Anthropic says no ads, Avocado soars & more (February 5, 2026)

Good morning,

AI is hitting consumer-scale milestones, Big Tech is flexing distribution, and voice is emerging as the next battleground. From Super Bowl ads to billion-dollar rounds, momentum is accelerating across the stack.

Let’s dive in 👇

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🚀 Consumer AI Goes Mass Market

📱 Gemini quietly crosses 750M monthly users

Google’s Gemini app has surpassed 750 million monthly active users, putting it among the most widely used AI products globally. The growth is largely driven by default placement across Android, Workspace, and Chrome, rather than standalone demand. It reinforces how distribution, not model quality alone, is now the decisive advantage.

🏈 Anthropic runs first-ever ad-free Super Bowl AI spot

Anthropic’s Claude will appear in a rare ad-free Super Bowl placement, positioning itself directly against OpenAI’s mainstream push. The move signals confidence that AI brands now compete on trust and narrative, not just capability. Super Bowl real estate marks a turning point for AI as a consumer category.

🥑 Meta memo claims Avocado beats LLaMA 4 internally

A leaked Meta memo claims its internal Avocado model outperforms LLaMA 4 on key benchmarks. The document highlights internal model fragmentation as Meta explores specialized systems over monoliths. It suggests internal competition may be driving faster iteration than public releases.

🎬 Voice, Media & Platform Power

🎥 Amazon tests AI tools for film and TV production

Amazon will begin testing AI tools to assist with pre-production, editing, and localization across film and TV. The effort targets cost reduction and faster iteration inside Prime Video workflows. It shows how AI is moving from experimental to operational inside major studios.

🔊 ElevenLabs raises $500M at $11B valuation

ElevenLabs raised $500 million led by Sequoia, valuing the company at $11 billion. Investors are betting voice becomes a primary AI interface across apps, devices, and agents. The round cements voice as a first-class AI platform, not a feature.

🏠 Alexa is now available to everyone in the U.S.

Amazon has opened access to its new AI-powered Alexa for all U.S. users. The rollout integrates generative responses and agent-like behaviors into a familiar consumer device. It underscores Amazon’s strategy of upgrading incumbents rather than launching new brands.

🛠️ Tools of the Day

→ Supaboard AI – AI-generated dashboards from raw data sources.
→ Higgsfield – Build cinematic AI videos with physics-aware motion.
→ Sylvian Excel Agent – Natural-language Excel automation for analysts.

⚡ Quick Hits

→ OpenAI launches Frontier for building and managing AI agents.
→ Datadog-backed startup builds tools for AI agents.
→ ElevenLabs CEO says voice is the next AI interface.
→ Super Bowl AI ads spotlight OpenAI vs Anthropic rivalry.
→ Alphabet avoids discussing Google–Apple AI deal.
→ Fundamental raises $255M for big data analysis rethink.

🧠 TLDR

AI is officially a mass-market product, with Google’s Gemini crossing 750 million users through distribution dominance. Super Bowl ads from Anthropic and OpenAI mark a branding war for trust and mindshare. Voice is emerging as the next interface, backed by ElevenLabs’ $11B valuation and Alexa’s nationwide rollout. Big Tech is embedding AI directly into media, devices, and daily workflows.

Cheers,
David