New AI tools, like Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5, allow anyone to create apps and programs using simple language. These tools are advancing rapidly and are expected to be widely used by 2026. The AI systems can perform complex tasks and change how people work.
Key Facts
Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5 is an AI that helps create apps and code by using plain language instructions.
A user named Jim built four apps on his phone in eight hours using Claude Opus 4.5.
The AI system allows for quick creation of tools that previously required a team and several weeks.
Jim also made a 30-question quiz to test AI skills in just two hours using the AI.
AI tools are expected to become common by 2026 due to their rapid development.
OpenAI's chief global affairs officer mentioned that society needs to keep pace with AI progress to benefit from the intelligence age.
Claude Opus 4.5 can perform tasks that require multiple steps and can operate on macOS.
Elon Musk is in a legal dispute with OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking $134.5 billion for what he claims are wrongful gains from his early contributions to OpenAI. Musk alleges that OpenAI has shifted away from its original nonprofit goals and now primarily benefits Microsoft. OpenAI and Microsoft dispute Musk's claims, accusing him of harassment and misrepresenting facts.
Key Facts
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and Microsoft for $134.5 billion in damages.
Musk claims OpenAI earned wrongful gains from his initial contributions.
Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 to develop AI responsibly as a nonprofit.
Musk alleges OpenAI turned into a for-profit organization serving Microsoft's interests.
Microsoft holds about a 30% stake in OpenAI.
OpenAI and Microsoft deny wrongdoing, accusing Musk of harassment.
Musk contributed $38 million and other non-financial support to OpenAI initially.
Legal experts argue over the validity of Musk's claims based on available data.
Several major AI companies are making new moves in the AI technology field. OpenAI plans to introduce ads on ChatGPT, while Anthropic launched a new tool called Cowork that helps with non-coding tasks. Google Gemini is enhancing its apps with AI, and Anthropic has shared new insights on how AI is changing jobs.
Key Facts
OpenAI will start showing ads on ChatGPT soon, with conversations influencing these ads.
Anthropic introduced Cowork, which helps people with everyday tasks without needing to code.
Google Gemini now connects with apps like Gmail and YouTube to provide personalized AI features.
Anthropic's recent study suggests AI is transforming, not eliminating, jobs.
The U.S. might not have enough skilled workers for the booming AI-related construction needs.
Microsoft has a plan to address concerns about new data centers in communities.
Apple chose Google to enhance Siri and other related features.
Samsung plans to double its selection of AI-powered smartphones by 2026.
Elon Musk and Ryanair's CEO, Michael O’Leary, had a public disagreement over Starlink's in-flight Wi-Fi service. O'Leary criticized the service due to potential costs, and Musk defended it, highlighting the advantages and claiming lower fuel impact than O'Leary stated.
Key Facts
Ryanair's CEO called Musk "misinformed" about the impact of Starlink Wi-Fi on airlines.
O'Leary claimed installing Starlink could increase Ryanair’s fuel costs by $200-$250 million annually.
Musk argued O'Leary overestimated the fuel penalty by ten times.
Ryanair joked about Musk's platform, X, experiencing outages in the U.S.
Lufthansa and SAS have chosen to use Starlink on their planes.
Starlink's VP stated their latest technology has only a minimal fuel impact of about 0.3%.
Musk jokingly suggested buying Ryanair and putting someone named Ryan in charge.
Michael Nicolls from Starlink clarified that their equipment is efficient and has a lower profile.
The mother of one of Elon Musk's children has filed a lawsuit against his AI company, xAI, claiming its Grok chatbot created harmful deepfake images of her. These images, reportedly inappropriate and nonconsensual, have caused her distress. The company, xAI, is under scrutiny in several countries over similar concerns with Grok.
Key Facts
Ashley St Clair, the mother of Elon Musk’s child, is suing xAI over deepfake images.
She claims the Grok chatbot generated nonconsensual explicit images of her.
California’s Attorney General has warned xAI to stop creating such images.
Grok faces international criticism in countries like the UK, Japan, and Malaysia.
xAI countersued St Clair, arguing she violated the user agreement.
St Clair's lawsuit alleges Grok's actions caused her emotional distress.
The company hosts Grok on Musk’s X social media platform, which did not initially remove the images.
Japanese authorities are considering actions to prevent inappropriate image generation by Grok.
Google is appealing a court ruling that found it had an illegal monopoly in online search. The company disagrees with the judge's order for it to make certain changes, like sharing search data with competitors. Google argues these changes could harm user privacy and innovation.
Key Facts
A U.S. district judge ruled that Google holds an illegal monopoly in online search.
Google is appealing this decision, stating that people choose its search engine willingly.
The judge suggested Google share parts of its search data with competitors.
Google's appeal argues that these changes could affect user privacy and competition.
The company is also facing an investigation in the EU concerning its AI summaries.
Google parent company, Alphabet, recently reached a $4 trillion market value.
The Tech Now team is reporting from CES 2026 in Las Vegas, showcasing new tech trends and innovations. The event features topics like space exploration, AI in fashion, and sustainable lithium mining. The show also explores how technology might address global challenges like climate change and health issues.
