DeepSeek Just Unveiled V3.1, a 685B Parameters - MoE Model

DeepSeek V3.1: A Major Leap for Open-Source AI

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has quietly unveiled DeepSeek V3.1, a massive 685-billion-parameter open-weight model launched earlier this week on Hugging Face. Despite the low-key rollout, the model is generating buzz for delivering performance rivaling top proprietary systems—at a fraction of the cost.

Key Points:

1. Performance Meets Affordability - DeepSeek V3.1 scored 71.6% on the Aider coding benchmark, matching Claude Opus while boasting dramatically lower per-task costs—about $1.01 vs. ~$70, making it approximately 68 times cheaper .

2. Massive Context Window, Hybrid Capabilities - The model supports a 128,000-token context window, enabling extended conversations, document analysis, and long-form processing. It unifies chat, reasoning, and coding functionalities in one hybrid architecture and offers multiple precision formats (BF16, F8_E4M3, F32) for efficiency .

3. Open Access in an Era of Closed Ecosystems - Released under permissive open-source licensing and available for free download on Hugging Face, DeepSeek V3.1 stands in contrast to costly proprietary AI models. This positions it as an important alternative in global AI access—highlighting a shift toward open innovation, particularly from Chinese tech firms.

Conclusion
DeepSeek known for the revolutionary approaches for the LLMs, continues to deliver more capable models. The model currently is not available by any inference providers, though the model weights are available on HuggingFace.

Microsoft Embeds AI Directly in Excel with the New COPILOT Function

Microsoft has integrated an AI-powered COPILOT function into Excel, enabling users to write natural-language prompts directly in cells (e.g., =COPILOT("Summarize this feedback", A2:A20)) to classify information, generate summaries, create tables, and more. This feature, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4.1-mini model, works within Excel’s calculation engine and can be combined with standard functions like IF, SWITCH, LAMBDA, WRAPROWS, and more.

Key Points:

1. Seamless Natural-Language Integration - Excel users can now transform how they interact with data by embedding prompts directly into cells. Results—ranging from summaries to classifications—update dynamically whenever the source data changes, just like any formula.

2. Privacy Safeguards and Usage Limits - Microsoft assures users that any input provided via COPILOT is never used for model training and remains confidential. The feature is capped at 100 calls per 10 minutes (and up to 300 per hour) and cannot access live web data or internal corporate systems, limiting its scope for sensitive or mission-critical tasks

3. Targeted Rollout and Future Expansion - Currently, COPILOT is available to users in the Beta Channel on Windows and Mac who hold a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Microsoft plans future enhancements—including support for web access, enterprise data integration, better date handling, and more robust array support.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s new COPILOT function marks a paradigm shift for spreadsheet workflows—embedding AI directly into the Excel grid. While still in beta and bounded by accuracy and data access constraints, it simplifies data analysis and unleashes creative possibilities without leaving the spreadsheet. As the function evolves, it promises to redefine how professionals summarize, classify, and generate insights—all with natural language.

🚀 Other AI updates to look out

• ElevenLabs introduces chat mode
  The new capability allows users to build text-only conversational agents for users who prefer typing or need precise inputs like order IDs or email addresses.

• Meta rolls out AI-powered translations to creators globally
  The new feature, available to all users on Facebook and Instagram, allows creators to translate content into other languages so it can be viewed by a broader audience.