Maligned - January 29, 2026

AI news without the BS

Here’s what actually matters in AI today. No fluff, no hype - just 5 developments worth your time.

Today’s Top 5 AI Developments

1. AI Learns New Tricks Without Forgetting Old Ones 🧠

Forget catastrophic forgetting. Researchers introduced Self-Distillation Fine-Tuning (SDFT), a method that lets AI models continuously acquire new skills from demonstrations without ditching what they already know. This on-policy learning approach essentially allows a model to teach itself, paving a practical path for AIs that truly grow and adapt over time.

Source: arXiv Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19897v1

2. Deeper LLMs on the Horizon: Post-LayerNorm Makes a Comeback 🛠️

LLM scaling has hit a depth wall, but “Keel” might break it. This new Post-LayerNorm Transformer architecture replaces the old problematic residual path with a “Highway-style” connection, enabling stable training of models over 1000 layers deep. This isn’t just a tweak; it’s a foundational change that could unlock truly infinite-depth LLMs and unprecedented expressivity.

Source: arXiv Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19895v1

3. Real-time Aneurysm Risk Prediction Just Got Real 💖

AI is stepping up in medical diagnostics, with a Graph Transformer model now capable of predicting intracranial aneurysm risks in real time from surface meshes. This cuts down the time-consuming CFD analysis, giving physicians immediate access to crucial biomechanical markers and potentially speeding up life-saving interventions.

Source: arXiv Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19876v1

4. Cap-and-Trade for AI? The Push for Efficiency & Equity 🌍

The AI race prioritizes scale over efficiency, leading to massive energy consumption and limiting access for smaller players. A new proposal suggests an “AI Cap-and-Trade” system to incentivize efficiency, reduce emissions, and level the playing field. It’s a market-based approach aiming for a more sustainable and accessible AI future.

Source: arXiv Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19886v1

5. DeepMind’s Nexus Agents: A Leap Towards True Autonomy 🚀

Google DeepMind has reportedly unveiled “Nexus” agents, showcasing unprecedented long-horizon planning and multi-modal reasoning. These agents adapt and transfer skills across complex tasks using a “causal-recursive” planning architecture, moving us closer to truly autonomous AI systems that can operate reliably in unpredictable real-world environments.

Source: TechCrunch Link: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/29/deepmind-nexus-agents-unveiled

That’s it for today. Stay aligned. 🎯

Maligned - AI news without the BS