Sakana AI’s ALE-Agent secured 1st place in the AtCoder Heuristic Contest 058, outperforming 804 human participants. The agent autonomously discovered novel optimization strategies during the 4-hour competition.
PayPal and Microsoft are integrating checkout and payments directly into Copilot, allowing users to discover products and complete purchases without leaving the AI interface. The rollout begins on Copilot.com and expands PayPal’s agentic commerce strategy.
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience that securely integrates personal health data with AI, helping users navigate wellness, lab results, and appointments with added privacy protections.
Anthropic is preparing to raise $10 billion at a $350 billion valuation, nearly doubling its recent value. Major backers include GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia, supporting cloud expansion and AI model development.
Lenovo introduced Qira, a system-level AI spanning PCs, tablets, smartphones, and wearables. The assistant offers context-aware, cross-device intelligence for writing, collaboration, and workflow management.
xAI closed a $20 billion Series E round, exceeding its original target and adding strategic backing from NVIDIA and Cisco. The funding supports expanded data center capacity, large-scale GPU deployment, and continued development of the Grok model family.
Beyond major product launches, CES 2026 is highlighting a wave of unconventional AI-powered devices, from holographic assistants to robotic pets and smart kitchen tools. The gadgets reflect how artificial intelligence is moving into niche consumer applications.
Amazon has launched Alexa.com, bringing its AI-powered Alexa+ assistant to the web and mobile app, enabling family-focused tasks, smart home control, and content creation online.
Google is adding new Gemini AI features to Google TV, enabling voice-driven controls, personalized recommendations, and AI-powered photo and video experiences. The updates debut on select TCL televisions before a broader rollout.
OpenAI is paying employees an average of $1.5 million in stock-based compensation, far exceeding peer startups as it races to retain top AI talent. The strategy is inflating losses and reshaping expectations ahead of a potential IPO.
European banks could eliminate more than 200,000 jobs by 2030 as artificial intelligence reshapes operations and accelerates branch closures. Back-office, risk, and compliance roles are expected to be most affected.