Google’s AI chatbot Gemini has surpassed 750 million monthly users, signalling rapid consumer adoption, according to fourth-quarter 2025 earnings. The figure jumped from 650 million in the previous quarter, reinforcing Gemini’s rapid expansion in the generative AI market.
Competitive positioning remains solid. Meta AI has nearly 500 million users, while ChatGPT leads globally with about 810 million. Ongoing product upgrades and ecosystem integration across Google services have sustained Gemini’s growth momentum.
Gemini 3 has driven adoption, with Google calling it its most advanced model, offering deeper reasoning and more nuanced responses. Leadership called the release a key growth driver, with further investment and updates expected to sustain expansion.
Broader AI demand is also lifting Alphabet’s financial performance. Annual revenue has topped $400 billion for the first time, driven by enterprise API demand and infrastructure growth, including the Ironwood TPU rollout.
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Roughly $500 billion has been wiped from the cryptocurrency market over the past week as a Bitcoin-led sell-off accelerated. Total digital asset capitalisation fell by about $467.6 billion since 29 January, reflecting broad risk-off sentiment across global markets.
Bitcoin briefly dropped to a 15-month low of $72,877 before rebounding 1.31% to $76,681.72. The asset remains down 13% year-to-date and nearly 39% below its October peak above $126,000, underscoring sustained selling pressure.
Macro forces are driving the downturn. Escalating US-Iran tensions pushed capital toward traditional safe havens, while currency shifts, interest rate differentials, and tightening liquidity conditions weighed on leverage and stablecoin flows.
Analysts say the decline reflects positioning resets and broader market nervousness rather than a single catalyst.
Near-term outlook remains cautious. Liquidation pressure persists, though key structural supports continue to hold. Technical analysts identify $73,000 as critical downside support, while reclaiming the $77,500–78,000 range would be needed to restore bullish momentum.
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Authorities have imposed a full and immediate ban on the import of electronic waste in Malaysia to end the long-standing practice of foreign dumping.
The Anti-Corruption Commission reclassified all e-waste as an absolute prohibition, removing the earlier discretion that allowed limited exemptions. Officials argue that the country should protect its environment rather than accept hazardous materials from other nations.
Authorities have spent years intercepting containers loaded with discarded electronics suspected to contain toxic metals that contaminate soil and water when mishandled.
Environmental groups have repeatedly urged stronger controls, noting that waste from computers, mobile phones and household appliances poses severe risks to human health. The government now insists that firm enforcement must accompany the new restrictions to prevent continued smuggling.
The decision comes amid a widening corruption inquiry into oversight of e-waste. The director-general of the environment department and his deputy have been detained on suspicion of abuse of power. At the same time, investigators have frozen bank accounts and seized cash linked to the case.
The Home Ministry has pledged increased surveillance and warned that Malaysia will safeguard its national security by stopping illegal e-waste at its borders.
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Search behaviour around XRP increasingly reflects the psychological side of the crypto market. Negative narratives spread quickly online, shaping sentiment and fuelling volatility. Data shows that ‘XRP scam’ search spikes often appear during strong price rallies.
Crypto analyst Leonidas compared Google Trends data for ‘Ripple scam’ and ‘XRP scam’ with XRP’s price chart. Results show that damaging search surges typically align with bullish moves and sometimes precede pullbacks, suggesting that perception pressure builds during peak momentum.
Rapid price growth tends to trigger retail curiosity and concern, primarily when sensational claims circulate widely. Search spikes often coincide with heightened mainstream and social media exposure, indicating sentiment reacts to price action rather than fundamentals.
Despite recurring allegations and past regulatory scrutiny, institutional partnerships and XRP Ledger adoption remain intact. Analysts stress that sentiment spikes rarely signal structural weakness, urging investors to prioritise utility and adoption metrics.
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Medical AI promises faster analysis, more accurate pattern detection, and continuous availability, yet most systems still struggle to perform reliably in real clinical environments beyond laboratory testing.
Researchers led by Marinka Zitnik at Harvard Medical School identify contextual errors as a key reason why medical AI often fails when deployed in hospitals and clinics.
Models frequently generate technically sound responses that overlook crucial factors, such as medical speciality, geographic conditions, and patients’ socioeconomic circumstances, thereby limiting their real-world usefulness.
