AI Weekly Wrap: The AI Moves That Mattered - November 17

Welcome back to this week’s AI roundup - a quick look at the biggest developments shaping artificial intelligence across industry, governance, education, and consumer tech. From major leadership moves to policy shifts and product upgrades, here’s what stood out.

1. Bezos returns with a bold new venture: Project Prometheus

Jeff Bezos has stepped back into an operational role, becoming co-CEO of Project Prometheus - an ambitious AI startup backed by $6.2 billion. The company is targeting AI applications in the “physical economy,” from aerospace to automotive engineering, and has already recruited top researchers from OpenAI, DeepMind, and Meta. Prometheus positions itself as a heavy hitter in industrial AI.

2. Google supercharges travel planning with AI Mode

Google expanded its AI Mode in Search with a powerful new “Create with Canvas” tool. Users can generate full travel itineraries using real-time flight and hotel data, Maps content, reviews, and more. Follow-up prompts refine and personalise trips instantly. The feature now supports users globally in more than 200 countries and 60+ languages, making AI-driven travel planning widely accessible.

3. xAI unveils Grok 4.1 with deeper reasoning and massive context

xAI launched Grok 4.1, introducing major upgrades in reasoning, multimodal understanding, and emotional responsiveness. The model now supports a 2-million-token context window for tool-based tasks and long analyses, giving it enhanced capabilities for complex workflows. The update positions Grok closer to the frontier-tier models dominating the market.

4. EU pushes back high-risk AI rules to 2027

The European Commission announced a delay in enforcing the most stringent “high-risk” requirements of the EU AI Act, now set for December 2027. Framed as part of a larger Digital Omnibus simplification package, the postponement follows sustained pushback from major tech companies. Core transparency and safety obligations remain unchanged, but businesses get more time to adapt.

5. Greece begins teacher training in classroom AI

Greece launched a national pilot program to train secondary-school teachers in using tools like ChatGPT Edu effectively and responsibly. Training has begun in 20 schools and includes lesson-planning assistance, research support, and personalised teaching strategies. A broader rollout is planned for early 2026, with monitored student access to follow.

Wrapping Up

This week’s developments once again highlight how rapidly AI is expanding into everyday life - from classrooms and travel apps to global policy frameworks and industrial innovation. As major players push forward and governments recalibrate, the AI landscape continues to evolve at remarkable speed. Stay tuned for next week’s highlights.

References:

1. https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/17/jeff-bezos-reportedly-returns-to-the-trenches-as-co-ceo-of-new-ai-startup-project-prometheus

2. https://blog.google/products/search/agentic-plans-booking-travel-canvas-ai-mode

3. https://x.ai/news/grok-4-1-fast?

4. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/11/19/european-commission-delays-full-implementation-of-ai-act-to-2027

5. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/22/greek-secondary-school-teachers-to-be-trained-in-using-ai-in-classroom

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