Subvolts take AI news roundup: GPT-5.1 gets personality, Baidu launches ERNIE 5.0, and AI enters new markets. Nov 21, 2025 - Developers
- Learn about new model capabilities like GPT-5.1 and AI coding agents from ByteDance.
- Business
- Understand market trends in AI-generated content, self-driving tech, and startup funding.
- Everyday users
- Discover how AI is evolving with new personality options and applications in everyday tools.
This episode covers significant new model releases from major AI labs and discusses emerging AI applications.
#225 - GPT 5.1, Kimi K2 Thinking, Remote Labor Index
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From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
This episode of Last Week in AI features hosts Andrey Kurenkov and Michelle Lee discussing recent AI developments. Topics include OpenAI's GPT-5.1 with enhanced personality options, Baidu's ERNIE 5.0, and advancements in AI for coding and customer interactions. The discussion also touches on AI-generated content trends and startup funding.
This episode covers new AI models like GPT-5.1 and ERNIE 5.0, which are getting better at understanding and interacting. It also looks at how AI is being used for tasks like coding and creating music, showing how it's becoming part of everyday tools and entertainment.
This episode offers a snapshot of the rapidly evolving AI landscape for enthusiasts and professionals. Listeners gain insight into new model capabilities from major players like OpenAI and Baidu, and understand emerging applications in areas like coding assistance and synthetic media. It's particularly relevant for those tracking frontier model releases and the commercialization of AI technologies, showing how labs are pushing boundaries in user experience and product integration.
- HostAndrey Kurenkov
- HostJeremie Harris
- Episode Title: #225 - GPT 5.1, Kimi K2 Thinking, Remote Labor Index
- Show: Last Week in AI
- Length: 78 minutes
- GPT-5.1 update: OpenAI's GPT-5.1 is described as 'warmer' with more 'personality' options.
- ERNIE 5.0 release: Baidu launched ERNIE 5.0 and related AI applications.
- Startup Funding: Incept secured $50M for diffusion models.
Our 225th episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news!
Recorded on 11/16/2025
Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and co-hosted by Michelle Lee
Feel free to email us your questions and feedback at contact@lastweekinai.com and/or hello@gladstone.ai
Read out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/
In this episode:
- New AI model releases include GPT-5.1 from OpenAI and Ernie 5.0 from Baidu, each with updated features and capabilities.
- Self-driving technology advancements from Baidu’s Apollo Go and Pony AI’s IPO highlight significant progress in the automotive sector.
- Startup funding updates include Incept taking $50M for diffusion models, while Cursor and Gamma secure significant valuations for coding and presentation tools respectively.
- AI-generated content is gaining traction with songs topping charts and new marketplaces for AI-generated voices, indicating evolving trends in synthetic media.
Timestamps:
- (00:01:19) News Preview
- Tools & Apps
- (00:02:13) OpenAI says the brand-new GPT-5.1 is ‘warmer’ and has more ‘personality’ options | The Verge
- (00:04:51) Baidu Unveils ERNIE 5.0 and a Series of AI Applications at Baidu World 2025, Ramps Up Global Push
- (00:07:00) ByteDance’s Volcano Engine debuts coding agent at $1.3 promo price
- (00:08:04) Google will let users call stores, browse products, and check out using AI | The Verge
- (00:10:41) Fei-Fei Li's World Labs speeds up the world model race with Marble, its first commercial product | TechCrunch
- (00:13:30) OpenAI says it's fixed ChatGPT's em dash problem | TechCrunch
- Applications & Business
- (00:16:01) Anthropic announces $50 billion data center plan | TechCrunch
- (00:18:06) Baidu teases next-gen AI training, inference accelerators • The Register
- (00:20:50) Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun plans to exit and launch own start-up
- (00:24:41) Amazon Demands Perplexity Stop AI Tool From Making Purchases - Bloomberg
- (00:27:32) Jargon decoded
- diffusion models
- Andrey Kurenkov
- A type of AI that creates images or other data by gradually removing noise.
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Questions people ask
- What are the new features of GPT-5.1?
- OpenAI states that GPT-5.1 is 'warmer' and offers more 'personality' options for users.
- What did Baidu announce?
- Baidu unveiled ERNIE 5.0 and a series of AI applications at Baidu World 2025, also ramping up its global push.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Skynet Today.
