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18 Jan 2026, 13:29

Tencent calls to improve AI chatbots for vulnerable groups

Tencent Holdings is urging big tech firms to work together to enhance the way chatbots and digital assistants engage with senior citizens, children left behind, and other vulnerable populations that depend more and more on these tools for emotional support and health advice. Specialized training data could greatly improve digital assistance for at-risk groups, according to Lu Shiyu, a senior researcher at Tencent Research Institute. “The next crucial step is working with major developers that serve many users,” Lu stated. “This would create the biggest positive impact.” Specialized data sets under development In order to train language models to better assist vulnerable users, Lu’s team at the Tencent Research Institute, the public research division of the Shenzhen-based internet giant, has been creating specialized data collections since 2024. Before systems are fine-tuned and deployed, these collections provide fundamental knowledge during the pre-training stage. Lu’s team and academics from the University of Science and Technology Beijing tested some of the top models last year, and the results showed serious flaws. The study looked at the best Chinese and American systems, including Tencent ‘s own Hunyuan, and discovered that all of them did poorly on subjects like sex education and other themes pertinent to China’s 69 million left-behind children, children from rural areas whose parents have moved to cities in search of employment. Technology integration raises concerns The program coincides with the swift assimilation of intelligent systems into the lives of Chinese youngsters. A November 2025 story in the Rest of the World claims that robot tutors, digital chatbots, and automated assignment grading systems are transforming childhood in China by providing both friendship and educational content. In August, the Chinese government mandated technology integration throughout children’s education to enable personalized teaching. However, educators have expressed skepticism, warning that overreliance on automated systems could impair children’s independent thinking and communication skills. Targeting elderly users Tencent’s research team has also partnered with Chinese nonprofits serving vulnerable populations to develop an “elderly data set” compiled from thousands of question-and-answer samples contributed by older respondents. Global developments are reflected in the work. Age-friendly design, cognitive accessibility, and privacy protections for vulnerable users were identified as major research themes in a January 2026 study published in JMIR that emphasized the growing significance of specialized data for aged populations. According to the report, older persons frequently encounter major obstacles because of their low level of digital literacy and the complexity of contemporary gadgets. Tencent hopes to ensure that technology benefits society’s most disadvantaged citizens, not only tech-savvy consumers, by creating these specialized collections and encouraging industry-wide cooperation. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

18 Jan 2026, 11:36

Nvidia's CEO predicts 'God AI' is on the way

Even if the CEO of Nvidia maintains that such technology is well beyond our current capabilities, his comments regarding a hypothetical “God AI” that might exist on “biblical” or “galactic” timelines have generated controversy. The leader of the massive chip manufacturer, Jensen Huang, made the comments when talking about artificial intelligence’s future. He defined this hypothetical “God AI” as something that could achieve ultimate mastery over human language, genes, chemical structures, proteins, amino acids, and physics. Huang, however, was eager to refute any idea that such technology is either available or will be available very soon. No company close to creating such technology “God AI is not showing up next week, I’m fairly certain of that,” Huang said. “And God AI isn’t going to show up next year, but the whole world needs to move forward next week, next year, next decade.” The Nvidia CEO emphasized that no company currently believes it’s anywhere close to creating such powerful AI, and researchers lack any reasonable ability to build it. Despite the dramatic terminology, Huang stressed that society doesn’t need to wait for this hypothetical technology to make progress. The statements come as generative AI continues to garner hundreds of billions of dollars in funding , with supporters predicting it will revolutionize society more than any other human innovation. Huang positioned AI as the next important step for the computing industry, stating that businesses will need to integrate these systems into their operations, just as many already rely on AI for daily chores. Meanwhile, other industry executives have made various forecasts about AI’s future. Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind has warned that artificial general intelligence, or AI with human capabilities, may arrive before society is prepared for the consequences. In contrast, OpenAI’s Sam Altman has stated that achieving this condition may have a lower societal impact than many expect. Last year, podcast presenter Joe Rogan sparked debate by claiming that if Jesus did return, he would “absolutely” do so as artificial intelligence. Growing concerns about advanced AI risks The discussion around advanced AI comes against a backdrop of growing concern about the technology’s risks . Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently called for intervention through guardrails and regulation to govern AI development and deployment. Gates warned that the technology could enable the creation of bioterrorism weapons posin g gr eater danger to humanity than the COVID-19 pandemic. Huang’s remarks have sparked debate about whether such predictions represent genuine warnings about technology’s future direction or simply serve as marketing to maintain Nvidia’s position in the competitive AI market. The company manufactures chips that power much of the AI industry’s infrastructure. The discussion underscores broader concerns about where AI development is headed and if current controls are sufficient. While some regard discussions of “God AI” as innocent speculation or corporate propaganda, others see them as reminders that rapid AI growth may lead to events that mankind is unprepared to handle. According to Huang, the concept is currently only a theory rather than a reality. According to the executive’s timeframe, any such advancement will occur far beyond the present generation’s lifetime, if at all. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

