Google rolls out its AI ‘Flight Deals’ tool globally

✨TodayOnAI’s Daily Drop

• Google rolls out its AI ‘Flight Deals’ tool globally

• Luminal raises $5.3 million to build a better GPU code framework

• Sakana AI Raises $135M to Build Japan-Focused Sovereign Language Models

• 💬 Let’s Fix This Prompt

• 🧰 Today’s AI Toolbox Pick

Google

Google rolls out its AI ‘Flight Deals’ tool globally

🚀 TodayOnAI Insight: Google is expanding its AI-driven travel tools in Search, bringing global access to its “Flight Deals” feature, enhanced trip planning with Canvas in AI Mode, and broader rollout of agent-like booking capabilities—marking a significant step toward full-service travel planning powered by generative AI.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Flight Deals Goes Global: Google Flights' AI-powered search tool is now available in 200+ countries and territories, supporting over 60 languages.

• Canvas for Travel Planning: Users in the U.S. (Labs opt-in) can now plan trips via the Canvas tool in AI Mode, integrating real-time data from Google Maps, hotel/flight search, and web content.

• Agentic Booking Expands: AI Mode’s booking assistant—previously limited to Labs—is now available to all U.S. users, helping book restaurants, events, and wellness appointments.

• Contextual Assistance: Users can describe travel preferences and get personalized suggestions, including tradeoffs like location vs. convenience.

• Future Roadmap: Google plans to enable direct booking of flights and hotels within AI Mode.

💡 Why This Stands Out: Google’s expansion signals its ambition to turn Search into a conversational, full-service travel agent—merging real-time web data, booking tools, and AI reasoning into a single interface. It’s a glimpse into how generative AI could overhaul not just search queries but decision-making workflows. As planning tasks become more dynamic and personalized, will AI assistants become the default interface for real-world logistics?

Luminal

Luminal raises $5.3 million to build a better GPU code framework

🚀 TodayOnAI Insight: Luminal, a new startup founded by former Intel engineer Joe Fioti, has raised $5.3M to rethink how AI workloads interface with hardware—by optimizing the compilers that translate code to GPUs. Instead of selling cutting-edge chips, Luminal aims to extract more performance from existing infrastructure.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Luminal focuses on compiler-level optimization to improve GPU compute efficiency.

• The company sells compute infrastructure, like Coreweave or Lambda, but with software-led performance gains.

• Its $5.3M seed round was led by Felicis Ventures, with backing from Paul Graham and others.

• Co-founders hail from Apple and Amazon; Luminal was part of Y Combinator’s Summer 2025 batch.

• Targets the growing demand for inference-optimized compute as companies seek cheaper, faster AI deployment.

💡 Why This Stands Out: As GPU scarcity and rising AI costs reshape the market, compiler optimization is emerging as a high-leverage area for innovation. Luminal’s bet on software efficiency over raw hardware marks a strategic shift toward more adaptable, sustainable infrastructure. Could the next wave of AI speed gains come not from new chips—but smarter code paths?

Sakana AI

Sakana AI Raises $135M to Build Japan-Focused Sovereign Language Models

🚀 TodayOnAI Insight: Tokyo-based Sakana AI has raised ¥20 billion (~$135M) in Series B funding at a $2.65B valuation, positioning itself as a rising challenger in the race for sovereign AI. The startup is building culturally tuned, efficient language models designed specifically for Japan—and potentially beyond.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Funding milestone: Sakana’s $135M Series B brings total capital raised to ~$379M, doubling its valuation from March 2025.

• Strategic focus: Models are optimized for Japanese language, culture, and low-data environments—targeting regional and industry-specific use cases.

• Investors: Backers include MUFG, Khosla Ventures, Macquarie Capital, NEA, Lux Capital, and In-Q-Tel.

• Enterprise growth: Sakana is expanding beyond finance into industrial, manufacturing, and government sectors by 2026.

• Global ambitions: The startup plans to pursue strategic partnerships, M&A, and global enterprise deals, with an emphasis on sovereign AI adoption.

💡 Why This Stands Out: Sakana AI reflects a growing shift away from one-size-fits-all AI models toward regionally grounded, mission-specific systems. Its focus on sovereign AI—models aligned with national values and linguistic nuance—signals how geopolitical and cultural context is becoming a core differentiator in the AI landscape. Could this regional-first approach define the next wave of LLM innovation?

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🧰 Today’s AI Toolbox Pick

• 🍋Podsqueeze (Podcast Tool): Automates podcast content creation with instant transcripts, blogs, and video clips.

• 📸Snapheadshots (Carrier Tool): Creates realistic, AI-generated professional headshots.

• ⚙️DupDub (Content Tool): An all-in-one content creation platform that allows you to craft your content effortlessly and streamline your workflow.