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A federal judge in the US has temporarily blocked the Pentagon's ‘supply chain risk’ designation against Anthropic, the AI firm, whose Claude model was reportedly used in the first days of the Iran war for purposes including target determination for US forces. In the 43-page ruling, US District Judge Rita Lin sided with Anthropic, also halting President Donald Trump’s directive to cut all federal contracts with the company.<h2>Anthropic vs Pentagon: What the court ruling said</h2>Terming the Trump administration's actions ‘classic First Amendment retaliation,’ Judge Lin wrote in the ruling: “These broad measures do not appear to be directed at the government’s stated national security interests.”“If the concern is the integrity of the operational chain of command, the Department of War could just stop using Claude… Instead, these measures appear designed to punish Anthropic,” the judge said.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/did-us-use-anthropic-ai-in-iran-s-strikes-despite-trump-s-ban-what-we-know-1772356637161">Did US use Anthropic AI in Iran’s strikes despite Trump’s ban? What we know</a><h2>Anthropic versus Pentagon: How did they reach here?</h2>The dispute centres around the Pentagon’s insistence on using Anthropic’s Claude model for “all lawful uses,” including some potential military applications that Anthropic vehemently resisted.These included the use of its AI in fully autonomous lethal weapons and mass surveillance of Americans. Anthropic argued, as did its CEO Dario Amodei, that this stance is a “protected viewpoint” of the company.Judge Lin supported Anthropic's argument, stating, “Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary… for expressing disagreement with the government.”Lin also found Anthropic likely to succeed on claims that its due process rights were violated and that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth failed to follow due process.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/anthropic-vs-pentagon-anthropic-refuses-pentagon-request-for-ai-weapons-1774462511822/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/anthropic-vs-pentagon-anthropic-refuses-pentagon-request-for-ai-weapons-1774462511822/embed</a><h2>It is not over yet for Anthropic</h2>The ruling has been paused for one week so that the Trump administration can appeal to the US Court of Appeals. The court ruling blocks sweeping restrictions such as banning federal contracts and limiting partnerships for Anthropic. However, it does not prevent the Pentagon from discontinuing use of Claude or selecting alternative AI vendors.Many tech companies had supported Anthropic’s challenge to the Pentagon. A spokesperson for Anthropic said the firm is “grateful” and remains focused on ensuring “safe, reliable AI” for Americans.However, it may be difficult for the company to make a comeback to government contracts. The Department of Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration, for instance, had already removed Anthropic products following earlier directives.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-no-dictator-style-praise-anthropic-ceo-says-us-govt-hostility-linked-to-trump-donations-slams-openai-s-altman-in-internal-memo-report-1772698855018">'No dictator-style praise': Anthropic CEO says US govt hostility linked to Trump donations; slams OpenAI's Altman in internal memo - Report</a><h2>Why the Anthropic ruling matters: A question of First Amendment, national security, and AI policy</h2>The case is being seen as a litmus test for issues at the crossroads of the First Amendment, national security, and AI policy. The Pentagon’s “supply chain risk” designation is typically reserved for foreign adversaries, making its application to a US-based firm unusual. As AI systems like Claude become increasingly powerful, debates have intensified about their use in military operations, surveillance, and public sector deployment. The ruling is a significant development in the ongoing clash between the artificial intelligence-led tech industry and the government over AI regulation, national security, and constitutional rights.

A US judge has blocked the Pentagon’s ‘supply chain risk’ designation for Anthropic, calling it a ‘First Amendment retaliation’. This is a significant development in the legal battle over AI use in the military, ethics, and national security. Here is why

A federal judge in the US has temporarily blocked the Pentagon's ‘supply chain risk’ designation against Anthropic, the AI firm, whose Claude model was reportedly used in the first days of the Iran war for purposes including target determination for US forces. In the 43-page ruling, US District Judge Rita Lin sided with Anthropic, also halting President Donald Trump’s directive to cut all federal contracts with the company. Anthropic vs Pentagon: What the court ruling said Terming the Trump administration's actions ‘classic First Amendment retaliation,’ Judge Lin wrote in the ruling: “These broad measures do not appear to be directed at the government’s stated national security interests.” “If the concern is the integrity of the operational chain of command, the Department of War could just stop using Claude… Instead, these measures appear designed to punish Anthropic,” the judge said. Also read: Did US use Anthropic AI in Iran’s strikes despite Trump’s ban? What we know Anthropic versus Pentagon: How did they reach here? The dispute centres around the Pentagon’s insistence on using Anthropic’s Claude model for “all lawful uses,” including some potential military applications that Anthropic vehemently resisted. These included the use of its AI in fully autonomous lethal weapons and mass surveillance of Americans. Anthropic argued, as did its CEO Dario Amodei, that this stance is a “protected viewpoint” of the company. Judge Lin supported Anthropic's argument, stating, “Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary… for expressing disagreement with the government.” Lin also found Anthropic likely to succeed on claims that its due process rights were violated and that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth failed to follow due process. https://www.wionews.com/videos/anthropic-vs-pentagon-anthropic-refuses-pentagon-request-for-ai-weapons-1774462511822/embed It is not over yet for Anthropic The ruling has been paused for one week so that the Trump administration can appeal to the US Court of Appeals. The court ruling blocks sweeping restrictions such as banning federal contracts and limiting partnerships for Anthropic. However, it does not prevent the Pentagon from discontinuing use of Claude or selecting alternative AI vendors. Many tech companies had supported Anthropic’s challenge to the Pentagon. A spokesperson for Anthropic said the firm is “grateful” and remains focused on ensuring “safe, reliable AI” for Americans. However, it may be difficult for the company to make a comeback to government contracts. The Department of Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration, for instance, had already removed Anthropic products following earlier directives. Also read: 'No dictator-style praise': Anthropic CEO says US govt hostility linked to Trump donations; slams OpenAI's Altman in internal memo - Report Why the Anthropic ruling matters: A question of First Amendment, national security, and AI policy The case is being seen as a litmus test for issues at the crossroads of the First Amendment, national security, and AI policy. The Pentagon’s “supply chain risk” designation is typically reserved for foreign adversaries, making its application to a US-based firm unusual. As AI systems like Claude become increasingly powerful, debates have intensified about their use in military operations, surveillance, and public sector deployment. The ruling is a significant development in the ongoing clash between the artificial intelligence-led tech industry and the government over AI regulation, national security, and constitutional rights.

