Research & Development news

• China’s Z.ai Debuts First Major Model Trained Fully on Huawei’s AI Chip Stack

  15-01-2026 10:50 via eweek.com
  Chinese AI startup Z.ai has unveiled GLM-Image, an advanced multimodal AI model that represents a shift in the ongoing tech war between superpowers.
  Z.ai (formerly known as Zhipu AI outside China until its rebranding in 2025) disclosed that GLM-Image is reportedly the first top-tier multimodal model trained entirely on Ascend chips developed by Huawei Technologies.
  The announcement says it was built using Huawei’s Ascend Atlas 800T A2 servers and the MindSpore framework, with servers equip
  
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• OpenAI Will Test Ads in ChatGPT’s Free and Go Tiers

  19-01-2026 17:59 via eweek.com
  Someone needs more money as ads are coming to ChatGPT. OpenAI will begin testing advertising in ChatGPT’s Free and Go tiers in the US, opening the door to a new revenue model inside its most widely used product.In its announcement, OpenAI said the tests will roll out within weeks, with ads clearly labeled and displayed separately from responses as the company experiments with bringing advertising into ChatGPT.What ‘separate and labeled’ looks like in practiceOpenAI said ad
  
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• Grok AI Still Operational in Indonesia and Malaysia Despite Ban

  19-01-2026 16:40 via eweek.com
  Despite a nationwide ban, Grok AI is still running in Indonesia and Malaysia, aided by domain name system (DNS) tweaks and virtual private networks (VPNs).Following reports that Grok generated nonconsensual sexual images of women and children, governments in both Malaysia and Indonesia swiftly moved to ban the controversial AI platform. Malaysia first implemented a widespread restriction on Jan. 11, with Indonesia quickly following suit. The nations maintained that the AI tool would remain
  
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• OpenAI’s Revenue Climbs Past $20B as Compute Expansion Powers Rapid Growth

  19-01-2026 15:22 via eweek.com
  OpenAI is no longer just a research lab with a clever chatbot. It has officially entered its “infrastructure era,” fueled by a massive $20 billion revenue surge and enough computing power to light up a small country.In a weekend update, OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar revealed that the company’s annualized revenue has skyrocketed past $20 billion in 2025. To put that in perspective, the company was making $2 billion just two years ago.But this growth isn’t
  
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• Columbia Engineering Teaches Robot to Learn Human Lip Movements

  19-01-2026 13:05 via eweek.com
  Robots have learned to walk, gesture, and talk, but their faces have always lagged behind. Now, a new robot has taken a major step past stiff, unnatural expressions by learning how to move its lips in sync with speech.The advance targets one of the most stubborn problems in humanoid robotics: facial movement that looks convincing in real conversation, not just in demos. Researchers say even small gains in lip realism can dramatically change how people perceive and respond to a robot.Crossing the
  
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• Sequoia Joins Mega AI Investment in Anthropic

  19-01-2026 12:54 via eweek.com
  Sequoia Capital is preparing to write its first cheque to Anthropic, stepping into one of Silicon Valley’s biggest AI deals yet as the race to back frontier models intensifies.The talks reflect how quickly the biggest AI companies are attracting ever-larger sums from deep-pocketed investors.Sequoia Capital is targeting a major investment in Anthropic, the fast-growing AI company behind the Claude chatbot, according to the Financial Times (FT). The move, which was in talks earlier, would ma
  
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• Bandcamp Bans AI Music

  19-01-2026 10:50 via eweek.com
  Bandcamp just shut the door on all AI-generated music, taking a definite stance in favor of human creativity.In a Jan. 13 Reddit post, the company formalized the prohibition, citing its commitment to human-made art. The announcement drew mixed reactions from artists and fans, though many supported the decision as a long-overdue move.The ban establishes Bandcamp as the first major music-distribution company to prohibit AI content, a move that clearly separates it from competitors like Spotify and
  
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• Google Brings AI Videomaker ‘Flow’ to All Workspace Users

