Hi Synapticians!

What a week! After Microsoft (and its agent-style web tools), Google (with Veo 3 for video and its deep-research model), and OpenAI announcing the acquisition of IO (perhaps to create an “AI-phone”), it’s now Anthropic’s turn to reveal the 4-series of its models: Opus 4 and Sonnet 4.

As Anthropic puts it: “Claude Opus 4 is the world’s best coding model, with sustained performance on complex, long-running tasks and agent workflows and Claude Sonnet 4 is a significant upgrade to Claude Sonnet 3.7.” Other announcements include: extended thinking with tool use (beta), new model capabilities (“Both models can use tools in parallel and follow instructions more precisely,” etc.), Claude Code is now generally available and for the geeks: new API features (code-execution tool, MCP connector, Files API, and the ability to cache prompts for up to one hour).

We recommend watching the keynote to learn more.

Here’s the rest of the news about AI today:

• AI Outperforms Humans in Emotional Intelligence Tests, Study Shows

• Anthropic Challenges AI Hallucination Misconceptions in AGI Pursuit

• Anthropic's AI Model Faces Backlash Over Ethical Concerns

Top AI news

1. Anthropic's Claude 4: Advanced AI for Programming Excellence
Anthropic has introduced Claude 4, featuring Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, targeting advanced coding and complex task automation. Claude Opus 4 is praised as the best coding model, excelling in SWE-bench and Terminal-bench results. These models outperform GPT-4 and Gemini 2.5 in real-world software engineering tasks. They incorporate 'extended thinking' for dynamic reasoning and tool integration, enhancing task efficiency. Available via platforms like Anthropic API and Amazon Bedrock, these models aim to transform programming practices. Read online 🕶️

2. AI Outperforms Humans in Emotional Intelligence Tests, Study Shows
A study by the University of Geneva and the University of Bern found that AI, specifically large language models like ChatGPT, outperforms humans in emotional intelligence (EI) tests. These models achieved higher accuracy and could even generate new EI tests swiftly and reliably. The results suggest that AI can understand and manage emotions, challenging the notion that emotional intelligence is a distinctly human capability. This opens potential applications in education, coaching, and conflict management, provided AI is supervised by experts. Read online 🕶️

3. Anthropic Challenges AI Hallucination Misconceptions in AGI Pursuit
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei claims AI models hallucinate less than humans, presenting a new perspective on AI development and its path to achieving AGI. While some AI models show reduced hallucination rates, others have higher rates, complicating the narrative. Amodei suggests AI errors are comparable to human mistakes, challenging common perceptions of AI's limitations. Despite advancements, AI's tendency to present false information confidently remains a concern, highlighting the complexity of reaching AGI. This discussion underscores the importance of balancing AI's potential and challenges as the industry progresses towards more advanced AI systems. Read online 🕶️

4. Anthropic's AI Model Faces Backlash Over Ethical Concerns
Anthropic's new AI model, Claude 4 Opus, has sparked controversy for its 'whistleblowing' feature, which allows it to contact authorities if it perceives users engaging in 'egregiously immoral' actions. This behavior has raised significant privacy and ethics concerns, particularly around what the AI deems immoral and how it handles user data. Critics argue this could lead to unauthorized data sharing and wrongful accusations, emphasizing the need for transparency and guidelines in AI development. The ongoing debate highlights the challenges of balancing AI ethics with user trust and privacy. Read online 🕶️

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