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Artificial intelligence continues to permeate various sectors, as highlighted by recent developments. Black Friday saw a record $11.8 billion in online spending, fueled in part by AI-driven shopping experiences and recommendations. StepFun AI has unveiled Step-Audio-R1, an innovative Audio Large Language Model (LLM) leveraging test-time compute scaling for enhanced performance. Meanwhile, xAI, Elon Musk’s AI venture, is reportedly planning to construct a small solar farm adjacent to its Colossus data center, signaling a commitment to sustainable energy. In a novel application, AI is also being deployed to tackle hair loss, offering potential solutions to a widespread concern. This roundup is based on a compilation originally shared on Reddit’s r/artificial intelligence subreddit.