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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that depends on substantial physical infrastructure, including energy, hardware, logistics, and global supply chains. Any disruption, such as conflict in the Middle East, could significantly impact AI development. Energy markets, particularly oil supply routes like the Strait of Hormuz, are crucial as global prices would rise due to potential disruptions.

Washington’s apparent pivot from Anthropic to OpenAI signals a major AI power shift with strategic, financial, and geopolitical consequences amid heightened global instability.

The potential phase-out of Anthropic’s products by U.S. government departments, driven by concerns over defence-related AI applications, underscores a critical ideological divide in AI deployment. Such a move would go beyond procurement changes, reflecting broader tensions between AI safety and military applications. For Anthropic, losing federal contracts could have significant financial and reputational implications, while aligning with national security priorities might appeal to policymakers.

Wayve’s recent $1.5 billion funding round positions the UK-based AI company as a leader in autonomous vehicle technology, emphasizing a licensing-led approach to deploying AI across various automakers and fleets. Unlike competitors focused on building vehicles or operating fleets, Wayve aims to become the universal intelligence layer, enhancing market scalability and revenue potential.

China’s Spring Festival robotics showcase, led by Unitree Robotics, demonstrated not only rapid progress in humanoid hardware but also sophisticated, fully autonomous AI coordination at scale — sending a clear strategic message to global competitors that embodied intelligence is maturing quickly and moving toward commercial viability.

When China unveiled its latest humanoid robot showcase, the reaction across the West was immediate: awe, disbelief, and unease in equal measure. The fluidity of movement, the balance, the synchronised choreography — these were not stiff, experimental prototypes. They...