A US judge has blocked the Pentagon’s ‘supply chain risk’ designation for Anthropic, calling it a ‘First Amendment retaliation’. This is a significant development in the legal battle over AI use in the military, ethics, and national security. Here is why

Anthropic vs Pentagon: Judge blocks designation of AI firm as ‘supply chain risk’. It's 1–0, for now

Meta has reportedly laid off around 700 employees across several teams, including its Reality Labs division. The move comes as the company continues restructuring operations while increasing investment in artificial intelligence.According to a report by The New York Times, the job cuts affected multiple departments such as recruiting, sales and teams working on Facebook products. The layoffs were announced only hours after the company introduced a new stock option programme for top executives.<h2>Meta layoffs affect several departments</h2>The job reductions include workers from Reality Labs, Meta’s division focused on virtual and augmented reality products linked to the metaverse.Reality Labs has faced major financial losses in recent years. Reports suggest the unit has lost more than $80 billion since its creation as the company invested heavily in building virtual reality technology. This is also the second round of layoffs affecting the division this year. In January, the company cut around 1,000 jobs within Reality Labs. Some affected employees may be offered alternative roles within the company, though these positions could require relocation.A Meta spokesperson said teams regularly undergo restructuring to ensure they are aligned with company goals.<h2>Executive incentives announced before layoffs</h2>The layoffs came shortly after Meta announced a new stock option programme for its senior leadership.Under this scheme, top executives could receive additional compensation worth up to $921 million over five years. The incentives would depend on whether the company achieves a $9 trillion market valuation by 2031.Currently, Meta’s market value stands at about $1.5 trillion.The company said the programme is designed to retain leadership talent during a period of major technological change. The scheme does not include CEO Mark Zuckerberg.<h2>Meta increasing investment in artificial intelligence</h2>Meta has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence as it reshapes its long-term strategy.The company has reportedly acquired several AI startups and hired engineers and executives specialising in agent-based AI systems. These systems are designed to perform tasks autonomously rather than simply generating text responses.Meta also expects significant spending on AI infrastructure. The company has forecasted between $162 billion and $169 billion in spending in 2026, largely for building data centres and supporting AI technologies.<h2>Delays in new AI model development</h2>At the same time, Meta is reportedly facing challenges with some AI projects. Reports indicate that the company delayed the release of its upcoming AI model called Avocado, developed by the Meta Superintelligence Labs unit. The division is led by Alexandr Wang, who joined Meta after the company acquired his startup Scale AI in a deal valued at $14.5 billion. Internal testing reportedly showed that the model did not meet performance expectations, prompting further development work.<h2>Industry trend: tech companies restructuring for AI</h2>Meta’s latest layoffs reflect a broader trend across the technology industry. Companies are restructuring teams and shifting resources toward artificial intelligence, data infrastructure and automation.In recent months, several major firms have announced job cuts while increasing spending on AI research and cloud computing. The transition highlights how companies are preparing for the next phase of the technology industry, where AI systems are expected to play a central role in products, services and digital platforms. For Meta, the latest restructuring shows the company’s effort to balance rising AI investments with operational changes across its workforce.

Meta has reportedly laid off about 700 employees across multiple teams, including its Reality Labs division, as part of ongoing restructuring. The cuts affected departments such as recruiting, sales and Facebook product teams. 


Meta has reportedly laid off around 700 employees across several teams, including its Reality Labs division. The move comes as the company continues restructuring operations while increasing investment in artificial intelligence. According to a report by The New York Times, the job cuts affected multiple departments such as recruiting, sales and teams working on Facebook products. The layoffs were announced only hours after the company introduced a new stock option programme for top executives. Meta layoffs affect several departments The job reductions include workers from Reality Labs, Meta’s division focused on virtual and augmented reality products linked to the metaverse. Reality Labs has faced major financial losses in recent years. Reports suggest the unit has lost more than $80 billion since its creation as the company invested heavily in building virtual reality technology. This is also the second round of layoffs affecting the division this year. In January, the company cut around 1,000 jobs within Reality Labs. Some affected employees may be offered alternative roles within the company, though these positions could require relocation. A Meta spokesperson said teams regularly undergo restructuring to ensure they are aligned with company goals. Executive incentives announced before layoffs The layoffs came shortly after Meta announced a new stock option programme for its senior leadership. Under this scheme, top executives could receive additional compensation worth up to $921 million over five years. The incentives would depend on whether the company achieves a $9 trillion market valuation by 2031. Currently, Meta’s market value stands at about $1.5 trillion. The company said the programme is designed to retain leadership talent during a period of major technological change. The scheme does not include CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta increasing investment in artificial intelligence Meta has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence as it reshapes its long-term strategy. The company has reportedly acquired several AI startups and hired engineers and executives specialising in agent-based AI systems. These systems are designed to perform tasks autonomously rather than simply generating text responses. Meta also expects significant spending on AI infrastructure. The company has forecasted between $162 billion and $169 billion in spending in 2026, largely for building data centres and supporting AI technologies. Delays in new AI model development At the same time, Meta is reportedly facing challenges with some AI projects. Reports indicate that the company delayed the release of its upcoming AI model called Avocado, developed by the Meta Superintelligence Labs unit. The division is led by Alexandr Wang, who joined Meta after the company acquired his startup Scale AI in a deal valued at $14.5 billion. Internal testing reportedly showed that the model did not meet performance expectations, prompting further development work. Industry trend: tech companies restructuring for AI Meta’s latest layoffs reflect a broader trend across the technology industry. Companies are restructuring teams and shifting resources toward artificial intelligence, data infrastructure and automation. In recent months, several major firms have announced job cuts while increasing spending on AI research and cloud computing. The transition highlights how companies are preparing for the next phase of the technology industry, where AI systems are expected to play a central role in products, services and digital platforms. For Meta, the latest restructuring shows the company’s effort to balance rising AI investments with operational changes across its workforce.

