X goes open-source, OpenAI predicts age & more (January 21, 2026)

Good morning,

Transparency, geopolitics, and compute are colliding fast. Platforms are opening black boxes under pressure, CEOs are publicly fighting over chip access, and AI infrastructure bets are stretching from nuclear power to space.

Let’s dive in 👇

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🧩 Platform Control & AI Governance

🧠 X open-sources its algorithm amid fines and Grok backlash

X open-sources its algorithm while facing EU transparency penalties and renewed controversy around Grok’s behavior. The release exposes ranking logic for timelines and recommendations, but critics argue it stops short of explaining moderation enforcement and data weighting. Regulators see it as partial compliance, while researchers see a rare look inside a major social platform’s mechanics.

🏛️ Anthropic CEO stuns Davos with Nvidia criticism

Anthropic’s CEO stuns Davos after sharply criticizing U.S. chipmakers and export policies during a public forum. Dario Amodei warned that unrestricted chip sales could accelerate unsafe AI development abroad while undermining domestic safeguards. The comments stood out given Nvidia’s central role in powering Anthropic’s own models.

🧒 ChatGPT will now predict user age

In an effort to protect younger users, OpenAI is rolling out age prediction to adjust safety settings automatically. The system infers age from usage patterns rather than explicit verification, raising new privacy and accuracy concerns. OpenAI says the move is designed to preempt regulatory pressure around child safety online.

⚡ Chips, Compute & Extreme Infrastructure

🚀 Musk says Tesla’s Dojo 3 goes to space

Elon Musk says Tesla’s revived Dojo 3 project will focus on space-based AI compute. Musk claims orbital systems could bypass terrestrial energy and cooling constraints. Skeptics question feasibility, but it underscores how far companies are willing to go to secure compute advantage.

🇨🇳 Nvidia CEO plans China visit to reopen market

Nvidia CEO Huang plans to visit China as Nvidia looks to regain access after tightening U.S. export restrictions. The trip signals how critical China remains to Nvidia’s long-term revenue despite geopolitical headwinds. Any progress could reshape how advanced AI chips flow into restricted markets.

☢️ Alibaba teams up with China’s nuclear leader

Alibaba teams with China’s state nuclear company to power next-generation AI data centers. The partnership reflects growing interest in nuclear energy as a stable solution for AI’s massive compute demands. It also highlights how infrastructure, not models, is becoming the real competitive moat.

🧰 Tools of the Day

→ Blink, lightweight AI automation for fast internal workflows and ops tasks
→ Mastra, agent orchestration framework for building multi-step AI workflows
→ Fimo, AI-powered product research and competitive analysis assistant

⚡ Quick Hits

→ China AI firm Zhipu limits coding agent access as demand surges
→ Perplexity launches law enforcement focused enterprise AI program
→ Meta executive discusses AI race and Australia’s social media ban
→ AI super PACs gear up to influence U.S. midterms
→ Ethernovia raises $90M as physical AI funding heats up
→ Google Gemini adds AI-powered SAT practice tools
→ House passes AI education bill for small businesses
→ Sovereign AI partners with Accenture and Palantir on EMEA data centers
→ Consumers spent more on AI apps than games in 2025
→ OpenAI data centers face backlash over energy costs

🧠 TLDR

Platforms are opening up under regulatory pressure, with X exposing its algorithm and OpenAI adding age prediction. Chip access is now openly political, as Anthropic attacks Nvidia and Jensen Huang heads to China. Meanwhile, AI infrastructure bets are escalating fast, from nuclear-powered data centers to Musk’s push for space-based compute.

Cheers,
David