Investors and companies worry some AI firms may struggle financially... A new analysis says big names like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google keep spending heavily but investors fear smaller firms could fail first as the AI race gets costly. Perplexity signs a $750 million AI cloud deal with Microsoft Perplexity agreed to use Microsoft Azure for three years, tapping AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI to scale services. U.S. Commerce Department plans a national AI hub in San Francisco The federal government is planning a major AI research and development center near companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Amazon may invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI Amazon is in advanced talks to put tens of billions into OpenAI’s fundraising, potentially making Amazon the largest single investor. Pentagon and Anthropic clash over military use of AI systems The U.S. Department of Defense and Anthropic disagree about how AI should be allowed in weapons and surveillance systems. New research shows most people use ChatGPT far more than other AI tools like Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. Share with your network so we can stay aware and Use AI for Good!

Want to picture yourself in Italy? Use this prompt and share your picture below. Use this prompt in Google Gemini and add a selfie of yourself...then type: Using this reference photo, keep the person’s face and hair exactly the same. Create a luxury travel portrait on a sunlit balcony overlooking the sea on the Amalfi Coast, with colorful hillside buildings and blue water in the background. The person is standing comfortably, light breeze, relaxed posture, confident and peaceful expression. Mood feels expansive, joyful, and elevated. Lighting is soft golden hour sunlight, warm highlights on the face, gentle glow on the skin. Shot on a Nikon Z8, 85mm lens, eye level angle, shallow depth of field with the coastline softly blurred. Style is high end travel lifestyle photography, bright, aspirational, and realistic.

Today’s AI briefing highlights major moves in funding, safety concerns, policy action, and technology adoption. Anthropic is drawing major investor interest with a roughly $20 billion funding round that doubles its original goal. This positions the company as a powerful competitor in the AI landscape. Anthropic’s CEO also released a detailed essay warning that highly advanced AI systems may arrive within about two years, emphasizing the urgent need for thoughtful governance and safety measures across governments and industry. In the regulatory arena, the United Kingdom is proposing changes to give content publishers more control over how Google uses their material in AI summaries and training. This reflects rising global focus on fairness and digital rights in AI use. Google continues to deepen AI integration into daily life with its new “Personal Intelligence” feature that uses data from Gmail and Photos to offer tailored insights, recommendations, and answers. In the United States, Senator Ed Markey is pressing OpenAI for details on how advertisements in ChatGPT will work and how the company plans to safeguard privacy and protect young users. This underscores growing scrutiny of AI business models and user safety. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has launched the U.S. Tech Force initiative to bring technologists into federal roles to modernize IT systems and expand AI capabilities across agencies. Despite rapid adoption of AI around the world, new data shows that the benefits are expanding unevenly, with the Global North seeing faster growth than the Global South. If you are watching where AI is going in 2026, focus on capital flows, safety leadership, government policy, real adoption data, and ethical integration into everyday tools. Here is your AI news update. Let's Use AI for Good!

Today’s AI landscape shows that policy, competition, and partnerships are now shaping outcomes more than hype. In Washington, the U.S. government imposed a 25 percent tariff on advanced AI chips like Nvidia’s H200 to protect national interests, while a House committee advanced the AI Overwatch Act to give Congress oversight on chip exports to strategic rivals. These moves mark a turning point where hardware policy is critical in global AI leadership. Inside tech firms, real testing is underway as Microsoft directs its engineers to compare Anthropic’s Claude Code with its own GitHub Copilot, revealing how companies are using internal data to make strategic decisions. AI safety and governance are gaining bipartisan attention. A coalition of 42 state attorneys general sent letters to major AI companies demanding stronger safeguards, independent audits, and clear incident reporting, especially to protect young users. Global supply chain strategy is also front and center. The U.S. launched the Pax Silica initiative with partner countries to secure technology supply chains for semiconductors, data infrastructure, and AI infrastructure. And industry leaders continue to build international relationships. OpenAI’s Sam Altman is planning a high‑profile visit to the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where he will join other global AI executives. If you are watching where AI is headed in 2026, pay attention to policy, chips, partnerships, and real use cases in government and enterprise. This is where the real power and influence of AI will be decided. That is your AI News You Can Use for today. Let's Use AI For Good!

Good Morning. I forgot to post this here yesterday... 1) Google DeepMind CEO warns AI investment looks “bubble-like” Demis Hassabis said at Davos that many multibillion-dollar AI startup rounds feel speculative and may be overvalued. He contrasted this with Google’s own steady research focus and said the AI field needs responsible pacing. Why it matters: Major industry leaders are openly cautioning about where investment is flowing, which could reshape funding and focus in 2026. 2) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans visit to India for major AI summit Sam Altman is expected to go to India in mid-February for the India AI Impact Summit, where top global AI leaders will discuss cooperation and innovation. Why it matters: OpenAI is pushing global partnerships and positioning itself at the center of international AI strategy. 3) Apple drops OpenAI, partners with Google for iPhone AI Apple has ended its main partnership with OpenAI and is now using Google’s Gemini models for its Apple Intelligence platform and Siri. Why it matters: Big platform shifts like this change who controls what users see on their phones and shape long-term competition. 4) Senator Ed Markey questions OpenAI about deceptive ads Sen. Markey sent letters to OpenAI and others to demand clarity on how ads will work in AI chatbots and how consumer protections will be enforced. Why it matters: U.S. policy makers are now actively challenging how AI companies make money and protect users. 5) AI firms including OpenAI and Google are in Trump’s “Genesis Mission” A U.S. federal initiative called the Genesis Mission has more than two dozen AI firms participating to accelerate AI in scientific and energy research. Why it matters: This signals deep government-industry cooperation on AI, similar to historic government technology projects. 6) OpenAI critics say the company may struggle against competition One industry analysis says Anthropic could outgrow OpenAI if it IPOs first and expands popular tools like Claude Code, while OpenAI burns cash on big infrastructure investments.