Research & Development news

• Elon Musk Posts AI Video That Looks Like Sydney Sweeney, Raising Consent Concerns

  29-01-2026 20:01 via eweek.com
  Elon Musk has once again found himself at the center of a digital firestorm.On Wednesday, Musk posted a short, AI-generated video to his X platform. The clip features a woman who looks unmistakably like actress Sydney Sweeney, standing inside a spacecraft. The digital Sweeney turns to a male AI character and says, “So let me get this straight. Grok videos are now 10 seconds, and the audio is greatly improved?”Her counterpart replies, “Yeah, pretty much… Do you like it?&r
  
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• UK Launches Free AI Training for Every Adult in the Country

  29-01-2026 19:08 via eweek.com
  The UK is throwing the doors open to AI training.In what is being described as the most significant upskilling push since the birth of the Open University in the 1970s, the UK government has officially opened the doors to free artificial intelligence training for every adult in the country. Announced this week, the program aims to prepare 10 million workers for a shifting labor market by the end of the decade.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is spearheading this
  
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• Mozilla Invests $1.4B to Build an AI ‘Rebel Alliance’

  29-01-2026 17:51 via eweek.com
  Mozilla, the nonprofit best known for its Firefox browser, is stepping into the AI race with a familiar underdog mindset.Instead of trying to outspend the biggest players, the organization aims to build an alliance of startups, developers, and public interest technologists committed to making AI more open and trustworthy. Mozilla plans to deploy its roughly $1.4 billion in reserves to support mission-driven AI projects, a move aimed at countering the growing dominance of companies like Open
  
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• Waymo’s Driverless Taxis Could Hit London Streets Later This Year

  29-01-2026 17:35 via eweek.com
  Driverless taxis are edging closer to UK roads, with US autonomous car firm Waymo saying it hopes to launch a robotaxi service in London as early as September, pending regulatory approval.Waymo, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet, has confirmed plans to begin a pilot phase in the UK this April. If regulations allow, the service could open to paying passengers later in the year.The UK government has said it intends to change the rules governing autonomous vehicles in the second half of 2026
  
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• Gemini, Nano Banana Are Coming to Chrome as Google Reinvents the Browser

  29-01-2026 16:22 via eweek.com
  Chrome is no longer just a window to the web; it’s becoming the pilot.In a new update announced Wednesday, Google said it is adding more Gemini-powered features directly into Chrome, including a permanent side panel assistant, built-in image tools, and an “auto browse” feature that can complete multi-step tasks across the web, rolling out in preview in the US for Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers.The changes are rolling out across macOS, Windows, and Chromebook Plus
  
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• China’s Humanoid Robots Are Finally Headed to the US

  29-01-2026 16:03 via eweek.com
  A new wave of Chinese humanoid robots is quietly closing in on the US market.A growing number of startups from Shenzhen, often called China’s “Silicon Valley,” are stepping onto the global stage, hoping to expand overseas before Tesla’s Optimus robot is even available to the public.One of the most closely watched names is LimX Dynamics, a company that has moved quickly from a small operation into an ambitious player with international plans, according to CNBC’s The
  
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• Boston University School of Law to Launch AI Certificate Program in Fall 2026

  29-01-2026 14:30 via eweek.com
  Boston has more than a feeling when it comes to AI.
  Boston University School of Law is preparing to launch an AI certificate program in fall 2026 as part of a broader initiative aimed at training future lawyers in the ethical and effective use of AI technologies.
  The initiative reflects a growing recognition within legal education that AI is becoming deeply embedded in legal research, writing, and practice. Law school administrators say the program is designed not only to familiarize students wi
  
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• Universal Basic Income Could Help Cushion UK Workers From AI Job Losses

  29-01-2026 13:43 via eweek.com
  As AI continues to take its vicious toll on jobs everywhere, there may be a soft solution in the UK.
  The country could consider introducing a universal basic income (UBI) as a way to protect workers whose jobs are disrupted by AI, according to the investment minister Jason Stockwood, as concerns mount over the pace at which new technologies are reshaping the labour market.
  UBI refers to a system in which individuals receive a regular, unconditional payment from the state, regardless of employmen
  
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• Meta to Nearly Double AI Spending

  29-01-2026 12:43 via eweek.com
  Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has signalled an aggressive expansion of the company’s AI ambitions.
  The Facebook-owner is planning to nearly double its annual spending on AI infrastructure and projects, even as warnings mount about a potential bubble in the fast-growing sector.
  The move underlines Meta’s belief that AI will reshape not only its products but also the wider economy, workplace structures, and competitive dynamics across the technology industry.
  Ramping up investme
  
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• Cisco Boss Warns AI Gold Rush Will End in a Reckoning

  29-01-2026 12:30 via eweek.com
  If the influx of AI-related everything these days hasn’t tipped you off already, I’ll be the one to break it to you: AI is here to stay. But how will its boom of seemingly endless widespread popularity impact the world, and will it ever slow down?The AI boom is indeed transforming tech at a rapid pace; the road ahead is unlikely to be smooth. Chuck Robbins, chairman and chief executive of Cisco Systems, has warned that while AI will reshape the global economy and ultimately be &ldquo
  
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• Google DeepMind AI Model Reads DNA’s Recipe for Life

  29-01-2026 07:00 via eweek.com
  A powerful AI model developed by Google’s DeepMind is being hailed as a potential turning point in genetics.
  Researchers reckon it could dramatically accelerate understanding of how DNA influences disease, cancer, and drug discovery.
  The model, called AlphaGenome, is designed to read and interpret the human genome – the complete set of genetic instructions that governs how the body grows, functions, and responds to illness. Scientists say it offers new insight into why tiny variation
  
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