Google removed some AI health summaries after a Guardian investigation found they gave misleading and potentially dangerous information. The AI Overviews contained inaccurate liver test data, potentially leading patients to believe they were healthy falsely.
Experts have criticised AI Overviews for oversimplifying complex medical topics, ignoring essential factors such as age, sex, and ethnicity. Charities have warned that misleading AI content could deter people from seeking medical care and erode trust in online health information.
Google removed AI Overviews for some queries, but concerns remain over cancer and mental health summaries that may still be inaccurate or unsafe. Professionals emphasise that AI tools must direct users to reliable sources and advise seeking expert medical input.
The company stated it is reviewing flagged examples and making broad improvements, but experts insist that more comprehensive oversight is needed to prevent AI from dispensing harmful health misinformation.
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India’s Financial Intelligence Unit has tightened crypto compliance, requiring live identity checks, location verification, and stronger Client Due Diligence. The measures aim to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and misuse of digital asset services.
Crypto platforms must now collect multiple identifiers from users, including IP addresses, device IDs, wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and timestamps.
Verification also requires users to provide a Permanent Account Number and a secondary ID, such as a passport, Aadhaar, or voter ID, alongside OTP confirmation for email and phone numbers.
Bank accounts must be validated via a penny-drop mechanism to confirm ownership and operational status.
Enhanced due diligence will apply to high-risk transactions and relationships, particularly those involving users from designated high-risk jurisdictions and tax havens. Platforms must monitor red flags and apply extra scrutiny to comply with the new guidelines.
Industry experts have welcomed the updated rules, describing them as a positive step for India’s crypto ecosystem. The measures are viewed as enhancing transparency, protecting users, and aligning the sector with global anti-money laundering standards.
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Malaysia and Indonesia have restricted access to Grok, the AI chatbot available through the X platform, following concerns about its image generation capabilities.
Authorities said the tool had been used to create manipulated images depicting real individuals in sexually explicit contexts.
Regulatory bodies in Malaysia and Indonesia stated that the decision was based on the absence of sufficient safeguards to prevent misuse.
Requests for additional risk mitigation measures were communicated to the platform operator, with access expected to remain limited until further protections are introduced.
The move has drawn attention from regulators in other regions, where online safety frameworks allow intervention when digital services fail to address harmful content. Discussions have focused on platform responsibility, content moderation standards, and compliance with existing legal obligations.
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Reports published by cybersecurity researchers indicated that data linked to approximately 17.5 million Instagram accounts has been offered for sale on underground forums.
The dataset reportedly includes usernames, contact details and physical address information, raising broader concerns around digital privacy and data aggregation.
A few hours later, Instagram responded by stating that no breach of internal systems occurred. According to the company, some users received password reset emails after an external party abused a feature that has since been addressed.
The platform said affected accounts remained secure, with no unauthorised access recorded.
Security analysts have noted that risks arise when online identifiers are combined with external datasets, rather than originating from a single platform.
Such aggregation can increase exposure to targeted fraud, impersonation and harassment, reinforcing the importance of cautious digital security practices across social media ecosystems.
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Supermarket chain Wegmans Food Markets is facing scrutiny over its use of facial recognition technology. The issue emerged after New York City stores displayed signs warning that biometric data could be collected for security purposes.
New York law requires businesses to disclose biometric data collection, but the wording of the notices alarmed privacy advocates. Wegmans later said it only uses facial recognition, not voice or eye scans, and only in a small number of higher-risk stores.
According to the US company, the system identifies individuals who have been previously flagged for misconduct, such as theft or threatening behaviour. Wegmans says facial recognition is just one investigative tool and that all actions are subject to human review.
Critics argue the signage suggests broader surveillance than the company admits. Wegmans has not explained why the notices mention eyes and voice if that data is not collected, or when the wording might be revised.
Lawmakers in Connecticut have now proposed a ban on retail facial recognition. Supporters say grocery shopping is essential and that biometric monitoring weakens meaningful customer consent.
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AI-powered image analysis helped Italian rescuers locate a missing mountaineer in the Alps. Traditional searches had failed across vast, remote terrain despite days of effort.
