NerdNews

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has reported record fourth-quarter earnings and expects AI chip demand to continue for years. CEO C.C. Wei expressed optimism about AI demand, citing conversations with cloud providers that verified the demand is real. TSMC plans to spend between $52 billion and $56 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, up from $40.9 billion in 2025.

Claude Code is taking the lead in AI-native coding, with many developers using it daily. OpenAI's Codex is powerful but built for senior engineers, while Claude Code is more accessible. Every is hosting two camps to help people build with agents.

Sequoia Capital is investing in Anthropic, an AI startup and rival to OpenAI, despite already being invested in OpenAI and xAI. This move breaks the traditional VC approach of picking winners and avoiding conflicts of interest. The investment is part of a $25 billion funding round led by Singapore's GIC and US investor Coatue, valuing Anthropic at $350 billion.

The term 'physical AI' describes the use of AI outside the digital world and into the real, physics-based one. It was a major theme at CES 2026, with companies like Hyundai, Nvidia, and Mobileye showcasing their latest innovations. Physical AI combines AI models with sensors, cameras, and motorized controls to allow devices to detect and understand their environment and make decisions.

Gartner predicts a 44% increase in AI spending, with cloud hyperscalers and software vendors bearing the bulk of the cost. However, users may have to pay in the long term. Enterprise users are likely to turn to trusted software vendors for AI solutions rather than building their own.

Claude Code is gaining popularity among developers, with many preferring it over OpenAI's Codex. This shift is attributed to Anthropic's decision to build for a specific audience, shaping the direction of the tech industry. Claude Code's terminal-first approach and ability to work with large codebases have made it a favorite among programmers.

OpsWorker's agentic AI co-worker service uses multi-agent systems to work alongside on-call engineers, automating tedious steps and leaving judgment calls to humans. This approach reduces cognitive load and proposes hypotheses, drafting queries, and curating relevant context.

OpenAI plans to start testing ads inside ChatGPT in the US, with ads appearing in separate, clearly labeled boxes below the chatbot's answer. The company says ads will not influence ChatGPT's responses and will not sell user data to advertisers.

Claude Code is an AI tool from Anthropic that can perform many tasks on a computer, including editing files, running commands, and more. It can be used by non-coders and coders alike, and has the potential to revolutionize the way we work. However, it also raises concerns about job replacement and the need for humans to adapt to new technologies.

The web platform's dependency management is broken, relying on third-party tooling and causing issues with bundlers, import maps, and specifier resolution. A solution is needed to make dependencies first-class citizens, with potential approaches including improving import maps, deploying dependencies to URLs, and defining specifiers as a type of URL.

OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a brain computer interface startup founded by Sam Altman. The startup aims to develop non-invasive BCI technology using molecules instead of electrodes. OpenAI will work with Merge Labs on scientific foundation models and other tools to accelerate progress.

OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a company developing brain-computer interfaces that can control devices with thoughts. The investment is part of a $252 million seed round and aims to create a natural, human-centered way to interact with AI. Merge Labs plans to use molecules and ultrasound to interface with neurons, avoiding the need for implantation.

Bucket Robotics, a YC-backed company, survived its first CES with its advanced vision systems for quality inspections. The company uses CAD files to generate simulated defects, allowing for quick detection on production lines. It has attracted customers in automotive and defense, and is pursuing a 'dual-use' path.

AMD announced two significant developments at CES 2026: the introduction of socketed mobile processors, allowing for potential upgrades, and the reduction in price of its powerful Strix Halo systems, making them more accessible to gamers. These moves are seen as a response to Intel's plans for a custom Panther Lake CPU for handheld PCs and Qualcomm's upcoming handhelds.

Nvidia is using emulation to increase performance for HPC and scientific computing applications, achieving up to 200 teraFLOPS of FP64 matrix performance. However, AMD argues that this approach is not ready for prime time due to accuracy concerns and limited applicability to certain workloads.

OpenAI will begin testing advertisements in ChatGPT for some US users, marking a shift in the company's approach to revenue. The ads will appear at the bottom of answers and will be labeled as sponsored content. This move comes as OpenAI faces significant financial pressures, with the company expecting to burn through $9 billion this year. The introduction of ads may help diversify OpenAI's revenue streams, but some critics are skeptical about their potential impact.

Microsoft is hiring energy strategists to power its Asian datacenters. Vietnam's first chipmaking plant has broken ground, offering foundry services on a 32-nanometer process. Additionally, Australia's eSafety Commissioner announced that 4.7 million kids' accounts have been removed from social media platforms.

A critical HPE OneView flaw is being exploited at scale by the RondoDox botnet, with over 40,000 attack attempts observed in 4 hours. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-37164, allows for remote code execution and has a perfect 10 CVSS severity score. Check Point has tied the activity to the RondoDox botnet, which uses an 'exploit-shotgun' approach to build botnet networks for DDoS, cryptomining, and secondary payload delivery.

US hackers reportedly caused a blackout in Venezuela ahead of a military incursion, according to unnamed US officials. The cyberattack, which was the first time the US government has been publicly reported to have carried out such an operation, was used to disable Venezuelan air defense radar. The power was restored quickly and didn't cause fatalities in hospitals due to the use of backup generators.

Thinking Machines Lab cofounder Barret Zoph was terminated after an alleged office relationship with another employee. The incident led to a breakdown in Zoph's working relationship with CEO Mira Murati, and he eventually left the company to join OpenAI. Other researchers from Thinking Machines have also departed for OpenAI, citing misalignment on the company's direction.