The Rundown AI: Black Forest Labs Launches FLUX 3 for Video and Robotics, OpenAI and Anthropic Update Voice Models, and Industry News

The Rundown AI: Black Forest Labs Launches FLUX 3 for Video and Robotics, OpenAI and Anthropic Update Voice Models, and Industry News This newsletter issue highlights Black Forest Labs' multimodal FLUX 3 release and its robotics variant, simultaneous voice feature upgrades by OpenAI and Anthropic, internal company workflows, and quick news across AI startups and big tech. Black Forest Labs opened early access to FLUX 3, a multimodal video, image, and audio model, alongside a factory robotics variant called FLUX-mimic for Audi assembly lines. OpenAI and Anthropic introduced voice updates: OpenAI expanded GPT-Live voice to desktop and Codex, while Anthropic added voice functionality to Claude Opus and Sonnet. Cognition acquired The Interaction Company, Etched raised $300M, and Fields Medal winner Jacob Tsimerman joined OpenAI for AI safety research. Microsoft released MAI-Image-2.5-Pro and MAI-Voice-2-Flash, while Runway introduced Media Router. Black Forest Labs FLUX 3 and FLUX-mimic Black Forest Labs launched early access for FLUX 3, a visual intelligence model capable of generating 20-second clips with synchronized audio, multilingual dialogue, typography, and character adherence. The full rollout will feature video, image, partner-specific action models, and an open-weight FLUX 3 Dev. Additionally, Black Forest Labs partnered with Zurich-based mimic robotics to create FLUX-mimic, a variant operating on Audi production lines that learns factory tasks using roughly 30 minutes of demonstration data instead of over 30 hours. Voice Upgrades from OpenAI and Anthropic OpenAI and Anthropic debuted voice feature upgrades concurrently. OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Voice to its macOS and Windows desktop applications for paid users, enabling vocal interaction with agents in Codex and ChatGPT Work via custom hotkeys, with GPT-Live supporting simultaneous listening and replying. Anthropic extended Claude's voice capabilities to its larger Opus and Sonnet models alongside Slack and Gmail integrations, though it continues to operate on turn-by-turn speech. Corporate Moves, Funding, and Personnel Cognition acquired The Interaction Company to incorporate the text-agent Poke alongside its Devin agent. AI chip startup Etched raised $300 million in fresh funding at a $10.3 billion valuation, bringing its total funding above $1 billion. Canadian mathematician Jacob Tsimerman, recipient of the 2026 Fields Medal, joined OpenAI to focus on AI safety. Model Launches and Dev Tools Microsoft's superintelligence team launched two internal models: the MAI-Image-2.5-Pro image generator and the MAI-Voice-2-Flash voice engine. Runway launched Media Router on its developer platform, dynamically selecting audio, image, or video models based on user constraints for speed, quality, or cost.

