Artificial Intelligence News & Updates

Salesforce launches an overhauled Slackbot AI agent with robust search capabilities, allowing users to access enterprise data, create documents, and automate tasks.

Listen Labs, a startup developing AI-powered customer research tools, has raised $69 million in Series B funding, valuing the company at $500 million. The funding will be used to further develop the platform and expand its team.

The US administration has imposed a 25% tariff on select AI semiconductors, including Nvidia's H200 chips, shipped to China.

The Wikimedia Foundation has formed partnerships with several AI tech companies to reuse and distribute Wikipedia content via its commercial product, Wikimedia Enterprise.

Nvidia's new app update includes DLSS 4.5 and more Control Panel features, improving image quality and reducing artifacting.

Apple and Google have formed a multi-year partnership, with Google's Gemini powering a new, personalized Siri assistant to be launched in spring 2026.

Sequoia Capital joins a $25 billion funding round for Anthropic, a rival AI startup to OpenAI, despite traditional VC practices avoiding backing competing companies.

Three leading AI labs - OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google - have launched healthcare tools to facilitate patient care and decision-making, leveraging AI to augment human expertise and accelerate critical operations.

Chai Discovery, an AI startup, partners with Eli Lilly to accelerate the development of new medicines using its software. Chai's algorithm, Chai-2, aims to streamline the process of developing molecules. The partnership is expected to help companies develop innovative medicines and bring them to clinical trials faster.

Raspberry Pi has released its new AI HAT+ 2 board, which features a 40 TOPS Hailo-10H chip, 8GB of onboard RAM, and supports large language models and vision-based AI workloads locally.

Character.ai publishes Slonk, an internal research cluster system that combines the productivity of High-Performance Computing (HPC) with Kubernetes' operational benefits.

ChatGPT has launched a new standalone translation tool, ChatGPT Translate, which offers a Google Translate alternative and more precise control over tone and intent. The tool is currently free to use and supports over 25 languages, with a focus on text translations only.

IBM announced IBM Sovereign Core, a software allowing organizations to build, deploy, and manage AI-ready sovereign environments, addressing growing digital sovereignty concerns.

NBC Sports has introduced a new AI-powered player tracking system that allows viewers to focus on their favorite athletes during live events. The technology uses facial recognition and was developed by Japan's Nippon Television Network.

Kaggle launched Community Benchmarks, enabling the global AI community to design and share custom evaluations for AI models. This platform helps bridge the gap between experimental code and production-ready applications.

Google unveils MedGemma 1.5, a next-generation medical image interpretation model, and MedASR for medical speech-to-text, as part of its Health AI Developer Foundations initiative.

Microsoft promises to 'be a good neighbor' in host communities with data center buildouts, addressing concerns around electricity costs and water usage.

Brazil's competition watchdog ordered WhatsApp to put its policy blocking third-party AI chatbots on hold, amid an investigation into potential anticompetitive conduct.

The UK has introduced a law that makes creating non-consensual intimate deepfake images a criminal offense, with AI platforms required to take proactive action to prevent such content.

Google has developed the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open-source standard for shopping with AI, and announced plans to integrate a buy now feature on its Gemini search engine, making it easier for users to make purchases directly using AI tools.

Motional has rebooted its robotaxi plans with a new AI-first approach, targeting a commercial driverless service launch in Las Vegas by the end of 2026.

Runpod, an AI app hosting platform, has reached a $120 million annual revenue run rate, according to its founders Zhen Lu and Pardeep Singh. The company initially bootstrapped and later raised a $20 million seed round.

Google expands access to Flow, its AI-powered video editor, across Workspace plans, including Business, Enterprise, and Education users.

California SB-53 and New York's RAISE Act provide transparency and reporting requirements for AI model developers, while the Trump administration aims to centralize AI laws at the federal level.

Apple's lackluster performance with Apple Intelligence is overshadowed by its market success with iPhones. The company partners with Gemini models to enhance Siri, but faces a real challenge in turning its AI capabilities into a product users love.

Anthropic's Claude Cowork is a research preview AI agent that successfully completes tasks, but its security risks and limitations need careful consideration.

Microsoft introduces Microsoft Elevate for Educators, a program and toolset designed to help educators integrate AI into their teaching and learning, with a focus on enhancing instruction, student engagement, and career readiness.

Microsoft launched the Elevate for Educators Program and new AI-powered tools to support educators and students in an AI-driven future.

A new tutorial series demonstrates how to teach a computer-use agent to operate a LangGraph CLI tool using NVIDIA Nemotron and reinforcement learning with verifiable rewards.

The world's biggest memory makers are prioritizing AI companies, leading to a severe shortage of RAM for consumer products, causing price hikes across the board.

