OpenAI has launched GPT-6 Astra, its most capable artificial intelligence model to date. The model can operate computers, complete multistep workflows and handle tasks that would otherwise require continuous human input.
By Chris Borden Anthropic is entering into two partnerships with leading U.S. research institutions to develop AI agents for biological research. The Allen Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) will collaborate with the AI company as founding partners. According to Anthropic, modern biological research generates data “at an unprecedented scale,” but transforming it into “validated biological insight remains a fundamental bottleneck.” Manual processes, the company says, can no longer keep pace with the volume of data produced.
By Alex Rowland Alibaba has unveiled Qwen3-Coder-Next, a new open-weight AI model designed for coding agents and local development. The model was trained on 800,000 verifiable tasks executed in runnable environments. Despite its relatively compact design—80 billion parameters in total, with only 3 billion active parameters—it delivers strong results on SWE-Bench Pro, a benchmark for coding agents.
By Chris Borden There is now a platform where AI agents can hire humans. It looks like a joke—and probably is—but at its core it still addresses a fundamental problem in artificial intelligence.
By Chris Borden According to Bloomberg, Nvidia is expected to invest $20 billion in OpenAI’s next funding round, significantly less than earlier rumors that suggested as much as $30 billion. Bloomberg cites a person familiar with the matter, noting that the deal is not yet finalized and the figures could still change.
By Chris Borden Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI deliberately allowed the generation of sexualized content in its chatbot Grok as a strategy to boost user engagement, The Washington Post reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
By Chris Borden According to Reuters, the developer of ChatGPT is dissatisfied with the performance of certain Nvidia chips and has been in talks with startups offering alternatives.
By Alex Rowland A subsidiary of Bitcoin mining company Cipher Mining, Black Pearl, will carry out a private placement of $2 billion in senior notes maturing in 2031.
By Chris Borden Carbon Robotics, a Seattle-based company, has unveiled a new AI model called the Large Plant Model (LPM). According to TechCrunch, the model can instantly identify plant species to support weed control.
By Alex Rowland Mozilla is introducing new AI controls with Firefox 148, set to launch on February 24. The update will allow users to manage all generative AI features in the browser from a single place—or disable them entirely—Mozilla wrote in a company blog post.
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