It was a busy week in the always-shifting AI race, with OpenAI signaling ads are coming to ChatGPT and Anthropic debuting a tool that could dramatically reshape the workplace.
The big picture: Decisions by OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are starting to shape how consumers, workers and investors experience the AI boom.
- Each move reshuffles the AI leaderboard, influencing where people invest their time, money and attention.
- Google Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT clashed earlier this year. Now, Anthropic's Claude has entered the chat, complicating the battle for AI dominance.
Here's what changed this week.
Ads are coming to ChatGPT
Driving the news: OpenAI said Friday it will introduce ads on ChatGPT in the coming weeks.
- Ads will be influenced by conversations and labeled "sponsored."
- OpenAI says it will offer an ad-free option for some paid subscribers.
Context: OpenAI needs to make money, lots of money, to build its data centers to scale chatbot use, and it doesn't have a broad suite of services to fund the world's most popular chatbot.
- "ChatGPT can leverage the cash flow to support their growth and spending," Melissa Otto, head of research at S&P Global Visible Alpha, told Axios in an email.
Cowork and "vibe coding" go viral
Anthropic's new Cowork tool took off on social media because it helps non-coders complete everyday tasks.
- Cowork was built with Claude Code, Anthropic's AI-powered coding tool.
- Put another way: Claude helped build itself.
Zoom in: A demo video showed Cowork reorganizing a chaotic desktop into clean, labeled folders — which was a hit with fans of "vibe coding," the practice of building software through prompts.
Introducing Cowork: Claude Code for the rest of your work.
— Claude (@claudeai) January 12, 2026
Cowork lets you complete non-technical tasks much like how developers use Claude Code. pic.twitter.com/EqckycvFH3
Gemini comes to Gmail, YouTube
How it works: Google Gemini launched its new "Personal Intelligence" feature earlier this month, allowing people to connect their Google-based apps (like YouTube and Google Photos) into a personalized experience supported by Gemini.
- That also includes adding Gemini AI features into Gmail, giving 3 billion users AI email summaries, an AI writing assistant and enhanced search capabilities within Gmail.
AI isn't killing jobs
The intrigue: Anthropic — a company that once warned AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs — said in a new study this week that AI is changing jobs more than eliminating them.
- AI is taking over parts of jobs, not entire roles.
- The biggest productivity gains come from complex work.
Between the lines: Human oversight still matters, experts told Axios, and that will impact how AI is integrated into work.
AI construction boom warning
Friction point: The U.S. may lack enough skilled workers to support a growing AI-related construction boom, according to a new BlackRock study.
- Demand is rising for data centers, factories and building upgrades.
- BlackRock warns the labor pipeline isn't ready — yet.
Yes, but: Training programs from government and businesses could unlock generation-defining construction growth, BlackRock says.
Smartphones, Siri and data centers
Other notable AI moves worth watching:
- Microsoft shared a five-point plan to address local community concerns over data centers, a major friction point nationwide.
- Apple picked Google to power Siri and other Apple Intelligence features, signaling changes ahead for iPhone users.
- Samsung said it plans to double its lineup of AI-equipped Samsung smartphones by the end of 2026.
The bottom line: It's unclear who is winning the AI race. But the pace is accelerating without signs of slowing.
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