Your chatbot, should you choose to accept it...

OpenAI unveils “ChatGPT Agent”: The company we talk about every day is back, with yet another reason to talk about them. Today, Altman & Co. launched ChatGPT Agent, which can open its own virtual desktop and complete multi-step tasks autonomously on a user’s behalf. (For example, connecting to websites, checking your inbox, running code, interacting with your other apps, and then delivering finished outputs, all without bothering you for log-ins and approvals along the way.) It’s the next evolution of OpenAI’s “Operator” tool, which could interact with websites and web apps on a human’s behalf, but could not run locally on their computer.

Perplexity’s valuation soars to $18B: The TWiST 500 AI juggernaut saw its valuation spike (based on secondary market trading). The new figure is a 29% jump over the $14 billion valuation the company scored back in May, following a fresh $500 million round of funding. Perplexity now reports $100 million in ARR, and claims to have processed 780 million search queries SINCE that May 2025 funding round. That’s an impressive adoption rate, considering their tools aren’t (yet) built in to popular search engines or social media platforms, like so many of their rivals.

Mistral introduces “Deep Research” mode: The French AI lab joined rivals like OpenAI and Google by introducing its own take on Deep Research, which empowers their “Le Chat” bot to provide coordinated, customized, and above all “exhaustive” reports for both enterprises and everyday consumers. Unlike most other model-makers, Mistral is making Deep Research available to enterprises on-site, without having to upload any of their sensitive data to the cloud, for an added layer of security. The Deep Research update is now available across all of Mistral’s various subscription tiers.

Roblox partners with Persona: The online game and gaming platform — which remains wildly popular with the kids and teens — are reworking their social features, renaming “Friends” to “Connections” and giving users more nuanced control over their chats. The system will employ an age estimation tool to verify that users are 13 and up before they can join anyone’s “Trusted Connections” group (which boast unfiltered text chats and other robust community options). TWiST 500 ID verification startup Persona will provide the age estimating biometric technology, asking users to upload a video selfie which will then be analyzed to determine their age. (If Persona can’t determine that a user is 13 and up with “high confidence,” they can’t join Trusted Connection chats. Too bad, so sad.)

Hadrian grabs $260M in new funding: The TWiST 500 construction startup uses advanced automation techniques to mass produce parts for aerospace manufacturers and defense contractors. Having already developed high-precision machines for CNC manufacturing, they’re moving on to developing tech for welding, casting, additive, and other core processes. The new round has been largely earmarked for “Factory 3,” the company’s new facility in Arizona that’s scheduled to open by the end of this year.

Substack’s next big pivot: The TWiST 500 publishing startup is slowly morphing from a newsletter platform to a rev-sharing powered social network. (This is no small maneuver. Substack originally marketed itself as an alternative to ad-supported publishing, which limited free expression — they argued — by forcing writers to chase algorithmic clicks and engagement.) To fuel the conversion, Substack has brought in $100 million in fresh funding from sports and digital media-focused Chernin Group, tech investment firm BOND, Andreessen Horowitz, Skims co-founder and fashion exec Jens Grede, and many others. They’re now valued at around $1.1 billion, according to the New York Times. That’s a lot of newsletters. – Lon

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