Meta plans to nearly double its AI investment in 2026, according to its latest earnings report. Spending is expected to reach between $115bn and $135bn as the company expands large-scale infrastructure.
Mark Zuckerberg said the investment will focus on data centres needed to train advanced AI models. The strategy is designed to support long-term AI development across Meta’s platforms in the US.
Zuckerberg described 2026 as a pivotal year for AI, with Meta working on multiple products rather than a single launch. Testing is reportedly underway on new models intended to succeed the Llama family in the US.
Meta said building proprietary AI models allows greater control over future products. The company positioned AI as a tool for personal empowerment, setting its approach apart from more centralised automation strategies in the US.
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Swiss technology and privacy expert Anna Zeiter is leading the development of W Social, a new European-built social media network designed as an alternative to X. The project aims to reduce reliance on US tech and strengthen European digital sovereignty.
W Social will require users to verify their identity and provide a photo to ensure genuine human accounts, tackling fake profiles and bot driven disinformation that critics link to existing platforms. Zeiter said the name W stands for ‘We’ as well as values and verification.
The platform’s infrastructure will be hosted in Europe under strict EU data protection laws, with decentralised storage and offices planned in Berlin and Paris. Early support comes from European political and tech figures, signalling interest beyond Silicon Valley.
W Social could launch a beta version as early as February, with broader public access planned by year-end. Backers hope the network will foster more positive dialogue and provide a European alternative to US based social media influence.
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The certification allows the advertising technology firm to manage personal data without relying on additional transfer mechanisms.
The framework, adopted in 2023, provides a legal basis for EU-to-US data flows while strengthening oversight and accountability. Certification requires organisations to meet strict standards on data minimisation, security, transparency, and individual rights.
By joining the framework, StackAdapt enhances its ability to support advertisers, publishers, and partners through seamless international data processing.
The move also reduces regulatory complexity for European customers while reinforcing the company’s broader commitment to privacy-by-design and responsible data use.
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EU member states are preparing to open formal discussions on the risks posed by AI-powered deepfakes and their use in cyberattacks, following an initiative by the current Council presidency.
The talks are intended to assess how synthetic media may undermine democratic processes and public trust across the bloc.
According to sources, capitals will also begin coordinated exchanges on the proposed Democracy Shield, a framework aimed at strengthening resilience against foreign interference and digitally enabled manipulation.
Deepfakes are increasingly viewed as a cross-cutting threat, combining disinformation, cyber operations and influence campaigns.
The timeline set out by the presidency foresees structured discussions among national experts before escalating the issue to the ministerial level. The approach reflects growing concern that existing cyber and media rules are insufficient to address rapidly advancing AI-generated content.
An initiative that signals a broader shift within the Council towards treating deepfakes not only as a content moderation challenge, but as a security risk with implications for elections, governance and institutional stability.
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The pace of the AI infrastructure boom continues to accelerate, with semiconductor supply chains signalling sustained long-term demand.
NVIDIA remains the most visible beneficiary as data centre investment drives record GPU purchases, yet supplier activity further upstream suggests confidence extends well beyond a single company.
ASML, the Dutch firm that exclusively supplies extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment, has emerged as a critical indicator of future chip production.
Its machines are essential for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, meaning strong performance reflects expectations of high chip volumes across the industry rather than short-term speculation. Quarterly earnings underline that momentum.
ASML reported €32.7 billion in net sales, while new bookings reached a record €13 billion, more than double the previous quarter.
New orders reflect how much capacity manufacturers expect to need, pointing to sustained expansion driven by anticipated AI workloads.
Company leadership attributed the surge directly to AI-related demand, with customers expressing growing confidence in the durability of data centre investment.
While order fulfilment will take years and some plans may change, industry signals suggest a slowdown in AI infrastructure spending is not imminent.
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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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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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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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