AI Daily Brief — 2026-07-25

OpenAI is launching "Health in ChatGPT" for U.S. users, allowing secure connection of Apple Health and medical records to help users understand their health information. This feature enables personalized conversations and tracking of changes, with users controlling data access. The system's performance is evaluated using HealthBench Professional, where GPT-5.6 models surpassed GPT-5.5. Users can review and update connected information, but should verify important details with original sources as data may not always be current.

OpenAI recently launched Micro, a new AI keypad developed with Work Louder, designed to pair with ChatGPT. While intended for tech enthusiasts and coders, the device has received mixed to negative reviews. Many Redditors called it "a prank and not a real product," and an Aftermath review criticized its $230 price tag as unjustifiable compared to cheaper alternatives, suggesting it might mystify many users beyond a niche group of coders.

Meta is upgrading its AI chatbot with new productivity features to compete with rivals like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude. The update will allow Meta AI to access calendars for event planning and daily briefings, and conduct in-depth research. Powered by the newly released Muse Spark 1.1 model, this enhancement aims to move Meta closer to its goal of "personal superintelligence," expanding beyond current capabilities of answering questions, generating images, and drafting documents.

Anthropic has released its newest model, Claude Opus 5, which is described as having capabilities close to Fable 5. This release follows recent controversies regarding hidden usage caps and the passing of AI lab costs to customers. Anthropic stated that Opus 5's pricing per million tokens remains the same as its predecessor ($5 input / $25 output) and is "half the price" of Fable 5, and also slightly cheaper than OpenAI’s GPT-5.6.

OpenAI has introduced a new voice mode feature to its ChatGPT desktop application. This update, noted on July 24, 2026, allows users to interact with the AI through spoken commands and receive verbal responses, enhancing accessibility and user experience. This development is part of the "Latest in AI" advancements, integrating advanced conversational capabilities directly into the desktop environment.