AI News from February 19, 2026

Guardian's Reworked series explores how AI-driven job displacement fears are uniting blue-collar and white-collar workers in unprecedented labor organizing efforts.

UF scientists create HMNS method to test AI safety measures, successfully bypassing Meta and Microsoft systems to identify security vulnerabilities.

MIT researchers develop language model for codon optimization, boosting protein production including trastuzumab by 25-300%, published in PNAS.

Study reveals 66% of regular AI users turn to chatbots for emotional support monthly, with many trusting bots more than elected officials or faith leaders.

Future of Privacy Forum tracks 27 enacted AI laws across 14 states, including frontier model risk regulations and chatbot safety protocols now in effect.

Bipartisan activists across US states successfully halted $98B in AI data center projects in Q2 2025, citing concerns over electricity, water, and environmental impact.

OpenAI nears historic $100B+ funding deal with Amazon, SoftBank, Nvidia, and Microsoft, pushing valuation above $850 billion in AI industry's largest raise.

Google releases Gemini 3.1 Pro achieving 77.1% on ARC-AGI-2 benchmark, doubling previous model's reasoning capabilities for complex problem-solving tasks.

Unitree G1 kung fu robots captivate global audience at China's most-watched TV event, with company targeting 20,000 humanoid shipments in 2026.

OpenAI's latest AI model demonstrates alarming capability to drain cryptocurrency wallets, successfully exploiting vulnerable smart contracts in 72% of tests.

Pro-regulation and anti-regulation AI PACs clash over New York's RAISE Act, with Anthropic contributing $20 million to support AI safety legislation.

Treasury Department releases six resources to strengthen AI security and risk management across financial sector through AIEOG partnership.

University of New Hampshire researchers use AI to identify 67,573 magnetic compounds, including 25 high-temperature materials for electric vehicles.

French President rejects Trump administration's AI regulation criticism, pledges G7 crackdown on digital abuse following Grok chatbot controversy.

Demis Hassabis identifies dual-use AI risks and calls for international frameworks, predicting AGI arrival within 5-10 years at India summit.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman forecasts early superintelligence by 2028, warning data centers may house more intelligence than humanity by decade's end.

OpenAI announces nationwide India expansion with Tata Group, securing 100MW data center capacity and deploying ChatGPT Enterprise across TCS workforce.

Economist Robert Reich argues AI productivity gains will benefit owners over workers, as history shows median wages stagnate despite rising productivity without union or political power.

Scientists achieve novel mathematical proofs and black hole discoveries using OpenAI's ChatGPT-5 Pro, signaling a paradigm shift in AI-assisted research despite ongoing limitations.

Nature publishes breakthrough DeepRare AI system that uses clinical data and genetic information to diagnose rare diseases, ending years-long diagnostic odysseys for patients.