The Biggest AI Companies Met to Find a Better Path for Chatbot Companions

In 2026, significant initial public offerings (IPOs) are anticipated from major tech companies, including SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic, potentially transforming the financial landscape of Silicon Valley and Wall Street. SpaceX is reportedly aiming to raise over $30 billion, with a valuation target of approximately $1.5 trillion, which could make it the largest IPO in history.

Salesforce has enhanced Slack's AI capabilities by integrating an upgraded Slackbot powered by Anthropic's Claude model, as announced by Rob Seaman, Slack's chief product officer and interim CEO, during an appearance on Bloomberg Tech.

In 2026, significant initial public offerings (IPOs) are anticipated from major tech companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI, and SpaceX, marking a potential watershed moment for the artificial intelligence sector. These companies have reportedly taken early steps towards going public, which could reshape the financial landscape of Silicon Valley and Wall Street.

Anthropic has announced a significant restructuring of its Labs team, appointing Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger to lead the experimental AI unit alongside Ben Mann. This team has already achieved notable successes with products like Claude Code and the Model Context Protocol, indicating a strong focus on advancing AI capabilities.

Microsoft is reportedly spending nearly $500 million annually on Anthropic's AI models, positioning itself as one of Anthropic's largest customers despite its existing partnership with OpenAI. This strategic investment is likely aimed at enhancing Microsoft's negotiating power with OpenAI in the competitive AI landscape.

Anthropic has introduced Claude Cowork, a general-purpose AI agent designed to be a more accessible version of its Claude Code, aiming to enhance user interaction and productivity in various tasks.

Researchers at Stanford have developed a groundbreaking nanophotonic material that can change its color, texture, and shape on demand. This innovative metasurface is created from a polymer previously utilized in solar panels and printable electronics, demonstrating unique properties such as swelling upon contact with water and reverting to its original state when exposed to solvents.

Readers have responded to Prof Virginia Dignum's letter emphasizing that consciousness is not a prerequisite for legal status in AI, highlighting the importance of governance structures for autonomous systems that act as economic agents. The focus is on liability rather than sentience, as noted in the 2016 EU parliament resolution on electronic personhood.