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20 Jan 2026

Google's Gemini secures Rs 270 crore IPL sponsorship as AI platforms target cricket advertising

Google's AI platform Gemini has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Indian Premier League worth an estimated Rs 270 crore. The partnership marks the latest move by AI platforms into cricket sponsorships, following ChatGPT's Women's Premier League deal. Industry executives expect AI companies to spend over Rs 300 crore on cricket sponsorships as they compete for visibility in India's key growth market.

2 Sources

Meta's Dina Powell McCormick urges AI rivals to center humanity in collaborative approach

Meta's new president Dina Powell McCormick made her Davos debut calling AI transformation a 'group sport' requiring industry collaboration. Speaking eight days into her role, she urged tech companies to align on core values ensuring AI safety and productivity, while highlighting the need for 500,000 electricians to power the next phase of AI growth.

2 Sources

AI reshaping the battle over Nicolas Maduro's capture as disinformation floods social media

Following Nicolas Maduro's capture by US authorities in early January, artificial intelligence-generated content has flooded social media, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. From comedic memes to dramatic retellings, AI propaganda is being used to control the narrative around the Venezuelan leader's detention, with experts warning this represents a growing threat to democracy worldwide.

2 Sources

South Korea launches AI Squid Game to build homegrown models and compete with US, China

South Korea unveiled a high-stakes government-sponsored competition called the AI Squid Game to identify leaders in its bid to become a global AI powerhouse. The tournament eliminates teams every six months, with Naver and NCSoft already cut from the race. LG, SK Group, and startup Upstage remain in contention as the country aims to develop indigenous open-source models rivaling ChatGPT and DeepSeek.

2 Sources

Microsoft reveals 40 jobs most exposed to AI as translators, writers, and educators face scrutiny

Microsoft researchers analyzed over 200,000 workplace interactions with Copilot to identify which jobs have the highest AI applicability score. Translators, historians, writers, and customer service representatives top the list of roles most aligned with AI capabilities. The study reveals that knowledge-based jobs requiring Bachelor's degrees face significant exposure, while hands-on roles like water treatment operators remain largely unaffected.

2 Sources

PwC Survey: 56% of Companies Getting Nothing from AI as Leaders Forget the Basics

PwC's global chairman Mohamed Kande revealed at Davos that 56% of companies see zero returns from AI investments due to insufficient foundational groundwork. The 29th global CEO survey shows only 10-12% of firms report tangible benefits, while CEO confidence in revenue growth hits a five-year low at 30%.

3 Sources

UK MPs demand AI stress testing as regulators fail to address mounting financial sector risks

A UK Treasury Committee report warns that the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority, and HM Treasury are exposing consumers and the financial system to serious harm by taking a wait-and-see approach to AI adoption. With over 75% of UK financial firms now using AI, MPs are calling for urgent stress testing to prepare for AI-driven market shocks and clear accountability frameworks.

7 Sources

FuriosaAI targets $500M funding round as RNGD chip production begins, eyes 2027 IPO

Seoul-based AI chip developer FuriosaAI is raising $300 million to $500 million in a Series D funding round to challenge Nvidia. The startup, valued at $735 million in July, will receive its first mass-produced RNGD chips from TSMC this month. The company plans an initial public offering as early as 2027 while scaling production of its tensor contraction-based processors.

2 Sources

Moonshot AI valuation surges to $4.8 billion as Chinese AI startup closes fresh funding round

Alibaba-backed AI startup Moonshot AI is closing a funding round valuing it at $4.8 billion, up $500 million from December. The surge follows successful Hong Kong IPOs by rival Chinese AI firms MiniMax and Zhipu, which raised over $1 billion combined and sparked investor interest in China's AI Tigers.

2 Sources

Vibe coding slashes app development time from months to hours, but expertise still matters

Developers are using vibe coding with Claude Code to build Apple Watch apps in 12 hours instead of two months, while complete beginners successfully create functional websites in just days. The AI coding revolution promises to democratize programming, but early experiments reveal that technical knowledge remains crucial for navigating the inevitable challenges and chaos that emerge during AI-assisted development.

4 Sources

Micron snaps up Taiwan chip fab for $1.8 billion to meet surging AI memory demand

Micron Technology signed a letter of intent to acquire Powerchip's P5 fabrication site in Taiwan for $1.8 billion, adding 300,000 square feet of cleanroom space to ramp up DRAM production. The deal comes as memory markets remain tight, with Micron having already pre-sold all its high-bandwidth memory output for 2026 amid soaring demand from AI infrastructure.

2 Sources

19 Jan 2026

Google expands Magic Cue on Pixel 10 with Wallet and Tasks, but reliability issues persist

Google is preparing to expand Magic Cue on the Pixel 10 with Google Tasks and Wallet integration, enabling the AI feature to show tickets and reminders automatically. But nearly 70% of users report the proactive AI tool hardly appears, raising questions about whether Google should prioritize core functionality and reliability over new features.

3 Sources

OpenAI shifts 2026 strategy to practical adoption as revenue soars to $20 billion

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar announced the company will prioritize practical adoption of AI in 2026, focusing on closing the gap between AI capabilities and real-world usage. With annualized revenue growing from $2 billion to over $20 billion between 2023 and 2025, the company targets health, science, and enterprise sectors while managing $1.4 trillion in infrastructure commitments.

5 Sources

OpenAI confirms first AI device launch for 2026, and leaked reports suggest it could be earbuds

OpenAI is preparing to launch its first hardware device in the second half of 2026, with recent leaks pointing to AI-powered earbuds codenamed Sweet Pea. The company's Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane confirmed the timeline at Davos, while reports suggest OpenAI aims to ship 40 to 50 million units in the first year through Foxconn manufacturing.

24 Sources

Andreessen Horowitz commits $3 billion to AI infrastructure, betting against bubble fears

Andreessen Horowitz has committed $3 billion to AI infrastructure investments, focusing on developer tools, coding applications, and foundational models rather than consumer-facing AI. Led by Martin Casado, the venture capital firm's strategy targets technical buyers while sidestepping data center investments, with early bets like Cursor already showing massive returns despite soaring valuations across the sector.

3 Sources

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