Daily Robot News
January 21, 2026
Summary
AI Hardware & Devices
OpenAI announces physical ChatGPT companion device launching this year, Humans& raises $480M seed at $4.48B valuation, ChatGPT adds $8/month ad-supported tier
Robotics & Automation
Chinese humanoid robots dominate workplace automation race, detachable robot hand crawls independently like spider, Royal Navy's Proteus autonomous helicopter completes maiden flight
Security & Privacy Failures
AI apps leak millions of users' data in App Store, DOGE employees accessed restricted Social Security data illegally, Perplexity's police AI program alarms civil rights experts
In Other News
OnePlus phones reportedly discontinued by Oppo, solar radiation storm hits Earth hardest in 20+ years, Elon Musk trolls Ryanair over Starlink rejection