Tippets #193

Google enters the AI race, Walmart's rise, no more pennies and more. Enjoy!

A warm welcome to new readers getting this for the first time, and thank you for letting me be a small part of your week! As a reminder, I’m Rishi Taparia, Co-founder and General Partner at Garuda Ventures, a pre-seed focused fund that partners with founders as they pull the future into the present. Tippets is a curated set of tidbits and snippets (get it…tippets…) from my reading around the web.

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Tippets from Around the Web:

Google I/O 2025: Everything announced at this year’s developer conference

Since the “AI era” kicked off, Google has been on the back foot, slow to release its AI capabilities en masse, Always feeling a step behind relative to OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity et al. But I’ve been saying for a while now that everyone in sleeping on Google, and this week it seems like they officially entered the AI race, not just as a participant but as an industry leader. With Gemini Ultra, Veo 3, Project Astra, and Beam launched as foundational layers in a broader effort to turn Google’s product suite into an AI-native platform, and the launch of AI Mode in search, Google is signaling its intent to defend share across search, productivity, and developer tooling, while laying groundwork to compete in emerging arenas like multimodal content generation and agent-based computing. The message: AI isn’t an add-on, it’s the new operating layer.

(7-minute read - Tech Crunch)

Microsoft Launches NLWeb To Simplify Website-Agent Interactions

Even before Google I/O 2025 made it clear that AI-native interfaces are the new battleground, Microsoft had made its move. With the launch of NLWeb, an open-source framework for embedding conversational AI into websites, Microsoft is laying the groundwork for a more dialog-driven web. It’s a developer-first approach - minimal code, model-agnostic, and open by design, that contrasts with Google’s more vertically integrated ecosystem. In many ways, NLWeb previews a broader shift: from pages and clicks to prompts and responses, from static content to interactive agents. The platform wars are no longer about cloud or mobile, they’re about who owns the interface.

(4-minute read - Forbes)

How Walmart became a tech giant—and took over the world

Adapt or be left behind. Walmart is proving that even legacy giants can reinvent themselves when the stakes are high. Under Doug McMillon, the company has quietly transformed into a tech-forward powerhouse, leveraging advanced logistics, growing e-commerce, and a fast-expanding ad business to go head-to-head with Amazon. They’re not just surviving, they’re strategically targeting higher-income shoppers, modernizing stores, and weathering global headwinds. It’s a compelling case study in what retail reinvention looks like at scale.

(8-minute read - The Economist)

AI Arrives In The Middle East: US Strikes A Deal with UAE and KSA – SemiAnalysis

With the U.S. pulling back from deeper tech ties with China, it’s no surprise to see stronger AI infrastructure partnerships forming elsewhere, like these recent deals with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Beyond just GPU access and datacenter expansion, this feels like part of a broader geopolitical realignment in the AI race. The Middle East is stepping up as a serious player, and U.S. firms are clearly keen to diversify their strategic bets.

(12-minute read - Semi Analysis)

From Chalkboards To Chatbots Evaluating The Impact Of Generative Ai On Learning Outcomes In Nigeria

So much of the conversation around AI in education is rooted in fear, cheating, shortcuts, and declining effort. But this study from Nigeria tells a different story. When designed thoughtfully, generative AI can raise the bar for student learning, especially for those who’ve historically been left behind. The biggest gains? Female students and high performers. It’s a powerful reminder: AI doesn’t have to replace good education, it can expand access to it.

(48-minute read - World Bank Document)

OpenAI Unites With Jony Ive in $6.5 Billion Deal to Create A.I. Devices - The New York Times

OpenAI is acquiring io, a start-up founded by Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion to create new artificial intelligence devices. On it’s face, it seems like a big number. But when you think about OAI’s most recent $300B valuation, ‘buying’ one of the world’s most celebrated and iconic product designers for 2% of your total value seems like a bit of a steal. You’d likely give the guy that much or more in equity! Both Ive and OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, aim to develop products that improve human interaction with technology. This deal marks OpenAI's largest acquisition and seeks to move beyond traditional smartphones into innovative, AI-powered gadgets.

(5-minute read - NYT)

No more pennies: In big change, Treasury will stop minting them

The penny’s finally had its day. For something that once felt like a constant—lining pockets, slipping between couch cushions, it’s quietly fading out. The U.S. Treasury will stop minting new ones, saving millions a year on coins that cost more to make than they’re worth. It’s a practical move, a nod to modernization in an increasingly cashless world. Still, it’s wild to think our kids might grow up without ever handling one, no more “find a penny, pick it up.” Just tap, swipe, and move on.

(2-minute read - NPR)

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Quote I'm thinking about:

“The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” – William Gibson

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Please share what you’re reading! If you have insight on anything mentioned above or have any interesting links/papers/books that you think would be worth sharing in future issues of Tippets, please reach out! Click here, reply to this email, or DM me on Twitter at @taps.