18 Jan 2026, 09:53

AI and robotics momentum boosts China tech stocks

China is entering the year with a sense of renewal, fueling a rally in stocks despite lingering economic weakness. The shift comes nearly a year after DeepSeek rattled global markets by challenging US dominance with the launch of its open-source DeepSeek-R1, a highly capable AI model. Since then, reports from credible sources show that Chinese tech shares have opened the year strongly, buoyed by fresh breakthroughs across sectors such as commercial rockets, robotics, and flying cars. *]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="4d56dde5-c468-481e-b9a0-8e9bb957abbd" data-testid="conversation-turn-2" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> As a result, a Nasdaq-style index tracking Chinese technology stocks has climbed nearly 13% in January 2026, while a gauge of Hong Kong-listed Chinese tech firms has risen close to 6%. Both benchmarks have outperformed the Nasdaq 100 over the same period. China’s growth outlook remains resilient Since April last year, analysts have noticed that China’s stock market has been on an upward trend , mainly due to enthusiasm for local technology, despite the Asian nation’s difficulties managing low consumer spending and a housing crisis. With this finding, sources noted that individuals have placed bets on prediction markets anticipating sustained upward momentum in the coming months, driven by the introduction of a new, highly capable AI model from DeepSeek and China’s economic plan set to focus on technological independence over the next five years. On Friday, January 16, Mark Mobius, a managing director of Mobius Emerging Opportunities Fund, released a statement noting that “The stock market indicates that what China is doing in the technology sector will be very exciting in the future,” adding that, “We must remember that China’s goal now is to surpass the US in technology, high-level chips, and various types of AI. So investments are flowing in that direction.” Meanwhile, since DeepSeek shook up the market worldwide with its cheap, cutting-edge AI models on January 27, 2025, the tech company has motivated other Chinese-based firms to accelerate their efforts and develop their own model versions. This situation demonstrates a growing trend in the tech industry, with companies, mostly leading Chinese internet firms such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd ., increasingly interested in generative AI. The tech industry faces stiff competition amid the AI boom era Just as with generative AI, Chinese-based firms have also shown heightened interest in creating robots, sparking stiff competition in the sector. These Chinese robots have participated in marathons, engaged in boxing matches, and performed folk dances, proving their power. On the other hand, the manufacturing sector is integrating high-end language models into advanced equipment such as precision machinery and flying taxis. With these advancements in the tech sector, investors have adopted a new perspective towards China, transforming it from an earlier view as just a cost-effective manufacturing base into a serious rival to major US tech firms. This change in perspective comes at a time when global investors are seeking new opportunities to expand. In the meantime, data from Jefferies Financial Group Inc., dated January 13, showed that a team of 33 Chinese AI stocks saw their combined market value surge by around $732 billion in 2025. With these results, Jefferies anticipated that China could still do better, as its market value in the AI industry is just 6.5% of the United States. Want your project in front of crypto’s top minds? Feature it in our next industry report, where data meets impact.

