Sundar Pichai warns users not to trust AI tools easily

Google CEO Sundar Pichai advises people not to unquestioningly trust AI tools, warning that current models remain prone to errors. He told the BBC that users should rely on a broader information ecosystem rather than treat AI as a single source of truth.

Pichai said generative systems can produce inaccuracies and stressed that people must learn what the tools are good at. The remarks follow criticism of Google’s own AI Overviews feature, which attracted attention for erratic and misleading responses during its rollout.

Experts say the risk grows when users depend on chatbots for health, science, or news. BBC research found major AI assistants misrepresented news stories in nearly half of the tests this year, underscoring concerns about factual reliability and the limits of current models.

Google is launching Gemini 3.0, which it claims offers stronger multimodal understanding and reasoning. The company says its new AI Mode in search marks a shift in how users interact with online information, as it seeks to defend market share against ChatGPT and other rivals.

Pichai says Google is increasing its investment in AI security and releasing tools to detect AI-generated images. He maintains that no single company should control such powerful technology and argues that the industry remains far from a scenario in which one firm dominates AI development.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Scepticism needed for AI says Alphabet CEO

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai recently warned people against having total confidence in artificial intelligence tools. Speaking to the BBC, the head of Google’s parent company stressed that current state-of-the-art AI technology remains ‘prone to errors’ and must be used judiciously alongside other resources.

The executive also addressed wider concerns about a potential ‘AI bubble’ following increased tech valuations and spending across the sector. Pichai stated he believes no corporation, including Google, would be completely safe if such an investment surge were to collapse. He compared the current environment to the early internet boom, suggesting the profound impact of AI will nonetheless remain.

Simultaneously, the largest bank in the US, JPMorgan Chase, is sounding an alarm over market instability. Jamie Dimon, the bank’s chair and chief executive, expressed significant worry over a severe US stock market correction, predicting it could materialise within the next six months to two years. Concerns over the geopolitical climate, expansive fiscal spending, and worldwide remilitarisation are adding to this atmosphere of economic uncertainty.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Meta wins antitrust case over monopoly claims

Meta has defeated a major antitrust challenge after a US federal judge ruled it does not currently hold monopoly power in social networking. The decision spares the company from being forced to separate Instagram and WhatsApp, which regulators had argued were acquired to suppress competition.

The judge found the Federal Trade Commission failed to prove Meta maintains present-day dominance, noting that the market has been reshaped by rivals such as TikTok. Meta argued it now faces intense competition across mobile platforms as user behaviour shifts rapidly.

FTC lawyers revisited internal emails linked to Meta’s past acquisitions, but the ruling emphasised that the case required proof of ongoing violations.

Analysts say the outcome contrasts sharply with recent decisions against Google in search and advertising, signalling mixed fortunes for large tech firms.

Industry observers note that Meta still faces substantial regulatory pressure, including upcoming US trials regarding children’s mental health and questions about its heavy investment in AI.

The company welcomed the ruling and stated that it intends to continue developing products within a competitive market framework.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot

Google enters a new frontier with Gemini 3

A new phase of its AI strategy has begun for Google with the release of Gemini 3, which arrives as the company’s most advanced model to date.

The new system prioritises deeper reasoning and more subtle multimodal understanding, enabling users to approach difficult ideas with greater clarity instead of relying on repetitive prompting. It marks a major step for Google’s long-term project to integrate stronger intelligence into products used by billions.

Gemini 3 Pro is already available in preview across the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, AI Studio, Vertex AI and Google’s new development platform known as Antigravity.

A model that performs at the top of major benchmarks in reasoning, mathematics, tool use and multimodal comprehension, offering substantial improvements compared with Gemini 2.5 Pro.

Deep Think mode extends the model’s capabilities even further, reaching new records on demanding academic and AGI-oriented tests, although Google is delaying wider release until additional safety checks conclude.

Users can rely on Gemini 3 to learn complex topics, analyse handwritten material, decode long academic texts or translate lengthy videos into interactive guides instead of navigating separate tools.

Developers benefit from richer interactive interfaces, more autonomous coding agents and the ability to plan tasks over longer horizons.

Google Antigravity enhances this shift by giving agents direct control of the development environment, allowing them to plan, write and validate code independently while remaining under human supervision.

Google emphasises that Gemini 3 is its most extensively evaluated model, supported by independent audits and strengthened protections against manipulation. The system forms the foundation for Google’s next era of agentic, personalised AI and will soon expand with additional models in the Gemini 3 series.

The company expects the new generation to reshape how people learn, build and organise daily tasks instead of depending on fragmented digital services.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

New Quantum Echoes system reveals molecular structures at scale

Google says its new Quantum Echoes algorithm runs 13,000 times faster than leading supercomputers, marking what it calls the first verifiable quantum result across different hardware. The breakthrough brings real-world use cases in medicine and materials science closer to feasibility.

Quantum Echoes is built to overcome a core limitation in today’s models: constrained memory that prevents long reasoning chains. The method uses structured world models to maintain a single research goal while processing tens of millions of tokens across multiple agent runs.

Powered by the Willow quantum chip, the system reads thousands of scientific papers and executes tens of thousands of lines of analysis code in a single run. Early estimates suggest one execution could match six months of human scientific labour.

Recent studies have shown that the algorithm reproduces known molecular findings and generates new insights using a technique likened to a quantum molecular ruler. Results matched those of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, indicating that quantum tools could reveal previously inaccessible structural detail.

Experts still caution that practical quantum computing remains years away. Google faces competition from IBM, Microsoft, and Chinese labs, yet the company argues that Quantum Echoes proves its hardware and algorithms are converging toward usable scientific applications.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Google commits 40 billion dollars to expand Texas AI infrastructure

Google will pour 40 billion dollars into Texas by 2027, expanding digital infrastructure. Funding focuses on new cloud and AI facilities alongside existing campuses in Midlothian and Dallas.