Drones captured thousands of images which AI software scanned for unusual colours and shapes. A small red object, later confirmed as a helmet, guided teams to the site.
The climber’s body was found in a steep gully on Monviso, in Italy, after AI narrowed search zones. Manual checks and human judgement remained essential to confirm findings.
Rescue experts say AI can cut search times dramatically but cannot replace human oversight. Terrain complexity, weather, and ethical concerns still limit wider deployment.
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The global market for industrial robot installations has reached a record value of $16.7bn in 2025. The International Federation of Robotics expects further growth through technological change and labour pressures.
AI-driven autonomy is becoming central to robotics development, enabling machines to learn tasks and operate independently. Agentic AI combines analytical and generative models to improve decision-making in complex environments.
Robots are also becoming more versatile as IT and operational systems converge across factories and logistics. Humanoid robots are moving beyond prototypes, with reliability and efficiency now critical for industrial adoption.
Safety, cybersecurity and workforce acceptance remain key challenges for the sector. Industry leaders see robots as allies addressing labour shortages while governments expand skills and retraining programmes.
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The European Commission has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data on its AI chatbot Grok until the end of 2026. The order falls under the Digital Services Act after concerns Grok’s ‘spicy’ mode enabled sexualised deepfakes of minors.
The move continues EU oversight, recalling a January 2025 order to preserve X’s recommender system documents amid claims it amplified far-right content during German elections. EU regulators emphasised that platforms must manage the content generated by their AI responsibly.
Earlier this week, X submitted responses to the Commission regarding Grok’s outputs following concerns over Holocaust denial content. While the deepfake scandal has prompted calls for further action, the Commission has not launched a formal investigation into Grok.
Regulators reiterated that it remains X’s responsibility to ensure the chatbot’s outputs meet European standards, and retention of all internal records is crucial for ongoing monitoring and accountability.
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CES 2026 has already revealed a range of groundbreaking technologies, from AI-powered holograms to autonomous vehicles. The event highlights how AI and robotics are increasingly shaping both entertainment and everyday life.
Razer introduced an all-in-one anime waifu hologram for desktops, while ASUS showcased extended reality glasses that act as a 240Hz gaming monitor. LEGO unveiled a Smart Brick capable of lighting up, playing sounds, and detecting characters.
Robotics took centre stage, with Boston Dynamics revealing its next-generation Atlas robot integrated with Google DeepMind AI, signalling rapid progress in humanoid robotics.
NVIDIA announced Alpamayo, a reasoning AI for autonomous vehicles, while Lucid partnered with Uber and Nuro to showcase a robotaxi.
Health and lifestyle innovations were also prominent. Withings launched Body Scan 2, an at-home longevity station offering AI-powered insights on blood pressure and over 60 biomarkers. Gaming hardware included the 8BitDo FlipPad, a flip-style controller optimised for mobile gaming.
Samsung teased a slim 3D display that delivers depth without bulky hardware, signalling a new generation of immersive screens. Alongside it, a pen with three cameras showed advanced spatial tracking for precise motion capture and object scanning.
CES 2026 emphasises the blending of AI, robotics, and interactive devices, highlighting how technology is increasingly personal, intelligent, and integrated into everyday life.
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Google is reshaping Gmail around its Gemini AI models, aiming to turn email into a proactive assistant for more than three billion users worldwide.
With inbox volumes continuing to rise, the focus shifts towards managing information flows instead of simply sending and receiving messages.
New AI Overviews allow Gmail to summarise long email threads and answer natural language questions directly from inbox content.
Users can retrieve details from past conversations without complex searches, while conversation summaries roll out globally at no cost, with advanced query features reserved for paid AI subscriptions.
Writing tools are also expanding, with Help Me Write, upgraded Suggested Replies, and Proofread features designed to speed up drafting while preserving individual tone and style.
Deeper personalisation is planned through connections with other Google services, enabling emails to reflect broader user context.
A redesigned AI Inbox further prioritises urgent messages and key tasks by analysing communication patterns and relationships.
Powered by Gemini 3, these features begin rolling out in the US in English, with additional languages and regions scheduled to follow during 2026.
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