WhatsApp is granting a 90-day grace period to developers, excluding users with Brazilian phone numbers from the new policy. This exemption was prompted by regulatory concerns and ongoing investigations.

Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and AI companies Perplexity and Mistral AI have joined Google in paying for access to Wikipedia's API, enabling commercial use and AI support.

Zapier's built-in tools and products can handle complex workflows across multiple apps, with enterprise-grade governance to let teams move fast while IT stays in control.

Emversity, an Indian workforce-training startup, raised $30 million for expanding job-ready training in the world's most populous market.

MIT researchers created MechStyle, a system that enables durable personalized 3D printing with both aesthetics and structural integrity. MechStyle uses generative AI to modify 3D models and simulate their physical properties to guarantee their usability and safety.

Recent experiments show that large language models, such as ChatGPT, are able to effectively solve open math problems, indicating a potential breakthrough in human-AI collaboration.

Neurable and HyperX unveiled a partnership at CES 2026, integrating Neurable's brain-computer interface (BCI) technology into HyperX gaming headphones. The technology aims to enhance focus, accuracy, and reaction times for esports athletes.

Skild AI, a robotics company, triples its valuation to $14 billion after raising $1.4 billion in funding.

Google's Gemini AI gains Personal Intelligence feature for more personalized answers, drawing on Gmail, Google Photos, Search, and YouTube history.

Deploying AI agents requires a new approach and governance to ensure success, as they differ from traditional software launches and introduce unpredictability.

NVIDIA and Lilly launched a $1B investment in an AI co-innovation lab to tackle complex biological modeling with AI, leveraging NVIDIA's leadership in AI and Lilly's pharmaceutical expertise.

Google's new Universal Commerce Protocol for AI-powered shopping agents has raised concerns over 'personalized upselling' and 'surveillance pricing'. Google disputes these claims, stating that its protocol is designed to provide users with more product options, not overcharge them. Consumer economics watchdog Lindsay Owens remains skeptical, citing technical documents and Google's history as an advertising company.

Ring's new features, including fire alerts, conversational AI, and facial recognition, aim to turn the video doorbell company into an AI-powered 'intelligent assistant' for the entire home and beyond. The company has also launched commercial camera systems, expanding its reach beyond residential customers.

OpenAI's ChatGPT Health chatbot is set to roll out with enhanced patient privacy features, allowing users to discuss health concerns in a secure and private setting.

Google's Veo AI video model now supports portrait mode and vertical video generation, allowing for more creative and expressive videos.

Apple selects Google's Gemini AI to power its upcoming Siri upgrade, a multi-year partnership announced in 2026.

Deepgram, a deep learning-based platform for speech recognition, has raised $130 million in Series C funding led by AVP, with plans to accelerate growth and expand its global footprint.

Converge Bio, a Boston- and Tel Aviv-based startup, has raised $25 million in a Series A round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The funding will be used to enhance its AI-driven drug discovery platform, which uses generative AI to help pharmaceutical and biotech companies develop drugs faster.

Hupo, a Singapore-headquartered startup, has raised $10 million in Series A funding led by DST Global Partners for its AI-powered sales coaching platform, which helps teams perform at scale in banking, financial services, and insurance.

Amazon has revealed plans to revamp its Alexa AI assistant, offering more expressive voices, AI agents, and access to world knowledge. Alexa+ will become available to all Prime members, leveraging the extensive footprint of Amazon's devices in the home.

Harmattan AI, a French defense tech start-up, has raised $200 million in Series B funding, led by Dassault Aviation, to develop AI-enabled defense systems. The company will collaborate with Dassault on future air combat projects, leveraging French president Emmanuel Macron's emphasis on defense technology.

China has blocked Nvidia's H200 AI chips, despite US government clearance for export, amid uncertainty over the chips' intended use

Skild AI secured $1.4B, tripling its valuation, and other AI and robotics startups also received significant funding.

Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI claims that the company abandoned its original nonprofit mission and prioritized profits over safety. The case is headed to a jury trial in April 2024, with unsealed evidence revealing tensions between OpenAI's leaders and Musk's concerns about the company's commercialization.

Human-in-the-loop (HITL) automation combines AI speed with human judgment, ensuring accuracy and accountability in AI decision-making processes. HITL is essential for high-stakes decisions, such as publishing content, sending customer communications, and approving transactions. By integrating human oversight, organizations can reduce costly errors, compliance issues, and brand damage.

Puma Browser allows users to access local LLMs on mobile devices, providing an alternative to cloud-based AI. The browser is available for both Android and iOS.

Higgsfield, an AI video generation startup, has secured $130 million in Series A funding, bringing its valuation to $1.3 billion. The company has reached 15 million users and is on a $200 million annual revenue run rate.

