Subvolts take Frontier labs pivot: OpenAI drops Sora video, Anthropic's Claude gains computer control, Gemini automates tasks. Apr 6, 2026 - Developers
- Learn about new coding models, agent control advancements, and potential shifts in AI tool focus.
- Business
- Understand how AI capabilities are evolving for automation and productivity, and policy implications.
- Everyday users
- See how AI is moving beyond simple tools to potentially control computers and automate tasks in the background.
This roundup covers significant shifts in major AI labs' product strategies and new capabilities for key AI assistants.
#239 - RIP Sora, Claude Openclaw, HyperAgents
Audio streams from Skynet Today. Your place is remembered on this device.
From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
Last Week in AI episode #239 covers OpenAI discontinuing its Sora video app and API, shifting focus to coding and productivity agents. Anthropic's Claude gains full computer control, and Google Gemini adds background task automation. The episode also touches on Cursor's new coding model, Adobe Firefly, Luma's Uni 1, US AI policy, and chip developments.
This episode discusses how major AI companies are changing their focus. OpenAI is stopping its video tool to work on AI that helps write code. Other companies are making AI that can control your computer or do tasks automatically in the background.
This episode offers a snapshot of shifting AI priorities, particularly OpenAI's pivot away from consumer video generation towards agent development. It's for AI enthusiasts and professionals tracking frontier lab strategies. The discussions on Claude's enhanced control and Gemini's automation tie directly into current efforts by major labs to integrate AI more deeply into user workflows and operating systems, moving beyond single-task models.
- HostAndrey Kurenkov
- HostJeremie Harris
- Episode Title: #239 - RIP Sora, Claude Openclaw, HyperAgents
- Show: Last Week in AI
- Length: 98 minutes
- OpenAI Discontinues: Sora iPhone app and video generation API
- Claude Capability: Full computer control (keyboard/mouse/display)
- Gemini Feature: Background task automation on select phones
Our 239th episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news!
FYI: this one has pretty out of date news, I was traveling last week and failed to upload... apologies.
Recorded on 03/25/2026
Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and Jeremie Harris
Feel free to email us your questions and feedback at andreyvkurenkov@gmail.com and/or hello@gladstone.ai
Read out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/
In this episode:
- OpenAI is discontinuing the Sora iPhone app and seemingly shutting down its video generation API, while retaining internal video world-modeling work; the move is framed as a compute- and focus-driven pivot toward coding and productivity agents, alongside a collapsed Disney Sora deal.
- Anthropic’s Claude Code/Cowork gains full computer control via keyboard/mouse/display, tied to the recent Cept acquisition, and Google’s Gemini rolls out background “task automation” on select phones for limited delivery/ride-share use.
- Cursor releases the cheaper, benchmark-strong Composer 2 coding model amid controversy over its Kimi-based origins and licensing attribution.
- Other items include Adobe Firefly custom model training, Luma’s Uni 1 image model, US contracting and legislative proposals affecting AI safeguards and state preemption, major chip/memory developments (Meta ASICs with Broadcom, Micron’s HBM-driven surge, Musk’s “Terra Fab”), robotaxi scaling, and research on monitoring agent misalignment, shutdown resistance, “consciousness cluster” preferences, and self-improving “hyper agents.”
A thank you to our current sponsors:
- Box - visit Box.com/AI to learn more
- ODSC AI - go to odsc.ai/east and use promo code LWAI for an additional 15% off your pass to ODSC AI East 2026.
- Factor - head to factormeals.com/lwai50off and use code lwai50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year
Timestamps:
- (00:00:10) Intro / Banter
- Tools & Apps
- (00:01:48) OpenAI Discontinues Sora App, Shuts Down Video Generation Service and API - Bloomberg
- (00:07:12) Anthropic’s Claude Code and Cowork can control your computer | The Verge
- (00:13:15) Gemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressive | The Verge
- (00:19:44) Cursor Launches Composer 2 AI Model to Challenge OpenAI & Anthropic
- (00:28:28) Adobe’s AI image generator can now be trained on your own art | The Verge
- (00:29:40) Luma AI launches Uni-1, a model that outscores Google and OpenAI while costing up to 30 perce
- world-modeling
- Andrey Kurenkov
- understanding and predicting how things work in a simulated environment.
- agents
- Jeremie Harris
- AI programs designed to perform tasks autonomously, like a digital assistant.
- HBM
- Andrey Kurenkov
- High Bandwidth Memory, a type of computer memory used in high-performance chips.
3 h 10
1 h 02
58 minAnthropic’s Felix Rieseberg: Claude Cowork, Mythos, and the SaaS Extinction
WithFelix Rieseberg
Questions people ask
- What is happening with OpenAI's Sora?
- OpenAI is discontinuing the Sora iPhone app and video generation API. They are focusing internal efforts on video world-modeling for coding and productivity agents.
- What new capabilities does Anthropic's Claude have?
- Claude Code/Cowork now has full computer control via keyboard, mouse, and display, linked to the recent Cept acquisition.
Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Skynet Today.