Kubernetes

Humanoid Robots for Rent: LG’s CLOiD and On-Demand Services Democratize Robotics The field of advanced humanoid robotics is rapidly expanding into consumer and public applications. At CES 2026, LG is set to debut its new dual-armed humanoid robot, CLOiD, designed as a home assistant to automate daily household chores. In a parallel move to increase public access, Chinese company Qingtianzhu Technology has launched a “1 RMB robot rental” service across 10 major cities. This “flash rental” service aims to normalize on-demand access to humanoid robots for events, featuring a promotional price of 1 RMB (14 cents USD) to drive adoption. The service includes rapid booking and on-site staff to ensure reliable operation. ...

Generative AI Advances with Multimodal Models and Agentic Systems The field of generative artificial intelligence, powered by large language models (LLMs), is experiencing rapid advancements in scalable and instruction-following multimodal foundation models and agentic AI applications. Progress is being driven by developments in alignment techniques, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures, and fine-grained controllability in generative tasks. Key areas of innovation include diffusion-based video generation, synthetic avatars, and goal-driven multi-agent collaboration. In response to these advancements, regulatory attention is increasing, with the EU’s AI Act, effective in 2025, mandating security-by-design for AI systems. The industry is also moving towards standardization, with OpenAI co-founding the Linux-based Agentic AI Foundation to standardize intelligent agents. Real-world applications are emerging in various fields, such as pharmaceuticals, where generative models are being used to design drug candidates and biosensors, significantly reducing design cycles. ...

Zara’s AI Integration Revolutionizes Retail and Supply Chain Management Fast-fashion giant Zara is embedding artificial intelligence into its core retail workflows to boost efficiency and market responsiveness. By leveraging generative AI, the company can adapt and extend existing product imagery, significantly cutting the time and expense of traditional photoshoots. This fashion technology allows for rapid creation of visual variations tailored to different markets. Beyond creative applications, Zara’s AI strategy extends to crucial operational areas, including demand forecasting, real-time inventory management, and delivering personalized customer experiences. This deep integration of AI is designed to optimize Zara’s entire supply chain, solidifying its leadership in the competitive fashion industry. ...

Arm Bets on Edge AI for Future Growth, Citing Lower Latency and Efficiency Arm Holdings is strategically positioning itself for the next wave of artificial intelligence, which it predicts will be dominated by edge computing over centralized cloud processing. In a recent interview, Vince Jesaitis, Arm’s head of global government affairs, asserted that most AI computations, especially inference tasks, will become increasingly decentralized. This strategic shift to local AI processing on devices ranging from smartphones to industrial sensors is poised to be the next major development in the field. The key benefits of edge AI include lower latency, critical for applications like real-time translation, and enhanced energy efficiency, thanks to the low-power design of Arm’s chips. Jesaitis also emphasized the sustainability advantages, noting that edge AI can help enterprises achieve their energy goals without sacrificing computing performance. Arm’s strategy centers on supplying the intellectual property for billions of chips in these edge devices, empowering them to be truly intelligent and context-aware. ...

Anthropic Launches Bloom: An Open-Source Framework for AI Model Evaluation Anthropic has launched Bloom, an open-source agentic framework engineered to automate behavioral evaluations of advanced AI models. This innovative tool enables researchers to define a specific behavior and then automatically generate numerous test scenarios to measure its frequency and severity. The primary goal of Bloom is to accelerate the creation of high-quality safety and alignment evaluations, which are often labor-intensive and can quickly become obsolete as AI models advance. Anthropic has already utilized Bloom to build and release benchmark results for four key alignment-relevant behaviors across 16 different frontier models. The framework also integrates with popular tools like Weights and Biases for large-scale experiments and complements Anthropic’s other open-source evaluation tool, Petri. ...

Unitree G1 Humanoid Robots Showcase Agility in Onstage Concert Performance In a stunning display of robotic agility, six Unitree G1 humanoid robots from Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics performed as backup dancers at a Wang Leehom concert in Chengdu, China. Dressed in silver sequin outfits, the advanced robots executed complex, synchronized dance routines and a collective backflip, perfectly timed to the music. This AI-powered performance, praised by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, marks a significant milestone in demonstrating the real-world capabilities and commercial potential of humanoid robotics. Industry observers highlight the event as a major leap forward in robotic dynamic balance and power systems. The G1 robot features 3D LiDAR and depth cameras for advanced perception and boasts a wide range of motion with its 23-43 joint motors. ...

AI and Human Collaboration Boosts Self-Driving Lab Performance by 150% Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago have developed a new shared control framework for self-driving laboratories, where human scientists and AI collaborate on the discovery process. This innovative approach has already yielded a 150% increase in mix conducting performance for MIECPs over previous methods. In this model, the AI advisor suggests potential actions, but the human researcher makes the final decision. The team’s future goal is to create a tighter feedback loop where the AI can learn directly from human choices, refining its own decision-making models to better mimic expert intuition. ...

Aptiv & Vecna Robotics Partner on Next-Gen Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for Warehouses Global industrial technology company Aptiv has announced a strategic collaboration with Vecna Robotics, a leader in AI-driven autonomous material handling. The two companies will co-develop next-generation Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) solutions aimed at providing cost-effective automation for warehouses and factories. This partnership will integrate Aptiv’s advanced perception and machine learning technologies into Vecna Robotics’ autonomy and orchestration platform. The goal is to create safer, more efficient, and scalable material handling systems. The collaboration will utilize Aptiv’s PULSE Sensor for 360-degree sensing and its ML-based technologies for real-time perception and path planning. Vecna’s platform will contribute to workflow orchestration and safe navigation in complex environments. Aptiv is set to showcase Vecna Robotics’ CPJ Co-Bot Pallet Jack at CES 2026. ...

GMO AI & Robotics Acquires Various Robotics to Spearhead Humanoid Robot Development in Japan GMO AI & Robotics Trading Co., Ltd. has acquired all shares of Various Robotics Inc., a developer of advanced robot solutions, as of Monday, December 15, 2025. This strategic move aims to strengthen GMO AIR’s presence in physical AI by uniting some of Japan’s top robotics engineers. The acquisition is set to accelerate the adoption of humanoid robots to address critical social challenges like labor shortages. The companies will jointly develop advanced robot solutions focusing on AI control, manipulation, and autonomous movement. Following the acquisition, Various Robotics will be renamed ‘GMO Various Robotics, Inc.’. The industry has designated 2026 as the ‘Year of Humanoids,’ signaling a significant push to deploy these robots in sectors like factories, logistics, hotels, and hospitals. ...

OpenAI Warns Future AI Models Pose ‘High’ Cybersecurity Risks OpenAI has issued a stark warning that its upcoming frontier AI models could present ‘High’ level cybersecurity risks. The company stated that these advanced models might be capable of automating the discovery and exploitation of significant cyber vulnerabilities, including the development of functional zero-day exploits. To mitigate these potential threats, OpenAI is implementing a ‘defense-in-depth’ strategy. This includes training its models to refuse harmful requests while remaining useful for defensive and educational purposes. The company is also establishing a Frontier Risk Council, an advisory board of cybersecurity experts, to help manage these advanced AI risks. Furthermore, OpenAI is developing a trusted access program to provide enhanced AI capabilities to qualified cybersecurity professionals for defensive operations. ...