OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labs
OpenAI is participating in a $250 million seed round into Merge Labs, Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup. The startup is valued at $850 million.
Musk denies awareness of Grok sexual underage images as California AG launches probe
The California Attorney General has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s xAI after its chatbot Grok began generating nonconsensual sexual images of real women and even children.
Google’s Gemini to power Apple’s AI features like Siri
Apple and Google have embarked on a non-exclusive, multi-year partnership that will involve Apple using Gemini models and Google cloud technology for future foundational models.
OpenAI to acquire the team behind executive coaching AI tool Convogo
OpenAI is acquiring the team behind executive coaching AI tool Convogo in an all-stock deal, adding to the firm’s M&A spree.
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI will face a jury in March
District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said there was evidence suggesting OpenAI’s leaders made assurances that its original nonprofit structure would be maintained. The case will go to trial in March.
Anthropic reportedly raising $10B at $350B valuation
Anthropic is reportedly in talks to raise $10 billion at a $350 billion valuation, marking its third mega-round in a year.
California lawmaker proposes a four-year ban on AI chatbots in kids’ toys
“Our children cannot be used as lab rats for Big Tech to experiment on,” Senator Steve Padilla said. He just introduced a bill to ban AI chatbots in toys until safety regulations are developed.
Nvidia wants to be the Android of generalist robotics
Nvidia unveiled a full-stack robotics ecosystem at CES 2026, including foundation models, simulation tools, and hardware. It wants to be the default platform for robotics.
Nvidia launches Alpamayo, open AI models that allow autonomous vehicles to ‘think like a human’
Nvidia unveiled Alpamayo at CES 2026, which includes a reasoning vision language action model that allows an autonomous vehicle to think more like a human and provide chain-of-thought reasoning.
In 2026, AI will move from hype to pragmatism
In 2026, here’s what you can expect from the AI industry: new architectures, smaller models, world models, reliable agents, physical AI, and products designed for real-world use.