Google

Wiz joins Google Cloud in the company’s largest acquisition

Google has completed the largest acquisition in its history, finalising the $32 billion purchase of cloud security firm Wiz. The company confirmed that Wiz will join Google Cloud while continuing to operate under its existing brand and maintaining support for multiple cloud platforms.

Wiz has built its reputation as a cloud and AI security platform designed to monitor risks across different cloud environments. The company’s technology connects code, cloud infrastructure, and runtime operations into a single security context, allowing development and security teams to detect vulnerabilities earlier and respond to threats affecting cloud workloads.

Google Cloud leaders say the acquisition strengthens the company’s broader security strategy. Wiz will complement existing services such as Google Threat Intelligence, Google Security Operations and Mandiant Consulting, contributing to a unified security platform designed to protect cloud-native applications and enterprise infrastructure.

Both companies emphasise that Wiz will remain committed to a multicloud approach. Its products will continue to operate across platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud, reflecting the company’s existing model of providing visibility and security across competing cloud ecosystems.

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AI is helping close the heart health gap in remote Australian communities

Google has launched a new AI-powered initiative aimed at reducing heart disease risk in rural Australia, where people living in remote communities are 60% more likely to die from heart disease than those in metropolitan areas.

The programme, a first for the Asia-Pacific region, is backed by a $1 million AUD investment from Google Australia’s Digital Future Initiative and brings together Wesfarmers Health, SISU Health, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, and Latrobe Health Services.

At the centre of the initiative is Google for Health’s Population Health AI (PHAI), an advanced analytics tool that analyses aggregated and de-identified datasets, including clinical records, air quality, pollen levels, and geographic data, to identify hidden health risks at a community level.

The aim is to help health organisations move away from reactive treatment towards proactively managing chronic condition risks tailored to specific towns or postcodes.

SISU Health will use PHAI insights to guide the delivery of over 50,000 new health screenings across remote areas, combining geographic AI analysis with on-the-ground community care. Google described the goal as ensuring every Australian has access to personalised care regardless of where they live.

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Google outlines roadmap for safer generative AI for young users

Google has presented a strategy for developing generative AI systems designed to protect younger users better better while supporting learning and creativity.

The approach emphasises building conversational AI experiences that balance innovation with safeguards tailored to children and teenagers.

The company’s framework rests on three pillars: protecting young people online, respecting the role of families in digital environments and enabling youth to explore AI technologies responsibly.

According to Google, safety policies prohibit harmful content, including material linked to child exploitation, violent extremism and self-harm, while additional restrictions target age-inappropriate topics.

Safeguards are integrated throughout the AI development lifecycle, from user input to model responses. Systems use specialised classifiers to detect potentially harmful queries and prevent inappropriate outputs.

These protections are also applied to models such as Gemini, which incorporates defences against prompt manipulation and cyber misuse.

Beyond preventing harm, Google aims to support responsible AI adoption through educational initiatives.

Resources designed for families encourage discussions about responsible technology use, while tools such as Guided Learning in Gemini seek to help students explore complex topics through structured explanations and interactive learning support.

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AI-driven adaptive malware highlights new cyber threat landscape

Google’s cybersecurity division, Mandiant, has warned about the growing threat of AI-driven adaptive malware, highlighting how AI is reshaping the cyber threat landscape.

According to a recent report, adaptive malware can modify its behaviour and code in response to the environment it encounters, thereby evading traditional security tools. By analysing the security systems protecting a target, the malware can rewrite parts of its code to bypass detection.

Unlike traditional malware, which typically follows fixed instructions, adaptive malware can adjust its behaviour during an attack. This capability makes it more difficult for conventional cybersecurity tools to detect and block malicious activity.

Mandiant noted that such malware is increasingly associated with advanced persistent threat (APT) groups that conduct long-term, targeted cyber operations. These groups often pursue espionage objectives or financial gain while maintaining prolonged access to compromised systems.

AI is also being used to automate elements of cyberattacks. Machine learning algorithms allow malicious software to anticipate defensive measures and adjust its behaviour in real time. In some cases, attackers are integrating AI into broader automated attack chains. AI-driven malware can gather information, adapt its strategy, and continue operating with minimal human intervention.

Security researchers say autonomous AI agents may be capable of managing multiple stages of an attack, including reconnaissance, exploitation, and persistence, while remaining undetected.

To address these evolving threats, Mandiant recommends that organisations strengthen their cybersecurity strategies by deploying advanced detection and response tools, including AI-based systems that can identify anomalous behaviour. As AI capabilities continue to develop, cybersecurity experts say understanding adaptive malware and automated attack techniques will be essential for organisations seeking to protect their systems and data.

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Google adds option to disable AI search in Google Photos

Users of Google Photos will now have greater control over how they search their images, after Google introduced a visible toggle that returns to the traditional search experience.

The update follows complaints about the AI-powered Ask Photos feature.

Ask Photos was designed to allow users to search for images using natural language queries rather than simple keywords. The tool aimed to make photo searches more flexible, enabling complex queries such as descriptions of people, events or locations captured in images.

However, some users reported that the AI system produced slower results and occasionally failed to locate images that the classic search had previously found more reliably.

Although an option to turn off the AI feature already existed, it was hidden within settings and often overlooked.

The new update introduces a visible switch directly on the search interface. Users can now easily alternate between the AI-powered search and the traditional search system depending on their preferences.