Meta has reportedly laid off about 700 employees across multiple teams, including its Reality Labs division, as part of ongoing restructuring. The cuts affected departments such as recruiting, sales and Facebook product teams.&nbsp;

‘Tech layoffs continue’: Meta cuts 700 jobs as it shifts focus to AI investment

Meta has announced a new company-wide initiative aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and expanding the use of artificial intelligence among small businesses.The programme, called Meta Small Business, will focus on helping entrepreneurs build and grow businesses using digital tools and AI technologies across Meta’s platforms. According to a report by Axios, the initiative is part of Meta’s broader effort to encourage innovation and make it easier for people to start businesses in the AI era.<h2>Why Meta is focusing on small businesses</h2>In a memo to employees, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said small businesses have always been central to the company’s ecosystem.Millions of entrepreneurs already rely on Meta platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to connect with customers, advertise products and run online stores.Zuckerberg noted that artificial intelligence could make starting and managing a business easier than before.

“In the AI era, it should be easier than ever for people to build new businesses,” he wrote in the memo.He added that Meta wants to build services that allow more people to participate in the economic opportunities created by advanced technology.<h2>What the Meta Small Business initiative will do</h2>The new programme will focus on developing tools and services that help entrepreneurs operate more efficiently.These may include:AI tools for marketing and customer communicationBetter advertising systems for small businessesAutomated customer support solutionsData insights to understand customer behaviourMeta believes such tools can help small companies compete more effectively in digital markets.Industry reports suggest that tens of millions of businesses worldwide already depend on Meta’s platforms for advertising and communication.<h2>Leadership and internal support</h2>The initiative will be led by Dina Powell McCormick, who serves as President and Vice Chairman at Meta. She will work alongside Naomi Gleit, the company’s Head of Product. Zuckerberg has also invited employees across departments including product managers, engineers and designers to participate in the project if they are interested. This approach suggests Meta wants the initiative to involve teams from across the company.<h2>AI and entrepreneurship: A growing trend</h2>The announcement reflects a wider shift in the technology sector. Companies are increasingly exploring how artificial intelligence can support entrepreneurs and small firms.AI tools are already being used to:generate marketing contentanalyse customer dataautomate routine business tasksbuild online storefrontsAccording to several industry studies, AI adoption among small businesses has been increasing rapidly over the past few years.Technology companies believe easier access to AI could help create new businesses and jobs.<h2>What this means for the future</h2>Meta’s new initiative shows how large technology firms are trying to position artificial intelligence as a tool for economic growth rather than only a research technology. By focusing on entrepreneurs, the company aims to strengthen its ecosystem of businesses that rely on its platforms.For small business owners, the programme could mean new AI-powered tools designed to simplify operations and reach more customers online.As artificial intelligence continues to expand across industries, initiatives like Meta Small Business may play an important role in helping entrepreneurs adapt to the changing digital economy.

Meta has launched a new initiative called Meta Small Business to help entrepreneurs grow using AI and digital tools across platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Announced by Mark Zuckerberg, the programme aims to make it easier for people to start businesses in the AI era. 

Meta has announced a new company-wide initiative aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and expanding the use of artificial intelligence among small businesses. The programme, called Meta Small Business, will focus on helping entrepreneurs build and grow businesses using digital tools and AI technologies across Meta’s platforms. According to a report by Axios, the initiative is part of Meta’s broader effort to encourage innovation and make it easier for people to start businesses in the AI era. Why Meta is focusing on small businesses In a memo to employees, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said small businesses have always been central to the company’s ecosystem. Millions of entrepreneurs already rely on Meta platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to connect with customers, advertise products and run online stores. Zuckerberg noted that artificial intelligence could make starting and managing a business easier than before.

Meta has launched a new initiative called Meta Small Business to help entrepreneurs grow using AI and digital tools across platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Announced by Mark Zuckerberg, the programme aims to make it easier for people to start businesses in the AI era.&nbsp;

‘AI era opportunity’: Meta launches initiative to support small businesses and expand AI adoption

In a landmark ruling that could redefine the legal liability of social media giants, a New Mexico jury has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $375 million in civil penalties. On Tuesday (Mar 24), after a six-week trial, the jury found that the tech titan violated state consumer protection laws by misleading parents about the safety of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The verdict marks the first time a jury has held Meta accountable for claims that its platforms enabled child sexual exploitation and prioritised engagement over teen mental health. While Meta has vowed to appeal, the decision signals a major defeat for the company’s long-standing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act defence. It sets a high-stakes precedent for thousands of similar lawsuits pending across the United States.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-dog-left-behind-7-stolen-pets-trek-17km-in-homeward-bound-escape-from-china-s-meat-market-their-story-is-breaking-the-internet-watch-video-1774330849117">No dog left behind: Tiny Corgi leads pack of 7 stolen dogs on miraculous 17km journey home — their story is breaking the internet | Watch video</a><h2>'Profits Over Kids'</h2>A New Mexico jury has ruled that Meta engaged in unfair and deceptive practices and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties. The case, brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, accused Meta of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, while allowing child sexual exploitation to persist on its platforms."This is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety." Torrez said, calling the ruling "a ​clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law". The jury found 75,000 violations of the state’s consumer protection law, awarding $5,000 for each.<h2>What the case revealed</h2>At the heart of the lawsuit was an undercover operation carried out by the attorney general’s office in 2023. Investigators created accounts posing as users under the age of 14. According to the state, those accounts were quickly exposed to explicit material and contacted by adults seeking similar content, leading to multiple criminal cases.Prosecutors argued that Meta was aware of these risks but failed to act. They pointed to internal documents that, they said, acknowledged problems around sexual exploitation and mental health harm among young users. However, despite that the company, the state says, did not institute basic safety tools such as age verification and insisted its platforms were safe.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/did-patriot-missiles-down-3-american-f-15-jets-over-kuwait-trump-accidentally-reveals-little-mishap-1774396550862">Did Patriot missiles down 3 American F-15 jets over Kuwait? Trump accidentally reveals 'little mishap'</a>The state also accused the company of designing features such as infinite scroll and auto-play to foster addictive behaviour and keep users, especially minors, engaged despite potential harm.<h2>Meta pushes back</h2>Meta has denied the allegations and said it will appeal the verdict. "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal," a company spokesperson said, adding that Meta has invested heavily in safety tools and continues to work to remove harmful content. "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content."

