Meta’s Takeover of OpenAI? Insiders Say the Culture Is Changing Fast

Claude Comes to Excel, GPT-5's Mental Health Safeguards, & Copilot's Mascot 'Mico'

Author

Andres Franco
October 29, 2025

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Here’s the latest from this week in AI:

  • Claude Comes to Excel as Anthropic Targets Finance Pros

  • OpenAI Strengthens GPT-5’s Mental Health Safeguards

  • Meta DNA Takes Over OpenAI as Culture Clash Heats Up

  • Microsoft Brings Back Clippy Vibes with New Copilot Mascot ‘Mico’

Anthropic has launched Claude for Excel in beta, giving users a sidebar assistant that can read, analyze, and modify spreadsheets. It can explain sheets, fix formulas, populate templates, and create new workbooks. The update also adds seven financial data connectors linking Claude to platforms like Aiera, LSEG, and Moody’s for real-time insights.

New finance-focused Agent Skills let Claude build cash flow models, run company analyses, and generate coverage reports. Now available in preview for Max, Enterprise, and Teams users, this release strengthens Anthropic’s position in the growing market for AI-powered spreadsheet tools.

Source: Anthropic

OpenAI has updated GPT-5 to better recognize and respond to users in mental health crises, following consultations with more than 170 clinicians worldwide. The new model now meets 91% compliance with mental health protocols, up from 77% in GPT-4o, and includes improvements in empathy, delusion management, and long-chat safety.

The update comes as OpenAI faces mounting legal scrutiny over user safety, with data showing that 0.07% of its 800 million weekly users display signs of psychosis or mania. While the improvements mark meaningful progress, balancing empathy with responsible intervention remains one of AI’s toughest ethical challenges.

Source: OpenAI

A new report from The Information claims one in five OpenAI employees now hails from Meta, bringing Facebook-style growth tactics that are shaking up the company’s culture. Over 600 of OpenAI’s 3,000 staffers are Meta alumni, including apps chief Fidji Simo, with an internal Slack channel reportedly dedicated to the group. Some insiders say the company is starting to feel “too much like Meta,” a concern that may have fueled former CTO Mira Murati’s exit.

Teams are even exploring ways to use ChatGPT’s memory for personalized ads, an idea CEO Sam Altman once dismissed as “dystopian.” With internal criticism brewing over the direction of projects like Sora 2, the report paints a picture of a startup in transition, caught between Silicon Valley idealism and full-blown tech giant ambition.

Source: The Information

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At its Fall Release event, Microsoft showcased Mico, a colorful, animated blob that gives Copilot a face and a personality. Mico changes hues based on tone and even transforms into the classic Clippy when tapped multiple times. The update also brings smarter features like Memory and Personalization, new data connectors, and Proactive Actions for more hands-on help.

Microsoft is doubling down on collaboration and health, adding Groups for AI teamwork and Harvard Health–based medical insights that can even help users find doctors. Edge gets new automation tricks, too, with multi-step Actions and Journeys for project recall. With Mico leading the charge, Microsoft is leaning into its playful side while redefining what an AI assistant can feel like.

Source: Microsoft

In Other News

Stocks surged to new records Tuesday as investors doubled down on the AI trade before the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. The S&P 500 rose 0.23% to 6,890.89 after topping 6,900 for the first time, while the Nasdaq jumped 0.8% and the Dow added 162 points. Nvidia led gains with a 5% rally after unveiling a $1 billion Nokia deal, lifting other chip and AI names.

Microsoft and Apple both crossed $4 trillion in value as investors awaited Big Tech earnings from Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta. With 83% of S&P 500 firms beating forecasts, markets are strong heading into Wednesday’s expected Fed rate cut and renewed optimism over U.S.-China trade talks later this week.

Source: CNBC

Cool tools of the week from insidersedge.io

Instantdocs - Your #1 legal AI assistant. Transform weeks of work in 1-click

Fusion - Generate prompts based on factors like creativity, relevance, & clarity, etc.

Vocaloid - Add lyrics & melodies to your musical compositions

Dora - Create 3D & animated websites without coding

This Week’s Jobs On insidersedge.io 

Senior Data Scientist - Magic Eden 

Senior Typescript Backend Developer - Striga

Senior Software Engineer AI - Ripple

Community Manager - Origin Protocol

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