Rest of World:
Chinese local governments are funding dozens of “robot training centers”, where human trainers mimic movements like folding clothes to teach the robots  —  Local governments are building training centers to address a shortage of robotic data, as China makes embodied intelligence a national priority.

David Shepardson / Reuters:
The US FCC exempts some new models of foreign-made drones and critical components from an import ban, announced in December 2025, until the end of 2026  —  The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday it is exempting imports of some new models of foreign-made drones …

Chris Welch / Bloomberg:
Samsung says Ballie, a robot announced six years ago but never released, is an “active innovation platform” within the company helping inform other products  —  Samsung Electronics Co. has once again sidelined Ballie, a long-anticipated robot that was first announced six years ago but never released.

Reuters:
Sources: to hedge against Beijing approval risk, Nvidia is requiring Chinese customers to pay upfront for H200 chips, with no cancellations, refunds, or changes  —  Nvidia (NVDA.O) is requiring full upfront payment from Chinese customers seeking its H200 artificial intelligence chips …

Chris Kerr / Game Developer:
Ubisoft closes its mobile-focused Halifax studio weeks after majority of the workers voted to unionize, as CWA Canada says it is “demanding information”  —  Workers at the Canadian studio voted to unionize in December in search of security in an era of ‘studio closures, layoffs, and increasing instability.’