Research & Development news

• Perplexity Wants to Replace Your Computer With 19 AIs

  26-02-2026 19:32 via eweek.com
  You know that thing where you start a project in ChatGPT, realize you need an image, so you jump to another tool, then need code, so you open something else, then need research, so you’re back to square one? It’s like cooking dinner using a different kitchen for every ingredient.Perplexity just launched something that’s trying to fix that. It’s called Perplexity Computer (try it here), and the pitch is simple: instead of one AI model doing everything okay, 19 specialized
  
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• UK Self-Driving Star Wayve Hits $8.6B Valuation, Eyes UK Robotaxi Pilot

  26-02-2026 19:24 via eweek.com
  UK self-driving startup Wayve has secured $1.2 billion in fresh funding at an $8.6 billion valuation, making it one of the most valuable UK tech startups.The round included several major automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Nissan. Wayve already announced a commercial partnership with Nissan last year, while the two other automakers are exploring ways to integrate its self-driving system into their vehicles.Wayve plans to be among the first companies involved in the UK’s in
  
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• China’s Unitree Unveils Robot Dog That Sprints at 11 mph, Lifts 143 Pounds

  26-02-2026 19:17 via eweek.com
  Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics has introduced the As2, a new quadruped robot designed to blend industrial-grade strength with advanced AI. The company says the machine is built for real-world environments, offering a mix of speed, payload capacity, and autonomous features. The As2 arrives as the latest entry in Unitree’s growing lineup of robot dogs, but this one pushes performance further with higher torque, longer runtime, and expanded developer tools.Weighing about 18 kg wi
  
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• San Francisco Startup Pitches Armed Humanoid Robots to Trump Administration

  26-02-2026 18:43 via eweek.com
  A young robotics company says it is in active discussions with officials tied to President Donald Trump about expanding the role of its humanoid machines within the US military, potentially including arming them in the future.Foundation, a two-year-old robotics startup headquartered in San Francisco, has already secured at least $18 million in military contracts with the Army, Air Force, and Navy, according to federal contracting data reviewed by NBC Bay Area. While existing deals focus on
  
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• Google Debuts Nano Banana 2 for Faster, Cleaner AI Image Generation

  26-02-2026 18:33 via eweek.com
  Nano Banana 2 just dropped… and Google wants it to feel like a pro camera in fast-forward.The company has debuted the new Gemini Flash Image model, pitching pro-grade image generation and editing at “Flash” speed, with a rollout that spans Gemini and other major Google surfaces.In a Google announcement, the company frames Nano Banana 2 as an upgrade for rapid iteration, with improvements aimed at cleaner outputs and broader availability across its product stack.One model, fewe
  
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• Google Expands Gemini on Android and Pixel With App-Running AI Feature

  26-02-2026 18:21 via eweek.com
  Your phone is about to start doing the tapping for you. Google has previewed a new Gemini feature that can execute multi-step tasks inside Android apps, from booking rides to reordering groceries and food.In a Google announcement, the company said the beta will let users trigger Gemini to carry out supported actions in the background while providing live notifications so they can monitor progress or step in at any time.A beta rollout with tight boundariesThe feature is launching as a beta inside
  
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• Claude Opus 3 Is Being “Retired” — Here’s What That Actually Means

  26-02-2026 18:04 via eweek.com
  If you’ve built workflows around Claude Opus 3, this is your cue to pay attention.Anthropic is officially “retiring” Claude Opus 3 as a standard, generally available model — and using the move to debut what it calls its first formal model retirement process. The reason is familiar: it’s costly and operationally complex to keep older models broadly available while newer ones ship.This also isn’t a hard cutoff. Anthropic says Opus 3 will remain accessible on cla
  
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• Discord Cancels Persona Partnership After User Revolt

  26-02-2026 17:52 via eweek.com
  Discord’s age-check experiment hit a wall: gamers do not like surprises that require real-world identity verification.
  After users raised privacy concerns, Discord ended a limited UK test tied to Persona and slowed its broader age-verification plans, a quick retreat that shows how fast trust can evaporate when “safety” starts to sound like “give us your ID.”
  According to The Verge, Discord said the Persona test in the UK “has come to an end” after users
  
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• AI Robot Monk Debuts in Japan, Offers Spiritual Guidance

  26-02-2026 12:42 via eweek.com
  A robot monk walks into a temple.
  It does not crack jokes. It offers advice.
  A “Buddharoid” built by Kyoto University’s Professor Seiji Kumagai debuted in Kyoto this week, with researchers pitching it as a future helper for Buddhist institutions facing a shortage of monks. The project sits at the intersection of robotics, generative AI, and a very old question: what counts as spiritual guidance?
  What Kyoto University built
  Kyoto University says the small, two-legged robot can r
  
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