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Google has introduced a new AI app builder inside AI Studio, letting users create AI-powered applications with just a text prompt. This update puts Google on par with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and others offering similar tools for building simple apps without coding.

One of the key features is deep integration with Google's multimodal Gemini models. Users can add image generation with the "Nano Banana" model or bring in Gemini’s voice synthesis capabilities directly into their apps. Design changes can be made visually on the app screen, with the option to guide edits using text instructions.

Developers can plug in their own API keys once they use up the free quota. The revamped app gallery offers templates and ideas to help users get started. For example, it took me just 15 minutes to build a simple "The Decoder" game that doesn't actually do anything.

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Google introduces Pomelli, an AI tool that builds full social media campaigns for small and midsize businesses. It scans a company’s website to create a brand profile that includes tone, colors, images, and fonts, then suggests campaign ideas based on that profile. The generated content can be edited directly in the interface and downloaded for use. According to Google, the goal is to reduce the time and cost of producing marketing materials.

Pomelli is launching as a public beta in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Users in these regions can try it through Google Labs.

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Microsoft is introducing new Copilot features for Microsoft 365 that let users create small apps and automate routine tasks with text commands. App Builder lets employees set up basic tools like tables or project dashboards that use data from Word, Excel, or SharePoint. Workflows can handle repetitive chores such as sending emails or posting updates in Teams. Both features are managed through the Microsoft 365 admin console with standard access controls.

Video: Microsoft

Microsoft says the new tools follow its existing security and compliance rules. Workflows is available now for Frontier Program participants, and App Builder will be added later.

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Anthropic is adding new features to Claude designed for financial analysts, including an Excel extension, expanded data connections, and a set of AI-powered skills for tasks like cash flow modeling and valuation comparisons. The Claude for Excel add-in, powered by Sonnet 4.5, is now in beta for select business customers. It can analyze, edit, and comment on spreadsheets directly within Excel.

The release also features real-time data connections to providers including Moody's, LSEG, and Aiera. Six new agent functions are intended to support due diligence reviews and company analyses, further automating standard analytical tasks.

With these additions, Anthropic goes head-to-head with similar tools from Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT. Still, none of these platforms have a well-defined error rate for everyday office work. Even though reasoning models have made progress on math-heavy tasks, these systems are still probability-based and can and will make mistakes.

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Qualcomm is making its debut in the data center hardware market with two new AI accelerator chips, the AI200, set for release in 2026, and the AI250, expected in 2027. Designed for liquid-cooled server racks, the chips focus on AI inference—running pre-trained models—rather than training them. Until now, Qualcomm has been best known for its mobile processors.

The move puts Qualcomm in direct competition with Nvidia and AMD. According to the company, the new chips are designed to offer advantages in power efficiency, cost, and memory capacity, supporting up to 768 GB per card. Early large-scale customers are already on board, including a Saudi operator planning deployments with energy demands of up to 200 megawatts. Following the announcement, Qualcomm’s stock price rose by 15 percent.

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China's military uses domestic AI models like Deepseek and Alibaba's Qwen for autonomous weapons, report says.

A Reuters analysis shows that China's People's Liberation Army is systematically integrating artificial intelligence from domestic companies such as Deepseek and Alibaba into military systems. Hundreds of research papers, patents, and procurement documents point to widespread use of AI for battlefield automation. The projects include robotic dogs, drone swarms with autonomous target recognition, and real-time combat analysis.

According to Reuters, Chinese military institutions also continue to use Nvidia hardware, including A100 chips that fall under US export restrictions. Thirty-five patent filings reference these components.

Several of the army's procurement documents specifically mention Deepseek, while only one cites Alibaba's Qwen model. Researchers at Xi'an Technological University reported that their Deepseek-based system can analyze 10,000 combat scenarios in 48 seconds—a task that would take traditional planning teams 48 hours. The US State Department recently warned that Deepseek plays a role in supporting China's military and intelligence operations.

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OpenAI is developing an AI model for music generation, putting it in direct competition with startups like Suno and Udio. The company is reportedly collaborating with music students at the Juilliard School, who are preparing sheet music to help train the model. The goal is to generate music from text or audio prompts, such as creating a guitar track to accompany a song. OpenAI is also considering potential uses for this technology in advertising.

The music industry is wary of these advances. Record labels have already filed lawsuits against Suno and Udio, accusing them of possible copyright violations. While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that rights holders should eventually share in the revenue—a point he raised during the troubled rollout of the Sora app—it's still unclear how this would actually work.

This move marks a return to music AI for OpenAI. Back in 2020, the company introduced "Jukebox," an early experiment in AI-generated music, but hasn't pursued the technology further until now.

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