Three new US data centres are planned, one in Armstrong County and two in Haskell County. One Haskell site will sit beside a solar plant and battery storage facility. Investment is accompanied by agreements for more than 6,200 megawatts of additional power generation.

Google will create a 30 million dollar Energy Impact Fund supporting Texan energy efficiency and affordability projects. The company backs training for existing electricians and over 1,700 apprentices through electrical training programmes.

Spending strengthens Texas as a major hub for data centres and AI development. Google says expanded infrastructure and workforce will help maintain US leadership in advanced computing technologies. Company highlights its 15 year presence in Texas and pledges ongoing community support.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot

NotebookLM gains automated Deep Research tool and wider file support

Google is expanding NotebookLM with Deep Research, a tool designed to handle complex online inquiries and produce structured, source-grounded reports. The feature acts like a dedicated researcher, planning its own process and gathering material across the web.

Users can enter a question, choose a research style, and let Deep Research browse relevant sites before generating a detailed briefing. The tool runs in the background, allowing additional sources to be added without disrupting the workflow or leaving the notebook.

NotebookLM now supports more file types, including Google Sheets, Drive URLs, PDFs stored in Drive, and Microsoft Word documents. Google says this enables tasks such as summarising spreadsheets and quickly importing multiple Drive files for analysis.

The update continues the service’s gradual expansion since its late-2023 launch, which has brought features such as Video Overviews for turning dense materials into visual explainers. These follow earlier additions, such as Audio Overviews, which create podcast-style summaries of shared documents.

Google also released NotebookLM apps for Android and iOS earlier this year, extending access beyond desktop. The company says the latest enhancements should reach all users within a week.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Purdue and Google collaborate to advance AI research and education

Purdue University and Google are expanding their partnership to integrate AI into education and research, preparing the next generation of leaders while advancing technological innovation.

The collaboration was highlighted at the AI Frontiers summit in Indianapolis on 13 November. The event brought together university, industry, and government leaders to explore AI’s impact across sectors such as health care, manufacturing, agriculture, and national security.

Leaders from both organisations emphasised the importance of placing AI tools in the hands of students, faculty, and staff. Purdue plans a working AI competency requirement for incoming students in fall 2026, ensuring all graduates gain practical experience with AI tools, pending Board approval.

The partnership also builds on projects such as analysing data to improve road safety.

Purdue’s Institute for Physical Artificial Intelligence (IPAI), the nation’s first institute dedicated to AI in the physical world, plays a central role in the collaboration. The initiative focuses on physical AI, quantum science, semiconductors, and computing to equip students for AI-driven industries.

Google and Purdue emphasised responsible innovation and workforce development as critical goals of the partnership.

Industry leaders, including Waymo, Google Public Sector, and US Senator Todd Young, discussed how AI technologies like autonomous drones and smart medical devices are transforming key sectors.

The partnership demonstrates the potential of public-private collaboration to accelerate AI research and prepare students for the future of work.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot

EU investigates Google over potential Digital Markets Act breach

The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether Google may be breaching the Digital Markets Act by unfairly demoting news publishers in search results.

An inquiry that centres on Google’s ‘site reputation abuse policy’, which appears to lower rankings for publishers that host content from commercial partners, even when those partnerships support legitimate ways of monetising online journalism.

The Commission is examining whether Alphabet’s approach restricts publishers from conducting business, innovating, and cooperating with third-party content providers. Officials highlighted concerns that such demotions may undermine revenue at a difficult moment for the media sector.

These proceedings do not imply a final decision; instead, they allow the EU to gather evidence and assess Google’s practices in detail.

If the Commission finds evidence of non-compliance, it will present preliminary findings and request corrective measures. The investigation is expected to conclude within 12 months.

Under the DMA, infringements can lead to fines of up to ten percent of a company’s worldwide turnover, rising to twenty percent for repeated violations, alongside possible structural remedies.

Senior Commissioners stressed that gatekeepers must offer fair and non-discriminatory access to their platforms. They argued that protecting publishers’ ability to reach audiences supports media pluralism, innovation, and democratic resilience.

Google Search, designated as a core platform service under the DMA, has been required to comply fully with the regulation since March 2024.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Google launches Private AI Compute for secure cloud-AI

In a move that underscores the evolving balance between capability and privacy in AI, Google today introduced Private AI Compute. This new cloud-based processing platform supports its most advanced models, such as those in the Gemini family, while maintaining what it describes as on-device-level data security.

The blog post explains that many emerging AI tasks now exceed the capabilities of on-device hardware alone. To solve this, Google built Private AI Compute to offload heavy computation to its cloud, powered by custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and wrapped in a fortified enclave environment called Titanium Intelligence Enclaves (TIE).

The system uses remote attestation, encryption and IP-blinding relays to ensure user data remains private and inaccessible; ot even Google’s supposed to gain access.

Google identifies initial use-cases in its Pixel devices: features such as Magic Cue and Recorder will benefit from the extra compute, enabling more timely suggestions, multilingual summarisation and advanced context-aware assistance.

At the same time, the company says this platform ‘opens up a new set of possibilities for helpful AI experiences’ that go beyond what on-device AI alone can fully achieve.

This announcement is significant from both a digital policy and platform economy perspective. It illustrates how major technology firms are reconciling user privacy demands with the computational intensity of next-generation AI.

For organisations and governments focused on AI governance and digital diplomacy, the move raises questions about data sovereignty, transparency of remote enclaves and the true nature of ‘secure ‘cloud processing.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot