ConneX AI Newsletter: Week of 26th May 2025
⚡ This Week’s AI Power Moves
Anthropic Gives Claude a Voice, Finally: Anthropic drops its long-awaited voice mode, adding natural conversations, live transcription, and Google Workspace control, built on Sonnet 4.
UAE Goes Full AI: Free ChatGPT Plus for All Citizens: Every UAE citizen gets GPT-4 access, the first nation to go all in on public AI access. Big move, big message.
Nvidia’s China Workaround: Budget Blackwell GPU Incoming: Nvidia readies a stripped-back Blackwell chip to stay in China’s AI game, all while dodging U.S. export rules.
📉 Market Mood Tracker (a.k.a. Global Volatility Watch)
US Court Blocks Trump’s Tariff Revival Plan: A major legal blow, Trump’s proposed tariff overhaul gets iced by the courts for overreaching. Markets breathe a (temporary) sigh of relief.
Australia’s Retail Sales Flatline: Consumer spending is soft again. Pressure mounts on the RBA to hold interest rates steady amid persistent cost-of-living pain.
China's Industrial Profits Slide Again. A 2.3% YoY drop in April points to ongoing weakness, more stimulus may be on the horizon, with global implications.
🗣️ Claude Can Talk Now — Voice Mode Rolls Out
Update Anthropic has introduced voice functionality in the Claude app, joining the likes of OpenAI, Google, and Meta in the voice-enabled AI arena.
Under the Hood:
Powered by Claude Sonnet 4
Five natural-sounding voices
Real-time transcription
Seamless switch between voice and text
Integrates with Gmail, Calendar, and Docs for paid users
Free tier: ~25 voice messages/month
Execution Game: Unlike the early Siri/Alexa days, this feels polished. Latency is low, and Claude’s tone is far less robotic.
The Bottom Line: Voice is now table stakes. The real race? Who makes it feel like a natural assistant vs. a clunky demo. Claude’s got a shot, and it's speaking up.
🌍 UAE Rolls Out Free ChatGPT Plus for Everyone
Update: The UAE has partnered with OpenAI to give every citizen free access to ChatGPT Plus, the first country to do so.
The Details
Citizens gain full access to GPT-4
Removes the $20/month barrier
Tied to national AI literacy goals
Part of a larger deal that includes Stargate UAE, a 1GW data centre in Abu Dhabi, launching 2026
Strategic Angle This isn’t about novelty. It’s about infrastructure, education, and global positioning. If AI is oil, the UAE just handed out free pipelines.
Why You Should Care: Other nations are watching. Public access at scale might just be the next global tech arms race.
🇨🇳 Nvidia’s Slimmed-Down China Strategy
Update: To sidestep U.S. export bans, Nvidia’s cooking up a China-compliant Blackwell chip — stripped back, more affordable, and politically palatable.
Specs & Moves
Based on RTX Pro 6000D
1.7TB/s memory bandwidth (vs H20’s 4TB/s)
Target price: $6.5K–$8K (vs H20’s $10–12K)
Production is expected to begin in June
Reuters suggests Nvidia is doing this to preserve its Chinese market share, and stay ahead of Huawei’s rising AI stack.
So What? It’s a temporary fix. Nvidia’s walking a tightrope between Washington and Beijing. Whether it holds? That’s a longer game.
💼 AI & Cloud Roles We Like This Week
1. Digital Presales Solution Architect – Sydney
Hybrid role driving Microsoft, Digital, and GenAI-powered solutions
Needs a consultative closer who can run the room and shape the solution
Ideal for someone who leads both technically and commercially
2. Presales Digital Solution Architect (Data & AI) – Brisbane
Data and AI-heavy with a strong Azure bias
Drive discovery, architecting, and customer education
Someone who can go deep on Fabric, Synapse, and ML pipelines
3. Sales Director – Sydney
Enterprise/Mid-level-focused hunter role - 30% existing account management
Must be able to land and expand in large-scale cloud and AI engagements
Great brand, strong technical team behind you, and plenty of greenfield
Self-starter, must have Pro services exp within a cloud partner environment.
That’s it for this week. Tariffs stalled, AI voices booming, and countries giving GPT to the people. The world may be shaky, but the AI race waits for no one.
Back next Week.
Alex Brace Follow ConneX AI Newsletter