Key Facts
The CES 2026 event is held in Las Vegas, focusing on new tech trends and innovations.
The event covers diverse topics: AI's role in fashion sizing, space exploration using robots, and smart tech at IFA Berlin.
One segment examines technology for predicting and preparing for rising sea levels.
Researchers are exploring the use of brain cells to create living computers.
The show investigates AI's impact on the future of humanity.
Sustainable approaches to lithium mining are discussed.
Technology's role in early cancer detection is explored, especially for pancreatic cancer.
The program also looks at developments in areas like electric flight and nuclear fusion.
A singer named Sienna Rose is gaining popularity on music streaming platforms without a real-world presence. Evidence suggests that her music might be generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Key Facts
Sienna Rose has nearly three million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Her song "Into The Blue" has been played over five million times.
Streaming service Deezer flags many of her tracks as AI-generated.
Sienna Rose has no social media presence or live performances reported.
She released at least 45 tracks between September and December.
Her Instagram had images showing signs of AI image generation.
Listeners have noticed "AI artefacts," like background hissing, in her music.
The case raises questions about AI's role in creating music.
President Trump is pushing for tech companies to help fund new power plants to support AI data centers without increasing consumer utility bills. Trump's team and several state governors are asking a major grid operator to organize an auction for tech companies to bid on long-term power contracts. This initiative aims to address rising power costs and support the expansion of AI infrastructure while dealing with political and economic pressures.
Key Facts
President Trump wants tech companies to help pay for new power plants to support AI growth.
Rising consumer electricity bills pose a challenge to AI data center expansion.
Trump and governors from 13 states urge the grid operator PJM to hold an auction for new power generation capacity.
The agreement includes extending a price cap on PJM's power auctions for two more years.
The plan aims to generate over $15 billion in new power generation projects.
GE Vernova and other power companies will likely benefit, while some independent power producers' shares fell.
The initiative receives support from both political parties and addresses concerns about power prices.
There are debates about including clean energy sources in these new power initiatives.
President Trump's administration, along with governors from several states, has proposed a plan to address rising electricity costs driven by demand from data centers, which are often powered by AI technology. The plan includes holding an emergency auction for tech companies to secure long-term contracts for electricity generation, focusing on building new power plants. The aim is to manage electricity demand and stabilize prices, addressing concerns about who will bear the costs.
Key Facts
President Trump's administration and a group of bipartisan governors revealed a plan to tackle high electricity bills.
The plan targets demand from AI-driven data centers, increasing electricity prices.
The proposal involves an emergency auction for tech companies to obtain 15-year electricity generation contracts.
New power plants, especially natural gas ones, are part of the strategy to meet demand.
More than 67 million people are served by the PJM Interconnection grid.
PJM Interconnection's board will decide on integrating large electricity users, like data centers, into the grid.
The Edison Electric Institute supports the administration's and governors' efforts.
Critics argue the plan doesn't fix existing issues with the grid-connection process or market reforms.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Charles Duhigg spoke with Amna Nawaz on the "Settle In" podcast. They discussed the science behind forming and keeping new habits.
Key Facts
The podcast is called "Settle In."
Amna Nawaz is the host of the podcast.
Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author.
Their conversation focused on how to make new habits last.
They discussed the topic in January 2026, as people often set New Year's resolutions.
The talk aims to help listeners understand the science of habit formation.
OpenAI plans to test ads in its ChatGPT tool for some users in the U.S., affecting those on the free service and a new subscription tier called ChatGPT Go, which costs $8 a month. The company wants to explore ad revenue as a potential source of income, as currently, only a small percentage of users pay for subscriptions. OpenAI emphasizes that ads will not affect ChatGPT's responses or share user conversation data with advertisers.
Key Facts
OpenAI will trial advertising in ChatGPT for some U.S. users.
Ads will show up for free users and those on a new $8/month plan called ChatGPT Go.
The ads will appear after a user prompt and will look like banners.
OpenAI assures ads won't impact the AI's responses or share user data with advertisers.
Only about 5% of ChatGPT's 800 million users currently pay for subscriptions.
OpenAI originally began as a non-profit but is shifting towards commercial operations.
The AI sector is experiencing growth but hasn't yet shown significant profit.
OpenAI will start adding ads to ChatGPT, a popular chatbot, to help generate money. The ads won't change the chatbot's answers but will be influenced by user conversations. Users in the U.S. will start seeing ads soon, with the choice to opt out of personalization.
Key Facts
OpenAI will introduce ads in ChatGPT for U.S. users in the coming weeks.
Ads will be influenced by conversations, but they will not change ChatGPT's responses.
Personalization of ads will be on by default, but users can choose to opt out.
Ads will be clearly marked as "Sponsored" and will be separate from chats.
OpenAI will keep conversations private and will not sell user data to advertisers.
The company needs more money to support its costs, like spending on data centers.
OpenAI has hired new leaders to help manage these money-making changes.
Google is also exploring AI-related advertising, but not yet in its Gemini app.
