OpenAI is piloting advertisements within the free version of ChatGPT for logged‑in adult users in the United States. The ads appear as clearly labeled sponsored placements and do not affect the model's responses. Paid tiers such as Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education remain ad‑free. Users can choose to stay on the free tier with ads, upgrade to a paid plan, or opt out of ads while accepting reduced daily message limits. Read more →

A new online trend lets users request AI chatbots to create caricature illustrations that reflect both their appearance and personal details. By combining a selfie with a prompt, the model draws on prior conversation history and supplied information to add elements such as job cues, hobbies, pets and other quirks. The result is a whimsical, hand‑drawn style portrait that showcases how AI blends visual and textual data to produce personalized artwork. Read more →

Anthropic announced that its AI chatbot Claude will stay free of advertisements, directly contrasting OpenAI's upcoming ad integration for ChatGPT. The company highlighted its commitment to user interests in a blog post and launched a Super Bowl commercial that humorously mocks unnamed rivals adding ads to AI responses. Anthropic said the decision protects the quality of advice and prevents distractions, while leaving the door open for future transparency if the approach ever changes. Read more →

Anthropic announced that its AI chatbot Claude will stay free of advertising, contrasting with OpenAI's recent decision to add ads to ChatGPT for many users. The company explained that ads would clash with Claude's goal of being a genuinely helpful assistant for work and deep thinking, especially in sensitive or complex conversations. Anthropic also noted that introducing ads could conflict with its Claude Constitution, which prioritizes helpfulness and could produce unpredictable outcomes. While OpenAI pursues ad revenue, Anthropic says it will continue to develop commerce‑related features without compromising the user experience. Read more →

OpenAI confirmed a problem affecting the availability of ChatGPT, leading many users to encounter error messages such as "Hmm… something went wrong" and a more detailed generation failure notice. The company announced that it was investigating the cause, applied a mitigation, and began monitoring recovery. While some users experienced slower responses, the issue was reported to be resolving as OpenAI implemented fixes and updated its status page. Read more →

ChatGPT’s new voice mode offers a conversational experience that feels more human than traditional assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. Users can choose from distinct voice personalities, experience a more thoughtful pacing, and even shift perspectives to unlock creative responses. The feature transforms routine tasks into fluid dialogues, making planning, brainstorming, and everyday inquiries feel natural and engaging. Read more →

OpenAI has confirmed that the ChatGPT-4o model will be retired, directing users to its newer version. The change has sparked concern among long‑time users who prefer the older model’s tone and reliability. In response, the company highlights new personality‑customization features, while the community shares practical workarounds, including prompt tweaks, compatibility scripts, third‑party revival sites, petitions, and migration to alternative AI services. Read more →

OpenAI has rolled out a global age‑prediction system for ChatGPT to automatically apply a teen‑mode experience to users it believes are under 18. The model relies on behavioral cues, account history, usage patterns, and language analysis, and defaults to caution when uncertain. Several adult subscribers report being mistakenly routed to teen mode, facing content restrictions and being asked to verify their age through a third‑party tool that may request official ID or a selfie video. Users criticize the invasive verification process and raise privacy concerns, while OpenAI says the data is deleted after verification and promises ongoing refinements. Read more →

Google is updating its AI Overviews feature to run on the latest Gemini 3 models. The change promises more reliable, conversational answers across a broader set of search queries. While earlier versions relied on Gemini 2.5, the new system will automatically select the appropriate Gemini 3 variant—whether a lightweight Flash model for simple queries or a more powerful Pro model for complex, long‑tail searches. The upgrade aims to improve answer quality and expand coverage, giving users a more consistent AI‑driven search experience. Read more →

Google Search has replaced the AI model behind its AI Overviews with Gemini 3, delivering smarter, longer, and better‑structured answers to complex queries on mobile. The update also lets users jump directly from an AI Overview into a conversational AI Mode without leaving the search page. By keeping context and enabling seamless follow‑up questions, the change aims to make search feel more like a dialogue, reducing the need for multiple queries and improving the overall user experience. Read more →

Google Gemini now offers a Personal Intelligence add‑on that lets the model automatically draw on a user’s Gmail, Calendar, Photos, and search history when it deems a prompt relevant. The feature is opt‑in, beta‑only for Gemini Pro and Ultra subscribers, and it streamlines tasks such as creating reminders, shopping lists, and personalized recommendations. Reviewers note a marked improvement over earlier versions that required explicit commands, but they also highlight frequent factual errors, incorrect map directions, and misplaced venue suggestions. Privacy concerns arise from the model referencing personal names without prompting, underscoring a mixed reception. Read more →

