Today in AI — 14 April 2026

Stanford's 2026 AI Index is out and the headline is stark: China has closed the model performance gap with the US to 2.7%. But only 10% of Americans feel more excited than concerned about AI, even as companies race to embed it in everything from Word documents to robotaxis.

The perception gap

The optimism divide runs deep: AI researchers are three times more positive about employment effects than the public, and PwC found that 20% of companies capture three-quarters of AI's economic gains.

• Stanford AI Index 2026: China has erased the US lead in AI performance — SiliconANGLE
• Stanford report highlights growing disconnect between AI insiders and everyone else — TechCrunch
• Three-quarters of AI's economic gains are captured by just 20% of companies — PwC

AI eats the document

AI companies are colonising the surfaces where people already work: OpenAI acquired a finance startup for ChatGPT, Anthropic completed its Office suite, Google is building a Gemini-powered proactive feed, and Grab shipped 13 AI products across Southeast Asia.

• OpenAI acquires personal finance startup Hiro to build financial planning into ChatGPT — TechCrunch
• Anthropic launches Claude for Word, completing its Microsoft Office suite integration — Digital Trends
• Google preps Gemini-powered 'Your Day' proactive feed — 9to5Google
• Grab extends stock gains after launching 13 AI-powered products across Southeast Asia — The Motley Fool

Agents go always-on

Microsoft is building autonomous agents into M365 Copilot that run without human prompting. Vercel's 240% revenue growth suggests agent-built apps are already an infrastructure trend.

• Microsoft building OpenClaw-like always-on agent for enterprise Copilot — TechCrunch
• Vercel CEO signals IPO readiness as AI agents fuel 240% revenue surge — TechCrunch

Apple resets

Giannandrea's departure closes a difficult chapter for Apple's AI ambitions. The next bet is hardware: four smart glasses prototypes are in testing for a 2027 launch.

• Apple's AI chief John Giannandrea officially departs after eight-year tenure — 9to5Mac
• Apple testing four frame designs for AI smart glasses ahead of 2027 launch — The Next Web

Humans still win (for now)

Human researchers still outperform AI agents on complex scientific work, and Uber's robotaxis still need safety drivers. AI handles the routine; humans handle the edges.

• Human scientists still trounce the best AI agents on complex research tasks — Nature
• Uber begins test rides of Lucid Gravity robotaxis with Nuro autonomy in San Francisco — TechCrunch

The companies capturing AI's gains started with business strategy, not technology selection.

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