Open-source AI models are moving from challengers to the mainstream in the global AI industry. Chinese companies such as DeepSeek, Z.ai and Moonshot AI are releasing open-weight models, and U.S. firms are also joining the trend, putting pressure on closed-model leaders OpenAI and Anthropic. Moonshot AI unveiled its Kimi K3 model, while U.S. startup Thinking Machines Lab introduced its first model as open-weight. The shift is also influencing stock markets and corporate strategies.

Google has added a feature in AI Mode that lets users connect some external apps and continue tasks directly. TechCrunch reported the feature will be applied first to U.S. users, and the supported apps at launch are Instacart, Canva and YouTube. The update expands AI Mode beyond conversational search to handling tasks in frequently used apps. Google plans to increase supported apps through partnerships.