Welcome to AI Insider’s The Week Ahead in AI. See the key developments and events we’re watching Jan. 11-Jan. 17.
Weekend AI News Briefs
OpenAI and SoftBank Commit $1B to SB Energy to Expand AI Data Center Infrastructure
OpenAI and SoftBank plan to invest $1 billion in SB Energy as part of a strategic partnership to accelerate OpenAI’s AI infrastructure buildout, tied to the broader $500 billion Stargate commitment announced with Oracle last January. Under the agreement, SB Energy—backed by SoftBank and Ares Management—will build and operate OpenAI’s 1.2-gigawatt data center site in Milam County, Texas, and form a non-exclusive preferred partnership to develop new large-scale AI data center construction models as OpenAI scales compute capacity.(AI Insider)
Anthropic Partners With Allianz to Deploy Responsible AI Across Global Insurance Operations
Anthropic has announced a strategic enterprise partnership with Allianz SE to deploy its large language models across Allianz’s operations, emphasizing safety, transparency, and regulatory readiness, with financial terms undisclosed. The agreement will make Anthropic’s models available to Allianz employees, support custom AI agents for multi-step workflows with human oversight, and implement comprehensive logging for compliance and audits, with Oliver Bäte framing the deal as part of Allianz’s responsible AI strategy and Anthropic extending its recent run of major enterprise partnerships. (AI Insider)
Malaysia and Indonesia Block Musk’s Grok Over Explicit Deepfakes
The BBC reports Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to X’s AI chatbot Grok, citing its misuse to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake images that includes concerns involving women and children, making them the first countries to ban the tool. The move has intensified scrutiny elsewhere, with UK officials signaling support for potential action under the Online Safety Act and drawing criticism from Elon Musk, while regulators said access will remain blocked until effective safeguards are implemented. (BBC)
Motional Puts AI at Center of Robotaxi Reboot as it Targets 2026 for Driverless Service
According to TechCrunch, Motional has rebooted its stalled robotaxi ambitions with an AI-first strategy after layoffs, missed launch targets, and the loss of Aptiv as a backer, committing to launch a fully driverless commercial service in Las Vegas by the end of 2026 with majority owner Hyundai Motor Group providing continued financial support. The company is shifting from a rules-heavy robotics stack to a foundation-model-based autonomous system to improve scalability and cost efficiency, with CEO Laura Major describing the pause and rebuild as necessary to deliver safe, globally deployable Level 4 driving, building on earlier partnerships that included Lyft. (TechCrunch)
Andreessen Horowitz Raises Over $15B Across New Funds to Back AI and Strategic Technologies
Andreessen Horowitz has raised more than $15 billion across five new venture funds, including $6.75 billion for growth investing, $1.7 billion for AI infrastructure, and $1.12 billion for national interest areas such as defense, housing, and supply chains, marking one of the largest fundraising efforts in the sector amid accelerating AI adoption. The raise, which comes less than two years after the firm’s previous fund cycle, underscores how established firms continue to attract capital despite a broader venture slowdown, with co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz emphasizing U.S. leadership in AI as Andreessen Horowitz surpasses $90 billion in assets under management. (AI Insider)
Google Announces New Tech and Tools for AI-Powered Shopping
Google unveiled a major push into agentic commerce with the launch of the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard designed to let AI agents handle shopping tasks end to end across discovery, checkout, and post-purchase support, co-developed with retailers including Shopify, Walmart, Target, and Etsy. The company also announced new AI-powered retail tools across Search, Gemini, and Merchant Center — such as agent-enabled checkout, branded Business Agents, richer product data attributes, and a Direct Offers ads pilot — aimed at helping retailers capture sales as shopping shifts toward conversational, AI-driven experiences. (Google)
Chinese Companies Pony.ai and BAIC BJEV Deepen Partnership for Robotaxi Development and Commercialization
Pony.ai and BAIC BJEV have expanded their strategic partnership to accelerate the mass production, commercialization, and global deployment of Level 4 autonomous driving and Robotaxi services. The upgraded agreement deepens collaboration across vehicle design, fleet operations, and lifecycle management, building on more than 600 jointly produced Robotaxis already operating in Beijing and Shenzhen and targeting expansion into select global markets, including Europe and the Middle East. (AI Insider)
Spangle Raises $15M Series A to Scale AI-Driven Personalised Commerce Platform
Spangle, an AI-powered e-commerce company founded by former Bolt CEO Maju Kuruvilla, has raised $15 million in a Series A round led by NewRoad Capital Partners at a $100 million post-money valuation, bringing total funding to $21 million. Founded in Seattle in 2024 with CTO Fei Wang, Spangle develops AI-native software for real-time personalized shopping experiences and plans to use the new capital to expand R&D, grow its engineering team, and scale go-to-market efforts after signing enterprise customers including Revolve, Alexander Wang, and Steve Madden. (AI Insider)
International Federation of Robotics Releases its Top 5 Global Robotics Trends for 2026
The global market for industrial robot installations reached a record $16.7 billion, driven by labor shortages, rising operational complexity, and demand for more flexible automation, according to the International Federation of Robotics. The IFR said accelerating adoption of AI-driven autonomy, IT/OT convergence, and early industrial deployments of humanoid robots — alongside mounting safety, cybersecurity, and liability concerns—are reshaping robot design, deployment, and governance as manufacturers pair automation with workforce upskilling through 2026. (AI Insider)
Upcoming Earnings Reports
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Co. (TSM)
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is expected report earnings on Jan. 15, before market open. Based on forecasts from four analysts tracked by Zacks, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter is $2.71, compared with reported EPS of $2.24 in the same quarter last year. (Nasdaq)
AI Policy & Governance
Advancing America’s AI Action Plan
On Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. EST, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology will convene in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., to evaluate the United States’ progress in AI strategies, emphasizing global competitiveness and ongoing research initiatives, with testimony from Hon. Michael Kratsios of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Hearing will be live streamed. (Subcommittee on Research and Technology)
Building an AI-Ready America
On January 14, 2026, at 10:15 AM ET, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a full committee hearing in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., marking the first in a series exploring AI’s transformative effects on education and workforce development, aimed at equipping Americans for future technological advancements. (Committe on Education and the Workforce)
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