AI Orchestrates Black Holes, Robotaxis Hit Kids, FBI Nets Criminal Site

A Waymo robotaxi struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, on January 23, 2026, causing minor injuries. The incident occurred near a school and has prompted an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), according to The Verge.

The Waymo vehicle was already under investigation for previous incidents involving its robotaxis illegally passing school buses during student pickups and drop-offs, The Verge reported. The recent collision adds another layer of scrutiny to the autonomous vehicle company's safety record.

Airtable debuted Superagent on Tuesday, January 28, 2026. According to VentureBeat, Superagent is a standalone research agent that deploys teams of specialized AI agents working in parallel to complete research tasks. Airtable co-founder Howie Liu described Superagent's orchestrator as creating "a coherent journey" where the orchestrator made all decisions along the way, VentureBeat reported.

In other news, the FBI seized the dark web and clear web sites of RAMP, a predominantly Russian-language online bazaar that billed itself as the only place ransomware was allowed, Ars Technica reported. The agency's action aims to combat the growing threat of ransomware targeting critical infrastructure and organizations worldwide. According to Ars Technica, visits to both sites on Wednesday returned pages stating the FBI had taken control of the RAMP domains.

BBC One released the first trailer for its new miniseries adaptation of William Golding's classic 1954 novel, "Lord of the Flies," Ars Technica reported. The miniseries, which has the support of the Golding family, is expected to closely follow the novel.

Also, a new study published in Nature suggests a solution to the Little Red Dots mystery. Scientists think young supermassive black holes may go through a cocoon phase, where they grow surrounded by high-density gas they feed on. These gaseous cocoons are likely what the Ars Technica reported.