AI News Flash for February 20, 2026 at 02:00 UTC.

Topics:

1. AI Agent Index Study - Safety Transparency Gaps

https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-bots-lack-basic-safety.html

2. Taalas Raises $169M for Model-Specific AI Chips

https://siliconangle.com/2026/02/19/taalas-raises-169m-funding-develop-model-specific-ai-chips/

3. NVIDIA Deepens India AI Startup Ecosystem Push

https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/19/nvidia-deepens-early-stage-push-into-indias-ai-startup-ecosystem/

4. Fed's Daly Assesses AI's Impact on Monetary Policy

https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/feds-daly-says-policy-in-a-good-place-as-officials-assess-ais-effect-on-economy-60ee4844