Meta hit with a $375M verdict in a landmark case over child safety on its platforms. A US jury says the company misled parents and enabled harm, shaking its legal shield. What this means for Big Tech? Scroll down to read.

In a landmark ruling that could redefine the legal liability of social media giants, a New Mexico jury has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $375 million in civil penalties. On Tuesday (Mar 24), after a six-week trial, the jury found that the tech titan violated state consumer protection laws by misleading parents about the safety of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The verdict marks the first time a jury has held Meta accountable for claims that its platforms enabled child sexual exploitation and prioritised engagement over teen mental health. While Meta has vowed to appeal, the decision signals a major defeat for the company’s long-standing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act defence. It sets a high-stakes precedent for thousands of similar lawsuits pending across the United States. Also read | No dog left behind: Tiny Corgi leads pack of 7 stolen dogs on miraculous 17km journey home — their story is breaking the internet | Watch video 'Profits Over Kids' A New Mexico jury has ruled that Meta engaged in unfair and deceptive practices and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties. The case, brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, accused Meta of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, while allowing child sexual exploitation to persist on its platforms. "This is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety." Torrez said, calling the ruling "a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law". The jury found 75,000 violations of the state’s consumer protection law, awarding $5,000 for each. What the case revealed At the heart of the lawsuit was an undercover operation carried out by the attorney general’s office in 2023. Investigators created accounts posing as users under the age of 14. According to the state, those accounts were quickly exposed to explicit material and contacted by adults seeking similar content, leading to multiple criminal cases. Prosecutors argued that Meta was aware of these risks but failed to act. They pointed to internal documents that, they said, acknowledged problems around sexual exploitation and mental health harm among young users. However, despite that the company, the state says, did not institute basic safety tools such as age verification and insisted its platforms were safe. Also read | Did Patriot missiles down 3 American F-15 jets over Kuwait? Trump accidentally reveals 'little mishap' The state also accused the company of designing features such as infinite scroll and auto-play to foster addictive behaviour and keep users, especially minors, engaged despite potential harm. Meta pushes back Meta has denied the allegations and said it will appeal the verdict. "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal," a company spokesperson said, adding that Meta has invested heavily in safety tools and continues to work to remove harmful content. "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content."

Meta hit with a $375M verdict in a landmark case over child safety on its platforms. A US jury says the company misled parents and enabled harm, shaking its legal shield. What does this mean for Big Tech? Scroll down to read.

'Profits over kids' safety': New Mexico slaps $375m penalty on Meta for enabling child exploitation on Facebook & Instagram

Apple is expected to unveil its next flagship smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, in September 2026. According to MacRumors and multiple other reports, the upcoming model could bring changes in design, performance and camera technology.This year, the company may focus more on Pro models, while also preparing to introduce a foldable iPhone.<h2>7 expected features in iPhone 18 Pro Max</h2>1. Under-display Face IDReports suggest Apple may place Face ID sensors under the display.This could reduce the size of the Dynamic Island and create a cleaner front design with a smaller cut-out.2. New A20 Pro chip (2nm technology)The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to run on Apple’s next-generation A20 Pro chip.According to industry reports, it may be built on a 2nm process, compared to 3nm in current chips.This could improve:SpeedPower efficiencyBattery performance3. Improved connectivity chipThe device may include a new Apple-designed connectivity chip (successor to the N1 chip).This could enhance:Wi-Fi performanceBluetooth connectivityFeatures like AirDrop and hotspot stability4. Triple 48MP camera setupLeaks suggest Apple may introduce three 48MP cameras on the rear.The main camera could also support variable aperture, allowing users to control how much light enters the lens.This may improve photography in both bright and low-light conditions.5. Upgraded C2 modemApple is expected to introduce a new C2 modem in the Pro models.This could offer:Faster network speedsBetter signal stabilityImproved battery usage during data use6. Slightly thicker design for bigger batteryReports indicate the phone may be slightly thicker than previous models.The likely reason is a larger battery, which could increase overall usage time.7. New colour optionsThe iPhone 18 Pro Max may come in new colours such as:Deep purpleBurgundyBrownThis would be a shift from recent design trends.iPhone 18 Pro Max launch date and expected priceApple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro Max between September 9 and September 15, 2026, as per industry reports. In India, the starting price could be around Rs 1,49,900, based on current pricing trends of Pro Max models.<figure class="image"><img src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/images/story/202602/iphone-18-pro-181305101-16x9.jpg?VersionId=G02oscGKRtfRl1AYvfAoP85fxV56C7Xe&amp;size=690:388" alt="iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch: Expected India price, specs, camera and design details - India Today"></figure><h2>Apple’s strategy: Focus on Pro and foldables</h2>Reports suggest Apple may change its usual launch pattern this year.Instead of launching four models together, the company may:Focus on Pro models Introduce a foldable iPhone Delay standard models to next year This indicates a shift towards premium devices and new form factors.<h2>What this means for users</h2>The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to focus on performance, camera improvements and design refinement rather than a complete redesign.While these features are based on leaks and reports, Apple typically confirms details only at launch. For users planning an upgrade, the next iPhone could offer better efficiency, improved photography and more advanced hardware.&nbsp;


The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to launch in September 2026 with major upgrades in design, performance and camera technology. Reports suggest features like under-display Face ID, a 2nm A20 Pro chip, triple 48MP cameras and a larger battery. 


