Overview of events in the field of artificial intelligence for January 2026

The National Cybersecurity Coordination Center at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, together with the National Institute for Strategic Studies and the Center for Analysis and Development of Effective Policies, has prepared a new issue of “AI Frontiers: Innovations, Breakthroughs, Challenges” – a review of key events in the field of artificial intelligence for January 2026.

The beginning of the year marked a transition of the global AI market to a phase of efficiency testing and financial scrutiny. Following a wave of large-scale investments, the focus is shifting from ambitious narratives to measurable returns, monetization strategies, and the integration of AI solutions into real business and public-sector processes. At the same time, competition between the United States and China in semiconductors, computing infrastructure, and agent-based systems continues to intensify, increasingly shaping the geo-economic architecture of AI.

January also highlighted the growing importance of infrastructure and energy factors. Shortages of computing capacity, memory chips, and power supply are becoming systemic constraints on the scaling of advanced models. In parallel, regulatory attention to generative systems is strengthening, particularly in the context of deepfakes, personal data protection, and platform accountability.

In the security domain, artificial intelligence is being more deeply integrated into military, analytical, and cyber processes, creating both new strategic advantages and new risks. At the same time, AI applications are expanding in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, robotics, and the creative industries, reinforcing the technology’s transformative impact on the economy and society.

All key trends, events, and analytical conclusions are available in the digest for January 2026