Elon Musk’s Tesla is shifting from a car company to a robot company. Its Optimus humanoid robot has plenty of company, with everyone from Unitree and Agibot to LG and Hyundai showing off new concepts and products at CES 2026. But without successful “world” AI models, the humanoid robot may not be ready for ubiquity.

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.

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REFERENCES:

The Guardian on Tesla abandoning the X and S https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/28/tesla-q4-earnings-estimates-elon-musk

Wired on Fauna’s Sprout https://www.wired.com/story/humanoid-robot-butler-sprout-fauna/

Engadget on Agibot’s A2 and X2 https://www.engadget.com/ai/agibots-humanoid-robots-can-give-directions-and-learn-your-tiktok-dances-045049798.html

BGR on Unitree’s G1 https://www.bgr.com/2083491/china-agibot-humanoid-robot-us-competition/

TechCrunch on LG’s CLOiD https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/08/i-watched-lgs-new-home-robot-cloid-do-laundry-but-i-have-questions/

Interesting Engineering on Hyundai’s Atlas https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/hyundais-atlas-humanoid-wins-top-honor

Elon Musk’s tweet about people only remembering Tesla’s robots https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2011679509628457408

As a recent Wall Street Journal article demonstrates, many people in the United States think Europe’s online content rules amount to censorship that could affect them back in the US. But the Digital Services Act doesn’t do that – and the Trump administration’s efforts to force Europe’s hand are less about free speech than about promoting a far right agenda.

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

The WSJ article in question: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-european-threat-to-your-free-speech-93f2f7c7

MIT Technology Review on the US entry bans: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/19/1131384/what-its-like-to-be-banned-from-the-us-for-fighting-online-hate/

Business Insider on JD Vance’s NATO threat: https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-nato-support-eu-regulation-x-musk-free-speech-2024-9

Politico on Donald Trump’s DSA tariff threat: https://www.politico.eu/article/us-question-report-sanction-eu-officials-dsa-donald-trump/

Conflict between Europe and the US is fast becoming likelier, as the Trump administration threatens to annex Denmark-owned Greenland. Journalist Dave Keating, author of The Owned Continent, joins TGR to discuss US tech’s domination of the EU and the impossible position in which Europe’s leaders now find themselves.

The Owned Continent: https://theownedcontinent.eu/

Dave Keating’s Substack: https://davekeating.substack.com/

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

Euractiv article containing Daniel Friedlaender (CCIA Europe) quote: https://www.euractiv.com/news/europe-readies-digital-infrastructure-push-in-2026/

Tough talk from Teresa Ribera https://www.ft.com/content/ca6f3062-f286-4a13-b81d-6e2a35c91fdc

Big Tech used to love the idea of AI ethics, but the AI gold rush does strange things to incentives. Tech ethicist Mathana joins Tech Gets Real to discuss what went wrong and what – hopefully – comes next.

This will probably be the last TGR of 2025. Happy holidays! If you like this video, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

As Australia introduces its ban on under-16s accessing social media — including YouTube — we examine the emergence of the age-restricted internet in countries around the world. They’re supposed to protect kids from online harms, but do the restrictions actually work? And what effects do age verification measures such as AI-powered facial scanning have on adults?

If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

Australian regulators say the world will follow https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-says-world-will-follow-social-media-ban-meta-starts-blocking-teens-2025-12-04/

Teens can get around facial age estimation tools https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/04/social-media-ban-parents-help-teens/

Wikipedia loses its challenge against the UK’s Online Safety Act https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr11qqvvwlo

UK regulator suggests age-restricting VPNs https://www.theverge.com/tech/827435/uk-vpn-restrictions-ban-online-safety-act

KOSA remains controversial in the US https://www.theverge.com/policy/837123/house-energy-commerce-kids-online-safety-package-hearing

Adult websites need age verification across most of the US https://www.404media.co/missouri-age-verification-law-porn-id-check-vpns/

Apple AI chief John Giannandrea is out, with Google and Microsoft vet Amar Subramanya taking over many of his responsibilities. Here’s why Apple’s AI strategy should be all about thinking small, to play to the company’s privacy strengths.

If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

Apple’s announcement about Giannandrea’s retirement https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/12/john-giannandrea-to-retire-from-apple/

Apple pulls Apple Intelligence news summaries https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/17/apple-suspends-ai-generated-news-alert-service-after-bbc-complaint

Apple delays big AI Siri update to 2026 https://www.pcmag.com/news/apple-explains-why-it-delayed-ai-siri-confirms-it-wont-arrive-until-2026

DeepSeek’s distillation breakthrough https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/21/deepseek-trained-ai-model-using-distillation-now-a-disruptive-force.html

The twisted nature of Elon Musk’s Grok AI shows how chatbots can be turned into tools of disinformation. But the tactics deployed by a Russian disinformation campaign called Pravda also point to a future where the “machine web” provides ways to push lies into AI models from beneath.

If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

Grok’s white genocide claims https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/14/elon-musk-grok-white-genocide

Grok’s antisemitism https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/09/grok-ai-praised-hitler-antisemitism-x-ntwnfb

Grok’s gross claims about Musk’s supremacy https://www.404media.co/elon-musk-could-drink-piss-better-than-any-human-in-history-grok-says/

French authorities investigating Grok over Holocaust denial https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2025/11/19/french-authorities-charges-x-over-holocaust-denial-comments-by-ai-chatbot-grok_6747630_13.html#

Pravda network feeding Wikipedia and AI models https://dfrlab.org/2025/03/12/pravda-network-wikipedia-llm-x/

Harvard researchers on Pravda https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/llms-grooming-or-data-voids-llm-powered-chatbot-references-to-kremlin-disinformation-reflect-information-gaps-not-manipulation/

Google’s “machine web” vision https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250611-ai-mode-is-google-about-to-change-the-internet-forever

The European Commission’s so-called Digital Omnibus would gut the GDPR, the EU’s tough online privacy law. Doing so would just be the latest example of capitulating to President Donald Trump and his Big Tech pals, including AI companies. Instead, Europe should be making sure it can break free of US tech and finally achieve digital sovereignty.

If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful. Please also consider subscribing to my mailing list: https://subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com/d763645e-9f25-4e6c-839a-da39daa947df

Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades.

To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com or connect on:

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.bsky.social

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites

REFERENCES:

Final version of Digital Omnibus proposal https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/digital-omnibus-regulation-proposal

Leaked draft of Digital Omnibus proposal https://cdn.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2025/11/EU-Kommission-Digital-Omnibus-A-Data-Act-und-DSGVO.pdf

Trump administration threatening Europe with NATO withdrawal over tech rules https://www.businessinsider.com/jd-vance-nato-support-eu-regulation-x-musk-free-speech-2024-9

Dave Keating on Europe's various moves to appease Trump https://davekeating.substack.com/p/eu-bends-to-us-pressure-again-by