AI News

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14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

X Square Robot Set Its Benchmark at Figure AI's Number — Then Beat It by 45%

X Square Robot successfully sorted 1,816 parcels in one hour, exceeding its target of 1,248 parcels, which is Figure AI's average performance. On August 12, the Shenzhen-based AI startup showcased its unedited performance through a livestream on X and YouTube, utilizing a stationary dual-arm system to sort packages. This achievement highlights X Square's competitive edge in the market, emphasizing the significant difference between actual performance and benchmarks set by rivals, thereby strengthening its position in the industrial automation sector.

Business

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Apple looks to give Siri AI news access

Apple is pursuing multi-year deals with publishers to provide its Siri AI assistant with access to news and real-time information. According to The Wall Street Journal, these partnerships aim to enhance Siri's accuracy after years of lagging behind rival AI assistants. Instead of fixed licensing fees, Apple is proposing a variable compensation structure, allowing publishers to earn revenue based on how often Siri uses or cites their reporting. The company has discussed a nine-figure payout pool, offering media outlets greater visibility into their content's usage.

Models

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Apple trained its own AI model for China with help from Alibaba

Reports indicate that Apple has trained a custom AI model tailored for the Chinese market in partnership with Alibaba. This rare collaboration emerges amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington, highlighting Apple's intent to strengthen its foothold in China. The development of a custom AI model marks a shift from Apple's previous strategy in China, which relied on off-the-shelf models. Partnering with Alibaba allows Apple greater control over its products, potentially enhancing its competitiveness in the Chinese smartphone market.

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Apple Develops AI Model for Chinese Market in Partnership with Alibaba

What impact will Apple's new model have on the AI market in China?

Arab AI Scene

Monsha’at and SDAIA Conclude AI Week Activities

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Arab AI Scene

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Monsha’at and SDAIA Conclude AI Week Activities

The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at), in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), concluded AI Week, held from August 9 to 13, 2026, coinciding with the Kingdom's Year of Artificial Intelligence. The initiative was hosted across SME support centers in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Khobar, Madinah, Aseer, Jazan, Qassim, and Al-Baha, featuring 17 exhibitors, six main sessions, and 78 entrepreneurial meetings. It attracted over 40 public, private, and educational entities, benefiting more than 3,900 individuals.

Agents

Kyndryl launches Agentic Modernisation services-as-software powered by AI

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Agents

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Kyndryl launches Agentic Modernisation services-as-software powered by AI

Kyndryl, a leading provider of critical technology services, has announced the launch of its Agentic Modernization services, leveraging its AI Framework. These services aim to accelerate modernization, reduce risks, and enhance business agility through AI-driven workflows. Built on Kyndryl's extensive engineering expertise, the services support over 1,400 clients, facilitating the deployment, orchestration, and governance of intelligent workflows across IT infrastructures. This new model allows customers to achieve better business outcomes while maintaining enterprise guardrails and cost visibility.

Models

[AINews] Gemini 3.7 Flash brings GDM back to the forefront

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Models

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

[AINews] Gemini 3.7 Flash brings GDM back to the forefront

The new Gemini 3.7 update revealed a decline in performance for the 3.5 and 3.6 Flash versions compared to modern models like Claude 4.8+ and GPT 5.5+. This data highlights the widening gap between older and newer models. This comparison is crucial for understanding the evolution of AI models, reflecting ongoing updates in performance and capabilities. The newer models offer enhanced features, influencing user choices in the market.

Infrastructure

SMIC weighs more capacity as AI-related chip demand exceeds forecasts

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Infrastructure

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

SMIC weighs more capacity as AI-related chip demand exceeds forecasts

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), China's largest chipmaker, is looking to add new equipment in its factories due to a surge in demand for mature-node chips used with AI processors. The company's management confirmed on Friday that customer orders had significantly exceeded earlier forecasts for this year. This increase in demand is driven by a global boom in artificial intelligence infrastructure, leading to shortages in AI-related chips. SMIC anticipates that these trends will continue to impact the market, necessitating further investments in equipment and technology.

Business

AI infrastructure rises from niche to global asset class with $500bn Nvidia deal

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Business

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

AI infrastructure rises from niche to global asset class with $500bn Nvidia deal

AI infrastructure has transitioned from a niche investment to a distinct asset class. Nvidia successfully raised $500 billion from some of the world's largest investors, highlighting the sector's growing appeal. Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, approached only six companies for this fund, and none declined. Equity analyst Safwan Mirza noted that AI infrastructure is now financeable through mainstream institutional channels, moving beyond reliance on Nvidia or sovereign investors.

Agents

DeepSeek Harness Hands-On: Four Work Modes, 'Model + Harness = Agent', and the Most Ambitious Agent Open Source of the Year

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

Agents

14 Aug 20262 Rabiʻ I 1448 AH

DeepSeek Harness Hands-On: Four Work Modes, 'Model + Harness = Agent', and the Most Ambitious Agent Open Source of the Year

At 8:30 PM on August 13, the DeepSeek Harness developer preview was launched as open-source. Despite the version being v0.1, the community reacted swiftly to this development. On the same day, DeepSeek V4 Pro was officially released. DeepSeek Harness is an agent framework that combines a model with a harness that connects it to the real world. To get started, users must run a specific command in the terminal and open the user interface in a browser. The product features four preset work modes.