This week in AI updates: Google’s UCP standard, a redesigned Slackbot, and more (January 16, 2026)

Google has announced a new open-source standard for agentic commerce called the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).

A Train Filled with Deadly Chemicals Tore Across Ohio with No One at the Controls

A 3,000-ton locomotive was careening down the tracks with no crew on board. Authorities tried—and failed—to stop it. Then one ...