Black Forest Labs 推出 FLUX 3 并涉足工厂机器人，OpenAI 与 Anthropic 同步升级语音功能 Black Forest Labs 发布生成视频与音频的多模态模型 FLUX 3，并联合开发了用于奥迪产线的机器人控制模型 FLUX-mimic；同时，OpenAI 和 Anthropic 各自针对桌面端与主力模型推出了语音功能升级。 Black Forest Labs 开启 FLUX 3 早期测试，可生成 20 秒带原生音频的视频，并联手 mimic robotics 推出能在半小时演示数据下学习工厂任务的 FLUX-mimic。 OpenAI 将 GPT-Live 语音引入 macOS 和 Windows 桌面端及 Codex；Anthropic 则将语音模式接入 Opus 和 Sonnet 模型并支持连接外部应用。 Cognition 收购短信 AI 代理 Poke 的开发方 The Interaction Company。 芯片初创公司 Etched 完成 3 亿美元融资，估值达 103 亿美元；2026 年菲尔兹奖得主 Jacob Tsimerman 加入 OpenAI 从事 AI 安全工作。 FLUX 3 拓展至工业机器人 Black Forest Labs 开放了视觉智能模型 FLUX 3 的早期访问，支持输入文本、图像与视频，生成最长 20 秒带同步原生音频的片段。完整推出计划将包括视频、图像模型、开源权重的 FLUX 3 Dev，以及与瑞士 mimic robotics 合作构建的 FLUX-mimic。该机器人控制变体仅需约半小时演示数据即可学习新工厂任务，现已应用于奥迪生产线。 OpenAI 与 Anthropic 语音功能对决 OpenAI 与 Anthropic 几乎同步推出语音升级。OpenAI 面向付费用户将 ChatGPT Voice（GPT-Live）引入 macOS 与 Windows 桌面客户端，支持快捷键全局唤醒并在 Codex 和 ChatGPT Work 中语音交互。Anthropic 则将 Claude 语音模式扩展至 Opus 和 Sonnet，并可接入 Gmail 与 Slack，但其轮流对话机制在实时流式体验上仍落后于 GPT-Live。 行业快讯与动态 Cognition 宣布收购短信个人代理 Poke 的母公司 The Interaction Company；美国 AI 芯片初创公司 Etched 新获 3 亿美元融资，总融资额超 10 亿美元；加拿大数学家 Jacob Tsimerman 在获 2026 年菲尔兹奖同日宣布加入 OpenAI 安全团队。此外，微软超级智能团队发布了 MAI-Image-2.5-Pro 与 MAI-Voice-2-Flash 两款内部模型，Runway 则推出了可自动调度模型的 Media Router。

[Read Online]({{live_url}}) ^| [Sign Up](https://www.therundown.ai/subscribe?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) ^| [Advertise](https://therundownai.typeform.com/to/kraZ1TSO?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) **Good morning, {{ first\_name | AI enthusiasts }} and welcome to the 6,243 new readers who joined us yesterday.** Black Forest Labs made its name in the AI image world. Its newest model, while able to create images, video, and audio, is now also reporting for work on an Audi production line. FLUX 3, the company's 'visual intelligence' model, generates realistic video by simulating how the world actually moves — the same skill that is now helping train and steer machines in the physical world. **In today’s AI rundown:** FLUX 3 stretches from videos to factory robots Rowan’s Corner: How we're building AI intuition at The Rundown Edit videos faster with AI (for non-editors) OpenAI, Anthropic launch dueling voice upgrades 4 new AI tools, community workflows, and more **LATEST DEVELOPMENTS** Image source: Black Forest Labs **The Rundown:** Black Forest Labs just [opened](https://bfl.ai/blog/flux-3?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) early access to FLUX 3, a ‘visual intelligence’ AI that generates video, images, and synced audio, with the German lab also spinning it into FLUX-mimic, a robot-control variant for Audi's production lines. **The details:** FLUX 3 produces 20-second clips with native audio, with capabilities including multilingual dialogue, typography, and style/character adherence. The model can handle text, image, and video inputs, with BFL's testing showing its outputs favored over rivals like Runway, Kling, and Grok Imagine. The full rollout will include video, image, and partner-specific action models, plus an open-weight FLUX 3 Dev sized to fit on factory hardware. FLUX-mimic, [built](https://bfl.ai/blog/flux-3-mimic?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) with Zurich-based mimic robotics, learns a new factory task from about a half-hour of demonstration data instead of the usual 30+ hours. **Why it matters:** BFL has typically moved at a slower pace, but the unified system looks like the payoff – with longer, audio-synced videos and coherent visuals (like this [hilarious](https://x.com/cfryant/status/2080321014320320723?s=20&utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) one) reminding us of the Sora days (in a good way). For mimic, visual models continue to creep into the physical world, becoming one of the key cogs in robotics. **The Rundown:** AWS re:Invent is bringing 2,200+ sessions to Las Vegas on Nov. 30 through Dec. 4, and 70% of them are hands-on. **This year, choose to:** Work through real problems in 300+ workshops and 250+ builders' sessions Debug alongside peers in 125+ code talks Whiteboard your architecture in 350+ chalk talks with the engineers behind the services **Rowan:** Last week, I [broke down](https://www.therundown.ai/p/moonshot-kimi-k3-closes-the-frontier-gap?utm_source=www.therundown.ai&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=august-2025-template) the most important skill of the AI age: AI intuition, knowing when to use AI and when not to. This week, I want to go deeper into how I'm actually applying it across the team at The Rundown. The chart above is our role-by-role AI