Research & Development news

• 10 Under-the-Radar AI Companies to Watch in 2026

  02-01-2026 21:18 via eweek.com
  When people discuss artificial intelligence in 2026, the same handful of companies tend to dominate the conversation. Google. OpenAI. Nvidia. Microsoft. Amazon.However, there are some burgeoning, under-the-radar vendors focused on making AI systems easier to deploy, manage, and leverage within organizations.This list highlights 10 hidden gems in the AI industry worth watching in 2026. While none of these companies are yet household names, each is gaining traction in healthcare, data governance,
  
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• Rumor: OpenAI’s New ‘Audio-Based’ Device Could Arrive Very Soon

  02-01-2026 21:12 via eweek.com
  Screens had a good run. Now OpenAI is betting that the future of AI lives in your ears, not on your phone.OpenAI is ramping up work on its audio AI as it prepares for an upcoming personal device that will rely primarily on voice, according to The Information. The device is expected to be “largely audio-based,” marking a shift away from screens as the main way users interact with AI.Inside the company, researchers believe OpenAI’s current audio models are not yet on par with its
  
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• 7 Robots Handling Jobs Too Dangerous for Humans

  02-01-2026 18:59 via eweek.com
  Robots are no longer limited to factory floors or research labs.Across the world, they are stepping into jobs that are simply too risky for people — from fighting fires and disarming bombs to inspecting radioactive sites and navigating deep underground pipelines.As technology improves, machines are being trusted with environments filled with heat, radiation, toxic chemicals, unstable structures, and live explosives. These machines do not breathe smoke, absorb radiation, or panic under pres
  
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• Inside DARPA’s High-Stakes Challenge to Build Life-Saving Robots

  02-01-2026 17:59 via eweek.com
  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is pushing robots into one of the hardest jobs in emergency medicine: triage. Through its multi-year DARPA Triage Challenge, the agency is testing whether machines can help overwhelmed responders quickly locate injured people, assess injury severity, and share that information in time to save lives. Earthquakes, plane crashes, battlefield attacks, and large accidents often leave too many injured people and too few medics. DARPA b
  
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• AI Startups Raise Record $150B in 2025, Redefining Venture Capital

  02-01-2026 15:49 via eweek.com
  The AI funding boom just rewrote the record books. In 2025, startups raised roughly $150 billion, setting a new high for venture capital investment.
  Data released on Dec. 28 confirms this marks the third consecutive year of record growth, surpassing the 2021 peak by $92 billion and representing a 63% increase over an already historic market.
  But the most striking shift isn’t just the headline number. AI companies now account for nearly 50% of all global startup funding, up from just 34% in
  
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