Welcome back to Daily Zaps, your regularly-scheduled dose of AI news ⚡️ 

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 🕵🏻‍♂️ Amazon going all-in on agentic AI

• 🤓 Google's next-gen smart glasses

• 📝 Virginia legislature passes first AI bill of 2025

• 🧠 Amazon Nova — AI reasoning model

Let’s get right into it!

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BIG TECH

Amazon going all-in on agentic AI

Amazon is making a major push into agentic AI, a next-generation AI technology focused on task automation, with a newly formed group led by AWS AI and Data VP Swami Sivasubramanian, reporting to CEO Matt Garman. Internal communications suggest that Amazon sees AI agents as a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, with the potential to accelerate customer innovation. While not new to agentic AI, Amazon has recently showcased Alexa+, an AI-powered voice assistant capable of autonomously handling tasks like scheduling repairs.

The company is also restructuring some AWS divisions to speed up innovation, aligning with efforts by competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce in the agentic AI space. As AI agents gain traction, Amazon aims to position itself as a leader in this evolving market.

BIG TECH

Google's next-gen smart glasses

Project Astra, a research initiative by Google DeepMind, aims to develop a universal AI assistant capable of understanding and interacting with the world through advanced multimodal AI. This technology enables real-time voice and visual processing, enhancing user interactions across various environments.

While still in the research phase, Google has begun integrating Astra’s capabilities into existing products, such as Gemini Live, with features like live video and screen sharing rolling out to Gemini Advanced subscribers in March 2025. Project Astra is accessible via Android devices and prototype smart glasses, which are currently in limited testing.

LEGAL

Virginia legislature passes first AI bill of 2025

The Virginia AI Accountability Act aims to regulate high-risk AI systems, requiring developers and deployers operating in Virginia to ensure transparency and accountability. A system is considered high-risk if it autonomously makes or significantly influences consequential decisions affecting areas like employment, healthcare, education, housing, and legal services.

The Act mandates impact assessments, risk management frameworks, and protections against algorithmic discrimination, with enforcement overseen by the Virginia Attorney General. Civil penalties range from $1,000 per violation to $10,000 for willful violations, with a 45-day cure period. Governor Glenn Youngkin has until March 24, 2025, to act on the bill, which, if enacted, would take effect on July 1, 2026.

BIG TECH

Amazon Nova — AI reasoning model

Amazon is set to launch its advanced AI reasoning model, Nova, in June 2025, aiming to compete with Meta AI, ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini. Part of Amazon’s Nova series introduced in December 2024, this model adopts a hybrid reasoning approach, offering both quick responses and complex problem-solving capabilities.

Amazon’s AGI division is developing Nova, with a focus on high-ranking performance on benchmarks like SWE and AIME. The initiative follows Amazon’s broader AI strategy, including its Bedrock service within AWS, which allows companies to integrate multiple foundational models.