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A Warm Welcome to AI for GCC’s Friday Edition
Your weekly digest of meaningful AI updates in and for the Gulf region
The Gulf is moving into a new era where AI is no longer just a concept but a daily tool for work, study, and innovation. This week’s updates show how global players like Microsoft, Google, Perplexity, and Kimi are reshaping the digital world in ways that directly matter to students, businesses, and policymakers across our region.
Inside this edition
- Google Photos adds AI editing with natural language commands
- Free Perplexity Pro for students and AI for GCC subscribers
- Kimi.ai launches OK Computer, an agent that builds websites and dashboards
- Microsoft integrates Anthropic’s Claude models into Copilot
- Google rolls out a cheaper AI Plus plan in 40+ countries
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Spotlight: Free Perplexity Pro for Students and Subscribers
AI for GCC has partnered with Perplexity to give students free access to the Comet Agent Browser, a next-generation AI research tool. With a valid student email address, learners can unlock features like instant research, note summarization, and citation-ready answers at no cost. Non-students also benefit with one month of free Pro access through this exclusive offer.
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Google Photos Gets Conversational AI Editing
Google Photos has introduced a breakthrough feature for Android users in the United States, allowing them to edit photos simply by describing what they want. Instead of adjusting sliders or hunting through menus, users can type or say commands such as “brighten the sky,” “remove a person in the background,” or “change the scenery,” and the app automatically applies the changes.
The tool uses AI both on the device and in the cloud to understand and implement requests. It can handle tasks like object removal, background blurring, color enhancement, and even background replacement. By making editing conversational, Google is setting the stage for more intuitive AI-driven creativity.
Read moreKimi.ai’s OK Computer Brings Agentic AI to Life
Kimi.ai has unveiled “OK Computer,” an AI system powered by its K2 model that functions like a complete digital team. Users can ask it to build multi-page websites, design presentation slides, or analyze massive datasets containing up to one million rows. Instead of simply responding to questions, the system takes actions, plans steps, and solves problems, showcasing what experts call “agentic AI.”
Currently available in beta, OK Computer is free to try with three sessions offered to anyone who signs up. The tool positions itself as a smart assistant that can turn ideas into working projects in minutes, without requiring a single line of code. For students, entrepreneurs, or creators across the Gulf, it offers a preview of how AI agents can radically reduce time and effort in digital work.
Microsoft Adds Anthropic’s Claude Models to Copilot
Microsoft has expanded its Copilot ecosystem by integrating Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 and Opus 4.1 models alongside OpenAI’s technology. This means users now have greater flexibility when performing tasks such as research and reasoning. In addition, developers working inside Copilot Studio can choose Anthropic’s models to build custom AI-powered agents tailored to their needs.
While OpenAI remains the default option for many Copilot features, this update highlights Microsoft’s shift toward a multi-model strategy. By reducing reliance on one provider and hosting Anthropic on AWS, Microsoft is signaling its intent to diversify and strengthen its AI offerings. For businesses and governments in the Gulf, this could open the door to greater customization and reliability.
Read Microsoft’s full updateGoogle Expands Affordable AI Plus Plan Globally
Google has launched its AI Plus plan in more than 40 countries, priced at around five dollars per month. The subscription includes access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, tools for creating images and videos such as Flow, Whisk, and Veo 3 Fast, and advanced features in Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. Users also benefit from enhanced functions in Google’s research assistant NotebookLM and 200GB of cloud storage.
The rollout includes markets such as Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, with discounts of 50 percent for the first six months in Nepal and Mexico. For Gulf users, this hints at a future where premium AI tools become more accessible at a lower monthly cost.
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