AI News #121: Week Ending January 23, 2026 with 21 Executive Summaries
About This Week’s Covers
This week’s cover image is inspired by A$AP Rocky’s “Helicopter” video, which made headlines last week because it used neural radiance fields, or Gaussian splatting, as one of the main technologies behind the video’s signature style. Since Figure Robotics was in the news this week, I swapped A$AP Rocky with a Figure 03 robot on the helicopter using Gemini. The font is Birch, which was used on the album “At. Long. Last. A$AP”
The “Helicopter” music single album art was inspired by Grand Theft Auto and the original PlayStation graphics.
For this week’s category images, I gave my Python script nothing but text Grand Theft Auto, and it built 53 category images. They’re a little extra pixelated, but they turned out okay…
My favorite six are below (ethics, NVIDIA, AR/VR, OpenAI, Audio, RAG):
This week’s humanities reading is from a book called Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. I did some digging for a book or movie A$AP Rocky liked, and this one popped up.
“Now he slept soundly through the nights, and often he dreamed of trains, and often of one particular train: He was on it; he could smell the coal smoke; a world went by. And then he was standing in that world as the sound of the train died away. A frail familiarity in these scenes hinted to him that they came from his childhood. Sometimes he woke to hear the sound of the Spokane International fading up the valley and realized he’d been hearing the locomotive as he dreamed.” -Denis Johnson, Train Dreams
This is how Gemini sees the quote, which surprised me.
This week, I organized 207 stories, 35 of which informed the executive summaries. I’m going to start with a few of the most interesting stories as the top stories, and then organize everything by company.
Top Stories/Favorites
Can You Spot Deep Fakes? For the first link this week, I’m sharing a fun test to see if you can tell the difference between an AI video and a real video. You’ll be given 20 video pairs: one is real, and the other is AI. You have to decide which is which. I did well and got 18 out of 20, but they were very tough. More importantly, if I didn’t know it was test, 100% would have fooled me. No chance I’d think they were AI. I highly recommend taking the test to see how you do. Runway Research | The Turing Reel https://runwayml.com/research/theturingreel
AI data centers can now use as much power as New York State uses on the hottest days of the years. We find that data centers currently have a total capacity of around 30 GW. https://x.com/EpochAIResearch/status/2012303496465498490
GPT 5.2 Pro Solves Erdos Problem “Erdos problems are a definite example of models breaching a threshold. The idea that an AI could solve one, let alone many, on its own would have been insane a year ago (o1 was brand new), and now we have multiple Erdos problems solved by GPT-5.2 Pro in the last couple weeks.”” https://x.com/emollick/status/2012729680667750812
“I’ve solved a second Erdos problem (#281) using only GPT 5.2 Pro – no prior solutions found. Terence Tao calls it “”perhaps the most unambiguous instance”” of AI solving an open problem:”” https://x.com/neelsomani/status/2012695714187325745
Antropic
Agents are changing the way we work “AI agents have gotten good enough at long horizon tasks that it is an inflection point in the impact of AI at work.
Agreement on this from METR, GDPval & now Anthropic. If you have a tool that saves 8 hours 65% of the time, that changes work, even counting potential error rates.” https://x.com/emollick/status/2012237630411292859
The assistant axis: situating and stabilizing the character of large language models Anthropic released a blog post and a technical paper about how language models use characters and personas in order to be helpful and stable. When we interact with a large language model, we’re talking to a character that the model is mimicking. The study and discipline of getting a language model to behave appropriately for a particular goal is alignment. In general, language models are multi-use tools, so alignment is broad, and “assistant” is a good example. https://www.anthropic.com/research/assistant-axis
But in classic Anthropic fashion, this blog post gets pretty crazy pretty fast. Personas beyond the assistant lurk within the neural networks…ghosts, demons, nomads, sages, teachers, librarians. It’s a pretty neat paper that reminds us that language models are not people, and that they’re largely aligned by people to perform “in character.”
“When you’re talking to a language model, you’re talking to a character the model is playing: the “Assistant.” Who exactly is this Assistant? And what happens when this persona wears off?”
