TIME
The U.S. has declined to support the second International AI Safety Report, according to ACM A.M. Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio, the report's chair. Backed by 30 countries and led by 100 experts, the report, released Tuesday, found no slowdown in AI progress and growing evidence of risks, including misuse in cyberattacks and biological research. Bengio said the U.S. decision was symbolic but concerning, as global consensus is critical for managing shared risks.
From "U.S. Withholds Support from International AI Safety Report"
TIME (02/03/26) Harry Booth
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Reuters
Spain and Greece on Tuesday proposed bans on social media use by teenagers. Spain proposed prohibiting children under age 16 from using social media, while Greece is considering a ban for those under 15. Spain also plans to hold social media executives personally accountable for hate speech and algorithmic manipulation on their services, and has joined five other European countries, called the “Coalition of the Digitally Willing,” to coordinate cross-border regulation.
From "Spain, Greece Weigh Teen Bans on Social Media"
Reuters (02/03/26) David Latona; Emma Pinedo; Victoria Waldersee
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The New York Times
U.S. President Trump has unveiled a $12-billion initiative, dubbed “Project Vault,” to build a U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve and reduce dependence on China for materials that make up key components of cars, computers, and phones. The program will procure and store minerals for domestic companies, modeled on the nation’s oil reserves, and will be financed by $1.67 billion in private funding and a $10-billion loan from the Export-Import Bank. Google, General Motors, and several other firms already have announced their participation.
From "Trump Unveils $12-Billion Critical Minerals Stockpile"
The New York Times (02/02/26) Alan Rappeport; Tony Romm
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National Inventors Hall of Fame
This year's class of National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees includes Teresa Meng, who as founder of Atheros Communications pioneered the integration of all communication functions onto a single CMOS chip, laying the technical foundation that drove the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi. Also inducted was Henry Samueli, who as co-founder of Broadcom advanced broadband communications. Frank S. Greene Jr. was inducted for the development of high-speed semiconductor memory systems, including the fastest microchip then available for the ILLIAC IV supercomputer.
From "National Inventors Hall of Fame Announces Wi-Fi Innovator Among 2026 Class"
National Inventors Hall of Fame (01/31/26)
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Associated Press
Around 50 volunteers with environmental group Corporación NGEN powered a human-operated chatbot in Quilicura, a commune of Chile located in the capital Santiago, for 12 hours on Jan. 31 as part of an initiative to highlight the burdens of AI usage in terms of electricity and water consumption and to encourage more responsible use of AI. The volunteers running Quili.AI handled more than 25,000 queries from across the globe from laptops in a community center.
From "Chatbot Powered by Humans Highlights Energy, Water Burdens in Chile"
Associated Press (01/31/26) Matt O'Brien
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Los Angeles Times
AI-powered voice dictation is transforming how people write emails, messages, and code. Startups such as Wispr Flow, Handy, and Willow, along with tech giants including Meta, OpenAI, and Amazon, are integrating voice capabilities into apps and devices, allowing AI to punctuate, format, and execute tasks from spoken instructions. While dictation can double output compared with typing, challenges remain, including social awkwardness in open offices and occasional AI errors.
From "These Companies Want You to Ditch Keyboards"
Los Angeles Times (01/29/26) Nilesh Christopher
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