AI This Week

AI startup Anthropic, fresh off a massive $350 billion valuation fueled by investments from Microsoft and Nvidia, has announced Claude Opus 4.5. This is its new flagship model. Aimed at professional software developers and financial analysts, the model excels at complex coding and enterprise tasks. Anthropic reports that Opus 4.5 outperforms rival models from Google and OpenAI on key software development benchmarks. In a striking test of its capabilities, the model scored higher on a difficult internal engineering exam than any human candidate. This launch marks Anthropic’s third major model release in just two months, highlighting its aggressive push in the AI race.

OpenAI is shutting down developer API access to its fan-favorite GPT-4o model, scheduling the end for February 2026. The decision marks the final chapter for an AI that became a cultural phenomenon. Celebrated for its near real-time multimodal conversations, GPT-4o earned a fiercely loyal following. This loyalty previously erupted into a user rebellion when the company tried to replace it in ChatGPT, with users organizing under the #Keep4o hashtag. The model’s emotionally attuned style created powerful bonds, a trait some internal critics viewed as a safety concern. While the retirement only affects developers for now, it follows OpenAI’s strategy to guide users toward its newer, more cost-effective GPT-5.1 models.

Google is tackling the rise of synthetic media with a new tool in its Gemini app. In a world of high-fidelity fakes, this feature lets anyone verify if an image was created by Google AI. The system operates by detecting SynthID, an imperceptible digital watermark that Google embeds into its AI-generated content. Users can simply upload an image and ask Gemini about its origin to get a direct answer. Google has already applied this watermark to over 20 billion pieces of content. The company is also expanding verification to video and audio formats and adopting the C2PA industry standard, signaling a broader commitment to digital content authenticity.

From courtroom opponents to creative partners, Warner Music Group and AI firm Udio have settled their copyright dispute. They are now collaborating on a new licensed music creation service. Launching in 2026, Udio’s platform will run on AI models trained with authorized music from WMG’s catalog, creating a system where artists and songwriters are paid for their work. The service will let fans make new songs and remixes using the voices of artists who choose to participate. This agreement establishes a framework for monetizing generative AI in music while protecting copyrights, representing a significant shift in the industry.

Adobe is acquiring software platform Semrush in a massive $1.9 billion deal. The move represents a major push by the software giant to strengthen its AI-powered marketing suite amid fierce competition. Adobe will pay a steep 77.5% premium for Semrush’s technology, which specializes in search engine optimization and digital advertising analytics. This purchase provides Adobe’s clients with tools to understand how consumers perceive their brands through online searches and on generative AI platforms like ChatGPT. Under pressure from investors to better capitalize on AI, Adobe made a decisive strategic investment to expand its digital marketing capabilities.