The rise of OpenAI is disruptive. These are all competitive reactions to that from big tech. The largest advantage they have is resources and captial. For Microsoft that manifests as the deal they made with OpenAI, for the rest its being able to offer high compensation for hiring

The quality of each investment/bet they are making is a separate topic. There is still a lot of uncertainty about product design and strategy, and I wouldn't say they're all making the most strategic choices. A lot of it seems to be reactionary to big acquisitions like windsurf.

Ultimately a lot of the competition boils down to:

Who has the best models - the core product quality

Who has access to the distribution channels ( browsers, phones, hardware).

If you own the distribution channels, you can buy time to improve the models + cement users to your product.

Shader toy : www.shadertoy.com/view/7lBSWV
Originally inspired by Peter Shirley's ray tracing in a weekend

Yea italian physically based rendering really makes those textures look so much better

A company that cares doesn't have to be a disadvantage either. Its a a matter of pragmatism and how a business model is designed. Product value doesn't care how you get there, and I've seen companies lose really strategic people & customers because of a lack of (low cost) care.

Some of the most powerful art is honest, showing the messiness and conflicts of the human heart, giving its answer to questions we struggle with a fundamental level. It can also wholesome, kind and simple, showing the type beauty that makes life worth living.