Google absorbs Alphabet's robotics software company Intrinsic, signaling a major push into physical AI and factory automation by integrating it with Google DeepMind and Gemini AI to transform real-world manufacturing.
NVIDIA launches DreamDojo, a fully open-source robot world model trained on over 44,000 hours of human video that boosts real-world robot success rates by 17%, enabling real-time control across thousands of tasks without traditional physics engines.
AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li's World Labs secures $1 billion in funding at a $5 billion valuation from tech giants including Nvidia and AMD, as investors pivot from language models to spatial intelligence technology that could revolutionize robotics and autonomous vehicles.
China displays advanced humanoid robots performing flawless martial arts and dance routines on national television during the Spring Festival Gala, signaling technological dominance as the country's robotics industry reaches $932 billion with experts calling it strategic propaganda against US competition.
Seventeen US AI companies raise over $100 million each in just seven weeks of 2026, with Anthropic securing a massive $30 billion round at $380 billion valuation and xAI raising $20 billion, signaling unprecedented investor appetite for artificial intelligence ventures.
Flapping Airplanes secures $180 million in seed funding to develop revolutionary AI systems inspired by human brain algorithms that require 1000 times less training data than current OpenAI and DeepMind models, potentially unlocking breakthrough applications in robotics and scientific discovery.
Gather AI secures $40 million Series B funding to expand its 'curious' AI-powered drones and forklift cameras that autonomously scan warehouse inventory, detect misplaced stock, and identify safety issues using Bayesian techniques and neural networks in the growing embodied AI robotics market.
US Army awards contract to Swarmbotics AI for developing swarming unmanned ground vehicles that operate in coordinated groups to overwhelm enemies with multiple simultaneous threats, offering cost-effective force multiplication for the 1st Cavalry Division starting January 2026.
Tesla discontinues its flagship Model S sedan and Model X SUV next quarter as CEO Elon Musk pivots the company toward robotics and autonomous technology, converting Fremont factory space to produce Optimus robots instead of the luxury vehicles that helped establish Tesla's electric vehicle dominance.
Palladyne AI stock rockets 14% after winning Air Force contract for drone coordination software, while defense giants General Dynamics drops 2.7% despite beating earnings and Textron crashes 8% on disappointing 2026 guidance that falls short of analyst expectations.