OpenAI develops Codex as Anthropic builds Claude Code

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI removed "safely" from its mission statement in its 2024 IRS filing, now focusing on ensuring AGI benefits all humanity.
• China's Unitree G1 robots demonstrated advanced agility, with Elon Musk identifying Chinese companies as key competitors in humanoid robotics.
• Advanced "agentic tools" like Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex are emerging, capable of extended, complex tasks, particularly in software engineering.
• Online shopping is evolving towards "agentic commerce," where AI chatbots will select and purchase goods, prompting companies like Amazon to develop tools like Rufus.
• The Godot game engine is struggling with "AI slop" from AI-generated code contributions, impacting quality control and maintainer workload.
• Businesses are adopting AI slower than consumers, with Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora noting on February 18, 2026, that only coding assistants show significant business use.
• SugarCRM CEO David Roberts believes AI has the potential to significantly boost sales performance, especially for middle-performing sales teams.
• Louisville AI Week (Feb 10-12, 2026) highlighted the importance of human-centered AI development, addressing both opportunities and ethical concerns.
• Despite AI's impact on the workforce, 68% of college-age students remain optimistic about job prospects and plan to attend college, according to a Junior Achievement report.
• OpenAI restructured in October 2025, splitting into a nonprofit foundation and a for-profit business, with the foundation holding a 26% stake in the OpenAI Group.

China's Unitree G1 Robots Perform Amazing Wall Flips

Unitree G1 robots showed off impressive agility at China's Spring Festival Gala. These robots performed a synchronized martial arts routine and even ran up a temporary wall. This display highlights the rapid progress of China's robotics industry. Elon Musk believes Chinese companies will be the biggest competitors in humanoid robots. However, it is still unclear if these advanced skills will be useful for everyday tasks.

China's Dancing Robots Show Advanced AI Prowess

Chinese robotics firms showcased advanced humanoid robots at the Spring Festival Gala. These robots performed kung fu, comedy sketches, and synchronized dances with human performers. Experts like Kyle Chan from Brookings Institution see this as China's way to display its technological leadership, especially in AI and robot production. Georg Stieler of Stieler Technology and Marketing noted the robots are trained for specific routines and not yet ready for complex, unstructured tasks. Morgan Stanley predicts China's humanoid sales will double by 2026, and Elon Musk views China as his main competitor in this field.

OpenAI Removes Safety From Its Official Mission Statement

OpenAI has changed its mission statement, removing the word "safely" from its goal. The company's original 2015 mission focused on developing and deploying artificial general intelligence safely for society's benefit. Its updated mission, seen in a 2024 IRS filing, now states it aims "to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity." This change, along with dropping the phrase "unconstrained by a need to generate financial return" and disbanding its superalignment team, suggests a shift in priorities. OpenAI restructured in October 2025, splitting into a nonprofit foundation and a for-profit business, with the foundation now holding a 26% stake in the OpenAI Group.

OpenAI's Mission Statement Changes Over Time

OpenAI's mission statement has changed significantly since its founding, as shown in its annual IRS filings. From 2016 to 2017, its mission emphasized building "safe AI technology" for humanity's benefit, being "unconstrained by a need to generate financial return," and openly sharing plans. By 2018, the community-focused language was removed, but "safe AI" remained. In 2021, the mission shifted to "responsibly deploy safe AI technology" and introduced "general purpose artificial intelligence." However, in its 2024 filing, the mission became "to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity," removing explicit mentions of "safe AI."

AI Chatbots Will Soon Do Your Online Shopping

Online shopping is changing with the rise of "agentic commerce," where AI chatbots will select and buy goods for consumers. Retailers must adapt by using "generative engine optimization," a new form of SEO, to make their products easily discoverable by these AI agents. AI tools will analyze detailed product descriptions and the substance of customer reviews, not just star ratings. While AI can boost sales with personalized recommendations, it also presents risks for retailers. Companies might lose direct customer relationships and advertising revenue as AI platforms control more data and interactions. Large companies like Walmart and Amazon are already developing their own AI shopping tools, such as Amazon's Rufus.