Google said improvements have also been made to the quality of common searches following user feedback. The company emphasised that search remains one of the most frequently used functions within Google Photos and that ongoing updates will continue to refine the experience.

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Malaysia expands AI learning across universities with Google tools

AI tools from Google are now available across all public universities in Malaysia after the nationwide deployment of Gemini for Education.

An initiative that integrates AI capabilities into university systems, providing digital research and learning support to nearly 600,000 students and 75,000 faculty members.

The rollout is coordinated with the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia as part of the country’s broader strategy to become an AI-driven economy by 2030. Universities already using Google Workspace for

Education can now access advanced tools, including NotebookLM and the reasoning model Gemini 3.1 Pro, which are designed to support research, writing and personalised learning.

Several universities are already experimenting with AI-assisted teaching. At Universiti Malaysia Perlis, lecturers have created customised AI assistants to guide students through specialised engineering courses.

Meanwhile, researchers and students at Universiti Putra Malaysia are using AI tools to improve literature reviews and academic research workflows.

Other institutions are focusing on digital literacy and AI skills.

At Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, hundreds of lecturers and students are receiving AI certifications, while training programmes are expanding across campuses.

Officials believe the combination of AI tools, training and research support will strengthen the education system of Malaysia and prepare graduates for an increasingly AI-driven economy.

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Berlin becomes home to Google AI research centre

Google has launched its new AI Centre in Berlin, creating a hub for researchers, developers, and leaders from Google DeepMind, Google Research, and Google Cloud. The centre aims to foster collaboration, debate, and innovation in AI.

The opening event highlighted the company’s work in advancing science and healthcare through AI-enabled agents and platforms. Google announced long-term research partnerships with the Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Munich, backed by the Google.org AI for Science fund.

Built on Google’s existing research and engineering foundations in Germany and globally, the Berlin centre emphasises AI innovations with societal benefits. It will connect experts from science, business, academia, and politics to drive forward responsible AI development.

The centre will also serve as a platform for public engagement, hosting workshops, lectures, and events to raise awareness about AI applications, ethical considerations, and future opportunities across industries and communities.

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Epic Games dispute leads to changes in Google Play policies

Google has agreed to major changes to its Play Store policies after settling a long-running legal dispute with Epic Games, the developer behind the popular game Fortnite.

The agreement will reduce the commission Google charges on in-app purchases and introduce new options that make it easier for users to install alternative app stores on Android devices.

Under the new structure, Google will lower its standard commission to 20% on in-app purchases. Developers who choose to use Google’s billing system will pay an additional 5% fee. The company also announced that recurring subscription fees will drop to 10%.

The revised fee structure will begin rolling out in the United States, the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom by June 2026, with expansion to other regions over the following years.

The settlement also introduces a new initiative called the Registered App Stores programme. The programme aims to simplify the installation of alternative app stores on Android while maintaining certain security and quality standards.

Approved third-party stores will be able to offer apps through a more streamlined installation process, addressing long-standing developer complaints that warnings about sideloading discouraged users from installing legitimate alternative marketplaces.

As part of the agreement, Epic Games plans to bring Fortnite back to the Google Play Store globally while continuing to develop its own Epic Games Store for Android. Both companies described the settlement as a step toward a more competitive Android ecosystem.

The dispute between Epic Games and Apple over App Store policies continues separately, reflecting broader industry debates over platform control, developer fees and competition in digital marketplaces.

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Gemini Canvas reaches millions as Google expands AI Search tools

Google has expanded access to the Canvas feature in Google Search’s AI Mode, making it available to all US users.

Canvas allows users to organise research, draft documents and develop small applications directly inside search.

Prompts can generate code, transform reports into webpages or quizzes, and produce audio summaries from uploaded material. The tool was previously introduced as part of experimental projects in Google Labs.

The feature builds on capabilities already available in Google Gemini and partly overlaps with NotebookLM, which supports research analysis and document processing.

Within Canvas, users can gather information from the web and the Google Knowledge Graph while refining projects through interaction with the Gemini model.

Competition is intensifying across AI development platforms. OpenAI and Anthropic offer similar tools, though their design approaches differ in how collaborative workspaces are triggered and used.

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Chrome moves to rapid releases as Google responds to AI disruption

Google is accelerating Chrome’s release cycle rather than maintaining its long-standing four-week cadence.

From September, users on desktop and mobile platforms will receive new stable versions every two weeks, doubling the frequency of feature milestones across speed, stability and usability. Weekly security updates introduced in 2023 remain unchanged.

The faster pace comes as AI-driven browsers seek a foothold in a market long dominated by Chrome.

Products, such as ChatGPT Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet, embed agentic assistants directly into the browsing experience, automating tasks from summarising pages to scheduling meetings.

Chrome has responded with deeper Gemini integration, including the rollout of autonomous features across its interface.

Google maintains that the accelerated schedule reflects the needs of the evolving web platform, arguing that developers require quicker access to updated tools.

Yet the timing aligns with growing competitive pressure from AI-native browsers, prompting speculation that Chrome’s dominance can no longer be taken for granted.

The shift will begin with Chrome version 153 in beta and stable channels on 8 September 2026. Enterprise administrators and Chromebook users will continue to rely on the eight-week Extended Stable branch, which remains unchanged for organisations that need slower, controlled deployments.

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