Welcome to AI Insider’s The Week Ahead in AI. See the key developments and events we’re watching Feb. 2-Jan. 7.
Weekend AI News Briefs
Apple Beats Earnings Expectations as Investors Press for Clear AI Monetization Strategy
Apple reported quarterly revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16% year over year and ahead of expectations, as expanding AI features across its products helped drive growth but also intensified investor focus on monetization. On the earnings call, CEO Tim Cook told analysts including Morgan Stanley’s Morgan Stanley that Apple is embedding AI across its operating systems in a privacy-first way to enhance user experience, without yet detailing specific AI-driven revenue streams. (AI Insider)
‘Optimus Chain’: Chinese Suppliers Form the Backbone of Tesla’s Humanoid Robot Initiative
Elon Musk plans to bring production of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot to the U.S., repurposing the company’s Fremont, California factory as it pivots away from some electric vehicle models, according to the South China Morning Post. Analysts and industry insiders told the publication that Tesla will remain heavily reliant on China’s robotics supply chain for core components, with an estimated 50% to 70% of key manufacturing expertise and more than half of the global bill of materials still concentrated in China. (SCMP)
Brickanta Raises $8M Seed to Bring Agentic AI to Pre-Construction Workflows
Stockholm-based Brickanta raised $8 million in Seed funding led by Northzone in under two weeks to accelerate development of its AI-native operating system for construction, focused on reducing risk and cost overruns in the pre-construction phase. Founded by Lucas Otterling, the company has onboarded users in eleven countries, with Northzone partner Pär-Jörgen Pärson citing AI’s potential to address long-standing productivity challenges as Brickanta plans to scale across Europe and grow its engineering and delivery teams. (AI Insider)
Anthropic Expands Cowork With Enterprise Plug-Ins to Scale Agentic AI Beyond Coding
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis used Davos to caution against the early introduction of advertising into AI assistants, saying he was surprised by OpenAI’s move to test ads in chatbots and warning that monetization choices could undermine user trust and experience. Instead, Google is prioritizing personalization over advertising, rolling out opt-in features that let Gemini tailor responses using data from services like Gmail and Photos, highlighting a widening divide among AI leaders over how to balance revenue, trust, and long-term assistant strategy. (AI Insider)
Waymo Reportedly Raising a $16B Funding Round
Waymo is nearing a $16 billion funding round valuing the robotaxi company at about $110 billion, with more than three-quarters of the capital expected to come from parent Alphabet and new investors including Dragoneer, Sequoia Capital, and DST Global, according to the Financial Times. The company reported more than 20 million trips completed and over $350 million in annual recurring revenue as it expands into new markets such as Miami, even as recent operational hiccups, including stalled vehicles during a San Francisco blackout, underscore the execution challenges of scaling autonomous mobility. (TechCrunch)
AI-Altered Photos and Videos of Minneapolis Shootings Blur Reality
AI-manipulated images and videos depicting the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti have spread rapidly across platforms including X, TikTok, and Facebook, blurring facts and amplifying misinformation around the incident, according to NBC News. The proliferation of AI-altered media has also fueled false claims that authentic footage is fake, highlighting growing concerns about a “liar’s dividend” effect as detection tools lag behind increasingly realistic AI-generated content. (NBC News)
A Chatbot Entirely Powered by Humans, Not Artificial Intelligence? This Chilean Community Shows Why
About 50 residents outside Santiago ran a fully human-operated chatbot for 12 hours to highlight the environmental costs of AI data centers, fielding more than 25,000 requests and deliberately slowing responses to contrast with automated systems, according to the Associated Press. Organizers said the Quili.AI project was intended to draw attention to the water and energy footprint of AI in drought-stricken areas like Quilicura, where major cloud companies have built or planned data centers. (Associated Press)
Upcoming Earnings
Palantir Technologies (PLTR)
Palantir Technologies said it will report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results after U.S. markets close on Monday, Feb. 2. The company will host a webcast to discuss the results at 3:00 p.m. MT / 5:00 p.m. ET. (Palantir)
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
Advanced Micro Devices is expected to report earnings after market close on Tuesday, Feb. 3, for the fiscal quarter ended December 2025. According to Zacks Investment Research, the consensus forecast from 15 analysts calls for EPS of $1.11, up from $0.88 in the same quarter last year. (Nasdaq)
Alphabet (GOOG)
Alphabet is expected to report earnings after market close on Wednesday, Feb. 4, for the fiscal quarter ended December 2025. According to Zacks Investment Research, the consensus forecast from 16 analysts calls for EPS of $2.58, up from $2.15 in the same quarter last year. (Nasdaq)
Amazon (AMZN)
Amazon.com, Inc. Common Stock is expected* to report earnings on Thursday, Feb. 5, after market close. The report will be for the fiscal Quarter ending Dec 2025. According to Zacks Investment Research, based on 16 analysts’ forecasts, the consensus EPS forecast for the quarter is $1.98. The reported EPS for the same quarter last year was $1.86. (Nasdaq)
Upcoming Events
AI & Big Data Expo Global
Feb. 4–5, Olympia London, UK, one of the largest enterprise-focused AI events, covering AI advancements, big data, machine learning, and related tech (with robotics/AI intersections in sessions). (AI & Big Data Expo Global)
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