New features and launches in ChatGPT, Cursor, Perplexity and other AI tools, plus changes to pricing and availability.
OpenAI just rolled out a feature allowing paid ChatGPT users to tag in custom GPTs into any conversation by simply typing "@". The summoned GPT inherits the full chat context, making it easy to seamlessly chain different tools together. OpenAI is looking to boost adoption for its GPT Store, where custom GPTs currently drive under 3% of web traffic.
Yelp just rolled out an AI-powered review summary feature on iOS that sits right near the top of business pages. Using LLMs, it parses customer feedback to highlight popular dishes, vibe, and pricing, saving you from scrolling through hundreds of comments. Why it matters: It cuts down decision fatigue when dining out, though it is currently limited to food and nightlife spots.
The Browser Company just launched Arc Search on iOS, combining mobile browsing, web search, and generative AI into one clean app. Tapping its "Browse for me" button has the AI crawl half a dozen sources and build a custom, neatly formatted webpage answering your query instead of returning blue links. Why it matters: It rethinks the browser from the ground up, though questions around publisher sourcing and accuracy remain.
Apple is rolling out automated transcripts across Apple Podcasts in the iOS 17.4 beta, powered by its machine learning models. Beta testers report that nearly all shows in Apple's network now display full text. Episodes added via external URLs are currently excluded, with a general release expected in March.
Brave just upgraded its built-in browser assistant Leo, making Mistral's open-source Mixtral 8x7B the default model for all users. The upgrade brings sharper coding, larger context handling, and fewer hallucinations, all while maintaining Brave's strict privacy setup that discards chats immediately without requiring a login. Free users get access with rate limits, while Premium subscribers get higher usage caps.
Google just launched Art Selfie 2, upgrading its classic museum feature with generative AI. Instead of just finding existing portrait lookalikes, the tool blends your selfie into over 25 historical and artistic styles—from Monet's garden to medieval armor—while serving up bite-sized cultural history lessons as it generates.
Google just introduced three experimental generative AI features in Chrome M121 for Mac and Windows. The browser can now automatically organize and label chaotic tabs, generate custom browser themes via text-to-image prompts, and soon assist with writing across web text fields. Why it matters: Google is steadily turning the world's most dominant browser into a native AI workstation for everyday tasks.
Google just integrated its Gemini model into Google Ads, letting marketers build Search campaigns through a chat interface. Simply drop in a landing page URL, and the conversational assistant generates relevant keywords, headlines, and ad copy. Google says small advertisers using the tool are 42% more likely to build campaigns with top ad ratings. It's now in open beta for English advertisers in the US and UK.
ElevenLabs just secured an $80M Series B round co-led by Andreessen Horowitz, officially crossing into unicorn territory. Alongside the cash infusion, the voice AI leader unveiled Dubbing Studio for full-length films, a marketplace that lets creators monetize their verified AI voices, and an upcoming mobile reader app.
Researchers at the University of Chicago just released Nightshade v1.0, a free desktop tool designed to fight unauthorized AI training. It subtly alters pixels so that while images look normal to human eyes, an AI scraping them sees something totally different—like a cow morphing into a handbag. The goal is to make scraping uncorrupted data too costly to ignore.
Microsoft just rolled out a batch of AI updates for education, led by a revamped Reading Coach that creates dynamic, choose-your-own-adventure style practice stories using generative AI. It is free for anyone with a Microsoft account across the web and Windows. The company also removed the 300-seat minimum for Copilot for Microsoft 365 for qualifying educators.
Amazon just rolled out a generative AI feature in its mobile app that answers questions about specific products in seconds. Instead of making you scroll through hundreds of reviews, it summarizes the listing and customer feedback directly. It won't chat with you or answer random trivia, keeping the focus strictly on shopping.
Adobe just introduced new AI-powered audio editing features to the Premiere Pro public beta, including smart category tagging and interactive fade handles on the timeline. Its popular Enhanced Speech tool, which automatically scrubs background noise from dialogue, will roll out to all users in February.
Microsoft just launched Copilot Pro, a $20 monthly subscription that brings generative AI features into Office apps for everyday consumers. The tier grants priority access to OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo during peak hours and custom Copilot GPT creation. The catch: unlocking it inside Word, Excel, or PowerPoint still requires a separate Microsoft 365 subscription.
OpenAI just confirmed in an email to developers that its GPT Store will finally launch next week after being delayed by November's leadership chaos. The platform will let creators share, discover, and monetize custom bots through a usage-based revenue-sharing model. It could be the long-awaited App Store moment for AI agents.
Google looks ready to lock its smartest model behind a paywall. Newly discovered code reveals a "Bard Advanced" tier powered by Gemini Ultra, likely bundled into a paid Google One subscription. The leak also hints at custom bots and prompt-polishing tools designed to take the fight directly to ChatGPT Plus.
Apple is reportedly preparing to preview a major generative AI upgrade for Siri at WWDC. Powered by its in-house Ajax model, the revamped assistant is expected to handle natural conversations, sync context across devices, and connect to third-party services via APIs, with select capabilities potentially tied to paid subscriptions.
Hasbro just launched Trivial Pursuit Infinite, a free browser game taking cues from Wordle. Alongside a rapid-fire daily challenge, it includes an AI-powered Infinite mode where typing any topic generates a custom barrage of trivia. Hasbro is encouraging players to rate and report odd answers to help train its trivia bot.
3D printing network Jellypipe just rebuilt its platform around a new GPT-4 assistant to help customers configure print jobs. Powered by an internal database, the bot suggests the right materials for specific use cases and generates dynamic price quotes. It is currently in beta and set to roll out to customers later this month.
GitHub just made Copilot Chat generally available for both Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio users. Powered by GPT-4, the conversational assistant lets developers explain code, spot vulnerabilities, and generate unit tests directly in the IDE—all included in existing Copilot plans at no extra charge.