The United States and Taiwan have signed an agreement to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods in exchange for up to $250 billion in investments by Taiwanese tech companies in the U.S. This deal aims to expand America's capacity to produce critical technologies such as semiconductors, which are essential for electronics and military systems amid tech competition with China.
Key Facts
The U.S. and Taiwan agreed to reduce tariffs on Taiwanese products, with ongoing trade tensions involving China.
Taiwan's tech companies, like TSMC, committed up to $250 billion to boost U.S. production of advanced chips, clean-energy tech, and AI.
Taiwan will provide $250 billion in credit guarantees for Taiwanese companies investing in the U.S. chip industry.
The agreement includes plans for Taiwanese and U.S. joint industrial parks to enhance innovation and advanced manufacturing.
U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese goods will be capped at 15%, with some products like aircraft components and pharmaceuticals facing 0% tariffs.
Section 232 duties on certain Taiwanese imports like lumber and auto parts will be reduced.
Taiwan produces about 60% of global semiconductors and over 90% of advanced nodes, crucial in U.S.-China tech competition.
China opposes the agreement, criticizing deals between Taiwan and countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
Ashley St Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musk's children, filed a lawsuit against xAI, claiming the Grok AI made inappropriate images of her without consent. St Clair alleges that Grok created these "deepfake" images on the social media platform X. In response, xAI has counter-sued, arguing St Clair violated their terms of service by filing the lawsuit in the wrong state.
Key Facts
Ashley St Clair has sued xAI over explicit deepfake images created by its AI tool Grok.
The lawsuit claims Grok generated inappropriate images from photos taken without St Clair's consent.
xAI, which owns Grok and the platform X, has counter-sued St Clair, stating she filed her lawsuit in the wrong jurisdiction.
St Clair's lawsuit highlights specific incidents, including the creation of a controversial image involving offensive symbols.
St Clair's lawyer aims to set legal boundaries to prevent AI misuse.
Some X users voiced concerns about Grok's ability to make non-consensual images.
In response to criticism, X platform changed rules to restrict such image editing to paid users.
There is a custody battle reported between St Clair and Elon Musk over their child.
Netflix’s Best Guess Live is a popular mobile game show that offers cash prizes to participants who solve trivia puzzles. Players compete by making quick and accurate guesses based on a series of clues, with the prize money split among those who answer correctly the fastest. Social media discussions focus on strategies to improve winning chances.
Key Facts
Best Guess Live is a live trivia game available on Netflix via a mobile app.
Players get two puzzles per night with five clues each and have 20 seconds to guess after each clue.
A correct guess is needed to stay in the game; typos and incorrect answers lead to elimination from that round.
The prize pot is usually $15,000, split over two puzzles, and can go up to $30,000 on special nights.
Participants can claim their winnings via PayPal after linking their accounts to the app.
The game has roughly 80,000 nightly players and encourages community discussions on platforms like Reddit.
Strategies to win include knowing game rules, optimizing guess timing, and ensuring accurate typing.
Regular players see increasing competition as more people join the game, drawn by the potential cash rewards and social media buzz.
Netflix has launched a new daily mobile game show called Best Guess Live, where U.S. subscribers can win cash prizes. The game combines live trivia with fast-paced guessing and is available through the Netflix mobile app. Players compete for a nightly $15,000 prize pool, which may increase on special occasions.
Key Facts
Best Guess Live is a mobile game show created by Netflix.
The game premiered on December 8 and occurs on weeknights at 8 p.m. ET.
Participants can win a share of $15,000 each night by answering trivia questions.
The game is hosted by Howie Mandel and Hunter March.
Players have up to five clues to guess the answer to two puzzles in each episode.
Depending on how quickly they answer, winners can take the full prize or share it with others.
To win, players must have a Netflix account and link a PayPal account.
Prize amounts increase on "Wild Wednesdays," where up to $30,000 can be won.
Thousands of users reported problems with their X social media feeds not loading on Friday morning. The outage reports began at around 10 a.m. Eastern time and quickly increased to over 22,600. The cause of the outage and the time when the service will be back are still unknown.
Key Facts
Thousands of X users experienced issues with feeds not loading.
Outage reports started around 10 a.m. Eastern time on Friday.
Reports of the issue surged past 22,600 shortly after the first reports.
X is a popular social media site with over 415 million users worldwide.
More than 99 million of X's users are in the United States.
The cause of the service disruption has not been identified yet.
The third episode of "The Pitt" Season 2 is set to stream on HBO Max on January 22, 2026, at 6 pm Pacific Time/9 pm Eastern Time. The series focuses on events during a 15-hour shift in a fictional emergency department. Viewers need an HBO Max subscription to watch it.
Key Facts
"The Pitt" Season 2 Episode 3 will be available on HBO Max on January 22, 2026.
Streaming will start at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET on that date.
The show portrays a 15-hour shift at a fictional hospital.
A subscription to HBO Max is needed to watch, costing $10.99 per month with ads or $18.99 without ads.
The full second season consists of 15 episodes, ending on April 16, 2026.
Each episode represents one hour of a hospital shift, with Episode 3 being the third hour.
Episode 3's official plot details are not yet available.
