data needed for regulatory approval in Saudi Arabia. Synyi, which is backed by Tencent, aims to open more clinics and broaden the AI's range to additional diseases. Saudi Arabia is the company's first international market.
Hub AI in practice
Artificial Intelligence is present in everyday life – from “googling” to facial recognition to vacuum cleaner robots. AI tools are becoming more and more elaborate and support people and companies more effectively in their tasks, such as generating graphics, texting or coding, or interpreting large amounts of data.
What AI tools are there, how do they work, how do they help in our everyday world – and how do they change our lives? These are the questions we address in our Content Hub Artificial Intelligence in Practice.
YouTube is rolling out a new ad tool called "Peak Points," which uses Google's Gemini AI model to identify the most engaging moments in videos and place ads immediately after them. The goal is to boost ad visibility and click-through rates. According to YouTube, Gemini analyzes elements like video frames and transcripts to pinpoint these high-attention segments. "Peak Points" is currently in a pilot program and is slated for wider release later this year. The feature was announced at the YouTube Brandcast event in New York.
OpenAI is rolling out its GPT-4.1 model to ChatGPT, making it available outside the API for the first time. Plus, Pro, and Team users can now select GPT-4.1 from the "More models" drop-down menu, while Enterprise and Edu users are expected to get access in the coming weeks. GPT-4.1 mini replaces GPT-4o-mini and is now available to all ChatGPT users.
OpenAI says GPT-4.1 is particularly strong when it comes to programming tasks and following instructions precisely. In our tests, the model is noticeably less "chatty" than GPT-4o—not being overly talkative can be useful—and its performance is otherwise on par with the most recent GPT-4o model. Compared to older versions of GPT-4o, GPT-4.1 also feels more thorough.

Google is reportedly getting ready to unveil several new AI features at its upcoming I/O developer conference. Among them is an AI assistant aimed at software development, known internally as the "Software Development Lifecycle Agent." According to Google employees, this tool is designed to serve as a constant companion for developers, working quietly in the background to help with troubleshooting, documentation, and security tasks.
For everyday users, Google is said to be working on a new feature that takes cues from Pinterest. The idea is to let people browse fashion or interior design images and save their favorites into folders. Google may also use the event to showcase the Gemini chatbot's voice mode alongside Android XR headsets (confirmed).
Chegg, the US-based education company, is cutting 22 percent of its workforce—about 250 jobs—as more students turn to free AI tools like ChatGPT, which are replacing traditional educational services. In the first quarter, Chegg's subscriber count dropped 31 percent to 3.2 million, and revenue fell 30 percent to $121 million. As part of the restructuring, Chegg plans to close its offices in the US and Canada by the end of the year and reduce spending on marketing, product development, and administration. The company expects the changes to save up to $55 million in 2025 and as much as $110 million in 2026. Restructuring costs are projected to be between $34 and $38 million. In February, Chegg filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming that Google's AI search results are drawing away users.
Perplexity, the AI startup known for its generative search engine, is reportedly close to raising $500 million in a new funding round that would value the company at $14 billion. That marks an increase of more than 50 percent since the end of 2024, according to the Wall Street Journal. Venture capital firm Accel is expected to lead the round, with partner Sameer Gandhi likely joining Perplexity's board. Perplexity offers a search engine powered by generative AI that returns direct answers with sources instead of traditional lists of links. The company is also developing its own web browser, Comet, and has released an AI assistant for smartphones. Perplexity competes with Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT's search, and has faced criticism from publishers like the New York Times.