Anthropic has just dropped Claude Sonnet 4.5, a new AI model capable of running autonomously for 30 hours straight, during which it built a full chat-style application, signaling a major jump in agentic coding ability. According to Anthropic, Sonnet 4.5 is optimized for real-world agents, computer use, and complex software engineering, boasting enhancements in tool use, memory, and planning. In parallel, OpenAI is launching ChatGPT Pulse, a new feature (initially for Pro users) that conducts overnight “asynchronous research” to deliver personalized morning briefs tailored to users’ interests and connected apps. Pulse is part of OpenAI’s pivot from reactive to proactive AI, designed to make ChatGPT feel more like a personal assistant.
Key Takeaways
– Claude Sonnet 4.5’s 30-hour autonomous runtime and advanced coding capabilities mark a clear push toward AI agents that can perform sustained, production-level tasks with minimal human oversight.
– OpenAI’s Pulse feature shifts ChatGPT from a reactive system to a proactive assistant, surfacing curated insights overnight based on past behavior, connected apps, and user preferences.
– Together, these moves suggest both Anthropic and OpenAI are racing toward more agentic, self-driving AI that anticipate user needs—heightening stakes around reliability, alignment, and trust.
In-Depth
Anthropic’s unveiling of Claude Sonnet 4.5 represents a bold leap in AI agent capability. In internal and beta tests, the model reportedly ran for 30 hours straight, autonomously generating approximately 11,000 lines of code to build a functioning chat app. That’s a dramatic jump from Anthropic’s previous Opus 4 model, which managed about 7 hours of autonomous operation. The company claims 4.5 is their most “aligned” model yet, with improvements in planning, code execution, tool chains, and domain expertise in areas like cybersecurity, finance, and research. It’s also being made available via Claude.ai, on developer platforms, and via Amazon Bedrock—and developers will be able to leverage its capabilities to build more robust agents.
On the flip side, OpenAI is making headlines with ChatGPT Pulse, a new feature intended to transform ChatGPT from a passive responder into an anticipatory assistant. Pulse works behind the scenes overnight, drawing on your chat history, memory (if enabled), and connected apps (like calendar, inbox) to run proactive research. The next morning you’re greeted with a set of curated “cards”—5 to 10 visual summaries or insights—on news, tasks, trends, or topics aligned with your interests. Currently, Pulse is in preview mode and available on mobile to Pro subscribers. Users can control which sources or types of updates they want or don’t want, and the feature remains optional. The announcement positions Pulse as part of OpenAI’s broader transition toward “agentic AI”—systems that act with initiative rather than responding only when prompted.
Both moves reflect how the AI frontier is accelerating. Claude 4.5’s ability to autonomously generate, test, and refine code over extended periods moves it beyond toy demos into production-capable territory. Meanwhile, Pulse shifts the user experience: rather than waiting for users to ask, OpenAI is pushing ChatGPT to anticipate what you’ll want next. The tradeoff is obvious: when AI acts more proactively, issues of error, trust, explainability, and control become more critical. Users will want to know why certain insights were surfaced, whether the model’s “decisions” align with their intent, and how to dial that behavior up or down.
In a broader sense, what’s happening is a race not just for model speed or benchmark scores, but for autonomy, utility, and integration into daily workflows. Sonnet 4.5 and Pulse each tackle different sides of that equation: one pushes the limits of what AI can do without interruption, while the other reimagines how AI interacts with human rhythms and information demands. For users, developers, and enterprises alike, the new frontier isn’t just raw capability—it’s trustworthy agency.