AI Recap: Anthropic heads for the markets, Microsoft's own models & ChatGPT's billion
A week that belongs to Anthropic: first the confidential IPO draft, then the disclosure that Claude now writes 80% of its own code. Plus Microsoft's own AI models, Perplexity's hybrid strategy and ChatGPT's billion users. The week of June 1–7, 2026 — in brief, with sources.
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5 min read
Anthropic dominates the week twice over — with its step toward the public markets and the statement that Claude now writes most of its own code; meanwhile Microsoft's own models, Perplexity's hybrid approach and ChatGPT's user billion show the contest shifting from individual models toward platforms, infrastructure and reach.
Anthropic sets course for the public markets
On June 1, Anthropic confidentially filed an IPO draft (Confidential Draft S-1) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — the first formal step toward going public. The basis is the Series H round confirmed in Week 22, which valued the company at $965B, on run-rate revenue of around $47B. Important: this is a confidential draft, not a completed IPO — timing and terms remain open.
Source: Fortune Source: TechCrunchMicrosoft unveils its own AI models at Build
At its developer conference Build 2026, Microsoft presented a family of its own MAI models — including MAI-Thinking-1 (reasoning), MAI-Code-1 (coding, e.g. for GitHub), MAI-Image-2.5 and MAI-Voice-2. Microsoft deliberately also offers the models via platforms like Fireworks AI and OpenRouter, emphasizing developer choice. For businesses that means more capable models competing — and more options beyond a single provider. Which model is good for what is in our AI tool comparison.
Source: MicrosoftPerplexity splits AI work between PC and cloud
At Computex, Perplexity announced a hybrid approach: a compact local model on the PC classifies each task and keeps sensitive data — financial or health information, say — on the device, while compute-heavy work goes to the cloud. That lowers cost and privacy risk at the same time. How AI-powered search is changing company visibility is in our GEO/AEO guide.
Source: 9to5Mac Source: DecryptChatGPT crosses the billion
According to data from market researcher Sensor Tower, ChatGPT reached roughly 1 billion monthly active users in early June — about three years after launch. The figure is an estimate, not an official OpenAI number, but the signal is clear: AI assistants have arrived in everyday life, no longer a niche. For businesses, that means customers increasingly search and ask inside AI interfaces — being visible there becomes a must.
Source: The Next WebDeepSeek nears a billion-dollar round
Citing a Bloomberg report, it was reported that Chinese AI lab DeepSeek is close to a funding round of around $7.4B — one of the largest for a Chinese start-up. Reported, not yet closed: terms and investors are unconfirmed. What stands out is that some of the strongest open-source models still come out of China — an option that can't be missing from our tool comparison.
Source: PYMNTSAnthropic: Claude writes 80% of its own code
Anthropic reported that Claude now writes roughly 80% of the code in its own production projects (as of May 2026) — a year ago it was a single-digit share. At the same time, the company warns of recursive self-improvement and calls for mechanisms to slow frontier-AI development if needed. This exact capability — AI that completes tasks on its own — is what's behind the leap to AI agents for SMBs. Where the legal limits lie is covered in our EU AI Act guide.
Source: Anthropic Source: Scientific AmericanSources & further reading
- Fortune: Anthropic confidentially files IPO draft
- Microsoft: Build 2026
- 9to5Mac: Perplexity splits tasks between PC and cloud
- The Next Web: ChatGPT reaches 1B monthly users
- PYMNTS: DeepSeek nears $7.4B round
- Anthropic: When AI builds itself
As of June 8, 2026. Figures on valuations, funding and product details are per the companies and the cited media, without warranty. Funding rounds and IPOs are, where noted, reported or announced and not yet completed.
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Jan Malte Sander
Founder of BitsAndBucks GmbH. Follows AI developments daily — and uses them in real client projects. LinkedIn