Latest Update
GPT-5.5 Just Dropped
2026.04.24Hey, it's the Carat team. 🤗
Today: GPT-5.5 launch, Claude connecting to everyday apps, Anthropic crossing $1 trillion, and a hairstyle analysis prompt.
Today: GPT-5.5 launch, Claude connecting to everyday apps, Anthropic crossing $1 trillion, and a hairstyle analysis prompt.
🔥 GPT-5.5 Just Dropped
OpenAI launched GPT-5.5. It's a smarter model built from better pre-training alone.
It specializes in coding and agent tasks, and a pricier Pro version launched alongside it.
The key here isn't 'making the model think harder' but 'raising the baseline itself.' Unlike reasoning models (the o-series), GPT-5.5 improved performance at the pre-training stage.
Looking at OpenAI's moves this week, the strategy is clear. Monday: image AI (Images 2.0). Tuesday: work agents (Workspace Agents). And today: a core model upgrade. They refreshed images, agents, and the model itself in a single week. That pace puts enormous pressure on the competition.
📌 Three Things Today
1️⃣ Claude Now Connects to Your Everyday Apps
Anthropic's Claude now connects to everyday apps like Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Spotify, and Instacart.
In a single conversation, you can plan a trip, book a hotel, order groceries, and play music. AI is becoming less of a search bar and more of a remote control for your life.
2️⃣ Anthropic Crosses $1 Trillion Valuation
Anthropic's valuation crossed $1 trillion. The figure comes from private trades where existing shareholders buy and sell shares among themselves.
Just a year ago, the gap with OpenAI was wide. Now they're in the same league. Claude's product quality and growing enterprise customer base are reshaping how investors see the company.
3️⃣ Making Ads with Image AI + Video AI
AI video creator iamneubert shared a full ad production workflow combining ChatGPT Images 2.0 and Seedance 2.0.
First, create a cinematic mood board with ChatGPT Images 2.0, then generate still frames from it. Feed those into Seedance 2.0 and it turns them into video. A complete ad production pipeline with zero filming. You can use both ChatGPT Images 2.0 and Seedance 2.0 together in one place on Carat.
🧪 Prompt Tip of the Day
AI Hairstyle Analysis from a Single Selfie
A technique shared by LinusEkenstam. Upload a single selfie to an image AI with the prompt below, and it analyzes which hairstyles suit you best.
It shows multiple hairstyles side by side so you can visually compare what works.
Create a hairstyle analysis graphic using this portrait. Show side-by-side hairstyle comparisons to highlight which hairstyles suit the subject best. Make it visual-first, with short labels only and no paragraphs.
We tried it on Carat and here's how it turned out. Try it with your own selfie in ChatGPT Images 2.0!
That's all for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more useful updates. ☺️