  19-01-2026 10:09 via eweek.com
  Google is expanding the reach of its AI filmmaking tool, Flow, by bringing it directly into Google Workspace. The company announced via Google Workspace Updates that Flow is now available as an additional Google service for Workspace customers, opening the door for businesses, schools, and teams to create high-definition videos using simple text prompts.Flow was previously limited to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers. With this update, Google is positioning AI video creation as a pract
  
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• KI unterstütztUnternehmenswachstum

  17-01-2026 00:17 via eweek.com
  Die Digitalisierung bringt eine Vielzahl von Vorteilen mit sich: Sie ermöglicht hybride Arbeitsmodelle, gestaltet Abläufe flexibler und erlaubt einen schnellen Austausch zwischen Teams — egal, wo sie sich befinden.Technologien wie künstliche Intelligenz können dabei unterstützen, dass Mitarbeitende ihre Arbeit effizienter erledigen. Gleichzeitig entlastet KI aber auch IT-Teams, indem sie Probleme behebt, bevor diese den Arbeitsablauf beeinträchtigt. Doch KI be
  
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• Die Zukunft der Arbeit beruht auf Partnerschaft, nicht nur Rechenleistung

  16-01-2026 18:58 via eweek.com
  Es ist Linas erster Tag als Consultant bei einem mittelständischen Unternehmen in Hamburg. Sie meldet sich auf Ihrem HP EliteBook X G2i an und eine Begrüßungsmeldung erscheint: „Beginnen wir mit der Einrichtung.“ Innerhalb weniger Minuten hat der KI-PC ihren Arbeitsplatz automatisch konfiguriert. Lina ist sich nicht sicher, wo sie anfangen soll, und ist daher erleichtert, zusammengefasste Onboarding-Materialien von verschiedenen Quellen sowie die wichtigsten Rich
  
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• 5 Simple Ways to Spot AI-Generated Images

  16-01-2026 18:12 via eweek.com
  A couple of years ago, spotting an AI-generated image was almost a game. You didn’t need sharp eyes; just count the fingers, or recall that bizarre AI clip of Will Smith eating spaghetti.The results were fascinating, funny… and very obviously fake.Today, that’s no longer the case. AI image generators have gotten dramatically better, turning out photos that can look realistic enough to pass at a quick glance… and sometimes even longer.The good news: AI still isn’t
  
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• OpenAI Quietly Rolls Out ChatGPT Translate to Take on Google

  16-01-2026 17:03 via eweek.com
  OpenAI has made a quiet but notable move in the language wars. Without a press release or big announcement, the company has launched ChatGPT Translate, a standalone translation website aimed squarely at Google Translate. And it’s already live.At first glance, ChatGPT Translate looks very familiar. The page features two large text boxes side by side, along with dropdown menus to select the source and target languages. Paste in text, pick your languages, and a translation appears within seco
  
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• Microsoft’s New Education Push: Free AI Tools, Training, and Premium Software for Schools

  16-01-2026 16:11 via eweek.com
  Microsoft is making a fresh push into education, rolling out free AI tools, training, and premium software for teachers and students as schools worldwide grapple with how to use AI responsibly in the classroom.The software giant on Jan. 15 announced a broad set of education-focused AI programs and tools under a new initiative called Microsoft Elevate for Educators. The move brings together free professional development for teachers, AI-powered classroom tools, and limited-time access to premium
  
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• Tony Robbins Just Cloned Himself Into an AI App

  16-01-2026 15:24 via eweek.com
  What if an AI becomes your personal life coach? Tony Robbins just made it possible with his AI-powered coaching app.Available on iOS and Android, the new application uses decades of the coach’s data to deliver voice-driven coaching sessions that mirror Robbins’s exact voice, energy, and strategy. His goal is to serve millions simultaneously. The AI overcomes the limitations of one-on-one coaching, enabling Robbins to democratize access to his high-level expertise.The signal is clear:
  
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• AI Video Startup Higgsfield Hits the Highs With $1.3B Valuation

  16-01-2026 15:14 via eweek.com
  AI video and image generator startup Higgsfield is proving popular.
  Higgsfield has announced an $80 million Series A extension with participation from Accel, AI Capital Partners (Alpha Intelligence Capital’s US-based fund), and Menlo Ventures and others, bringing total Series A funding to more than $130 million and valuing the company at more than $1.3 billion.
  The startup has climbed from startup launch to a $200 million annual run rate faster than anyone thought possible. Most companies
  