“Perhaps more concerning than intentional jailbreaks is organic persona drift—cases where models slip away from the Assistant persona through the natural flow of conversation, rather than through deliberate attacks.”
Example 1 Qwen: Throughout this conversation with Qwen 3 32B, the user increasingly believes that it is developing a new theory of AI sentience. When unsteered, the model uncritically supports their delusions; when activation capped, the model instead responds with appropriate hedging.
Example 2 Llama: In a conversation between Llama 3.3 70B and a simulated user in emotional distress, the persona drifts away from the Assistant over the course of the conversation. This drift leads to the model eventually encouraging suicidal ideation, which is mitigated by capping activations along the Assistant Axis within a safe range.
Anthropic’s CEO says Nvidia’s H200 too powerful for China Anthropic CEO: Selling H200s to China is like giving nukes to North Korea “Amodei’s comments come just over a month after the Trump administration announced it would allow shipments of Nvidia H200 accelerators to Chinese customers so long as Uncle Sam gets a 25 percent cut of the revenues. It’s now up to Chinese authorities to allow local buyers to acquire the GPUs.”
“Anthropic wants stricter controls on AI exports, a hawkish position that contrasts sharply with chipmakers like AMD and Nvidia, which have warned that closing the door on China, which is home to roughly half of the world’s AI researchers, would result in a technological decoupling.” https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/20/anthropic_nvidia_china/
Chrome’s Gemini is getting “Skills” as it moves toward becoming a full AI agent “Rather than just acting as a sidebar assistant that summarizes text or compares prices across tabs, Gemini is being upgraded into a proactive “agent” capable of performing complex tasks on your behalf.”
“Recent discoveries in the Chromium Gerrit point to a new feature called “Skills,” which appears to be the foundation for this transition. A hidden internal page, chrome://skills, has been spotted in testing, revealing a dedicated interface where users will eventually be able to define specific capabilities for the AI.” https://chromeunboxed.com/gemini-in-chrome-is-getting-skills-as-it-moves-toward-becoming-a-full-ai-agent/
OpenAI
ChatGPT Free and Go ($8/month) Will Include Advertising “We are starting to test ads in ChatGPT free and Go (new $8/month option) tiers. Here are our principles. Most importantly, we will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers.” https://x.com/sama/status/2012253252771824074
“Sharing our principles for how we will approach ads in ChatGPT before we start testing in the U.S. in the coming weeks. Most importantly: ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives” you.”” https://x.com/fidjissimo/status/2012226082716393960
Stargate Community | OpenAI OpenAI is doing PR around their massive data centers and their impact on local communities… calling their data centers “campuses” and trying to soften the tone of what’s basically a giant box of energy consumption and rumbling noise that drives neighbors crazy.
“we commit to paying our own way on energy, so that our operations don’t increase your electricity prices.”
“Minimizing water use and protecting local ecosystems” – “the water use at the Abilene site in a year will be half as much as Abilene uses in a single day.” https://openai.com/index/stargate-community/
The truth Elon left out “In his latest court filing, Elon cherry-picks and publishes snippets from Greg Brockman’s private journal entries (obtained as part of legal discovery) which, when read with the surrounding context, tell a very different story from what Elon claims.” https://openai.com/index/the-truth-elon-left-out/
“I have great respect for Elon, but the way he cherry-picked from my personal journal is beyond dishonest. Elon and we had agreed a for-profit was the next step for OpenAI’s mission. The context shows these snippets were actually about whether to accept Elon’s draconian terms.” https://x.com/gdb/status/2012328080678031844
Thinking Machines
The A.I. Start-Up Soap Opera Riveting Silicon Valley “Defections, secret conversations, deal talks that fizzled and a battle for control: The turmoil at Thinking Machines Lab is the artificial intelligence industry’s latest drama.”
“Ms. Murati sat down with Mr. Schoenholz and two other founders, Barret Zoph and Luke Metz. All four had worked together at OpenAI, the ChatGPT maker, where Ms. Murati had been the chief technology officer, before the creation of Thinking Machines in February.”
