Meta Platforms has delayed the release of its next-generation AI model codenamed "Avocado" from March to at least May 2026, after internal testing revealed the model's performance falls short of leading competitors including OpenAI's GPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's latest Gemini models. The New York Times first reported that Meta's AI division leaders are now considering temporarily licensing Google's Gemini to power Meta's AI products. The delay comes as Meta plans to invest up to $135 billion in AI infrastructure in 2026 and reportedly considers layoffs of 20% or more of its workforce to fund aggressive AI spending.

Google has announced a significant upgrade to Gmail's AI capabilities, powered by advanced Gemini models. The update brings enhanced smart compose, intelligent email summarization, contextual reply suggestions, and deep integration with Google Workspace. This move positions Gmail as the most AI-native email platform, directly challenging Microsoft's Copilot integration in Outlook.

Google has launched the beta of “Personal Intelligence” for its Gemini AI, a groundbreaking feature that allows the assistant to access, reason across, and retrieve specific details from a user’s connected Google services including Gmail, YouTube, Photos, and Search. This move represents a major shift from a standalone chatbot to a proactive, context-aware agent with unprecedented access to personal data, creating a significant competitive moat by leveraging Google’s ecosystem