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JD.com has teamed up with Unitree to open its first physical store featuring rentable robots in Beijing. The partnership allows customers to experience cutting-edge robotic technology without hefty price tags, offering flexible rental options for everything from robotic dogs to humanoid assistants. Visitors can test these futuristic helpers in real-world scenarios at JD MALL's expansive showrooms nationwide.

After years of experimentation, businesses are preparing to consolidate their AI investments by 2026, according to venture capitalists. Companies will shift from testing multiple tools to focusing budgets on fewer proven solutions that deliver measurable results. The trend toward vendor consolidation comes as enterprises prioritize data security, model optimization, and system integration - leaving startups facing tougher competition.

Google faces fresh scrutiny over its Nano Banana AI tool amid claims the company may be scanning users' Google Photos albums without consent. While Google denies using personal photos for AI training, critics point out the service lacks end-to-end encryption. The controversy highlights growing concerns about how cloud platforms handle our digital memories in the age of generative AI.

OpenAI is shaking up Silicon Valley's compensation norms with eye-popping stock packages averaging $15 million per employee. The AI leader's pay strategy dwarfs pre-IPO tech giants by 34 times, while eliminating vesting periods to attract top talent. With compensation consuming nearly half of projected revenue, OpenAI's gamble highlights the intense battle for AI expertise.

Starting in 2026, China's consumer upgrade policy will expand to include smart glasses and home devices in its trade-in subsidy program. Consumers can get up to 500 yuan back when purchasing qualifying smart products, marking a significant push to bring advanced AI technology into mainstream households. The move aims to boost domestic consumption while accelerating adoption of IoT devices.

Zhou Gurui, Vice President at Chinese tech giant Kuaishou and head of its foundational AI models, appears set to leave the company after three impactful years. Internal sources note his email now carries a 'Log Out' signature - often the corporate world's subtle farewell gesture. The algorithm expert, credited with revolutionizing Kuaishou's recommendation system, might join either Meta or TikTok next. His departure follows several high-profile exits from Kuaishou's tech team this year.

As AI-powered 'shell' applications flood the market, startups face an uphill battle against tech giants. These lightweight apps built on existing AI models must carve out unique value by deeply integrating into workflows and accumulating proprietary data. The article explores how some apps succeed by becoming indispensable tools rather than just features waiting to be absorbed by bigger platforms.

OpenAI is setting unprecedented compensation standards in tech, with employees averaging $1.5 million annually in stock incentives - seven times Google's pre-IPO offers. This aggressive pay strategy fuels a fierce talent battle among AI giants, with Meta reportedly offering billion-dollar packages to lure top researchers. While attracting elite talent, these sky-high salaries come at a cost: operational losses and shareholder dilution for OpenAI as it competes to retain its workforce.

Tencent has open-sourced HY-Motion 1.0, a revolutionary text-to-3D animation model that brings game characters to life with simple descriptions. This massive AI system can generate realistic movements ranging from everyday actions to complex combat sequences, potentially transforming game development workflows. While it excels at common motions, professional athletic movements still pose challenges.

The Qwen AI Glasses just got their first major upgrade, packing five useful new features that make them even more helpful in daily life. Now you can take voice and photo memos, get better translations, and even handle multiple tasks at once. The update also improves existing functions like music playback and travel planning based on what users asked for. It's all part of Alibaba's push to bring AI assistance to glasses, computers, and cars.

The YuanLab.ai team has unveiled Yuan3.0Flash, a groundbreaking open-source multimodal foundation model that's shaking up the AI landscape. With its innovative sparse mixture-of-experts architecture and efficient computing design, this 40B-parameter model delivers impressive performance while cutting power consumption. Early tests show it outperforming GPT-5.1 in enterprise applications, offering businesses smarter AI at lower costs.

Morgan Stanley predicts artificial intelligence could impact up to 200,000 banking jobs across Europe within this decade. The analysis highlights how back-office roles handling routine operations face the greatest risk as financial institutions embrace automation. While AI promises efficiency gains, banks must navigate workforce transitions carefully - retraining employees while maintaining service quality during this technological transformation.

Suzhou Lexiang Intelligent Technology has stepped into the spotlight with its new embodied intelligence brand, Yuandian Smart. The company showcased its first full-size humanoid robot prototype alongside a diverse product lineup ranging from outdoor explorers to home companions. With 500 million yuan raised in just nine months and strong market performance, Lexiang Tech is positioning itself as a serious player in the robotics field.

Moonshot AI has secured a massive $500 million Series C funding round, pushing its cash reserves past $10 billion. Founder Yang Zhilin says this financial cushion allows the company to focus on long-term AGI development rather than rushing to go public. The AI firm is also doubling down on talent retention, planning to increase employee incentives significantly in 2026 while preparing for major model launches.

MiniMax has unveiled its M2.1 programming model, bringing exciting possibilities for AI development. Available on platforms like Hugging Face and GitHub, this release comes with immediate vLLM support and special promotions for developers. From affordable starter plans to referral discounts, MiniMax is making advanced AI tools more accessible than ever.

India's data center industry is expanding rapidly, but implementation hurdles are slowing progress. While Mumbai and Chennai dominate with 65-70% of capacity, emerging regions face challenges like fragmented policies, power shortages, and talent gaps. Investors remain cautious amid infrastructure concerns and unclear regulations. The sector must overcome critical bottlenecks in power density, cooling tech, and supply chains to sustain growth.

Xiaomi has given AI enthusiasts extra time to test-drive its powerful MiMo-V2-Flash model, extending the free trial period by 20 days until January 2026. The tech giant's decision reflects confidence in its open-source AI offering, which boasts impressive capabilities in text generation and coding tasks. Alongside the extension, Xiaomi revealed pricing details that make this technology surprisingly accessible.

Israeli AI firm AI21Labs has clarified recent speculation about a potential acquisition by NVIDIA. CEO Ori Goshen addressed employees directly, confirming ongoing discussions with multiple partners but stressing no concrete agreements exist. The company maintains normal operations while exploring strategic collaborations in natural language processing and other AI domains.

Japanese investment powerhouse SoftBank has finalized its $4 billion commitment to OpenAI, securing a stake exceeding 10% in the AI pioneer. The funds will fuel critical infrastructure projects like 'Stargate' as OpenAI prepares for IPO amid fierce competition with tech giants.

Chinese AI powerhouse MiniMax is making waves with its Hong Kong IPO plans, aiming to raise up to $540 million. The company, known for its cutting-edge large language models, will list on January 9, 2026. With strong industry partnerships and impressive tech benchmarks, this move signals China's growing influence in the global AI race. Investors are watching closely as MiniMax prepares to transition from tech innovator to publicly traded company.