xAI's Interplanetary Ambitions, Apple Delays Siri Update, and OpenAI's Defense Contract - Daily AI Brief #390
February 12, 2026 -
Daily AI Brief
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Welcome to today's AI Brief.
xAI has announced plans for interplanetary expansion and a restructuring of its operations. Meanwhile, Uber Eats has introduced an AI 'Cart Assistant' to enhance user experience. Apple has delayed the revamp of Siri to iOS 27, impacting its release schedule.
Andreessen Horowitz has invested in Shizuku AI, and Modal Labs is seeking funding at a $2.5 billion valuation. Apptronik has secured $520 million for its humanoid robotics projects, and OpenAI is collaborating with Samsung SDS and SK Telecom to build AI data centers in South Korea.
Welcome to today's AI Brief.
xAI has announced plans for interplanetary expansion and a restructuring of its operations. Meanwhile, Uber Eats has introduced an AI 'Cart Assistant' to enhance user experience. Apple has delayed the revamp of Siri to iOS 27, impacting its release schedule.
xAI Announces Interplanetary Plans and Restructuring
In a public meeting, xAI unveiled its plans for moon-based AI satellite factories and discussed recent layoffs and a new organizational structure. Read more
Uber Eats Introduces AI 'Cart Assistant'
Uber Eats has launched an AI feature named 'Cart Assistant' to simplify grocery shopping. Users can input a list or image, and the assistant adds items to their cart, offering personalized suggestions based on past orders. Read more
Apple Delays Siri Revamp to iOS 27
Apple's planned Siri revamp, initially set for iOS 26.4, faces delays with new features now expected in the iOS 27 update. Testing issues have contributed to the postponement. Read more
Andreessen Horowitz Invests in Shizuku AI
Andreessen Horowitz has made an investment in Shizuku AI, a Japanese startup focused on AI companions and characters. This marks the firm's first venture related to Japan. Read more
Modal Labs Seeks Funding at $2.5 Billion Valuation
AI inference startup Modal Labs is reportedly in talks with venture capitalists to raise funds at a valuation of approximately $2.5 billion, marking a significant increase from its previous valuation. Read more
Apptronik Secures $520 Million for Humanoid Robotics
Apptronik has raised $520 million in funding, valuing the company at $5 billion, to enhance production of its Apollo humanoid robots. Read more
OpenAI, Samsung SDS, SK Telecom to Build AI Data Centers in South Korea
OpenAI, Samsung SDS, and SK Telecom will begin constructing AI data centers in South Korea in March, as announced by Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon. The project involves two centers with an initial capacity of 20 megawatts, part of a joint venture revealed in October. Read more
Claude's Cowork Feature Now on Windows
On February 10, 2026, Claude announced the launch of its Cowork feature for Windows, matching the capabilities of the macOS version. This feature is in research preview and available to paid subscribers. Read more
ACE Robotics Secures Funding from Ant Group
ACE Robotics has completed an angel funding round led by Ant Group to advance its embodied robotics technology, focusing on environmental data systems and the Kairos 3.0 model. Read more
Winn.AI Secures $18 Million for AI Sales Guidance
Winn.AI, an Israeli startup, has raised $18 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI platform that aids sales teams in real-time. The funding will support U.S. market expansion and development team growth in Israel. Read more
Blackstone Increases Stake in Anthropic to $1 Billion
Blackstone has increased its investment in AI startup Anthropic to approximately $1 billion, as part of a funding round that has significantly boosted the company's valuation to $350 billion. Read more
IBM and DeepMind AI Enhance DNA Analysis
AI models from IBM and DeepMind are improving DNA sequence analysis by linking genetic patterns to biological functions, with potential benefits for drug discovery and disease understanding. Read more
Zhipu AI Boosts Chinese AI Stocks with New Model
Chinese AI stocks surged, led by Zhipu AI's nearly 30% rise after launching its GLM-5 model. Other firms like MiniMax and UCloud Tech also saw gains amid increased competition with U.S. companies. Read more
Mistral AI to Invest €1.2 Billion in Sweden
French AI startup Mistral plans to invest €1.2 billion in digital infrastructure in Sweden, including AI data centers, to boost Europe's AI capabilities. Read more
