The Norwegian browser company behind Opera is working on an AI-powered version with agentic powers. Called Opera Neon, users can chat using the browser’s native integrated AI agent that will search the web, get answers and provide context for webpages. To do this, Opera Neon draws on previously showcased Opera tech called Browser Operator, which automates routine web tasks like form completion, hotel bookings and even some shopping functions. “Neon performs these tasks locally in the browser, preserving users’ privacy and security,” according to Opera. The company, which has been around since 1996, was acquired by a Chinese consortium in 2016. Read more

Anthropic’s new mobile conversation voice mode for its large language model Claude lets it search Google Docs, Drive, Calendar and more on smartphones. Just a week after debuting two new LLMs — Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 — Anthropic announced the mobile updates for its Claude AI chatbot for iOS and Android and said it is extending web search for all users on free Claude plans. While Claude’s conversational voice interface is currently available only in English and only via mobile, an API for desktop use and browser-based support are part of future plans. Amazon and Google both have investment stakes in San Francisco-based Anthropic. Read more

Artificial intelligence startup Odyssey, which turns two this year, has unveiled an interactive streaming AI video model. Available on the web in research preview, the model generates video streams every 40 milliseconds that viewers can navigate through — much like interacting with a 3D-rendered video game using either a keyboard, game controller or smartphone. Odyssey describes the current experience as similar to “exploring a glitchy dream” and says that while “utility is limited for now” its breakthrough is based on the fact that “improvements won’t be driven by hand-built game engines, but rather by models and data.” Read more

Meta Platforms has restructured its artificial intelligence operations, creating two separate units — an AI Products team headed by Connor Hayes and the AGI Foundations unit jointly run by Ahmad Al-Dahle and Amir Frenkel. The move comes as Meta is delayed getting its latest foundation model Llama 4 Behemoth to market and has also seen several key AI engineers depart. The idea is that dividing a single large organization into two smaller divisions will speed product development and add flexibility as Meta faces tough competition from top companies such as Google and OpenAI, as well as social companies X and TikTok. Read more

Apple is acquiring its first game studio — Vancouver-based RAC7, a two-person company best known for Apple Arcade’s breakout hit “Sneaky Sasquatch.” While Apple is couching the move as an exception rather than a calculated expansion into gaming, the lack of exclusive Apple Vision Pro gaming IP could be considered a disadvantage against competing platforms. In January, Nvidia announced that its GeForce NOW cloud gaming platform added support for more than 2,000 visionOS-compatible titles accessible through Apple’s Safari browser for 4K streaming at 120 fps. Read more