fluency standard, mapping what unacceptable, expected, and exceptional AI usage looks like. Even as an AI-first startup, a framework like this sets the standard with real examples. **Some more rules from our AI fluency memo:** AI is an amplifier, not a crutch. If your work gets worse because of AI, that's on you. "AI did it" is never an acceptable excuse. On the flip side, refusing to experiment means you won't keep up with high performers or AI agents. Everyone spends 2 hours a week finding the tedious parts of their job and building workflows for them, then shares wins in our #ai-show-and-tell channel. Everyone gets $200/month for AI tools. The only condition is that you have to name the problem you're trying to automate. Not to gatekeep spending, but to make sure every experiment starts with a real problem. The goal behind all of it is reps. AI intuition works like business intuition: nobody is born with it. You build it by pushing tools to their limits until knowing when to reach for AI becomes instinct. If your team hasn’t set a standard like this yet, I highly recommend it. Here’s a [downloadable template](https://www.canva.com/design/DAGwcWEsEoE/iXJOfWZO1TPHCzfIKz7gGw/view?utm_content=DAGwcWEsEoE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview) of my setup you can clone. **The Rundown:** In this guide, you will learn how to edit videos using AI, as we do at The Rundown, and then teach ChatGPT to edit for you hands-free. **Step-by-step:** Open Descript’s desktop app, record your camera and your desktop if you like When you're done recording, duplicate the project before editing On the duplicate, use the AI tools “Remove filler words” and “Shorten word gaps” to clean filler words and remove delays longer than one second. Turn on “avoid harsh cuts” so the edits sound natural Run “Edit for Clarity” on Low and go through the AI suggestions **Pro tip:** Connect the Descript plugin in ChatGPT or Codex, and teach it your editing process for hands-free editing. **[Get resources, prompts, and a full step-by-step video guide here](https://app.therundown.ai/guides/edit-videos-faster-with-ai-for-non-editors?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots)**. **The Rundown:** Your agent harness can have a bigger impact than the model you're running. With Strands Agents, you can build your own agent harness and control it end-to-end without getting locked in. **Run it with any model, any cloud, anywhere:** Monitor, modify, and debug with hooks Deliver outcomes that work with guardrails that catch mistakes before they run Replace brittle scripts with tools that adapt when processes change Strands was built from prod systems inside Amazon. [Start building with code examples](https://strandsagents.com/?trk=2e6ef39b-ea66-408f-b188-eae464675474&sc_channel=display+ads&utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots). Image source: @OpenAI and @Claudeai on X **The Rundown:** OpenAI and Anthropic [shipped](https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2080378182469857576?s=20&utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) voice [upgrades](https://x.com/claudeai/status/2080376094939603366?s=20&utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) at nearly the exact same time, with OAI moving its GPT-Live voice into the desktop app and into Codex, and Anthropic plugging Claude's voice into its smarter models and connected apps. OpenAI's ChatGPT Voice joins the desktop app on macOS and Windows for paid plans, letting users talk to agents in Codex and ChatGPT Work via speech. A custom hotkey calls the voice mode over any app, with Bloomberg [reporting](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/openai-s-first-device-will-be-moveable-screenless-speaker-built-as-ai-companion?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) that the same tech may drive OAI's upcoming home speaker hardware. Claude's voice mode now runs on Opus and Sonnet rather than only its small Haiku model, while also being able to connect to apps like Gmail and Slack. Claude lags behind with turn-by-turn speaking, with the recent [launch](https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-live/?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) of GPT-Live pushing a flow that listens, thinks, and replies at the same time. **Why it matters:** Both labs shipped something useful, just not what many users were looking for after rumors of a Claude 5 Opus drop and Cerebras-powered speed upgrades for OAI. Even with the upgrade, Anthropic feels behind its biggest rival on voice, with speech continuing to grow as a primary way people work with AI. **QUICK HITS** 🎥 [FLUX 3](http://www.rundown.ai/tools/flux-3?