Welcome to AI Insider’s The Week Ahead in AI. See the key developments and events we’re watching Sept. 28–Oct. 4.
Weekend AI News Briefs
Lufthansa Airline Group to Shed 4,000 Jobs by 2030 with Help of AI, Sees Stronger Profits Ahead
Lufthansa Group will cut 4,000 mostly administrative jobs—primarily in Germany—by 2030 as it deepens integration across Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels and ITA and uses AI and digitalization to eliminate duplicate work. Despite the cuts, the airline expects higher profits amid strong travel demand and capacity constraints from aircraft and engine supply issues that are keeping planes full and yields high. (The Hill)
Rhombus Power Snags $200 Million US Air Force Contract for AI-Powered Strategic Decision Making Platform
The U.S. Air Force awarded Rhombus Power an IDIQ worth up to $200 million to mature its SBIR Phase II work into an AI platform for strategic decision-making and PPBE analysis tools, with work based in Moffett Field, CA through Sept. 25, 2030 and an initial $2,500 in FY25 O&M funds obligated on the first task order. Rhombus Power describes a human-in-the-loop, predictive decision intelligence system that unifies multi-domain data into real-time insights for defense, intelligence, and national-security users. (AI Insider)
Kepler Moves World’s First Commercially Available Hybrid-Architecture Humanoid Robot Into Mass Production
Shanghai Kepler Robotics began mass production and shipments of its K2 “Bumblebee” humanoid, moving from prototypes to scaled deliveries of what it calls the first commercially available hybrid‑architecture robot. Featuring planetary roller‑screw linear and rotary actuators for a straight‑knee gait, up to 81.3% energy efficiency, ~8 hours per charge, a 30‑kg dual‑arm payload, and a RMB 248,000 list price, Kepler says it has framework agreements for several thousand units targeting logistics, manufacturing, R&D, and exhibitions while building a serviceable supply‑chain ecosystem. (AI Insider)
AI Policy & Governance
AI Chatbot Safety Bills Under Threat as Newsom Ponders Restrictions
Newsom has until mid-October to sign or veto two California bills that would impose safety guardrails on AI chatbots for minors, amid lawsuits from parents who say bots worsened their teens’ mental health and contributed to suicides. Tech companies warn the measures would stifle innovation even as they push classroom chatbot use, putting the governor between child-safety advocates and an industry central to the state’s economy. (LA Times)
White House Places AI as a Critical Technology in its Top R&D Priorities
The White House’s FY 2027 R&D memo puts AI at the center of federal priorities, directing agencies to advance both fundamental and applied work across defense, health, energy, and space while building the infrastructure, datasets, and evaluation methods needed for reliable, resilient systems and strengthening enablers like semiconductors, secure communications, advanced computing, and manufacturing. Crosscutting directives include implementing Gold Standard Science practices, expanding the STEM workforce, protecting sensitive U.S. research from foreign exploitation, and deepening collaboration among government, academia, and industry. (AI Insider)
AI Conferences and Events
Zurich AI Festival
Sept. 29 – Oct. 4, Zurich, Switzerland, the Zurich AI Festival convenes academia, industry, startups, policymakers, and the public on a neutral platform to advance ethical, transparent, and responsible AI, showcasing cutting-edge research and applications while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Positioned apart from commercially driven conferences, it aims to strengthen Switzerland’s global AI leadership and catalyze open, inclusive, and critical debate on AI’s societal impact. (Zurich AI Festival)
MLcon in New York 2025
Sept. 29 – October 2,,, New York, NY, in-person and online, A program urges participants to harness generative AI, large language models, and machine learning to turn theory into real‑world intelligent systems. It stresses making better use of data, deepening advanced ML skills, and mastering MLOps to deliver scalable, secure production deployments. (MLcon in New York))
GAI World 2025
Sept. 29 – 30, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, executives from organizations including Mayo Clinic, J&J, Pfizer, Liberty Mutual, Saks, John Hancock, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boston Scientific, UBS, State Street, JPMorgan, Wayfair, CarGurus, Bain, HBS, and MIT share in‑production case studies with proven ROI and best practices to upskill teams into “AI‑Forward” companies. The event features focused tracks for Healthcare, Financial Services, and Sales & Marketing, plus networking with attendees from Capital One, CIBC, Spotify, Lenovo, Crunchbase, Dana‑Farber, and more.(GAI World 2025)
2025 Conference on Robot Learning
Sept. 27 – 30, Humanoids Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, Seoul, South Korea,The Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL), founded in 2017, is a leading venue at the intersection of robotics and machine learning, drawing a global community to present advances, debate challenges, and shape the future of robot learning. Now in its eighth edition, CoRL fosters cutting‑edge research and collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and industry experts. (CORL)
Check out AI Insider every day for the latest in AI and Robotics developments.
