AI Roundup: April 7, 2026

1. Netflix Open-Sources VOID: AI Framework That Erases Video Objects and Rewrites Their Physics

Netflix. Netflix open-sourced VOID (Video Object and Interaction Deletion), an AI framework that removes objects from video and rewrites the physical interactions they left behind — for example, removing a person holding a guitar causes the guitar to fall naturally. Built on Alibaba’s CogVideoX and fine-tuned with synthetic data, VOID uses Google Gemini 3 Pro for scene analysis, requires 40GB VRAM, and is licensed Apache 2.0. In human preference studies, VOID was favored 64.8% of the time versus Runway’s 18.4%. Source

2. Waymo Halts NYC Robotaxi Testing as Permits and State Law Expire

Waymo. Waymo’s testing permits for its eight autonomous vehicles in Brooklyn and Manhattan expired March 31 and have not been renewed, halting all NYC testing operations. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed hesitation about renewal, and the state law authorizing autonomous vehicle testing demonstrations expired April 1, leaving Waymo’s NYC future uncertain. Waymo continues operating driverless in 10 other U.S. cities. Source

3. Utah Expands AI Prescription Pilot to Psychiatric Medications via Legion Health

Legion Health. Utah approved a second AI prescribing pilot allowing Legion Health’s chatbot to autonomously renew 15 lower-risk psychiatric medications — including fluoxetine, sertraline, and bupropion — without physician involvement. The $19/month service excludes controlled substances, antipsychotics, lithium, and unstable patients, and requires physician review of the first 1,250 requests before autonomous operation. Following Utah’s January 2026 Doctronic pilot for chronic condition refills, the state is now the leading U.S. jurisdiction for AI-autonomous prescribing. Source

4. AI Virtual Try-On Startups Tackle Retail’s Returns Crisis

Retail. CNBC profiled startups building AI virtual try-on technology to reduce online retail returns. Catches creates “digital twins” with fabric physics simulation and went live on luxury brand Amiri’s site, while Shopify integrated Genlook’s try-on into its platform. Google will make its virtual try-on tech accessible directly in search results from April 30. Macy’s reported customers using its AI shopping assistant spent 4.75x more per visit, signaling that AI-driven sizing and visualization may be ready to address the industry’s multi-billion-dollar returns problem. Source