AI has learned to handle letters, numbers, and words brilliantly — it constructs text, interprets commands, writes code, analyzes images. But all of this belongs to a world of symbols, where a mistake usually costs nothing: “rewrite,” “fix it,” “try again.” Physical reality operates differently. Cups fall, surfaces slip, light shifts, things wear out — and a “wrong answer” can mean broken equipment, human injury, and million-dollar losses.
At MWC 2026, Qualcomm introduced its next-generation Wi-Fi 8 chipsets, which the company says deliver significantly higher data speeds, extended range, improved connection reliability, and integrated artificial intelligence capabilities. The new solutions are designed to accelerate the development of home and industrial wireless networks while meeting the growing demands of IoT devices and AI-driven applications.
Startup SWARM Biotactics has developed programmable insect swarms equipped with bioelectronic interfaces which – according to the company’s founder – have already been field-tested and delivered to paying customers, including NATO member states. The statement was published on LinkedIn and points to rapid progress in a technology that combines biological organisms with artificial intelligence and communication systems.
Nvidia has shipped the first samples of its new AI processors based on the Vera Rubin architecture to partners, combining the 88-core Vera CPU with Rubin GPUs equipped with up to 288 GB of HBM4 memory. This marks a major milestone in the development of hardware for advanced artificial intelligence workloads and is expected to significantly outperform current Blackwell-based solutions.
Apple has announced the construction of a new factory in Houston, Texas, which from 2026 will produce, among other things, servers for artificial intelligence workloads. The project is part of the company’s largest-ever investment plan in the United States – with total commitments exceeding half a trillion dollars – and the Houston facility is expected to create thousands of new jobs.
In an unusual example of corporate use of generative AI, engineers at Uber Technologies have created an AI-powered chatbot modeled on CEO Dara Khosrowshahi that employees use to prepare presentations ahead of meetings with senior leadership. The development highlights how deeply AI is already embedded into the workflow of one of the world’s largest transportation and delivery platforms.
The largest US technology giants are expected to collectively spend around $650 billion this year on artificial intelligence infrastructure and development, according to an analysis by Bridgewater Associates. At the same time, analysts at Goldman Sachs argue that AI spending so far has essentially failed to translate into measurable US GDP growth, raising questions about the efficiency and speed at which these investments convert into real economic gains.
Chinese startup DeepSeek used Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips, which are subject to US export restrictions, to train its latest artificial intelligence model – according to officials from the US administration. The development once again puts the effectiveness of export controls and the pace of China’s AI advancement at the center of debate.
Meta’s director of AI safety and alignment, Summer Yue, accidentally allowed an autonomous artificial intelligence agent to delete her inbox, even though she had explicitly instructed it not to do so. The incident, which she described herself on social media, has become a high-profile example of challenges related to AI safety and control.
OpenAI chief Sam Altman said publicly that some companies are attributing job cuts to artificial intelligence even though the layoffs were driven by other factors. At the same time, economic data shows that AI’s impact on employment at the macro level remains unclear.