AI set to redefine Indian industry and economy

Artificial intelligence is becoming a cornerstone of India’s economic and industrial growth. The upcoming AI summit highlights the goal of building AI as national infrastructure, reflecting India’s languages, values, and knowledge systems.

Indian IT and service industries are moving beyond software maintenance to providing AI infrastructure and intelligent systems. Such a transformation can automate workflows, boost productivity, and create new opportunities domestically and globally.

Industrial AI is set to transform manufacturing, enabling next-generation factories through virtual twin technologies. AI grounded in physics and industrial knowledge allows faster prototyping, efficient resource use, and greater competitiveness for large enterprises and MSMEs.

Collaborations between NVIDIA and Dassault Systèmes showcase AI-driven factories and industrial intelligence. India’s talent, scale, and digital ecosystem position it to lead in industrial and generative AI, setting global technological and economic benchmarks.

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French firms accelerate AI driven multicloud strategies

Enterprises in France are accelerating the use of AI to manage increasingly complex multicloud environments, according to new ISG research. Companies in France are balancing innovation, compliance and rising cost pressures.

The report says multicloud adoption in France now extends beyond large corporations to midsize firms and regulated sectors. Organisations in France are spreading workloads across hyperscalers and sovereign clouds to reduce risk.

AI driven automation is becoming central to cloud governance in France as manual oversight proves unsustainable. French enterprises are using AI tools for performance optimisation, anomaly detection and real time policy enforcement.

Data sovereignty and cost control are also shaping cloud strategies in France. Companies in France are adopting FinOps practices and sovereign cloud services to meet regulatory demands and strengthen cybersecurity.

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Germany voices unease over tech sovereignty with France

A senior German official has voiced frustration over joint tech sovereignty efforts with France, describing the experience as disillusioning. The remarks followed a high profile digital summit hosted by Germany and France in Berlin.

The comments came from Luise Hölscher of Germany, who said approaches to buying European technology differ sharply between Germany and France. Germany tends to accept solutions from across Europe, while France often favours domestic providers.

Despite tensions, Hölscher said the disagreement has not damaged the wider partnership between Germany and France. Germany is now exploring closer cooperation with other European countries.

The debate unfolds as the EU considers new rules on cloud services and AI procurement across Germany and France. European institutions are weighing how far public bodies should prioritise European suppliers.

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AI traffic cameras change driver behaviour

Cape Town is preparing to introduce AI-assisted cameras to monitor motorists for cellphone use and seatbelt violations. Approval is awaited from the National Director of Public Prosecutions before the technology can be fully deployed.

Similar systems have been in operation in Australia for several years, where drivers face fines and demerit points for offences. Authorities report a noticeable decline in illegal phone use, showing that AI can effectively influence driver behaviour.

The cameras allow law enforcement to focus on other priorities instead of constantly monitoring mobile phone offences. Each AI-detected violation is reviewed by a human before fines are issued, adding a layer of accuracy and transparency.

Motorists retain the right to request camera images if they believe fines were unfairly applied. The Australian model demonstrates that combining technology with human oversight can improve road safety while maintaining accountability for drivers.

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Carbon Robotics launches plant identification AI for agricultural robots

Carbon Robotics has introduced a new artificial intelligence system designed to identify plant species in real time, changing how weeds are managed in agriculture. The model allows farmers to decide what should be removed directly in the field without retraining machines.

Called the Large Plant Model, the system is trained on more than 150 million plant images gathered from farms across 15 countries. The technology now powers Carbon AI, which controls the company’s autonomous LaserWeeder robots.

Earlier systems required new data labelling whenever unfamiliar weeds appeared or conditions changed. With the new model, farmers can instantly flag unwanted plants through the robot interface, even if the species has never been seen before.

Carbon Robotics says continuous data from its machines will further improve accuracy over time. Backed by more than $185 million in funding, the company aims to scale AI-driven weed control while reducing reliance on herbicides.

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UK startup Polaron secures $8m to scale AI materials technology

Fresh investment is fuelling Polaron’s ambition to become the intelligence layer for materials science. The London startup raised $8 million to scale its AI platform and expand deployments across automotive, energy and advanced manufacturing.

Founded after seven years of research at Imperial College London, Polaron applies AI to one of manufacturing’s toughest challenges. Its models analyse microscopy images and material performance data to show how processing affects structure and behaviour.

Engineers are already using the platform to speed up analysis that once took thousands of hours. Early commercial projects, including battery electrode design, have delivered energy density gains of more than 10 per cent.

The company is now focusing on generative materials design to explore optimal configurations. The approach aims to shorten the path from laboratory research to large-scale, reliable manufacturing.

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The role of AI in car design

Artificial intelligence is transforming car design by generating rapid concept images and exploring new ideas in seconds. Designers can test colours, materials, and forms faster than with traditional sketches.

AI excels at designing components, creating mood boards, and supporting research, yet it struggles with originality. Industry leaders emphasise that developing entirely new models still requires human imagination and creativity.

Many manufacturers have developed internal AI systems trained on their own designs to protect intellectual property. These tools help designers experiment with combinations they might not have considered, offering fresh perspectives while keeping confidential data secure.

While AI is unlikely to replace human designers, it has become an essential tool for staying competitive. By combining computational speed with creative vision, design teams can enhance efficiency, inspire innovation, and explore ideas beyond traditional limits.

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€50m boost for Europe’s quantum chip ambitions

Europe is stepping up efforts to industrialise quantum technologies with a €50 million investment in superconducting quantum devices. Funding from the EU Chips Joint Undertaking and national agencies will support the Supreme consortium’s work from early 2026.

Superconducting quantum systems rely on ultra-low temperatures to maintain qubit stability, making manufacturing processes complex and costly. Supreme aims to develop reliable fabrication methods that can be scaled across Europe.

Access to these technologies will be opened to companies through shared pilot production runs and process design kits. Such tools are intended to lower barriers for firms developing quantum hardware and related systems.

The initiative also responds to Europe’s weaker performance in quantum patents compared with research output. Alignment with the upcoming Quantum Act and the EU Chips Act is expected to strengthen commercial uptake and industrial competitiveness.

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WordPress introduces rules for responsible AI use

WordPress has released new guidelines to shape how AI is used across plugins, themes, documentation and media assets. The framework focuses on transparency, accountability and maintaining the project’s open source foundations.

Contributors remain fully responsible for AI-assisted work and are expected to disclose meaningful AI use during submissions. Reviewers are encouraged to assess such contributions with awareness of how automated tools influenced the output.

Strong emphasis is placed on licensing, with all AI-generated material required to remain compatible with GPLv2 or later. Tools that restrict redistribution or reproduce incompatible code are explicitly ruled out.

The guidance also targets so-called AI slop, including untested code, fabricated references and unnecessarily complex solutions. Maintainers are authorised to reject low-quality submissions that lack apparent human oversight.

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Zero taxes attract global AI cloud investment in India

India has unveiled a plan to offer foreign cloud providers zero taxes on revenues from services sold abroad if workloads are run from Indian data centres until 2047. The move aims to attract AI investment despite power and water shortages.

Major US tech companies, including Google, Microsoft and Amazon, have pledged billions of dollars to expand AI-focused data centres in India. Domestic operators are also increasing capacity, with large projects announced in Andhra Pradesh and other states.

The government has boosted incentives for electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, critical minerals, and cross-border e-commerce. These measures aim to integrate India more deeply into global technology supply chains.

Analysts warn that execution risks remain, including energy shortages, land access and regulatory hurdles. Observers say the tax holiday and incentives reflect a strategic bet on establishing India as a global hub for AI and cloud computing.

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