Apple is expected to unveil its next flagship smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, in September 2026. According to MacRumors and multiple other reports, the upcoming model could bring changes in design, performance and camera technology. This year, the company may focus more on Pro models, while also preparing to introduce a foldable iPhone. 7 expected features in iPhone 18 Pro Max 1. Under-display Face ID Reports suggest Apple may place Face ID sensors under the display. This could reduce the size of the Dynamic Island and create a cleaner front design with a smaller cut-out. 2. New A20 Pro chip (2nm technology) The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to run on Apple’s next-generation A20 Pro chip. According to industry reports, it may be built on a 2nm process, compared to 3nm in current chips. This could improve: Speed Power efficiency Battery performance 3. Improved connectivity chip The device may include a new Apple-designed connectivity chip (successor to the N1 chip). This could enhance: Wi-Fi performance Bluetooth connectivity Features like AirDrop and hotspot stability 4. Triple 48MP camera setup Leaks suggest Apple may introduce three 48MP cameras on the rear. The main camera could also support variable aperture, allowing users to control how much light enters the lens. This may improve photography in both bright and low-light conditions. 5. Upgraded C2 modem Apple is expected to introduce a new C2 modem in the Pro models. This could offer: Faster network speeds Better signal stability Improved battery usage during data use 6. Slightly thicker design for bigger battery Reports indicate the phone may be slightly thicker than previous models. The likely reason is a larger battery, which could increase overall usage time. 7. New colour options The iPhone 18 Pro Max may come in new colours such as: Deep purple Burgundy Brown This would be a shift from recent design trends. iPhone 18 Pro Max launch date and expected price Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro Max between September 9 and September 15, 2026, as per industry reports. In India, the starting price could be around Rs 1,49,900, based on current pricing trends of Pro Max models. Apple’s strategy: Focus on Pro and foldables Reports suggest Apple may change its usual launch pattern this year. Instead of launching four models together, the company may: Focus on Pro models Introduce a foldable iPhone Delay standard models to next year This indicates a shift towards premium devices and new form factors. What this means for users The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to focus on performance, camera improvements and design refinement rather than a complete redesign. While these features are based on leaks and reports, Apple typically confirms details only at launch. For users planning an upgrade, the next iPhone could offer better efficiency, improved photography and more advanced hardware.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to launch in September 2026 with major upgrades in design, performance and camera technology. Reports suggest features like under-display Face ID, a 2nm A20 Pro chip, triple 48MP cameras and a larger battery.&nbsp;

From under-display Face ID to the A20 chip: What to expect from Apple’s iPhone launch in September 2026

The global race to dominate artificial intelligence is intensifying, with the United States and China competing across technology, business and geopolitics. Now, Elon Musk has offered a striking view on how this race may unfold.In a post on X, Musk said China could emerge as the leader in artificial intelligence on Earth, while his own company SpaceX may lead in space.<figure class="image"><img src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/styles/medium_crop_simple/public/2026-03/screenshot_2026-03-19_at_4.20.34_pm.png?VersionId=tmYTtAoybv3zWbPHcNB5ngj09AXA3ZbG&amp;size=750:*" alt="Elon Musk post on X"></figure>

<h2>What exactly did Elon Musk said?</h2>Musk made the comment while replying to a discussion involving Bindu Reddy, CEO of Abacus AI, who had criticised Google’s progress in artificial intelligence.Responding to the debate, Musk wrote:“Google will win the AI race in the West, China on Earth and SpaceX in space.”While the comment appeared partly informal, it reflects broader trends in how different regions are approaching AI development.Why Musk believes China could leadChina and the United States are taking different paths in artificial intelligence.US-based companies such as Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google are investing heavily in large language models, cloud services and enterprise AI tools. Many of these systems are paid or restricted to specific users.In contrast, Chinese companies are focusing on wider accessibility. Firms such as Alibaba and startups like DeepSeek have released open-source or low-cost AI models. This approach allows developers and smaller businesses to use and modify AI tools more easily. Some analysts believe this could lead to faster adoption at scale, even if US models remain stronger in certain benchmarks.<h2>The idea of different winners in AI</h2>Musk’s comment suggests that the AI race may not have a single winner. Instead, different regions and companies could lead in different areas: China: broader AI adoption and deployment United States: advanced research and enterprise systems Space sector: emerging AI applications beyond Earth. He also hinted that the Western AI race could still be led by companies like Google.This reflects a more fragmented view of the AI ecosystem, where leadership depends on use cases rather than one global leader.<h2>SpaceX and the next frontier of AI</h2>Musk also pointed to space as a new arena for artificial intelligence. He has previously spoken about plans to combine xAI with SpaceX to build orbital AI data centres. Reports suggest such projects could be valued at around $1.25 trillion.These space-based systems would:Use solar energy for computingReduce energy costs compared to Earth-based data centresSupport satellite networks and deep-space missionsIf implemented, this could allow AI systems to operate beyond Earth, supporting autonomous spacecraft and future exploration missions.<h2>What this means for the global AI race</h2>The AI race is no longer limited to technology companies. It now involves governments, infrastructure, energy and global influence.China’s focus on accessibility and scale may help it expand AI usage quickly. Meanwhile, US firms continue to lead in advanced research and high-performance models. Musk’s remarks highlight a key idea: AI leadership may be divided across regions and industries rather than dominated by a single country. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, the competition between nations and companies is expected to shape not only technology, but also economic and strategic power in the years ahead.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Elon Musk said the global AI race may not have a single winner, suggesting China could lead AI on Earth, while SpaceX may dominate AI in space. 


The global race to dominate artificial intelligence is intensifying, with the United States and China competing across technology, business and geopolitics. Now, Elon Musk has offered a striking view on how this race may unfold. In a post on X, Musk said China could emerge as the leader in artificial intelligence on Earth, while his own company SpaceX may lead in space.

Elon Musk said the global AI race may not have a single winner, suggesting China could lead AI on Earth, while SpaceX may dominate AI in space.&nbsp;

‘Google will win the AI race in the West, China on Earth, and SpaceX in space,’ says Elon Musk

The way people use smartphones may change completely in the coming years. According to Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, traditional mobile apps could disappear as artificial intelligence becomes more advanced.Speaking at the SXSW conference in Austin, Pei said the current app-based system is outdated and may soon be replaced by AI agents that can act on behalf of users.<h2>Why Carl Pei says apps may disappear</h2>Pei believes that today’s smartphone experience has not changed much in the past two decades.Users still rely on:Lock screens and home screensMultiple apps for different tasksApp stores to install softwareHe said this model creates unnecessary steps for simple tasks. For example, planning to meet a friend for coffee may involve messaging apps, maps, ride-hailing services and calendars.“It’s very hard to get things done on a phone,” Pei said, pointing out that users often switch between several apps to complete one task.According to him, AI agents could remove this complexity by handling tasks directly.

