Homechevron_rightArchives

Archives

Explore Stories by Date

29 Jan 2026

SpaceX files to launch 1 million satellites as orbital data centers for AI computing power

SpaceX has submitted an FCC filing requesting approval to launch up to one million solar-powered satellites that would function as orbital data centers for artificial intelligence. The proposal dwarfs the company's existing Starlink constellation of over 9,600 satellites and would dramatically increase the roughly 15,000 satellites currently orbiting Earth, raising concerns about space debris and orbital monopolization.

30 Sources

Apple acquires Israeli startup Q.AI for $2 billion to boost AI-powered wearables and audio tech

Apple has completed its second-largest acquisition ever, purchasing Israeli AI startup Q.AI for nearly $2 billion. The deal brings silent speech recognition and facial muscle tracking technology that could transform how users interact with AirPods, Vision Pro, and Siri through non-verbal communication.

26 Sources

Google AI launches Project Genie to create interactive worlds from prompts for $250 monthly

Google DeepMind opens Project Genie to AI Ultra subscribers, letting them generate explorable 3D environments from simple text or image prompts. Built on the Genie 3 world model, the experimental tool renders 720p worlds at 24 fps but limits exploration to 60 seconds. The move signals Google's push toward AGI development while raising concerns in the gaming industry about AI's role in creative work.

26 Sources

Studio Atelico's Bobium Brawlers lets players create creatures with AI while paying artist royalties

Studio Atelico announces Bobium Brawlers, an AI-first game launching on iOS later this year. The turn-based card battler lets players create unique creatures using on-device AI text prompts. CEO Piero Molino argues gamers oppose player exploitation and AI slop, not AI itself, while the studio pays human artists royalties on AI-generated content.

2 Sources

Robco raises $100M Series C funding to dominate AI robotics manufacturing in US and Europe

German automation startup Robco secured $100M in Series C funding to accelerate its US expansion and advance its physical AI roadmap. The round, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Lingotto Innovation, values the company above $500M. Robco's self-learning robots are deployed across major manufacturers including BMW, targeting SME manufacturing automation.

2 Sources

AI in Chemistry breakthrough: Two systems accelerate molecule design and drug discovery by 10x

Researchers unveiled two AI systems that transform chemical synthesis and molecule design. Yale's MOSAIC successfully helped synthesize 35 new compounds for pharmaceuticals and materials, while NYU's PropMolFlow generates molecular candidates ten times faster than previous tools. Both systems address critical bottlenecks in drug discovery and could accelerate the path from laboratory concept to real-world products.

2 Sources

Music publishers sue Anthropic for $3 billion over illegal downloading of 20,000 songs

Universal Music Group and Concord Music Group lead a coalition of music publishers in a $3 billion lawsuit against Anthropic, accusing the AI company of illegally downloading over 20,000 copyrighted songs to train Claude. The suit alleges flagrant piracy through shadow libraries, marking one of the largest non-class action copyright cases in U.S. history.

5 Sources

AI boom drives US to triple natural gas power projects as data centers fuel global surge

The US has tripled its natural gas power projects in 2025, driven by AI energy demand from expanding data centers. Nearly a quarter of global gas capacity in development is now in the US, with a third directly powering data centers. This surge threatens climate goals, potentially locking in 12.1 billion tonnes of lifetime CO₂ emissions from US projects alone.

4 Sources

Elon Musk's Grok ranks worst in AI chatbot safety study on antisemitic content detection

A new Anti-Defamation League study evaluated six major AI chatbots on their ability to counter antisemitic and extremist content. Grok scored just 21 out of 100 points, placing last among the group, while Anthropic's Claude led with 80 points. The findings highlight critical gaps in AI chatbot safety and content moderation standards across the industry.

2 Sources

Google Maps expands Gemini AI navigation to walking and cycling with hands-free assistance

Google Maps now offers Gemini-powered AI navigation for pedestrians and cyclists, extending the hands-free conversational experience beyond driving. Users can ask questions about neighborhoods, find points of interest, and get context-aware answers without breaking stride. The update is rolling out globally on iOS and Android wherever Gemini is available.

11 Sources

AI pioneer Yann LeCun warns business tools built on LLMs are headed for obsolescence

Turing Award winner Yann LeCun is sounding the alarm on Silicon Valley's AI strategy. After leaving Meta to launch his own startup, the renowned researcher argues that large language models represent a dead end for achieving human-level intelligence. He warns that companies are wasting billions on limited technology while Chinese competitors pursue more promising approaches.

2 Sources

Lloyds Banking Group expects £100 million AI boost as CEO warns bankers must reskill

Lloyds Banking Group projects a £100 million financial boost from artificial intelligence in 2026, doubling the £50 million gain achieved in 2025. CEO Charlie Nunn warns that bankers must reskill themselves as AI adoption transforms financial services, while the bank scales 50 generative AI use cases and invests heavily in agentic AI technology.

3 Sources

Dow slashes 4,500 jobs as AI and automation reshape chemical manufacturing operations

Chemical giant Dow announced plans to cut 4,500 jobs—12.5% of its workforce—as part of its Transform to Outperform initiative. The company explicitly cites AI-driven automation as the catalyst, partnering with C3 AI to optimize operations. With severance costs reaching up to $800 million, Dow joins Amazon and UPS in a wave of corporate layoffs, though experts debate whether AI is truly driving job losses or simply providing cover for deeper strategic issues.

5 Sources

Open-source AI models vulnerable to criminal misuse as hundreds operate without guardrails

A 293-day study by SentinelOne and Censys exposes widespread criminal misuse of open-source AI models, with hundreds of deployments stripped of safety features. Researchers found 7.5% of system prompts could enable harmful activity, including phishing, disinformation campaigns, and fraud. The findings reveal an accountability gap in the open-source AI ecosystem.

4 Sources

AI Boom Triggers Memory Shortage, Pushing PC and Smartphone Prices Up 23% by Fall 2026

The AI infrastructure race is creating a severe memory chip shortage as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron prioritize lucrative datacenter orders over consumer products. PC prices have already jumped 8% in the UK, while memory costs have soared 80-90%. Major tech companies including Apple and Qualcomm warn the crunch will persist until 2028, forcing smartphone and PC makers to cut production or raise prices.

6 Sources

Get all updates into your inbox 💌, Stay Up-to-date for Free 🥳

Your Daily Dose of Curated AI News

Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Spend less time searching for the latest in AI and get straight to action.

The Outpost

News

About