A viral new virtual assistant formerly known as Clawdbot is complex and brings security risks--but some early adopters say it feels like the future. Dan Peguine, a tech entrepreneur and marketing consultant based in Lisbon, lets a precocious, lobster-themed AI assistant called Moltbot run much of his life. Peguine, a self-professed early adopter and trendspotter, discovered Moltbot several weeks ago--back then it was Clawdbot--after discussing a vibe-coding side project with friends on WhatsApp. He installed it on his computer, connected it to numerous apps and online accounts, including Google Apps, and was astonished by how capable it was. "I tried it, got interested, then got really obsessed," Peguine says.

Microscopic robots breakthrough: Researchers create smallest fully programmable autonomous robots that can swim through human body using electrokinetics instead of moving parts.

The Trump administration does not "intend or expect" to again take military action in Venezuela, Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio told the US Congress, but theoretical threats like an "Iranian drone factory" could change the government's thinking. Trump says US ready to attack Iran with'speed and violence'

Your tone does more than startle your pet. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Whether it's the sound of food being poured into a bowl or the front door opening, a dog's ears are on alert. Noises picked up by their highly-attuned senses can also affect their balance. A small study in Austria found that balance is stabilized and destabilized when dogs hear both happy or angry human voices.

Two important things happened on January 20, 2025. In Washington, D.C., Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States. In Hangzhou, China, a little-known Chinese firm called DeepSeek released R1, an AI model that industry watchers called a "Sputnik moment" for the country's AI industry. "Whether we like it or not, we're suddenly engaged in a fast-paced competition to build and define this groundbreaking technology that will determine so much about the future of civilization," said Trump later that year, as he announced his administration's AI action plan, which was titled "Winning the Race." There are many interpretations of what AI companies and their governments are racing towards, says AI policy researcher Lennart Heim: to deploy AI systems in the economy, to build robots, to create human-like artificial general intelligence.

Users Civilians Are Using A.I. to Unmask ICE Agents. Websites like ICEList are attempting to hold federal agents accountable--but it's unclear whether they make the system safer or more dangerous. After federal immigration officers shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, social media users called for the unmasking of the agents responsible. On X, users shared photos of the agents involved. It didn't take long before A.I.-generated pictures made their appearance: One user posted a seemingly deepfaked picture of a masked ICE agent, writing, "This is one of the soulless lowlife ghouls who executed Alex Pretti in cold blood!

Google Chrome is launching agentic AI "autobrowsing" that automates web tasks like form filling, reservations, and license renewals for paid Google AI subscribers. PCWorld reports that a new Gemini AI sidebar will be available to all Chrome users, accessing personal data from Gmail and other apps.

How much do you know about friction? Jennifer R. Vail's charming, if sometimes technical, biography of the force showcases its amazing and largely overlooked role in everything from climate change to dark matter, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan IN 2009, World Aquatics banned a specific type of swimsuit from all international competitions in water sports, ruling that it gave athletes an unfair advantage. The development of this swimsuit included using NASA's testing facilities and sophisticated computer software. Some versions had ultrasonically welded seams instead of traditional stitches. Swimmers who wore the suit broke 23 of the 25 world records set at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Google's latest addition to its Chrome browser puts generative AI behind the wheel and you in the passenger seat. Google debuted a new "Auto Browse" feature for Chrome on Wednesday. The tool, powered by Google's current Gemini 3 generative AI model, is an AI agent designed to take over your Chrome browser to help complete online tasks like booking flights, finding apartments, and filing expenses. The release of Auto Browse is part of Google's continued integration of AI features into Chrome. Last year, Google dropped the "Gemini in Chrome" mode to answer questions about what's on web pages and synthesize details from multiple open tabs.

Amazon is slashing 16,000 jobs in a second wave of layoffs at the e-commerce giant in three months, as the company restructures and leans on artificial intelligence. Wednesday's cuts follow the 14,000 redundancies that the Seattle, Washington-based company made in October. The layoffs are expected to affect employees working in Prime Video, Amazon Web Services, and the company's human resources department, according to the Reuters news agency, which first reported the cuts. In a memo to the employees, shared with Al Jazeera, Amazon said workers in the United States impacted by the cuts will have a 90-day window to find a new role in the company. "Teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, we'll provide transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits [as applicable], and more," Beth Galetti, senior vice president of People Experience and Technology at Amazon, said in the note provided to Al Jazeera.