❌OpenAI Winds Down Sora to Prioritize Spud
OpenAI just axed its Sora AI video generator to free up compute for Spud, the company's next major model that Sam Altman says will be ready in weeks, with the company continuing to shift priorities and roles in the race against Anthropic.
- —Altman reportedly told staff OAI would wind down all video products, including its mobile app and API, with employees calling Sora a "drag" on resources
- —The freed-up compute will go toward Spud, OAI's next major model expected in the coming weeks, which Altman says "can really accelerate the economy"
- —Sora head Bill Peebles said the team will now pursue "world simulation" for robotics, calling the prize "automating the physical economy"
- —The move also puts OAI's December partnership and $1B investment by Disney on ice after the media giant initially agreed for its IP to be used in Sora
- —Altman is also reportedly moving safety responsibilities under Mark Chen, with Fidji Simo's division also being renamed to "AGI Deployment"
Why it matters: There had been rumors of Sora being woven into a super app, but the video appears to be deemed one of the company's "side quests," distracting from its main core focus. Big changes are clearly underway, and OAI's next release will reveal a lot more about where the organizational winds are blowing.
🤖Brett Adcock's $100M Stealth AI Device Startup
Figure AI founder Brett Adcock just launched Hark, a new AI startup that aims to create a "new interface to AGI" via personalized AI paired with dedicated hardware.
- —Hark spent 8 months in stealth, with Adcock putting $100M of his own money in the startup, targeting what he calls the most advanced personal AI ever built
- —The company is working on a "family of devices both for yourself and the home", with systems that "begin to think like you, and sometimes ahead of you"
- —The 45-person team pulls from Apple, Google, Meta, and Tesla, with hardware design led by Abidur Chowdhury, who previously designed the iPhone Air
- —Hark signed a deal for thousands of NVIDIA B200 GPUs arriving in April, with the first AI models and software planned for this summer
Why it matters: The AI device space has been tough sledding, but Adcock's experience with Figure gives him a stronger pedigree than most. Paired with an ex-Apple design lead and strong team, Hark is one of the more interesting moves into the space yet — and joins OAI's device on the list of hotly anticipated AI hardware releases.
📲Let Claude Use Your Computer with Dispatch
In this guide, you will learn how to use Dispatch to hand Claude a task from your phone and have it finish the work on your PC — a simple way to keep work organized when you step away and want Claude to keep moving in the background.
- —Update the Claude Desktop app on your computer by clicking Claude > Check for updates in the toolbar. Update the Claude mobile app, too
- —Open the Desktop app, click Dispatch > Get started, and turn on file access and keep-awake to ensure Claude works with files while keeping the PC active
- —When prompted, pair Dispatch with your phone app. Now, send Claude a simple task from your phone, like cleaning up emails or organizing files
- —Check the result on your desktop or mobile when Claude finishes. The same conversation stays synced, so you can keep going without restarting the thread
Why it matters: Set up a local project folder before you start. Use one clean folder for the files Claude should edit, save, or organize so the output is easy to find later.
📱Apple's Standalone Siri App and iOS 27 Chatbot
Apple is reportedly testing a standalone Siri app alongside a new "Ask Siri" chatbot experience, according to Bloomberg insider Mark Gurman — with both slated to debut with its iOS 27 system at WWDC in June.
- —Gurman said Siri will get its own dedicated app for the first time, along with a redesigned interface that lets users type or speak requests
- —The assistant will reportedly read across iMessages, emails, and notes to build context, also capable of executing actions inside third-party apps directly
- —Apple is branding the experience "Ask Siri," positioning it as a chatbot-style interaction rather than the rigid voice commands of the previous iterations
- —The full rollout is expected at WWDC on June 8 as part of iOS 27 and macOS 27, following a lackluster reception to Apple Intelligence last year
Why it matters: After Apple Intelligence failed, this Gemini-powered revamp is probably Apple's last chance to define Siri before users default to ChatGPT or Claude for everything. June 8 just became the most important keynote in years, though after the initial 2024 launch, we'll have to see an actual rollout before believing the demos.