Anthropic's Best Models Went Dark. Copilot Cowork Took Over the Work.
Fable 5 went dark three days after launch, Copilot Cowork now finishes the task instead of drafting it, and Grok learned to make video. Here is what is worth your Wednesday.
What matters today
Fable 5 went dark three days after launch, Copilot Cowork now finishes the task instead of drafting it, and Grok learned to make video. Here is what is worth your Wednesday.
Key points
- Move active Fable 5 work to Opus 4.8.
- Have an administrator enable Cowork with a spending limit.
- Choose one product still on a plain background.
- Load the right files. Add the base agreement and its amendment to one Opus 4.8 chat. Do not add an entire data room.
- Prepare. Upload a high-resolution still with a plain background and the product filling most of the frame.
Welcome byte
Fable 5 went dark three days after launch, Copilot Cowork now finishes the task instead of drafting it, and Grok learned to make video. Here is what is worth your Wednesday.
The strangest AI story of the year happened on Friday. Three days after Anthropic put Fable 5 in your plan, the US government ordered it pulled, and Anthropic disabled both Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for everyone.
Opus 4.8 still handles focused document work. Microsoft Copilot Cowork now completes multi-step assignments, and Grok Imagine turns a product still into a short video. Below, each section gives you one practical test for work, health, or family.
Quick Hits
OpenAI retired GPT-5.2 from ChatGPT.
GPT-5.5 is now the default, so re-pin any saved model preference and test your two most-used prompts before the next deadline. Use one real workflow, not a sample. Read more
Claude usage moved to a separate credit pool.
Check your monthly ceiling and update any scripts still pinned to retired Claude 4 model IDs. Run one automated task before relying on it. Read more
Gemini in Chrome is coming to Android.
The mobile rollout can summarize pages, answer questions about the screen, generate images, and auto-browse for eligible paid users. Test it on one long article first. Read more
Grok tightened its shared usage limits.
Text, image, voice, code, and video now draw from one cumulative ceiling, so heavy media generation can throttle later work. Read more
Anthropic launched Claude Corps.
The $150 million program starts with 100 fellows helping nonprofits build practical Claude workflows, with plans to scale toward 1,000 fellows. Read more
Top AI Updates
1. Anthropic's two most powerful models went offline
Three days after launch, Anthropic received a federal export-control directive and disabled Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for every user. The restriction covered foreign-national access, and Anthropic could not separate affected users in real time. Opus 4.8 and Sonnet 4.6 remained available. Anthropic said it was working with regulators, but no restoration date was available.
Why it matters: A critical workflow can disappear with one policy decision. Treat model availability as concentration risk, especially for contracts, research, and long-document analysis. A tested fallback is basic workflow design, not a technical luxury.
Action items:
- Move active Fable 5 work to Opus 4.8.
- Split very long documents into focused batches.
- Keep one qualified fallback model for critical work.
2. Copilot Cowork now finishes the whole assignment
Microsoft made Copilot Cowork generally available worldwide. It runs long, multi-tool tasks in the cloud and returns a finished artifact instead of a draft. Cowork stays inside the Microsoft 365 security boundary, requires a Copilot license, and uses metered credits after an administrator enables it. Tasks continue when the laptop closes, using Work IQ context and approved files.
Why it matters: The useful unit of work changes from helping with one step to completing a defined assignment. That can remove hours of analyst work when the review standard is clear. The gain only counts when the finished artifact survives human review without heavy cleanup.
Action items:
- Have an administrator enable Cowork with a spending limit.
- Choose one assignment with a known final output.
- Grade the result against the manual version before expanding access.
3. Grok Imagine now turns still images into video
xAI expanded Grok Imagine into text-to-video and image-to-video. Upload a clean product photo or describe a scene, and it returns a short clip with sound. The workflow is available through Grok and the API for fast social or advertising tests. Image-to-video gives teams tighter control over the product, framing, and brand details.
Why it matters: Simple product clips no longer require a freelancer or stock-footage license. Teams can test the creative idea first, then pay for production only after the concept earns it. A controlled test also shows whether important product details survive generation.
Action items:
- Choose one product still on a plain background.
- Describe one camera move and one lighting change.
- Review the six-second result at phone size before publishing.
Pro Tip
Compare two contracts with an Opus 4.8 decision memo
Use this workflow when a vendor renewal, lease amendment, or services agreement depends on exact language. In about 15 minutes, you can turn two related contracts into a reviewable decision memo without letting Claude fill gaps with guesses.
Copy this prompt: "Act as my contracts analyst. First list the sections you will compare and flag anything missing. Wait for approval. Then produce a one-page memo covering conflicts, changed obligations, fees, deadlines, and the three points to clarify before signing. Cite the exact section for every claim and label ambiguity instead of guessing."
Action items:
- Load the right files. Add the base agreement and its amendment to one Opus 4.8 chat. Do not add an entire data room.
- Approve the plan. Check Claude's proposed comparison sections and add anything it missed before allowing the memo to continue.
- Verify the decision. Open the originals, check at least five cited sections, and mark every unresolved ambiguity for legal review.
Productivity Gem
Turn one product photo into a Grok Imagine video
You can test a product-video concept before booking a shoot. Start with one clean image, make two controlled versions, and choose the winner on the screen where customers will actually see it.
Use this instruction: "Create a six-second vertical clip. Keep the product unchanged and in focus. Add a slow push-in and one soft light sweep. End with the product centered and room above it for a caption. No added text, objects, or people."
Action items:
- Prepare. Upload a high-resolution still with a plain background and the product filling most of the frame.
- Generate. Make two versions, changing only the motion or lighting so the comparison stays useful.
- Review. Compare both clips with the original at phone size, then publish a small test before funding production.
Health Tip
Read your six-month HRV trend with ChatGPT
Your HRV history can be easier to understand when you turn the chart into a simple trend review.
Try it in three steps:
- Capture the trend. In Apple Health, open Heart Rate Variability, choose six months, remove identifying details, and take a screenshot.
- Ask for patterns. Have ChatGPT describe whether the line is rising, flat, or falling and identify the weeks that changed most.
- Choose one follow-up. Consider sleep, training, illness, travel, and stress, then discuss one low-effort experiment with a qualified professional and recheck in four weeks.
Use this only as a trend summary, not a diagnosis or medical interpretation.
Kids Tip
Build a Scratch trivia game with Gemini
This project teaches children that good results come from clear rules, thoughtful examples, and testing.
Build it in three steps:
- Plan. Let the child choose a topic and write eight questions in free Scratch . Ask Gemini for believable wrong answers and a mascot idea.
- Program. Build the start screen, right-or-wrong response, score logic, and final result. The child should approve every word.
- Test. Ask a friend to play, notice where they hesitate, and rewrite one confusing question together.
Wrap Up
A few years ago, comparing contracts, completing a multi-step Microsoft 365 assignment, or turning one photo into a video meant waiting on specialists. This week, we can test all three before Thursday and still keep a human review step. I would love to hear what earns a place in your workflow: Which one of these capabilities are you going to put to use? How?
About the author
Pierre has spent 25+ years building growth systems across fintech, real estate, lending, campaigns, and AI workflows, with $1.5B+ in client value delivered.
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