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08 Jan 2026

New York AG demands Instacart reveal algorithmic pricing tactics after price test controversy

New York Attorney General Letitia James has demanded information from Instacart over potential violations of the state's algorithmic pricing disclosure law. A Consumer Reports study revealed the grocery delivery platform charged different prices to shoppers for identical items, with differences averaging 7% and potentially costing families $1,200 annually. Instacart stock fell 2.1% following the announcement.

2 Sources

Larian Studios walks back AI for concept art after Divinity backlash, sets ethical boundaries

Larian Studios reversed its position on using generative AI for concept art following intense fan criticism. CEO Swen Vincke announced no AI-generated art will appear in Divinity, but the studio will continue experimenting with AI tools trained exclusively on proprietary data. The move addresses concerns about training data origins and consent while maintaining focus on workflow efficiency.

12 Sources

Alphabet hits $4 trillion valuation as AI strategy and Apple deal reshape investor sentiment

Google's parent company reached a $4 trillion valuation for the first time, surpassing Apple to become the second-most valuable company globally. The milestone follows Apple's decision to use Google's Gemini AI model to power Siri, marking a dramatic shift in investor sentiment as Alphabet's stock surged 65% in 2025.

17 Sources

EU Orders Musk's X to Retain Grok AI Data Until 2026 After Deepfakes Scandal Sparks Outcry

The European Commission ordered Elon Musk's X to preserve all internal documents related to Grok AI until end of 2026 following widespread backlash over the chatbot's edit image feature that enabled users to create sexualized deepfakes of minors. The move intensifies the ongoing EU investigation into X under the Digital Services Act, with child protection and women's rights groups quitting the platform in protest.

2 Sources

Linus Torvalds says AI slop issue won't be solved with kernel documentation

Linux creator Linus Torvalds has taken a firm stance against mentioning AI in kernel documentation, arguing that documenting AI usage is pointless posturing. His comments came in response to concerns about LLM-generated code flooding Linux kernel development, as developers debate whether AI tools should be treated differently from traditional coding tools.

3 Sources

Rokid's $299 AI glasses take aim at Meta with screenless design and neural wristband partnership

Rokid launched its AI Glasses Style at CES 2026, positioning them as a lighter, cheaper alternative to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. Priced at $299 and weighing just 38.5 grams, the screenless device focuses on voice-first AI interactions powered by ChatGPT-5. A partnership with Mudra brings neural wristband control to the mix, offering hands-free computing at a fraction of Meta's ecosystem cost.

2 Sources

DeepSeek AI gains traction in developing nations as free models fuel adoption gap concerns

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is rapidly expanding across the Global South, achieving 89% market share in China and significant adoption in Russia, Belarus, and Africa. A new Microsoft report reveals how the company's free and open-source models are reshaping AI adoption patterns while raising questions about geopolitical influence and the widening technology divide between advanced and developing economies.

6 Sources

France's armed forces award Mistral AI framework agreement for defense AI deployment

France's Ministry of the Armed Forces has awarded artificial intelligence company Mistral AI a framework agreement to deploy AI models across military branches and defense entities. The deal enables full data control on French infrastructure and includes fine-tuning models on defense data for operational needs, overseen by AMIAD.

2 Sources

Microsoft launches Copilot Checkout as AI shopping race against OpenAI and Google intensifies

Microsoft unveiled Copilot Checkout at NRF 2026, allowing users to complete purchases directly within the AI chatbot without visiting retailer websites. The feature launches in the US with Shopify, PayPal, Stripe, and Etsy integrations, joining OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini in the emerging AI shopping race. Microsoft claims shopping journeys involving Copilot are 194% more likely to result in purchases when shopping intent is present.

12 Sources

CrowdStrike acquires SGNL for $740 million to secure AI agents and combat identity threats

CrowdStrike announced a $740 million deal to acquire identity security startup SGNL, aiming to protect against AI-powered cyberattacks. The acquisition brings continuous identity technology to CrowdStrike's Falcon platform, enabling real-time access control for human, machine, and AI identities as businesses increasingly deploy autonomous AI agents.

6 Sources

Cyera raises $400 million funding at $9 billion valuation as AI data security stakes soar

Cyera secured $400 million in Series F funding led by Blackstone, pushing its valuation to $9 billion just six months after reaching $6 billion. The AI data security startup now protects 20% of Fortune 500 companies as enterprises grapple with agentic attackers and the challenge of securing data while enabling AI transformation across their operations.

3 Sources

AI roles dominate LinkedIn's fastest-growing jobs, but human judgment remains essential

LinkedIn's 2026 Jobs on the Rise report reveals AI engineer as the fastest-growing role in the US, followed by AI consultant and strategist. The analysis of millions of jobs started between January 2023 and July 2025 shows that even the most technical AI roles depend heavily on human judgment, with data annotators and researchers highlighting how human skills remain central to training and improving AI systems.

3 Sources

SAP unveils AI enhancements for retail customers at National Retail Federation 2026 Big Show

SAP announced a suite of AI-powered enhancements for its retail software portfolio at the National Retail Federation's 2026 Big Show. The updates include a new Retail Intelligence solution for demand and inventory planning, an Order Reliability Agent to proactively identify and resolve potential order issues, and AI-assisted assortment management through the Joule assistant. Most features will roll out in the first half of 2026.

2 Sources

Snowflake Acquires Observe for $1 Billion to Embed AI-Powered Observability Into Data Cloud

Snowflake confirmed plans to acquire AI-powered observability platform Observe in a deal reportedly valued at $1 billion. The acquisition integrates Observe's telemetry analytics and AI Site Reliability Engineer capabilities into Snowflake's AI Data Cloud, enabling enterprises to manage massive telemetry volumes while cutting observability costs by up to 60%. The move positions Snowflake to capture a larger share of the $51.7 billion IT operations management market.

5 Sources

ChatGPT vulnerability exposed as ZombieAgent attack bypasses OpenAI security guardrails

Security researchers at Radware discovered ZombieAgent, a new prompt injection attack that bypasses ChatGPT's security measures to exfiltrate sensitive user data. The exploit revives the previously patched ShadowLeak vulnerability, highlighting a persistent structural weakness in AI chatbots where guardrails fail to address the root cause of indirect prompt injection attacks.

2 Sources

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