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) - BFL’s multimodal AI with 20-second generations 💬 [Poke](https://www.rundown.ai/tools/poke?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) - Proactive personal agent that lives inside text messages 🏥 [Health in ChatGPT](https://openai.com/index/health-in-chatgpt/?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) - Link medical apps and records to chat about health 🗣️ [GPT Live](http://www.rundown.ai/tools/gpt-live?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) - OpenAI’s more natural voice model, now on Desktop and Codex **Cognition** [announced](https://cognition.com/blog/interaction?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) the acquisition of The Interaction Company, with its text-message-based AI agent Poke now being built alongside Cognition’s Devin agent. **U.S. AI chip startup Etched** [secured](https://www.etched.com/progress?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) $300M in new funding just weeks after exiting stealth, with the company now valued at $10.3B and pushing its total funding past $1B. **Canadian mathematician Jacob Tsimerman** is [joining](https://x.com/SebastienBubeck/status/2080369129526308982?s=20&utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) OpenAI to work on AI safety, with the news coming on the same day he was [awarded](https://www.utoronto.ca/news/nobel-prize-mathematics-u-t-mathematician-jacob-tsimerman-awarded-prestigious-fields-medal?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) the 2026 Fields Medal. **Microsoft's superintelligence team** [dropped](https://microsoft.ai/news/introducing-mai-image-2-5-pro-and-mai-voice-2-flash/?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) two in-house models, with MAI-Image-2.5-Pro as its new image AI and MAI-Voice-2-Flash as a faster, cheaper voice engine. **Runway** [launched](https://runway.com/news/company-news/introducing-runway-media-router?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) Media Router in its dev platform, which auto-picks an image, video, or audio model for each request based on user preference for cost, quality, or speed. **COMMUNITY** Every newsletter, we showcase how a reader is using AI to work smarter, save time, or make life easier. Today’s workflow comes from reader **James** in Lancaster, PA: “I found a professional DJ controller on Facebook Marketplace that was damaged by a water spill and did not power on. I copy/pasted the entire conversation with the seller into Claude, which produced a detailed risk assessment and guidance on price negotiation. I ended up purchasing the unit for only $800. I uploaded the PDF service manuals to Claude, who guided me through the professional disassembly and diagnostic process. I was uploading photos of circuit boards, and Claude was describing the exact terminals where I should make voltage measurements. The faulty component turned out to be a $30 sensor strip inside the jog wheel. I replaced the part, reassembled the unit, and it powered on instantly! Claude helped me obtain a $2,000 professional DJ controller for only $800, a $30 replacement part, and a few hours of DIY tech service.” How do you use AI? Tell us [here](https://www.videoask.com/ffohxg3vc?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots). Read our last AI newsletter: [OpenAI’s cyber test escapes the lab](https://www.therundown.ai/p/openai-cyber-test-escapes-the-lab?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) Read our last Tech newsletter: [China’s plan to knock an asteroid off course](https://tech.therundown.ai/p/china-bold-plan-to-knock-an-asteroid-off-course?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) Read our last Robotics newsletter: [A $1.7B computer for the physical world](https://robotnews.therundown.ai/p/travis-kalanick-1-7b-computer-for-the-physical-world?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) Today’s AI tool guide: [Edit videos faster with AI (for non-editors)](https://app.therundown.ai/guides/edit-videos-faster-with-ai-for-non-editors?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) RSVP to next workshop on July 30: [ChatGPT Sites for beginners](https://app.therundown.ai/live/an-intro-to-chatgpt-sites-for-beginners?utm_source=therundownai.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=black-forest-labs-teaches-video-ai-to-run-robots) See you soon, *Rowan, Zach, Shubham, and Jennifer — the humans behind The Rundown*