August 11, 2025 · 24-Hour AI Update: Grok4 Drawing Access, Nvidia & AMD China Chip Revenue Rule, Apple AI Voice Navigation
Over the past 24 hours, the AI world has been buzzing — Grok4 opened its powerful drawing feature to free users, Nvidia and AMD may face a new revenue-sharing requirement for China chip exports, and Apple is preparing a new AI-powered voice navigation feature. These three developments highlight the accelerating pace of global AI competition.
1. Grok4 Opens Expert Mode to Free Users
Grok has officially announced the launch of Expert Mode for free users. This mode, powered by Grok4, offers advanced image generation capabilities. However, the number of uses is limited, and users will need to upgrade to SuperGrok to continue using the full features once the limit is reached.
Commentary: With the release of ChatGPT-5 quickly climbing to the top of the App Store and Google Play charts, discussions about Grok4 and ChatGPT-5 have been heating up across social media. Grok’s move is not just a feature upgrade but a strategic push to capture user attention — lowering the entry barrier to attract potential paying users. In today’s fiercely competitive generative AI market, the player that builds stronger user habits will have a better chance at commercial dominance.
2. Nvidia and AMD May Surrender 15% of China Chip Sales Revenue for Export Licenses
Reports suggest that Nvidia and AMD have agreed to surrender 15% of their chip sales revenue from China to the U.S. government in exchange for semiconductor export licenses. This information still awaits further confirmation from both companies.
Commentary: The Chinese market is vital to both chip giants, representing a core revenue stream. In recent years, China’s domestic AI chip industry and computing power supply chain have risen rapidly, increasingly capable of replacing imported high-end chips. Against this backdrop, U.S. export restrictions could either push Nvidia and AMD to compromise or accelerate China’s own breakthroughs. This tug-of-war over market share and technological control may shape the future of the global AI computing landscape.
3. Apple May Introduce AI Voice Control for iPhone Navigation
Apple is preparing to integrate AI-powered voice control into iPhone navigation. This feature was first showcased at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, where Siri demonstrated how it could extract information from messages, emails, and maps to build itineraries. However, Apple has decided to delay the public launch of the next-generation Siri, sparking internal debate and raising questions about its competitiveness in AI.
Commentary: Whether Apple can turn the tide with AI navigation for iPhone remains uncertain. Compared with tech giants like Meta and Microsoft, which have been aggressive in AI deployment, Apple appears more cautious in the generative AI space — perhaps as a strategic delay or due to R&D timelines. If Apple can differentiate itself through user experience, privacy protection, and on-device AI computing, this navigation feature could become a signature iOS advantage; otherwise, it risks being seen as lagging behind.
More cutting-edge AI developments, business insights, and tech trends are available at 👉 IAISeek