The UK competition watchdog has proposed new rules that would force Google to give publishers greater control over how their content is used in search and AI tools.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) plans to require opt-outs for AI-generated summaries and model training, marking the first major intervention under Britain’s new digital markets regime.
Publishers argue that generative AI threatens traffic and revenue by answering queries directly instead of sending users to the original sources.
The CMA proposal would also require clearer attribution of publisher content in AI results and stronger transparency around search rankings, including AI Overviews and conversational search features.
Additional measures under consultation include search engine choice screens on Android and Chrome, alongside stricter data portability obligations. The regulator says tailored obligations would give businesses and users more choice while supporting innovation in digital markets.
Google has warned that overly rigid controls could damage the user experience, describing the relationship between AI and search as complex.
The consultation runs until late February, with the outcome expected to shape how AI-powered search operates in the UK.
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In a commentary highlighted by a BBC article, Cisco’s chief executive, Chuck Robbins, reportedly compared the current AI boom to the early dot-com bubble, suggesting that while AI’s long-term impact could be transformative, the market may also face a period of significant turbulence and ‘wreckage’ before durable winners emerge.
Robbins warned that massive capital flows into AI companies, many of which lack clear revenue paths, resemble past speculative cycles and could lead to sharp contractions or failures among weaker players in the tech ecosystem.
He also noted that productivity gains from AI may be real but come with job reshaping, security risks and economic disruptions along the way.
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India’s data centre expansion, fuelled by investment in AI-ready infrastructure and cloud capacity, is creating strong demand for legal services, with law firms increasingly advising on land acquisition, regulatory approvals, financing and long-term compliance for large projects.
Major global and Indian investors, including Google, Amazon and Tata Consultancy Services, are driving multibillion-dollar data centre builds that require complex legal structuring to align global business models with India’s licensing and regulatory frameworks.
Law firms report that work on joint ventures, permits, power procurement and environmental clearances is now a key growth area as digital infrastructure projects become more capital-intensive and long-lived.
Firms such as Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Khaitan & Co have seen this become one of their fastest-growing practice areas, reflecting broader trends in India’s digital transformation and data economy.
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Social media and visual discovery platform Pinterest disclosed a major global restructuring plan in early 2026 that will cut between 700 and 800 jobs, roughly 10–15% of its workforce, and shrink its physical office footprint, with most reductions expected to occur in the first half of the year.
In regulatory and internal communications, CEO Bill Ready framed the layoffs as necessary to ‘position the company for long-term success in an increasingly AI-driven world’, enabling the business to redirect funds and talent from legacy roles toward AI-focused teams and AI-powered products, including visual search, personalisation and ad technologies.
Pinterest’s workforce cuts are part of a wider industry trend where tech firms trim staff in traditional areas and bolster AI capabilities, reflecting pressure to improve efficiency, respond to slowing advertising growth and compete with rivals leveraging generative and recommendation technologies.
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AI is expanding rapidly, driving rising electricity and water consumption, which has fuelled concerns about environmental damage. Growth in data centres and intensive computing workloads is increasing pressure on global energy systems.
At the same time, AI is being deployed to reduce resource use and emissions across multiple industries. In agriculture, data-driven irrigation systems help farmers apply water more precisely, cutting waste while lowering the energy needed for pumping and distribution.
Efficiency gains are also visible in data centres, where intelligent systems manage workloads and cooling more effectively. Despite a sharp rise in global internet traffic, improvements in energy management have helped slow the growth of electricity consumption.
Energy companies, building operators and airlines are adopting AI to cut emissions and improve efficiency. From detecting methane leaks to optimising heating systems and flight routes, wider use of these technologies could help balance AI’s environmental costs with measurable climate benefits.
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SoftBank is in discussions to invest an additional $30 billion in OpenAI, as the Japanese conglomerate deepens its commitment to the AI pioneer. The potential funding round could reach $100 billion, valuing OpenAI at approximately $830 billion.
Chief Executive Masayoshi Son has taken an aggressive approach in the AI race, following a $41 billion investment last year that secured an 11 percent stake. OpenAI is facing increasing operational costs to train and maintain its AI models while competing with Alphabet’s Google.
Both SoftBank and OpenAI are also investors in Stargate, a $500 billion project to build AI data centres critical to US efforts to maintain a technological edge over China. The ambitious plan highlights the strategic importance of AI infrastructure in the global market.
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Yahoo has introduced Scout, a new AI-powered search engine designed to compete with Google AI Mode and Perplexity. The tool transforms traditional search results into direct answers, interpreting natural language queries with the help of Yahoo’s extensive user data and content.
Scout combines the Claude AI model from Anthropic with Bing’s grounding API to ensure information is accurate and drawn from authoritative sources. Users can access personalised insights, whether checking the weather, tracking stock prices, or verifying news stories.
The platform also includes shopping and finance features, offering quick comparisons between products and synthesised financial information refreshed every ten minutes. Currently in beta, Yahoo Scout is available to US users via the Yahoo Search app and website, with plans to expand its personalisation features.
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Pinterest is cutting under 15% of its workforce as part of a broader restructuring aimed at shifting more investment toward AI-driven products and roles.
In a regulatory filing, the company said the changes are designed to support transformation initiatives, including reallocating resources to AI-focused teams and reshaping its sales and go-to-market strategy.
The restructuring will also include reductions in office space, with completion targeted for the end of September and expected pre-tax charges ranging from $35 million to $45 million.
Pinterest had around 5,200 employees at the end of last year, meaning the layoffs will affect several hundred staff as the platform accelerates its AI integration.
Recent launches such as AI-powered board updates and the Pinterest Assistant shopping tool reflect a wider trend across the tech sector, where companies are trimming headcount while expanding AI investment.
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A major research initiative led by the University of Virginia has secured $4.7 million to advance machine learning in Type 1 diabetes care.
The project, backed by Breakthrough T1D and the Helmsley Charitable Trust, aims to develop fully automated insulin systems that adapt continuously to patient needs.
The research will combine adaptive algorithms with ultra-rapid insulin to enable personalised glucose control without manual input. The University of Virginia will lead engineering and algorithm development, with clinical trials conducted across multiple US research centres.
At its core is an AI framework that learns from real-time data, adapting to metabolic changes, stress, and daily rhythms. Researchers aim to overcome the limitations of current automated insulin systems, which still rely on fixed parameters and regular user intervention.
The collaboration reflects a shift towards patient-centred AI, aiming to reduce daily diabetes management burdens while improving safety and quality of life. Developers say the technology could offer families greater freedom and long-term stability in managing chronic conditions.
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Advertising is set to be introduced within the free ChatGPT service, signalling a shift in how the platform will be monetised as its user base continues to expand rapidly. The move reflects OpenAI’s plans to turn widespread adoption into a sustainable revenue stream.
The company confirmed that ad testing will begin in the coming weeks, with sponsored content shown at the bottom of relevant ChatGPT responses. OpenAI said advertisements will be clearly labelled and separated from organic answers.
ChatGPT now serves more than 800 million users globally, most of whom currently access the service at no cost. Despite the high valuation, the company has continued to operate at a loss while expanding its infrastructure and AI capabilities.
Advertising represents OpenAI’s latest effort to diversify income beyond paid subscriptions and enterprise services. Sponsored recommendations will be shown only when products or services are deemed relevant to the user’s ongoing conversation.
The shift places OpenAI closer to traditional digital platform business models, raising broader questions about how commercial incentives may shape conversational AI systems as they become central gateways to online information.
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