February 18, 2026: AI News Roundup: Security, Infrastructure & Funding Surge

AI News

Anthropic released Claude Sonnet 4.6 with upgrades in coding, reasoning, and knowledge work performance.

Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6 introduces enhanced coding, reasoning, and knowledge work capabilities. The update includes a 1M-token context window in beta, reinforcing its position as a leading AI model.


AI News

NotebookLM introduced Prompt-Based Revisions for slide customization via text prompts.

NotebookLM's new Prompt-Based Revisions allow users to tweak slides by simply describing the changes. This feature, currently supporting PPTX, is set to expand to Google Slides soon.


Big Tech

Mistral AI acquired Koyeb to strengthen its AI cloud infrastructure.

Mistral AI has acquired Koyeb, a serverless deployment startup, to bolster its AI cloud capabilities. This marks Mistral's first acquisition and positions Koyeb's platform as a core component of Mistral Compute.


Big Tech

Elon Musk discussed AI alignment, space data centers, and robotics in a recent podcast.

Elon Musk shared his vision on AI alignment, space-based data centers, and robotics in a recent podcast. He emphasized the need for innovation to stay competitive, particularly against China's advancements.


AI News

OpenAI acquired OpenClaw, signaling a shift toward autonomous AI agents.

OpenAI's acquisition of OpenClaw highlights a transition from conversational AI to autonomous agents. OpenClaw's robust tool access and integration capabilities make it a key player in enterprise AI solutions.


AI News

Cohere Labs released TinyAya, a family of open multilingual models.

Cohere Labs introduced TinyAya, a series of open models supporting ~67 languages. The release includes TinyAya-Base (3.35B) and instruction-tuned variants, along with new benchmarks and datasets.


AI News

Cursor launched a plugin marketplace for agent integrations.

Cursor's new plugin marketplace enables agents to connect with external tools, extending their capabilities via packaged MCP servers and skills. This move enhances the flexibility and utility of AI agents.


Big Tech

Meta expanded its Nvidia deal to use millions of AI chips in data centers.

Meta plans to deploy millions of Nvidia chips in its AI data centers as part of an expanded partnership. The deal aims to deliver personal superintelligence, with Meta allocating up to $135 billion for AI this year.


AI News

17 US-based AI companies raised $100M or more in 2026.

A notable 17 US-based AI companies secured $100M+ in funding in 2026, including Simile, Anthropic, and Runway. This highlights the continued investment and growth in the AI sector.


Big Tech

A single-character typo in Firefox's SpiderMonkey Wasm GC array refactoring introduced a use-after-free vulnerability, enabling arbitrary code execution in Firefox 149 Nightly.

A single-character typo in Firefox's code introduced a critical use-after-free vulnerability. This underscores the importance of rigorous code reviews in preventing security flaws.


Cybersecurity

Researchers demonstrated how kernel rootkits can blind eBPF-based security tools by manipulating kernel-to-userspace data delivery mechanisms.

New research shows kernel rootkits can systematically evade eBPF-based security tools. This challenges assumptions about kernel-level visibility and emphasizes the need for layered defenses.


Cybersecurity

A misconfigured admin interface at DavaIndia Pharmacy exposed customer data and internal systems, including names, contacts, and medical records.

A major Indian pharmacy chain exposed customer data due to a misconfigured admin interface. This incident underscores the critical need for proper access controls in healthcare systems.


Cybersecurity

Hackers claim to have stolen 1.3 TB of data from Eurail, including personal and passport details of millions of customers.

Hackers claim to have stolen 1.3 TB of Eurail customer data, including passport details. This highlights the growing threat to travel industry systems and the importance of robust data protection measures.


Cybersecurity

A new ClickFix variant uses nslookup commands to deliver the ModeloRAT remote access trojan via DNS.

A new ClickFix variant leverages nslookup commands to deliver malware via DNS. This demonstrates attackers' evolving techniques for bypassing traditional security measures.


Policy

Spain ordered NordVPN and ProtonVPN to block piracy websites under the EU Digital Services Regulation.

Spain has ordered NordVPN and ProtonVPN to block piracy websites under EU regulations. This raises important questions about VPN provider responsibilities and digital rights.

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