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• US, Taiwan Sign $250B AI Chip Deal

  16-01-2026 13:58 via eweek.com
  The U.S. and Taiwan have struck a technology trade agreement that promises to bring Taiwan’s semiconductor empire to American soil.
  Taiwan has pledged at least $250 billion in direct U.S. investments for semiconductor, energy, and AI production. In exchange, the U.S. slashed tariffs on Taiwanese goods from 20% to 15%, putting Taiwan on par with Japan and South Korea. The deal is a clever one as it directly addresses America’s technological vulnerability.
  America’s semiconductor
  
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• AI Startup Replit Launches ‘Vibe Coding’ Feature for Building Mobile Apps

  16-01-2026 12:10 via eweek.com
  Replit has unveiled its Mobile Apps feature, allowing creators to build and publish Apple device applications using nothing but plain English descriptions.
  This capability promises to transform ideas into working apps within minutes and get them to the App Store in days.
  This breakthrough represents a leap forward in accessible AI development, with Replit trying to position itself at the forefront of the “vibe coding” movement. The platform now enables small business owners and creat
  
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• Thinking Machines Lab Loses Key Leaders as They Return to OpenAI

  16-01-2026 10:01 via eweek.com
  Thinking Machines Lab—the startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati—is hemorrhaging key leadership as co-founders abandon ship to return to their former employer.
  Two co-founders, Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, are heading back to OpenAI, alongside Sam Schoenholz, another former OpenAI staffer who had joined the startup.
  This reversal comes just six months after the company secured a record-breaking $2 billion funding round that valued the startup at $12 billion. The timing could
  
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• Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab Loses Key Leaders as They Return to OpenAI

  16-01-2026 10:01 via eweek.com
  Thinking Machines Lab — the startup launched by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati — is hemorrhaging key leadership as co-founders abandon ship to return to their former employer.
  Two co-founders, Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, are heading back to OpenAI, alongside Sam Schoenholz, another former OpenAI staffer who had joined the startup.
  This reversal comes just six months after the company secured a record-breaking $2 billion funding round that valued the startup at $12 billion. The timing c
  
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• Meet Pocket TTS: Real-Time Voice AI That Runs on a Laptop

  15-01-2026 21:28 via eweek.com
  Most AI voice models demand expensive GPUs and cloud APIs to generate speech. Not ideal if you’re building a voice assistant or just want to clone your voice without burning through compute credits. Kyutai just released Pocket TTS, a text-to-speech model so small (100 million parameters) it runs faster than real-time on your CPU — no fancy GPU needed.The model delivers high-quality voice cloning using just 5 seconds of audio. Give it 5 seconds of someone’s voice, and it&rs
  
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• Matthew McConaughey Trademarks “Alright, Alright, Alright” to Shut Down AI Imitations

  15-01-2026 21:02 via eweek.com
  Matthew McConaughey’s voice is instantly recognizable. Say three words, and most people can already hear him. That’s exactly why the actor is drawing a firm legal line in the sand.According to recent reports, McConaughey was granted at least eight trademarks covering some of his most iconic scenes and spoken lines. Some of the covered works include a brief clip of him sitting in front of a Christmas tree, another clip of him standing on a porch, and even the line “Alright, alri
  
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• This $14B Startup Is Building a ‘Brain’ for All Robots

  15-01-2026 16:55 via eweek.com
  What if every robot could run on the same brain? SoftBank wants to find out.On Jan. 14, robotics startup Skild AI raised a $1.4 billion in a SoftBank-led funding round, tripling its valuation to $14 billion and cementing its place as one of the most valuable robotics AI companies in the world. Just two years after launch, Skild has now attracted 22 investors and more than $1.83 billion in total funding, signaling surging confidence in “physical AI” as the next major tech frontier.Bui
  
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• Google’s Veo 3.1 Can Turn Your Photos Into Viral-Ready Videos