<h2>What is an AI-first smartphone?</h2>Pei described a future device powered by AI agents instead of apps.In this system:Users express an intention (for example, “book a trip” or “meet a friend”)The AI understands the requestThe system completes the task automaticallyInstead of opening apps and navigating menus, users would rely on AI to manage everything in the background. Pei said the goal is to build devices that “know you very well” and can act without constant input.<h2>How AI agents could work</h2>The transition to AI-first devices may happen in stages.Pei explained that the first stage already visible today is AI tools that can perform tasks like booking flights or ordering food.However, he called this stage “basic”.The next stage, according to him, is more advanced. AI systems will begin to understand long-term user behaviour and preferences.For example:Suggesting healthier habitsRecommending activities based on past behaviour Managing schedules automaticallyHe compared this to features like memory in AI tools such as ChatGPT, where systems learn from past interactions.<h2>Why current smartphones may change</h2>Pei argued that modern technology has advanced significantly, but smartphone design has not kept up.He said the current system still relies on humans manually interacting with apps. In contrast, future systems may be designed for AI agents to operate directly.“The future is not the agent using a human interface,” he said. “You need to create an interface for the agent.”This means smartphones may shift from app-based interfaces to AI-driven systems working in the background.<h2>Will apps disappear soon?</h2>Pei clarified that apps will not vanish immediately. Current systems, including Nothing’s own software, still rely on apps. However, over time, AI agents may take over more tasks, reducing the need for users to interact with apps directly.The idea reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are building AI agents that can perform actions across platforms instead of simply providing information.<h2>The bigger picture</h2>Pei’s comments come as AI companies and device makers explore new ways to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday technology.The shift from apps to AI agents could change how people use smartphones, manage tasks and interact with digital services.While the transition may take time, the direction is becoming clearer: future devices may focus less on screens and apps, and more on intelligent systems that act on behalf of users.&nbsp;

At the SXSW, Carl Pei said traditional smartphone apps could eventually disappear as AI agents take over everyday tasks. He argued that the current app-based system is outdated and inefficient, requiring users to switch between multiple apps for simple actions. 

The way people use smartphones may change completely in the coming years. According to Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, traditional mobile apps could disappear as artificial intelligence becomes more advanced. Speaking at the SXSW conference in Austin, Pei said the current app-based system is outdated and may soon be replaced by AI agents that can act on behalf of users. Why Carl Pei says apps may disappear Pei believes that today’s smartphone experience has not changed much in the past two decades. Users still rely on: Lock screens and home screens Multiple apps for different tasks App stores to install software He said this model creates unnecessary steps for simple tasks. For example, planning to meet a friend for coffee may involve messaging apps, maps, ride-hailing services and calendars. “It’s very hard to get things done on a phone,” Pei said, pointing out that users often switch between several apps to complete one task. According to him, AI agents could remove this complexity by handling tasks directly.

At the SXSW, Carl Pei said traditional smartphone apps could eventually disappear as AI agents take over everyday tasks. He argued that the current app-based system is outdated and inefficient, requiring users to switch between multiple apps for simple actions.&nbsp;

‘Apps may disappear in the future’: AI agents will take over, says Nothing CEO Carl Pei

In a move to attract creators from rival platforms, Facebook has launched a new monetisation initiative called “Creator Fast Track”. The programme aims to help creators grow faster on Facebook by offering guaranteed earnings and increased content reach. The company said it paid nearly $3 billion to creators in 2025, marking a 35 per cent increase compared to the previous year.<h2>What is Creator Fast Track?</h2>Creator Fast Track is designed for creators who already have an audience on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram.Instead of building a following from scratch, eligible creators can:Get increased reach on Facebook ReelsReceive guaranteed monthly paymentsAccess monetisation tools immediatelyAccording to Facebook, the programme is focused on easing the transition for creators moving across platforms.“We wanted to address creators’ concerns about starting from scratch,” said Yair Livne, Vice President of Creator Product at Facebook.

<h2>How much can creators earn?</h2>The programme offers fixed monthly payouts based on a creator’s existing audience:$1,000 per month for creators with at least 100,000 followers$3,000 per month for creators with over 1 million followersThese payments are available for the first three months of participation.Facebook said creators can also continue earning through its existing monetisation tools after the programme ends.<h2>More reach and no strict entry barriers</h2>One of the key features of the programme is easier access. Creators do not need to meet Facebook’s usual eligibility criteria, such as minimum follower counts on the platform. This allows them to start earning immediately. The company also said it will continue boosting creators’ reach even beyond the three-month payment period if needed, until they establish an audience. Another important detail is that creators do not need to produce entirely new content. They can reuse their existing content library, including previously published videos.<h2>Facebook’s growing creator economy</h2>Facebook shared several figures to highlight its growing creator ecosystem: Nearly $3 billion paid to creators in 2025 35 per cent year-on-year growth in payouts Over 30 per cent increase in creators earning more than $10,000 annually 60 per cent of payouts came from Reels The company is clearly focusing on short-form video to compete with TikTok and YouTube.<h2>New tools to track earnings</h2>Alongside the programme, Facebook is introducing new performance metrics to help creators understand their earnings better.These include:Qualified views: Views that are eligible for monetisationEarnings rate: Estimated earnings per 1,000 qualified viewsNon-qualified views: Explanation of why some views do not generate revenueFor example, very short views such as users scrolling past a video quickly may not count towards earnings.<h2>What this means for creators</h2>The launch of Creator Fast Track shows increasing competition between social media platforms for top creators. With guaranteed payments, wider reach and easier entry, Facebook is trying to position itself as a strong alternative for creators looking to diversify their income. For creators, the programme offers a chance to test a new platform without losing income during the transition. As short-form video continues to dominate online content, platforms are investing more to retain and attract talent.&nbsp;

Facebook has launched Creator Fast Track, a new programme aimed at attracting creators from other platforms by offering guaranteed earnings and reach. Eligible creators can earn up to $3,000 per month for three months, gain boosted visibility, and access monetisation tools immediately.

