From AI ads in ChatGPT to agent-driven workplaces and shifting platform strategies, Silism Week 5 breaks down what’s really changing in AI — and who’s shaping 2026.
Last week:
• ChatGPT moves toward ads
• Meta pivots from the metaverse to AI feeds
• Nvidia doubles down on compute
• Agents start acting inside Slack, Figma, and Windows
Week 5 shows a clear pattern:
AI is no longer experimental — it’s operational, monetized, and political.
If you’re building, investing, or leading in tech, this is the shift you can’t ignore.
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Need-to-Know
- Harvey acquired demo-tool startup Hexus to enhance its product stack as competition heats up across the legal tech landscape.
- Meta temporarily restricted teens’ access to AI characters while preparing a redesigned version with parental controls.
- Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs is reportedly raising capital at a $5B valuation, driven by early traction of its Marble world-model technology.
- xAI extended Grok Imagine’s video generation to 10 seconds, improving both visual quality and audio output.
- Walmart is using AI to predict winter storm disruptions and keep supply chains running via smarter inventory placement and dynamic rerouting.
- Recursive Intelligence raised $300M at a $4B valuation just two months after launch to build AI systems that design and optimize AI chips.
- Anthropic released interactive Claude apps that can directly operate workplace tools like Slack and Figma, with deeper Cowork agent integrations planned.
- Nvidia invested $2B in CoreWeave to help scale 5GW of AI compute capacity despite CoreWeave’s heavy debt profile.
- OpenAI plans to introduce higher-priced ads inside ChatGPT, with limited performance metrics and a commitment not to sell user data.
- Microsoft is adding new AI features to Windows 11’s Paint and Notepad, including coloring-book image generation and smarter text editing.
- Google rolled out its $8/month AI Plus plan globally, expanding access to its AI tools including availability in the U.S.
- Phia, founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, raised $35M to build a highly personalized AI shopping agent.
- Meta spent millions promoting new data centers as public criticism grows over energy consumption and grid strain.
- Yahoo launched Yahoo Scout, an AI answer engine aiming to compete with Google AI Mode and Perplexity in search.
- DeepSeek released OCR 2, replacing CLIP with Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen model to improve document understanding accuracy.
- SoftBank is considering up to $30B in additional OpenAI investment to support massive AI infrastructure expansion.
- Meta will begin charging developers per message for WhatsApp chatbots in Italy, potentially setting a global pricing precedent.
- ServiceNow signed a multi-year agreement with Anthropic, making Claude its preferred model for AI workflows.
- Datatruck raised $12M to scale its AI-native operating system unifying workflows for long-haul trucking fleets.
- Mark Zuckerberg said Meta is pivoting from the metaverse toward AI-generated social feeds monetized via ads and subscriptions.
- OpenAI will retire several ChatGPT models, including GPT-4o, next month to streamline focus on core offerings.
- Music publishers sued Anthropic, alleging Claude was trained on torrented copyrighted works in violation of the DMCA.
- Microsoft rolled out its Maia 200 AI chip but confirmed continued reliance on Nvidia and AMD due to ongoing chip shortages.
- Apple acquired AI startup Q.ai for nearly $2B to strengthen audio and sensing capabilities in future AI hardware.
- Appfigures reports Sora downloads fell 45% month-over-month in January, with consumer spending down 32% after launch.
Weekly AI Launches
- Thumbfa.st launched an AI tool that instantly generates YouTube thumbnails using your face and text prompts.
- Mochi Focus released a gamified Pomodoro timer where focus sessions evolve a virtual pet.
- Forums launched a developer tool where AI agents clone and search repositories to answer questions with source-linked evidence.
- Pola Browser debuted a native macOS browser featuring floating tabs, cloud sync, and extension support.
- Minara launched a chat-based investment assistant that filters noise and executes on-chain trades directly.
- Verdent released a distraction-free AI coding assistant optimized for deep focus and proactive debugging.
- Cue launched a social media manager supporting eight platforms, including Bluesky and Threads, with AI scheduling.
- JDoodle.ai released v2.0, enabling URLs, images, or Figma designs to be turned into editable websites instantly.
- Kilo Code Reviewer launched an automated PR reviewer supporting over 500 AI models.
- Moltbot launched a tool that lets users remotely control files, shells, and browsers through chat interfaces.
- LobeHub introduced a platform for building collaborative teams of long-term AI agents handling complex workflows.
- Timeless launched a conversational AI that turns spoken intent into scheduled tasks and drafted messages.
- kuku released a fast, Tauri-based markdown editor for macOS with a local AI agent and diff-based edits.
- Imagine launched an AI app builder delivering compliant apps with built-in auth, databases, and hosting.
- Rumora launched a TikTok comment-marketing tool designed to place brands inside viral conversations.
- AutoSend released a developer-focused email platform for transactional and marketing use with transparent pricing.
- Pandada AI launched a tool that converts messy data into polished reports and presentations.
- TravelAnimator debuted a tool that transforms Google Maps routes into 4K 3D travel videos.
- Meteroid released an open-source monetization and billing engine for early-stage startups.
- Meet-Ting launched an AI calendar agent that manages scheduling and rescheduling via email and SMS.