Google CEO Sundar Pichai said at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi that he never imagined Visakhapatnam would become a global AI hub. Speaking in New Delhi, he recalled passing through the coastal city as a student and described its transformation as remarkable.
In New Delhi, Pichai announced that Google will establish a full-stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam as part of a $15 billion investment in India. The facility is expected to include gigawatt-scale compute capacity and a new international subsea cable gateway.
The project in Visakhapatnam is set to generate jobs and deliver advanced AI services to businesses and communities across India. Authorities in Andhra Pradesh have allotted more than 600 acres of land near the port city for the proposed hyperscale AI data centre.
Reacting in New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh welcomed the announcement and thanked Pichai for expressing confidence in Visakhapatnam. The development positions Visakhapatnam as a major AI infrastructure hub within India’s expanding technology sector.
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Google published its latest Responsible AI Progress Report, showing how AI Principles guide research, product development, and business decisions. Rising model capabilities and adoption have moved the focus from experimentation to real-world industry integration.
Governance and risk management form a central theme of the report, with Google describing a multilayered oversight structure spanning the entire AI lifecycle.
Advanced testing methods, including automated adversarial evaluations and expert review, are used to identify and mitigate potential harms as systems become more personalised and multimodal.
Broader access and societal impact remain key priorities. AI tools are increasingly used in science, healthcare, and environmental forecasting, highlighting their growing role in tackling global challenges.
Collaboration with governments, academia, and civil society is presented as essential for maintaining trust and setting industry standards. Sharing research and tools continues to support responsible AI innovation and broaden its benefits.
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Artificial general intelligence remains a future ambition rather than a present reality, according to Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis. Speaking at an AI summit in New Delhi, he said current systems still fall short of matching human-level intelligence in several vital areas.
Hassabis identified three key limitations. Existing AI models lack continual learning, meaning they cannot update their knowledge dynamically once deployed. Instead, they rely on static training completed before release, preventing them from adapting to new contexts or personalising responses over time.
Long-term planning is another weakness. While advanced models can handle short-term reasoning tasks, they struggle to plan strategically over extended periods, as humans do.
Consistency also remains an issue, as systems may perform exceptionally well in complex domains but make unexpected errors in simpler tasks.
Despite these shortcomings, Hassabis has previously suggested that genuine AGI could emerge within the next five to ten years. For now, however, he maintains that present systems have not yet reached that threshold.
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Officials in Russia have confirmed that no plans are underway to restrict access to Google, despite recent public debate about the possibility of a technical block. Anton Gorelkin, a senior lawmaker, said regulators clarified that such a step is not being considered.
Concerns centre on the impact a ban would have on devices running Android, which are used by a significant share of smartphone owners in the country.
A block on Google would disrupt essential digital services instead of encouraging the company to resolve ongoing legal disputes involving unpaid fines.
Gorelkin noted that court proceedings abroad are still in progress, meaning enforcement options remain open. He added that any future move to reduce reliance on Google services should follow a gradual pathway supported by domestic technological development rather than abrupt restrictions.
The comments follow earlier statements from another lawmaker, Andrey Svintsov, who acknowledged that blocking Google in Russia is technically feasible but unnecessary.
Officials now appear focused on creating conditions that would allow local digital platforms to grow without destabilising existing infrastructure.
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The European Commission has unconditionally approved Google’s proposed acquisition of Wiz under the EU Merger Regulation, concluding that the deal raises no competition concerns in the European Economic Area.
The assessment focused on the fast-growing cloud security market, where both companies are active. Google provides cloud infrastructure and security services via Google Cloud Platform, while Wiz offers a cloud-native application protection platform for multi-cloud environments.
Regulators examined whether Google could restrict competition by bundling Wiz’s tools or limiting interoperability with rival cloud providers. The market investigation found customers would retain access to credible alternatives and could switch suppliers if needed.