In a move to attract creators from rival platforms, Facebook has launched a new monetisation initiative called “Creator Fast Track”. The programme aims to help creators grow faster on Facebook by offering guaranteed earnings and increased content reach. The company said it paid nearly $3 billion to creators in 2025, marking a 35 per cent increase compared to the previous year. What is Creator Fast Track? Creator Fast Track is designed for creators who already have an audience on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. Instead of building a following from scratch, eligible creators can: Get increased reach on Facebook Reels Receive guaranteed monthly payments Access monetisation tools immediately According to Facebook, the programme is focused on easing the transition for creators moving across platforms. “We wanted to address creators’ concerns about starting from scratch,” said Yair Livne, Vice President of Creator Product at Facebook.

Facebook has launched Creator Fast Track, a new programme aimed at attracting creators from other platforms by offering guaranteed earnings and reach. Eligible creators can earn up to $3,000 per month for three months, gain boosted visibility, and access monetisation tools immediately.

What is Facebook’s creator fast track? Meta promises payouts and reach for new creators

Nvidia has been known for its powerful graphics processing units (GPUs). These chips have become central to artificial intelligence. However, the company is now building much more than chips, and this shift is becoming increasingly important.Under CEO Jensen Huang, Nvidia has expanded into networking, infrastructure and full-stack AI systems that power modern data centres.<h2>Nvidia’s second-biggest business: Networking</h2>Nvidia’s networking division has quietly grown into one of its largest revenue drivers.According to the company’s latest earnings:$11 billion revenue in a single quarter267 per cent year-on-year growthOver $31 billion annual revenueThis makes networking Nvidia’s second-largest segment after compute. Analysts say this growth is directly linked to rising demand for AI infrastructure.Kevin Cook, a strategist at Zacks Investment Research, noted that Nvidia’s quarterly networking revenue is now comparable to what some traditional networking companies generate in a full year.<h2>What exactly is Nvidia building?</h2>Nvidia’s networking business focuses on connecting thousands of GPUs inside data centres.Key technologies include:NVLink: connects GPUs within serversInfiniBand switches: enable high-speed data transferSpectrum-X: Ethernet platform designed for AI workloadsPhotonics switches: improve speed and energy efficiencyThese tools ensure that AI systems can process massive amounts of data quickly and efficiently.Instead of working as separate parts, these technologies are designed to function together as a single system.<h2>The idea of an ‘AI factory’</h2>Nvidia describes modern data centres as “AI factories”. These are facilities designed to train and run AI models at scale.In this setup:GPUs act as the computing engineNetworking acts as the backboneStorage and software complete the systemNvidia’s strategy is to provide all these components as an integrated package.This approach allows companies to build large-scale AI systems more efficiently.Mellanox acquisition: The turning pointNvidia’s expansion into networking began with its acquisition of Mellanox in 2020 for $7 billion. Mellanox, an Israeli company, specialised in high-performance networking.At the time, the move did not attract much attention. However, it has since become a key part of Nvidia’s growth.Industry experts say the acquisition helped Nvidia turn its GPUs into a complete solution by adding the missing networking layer.<h2>Full-stack strategy: Why it matters</h2>Unlike companies that sell individual components, Nvidia is focusing on a full-stack approach.This means it offers:Hardware (GPUs and networking)Software toolsIntegrated systemsThe company also works through partners to deploy these systems globally.According to Nvidia executives, this integrated model gives the company an advantage, as AI workloads require tight coordination between compute and networking.<h2>New announcements at GTC</h2>At its recent GTC conference, Nvidia announced several updates to strengthen its AI infrastructure:New Rubin platform for AI supercomputingImproved Spectrum-X networking systemsInference memory storage solutionsThese developments aim to make AI systems faster and more efficient.Why this matters for the AI raceThe global AI race is no longer just about building better models. It is also about building the infrastructure that powers them.<h2>AI models require:</h2>Massive computing powerHigh-speed data transferEfficient system integrationNvidia’s networking business addresses these needs.Experts say the company’s success lies in understanding that networking is not just a support function it is central to how AI systems operate.<h2>The bigger picture</h2>Nvidia’s shift shows how the AI industry is evolving. Companies are moving from standalone tools to complete ecosystems. While GPUs remain critical, networking and infrastructure are becoming equally important. As demand for AI continues to grow, the ability to build and manage large-scale systems may define the next phase of the industry. Nvidia’s strategy suggests that the future of computing is not just about chips it is about how everything connects.

NVIDIA is evolving beyond GPUs into a full-stack AI infrastructure company, with its networking business emerging as a major growth driver. The division generated $11 billion in quarterly revenue and is now Nvidia’s second-largest segment. 

Nvidia has been known for its powerful graphics processing units (GPUs). These chips have become central to artificial intelligence. However, the company is now building much more than chips, and this shift is becoming increasingly important. Under CEO Jensen Huang, Nvidia has expanded into networking, infrastructure and full-stack AI systems that power modern data centres. Nvidia’s second-biggest business: Networking Nvidia’s networking division has quietly grown into one of its largest revenue drivers. According to the company’s latest earnings: $11 billion revenue in a single quarter 267 per cent year-on-year growth Over $31 billion annual revenue This makes networking Nvidia’s second-largest segment after compute. Analysts say this growth is directly linked to rising demand for AI infrastructure. Kevin Cook, a strategist at Zacks Investment Research, noted that Nvidia’s quarterly networking revenue is now comparable to what some traditional networking companies generate in a full year. What exactly is Nvidia building? Nvidia’s networking business focuses on connecting thousands of GPUs inside data centres. Key technologies include: NVLink: connects GPUs within servers InfiniBand switches: enable high-speed data transfer Spectrum-X: Ethernet platform designed for AI workloads Photonics switches: improve speed and energy efficiency These tools ensure that AI systems can process massive amounts of data quickly and efficiently. Instead of working as separate parts, these technologies are designed to function together as a single system. The idea of an ‘AI factory’ Nvidia describes modern data centres as “AI factories”. These are facilities designed to train and run AI models at scale. In this setup: GPUs act as the computing engine Networking acts as the backbone Storage and software complete the system Nvidia’s strategy is to provide all these components as an integrated package. This approach allows companies to build large-scale AI systems more efficiently. Mellanox acquisition: The turning point Nvidia’s expansion into networking began with its acquisition of Mellanox in 2020 for $7 billion. Mellanox, an Israeli company, specialised in high-performance networking. At the time, the move did not attract much attention. However, it has since become a key part of Nvidia’s growth. Industry experts say the acquisition helped Nvidia turn its GPUs into a complete solution by adding the missing networking layer. Full-stack strategy: Why it matters Unlike companies that sell individual components, Nvidia is focusing on a full-stack approach. This means it offers: Hardware (GPUs and networking) Software tools Integrated systems The company also works through partners to deploy these systems globally. According to Nvidia executives, this integrated model gives the company an advantage, as AI workloads require tight coordination between compute and networking. New announcements at GTC At its recent GTC conference, Nvidia announced several updates to strengthen its AI infrastructure: New Rubin platform for AI supercomputing Improved Spectrum-X networking systems Inference memory storage solutions These developments aim to make AI systems faster and more efficient. Why this matters for the AI race The global AI race is no longer just about building better models. It is also about building the infrastructure that powers them. AI models require: Massive computing power High-speed data transfer Efficient system integration Nvidia’s networking business addresses these needs. Experts say the company’s success lies in understanding that networking is not just a support function it is central to how AI systems operate. The bigger picture Nvidia’s shift shows how the AI industry is evolving. Companies are moving from standalone tools to complete ecosystems. While GPUs remain critical, networking and infrastructure are becoming equally important. As demand for AI continues to grow, the ability to build and manage large-scale systems may define the next phase of the industry. Nvidia’s strategy suggests that the future of computing is not just about chips it is about how everything connects.