A new study shows AI automation performs poorly with less than 3% automation rate in complex remote work tasks, but researchers expect AI capabilities to improve over time.

US President Trump imposes a 25% tariff on certain AI chips, including Nvidia H200, under a national security order, exempting datacenters and consumers. The order aims to incentivize domestic chip production and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains.

Zapier Forms is a no-code, automation-powered form builder that lets users create custom solutions for data collection and workflows, integrating with the Zapier ecosystem to automate tasks and enhance productivity.

Zendawa, an AI-powered app in Kenya, helps pharmacies like Ryche reduce waste, improve inventory management, and increase client base, with 820 pharmacies onboarded since 2023.

Anthropic's fourth Economic Index report analyzes AI use on a global scale, finding AI productivity gains in high-complexity tasks and an uneven impact on occupations.

AI models are becoming increasingly effective at finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in software systems, posing a growing risk to cybersecurity.

Bandcamp, a music distribution platform, will ban AI-generated music and audio, citing concerns over artist authenticity and the growing threat of synthetic music.

Tegaki, a new Japanese social media platform, bans AI-generated images and allows creators to authenticate their work as hand-drawn.

Physical AI continues to advance at CES 2026, with companies highlighting humanoid robots and wearable devices that can reason and interact with their environment.

Roblox's new AI-powered age verification system is under fire for misidentifying users' ages and restricting social interactions, leaving many frustrated with the platform's safety measures.

The US military will integrate Elon Musk's AI tool, Grok, into Pentagon networks despite its controversies over sexual imagery. The integration is expected to go live later this month.

Flip, a startup offering AI-based customer service, raises $20M in Series A funding. The company focuses on a vertical approach to customer service, differentiating itself from generic AI providers.

Google Research introduces NeuralGCM, a hybrid AI model combining physics and machine learning to simulate global precipitation more accurately than other methods.

To get the most out of AI Workflow Builder, use clear, well-defined, and specific prompts that describe the flow of data and integrations required for each step.

AI email assistants Superhuman and Shortwave compared, highlighting their AI-powered features and customizability. Shortwave offers a superior email experience in nearly every aspect, but Superhuman has unique features for networking. Both are third-party email apps that require linking to existing Gmail or Outlook inboxes.

AI agent orchestration is a powerful technique to manage complex AI systems, enabling scalable, real-world applications. It coordinates multiple AI agents to work together, automating tasks, and streamlining workflows.

Databricks outlined a guide to successful AI adoption for businesses, emphasizing the importance of identifying key areas for AI integration and implementing a phased roadmap.

A Workday survey reveals that 37% of time saved through AI is lost to fixing low-quality output, prompting recommendations to invest in people, job redesigns, and outcome-based measures.

A social media account named 'Bush Legend' was created using AI, sparking cultural appropriation concerns and raising questions about the ethics of digital blackface.

The Databricks certification program has grown to certify over 90,000 professionals in AI, data engineering, data science, and more. The certification provides a formal benchmark for showcasing technical proficiency, establishing trust with stakeholders, and accelerating career progression.

Cloudflare acquired Human Native, a UK-based AI data marketplace, to improve its AI data offerings and help developers create better AI models.

The US is struggling to find enough electricians and plumbers to build and maintain AI data centers, with demand outpacing supply and major tech companies scrambling to address the issue.

Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant incorrectly suggested a nonexistent football match, leading to Israeli fans being banned from a match. This highlights the potential risks of relying on AI in high-stakes decision-making environments.

Major AI companies, including OpenAI, Meta, and Google, have revised their stances on using AI for military purposes, allowing for its use in defense-related projects.

While 92% of users report AI boosts productivity, 58% spend 3+ hours/week revising or redoing AI outputs, highlighting the need for better AI governance and infrastructure.

Cloud automation enables the use of software to tackle repetitive tasks in cloud environments, such as provisioning servers, deploying applications, and monitoring performance metrics. With cloud automation, businesses can streamline processes, reduce manual labor, and improve overall efficiency.

The Solos AirGo A5 smart glasses offer long-lasting battery life, comfort, and AI assistance powered by ChatGPT, but lack high-quality audio and camera capabilities.

Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 use AI-powered adaptive noise cancellation for improved audio experience in real-world environments.

Anthropic's internal incubator, Labs, is expanding with Mike Krieger taking on a new role to co-lead the team. The company aims to double the number of team members within six months.

OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive are working on an AI-powered audio device called 'Sweetpea' to replace AirPods, with a possible release in September 2028.

Financial experts and AI researchers warn that the AI industry's trillions of dollars in investments may be at risk due to potentially unrealistic expectations of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) within expected timelines.

TSMC reported record fourth-quarter earnings and expects AI chip demand to continue for years, despite fears of an AI bubble.