18 Jan 2026, 07:16

Everyone will have an AI friend in five years, says Microsoft exec

A senior figure at Microsoft believes that artificial intelligence will soon become a part of everyday life for most people, stating that within five years, everyone will have their own digital companion. Mustafa Suleyman, who heads Microsoft’s artificial intelligence division and previously founded his own tech companies, shared his thoughts in comments posted on X. He thinks these digital companions will be able to understand users better than current technology allows. Understanding users on a deeper level “In five years’ time, everybody will have their own AI companion who knows them so intimately and so personally that they will come to live life alongside you,” Suleyman said . The executive explaine d th ese companions will observe what users observe, listen to what they listen to, and understand their circumstances, preferences, and what motivates them. He described the experience as having a friend or assistant constantly available to help navigate major challenges in life. People online had mixed reactions to his statement. Some expressed enthusiasm about what’s coming, while others were not convinced. Kirk Patrick Miller commented that he would prefer unrestricted technology that can speak freely rather than limited versions. David Shapiro suggested that a five-year timeline means development is moving too slowly. Someone else thought it would happen faster than Suleyman predicted. Sarbjeet Johal pointed out the practical side, such devices would likely need charging every day and cost thousands for regular updates. From Inflection AI to Microsoft Suleyman’s previous work provides insight into why he is interested in this type of technology. Before joining Microsoft , he co-founded Inflection AI alongside Reid Hoffman and Karen Simonyan. That company developed Pi, a chatbot designed for emotional support and conversation instead of just getting jobs done. The program emphasized empathy and understanding. About one million people used Pi daily before Suleyman and his colleagues moved to Microsoft in 2024. Now at Microsoft, Suleyman continues to push for what he describes as humanist superintelligence. His approach centers on ensuring powerful technology remains aligned with human values and serves people’s interests. He stresses containment and setting clear limits so advanced systems help rather than hurt humanity. Technology has already invaded many sectors of society, such as offices, factories, and physical labor machines. However, Suleyman thinks that it will eventually migrate into more personal areas, becoming something people deal with on a daily basis. The question remains whether his five-year prognosis is true, or if technology arrives sooner than expected. Sharpen your strategy with mentorship + daily ideas - 30 days free access to our trading program

17 Jan 2026, 22:10

Developers report productivity gains with Claude

The software, Claude Code from startup Anthropic, has stunned programmers and tech executives who tested it over the holidays, with many reporting productivity gains they didn’t think were possible. Lots of developers spent their holiday break testing the newest version, Claude Opus 4.5, which runs on their computers. Tech firms have been using code-writing AI for years, and the older ones worked about as well as a new hire. What people are seeing now feels different. Malte Ubl runs technology at Vercel, which helps build and host websites for people using Claude Code. He finished a tough project in one week that he says would have taken him a year on his own. Ubl worked 10 hours every day during his vacation, making new software. He compared the good feeling from each win to pulling a slot machine lever in Vegas. Google has been getting most of the attention lately after showing off a really good AI model and tools. But people who follow this stuff closely are still talking about what Anthropic just put out. Claude’s website traffic more than doubled in December compared to last year, and daily visitors on computers went up 12 percent around the world versus last month. That’s based on numbers from Similarweb and Sensor Tower. The AI agent revolution finally arrives Tech experts have been saying for a while that AI “agents” would be able to do almost anything for us, but that hasn’t really happened yet. For lots of users, Claude Code was the first time they saw this kind of AI work. It gave them an idea of what might be coming. People are using it to look at government money data, fix broken wedding photos, build websites from nothing, answer tons of emails, or get food delivered. My annual MRI scan gives me a USB stick with the data, but you need this commercial windows software to open it. Ran Claude on the stick and asked it to make me a html based viewer tool. This looks… way better. pic.twitter.com/6bAR7N4Vt6 — tobi lutke (@tobi) January 11, 2026 Shopify’s CEO Tobias Lütke wrote on X that he used it to make software that looks at his MRI scan. Boris Cherny, who’s in charge of Claude Code, said one person hooked up a camera and watched their tomato plants grow with it. “It’s just so different than the AI that came before,” Cherny said. Since so many regular people wanted to try it, Cherny and his team made a version called Cowork. Instead of the old-school command line screen that the main version has, Cowork looks friendlier and easier to use. They built it in about 10 days, using Claude Code. Anthropic’s market position strengthens Anthropic, which people think will go public this year , has always focused on making AI that’s really good at coding first, then at “tooling”, which means the AI can use different software without much help from people. Most tests show it’s the best at coding, and it’s also one of the best at tooling, based on research from UC Berkeley. Now people want to know what happens next . “The bigger story here is going to be when this goes beyond software engineering,” said David Hsu, who runs Retool, a business-AI startup. Not many Americans work as software engineers. “How far does it go?” If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .

17 Jan 2026, 20:15

Key deals this week: Micron Technology, Worthington Steel, Boston Scientific, CrowdStrike and more