Good morning. It’s Monday, September 8. Today we are covering:
OpenAI Backs AI-Made Animated Feature Film
Meta suppressed research on child safety, employees say
Alibaba leads $100 million investment in Chinese humanoid robot startup
Uber and Momenta will test fully driverless cars in Germany
US Weighs Annual China Chip Supply Approvals for Samsung, Hynix
Let’s dive in
OpenAI Backs AI-Made Animated Feature Fil
By Jessica Toonkel via Wall Street Journal
OpenAI is supporting the production of “Critterz,” a feature-length animated film made largely with generative AI.
The movie is set to debut at the Cannes Film Festival and release in theaters worldwide in 2026.
OpenAI is providing its AI tools and computing resources to demonstrate that films can be created faster and cheaper than through traditional Hollywood methods.
𝕏: OpenAI is helping make an AI generated feature length animated movie that will be released in theaters in 2026. Total production time: nine months Total budget: $30 million The plan is to debut 'Critterz' at Cannes in May. - Andrew Curran (@AndrewCurran_)
Meta suppressed research on child safety, employees say
By Jon Swaine via Washington Post
Meta lawyers allegedly intervened to shape internal research on child safety risks in virtual reality, according to four current and former employees.
The employees told Congress that this interference may have limited findings that could highlight potential harms to minors.
Meta has denied the allegations, disputing claims that it suppressed or altered safety research.
𝕏: "Meta had publicly committed to making child safety a top priority. But [the researchers] said that after the interview, their boss ordered the recording of the teen’s claims deleted, along with all written records of his comments... " - Will Oremus (@WillOremus)
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Alibaba leads $100 million investment in Chinese humanoid robot startup
By Evelyn Cheng via CNBC
Alibaba Cloud led a $100 million funding round for Shenzhen-based X Square Robot, joined by HongShan, Meituan, and other investors, bringing total investment to about $280 million.
The startup unveiled its open-source embodied AI model, Wall-OSS, and launched the Quanta X2 humanoid, featuring pressure-sensitive hands and cleaning capabilities.
X Square Robot is already selling to schools, hotels, and retirement homes, exploring expansion into Japan and Singapore, and preparing for a potential IPO next year.
Uber and Momenta will test fully driverless cars in Germany
By Andrew J. Hawkins via The Verge
Uber and Momenta will begin testing Level 4 driverless cars in Munich in 2026 as a step toward launching a robotaxi service in Europe.
Momenta, backed by SAIC Motor, GM, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Bosch, already operates robotaxis in Shanghai and supplies driver-assist software to automakers like Mercedes and BMW.
Europe trails the US and China in robotaxi deployment, but competition is heating up with Baidu–Lyft planning services in the UK and Germany and Volkswagen preparing a robotaxi launch with Uber in Los Angeles.
US Weighs Annual China Chip Supply Approvals for Samsung, Hynix
By Mackenzie Hawkins via Bloomberg
The US is considering requiring annual approvals for exports of chipmaking supplies to Samsung and SK Hynix factories in China.
The plan would replace indefinite Biden-era waivers, revoked by the Trump administration, with a renewable “site license” system.
Current validated end user (VEU) designations are set to expire at year-end, raising concerns about supply continuity for the global electronics sector.
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