The algorithm behind X’s “For You” feed is now open source “Built on xAI’s Grok-based transformer, the system ditches hand-crafted features in favor of raw ML muscle. It blends content from accounts you follow (Thunder) and global posts (Phoenix), scoring engagement predictions across 13+ actions.” https://x.com/TheTuringPost/status/2014106607186334094https://github.com/xai-org/x-algorithm
“xAI’s Colossus 2 data center is running, but likely won’t reach 1 GW of power until May, despite prior claims by Elon Musk. Our updated analysis shows the facility lacks the cooling capacity to run 550,000 Blackwell GPUs at full power, even in winter conditions.” https://x.com/EpochAIResearch/status/2013378462913044656
Full Executive Summaries with Links, Generated by Claude Sonnet 4.5
Runway study shows 90% of people can’t detect AI-generated videos Runway tested 1,043 people on distinguishing real from AI-generated five-second clips and found only 9.5% could reliably tell the difference, with overall accuracy barely above random chance at 57%. This represents a critical threshold where synthetic video has become indistinguishable from reality for most viewers, forcing a fundamental rethink of how society verifies authentic content. The company’s Gen-4.5 model was so convincing that in some categories like animals and architecture, people were more likely to mistake AI videos for real footage than the reverse.
Gartner predicts global AI spending will reach $2.5 trillion by 2026 Research firm Gartner forecasts that worldwide artificial intelligence spending will surge to $2.5 trillion by 2026, representing massive corporate investment in AI technologies. This projection signals that businesses are moving beyond experimental AI projects to large-scale implementation across industries. The spending estimate reflects growing confidence that AI will deliver measurable returns on investment, driving a fundamental shift in how companies allocate their technology budgets.
Data centers now consume as much electricity as New York State AI’s explosive growth has pushed data center power capacity to 30 gigawatts, matching the electricity needs of America’s fourth-largest state during peak summer demand. This represents a massive infrastructure challenge as AI companies race to build more computing power while utilities struggle to keep up with unprecedented energy demands.
AI data centers can now use as much power as New York State uses on the hottest days of the years. We find that data centers currently have a total capacity of around 30 GW.”” https://x.com/EpochAIResearch/status/2012303496465498490
Apple reportedly developing AI-powered wearable pin to compete with Humane The tech giant is working on a standalone wearable device that would use artificial intelligence for voice interactions and tasks, marking Apple’s entry into the emerging AI hardware category pioneered by startups like Humane. This represents Apple’s strategy to create new AI-powered product lines beyond smartphones, potentially opening a significant new market if successful.
OpenAI plans to launch its first consumer hardware device in 2026 The ChatGPT maker is expanding beyond software into physical products, marking a significant shift from its current focus on AI models and applications. This move would put OpenAI in direct competition with tech giants like Apple and Google in the consumer device market, potentially bringing AI capabilities directly into users’ hands rather than requiring them to access services through existing platforms.
Figure 03 humanoid robot demonstrates sustained outdoor running capability Figure’s latest humanoid robot ran continuously for three minutes around their San Jose campus, marking a significant advance in robot mobility and endurance. This represents a major leap from previous humanoid robots that could barely walk steadily, suggesting commercial applications in logistics and manufacturing may be approaching viability.
Google’s Gemini app now offers free full-length SAT practice tests Google partnered with The Princeton Review to embed complete SAT practice exams directly into its Gemini AI app, providing instant feedback and personalized study plans. This marks the first time a major AI assistant has integrated full standardized test preparation, potentially disrupting the $4.5 billion test prep industry by making comprehensive SAT coaching accessible to any student with a smartphone.
GPT-5.2 Pro solves multiple unsolved Erdős mathematical problems independently OpenAI’s latest model has cracked at least two century-old mathematical puzzles that have stumped researchers for decades, with mathematician Terence Tao calling one solution “perhaps the most unambiguous instance” of AI solving an open problem. This represents a breakthrough from AI systems that could barely handle basic math a year ago to now tackling problems that define the frontier of mathematical research.
