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10 Feb 2026

Microsoft Copilot reaches 15 million paid seats, but only 3.3% of users are actually paying

Microsoft disclosed that Microsoft 365 Copilot has 15 million paid seats, representing 160% year-over-year growth. However, this accounts for just 3.3% of the company's 450 million commercial Microsoft 365 users who have free access. The figures highlight a stark gap between Microsoft's $37.5 billion AI investment and actual paid adoption, raising questions about the return on investment for AI.

2 Sources

Microsoft tests superconductors to shrink data centers and tackle AI power demands

Microsoft is exploring high-temperature superconductors to rewire its data centers, aiming to slash space requirements and energy waste. The zero-resistance cables could deliver the same power with a 10x reduction in size compared to traditional copper wires. This move comes as AI power demands strain aging electrical grids and delay data center construction across the U.S.

3 Sources

AI video generation leads hiring surge as companies prioritize AI skills over coding

Companies are racing to hire workers with AI skills, which grew 109% year-over-year according to Upwork's latest report. The fastest-growing AI skill isn't coding—it's AI video generation and editing, with demand surging 329%. While layoffs remain high and overall hiring stays low, businesses are integrating AI into existing roles rather than replacing workers outright.

2 Sources

North Korea-Linked UNC1069 Uses AI-Powered Attacks to Target Cryptocurrency Organizations

Google Mandiant reveals that UNC1069, a North Korea-linked threat actor, is deploying AI-powered attacks including deepfake Zoom calls and seven malware families to target cryptocurrency organizations. The sophisticated campaign uses compromised Telegram accounts and AI-generated lures to steal sensitive data, contributing to $2.02 billion in cryptocurrency thefts in 2025.

5 Sources

India enforces three-hour deepfake takedown as new IT rules test global platforms

India has introduced sweeping amendments to its IT Rules requiring social media platforms to remove deepfakes and AI-generated content within three hours, down from 36. The new regulations, effective February 20, mandate labeling of all synthetic content and deploy automated detection tools. With over 1 billion internet users, India's move could reshape global content moderation practices, though digital rights groups warn the compressed timelines may trigger automated censorship and eliminate meaningful human review.

12 Sources

Alibaba launches RynnBrain AI model for robots, setting 16 records against Google and NVIDIA

Alibaba unveiled RynnBrain, an artificial intelligence model designed to power robots through enhanced understanding of the physical world. The model set 16 robotics records, surpassing achievements by Google and NVIDIA. RynnBrain addresses critical weaknesses in existing robotics systems through spatiotemporal memory, as China intensifies its push into physical AI to compete with the United States for technological leadership.

2 Sources

Half of xAI's founding team exits as Elon Musk calls departures necessary reorganization

Six of xAI's 12 co-founders have now left Elon Musk's AI company, with at least 11 engineers departing in recent days. Musk frames the exits as strategic reorganization for scale, but the departures come amid regulatory scrutiny over Grok AI's content issues and a pending IPO following the SpaceX merger.

36 Sources

Nebius Acquires Tavily for $275 Million to Power Next-Generation AI Agents with Real-Time Search

Cloud computing provider Nebius has agreed to acquire Tavily, a specialist in agentic search technology, for $275 million. The deal aims to integrate real-time search infrastructure into Nebius's AI cloud platform, addressing a critical need as enterprises rapidly adopt autonomous AI agents for tasks ranging from coding to financial trading.

5 Sources

Former GitHub CEO Raises Record $60M for AI Coding Tool to Manage Agent-Written Code

Thomas Dohmke, who led GitHub for four years and oversaw GitHub Copilot's rise, has launched Entire with a $60 million seed round—the largest ever for a developer tool startup. The platform addresses a critical gap: helping developers manage and understand massive volumes of code created by AI agents through an open-source tool called Checkpoints.

5 Sources

Cadence embeds AI across chip design tools to tackle trillion-transistor complexity by 2030

Cadence launched its ChipStack AI Super Agent to help engineers design, debug, and verify chips faster as the industry races toward trillion-transistor packages. With Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Altera already testing the system, the electronic design automation giant claims 10x productivity gains while addressing a looming shortage of tens of thousands of semiconductor workers by decade's end.

7 Sources

Runway raises $315M at $5.3B valuation as AI video startup pivots to world model development

Runway AI Inc. secured a $315 million Series E funding round led by General Atlantic, nearly doubling its valuation to $5.3 billion. The AI video generation startup plans to invest in world models—AI systems that simulate environments for planning future events—targeting applications in medicine, climate, energy, and robotics beyond its traditional media and entertainment base.

4 Sources

European Publishers Council files EU antitrust complaint against Google over AI Overviews use

The European Publishers Council has filed a formal antitrust complaint with the European Commission against Google, alleging the tech giant abuses its dominant market position by using journalistic content without authorization in its AI Overviews and AI Mode features. Publishers report traffic declines exceeding 30% for affected queries, with some seeing click-through reductions over 50%, as Google transforms from a referral service into an answer engine that retains users within its ecosystem.

4 Sources

SwitchBot AI Art Frame turns text prompts into wall art, but AI gaffes reveal limitations

SwitchBot launched its AI Art Frame with E Ink display technology and AI image generation powered by Google's Nano Banana model. Available in three sizes from $149 to $1,299, the cord-free display promises two-year battery life but requires a $4 monthly subscription for AI features. Early reviews reveal the frame struggles with spelling errors and copyrighted content while offering limited photo management compared to traditional digital frames.

2 Sources

Smart Bricks Raises $5M to Bring AI Agents and Institutional-Grade Insights to Real Estate

Proptech startup Smart Bricks has raised $5 million in pre-seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz to deploy AI agents that automate real estate investing. Founded by Mohamed Mohamed, the platform analyzes over 1 million data feeds to surface the top 0.1% of investment opportunities and streamline transactions that typically take weeks. The company aims to bring institutional-grade intelligence to individual investors who currently lack the advanced tools used by firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs.

2 Sources

YouTube Music launches AI Playlist generator for Premium subscribers using text prompts

YouTube Music has introduced an AI Playlist feature for Premium subscribers on iOS and Android, allowing users to create playlists by describing moods, genres, or vibes through text or voice prompts. The move follows similar features from Spotify and Amazon Music, as Google continues integrating Gemini AI across its products while pushing to grow its subscription business.

9 Sources

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