AI news of 27 August 2026 · Robots Versus Humans

Hugging Face’s new robot is an adorable rollerskating duck

Hugging Face's Pollen Robotics launches Microduck, a small biped robot available to preorder for $399.

Hugging Face's Pollen Robotics has launched its second cute AI robot, the Microduck, a one-eyed biped standing just under 10 inches tall. It's available to preorder now for $399 in cream, graphite, lavender, and sky blue, and Pollen Robotics says it plans to start shipping the little robot "before Christmas 2026." Video demos of the Microduck show it picking up socks and markers, kicking around a ball, and zipping around on tiny rollerskates. Pollen Robotics says it can also "react to its surroundings" and follow around a laser pointer, or users can control it with a game controller. The Microduck's software is open-source, like Hugging Fa …

The Verge 1mo ago also at TechCrunch

Gemini

Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash lets you build with more control Opens at the publisher in a new tab

Google releases Gemini 2 Flash with additional control options for developers.

Google DeepMind 1mo ago also at Hacker News

generative AI

Adobe is adding more AI to Photoshop

Adobe adds AI tools to Photoshop with new dedicated interface in beta.

The Verge 1mo ago

Nvidia, Hugging Face, acquisition

Report: Nvidia to acquire AI model repository Hugging Face for $13 billion

Nvidia acquiring Hugging Face, a repository for open source AI models, for thirteen billion dollars.

Ars Technica 1mo ago

Video generation models

Google's Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash makes AI video generation cheaper and more flexible

Google's Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash video model improves consistency and reduces cost of AI-generated video extensions.

The Decoder 1mo ago

AI chips

Delivering Vera: NVIDIA’s First CPU Built for Agents Is Shipping Now Opens at the publisher in a new tab

NVIDIA's Vera CPU for AI agents begins shipping at scale across the ecosystem.

Nvidia Blog 1mo ago

language models

GLM-5.3-Flash matches top models at a fraction of the cost, and runs without Nvidia

Z.ai releases GLM-5.3-Flash model matching top models at lower cost without Nvidia.

The Decoder 1mo ago

AI agents, robotics safety

Anthropic's new hardware standard lets AI agents control the physical world

Anthropic discusses how AI agents should safely navigate physical environments in research and manufacturing.

Ars Technica 1mo ago also at Wired

OpenAI agents

OpenAI Is Developing a ‘Persistent’ AI Agent Opens at the publisher in a new tab

OpenAI developing persistent AI agent that continues working until manually stopped.

Wired 1mo ago

ChatGPT, education

Better answers, broader thinking: What students gain from ChatGPT and critical-thinking training Opens at the publisher in a new tab

Study shows students using ChatGPT with critical thinking training improve real assignments.

OpenAI 1mo ago

Hugging Face’s new robot is an adorable rollerskating duck

Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash lets you build with more control Opens at the publisher in a new tab

Adobe is adding more AI to Photoshop

Report: Nvidia to acquire AI model repository Hugging Face for $13 billion

Google's Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash makes AI video generation cheaper and more flexible

Delivering Vera: NVIDIA’s First CPU Built for Agents Is Shipping Now Opens at the publisher in a new tab

GLM-5.3-Flash matches top models at a fraction of the cost, and runs without Nvidia

Anthropic's new hardware standard lets AI agents control the physical world

OpenAI Is Developing a ‘Persistent’ AI Agent Opens at the publisher in a new tab

Better answers, broader thinking: What students gain from ChatGPT and critical-thinking training Opens at the publisher in a new tab

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