OpenAI held an unexpected product showcase earlier this week to debut its newest AI model, GPT-4o — the company’s fastest and most intelligent model yet. GPT-4o is equipped with improved text, audio, and video capabilities, including real-time conversational voice speech for ChatGPT, which is an upgrade from regular voice mode. GPT-4o’s upgraded image and text features rolled out on ChatGPT this week, while the new AI model’s full suite of upgrades will be released over the coming weeks.

OpenAI will release an API for GPT-4o for developers looking to build new tech and apps with its advanced AI model. During the presentation, OpenAI technology chief Mira Murati said that over 100 million people are using, creating, and working with ChatGPT every week. The AI company launched a new ChatGPT desktop app for macOS to bring its famed AI chatbot to more computer screens. OpenAI says GPT-4o will be free for all users via ChatGPT, though paid subscribers will have up to five times the capacity limit. ChatGPT’s look and feel also received a refresh, including a new home screen, message layout, and more.

These exciting new updates come as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on X that the company’s co-founder and chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, has left. It seems like Sutskever is moving on to work on a new project, though Atlman didn’t disclose much detail about what it is.

The WNBA is back, and Meta announced that it will stream 20 live games on Quest headsets via the Xtadium app for fans looking to experience the W in virtual reality. Five games will get an immersive upgrade and be filmed in 180-degree VR. Quest users can host VR watch parties in Xtadium, virtually sit courtside, and watch games on a virtual screen to keep physical environments in the frame.

Virtual games will also be available on Quest devices via NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds. This service allows users to play mini-games, earn rewards, and sport merch on their avatars.

Here’s a lineup of the five immersive games:

• June 19: Atlanta Dream vs. Minnesota Lynx
• July 2: Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty
• August 17: Chicago Sky vs. Los Angeles Sparks
• September 1: Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury
• September 15: Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever

Stay tuned later this summer for a special edition of Tech Talk Reviews detailing my experience watching the W from my Meta Quest 3.

Google hosted its annual I/O Conference this week, where it shared new announcements and the latest updates across its lengthy suite of products. AI was the hottest topic at the company’s developers conference, so much so that Google CEO Sundar Pichai noted after Google’s two-hour keynote that presenters said “AI” 121 times in total.

Here are some key announcements from the event:

• Project Astra: Google teased an early version of its vision for the future of AI assistants, which would be AI agents that run on Gemini AI.
• Gemini 1.5 Flash: a new, lighter, and less expensive AI model for developers who don’t want to build with Gemini Pro.
• AI Overviews: Google Search now provides an AI-powered snapshot of key information and context for search queries, with suggested next steps and follow-up questions.
• Search with a Video: Soon, Google Search users can ask questions with a video. For example, you can take a video of something and use it in your search to find a solution.
• Ask Photos: a new way to search through personal photo galleries using Gemini AI.
• Gemini Advanced: a new subscription-based service for Google AI chatbot that’s powered by Gemini 1.5 Pro.

Earlier this week, I spent the morning with the Apple Watch and Golfshot teams at the Chelsea Piers Golf Club to test out Golfshot’s new Swing ID On-Range experience. Now, I’m not a golfer, but even I was impressed by how the Golfshot app leverages Apple Watch’s high-frequency motion API released in watchOS 10 and the device’s sensors to detect the precise moment a club strikes a golf ball. The new experience in the Golfshot app provides a comprehensive analysis of every swing, including metrics like tempo, speed, backswing angle, and rhythm. The experience synced with the golf course, so I could also see the range of every swing I took, and revisit my experience on the course in-app.

Aside from testing this new tech out, I’ve been reviewing the Apple Watch Series 9 for the past few months. Check out a full download in my latest installment of Tech Talks Reviews.

• GameStop and AMC shares were up as much as 110% and nearly 80%, respectively, earlier this week after Keith “Roaring Kitty” Gill returned to X after a three-year hiatus. Gill is responsible for the historic GameStop short squeeze of January 2021, which came after he shared some investment advice on the Wall Street Bets Subreddit. Throughout the Week, Gill has been posting memes and clips from famous movies and TV shows that signal something big is coming.
• Microsoft announced a $4 billion investment in France to expand the region’s AI and cloud infrastructures. This marks the largest investment an entity has ever made in France and comes after Microsoft inked deals in Malaysia, Japan, and Abu Dhabi also to expand AI infrastructure and skills. The new partnership aims to train 1 million people and support 2,500 AI startups in France by 2027.
• Speaking of new deals and AI, Reddit shares were up on Thursday after the social media company announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring Reddit content to ChatGPT. OpenAI will also become a Reddit advertising partner as part of the deal.
• While Instagram’s Adam Mosseri told creators that reels longer than 90 seconds can hurt distribution, TikTok is reportedly testing longer-form content that could allow users to upload videos up to 60 minutes long.
• Following a lawsuit from TikTok and its parent company last week, eight creators on the platform are also suing the US government in an attempt to block a new law that could force a sale or see TikTok banned in the US. Per the filing, the group of creators claims the legislation “undermines the nation’s founding principles and free marketplace of ideas.”
• Squarespace, a website-building platform, announced that it is going private in a $6.9 billion deal with Permira, a global private equity firm that specializes in buyouts. The deal comes after Squarespace struggled to find its footing in the public market.