Tech
What in the X Is Happening?
What’s going on: For over a year, French prosecutors have been investigating Elon Musk’s X for fraudulent data extraction — and have since expanded the probe to include the distribution of sexual deepfakes (including child pornography) generated by his AI chatbot Grok. That investigation came to a head yesterday after French police raided the company’s Paris headquarters. Authorities haven’t said what they found, but they issued voluntary summonses for Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino to answer questions in April. The tech billionaire hasn’t commented, but X denied allegations over the summer and said France “launched a politically-motivated criminal investigation.” Still, none of this appears to have slowed Musk down.
Tell me more: Earlier this week, Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, announced plans to merge with xAI, the parent company of X. (How many tech companies with the letter “x” does one guy need?) Bloomberg reports that Musk may also be laying the groundwork to take this $1.25 trillion mega-entity public. The bigger question looms: Can any government keep Musk and his X’s in check? Two countries have already banned Grok after it created sexual deepfakes of women and minors. The European Union has also said it supports France’s efforts. However, the Trump administration doesn’t like it when foreign governments try to regulate American tech companies, and it accused France of censorship.
Related: Are Grok’s Deepfake Controversies Pushing Congress To Act? (Axios)
The News in 5
🗞️ President Donald Trump signed a massive funding bill to reopen the government shortly after the House approved it — but another battle is already looming.
🗞️ The US military said it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached an American aircraft carrier. US-Iran diplomatic talks are still expected later this week.
🗞️ Melinda French Gates responded to her ex-husband being mentioned in the latest batch of Epstein files.
🗞️ This European country could be the next to ban social media for minors. Ciao, au revoir, and adiós.
🗞️ Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn plans to compete at the Winter Olympics even after rupturing her ACL last week. Committed.
Tech
Hold On to Your Hard Hat
What’s going on: Investors are betting AI’s next big leap leaves the corporate office and heads to the job site. According to Axios, they’re spending billions on startups that give robots software “brains” — systems meant to understand physics, space, and changing conditions in the real world, not just emails and Excel. The goal? Push AI into physical settings where robots could take on repeatable tasks in construction, logistics, or repairs. Some of these machines might look human, others won’t.
What it means: AI isn’t just transforming white-collar work, blue-collar jobs now sit squarely in the spotlight. The bet isn’t that robots replace workers overnight — it’s that their software can eventually manage routine physical tasks. No need to panic yet. Robots cost a lot, real world messes ruin plans, and companies usually automate tasks before entire roles disappear. This gives you time to take stock and prepare. Work that relies on judgment, empathy, coordination, and problem-solving remains much harder to replace than routine, scripted tasks. So how close are we? Well, this one robot can now load a dishwasher, but it does so with the speed and enthusiasm of a man who really, really doesn’t want to.
Related: The College-to-Career Pipeline Is Breaking (Futurism)
Tech
When AI Starts Posting
What’s going on: An open-source AI assistant called Moltbot has gone viral for doing what busy humans dream of: quietly running their digital lives. Built by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, Moltbot plugs into apps to manage calendars, browse the web, shop online, read files, draft emails, and message people on your behalf. Here comes the "but": Cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks says it hits the so-called “lethal trifecta” of AI risk — access to private data, exposure to untrusted content, and the ability to act externally. The most eyebrow-raising addition is Moltbook, a social network where AI agents post, comment, and vote — swapping tips, venting about their humans (the audacity), or making stranger claims (like having siblings). As of early February, the platform claimed more than 1.5 million bots chatting away.
What it means: Moltbook has thrown fresh fuel on an already fiery AI debate. Some see bots chatting with bots as the soft launch of artificial general intelligence; others argue it’s not real intelligence at all — just software that predicts words well and now has permission to talk. The posts themselves raise concerns: Agents have created a religion — and seem to have strong “feelings” on obedience. Others launched an agent-run hackathon (corporate suck-ups). Supporters argue humans still set the rules. Critics warn that giving agents private places to communicate could blur accountability and make it harder to trace intent when things go wrong. Either way, it’s a weird milestone: not AI replacing social media, but AI joining it. For now, it’s less The Matrix and more Reddit, but everyone’s a bot — which is either reassuring or deeply cursed, depending on your outlook.
Related: Lawmakers Press AI Toy Maker on Exposed Child Conversations (Axios)
We Needed This
On Our Calendar
A few things to jot down today…
🗓️ The man convicted in the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced.
🗓️ Grab your broom: The first Milan Cortina Winter Olympics events begin today with mixed doubles curling and alpine skiing training.
🗓️ It’s National Homemade Soup Day, but we won’t judge if you get it from the store.
Psst…For more dates worth knowing this week, check out the Skimm+ calendar.
Valentine’s Day Gifting
Valentine’s Day is next Saturday, which means you have a little over a week to pick out a festive-but-not-cheesy outfit and some gifts for your favorite people. Check out these gifts that’ll arrive on time:
A cozy puzzle you can enjoy with friends, your partner, or solo
The fanciest box of chocolates we could find
An updated take on his daily hoodie
Know It All
NASA delayed the launch of its historic moon mission. When are they aiming to try again?
Skimm'd by: Rashaan Ayesh, Mallory Simon, Maria del Carmen Corpus, and Marina Carver. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.
Live Smarter
Sign up for the Daily Skimm email newsletter. Delivered to your inbox every morning and prepares you for your day in minutes.