FDA AIM-NASH, MIT DisCIPL, Siemens and GlobalFoundries Manufacturing AI, Washington State University Antiviral Research, and U.S. AI Regulation

Hi friend!

This week’s theme is simple: AI is showing up in places that actually move business forward. Faster R&D, more reliable operations, and clearer (if messy) signals from regulators about what’s coming next.

Here are 5 stories worth your time…

AI-guided research spots a weak point that can stop a virus before it enters cells

Researchers at Washington State University used AI, simulations, and lab experiments to identify a single critical amino acid interaction in a herpes virus fusion protein, then shut down viral entry by mutating it. The big takeaway for businesses in biotech and pharma is speed: using computation to narrow thousands of possibilities can cut months (or years) off early discovery work.

My take: My take: This is the kind of ROI most leaders miss because it’s not a customer-facing chatbot. If you have any R&D function, the lesson here is about reducing the cost of curiosity. Ask your teams where they are currently doing expensive trial-and-error work, and explore how modeling could narrow the search space before you ever spend a dollar on physical prototypes or lab time.

Link: ScienceDaily

FDA qualifies AIM-NASH, a first AI tool to speed liver disease drug development

The U.S. FDA qualified AIM-NASH, a cloud-based AI system that evaluates liver tissue images in MASH clinical trials, aiming to standardize and speed up a process that usually requires multiple expert reviewers. For life sciences teams, this can mean faster trials, more consistent endpoints, and potentially lower development costs.

My take: The quiet win here is “qualified for use”. If you operate in a regulated space, build your AI projects like this: clear intended use, clear validation, and a clear handoff where humans remain accountable for final decisions. It proves that innovation and compliance aren’t opposites they do require a structured approach.

Link: U.S. FDA qualified AIM-NASH

MIT CSAIL: smaller models can follow strict business constraints with a planner-executor approach

MIT CSAIL shared DisCIPL, a self-steering setup where a larger model plans and smaller models execute tasks with tight constraints (like budgeting, itineraries, and strict formatting). For businesses, this is a practical path to reduce costs while improving reliability on rule-heavy workflows.

My take: Most teams don’t need the biggest model; they need the most consistent output. If your current AI tools keep breaking requirements like word counts, policy rules, or formatting this “planner-plus-workers” pattern is worth copying. It’s a practical path to reducing costs while ensuring reliability on those rule-heavy workflows where accuracy matters more than creativity.

Link:MIT News

Siemens and GlobalFoundries push AI deeper into semiconductor manufacturing

Siemens and GlobalFoundries announced a collaboration focused on AI-driven manufacturing, including more centralized automation and improvements to production efficiency and resilience. The business benefit is straightforward: higher uptime, better yield, and better responsiveness in operations that are extremely sensitive to delays and variation.

My take: Even if you are not in semiconductors, this is a good reminder that AI value compounds when it is tied to operational signals (equipment, schedules, throughput, quality) instead of living in a side tool. The more your AI can “see” real workflow data, the more it can prevent issues instead of just reporting them.

If you want AI to help you get started documenting your workflows & SOPs and help you give some of the work to AI, here’s a link to our Workflow & SOP creator.

Link: Siemens Press

U.S. AI policy update: Federal push against state AI laws could face court challenges

The US president’s executive order aimed at blocking state AI laws is expected to face political and legal hurdles, including questions about tying broadband funding to state AI regulation and the legal authority for parts of the order. This matters because compliance could stay state-by-state longer than some leaders expect, court fights can create stop-and-go uncertainty.

My take: Regulation uncertainty is expensive, so your best defense is good paperwork. Tighten your AI documentation now: what data you use, what the system is allowed to do, where humans review, and how you handle complaints and edge cases. That makes audits and customer security reviews way less painful no matter which way the courts go.

Link (Executive Order text): U.S. AI policy

Tips for turning long videos into short, shareable clips in Pictory

• Use Summarize Video first: From your dashboard, click Summarize Video and upload your video to kick off the workflow.
• Let Pictory do the heavy lifting: After upload, Pictory auto-transcribes your video and creates a text summary you can work from.
• Try Auto Highlight for quick wins: Click Auto Highlight, then choose a target summary length. Pictory will pull the most engaging moments into short clips.
• Review your auto-selected clips: Your highlight clips appear in the Summary section. Download instantly, or remove any clips that do not fit.
• Manually create highlights for better control: If you want more precision, highlight sections of the transcript to add them into your summary.
• Customize clips before exporting: Click Customize Video to polish your clips with:
  • captions
  • font choices
  • color adjustments
  • your Brand Kit for consistency
• Keep branding consistent across all clips: Apply your Brand Kit early so every clip looks like it belongs to the same content series.
• Aim for “one video, many posts”: Use Summarize + Highlights to turn a single long video into multiple short assets fast.

Tips for creating and editing visuals using Pictory AI Studio

• Find AI Studio in the Visuals tab: AI Studio lives inside the Visuals area of your storyboard workflow.
• Mix stock with AI visuals: Start with Pictory’s built-in stock library, then use AI Studio to generate unique images when stock is not enough.
• Pick the right AI model for the job: Experiment with available models (as shown in the transcript) to see which style and output fits your brand best.
• Choose a visual style on purpose: Use styles like photorealistic, minimalist, or vintage to match the tone of your video.
• Write prompts that are specific: Include subject, setting, mood, camera/angle, and style so the image matches what you imagine.
• Use the built-in prompt help: If you are stuck, let Pictory write the prompt for you to speed up ideation and improve results.
• Edit images, not just generate: AI Studio can also edit generated or uploaded images, like:
  • swapping backgrounds
  • removing unwanted objects
  • reimagining the overall style
• Stay fast and iterative: Generate a few options quickly, pick the best, then refine using editing tools instead of starting over.

Tools to try this week

•  Pictory.AI –  Create and edit professional quality videos (for social media, blogs, and other marketing materials) using text in minutes.
• Open Forge AI – AIO platform for mastering AI search, leveraging advanced AISEO and GEO-targeted insights to ensure your brand dominates the competition and wins more customers.
• Suno AI – AI-powered music creation platform that empowers anyone to instantly generate high-quality, and personalized songs from simple text prompts.

New Year. New You. Same brilliant brain – now with AI backup. ✨

January has that fresh-notebook energy.

New goals. New ideas. A quiet (or loud) voice saying: “This is the year I stop doing things the hard way.” If your business has been running on hustle, duct tape, and a few too many browser tabs… you’re not alone. And you don’t need a full overhaul to feel lighter – just a smarter foundation.

That’s where our AI Transformation – Package comes in.

Think of it as a reset, not a reinvention.

We help you:

• Clear the clutter from your workflows
• Put AI to work where it actually saves time
• Build systems that support you instead of drain you

No hype. No overwhelm. No “replace your team with robots” energy.

Just practical AI that makes your days smoother, your decisions faster, and your business feel… calmer.

New year. New way of working.

Same you – just with more focus, more space, and a little extra magic. ✨ If you’re ready to start the year feeling supported (not stretched), we’re here. Swing by and drop us a line at info@aismartventures.com.

Can’t wait to hear from you!

Cheers,

-Nicole Donnelly
Founder, AI Smart Ventures