Good Morning! Gemini 2.5 just dropped, and it’s basically Google’s smartest AI brain yet, built to think before it speaks. Meanwhile, Google’s locking down Android development behind closed doors—but don’t panic, it’s still open source (just... later). And over in the quantum world, UK startup Phasecraft pulled off a 10x speed-up in simulations with an algorithm that actually works on today’s hardware—finally, some practical quantum wins!

— Forrest Knight & Meghanadh Vasireddy

Gemini 2.5 Just Dropped—and It’s Got a Brain

Google DeepMind has rolled out Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, and they're not being shy—they’re calling it their most intelligent AI model yet. This model like other new OpenAI one’s reasons. It thinks before it speaks. It passed “Humanity’s Last Exam” (yes, that’s a real thing) with 18.8%, leaving o3-mini and DeepSeek R1 trailing at 14% and 8.6%.

Gemini 2.5 is a full-stack monster:

• #1 on LMArena (where models rank for human preference)

• Native reasoning, context awareness, and logical deduction

• Cranks out clean, agentic web apps and transforms code like a pro

• 1M-token context window now, with 2M on the way

Why it matters: Gemini 2.5 is Google’s clearest shot at OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Anthropic’s Claude. But here’s the twist: reasoning isn’t bolted on—it’s baked in. Every model from here on out will think like this, per DeepMind CTO Koray Kavukcuoglu. That’s a shift from “chatbot” to “co-pilot for complexity.”

You can play with it now in Google AI Studio and the Gemini app (Advanced subs only). Vertex AI integration and pricing are en route.

Android Goes Private (Well, Mostly): What You Need to Know

Context: After 16 years of juggling two branches—the public AOSP and their own internal one—Google’s officially moving all Android OS development behind closed doors. That means no more early AOSP commits to tip us off about features like screen-off unlocks or webcam support. Instead, all Android development will happen privately, and Google will only push source code after a new version drops.

Android is still open source, but:

• All development now lives in Google’s internal branch

• Source drops still happen post-release (AOSP isn’t dead)

• Public-first components like Bluetooth are going private too

• Devs without a GMS license won’t see new features until release

• App devs? You’re unaffected. ROM builders? Slightly annoyed.

Why it matters: If you like peeking at AOSP commits for early feature leaks or building custom ROMs, you’ll probably miss the old way. But for Google, this reduces headaches from constant merge conflicts and simplifies version control across the OS.

Quantum Sim Gets a Turbo Boost (Finally)

Context: Quantum simulations are notoriously slow. Like, painfully slow. And unless you're Google or IBM with deep quantum pockets, you’ve probably accepted that modeling quantum systems (molecules, materials, etc.) on current hardware is... limited.

But UK-based startup Phasecraft just flipped the script with a new algorithm called THRIFT. And no, it’s not a vintage shopping app—though it is a major bargain in quantum efficiency.

What’s New: THRIFT is the biggest leap we’ve seen in quantum simulation performance—ever. It delivers 10x better efficiency across key benchmarks like the transverse-field Ising model (a go-to testbed in quantum physics).

• Simulations now run 10x longer and model 10x more complex systems

• Optimized to work now, not “when quantum hardware matures”

• Results published in Nature Communications—so it’s got the peer review badge

• Built to mesh with Google, IBM, and QuEra devices today

• Good news for energy tech, drug discovery, and materials science

Instead of waiting for a perfect future quantum machine, Phasecraft is squeezing every drop of value from what we’ve got now. Think of it as writing better software for clunky hardware—except it might help design better batteries or cancer treatments.

🔥 More Notes

• Extropic's Innovative Chip Design Challenges Nvidia's Dominance: Startup Extropic has introduced a novel computer chip that leverages thermodynamic fluctuations to perform efficient probabilistic calculations. This design promises to significantly reduce the energy consumption of AI models and computational tasks, positioning Extropic as a potential competitor to established industry leaders like Nvidia.

• Emerging Quantum Computing Hubs in the U.S.: Five U.S. cities—Santa Barbara, CA; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; College Park, MD; and Boulder, CO—are rapidly becoming centers for quantum computing innovation. These cities host major tech firms and universities collaborating on advancements in quantum technology, potentially transforming them into the "Silicon Valley" of quantum computing.

• AI's Growing Role in Legal Services: AI industry leaders predict that traditional lawyers may become obsolete by 2035 due to advancements in artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI's ability to perform complex tasks such as advising, negotiating, and dispute resolution could automate many functions currently handled by human lawyers, leading to significant changes in the legal profession.

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