Google has integrated its Gemini 3 Pro artificial‑intelligence model into Search through AI Mode, allowing users to ask chatbot‑style questions directly in the search interface. The multimodal model can handle text, images, video, code, reasoning and planning, and aims to understand intent and provide richer answers. The rollout includes example prompts for tasks such as summarizing long‑form videos, planning meals, weekend trips, workout routines, and building custom games. The article also offers general prompting tips for AI chatbots like ChatGPT, emphasizing specificity, role assignment, and iterative questioning. Read more →

ChatGPT has rolled out a memory upgrade that lets Plus and Pro subscribers retrieve conversations from a year ago. The new feature makes past chats searchable and permanent, allowing users to ask the assistant to recall specific details such as recipes or analysis topics. A “Sources” button provides direct links to the original exchanges, turning older interactions into a useful reference rather than disposable messages. The upgrade is available globally without requiring a separate update, and users report that the system can accurately summarize year‑old queries. Read more →

OpenAI announced that it will begin testing advertisements in ChatGPT for logged‑in users in the United States who use the free version or the new ChatGPT Go subscription. The ads will be clearly labeled and placed in a separate area at the bottom of the chat window. OpenAI assures that conversations remain private, data will not be sold to advertisers, and ad content will not influence the AI’s answers. Users on Plus, Pro, or Enterprise plans will not see ads, and younger users or those discussing sensitive topics such as health, mental health, or politics will be excluded. The company also provides controls to turn off personalization, clear ad‑related data, dismiss ads, and give feedback. Read more →

OpenAI announced that it will begin testing sponsored content inside ChatGPT for adult users in the United States. Ads will appear below conversations, be clearly labeled, and will not influence the chatbot’s answers. They will be blocked on topics such as health, mental state, or politics, and will not be shown to users under 18. The company says it will not share or sell user data with advertisers and will let users disable ad personalization. An ad‑free experience remains available through higher‑priced Plus or Pro plans, while the new low‑cost “Go” tier will include ads but offer higher usage limits and a larger memory window. Read more →

OpenAI has added a suite of personality controls to ChatGPT, allowing users to fine‑tune the bot’s tone and style. The new "Characteristics" settings let users adjust warmth, enthusiasm, the use of headers and lists, and emoji presence with simple "more," "default," or "less" options. These controls sit alongside the existing "Base style and tone" menu, which offers presets such as Professional, Friendly, Candid, Quirky, Efficient, Nerdy, and Cynical. Accessible via the Personalization menu, the settings take effect instantly, giving users granular control over how the AI communicates. Read more →

Google has made its Gemini 3 Flash model the default AI behind both the Gemini app and the AI Mode in Google Search. The new model is positioned as faster and more capable than its predecessors, offering users curated answers while still providing source links. Early testing shows Gemini 3 Flash can assemble budget‑friendly product bundles, troubleshoot technical issues, and compare photo‑storage options with speed comparable to traditional search. While classic Google Search continues to deliver breadth and raw source material, the AI‑driven mode emphasizes clarity, context, and time‑saving, suggesting a complementary role for both approaches. Read more →

OpenAI announced that it is rolling back the automated model router for users on its Free and $5‑a‑month Go tiers. The change returns these users to the default GPT‑5.2 Instant model, while still allowing manual selection of advanced reasoning models. The decision follows user feedback indicating a preference for the simpler default chat flow, and comes amid heightened competition from rivals such as Google Gemini and ongoing safety enhancements. Paid subscribers will continue to have access to the model router. Read more →

OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.2 and Google's Gemini 3 were put through a series of tests that highlighted each model's strengths. Both handled a kid‑friendly magic trick prompt with clear step‑by‑step guidance, though ChatGPT offered a breezier tone while Gemini added a storytelling flair. When asked to explain AI hallucinations, each used relatable analogies, with ChatGPT opting for a confident‑friend scenario and Gemini choosing a classroom student metaphor. Their takes on physical‑media nostalgia also revealed distinct stylistic choices, underscoring how the two chatbots differ more in voice than in raw capability. Read more →

Google has extended its built‑in Gemini AI experience to Chrome on iPhone and iPad after earlier rollouts on desktop and Android. The new integration adds a spark icon beside the address bar that opens a "Pages tool" offering Lens and an "Ask Gemini" chat window. Users can ask Gemini to summarize pages, generate FAQs, simplify complex topics, test knowledge, modify recipes, and compare information. The feature currently works only in the United States, requires English‑language Chrome, a signed‑in account, and is unavailable in incognito mode or for users under 18. Read more →