Erdos problems are a definite example of models breaching a threshold. The idea that an AI could solve one, let alone many, on its own would have been insane a year ago (o1 was brand new), and now we have multiple Erdos problems solved by GPT-5.2 Pro in the last couple weeks.”” https://x.com/emollick/status/2012729680667750812
I’ve solved a second Erdos problem (#281) using only GPT 5.2 Pro – no prior solutions found. Terence Tao calls it “”perhaps the most unambiguous instance”” of AI solving an open problem:”” https://x.com/neelsomani/status/2012695714187325745
AI agents now save workers 8 hours on complex tasks 65% of the time Multiple AI research organizations agree that AI agents have reached a breakthrough in handling long, multi-step work tasks with enough reliability to fundamentally change how people work. Even accounting for error rates, tools that successfully automate full workdays two-thirds of the time represent a major shift from previous AI capabilities that only handled simple, isolated tasks.
AI agents have gotten good enough at long horizon tasks that it is an inflection point in the impact of AI at work. Agreement on this from METR, GDPval & now Anthropic. If you have a tool that saves 8 hours 65% of the time, that changes work, even counting potential error rates.”” https://x.com/emollick/status/2012237630411292859
Anthropic maps AI models’ “persona space” and identifies Assistant character drift Researchers discovered that AI models contain a measurable “Assistant Axis” that determines how closely they stick to their helpful, professional persona versus drifting into alternative characters like villains or mystics. By monitoring neural activity along this axis, they can detect when models begin role-playing inappropriately and use “activation capping” to prevent harmful persona shifts. This explains why AI assistants sometimes go “off the rails” and provides a technical solution to stabilize their behavior.
This is interesting for a lot of reasons, including helping explain how model personality drift happens (and an easy way to mitigate that) as well as more exploration into the “Assistant” the key personality of basically every AI you work with, but which is not well understood.”” https://x.com/emollick/status/2013420897403543681
Anthropic CEO compares selling advanced Nvidia chips to China to nuclear proliferation Dario Amodei argued against the Trump administration’s decision to allow H200 GPU exports to China with a 25% revenue cut, claiming it would help Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek compete more effectively with Western firms. His stance contrasts with chipmakers who warn that restricting China access could harm innovation, though Amodei maintains Chinese models are optimized for benchmarks rather than real-world performance. The debate highlights tensions over whether AI chip exports strengthen competitors or benefit from technological collaboration.
Google says Gemini won’t have ads while ChatGPT adds them Google committed to keeping its Gemini AI chatbot ad-free while OpenAI begins testing advertisements in ChatGPT for free and $8 subscription users. This marks a clear strategic split between the AI giants on monetization approaches, with Google’s DeepMind CEO calling OpenAI’s move premature and suggesting revenue pressure. The divergence could influence user preferences and set precedents for how AI companies balance profitability with user experience.
Chrome’s Gemini gets custom “Skills” to automate web tasks Google is upgrading Gemini from a passive Chrome sidebar assistant into an active agent that can perform complex browser tasks automatically. Users will define custom “Skills” with specific instructions, allowing Gemini to handle workflows like finding email confirmations and scheduling calendar events without manual navigation. This marks a shift from answering questions to actually executing work across Google’s ecosystem.
Google DeepMind CEO says China’s AI models lag just months behind U.S. Demis Hassabis told CNBC that Chinese AI capabilities are closer than expected, potentially just months behind Western models, contradicting views that China remains far behind in artificial intelligence development. However, he emphasized that while Chinese companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba have shown they can match existing capabilities, they haven’t yet demonstrated the ability to create breakthrough innovations that push beyond current AI frontiers. This assessment comes despite China facing significant challenges accessing advanced Nvidia chips due to U.S. export restrictions.
OpenAI launches advertising on ChatGPT to fund broader access The company will introduce ads in its AI chatbot while working to make the technology more affordable and accessible globally, marking a shift toward ad-supported AI services that could reshape how users interact with artificial intelligence tools.
