On January 22, 2026, Microsoft suffered a major outage that disrupted Outlook, Microsoft 365, Teams and related services for thousands of users, particularly across North America. Downdetector showed tens of thousands of reports at the peak, with users unable to send or receive emails or access collaboration tools. Microsoft said the issue stemmed from a portion of its service infrastructure not processing traffic as expected and worked to rebalance and restore systems. Services gradually returned after about eight hours, though recovery continued.
Elon Musk predicts that Tesla's robotaxi service will be prevalent in the U.S. by the year's end, supported by VP of AI software Ashok Elluswamy's statement on starting with a few unsupervised vehicles. Despite facing skepticism from consumers regarding safety and competition from firms like Waymo and Baidu's ApolloGo, Musk remains optimistic. He also revealed plans for public sales of Tesla's Optimus robots by 2027, highlighting rapid advancements in AI.
Google enhances its AI Mode for personalized responses by introducing "Personal Intelligence," allowing it to access user data from Gmail and Google Photos. This opt-in feature is currently rolling out to English-speaking AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. "With Personal Intelligence, recommendations fit seamlessly into your life," explains Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search. Users can toggle this feature, ensuring privacy while enhancing the personalization of their interactions.
OpenAI has ramped up its robotics initiative, employing around 100 data collectors to teach robotic arms to perform household tasks. Currently, the lab utilizes two Franka robots to master increasingly complex chores, reflecting a shift from OpenAI's earlier robotics shutdown in 2020. As AI expert Jonathan Aitken notes, “everyone is fighting for a way to develop large data sets,” highlighting the lab's novel approach in developing household robots.
Autodesk plans to reduce its workforce by roughly 7 percent, impacting about 1,000 positions, to redirect investments toward its cloud platform and AI initiatives. CEO Andrew Anagnost states the layoffs, affecting primarily sales teams, follow a multi-year optimization program and are not linked to market pressures. The restructuring incurs pre-tax costs of $135-$160 million, aimed at aligning operations with long-term growth. Autodesk expects improved financial forecasts for fiscal 2026, continuing to compete against Adobe and PTC in design software.
Malaysia has lifted its temporary block on access to the AI chatbot Grok after social media platform X implemented enhanced safety measures to address concerns over harmful content generation. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said the restriction, imposed earlier this month due to misuse allowing the creation of sexualized images, is now removed following X’s rollout of additional safeguards. Access to Grok will resume under continued monitoring to ensure compliance with safety and legal standards, focusing on preventing the spread of inappropriate generated content.
Microsoft has introduced Rho-alpha, aiming to unify robotic perception and interaction by combining vision, language, and tactile feedback into one adaptable system. This advancement allows robots to learn in real-time and enhances their ability to interact seamlessly with their environment. Tom Emrich, an industry expert, highlights that Rho-alpha represents a significant leap forward in robotics innovation, potentially transforming how robots understand and act in physical spaces.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that the Cybercab, designed for autonomous operation and Robotaxi services, will begin production at Giga Texas within 100 days. Musk anticipates initial production will be slow due to the use of fresh technologies and components. He stated, “initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve.” The goal is to ramp production to 2-4 million units annually. The Cybercab will feature no steering wheel or pedals, focusing entirely on automation.
Apple is set to transform Siri into a full AI chatbot named Campos later this year, enhancing user interactions across iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This upgrade allows Siri to engage in natural conversations, understand context, and execute complex requests, differentiating it from traditional voice assistants. Campos will be revealed at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June and is expected to launch with iOS 27 in September, incorporating advanced AI models and deep integration with Apple's apps while prioritizing user privacy.
South Korea has unveiled the world's first comprehensive AI regulations aimed at enhancing safety and trust in artificial intelligence. Effective immediately, the AI Basic Act mandates human oversight in high-impact sectors like healthcare and finance, with fines up to 30 million won for non-compliance. While Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon emphasizes the law's role in positioning South Korea as a top AI player, startup leaders express concerns over ambiguous details and potential compliance burdens.