The Commission also considered whether the acquisition would give Google access to commercially sensitive data relating to competing cloud infrastructure providers. Feedback from customers and rivals indicated that the data involved is not sensitive and is generally accessible to other cloud security firms.
Based on these findings, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in any relevant market. The deal was therefore cleared unconditionally following a Phase I review.
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Google has announced a major expansion of its AI investments in Singapore, strengthening research capabilities, workforce development, and enterprise innovation as part of a long-term regional strategy.
The initiatives were unveiled at the company’s Google for Singapore event, signalling deeper alignment with the nation’s ambition to lead the AI economy.
Research and development form a central pillar of the expansion. Building on the recent launch of a Google DeepMind research lab in Singapore, the company is scaling specialised teams across software engineering, research science, and user experience design.
A new Google Cloud Singapore Engineering Centre will also support enterprises in deploying advanced AI solutions across sectors, including robotics and clean energy.
Healthcare innovation features prominently in the investment roadmap. Partnerships with AI Singapore will support national health AI infrastructure, including access to the MedGemma model to accelerate diagnostics and treatment development.
Google is also launching a security-focused AI Center of Excellence and rolling out age assurance technologies to strengthen online protections for younger users.
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The US tech giant, Google, has alerted users that more than 40% of Android phones are vulnerable to new malware and spyware due to outdated software. Phones running older versions than Android 13 no longer receive security updates, leaving over a billion users worldwide at risk.
Data shows Android 16 is present on only 7.5% of devices, while versions 15, 14, and 13 still dominate the market.
Slow adoption of updates means many devices remain exposed, even when security patches are available. Google emphasised that outdated phones are particularly unsafe and cannot protect against emerging threats.
Users are advised to upgrade to Android 13 or newer, or purchase a mid-range device that receives regular updates, instead of keeping an old high-end phone without support. Unlike Apple, where most iPhones receive timely updates, older Android devices may never get the necessary security fixes.
The warning highlights the urgent need for users to act immediately to avoid potential data breaches and spyware attacks. Google’s message is clear: using unsupported Android devices is a growing global security concern.
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Google has unveiled AlphaGenome, a new AI research tool designed to analyse the human genome and uncover the genetic roots of disease. The announcement was made in Paris, where researchers described the model as a major step forward.
AlphaGenome focuses on non-coding DNA, which makes up most of the human genome and plays a key role in regulating genes. Google scientists in Paris said the system can analyse extremely long DNA sequences at high resolution.
The model was developed by Google DeepMind using public genomic datasets from humans and mice. Researchers in Paris said the tool predicts how genetic changes influence biological processes inside cells.
Independent experts in the UK welcomed the advance but urged caution. Scientists at University of Cambridge and the Francis Crick Institute noted that environmental factors still limit what AI models can explain.
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Google is rolling out an AI-powered browsing agent inside Chrome, allowing users to automate routine online tasks. The feature is being introduced in the US for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers.
The Gemini agent can interact directly with websites in the US, including opening pages, clicking buttons and completing complex online forms. Testers reported successful use for tasks such as tax paperwork and licence renewals.
Google said Gemini AI integrates with password management tools while requiring user confirmation for payments and final transactions. Security safeguards and fraud detection systems have been built into Chrome for US users.
Google is expanding AI learning tools in India by adding full-length Joint Entrance Exam practice tests to Gemini, targeting millions of engineering applicants.
Students can complete full mock JEE exams directly in Gemini. The questions are developed using vetted material from education platforms in India, including Physics Wallah and Careers360, and will be expanded further.
Gemini provides instant feedback after each test. It explains correct answers and generates personalised study plans based on performance, supporting structured exam preparation.
In addition to these exam-focused features, preparation tools will also roll out to AI Mode in Search, specifically including Canvas. These tools will allow students to build interactive quizzes and study guides from their own notes.
Alongside providing enhanced tools for students, Google is also partnering with universities, government agencies, and nonprofits to integrate AI across education systems, aiming to scale access to tens of millions of learners by 2027.
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