AI
China is winning one AI race, the US another - but either might pull ahead
In the second half of the 20th Century, it was the race to develop nuclear arms that occupied some of the finest minds in the US and the Soviet Union.
Now the US finds itself in a different kind of race with a different adversary: China. The aim is to dominate technology; specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI).
It's a fight taking place in research labs, on university campuses, and in the offices of cutting-edge start-ups - watched over by leaders of some of the world's richest companies, and at the highest levels of government. It costs trillions of US dollars.
OpenAI pitches robot taxes and wealth funds for AI age
OpenAI just laid out its most detailed vision yet for how society should handle AI's economic disruption. The company's new policy framework proposes taxing AI-generated profits, establishing public wealth funds, and transitioning to four-day work weeks as automation reshapes the workforce. It's a striking pivot for a company racing to build artificial general intelligence - now publicly grappling with how to distribute the wealth it creates.
OpenAI is making a calculated bet that the AI economy needs guardrails before the disruption hits full force. The company's sweeping policy proposal, released Monday, tackles the thorniest question in tech: what happens when AI systems start doing jobs currently held by millions of people?
Innovation
The gig workers who are training humanoid robots at home
People in Nigeria and India are strapping iPhones onto their heads and recording themselves doing chores.
MIT Robotics Project Is Powered By Just A Wristband
As technology improves, researchers slowly bridge the gap between prosthetics and human limbs: Scientists have developed a prosthetic hand that lets users feel temperatures and bionic legs that move through brain impulses. Now, a new development brings robotic hands one step closer to mimicking the intricate movements of the palm and fingers.
In March, a team of engineers at MIT revealed a special wristband that tracks the movements of muscles and transmit signals that make a robotic hand mirror the wearer's motions.
Technology
LG chairman taps Silicon Valley partners to fast-track AI, robotics strategy
LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo is ramping up the conglomerate’s push into artificial intelligence (AI), using a high-profile Silicon Valley tour to secure strategic partners, refine its commercialization strategy and accelerate execution.
Entertainment
Figure AI: The robotics company hosted by Melania Trump
The White House hosted its “first humanoid robot guest” on Wednesday, with first lady Melania Trump appearing alongside a robot from robotics upstart Figure AI.
The robot, identified as Figure 3, accompanied the first lady during the second day of the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit, a gathering focused on technology and children’s education.
Busking Cello-Playing Robot Proves That AI Can Take Jobs From The Jobless, Too
At first, artificial intelligence seemed like it was going to optimise everyday life for all. From tackling complex coding problems to driving us around while we relax on the passenger side, we thought it would make life better.
That sentiment, however, didn’t last long, as more and more people found themselves being replaced by AI and were now jobless. And for those who have a smidge of musical talent and thought they could hit the streets and serenade passersby for a few bucks, AI is coming for that market as well.
Trends
In Japan, the robot isn't coming for your job; it's filling the one nobody wants
Physical AI is emerging as one of the next major industrial battlegrounds, with Japan’s push driven more by necessity than anything else. With workforces shrinking and pressure mounting to sustain productivity, companies are increasingly deploying AI-powered robots across factories, warehouses, and critical infrastructure.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in March 2026 that it aims to build a domestic physical AI sector and capture a 30% share of the global market by 2040. The country already holds a strong position in industrial robotics, with Japanese manufacturers accounting for about 70% of the global market in 2022, according to the ministry.
OpenAI calls for a four-day workweek — and a 'robot tax'
The AI company released a policy paper outlining its proposals on how to address the impact of AI on the labor market.