OpenAI is reportedly in the early stages of developing a biometric-based social network that aims to block automated bots by enforcing proof-of-personhood logins. The project plans to use World's iris-scanning Orb devices and tools like Apple Face ID for human verification, while regulatory bans in Hong Kong and Portugal highlight privacy concerns over biometric data. World (WLD) surged about 27% on Thursday as investors reacted to reports linking the token's ecosystem to this experimental platform.

SpaceX is in early talks to merge with xAI and has also weighed a broader combination that could involve Tesla, according to Reuters. The discussions tie into a potential public listing expected later this year, while prediction market odds imply roughly a 50% chance of a SpaceX–xAI deal by mid‑2026 versus about 16% for a Tesla–xAI combination.

Between October 2025 and January 2026, security researchers reported that around 175,000 private AI servers running Ollama were exposed to the public internet, with about 23,000 of them remaining persistently online. These unprotected systems span 130 countries and are being hijacked by criminals to steal computing resources, bypass security safeguards, and potentially access internal data using techniques like SSRF, scanning, and prompt injection. Around 48% of the exposed hosts allow tool-calling, and most use a common model file format that could let attackers crash thousands of servers with a single exploit.

Nvidia's H200 chip sales in China remain paused as of January 29, 2026, with Beijing yet to approve imports and the U.S. export license still under review. The company reports no orders from Chinese customers so far, though corporate interest is strong. CEO Jensen Huang said Nvidia will act quickly once approvals are granted.

On January 29, 2026, Tesla said it will invest $2 billion in xAI and reiterated that Cybercab production is slated for 2025. The company reported a 3% full-year revenue decline to $94.83 billion for 2025, outlined more than $20 billion in 2026 capital spending, and will discontinue Model S and Model X.

In its 2026 crypto crime report released on Wednesday, TRM Labs said the use of large language models in scams increased fivefold in 2025. It reported $35 billion in crypto was sent to scammer addresses last year, down from $38 billion in 2024, while illicit wallets received about $158 billion and the illicit share fell to 1.2%.

Samsung Electronics reported fourth-quarter operating profit of 20.1 trillion won, tripling year-on-year and marking its highest quarterly result. Revenue reached 93.8 trillion won, helped by surging demand and tight supply in AI-focused memory chips, while the smartphone unit saw weaker earnings amid fierce competition and slower device sales.

On January 28, 2026, cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler reported uncovering a 96 GB database containing more than 149 million unique logins and passwords that had been left exposed online. The unprotected trove includes credentials for users of major services such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, Binance and OnlyFans, as well as accounts with .edu and .gov domains. Fowler says the records were accessible without encryption or password protection, and that the total number of entries increased between his discovery and the time access was restricted.