Listen to today’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nqwUyvLDEvs7bV985k-gQ
AI Daily Podcast — January 9, 2026
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Gmail is getting a new AI inbox as Google brings Gemini front and center
By Sanuj Bhatia — January 8, 2026
Google is rolling out AI Overviews in Gmail to summarize threads and answer natural-language questions, plus expanding Suggested Replies and Help Me Write to all users. A new AI Inbox will prioritize bills, appointments, and important contacts, though its limited to trusted testers for now. Full AI Overview search is initially available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Microsoft reshuffles teams to bolster GitHub as AI coding and agent wars heat up
By Ashley Stewart — January 8, 2026
Microsoft is moving engineers and aligning sales to tighten GitHubs integration with its CoreAI Platform and Tools group, aiming to better compete with Cursor and Claude Code. The push includes turning GitHub into a hub for AI agents and improving core features like Actions, analytics, security, and data residency. The strategy: make Copilot-class tools available wherever developers work, not just inside one app.
AI has been all about GPUs. That’s changing fast.
By Alistair Barr — January 8, 2026
Nvidias $20 billion Groq deal underscores a shift from training to inference, where speed, latency, and cost per answer dominate. Groqs inference-focused LPUs complement GPUs, pointing to hybrid AI data centers that mix specialized ASICs with GPUs connected via technologies like NVLink Fusion. The economics are clear: inference is where AI revenue happens, and Nvidia wants to own the full stack that makes mixed hardware work together.
AI is turning expertise into a commodity. Box CEO says there’s one way companies can stay ahead.
By Thibault Spirlet — January 8, 2026
Box CEO Aaron Levie argues that as AI makes expert intelligence widely available, competitive advantage will hinge on context: the proprietary data, processes, and institutional knowledge you give your agents. He warns of context rot when systems are flooded with unfocused information, making precision and governance key. Companies that operationalize their internal knowledge will pull ahead; those that dont will lag on customer outcomes.
Read the pitch deck a Y Combinator-backed startup used to raise $3.6 million to bring AI agents to the doctor’s office
By Henry Chandonnet — January 8, 2026
Tivara raised $3.6 million to deploy administrative AI agents that handle patient calls, scheduling, and refills for large specialty groups. The company differentiates by staying out of clinical decisions and focusing on back-office efficiency, counting customers like Los Angeles Cancer Network. With a small team, the startup plans to scale into the tedious, high-volume work that bogs down practices.
I’m a startup founder who uses AI as a middle manager. It enables my junior employee to produce senior-level work.
By Agnes Applegate — January 8, 2026
A founder explains how Gemini 3 helped a junior hire co-create strategy, draft product requirement documents faster, and operate with greater autonomy. AI now contributes the bulk of first drafts, with guardrails like prompt starters to inject company context and reduce hallucinations. The result: less micromanagement, faster iteration, and a hiring focus on aptitude and domain feel over years of experience.
Generate Apple Music playlists with ChatGPT
By Tim Hardwick — January 8, 2026
An Apple Music extension in ChatGPT lets you create mood- and criteria-based playlists via natural language, preview tracks, and save them to your library. You dont need an Apple Music subscription to search and generate playlists, but you will to save content. Setup is a one-time connect flow, and the extension doesnt read your listening historyit only has permission to add songs.
Gizmodo’s Best of CES 2026 awards: See the winners
By Gizmodo Staff — January 8, 2026
CES 2026 had no single breakout, but AI permeated everything from laptops and smart glasses to robots and TVs. Standouts included LGs ultra-thin wireless OLED Wallpaper TV, Lenovos rollable Legion concept, Samsungs Z Trifold, and Roborocks stair-climbing vacuum. The throughline: practical upgrades and playful concepts that hint at how AI and novel form factors will shape everyday devices.
Ford is throwing its hat into the ring alongside Rivian and making an AI companion in-house
By Aditi Bharade and Lloyd Lee — January 8, 2026
Ford will launch the first chapter of its AI assistant in its mobile apps in the first half of 2026, with in-vehicle deployment slated for 2027. Rather than building its own LLM, Ford will adapt a third-party model with vehicle and user context to anticipate needs and handle natural-language commands. The move follows Rivians assistant plans and arrives amid a flurry of CES autonomy and agent announcements.
CES 2026 really wants you to own a holographic anime girlfriend
By James Pero — January 7, 2026
From Razers Project Ava to Dipals Pearl and Lepro Ami, holographic AI companions were everywhere on the CES floor. The trend reflects how AI chatbots are being embedded in novel form factors to offer always-on, hyper-agreeable virtual company. Its equal parts tech curiosity and commentary on where consumer AI and digital companionship are headed.
Google and chatbot startup Character.AI are settling lawsuits over teen suicides
By Shubhangi Goel — January 8, 2026
Google and Character.AI reached settlements in multiple cases alleging chatbots contributed to teen self-harm and suicides, with terms undisclosed. The suits claimed inadequate safeguards and inappropriate chatbot interactions, and they arrive as OpenAI and Meta face similar scrutiny. Early settlements like these may shape how safety guardrails, accountability, and oversight evolve for consumer AI.