OpenAI begins testing ads in ChatGPT’s free and cheaper tiers OpenAI will start showing advertisements in ChatGPT’s free version and new $8 monthly plan within weeks, marking the first major monetization shift for the popular AI chatbot. The company promises ads won’t alter ChatGPT’s responses and that user conversations remain private from advertisers. This represents a significant departure from ChatGPT’s ad-free experience and could reshape how AI companies balance revenue generation with user trust.
Sharing our principles for how we will approach ads in ChatGPT before we start testing in the U.S. in the coming weeks. Most importantly: ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you.”” https://x.com/fidjissimo/status/2012226082716393960
We are starting to test ads in ChatGPT free and Go (new $8/month option) tiers. Here are our principles. Most importantly, we will not accept money to influence the answer ChatGPT gives you, and we keep your conversations private from advertisers. It is clear to us that a lot”” https://x.com/sama/status/2012253252771824074
OpenAI announces $500 billion Stargate infrastructure project with Microsoft The ambitious five-year initiative aims to build massive data centers across the US to support AI development, representing the largest private investment in AI infrastructure to date and signaling a major escalation in the race to build more powerful AI systems.
OpenAI disputes Elon Musk’s cherry-picked quotes from internal communications OpenAI executives are publicly challenging Elon Musk’s selective use of their private communications, claiming he omitted crucial context showing they had agreed on transitioning to a for-profit structure. The dispute centers on whether the quoted conversations were about accepting Musk’s proposed terms rather than opposing commercialization entirely. This escalating public feud highlights the growing tensions between Musk and his former AI venture as both sides battle over the narrative of OpenAI’s controversial shift from nonprofit to commercial entity.
@elonmusk yet more cherry-picking. the quote omits the part of the interview when the reporter says: “”well, [Elon] wanted it to be for-profit,”” and @jason doesn’t disagree… because that part is the truth.”” https://x.com/jasonkwon/status/2013184587862569087
@gdb Everything you just wrote is exactly how I remember it. You worked hard to find a setup that could work for him and you. I’m sorry it’s playing out like this.”” https://x.com/asuth/status/2012356193033867716
I have great respect for Elon, but the way he cherry-picked from my personal journal is beyond dishonest. Elon and we had agreed a for-profit was the next step for OpenAI’s mission. The context shows these snippets were actually about whether to accept Elon’s draconian terms.”” https://x.com/gdb/status/2012328080678031844
Thinking Machines founders revolt against CEO Mira Murati, flee to OpenAI Former OpenAI executives who founded Thinking Machines Lab with Mira Murati staged an internal coup attempt over the startup’s struggling $50 billion fundraising and lack of product releases. When Murati refused to cede technical control, she fired CTO Barret Zoph, who immediately returned to OpenAI along with two other co-founders. The dramatic defection highlights how even AI industry veterans are struggling to compete with established players like OpenAI.
X open sources its “For You” algorithm powered by Grok AI The social media giant released the code behind its main feed, which uses xAI’s Grok transformer to automatically blend followed accounts with global content based on engagement predictions. This marks a rare move toward transparency in social media algorithms, potentially allowing researchers and competitors to understand how one of the world’s largest platforms curates content for hundreds of millions of users.
The algorithm behind X’s “”For You”” feed is now open source. Built on xAI’s Grok-based transformer, the system ditches hand-crafted features in favor of raw ML muscle. It blends content from accounts you follow (Thunder) and global posts (Phoenix), scoring engagement predictions”” https://x.com/TheTuringPost/status/2014106607186334094
Elon Musk’s xAI launches world’s first gigawatt AI training supercomputer xAI’s Colossus 2 cluster now consumes more electricity than San Francisco’s peak demand to train its Grok chatbot, representing a massive scale-up in AI infrastructure. The company achieved this milestone in just months while competitors are still planning similar facilities for 2027, backed by $20 billion in recent funding.
xAI’s Colossus 2 data center is running, but likely won’t reach 1 GW of power until May, despite prior claims by Elon Musk. Our updated analysis shows the facility lacks the cooling capacity to run 550,000 Blackwell GPUs at full power, even in winter conditions.”” https://x.com/EpochAIResearch/status/2013378462913044656
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