Teens Stay Hopeful About Jobs Despite AI Changes

A new report from Junior Achievement shows that high school students are very hopeful about their future job prospects, even as AI changes the workforce. About 68% of college-age students still plan to attend college. Jack Harris, CEO of Junior Achievement, believes that some form of education after high school will be very important for these students. He noted a difference between the optimism of teens and the challenges some new workers face in finding jobs right now. The impact of AI on jobs varies across different industries.

Advanced AI Agents Go Beyond Simple Chatbots

The era of simple chatbots like ChatGPT is evolving into a new phase with advanced "agentic tools." These powerful AI agents, such as Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex, can work for extended periods, significantly speeding up complex tasks. While currently more expensive and harder to use, companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are making them more accessible to everyone. These tools are transforming fields like software engineering, where bots can now write code and manage multiple project aspects simultaneously. Experts believe similar advances could soon impact other types of knowledge work, even though agentic tools still struggle with some simple, real-world tasks.

Godot Game Engine Struggles With AI Code Contributions

The open-source game engine Godot is facing a major challenge from a flood of AI-generated code contributions, which project manager Rémi Verschelde calls "AI slop." Maintainers now spend much time questioning if new code submissions are human-made or AI-generated, and if the authors truly understand their own code. This makes it hard to help new contributors and ensure the project's quality. Godot is exploring solutions like automated AI detection, though Verschelde finds this ironic. The project is also considering moving to a different platform, but fears losing real contributors. Ultimately, more funding to hire additional maintainers seems to be the best way to handle this issue.

Louisville AI Week Explores AI's Future and Challenges

Louisville AI Week, held from February 10-12, 2026, brought together technology and business leaders in Louisville, Kentucky. The conference focused on the promises and risks of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need to keep humans at the center of AI development. Speakers discussed ethical AI practices, policy creation, and cybersecurity concerns. Justin Murphy, CEO of CloudAtlas, called AI a "great equalizer" but acknowledged job losses, while Summer Crenshaw, a CEO, saw AI creating new opportunities. Roman Yampolskiy, an AI safety researcher, warned about the dangers of losing control to non-human intelligence. The event also highlighted Louisville's growing AI startup community.

Palo Alto Networks CEO Sees Slow AI Adoption in Businesses

Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, stated on February 18, 2026, that businesses are adopting AI much slower than consumers, except for coding assistants. He noted that these coding applications do not create significant network traffic, which is key for Palo Alto's security business. Arora believes there is a race to develop AI security platforms to manage the growing AI-related network traffic. Palo Alto Networks reported $2.6 billion in Q2 revenue, a 15% increase year-over-year, and expects strong Q3 growth. However, investors reacted negatively, causing a 6% drop in share price, possibly due to concerns about future profits.

SugarCRM CEO Says AI Can Boost Sales Performance

David Roberts, CEO of SugarCRM, believes that current CRM systems often fail to help most sales and marketing teams improve revenue. However, Roberts is hopeful that artificial intelligence can change this. He suggests AI has the potential to significantly boost sales performance, especially for the majority of sellers who fall into the middle performance group. Roberts emphasizes that AI should be used as a tool to achieve better sales results, rather than being the ultimate goal itself.

Sources

• Chinese Robots Can Now Run Up Walls
• China’s dancing robots: how worried should we be?
• OpenAI has deleted the word ‘safely’ from its mission; will AI serve society or shareholders?
• OpenAI Removes “Safe AI” From Its Mission Statement: How Its Wording Has Changed Since 2016
• Online Shopping Could Be AI’s Next Victim
• As AI puts the squeeze on entry-level jobs, teens remain optimistic about their future employability, report finds
• The Post-Chatbot Era Has Begun
• Open-source game engine Godot is drowning in 'AI slop' code contributions: 'I don't know how long we can keep it up'
• Louisville AI Week spotlights technology's promise and risks
• Palo Alto CEO says AI isn’t great for business, yet
• Will AI make your CRM more effective?