AI research organization METR has released new benchmark results for Claude Opus 4.5.Anthropic's latest model achieved a 50 percent time horizon of roughly 4 hours and 49 minutes—the highest score ever recorded. The time horizon measures how long a task can be while still being solved by an AI model at a given success rate (in this case, 50 percent).
The gap between difficulty levels is big. At the 80 percent success rate, the time horizon drops to just 27 minutes, about the same as older models, so Opus 4.5 mainly shines on longer tasks. The theoretical upper limit of over 20 hours is likely noise from limited test data, METR says.
OpenAI now lets users customize how ChatGPT communicates. The new "Personalization" settings include options for adjusting warmth, enthusiasm, and formatting preferences like headings, lists, and emojis. Each setting can be toggled to "More" or "Less." Users can also pick a base style - like "efficient" for shorter, more direct responses.
OpenAI says these settings only affect the chatbot's tone and style, not its actual capabilities. The company notes that the new options likely work as an extension of the custom instructions feature available in the same settings window.
Google's open standard lets AI agents build user interfaces on the fly
Google’s new A2UI standard gives AI agents the ability to create graphical interfaces on the fly. Instead of just sending text, AIs can now generate forms, buttons, and other UI elements that blend right into any app.
OpenAI is significantly expanding the availability of ChatGPT Go, its budget-friendly subscription tier. Following a launch in India in August, the plan is now available in over 70 additional countries—including markets across Europe and South America—according to an updated support page. In Germany, the service costs 8 euros per month. Beyond extended access to the flagship model, the subscription adds capabilities for image generation, file analysis, and data evaluation, along with a larger context window for handling longer conversations. Users can also organize projects and build their own custom GPTs. However, the plan excludes access to Sora, the API, and older models like GPT-4o.
The broader rollout comes alongside a cost-saving adjustment to how the system handles queries. OpenAI recently removed the automatic model router for users on the free tier and the Go subscription. By default, the system now answers requests using the faster GPT-5.2 Instant. Users must manually switch to more powerful reasoning models when needed, as the automatic routing feature is now exclusive to the higher-priced plans.
Anthropic's AI store makes money while debating eternal transcendence
Anthropic’s autonomous kiosk is finally making money, but not without drama. In the second phase of Project Vend, stronger models, stricter processes, and an AI “CEO” turned losses into profits, while also exposing how easily AI agents can be manipulated, misunderstand authority, or ignore real‑world laws. The experiment shows that structure and guardrails matter more than raw intelligence when AI runs a business.
Meta is developing new AI models for images, videos, and text under the codenames "Mango" and "Avocado." The release is planned for the first half of 2026, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal citing internal statements by Meta's head of AI Alexandr Wang. During an internal Q&A with Head of Product Chris Cox, Wang explained that "Mango" focuses on visual content, while the "Avocado" language model is designed to excel at programming tasks. Meta is also researching "world models" capable of visually capturing their environment.
