January saw OpenAI launch “Operator,” a major high for the company. This marked the shift from AI that just talks to AI that takes action across apps. The low point, however, was a renewed legal battle over training data as several high-profile authors filed fresh copyright lawsuits. Google countered by integrating Project Astra into more mobile devices, though early latency issues drew criticism from tech reviewers. The big player dominance remains, but the friction between capability and legality is intensifying.