The study argues that training datasets, model architecture, and performance benchmarks must integrate contextual information to prevent misleading or impractical recommendations.
Improving transparency, trust, and human-AI collaboration could allow context-aware systems to support clinicians more effectively while reducing harm and inequality in care delivery.
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Indian Railways has deployed an AI powered Rail Robocop at Visakhapatnam Railway Station in India to strengthen passenger security. The system is designed to patrol platforms and monitor crowds in Visakhapatnam.
The robot, named ASC Arjun, uses facial recognition to compare live images with a database of known criminals in India. Officials said the system recently identified a suspect during routine surveillance in Visakhapatnam.
Once a match was detected, the AI system sent an instant alert to the Railway Protection Force CCTV control room in Visakhapatnam. Officers were able to respond quickly using the automated notification.
Authorities in India say the Rail Robocop will support human staff rather than replace them. Similar AI deployments are expected at other major railway stations in India following trials in Visakhapatnam.
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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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Reports suggest Australia may expand biometric and identity data sharing with US authorities through border security and visa negotiations, granting enforcement agencies broader access to sensitive personal information.
Information reportedly covered includes passport numbers, dates of birth, facial images, fingerprints, and criminal or immigration records. Such access could allow US authorities to query Australian-held databases directly, bypassing traditional legal cooperation procedures.
No official treaty text or confirmation has been released by either government, and responses have remained general, avoiding details about the Enhanced Border Security Partnership negotiations. The absence of transparency has raised concerns among privacy advocates and legal commentators.
Australia and the United States already cooperate through established frameworks such as the Visa Waiver Program, Migration 5 agreements, and the CLOUD Act. Existing mechanisms involve structured, case-by-case data sharing with legal oversight rather than unrestricted database access.
Analysts note that confirmed arrangements differ significantly from claims of open biometric access, though expanding security vetting requirements continue to increase cross-border data flows. Debate is growing over privacy, sovereignty, and the long-term implications of deeper information sharing.
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TikTok has largely recovered from a brief decline in daily active users following its US ownership change, when a group of American investors assumed control of domestic operations. Usage fell temporarily as uncertainty spread among users. Competing video apps saw short-term gains during the disruption.
Data from Similarweb shows TikTok’s US daily active users dropped to between 86 and 88 million after the transition, compared with a typical average of around 92 million. Activity has since rebounded to more than 90 million. Many users who experimented with alternatives have returned.
Platforms rivalling TikTok, including UpScrolled and Skylight Social, experienced rapid but limited growth. UpScrolled peaked at 138,500 daily users before falling back to roughly 68,000. Skylight Social reached 81,200 daily users, then declined to around 56,300.
User concerns were driven less by ownership itself and more by fears around platform changes. An updated privacy policy allowing precise GPS tracking triggered backlash, alongside confusion over language referencing sensitive personal data. Some interpreted the changes as increased surveillance.
A multi-day data centre outage disrupted search, likes, and in-app messaging, resulting in user frustration. Some users attributed the glitches to possible censorship or platform instability. Once services were restored, activity stabilised, and concerns eased.
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Zoom is repositioning hybrid offices as intelligent work environments through Zoom Spaces, its AI-first workplace platform for collaboration and space management that gives IT teams centralised oversight while providing employees with consistent tools for meetings, scheduling, and in-office coordination.
New agentic AI features extend Zoom Spaces beyond room booking into proactive workplace assistance. Workspace Reservation now recommends optimal meeting spaces during overlaps, while upcoming voice commands for Zoom Rooms will enable hands-free meeting control and task capture.
Zoom says intelligent offices reduce friction caused by inconsistent technology, double bookings, and disconnected tools. By unifying scheduling and collaboration experiences, the platform aims to streamline movement between remote and in-person work.
The company is also expanding its ecosystem, allowing organisations to run Zoom Meetings on Cisco Rooms and integrate professional production tools through partners such as Vizrt. The strategy focuses on flexibility while maintaining consistent user experiences.
Additional upgrades include premium media capabilities for high-frame-rate video and improved mobile Workspace Reservation features. Zoom says these enhancements position Zoom Spaces as a next-generation hybrid workplace platform built around adaptive AI collaboration.
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