While the world prepares for political battles at Davos (and discusses the chip shortage in China), science is working wonders: robots are now physically creating humans (19 babies!), and computers are learning to run on mycelium instead of silicon.
Robots and Biotech
Robot delivered 19 babies (literally). New York startup Conceivable Life Sciences reported the birth of 19 infants conceived by the AURA robot. This is the world's first fully automated IVF system that replaces embryologists. The robot's manipulation accuracy exceeded human levels.
Robot learned to smile in front of a mirror. Columbia University engineers demonstrated EMO head that learned realistic human facial expressions. The robot simply watched itself in the mirror and practiced like an actor, trying to replicate expressions from YouTube videos.
Humanoid completed factory internship. The HMND 01 Alpha robot completed a two-week shift on a Siemens assembly line. It autonomously carried crates and performed fine motor tasks with 90% accuracy, needing no recharging for half an hour.
Hardware and Industry
OpenAI is building its own factories. Sam Altman's company is seeking US-based motor and equipment suppliers. This confirms the rumors: OpenAI is going into hardware and preparing mass production of its own devices and robots.
Mushroom computers. Ohio scientists turned shiitake mushrooms into RAM. It turns out fungal cultures work as memristors — they're cheaper than silicon, biodegradable, and consume minimal energy.
China acknowledges falling behind. Leading Chinese AI companies say they won't be able to catch up with the US in the short term due to Nvidia chip blockade. Gray-zone compute leasing no longer covers the growing appetites of neural networks.