Allonic Secures Record Pre-Seed Funding with OpenAI and Hugging Face Support
Hungarian robotics startup Allonic has achieved a record-breaking $7.2 million in pre-seed funding, with backing from investors including OpenAI and Hugging Face. The company plans to innovate in robot manufacturing using its 3D Tissue Braiding technology. Read more
xAI Co-Founders Leave Amid Reorganization
Six co-founders have left xAI as the company undergoes reorganization to improve efficiency, according to Elon Musk. The departures occur as xAI faces regulatory challenges and prepares for an IPO. Read more
OpenAI Disbands Mission Alignment Team
OpenAI has disbanded its mission alignment team, originally set up to communicate the company's mission on artificial general intelligence. The team leader has taken on a new role, and other members have been reassigned. Read more
Thomson Reuters Acquires Noetica to Boost AI in Transactions
Thomson Reuters has acquired Noetica, Inc. to enhance its AI capabilities in corporate transactions. The acquisition will integrate Noetica's analytics with Thomson Reuters' existing technology. Read more
OpenAI Deploys Custom ChatGPT for U.S. Department of Defense
OpenAI has launched a custom version of ChatGPT on GenAI.mil, a secure AI platform for the U.S. Department of Defense. This deployment aims to improve operational efficiency and readiness for 3 million personnel by offering AI tools for unclassified tasks. Read more
Adyen Introduces AI Tool 'Personalize' for Payments
Adyen has launched 'Personalize', an AI-driven tool designed to customize payment pages in real-time, enhancing conversion rates and reducing transaction costs for businesses. Read more
ByteDance and Alibaba Launch AI Image Tools
China's ByteDance and Alibaba have introduced new AI image-generation models, enhancing content creation capabilities for users and businesses. Read more
OpenAI Allegedly Breaches California AI Safety Law
The Midas Project has accused OpenAI of not adhering to California's AI safety law, SB 53, with its GPT-5.3-Codex model release. OpenAI denies the allegations, claiming compliance with the regulations. Read more
Oman and Jordan Launch AI and Data Centre Initiatives
Oman and Jordan are launching government-backed initiatives to strengthen their roles in the AI and data centre sectors, focusing on digital economy programs and regional collaboration. Read more
Fractile Secures £100 Million for AI Chip Expansion
Fractile, a UK chip startup, plans to invest £100 million to expand its operations, including a new facility in Bristol and team growth in London and Bristol, to advance AI systems development. Read more
Newo.ai Raises $25 Million to Boost Voice AI for SMBs
San Francisco-based startup Newo.ai has secured $25 million in Series A funding to enhance front-desk operations for small and medium-sized businesses using voice AI technology. Read more
ZAST.AI Secures $6 Million Pre-A Funding
ZAST.AI has raised $6 million in a Pre-A funding round led by Hillhouse Capital. The company plans to use the funds to improve its AI-powered code security solutions and expand globally. Read more
DepEd Collaborates with ASEAN on AI Education
The Department of Education in the Philippines is partnering with Southeast Asian countries to advance AI-driven digital education. The initiative aims to responsibly integrate AI in classrooms and has trained nearly 796,000 individuals in AI literacy. Read more
Aligned Introduces AI Deal Workspace for Sales
Aligned has launched an AI-powered Deal Workspace to improve sales execution and streamline collaboration among sales teams. Read more
ElevenLabs Introduces AI Agent Insurance Policy
On February 11, 2026, ElevenLabs announced the launch of an AI insurance policy, marking the first coverage for AI voice agents. The policy, certified by AIUC-1, aims to mitigate risks such as misinformation by ensuring AI system reliability and safety. Read more
Alibaba Launches Open-Source AI Model RynnBrain
Alibaba has introduced an AI model named RynnBrain to enhance robotics capabilities. The model, available as open-source, allows robots to understand their environment and identify objects. Read more
Alphabet Raises $20 Billion for AI Infrastructure
Alphabet is raising $20 billion through a bond sale to fund its AI infrastructure. The company also acknowledges new AI-related risks in its annual report, particularly in its advertising business. Read more
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