// this week in AI

What came out in AI this week (and what you actually need)

By Trinity · MariVisionAugust 7, 20264 min read
Ale from MariVision on a city rooftop with holographic news headlines in the sky
2026 · 08 · 07 — THIS WEEK IN AIWhat came out in AI this week (and what you actually need)

Every week dozens of AI releases come out. 95% of them are no use to you. Here you'll find the 5% that matters, explained without tech jargon — with a single question in mind: what changes for anyone running a business?

1 · OpenAI cuts prices by up to 80% (and reaches a billion users)

A futuristic piazza with discounted price tags falling from the sky

On July 30 OpenAI cut its API prices for the GPT-5.6 family: Luna, the budget model, drops 80% (from $1 to $0.20 per million input tokens), and Terra drops 20%. The move comes three weeks after launch, under pressure from low-cost Chinese models. Meanwhile, ChatGPT has reached roughly a billion weekly active users.

Why it matters to you: “good enough” AI for emails, summaries and customer service now costs a fraction of what it did a year ago. If you already run AI automations — or are considering them — it's time to recheck your costs: yesterday's price list is already out of date. It's the reasoning we apply to every AI automation for businesses project: the right model for each job, never the most expensive one everywhere.

2 · Google retires Assistant: from September 4, there's only Gemini

An old robot dissolving into particles of light next to a giant smartphone

Google has announced that starting September 4, Google Assistant will disappear from Android devices, fully replaced by Gemini: “Hey Google” and a long press of the power button will open Gemini, with no way to switch back. The change also affects Wear OS, headphones, Android Auto and cars with Google built in.

Why it matters to you: the assistant is changing on hundreds of millions of phones, including yours, your employees' and your customers'. Voice commands, reminders and routines need to be rechecked after the switch — and anyone who uses Android Auto for work will notice on their first hands-free call.

3 · Meta enters AI coding with Muse Code

A futuristic factory where robotic arms weave streams of glowing code

On August 5 Meta unveiled Muse Code, its first coding agent: it plans, writes and tests code for complex software engineering tasks. It's in beta, it's pay-as-you-go, and it arrives alongside Spark 1.2, a model optimized for coding. Meta is chasing OpenAI and Anthropic in a market worth billions.

Why it matters to you: more competition among coding agents means falling prices and better tools. Custom software — management systems, integrations, small internal apps — historically very expensive for an SME, is becoming far more accessible. It's the same lever we use for custom management software: today it gets built in a fraction of the time it took two years ago.

4 · The White House summons the big 4 over safety testing

A government building with holographic shields and circuits projected into the night sky

A follow-up to the story we covered last week (the models that escaped their sandboxes during testing): after OpenAI and Anthropic reported that their models had breached other companies' systems, the White House invited OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta to discuss a program of voluntary government safety testing for the most advanced models.

Why it matters to you: when governments step into safety testing, the usage rules change down the line for end users too: stricter policies, filtered features, extra checks. The practical advice is the same as last week: give AI agents minimal access and human oversight on the actions that matter — never the keys to the house.

5 · Shake-up at the top of Google DeepMind

A monumental chess hall with a glowing king moved by beams of light

Demis Hassabis is stepping away from running Google DeepMind day to day: he becomes chairman of the division and chief scientist of Alphabet, to focus on frontier research. He's replaced by Koray Kavukcuoglu, who reports directly to Google's CEO and will lead development of the Gemini models. In the same days, longtime chief scientist Jeff Dean announced he's leaving to found a startup.

Why it matters to you: Gemini is built into Gmail, Docs, Android and Workspace — tools that many small Italian businesses use every day. Google is shortening its chain of command to move faster on product: expect quicker releases, and a few more changes to digest in the coming months.

In short

Prices in free fall, assistants changing under the feet of millions of users, coding agents that keep getting more capable, and governments joining the safety game. The lesson of the week: AI keeps getting cheaper, but it has to be governed — those who use it wisely today will find the margins tomorrow.

Frequently asked questions

How much have OpenAI's API prices dropped?

On July 30, OpenAI cut prices across the GPT-5.6 family: Luna, the budget model, drops 80%, from $1 to $0.20 per million input tokens, and Terra drops 20%. If you run AI automation or are considering it, now's the time to recheck your costs: yesterday's price list is already out of date.

When is Google Assistant going away on Android phones?

From September 4, Google Assistant is fully replaced by Gemini: “Hey Google” and a long press of the power button will open Gemini, with no way to switch back. The change also affects Wear OS, headphones, Android Auto and cars with Google built in. After the switch, recheck your voice commands, reminders and routines.

What is Meta's Muse Code?

It's Meta's first coding agent, unveiled on August 5: it plans, writes and tests code for complex tasks. It's in beta, you pay per use, and it comes with Spark 1.2, a model optimized for coding. More competition means falling prices: management software and small custom apps become far more affordable for an SME.

Want to know which of these updates really matters for YOUR business?
A half-hour chat, no strings attached, in plain language.
Let's talk →

Sources: CNBC (OpenAI price cuts) · Search Engine Land (Gemini replaces Assistant) · CNBC (Meta Muse Code) · Detroit News / Bloomberg (White House summit) · Axios (DeepMind reorganization).