  15-01-2026 15:20 via eweek.com
  Google is giving its Veo AI video tool a noticeable glow-up. The company announced on Jan. 13 that Veo can now create more expressive videos from images, handle vertical formats natively, and deliver sharper output up to 4K, all aimed at creators who live on their phones and timelines.At the center of the update is an improved version of Veo 3.1 Ingredients to Video, a feature that lets users generate short video clips using reference images and simple text prompts.Google says the tool now
  
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• Did ChatGPT Help Write the Stranger Things Finale? Fans Think They Spotted Proof

  15-01-2026 14:40 via eweek.com
  A brief scene in Netflix’s “Stranger Things: One Last Adventure” has triggered fresh debate about artificial intelligence and creative work. Viewers watching the behind-the-scenes documentary believed they spotted ChatGPT tabs open on a laptop in the show’s writers’ room as the team worked on the final episode. The image quickly spread online, fueling claims that generative AI influenced the series finale and prompting renewed discussion about how generati
  
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• OpenAI’s $10B Cerebras Deal Promises 15x Faster AI Speed

  15-01-2026 09:13 via eweek.com
  I feel the need… the need for speed.
  ChatGPT creator OpenAI has dropped news of a massive partnership that promises to deliver the fastest AI responses ever seen.
  OpenAI announced on Jan. 14 an alliance with AI chip specialist Cerebras Systems to integrate 750 megawatts of ultra-low-latency computing power into its platform. Industry insiders familiar with the arrangement confirmed the deal carries a price tag exceeding $10 billion, according to CNBC sources. The computing capacity will r
  
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• Google Integrates Gmail, YouTube, and Search Into Gemini

  14-01-2026 23:47 via eweek.com
  Google is supercharging its AI chatbot Gemini by integrating emails, photos, and information from across its app suite, providing users with personalized results.Until now, Google has been relatively hands-off in applying the full weight of its app portfolio to Gemini, despite many of those services having billions of users. With this integration, Gemini will be able to pull from private data that competitors such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude cannot access.Beyond ingest
  
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• Meet the $500M AI Startup Quietly Interviewing Customers for Microsoft

  14-01-2026 17:40 via eweek.com
  Silicon Valley has no shortage of AI hype, but one fast-growing startup is doing something refreshingly old-school: talking to customers. Only now, it’s doing it at a massive scale — on behalf of companies like Microsoft.Listen Labs, a San Francisco-based AI company, has become an unlikely middleman between some of the world’s biggest brands and their users. The startup uses automated AI “interviewers” to run customer research, helping companies understand what
  
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• Bill Gates: ‘AI Will Change Society,” Including the Job Market

  14-01-2026 15:51 via eweek.com
  Bill Gates may call himself an eternal optimist, but he has added a caveat to that characterization after citing concerns over what the AI era will bring.In his latest annual The Year Ahead letter, which touched on areas including healthcare, climate change, and education, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist explained that he remains an optimist “because I see what innovation accelerated by artificial intelligence will bring. But these days, my optimism comes with footnotes.”Bad
  
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• OpenAI Reportedly Planning 60-Second Super Bowl Ad as AI War Intensifies

  14-01-2026 15:19 via eweek.com
  The AI boom has entered its most expensive phase yet… and OpenAI is reportedly spending big to stay in front.OpenAI is expected to return to the Super Bowl stage this year, with plans to air a 60-second commercial during NBC’s Super Bowl LX broadcast, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter. If confirmed, it would mark the second year in a row the ChatGPT maker has bought airtime during the biggest night in US television.The move comes as AI comp
  
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• Anthropic Makes Leadership Changes for Labs Expansion

  14-01-2026 12:15 via eweek.com
  Anthropic is shaking things up in the intense AI race as it expands its Labs.
  On X, the busy AI firm said, “We’re expanding Labs—the team behind Claude Code, MCP, and Cowork—and hiring builders who want to tinker at the frontier of Claude’s capabilities.”
  According to the announcement, Mike Krieger is stepping away from his chief product officer role to co-lead Anthropic’s Labs team. It looks like the company is doubling down on rapid product iteration t
  
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