OpenAI, Anthropic prep to unleash AI's next leap

OpenAI and Anthropic are about to launch new AI models for a world changed by OpenClaw.

Anthropic has its "Claude Mythos" model, and OpenAI is preparing to launch its "Spud" model. Both companies are touting these as extremely powerful models that represent the next big leap for LLMs. And if that's the case, despite the codenames, these models could roll out as Claude 5.0 and ChatGPT 6.0.

There are several factors to watch:

One reason these models are advancing so rapidly and reaching a higher stage of development is that the labs are now using the models themselves to help build and improve the models. Sam Altman mentioned this when the company released GPT-5.3-Codex. This is a process called recursive self‑improvement (RSI), and it has long been anticipated as the point where AI systems will make a dramatic leap forward.

We've already seen AI hit a new gear in 2026 with personal AI agents unleashing a wave of automation, productivity gains, and software improvements. That was led, of course, by OpenClaw. And now we're seeing the benefits OpenClaw has unlocked being adopted by AI and software companies across the tech industry. That agentic movement is about to get supercharged by these new models. But as we give the agents more rocket fuel, it's important to remember that they're non-deterministic systems that can go rogue and do things we didn't expect. That's going to make it more important than ever that we build good harnesses and systems to contain these agents to protect against the worst possible outcomes.