AI News, Jul 25, 2026: Anthropic releases Opus 5, a cheaper flagship AI model

A busy news day: Anthropic's cheaper flagship model, big AI acquisitions, and a $5 billion federal push into AI science.

1. 01
   New AI startup Prentis in talks to raise $100 millionTechCrunch

   Prentis, an AI lab co-founded by Reid Hoffman and Mark Pincus, is reportedly in talks to raise $100 million.

   Why it matters

   The lab, co-founded by Reid Hoffman and Mark Pincus, is betting AI that handles routine computer tasks becomes bigger than AI coding tools.
2. 02
   Image AI company Midjourney acquires astrology app Co-StarThe Verge AI

   Midjourney announced it acquired the personalized astrology app Co-Star.

   Why it matters

   An AI image generator moving into astrology shows these companies branching well beyond their original products.
3. 03
   Coding AI company Cognition acquires assistant app PokeTechCrunch

   Cognition, maker of the coding agent Devin, acquired the conversational AI app Poke to bring its interaction style to Devin.

   Why it matters

   The deal shows AI companies now compete on personality and conversation style, not just raw model capability.
4. 04
   Anthropic releases Opus 5, a cheaper flagship AI modelThe Verge AI

   Anthropic released Claude Opus 5, saying it comes close to matching its most capable model while costing significantly less per use.

   Why it matters

   Opus 5 offers near-top-tier AI performance at half the cost of rivals, meaning cheaper access to advanced AI tools.
5. 05
   Meta upgrades its AI chatbot with calendar and planning toolsThe Verge AI

   Meta announced updates letting its AI chatbot access calendars and handle more assistant-like tasks, competing with Gemini and ChatGPT.

   Why it matters

   If you use Meta's apps, its AI assistant can now handle scheduling and tasks, not just answer questions.
6. 06
   Microsoft and 20+ companies push for open AI modelsThe Decoder

   Microsoft joined Meta, Nvidia, and over 20 other companies in an open letter urging support for open-weight AI models.

   Why it matters

   More companies backing open models could mean more choice and lower costs for businesses building on AI, beyond a few big providers.
7. 07
   White House directs $5 billion to AI science projectsThe Verge AI

   The Trump administration announced the first grants under its Genesis Mission, directing $5 billion toward AI-driven science projects.

   Why it matters

   Public money is now funding hundreds of AI research projects, which could speed up science but also raises questions about oversight.
8. 08
   Claude's voice mode gets more capable models on all platformsThe Decoder

   Anthropic expanded Claude's voice mode to run on its most capable models across all platforms, adding access to Gmail, Calendar, and Slack.

   Why it matters

   If you use Claude by voice, conversations now run on more powerful models with access to your email, calendar, and Slack.