Daily Robot News

January 13, 2026

Summary

AI Power Plays

OpenAI drops $100M for health records startup Torch to build ChatGPT Health, Anthropic launches Cowork for file editing, Meta axes hundreds of metaverse jobs for AI focus

Tech Crackdowns

UK criminalizes deepfake nudes targeting Grok, Google Play Store bans violated by Grok app still mysteriously available, FCC ends 60-day phone unlock rule helping Verizon

Venture Velocity

French defense AI Harmattan hits $1.4B unicorn status with Dassault Aviation leading $200M round, 100+ new unicorns minted in 2025, Framework hikes desktop prices amid RAM shortage

In Other News

Chevrolet Bolt returns with 262-mile range, Betterment confirms data breach with crypto scam follow-up, GameStop closing hundreds of stores signals potential endgame

Amazon's new smart gadget actually works

OpenAI drops 100 million dollars on this tiny health records company to power their new ChatGPT doctor thing

Claude can now mess with files on your computer directly

App makers earned $550B from Apple

French defense company building war robots just got 200 million dollars from airplane maker Dassault

Chevy Bolt RETURNS with better batteries and range!

New York governor wants to finally let robot cars drive around in smaller cities

Kia's new electric car looks awesome and affordable but of course there's something they're not telling us

This wild-looking electric car mixes Hyundai tech with German engineering

NASA BOOSTS Webb telescope

Wind farm companies are fighting back against Trump's plan to stop offshore projects

Facebook's parent company brings on Trump's former security advisor as their new top executive

These robot cleaners actually work now and don't give up halfway through your house like before

Over 100 tech companies just hit the billion-dollar club this year alone

Guy who made those Pebble smartwatches says his new company isn't chasing venture capital money

Hackers broke into Betterment investment app, stole customer info, then sent them FAKE crypto scam messages

Laser car company selling for millions

Company taking reservations for moon hotel stays at a quarter million per room

Verizon can now keep your phone LOCKED forever since the government dropped that unlock rule

Judge says Trump broke the law cutting energy funds from Democrat states

Scientists figured out Pompeii switched to cleaner water sources which made their public baths way more sanitary

Court might defang FCC

Google ignores own rules

GameStop shutting down hundreds of stores, and yeah that's probably not good

Skip junk food

These new computer screens are getting MASSIVE with picture quality that'll blow your mind

UK court says no to fired Rockstar workers asking for paychecks while waiting for their hearing

Framework computer company bumps up their desktop prices again because there still aren't enough memory chips around

Meta cutting hundreds of jobs from their virtual reality team

UK fast-tracks law making fake nude photos a crime after Grok mess

Archive Jan 14 →