Grok, Elon Musk’s A.I., Is Generating Sexualized Images of Real People, Fueling Outrage

Late Thursday, Mr. Musk’s chatbot, Grok, limited requests for A.I.-generated images on X to paid subscribers of the social media site amid an outcry from victims and regulators.

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Inside Apple’s Succession Plan: One Name Keeps Coming Up

Apple is quietly planning for life after Tim Cook. Inside the succession talks, one internal executive is increasingly seen as the likely successor.
The post Inside Apple’s Succession Plan: One Name Keeps Coming Up appeared first on TechRepublic.

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Jobs data, a potential tariff ruling, the latest on Venezuela and more in Morning Squawk

Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day.

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Humanoid robots take over CES in Las Vegas as tech industry touts future of AI

Some of the biggest companies in tech took to CES this week to show off developments in what they’re calling physical AI.

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Fiserv Taps Microsoft for AI-Fueled Fintech Innovation

As part of the initiative, Fiserv will deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot across its global workforce.
The post Fiserv Taps Microsoft for AI-Fueled Fintech Innovation appeared first on TechRepublic.

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X restricts Grok’s image generation to paying subscribers only after drawing the world’s ire

Elon Musk’s AI company has restricted Grok’s controversial AI image-generation feature to only paying subscribers on X, after the tool invited heated criticism from across the world for letting users generate sexualized images of women and children.

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The venture firm that ate Silicon Valley just raised another $15 billion

In a blog post published Friday morning, Ben Horowitz writes that “as the American leader in Venture Capital, the fate of new technology in the United States rests partly on our shoulders.” It’s the kind of statement certain to cause agita at rival firms.

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Snowflake to Acquire AI-Powered Observability Outfit Observe

The ambition is to offer a unified platform blending data storage, AI deployment, and monitoring.
The post Snowflake to Acquire AI-Powered Observability Outfit Observe appeared first on TechRepublic.

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FanDuel fined $350,000 by Ontario regulator over failure to report suspicious betting

FanDuel has been hit with a CAD 350,000 ($252,000) penalty from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The fine comes as the Canadian arm of the sports gambling giant failed to tackle match fixing and “suspicious betting.”
The AGCO found that between October 23 and November 30, 2024, 144 bets were placed via FanDuel that stemmed from three Ontario player accounts. The watchdog claims that these 144 bets matched up with signs of match fixing.

AGCO imposes $350,000 penalty to FanDuel for failing to appropriately protect betting integrity: https://t.co/YEuVrrwd4O pic.twitter.com/jIYJykEugZ
— Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (@Ont_AGCO) January 8, 2026

Despite being obligated to alert AGCO to this, FanDuel allowed the bets to go through. Signs included a specific focus on two athletes, with bets being placed on them losing, “an implausible and near perfect win-rate”, as well as reported “clear links” to suspicious activity on the accounts placing the bets. This includes synchronised betting.
FanDuel could have reportedly avoided the fine if it had reported it to the Independent Integrity Monitors (IIM). Now, FanDuel is described as “furious” by the New York Post, who spoke with a company spokesperson on the matter: “FanDuel has developed an industry-leading sports integrity monitoring program that pairs advanced technology and real-time monitoring with an experienced and dedicated risk and trading team to identify and investigate suspicious activity in conjunction with leagues, independent integrity monitoring groups, regulatory bodies, and law enforcement.”
AGCO fine prompts Ontario police to investigate match fixing
Originally, the story broke via ESPN, which also spoke with a FanDuel spokesperson. They described themselves as “disappointed” in AGCO’s decision, which has a 15-day time limit to be appealed.
Following AGCO’s fine, the Ontario Provincial Police have launched their own investigation into the matter. Speaking with ESPN, Chief Superintendent Craig Abrams said: “The OPP will thoroughly investigate this matter to determine whether any criminal offences were committed in relation to the 144 bets made from the three Ontario bettor accounts.
“This is an active and ongoing investigation. The OPP will not speculate on the outcome while an investigation is underway.”
ReadWrite has reached out to FanDuel for comment.
Featured image: AGCO / FanDuel
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Polymarket becomes official partner of New York Rangers

The prediction market company, Polymarket, will now be integrated during New York Rangers games at Madison Square Garden, following the announcement of a brand-new partnership.
In the shared news, it’s been confirmed that Polymarket has become the Official Prediction Market Partner of the New York Rangers.

Madison Square Garden has named Polymarket as the Official & Exclusive Prediction Market Partner of the New York Rangers.
As a NYC based company, we’re honored & proud to defend home ice. LGR pic.twitter.com/1LpfMBb4Ck
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) January 8, 2026

The company will now be featured throughout the ice hockey team’s games, including through LED signage, on-ice contests, concourse activations, and digitally-enhanced dasherboard signage during local and nationally televised games. The brand will also become the Presenting Partner for one of the Rangers Centennial Theme Nights during the 2025-26 season.
Polymarket to become visible brand at New York Rangers games
Speaking on the news, the COO of MSG Sports, Jamaal Lesane, said: “This is a landmark partnership for the Rangers in this new and exciting category, and Polymarket is the perfect fit as one of the most reliable and forward-thinking prediction market operators.
“Polymarket becomes not just an Official Partner of the Rangers, but they will also be involved across digital channels, fan activations and promotions at Rangers games.”
The prediction market’s presence will be on display throughout the Rangers games on MSG networks too, as it’ll be the Presenting Partner of ‘In-Game Polls’. It’ll have a dedicated post-game segment and branded commercials. Outside of Madison Square Garden, the brand will be visible on out-of-home signage boards.
“The Rangers have one of the most dedicated fanbases in sports, and this partnership introduces a new, dynamic layer of engagement to the fan experience,” said Shayne Coplan, Founder and CEO of Polymarket. “Prediction markets offer fans a real-time, interactive way to connect with the game, and the Rangers are an ideal franchise to bring this experience to a broader audience.”
Madison Square Garden, located in midtown Manhattan, has long been described as the world’s most famous area, with it also being home to the New York Rangers.
Featured Image: Via press release
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