• Google open-sourced Gemma 4 AI model under Apache 2.0 license, enabling broad customization and commercial applications.
• The release advances accessible AI development following prior Gemma iterations.
• Model strengthens Google's position in open source AI competition with rivals like Arcee.
• Amazon is expanding its Alexa+ AI assistant to web platforms, moving beyond device-only deployment and positioning itself to compete directly with ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
• The expansion reflects Amazon's strategic shift toward agentic AI workflows, enabling Alexa+ to perform complex tasks across web and mobile interfaces.
• The move signals intensifying competition among major tech companies to build comprehensive AI assistants that operate across all user touchpoints and verticals.
• Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on March 31 that it will target 18 major US technology and industrial companies in the West Asia region starting 8 PM Tehran time on April 1 (1630 GMT), in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on Iranian pharmaceutical facilities and leadership.
• The hit list includes Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, Intel, IBM, Tesla, Nvidia, Boeing, HP, Cisco, Oracle, Dell, and others, accused of enabling high-tech warfare through AI, ICT, and satellite tracking for assassinations.
• IRGC urged employees to immediately evacuate workplaces and residents within a one-kilometer radius to leave for safety, labeling the firms as 'terrorist companies' and promising destruction of their regional units.
Nearly 70% of under-16s with accounts on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok had maintained access, survey findsThe Australian government has accused big tech firms like Meta, TikTok and Google of disobeying the landmark ban on under-16s using social media, after the country’s online safety office warned many children had accounts.A survey of 900 Australian parents found around a third (31%) said their children still had one or more social media accounts after the ban, compared to 49% before the laws. Continue reading...
• A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and Google liable in a case involving a young woman's depression linked to social media platform use, challenging existing legal protections for tech companies.
• The verdict represents a significant legal development challenging Section 230 liability shields that have historically protected technology companies from user-generated content lawsuits.
• This ruling potentially opens the door to broader litigation against social media platforms regarding mental health impacts, marking a notable shift in tech industry legal liability exposure.
Banks, governments and tech providers urged to upgrade security because current systems will soon be obsolete Banks, governments and technology providers need to be prepared for quantum computer hackers capable of breaking most existing encryption systems by 2029, Google has warned.The tech company said in a blogpost that quantum computers would pose a “significant threat to current cryptographic standards” before the end of the decade and urged other companies to follow its lead. Continue reading...
Former Olympic rower to lead corporation as it hammers out future funding model with governmentMatt Brittin, Google’s former top executive in Europe, has been named the BBC’s next director general.Brittin, who stepped down as Google’s president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa last year, will replace Tim Davie at a crucial time for the corporation, as it hammers out its future funding model with the government. Continue reading...
• Baker Hughes announced a collaboration with Google Cloud on March 24, 2026, to develop AI-enabled power optimization and sustainability solutions for data centers.
• The Houston-based initiative targets efficiency in high-demand AI computing environments using advanced cloud technology.
• This partnership addresses growing energy challenges in U.S. data centers powering AI workloads.
• CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston (March 23-27, 2026) features speakers from Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Meta, Dell, Applied Materials, and AMD on AI, data centers, and energy.
• Programming focuses on AI's impact on energy power demand, data center innovation, chip design, robotics, workforce, and investment strategies.
• New 'Bridge' venue connects energy and tech leaders; includes Energy Venture Day with 40+ startups and TEX-E collegiate pitch competition.
• American Airlines integrated Google AI forecasts into its flight planning on a trial basis to suggest routes avoiding contrail-forming areas or altitude changes.
• The technology significantly reduces contrails that trap heat, presented as a cost-effective, scalable climate solution for aviation amid industry pressure.
• Announced Thursday, this collaboration highlights AI's role in sustainable aviation practices for US carriers.
Sergey Brin gives $25m on top of $20m he’s already given to Super Pac trying to blocking state’s proposed 5% wealth taxA Google founder has more than doubled his financial contribution to the fight against a proposed wealth tax in California. New filings with the state show that former Alphabet president Sergey Brin donated $25m to a Super Pac dedicated to blocking the tax on top of $20m he had already given.Brin is not alone among Google’s top brass in upping his financial stake in the campaign against the ballot proposal. The company’s former CEO Eric Schmidt donated $1.02m, adding to a previous $2m contribution. Continue reading...
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced public comment solicitation on Google's proposed data center campus in Botetourt County, Virginia, focusing on effects to local water sources.
• The project highlights growing infrastructure demands from tech giants, with Virginia Tech expert Murat Kantarcioglu noting data centers' critical role amid rising cybersecurity risks like potential drone attacks.
• This development underscores tensions between tech expansion and environmental concerns in the US, potentially influencing future data center approvals nationwide.
• Google has expanded its Personal Intelligence feature to all US users after months of limited testing, allowing Gemini AI to access Gmail, Google Photos, and other services for highly personalized responses.
• The feature enables Google to compete directly with Microsoft's Copilot and OpenAI's ChatGPT by leveraging user data for context-based AI responses.
• Privacy concerns have emerged as the AI increasingly accesses personal information, raising questions about data protection as Google advances its AI integration into flagship products.
• Eight leading technology companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have pledged to share threat intelligence on fraudster misuse of their platforms, with the agreement announced ahead of the UN Global Fraud Summit in Austria on March 16.
• The initiative focuses on collaborating against fraud and improving user security features, though the voluntary accord carries no penalties for companies that fail to meet commitments.
• Rising fraud losses driven by AI-enabled realistic personas and messages have forced tech platforms to enhance security strategies and advocate for stricter regulations against global fraud syndicates.
• Eight leading tech companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, signed a voluntary accord on March 16, 2026, to share threat intelligence against fraudsters misusing their services.
• The initiative precedes the UN Global Fraud Summit in Austria, focusing on AI-accelerated scams and cross-platform fraud syndicates.
• Participants commit to enhancing user security features and supporting law enforcement, amid soaring U.S. fraud losses.
• Eight leading tech companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have signed a voluntary accord to share threat intelligence on fraudsters misusing their services ahead of the UN Global Fraud Summit in Austria on March 16.
• The initiative aims to counter AI-accelerated fraud tactics, where criminals use online forums and AI to create convincing personas and spread activities across multiple platforms.
• Fraud losses have surged recently due to advanced technology enabling realistic deceptions, prompting calls for enhanced user security features and stricter law enforcement against global syndicates.