January 22, 2026

Why 2026 is a hot year for lithium

In 2026, I’m going to be closely watching the price of lithium. If you’re not in the habit of obsessively tracking commodity markets, I certainly don’t blame you. (Though the news lately definitely makes the case that minerals can have major implications for global politics and the economy.) But lithium is worthy of a close…

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 tickets now on sale: Lowest rates all year 

January 21, 2026
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 tickets are officially on sale. Save up to $680 on your ticket and be among the first 500 registrants to score a +1 pass at 50% off. Don’t miss 10,000 tech leaders, founders, and VCs in San Francisco from Oct 13-15. Register before these one-time deals vanish.

Everyone wants AI sovereignty. No one can truly have it.

January 21, 2026
Governments plan to pour $1.3 trillion into AI infrastructure by 2030 to invest in “sovereign AI,” with the premise being that countries should be in control of their own AI capabilities. The funds include financing for domestic data centers, locally trained models, independent supply chains, and national talent pipelines. This is a response to real…

The Download: Trump at Davos, and AI scientists

January 21, 2026
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. All anyone wants to talk about at Davos is AI and Donald Trump —Mat Honan, MIT Technology Review’s editor in chief  At Davos this year Trump is dominating all the side conversations. There…