NVIDIA is evolving beyond GPUs into a full-stack AI infrastructure company, with its networking business emerging as a major growth driver. The division generated $11 billion in quarterly revenue and is now Nvidia’s second-largest segment.&nbsp;

What is Nvidia building beyond chips, and why does it matter now?

The number of cars on the road is going to increase phenomenally and so will the energy import bills, and hence we need to move to sustainable mobility as fast as possible, said Vikram Gulati, Country Head &amp; EVP (Corporate Affairs &amp; Governance), Toyota Kirloskar Motor. He was addressing ‘Auto Pulse: The Future of Mobility,’ the automobile segment of the WION World Pulse summit in New Delhi on Wednesday (Mar 18).&nbsp;“Last calendar year, car sales in India were around 4.5 million, a six per cent growth year on year, and a penetration rate of 30 people per thousand. At the pace at which we are growing, and the market we see ahead, the number of cars on the road is going to increase phenomenally,” said Gulati.The market is very diverse and the needs of customers are very different, he said, adding, “At Toyota, we are looking at the end objective of decarbonisation, our goal is to achieve a life cycle of zero-carbon by 2050. Therefore, we believe that we need to move to sustainable mobility as fast as possible.”There would be multiple clean, sustainable technologies that would be needed, and so we need to act with speed and scale now, the Country Head &amp; EVP, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said.Reflecting on the competition between traditional fuel and electric, and hybrid vehicles, Gulati said the advantage is with incumbent technology, as petrol and diesel have been around for a hundred years, but the gap is closing fast because of technology evolution and the declining cost of key components in electric cars like batteries, besides scale, and the huge support the government is giving, like just five per cent of GST. In addition, state governments are also giving incentives.&nbsp;“With the new evolving technologies like flex fuel vehicles, there is no need for new infrastructure, and the fuel is also indigenous, so that can be a game changer for sustainability and self-reliance in energy going forward,” Gulati said.

Vikram Gulati, Country Head & EVP, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said car sales in India were around 4.5 million, a 6% growth year-on-year, and a penetration rate of 30 people per thousand. At the pace at which we are growing, the number of cars on the road is going to increase phenomenally.

The number of cars on the road is going to increase phenomenally and so will the energy import bills, and hence we need to move to sustainable mobility as fast as possible, said Vikram Gulati, Country Head & EVP (Corporate Affairs & Governance), Toyota Kirloskar Motor. He was addressing ‘Auto Pulse: The Future of Mobility,’ the automobile segment of the WION World Pulse summit in New Delhi on Wednesday (Mar 18). “Last calendar year, car sales in India were around 4.5 million, a six per cent growth year on year, and a penetration rate of 30 people per thousand. At the pace at which we are growing, and the market we see ahead, the number of cars on the road is going to increase phenomenally,” said Gulati. The market is very diverse and the needs of customers are very different, he said, adding, “At Toyota, we are looking at the end objective of decarbonisation, our goal is to achieve a life cycle of zero-carbon by 2050. Therefore, we believe that we need to move to sustainable mobility as fast as possible.” There would be multiple clean, sustainable technologies that would be needed, and so we need to act with speed and scale now, the Country Head & EVP, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said. Reflecting on the competition between traditional fuel and electric, and hybrid vehicles, Gulati said the advantage is with incumbent technology, as petrol and diesel have been around for a hundred years, but the gap is closing fast because of technology evolution and the declining cost of key components in electric cars like batteries, besides scale, and the huge support the government is giving, like just five per cent of GST. In addition, state governments are also giving incentives. “With the new evolving technologies like flex fuel vehicles, there is no need for new infrastructure, and the fuel is also indigenous, so that can be a game changer for sustainability and self-reliance in energy going forward,” Gulati said.

Vikram Gulati, Country Head &amp; EVP, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said car sales in India were around 4.5 million, a 6% growth year-on-year, and a penetration rate of 30 people per thousand. At the pace at which we are growing, the number of cars on the road is going to increase phenomenally.

Wion World Pulse: ‘We need to move to sustainable mobility as fast as possible’: Vikram Gulati

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) suffered widespread disruptions across India, according to Downdetector. Users reported being unable to refresh their feeds or open links shared on the platform, despite still receiving notifications. As of 8:17 pm IST, around 1,227 outage reports were logged nationwide. By 8:30 pm, that number had surged to over 4,500.&nbsp;For many users, the issue appeared identical. Notifications kept coming in, suggesting ongoing activity, but the main timeline refused to load. People repeatedly tried refreshing the feed, only to face a blank screen or a loading spinner that never ended. On the mobile app, a common error message popped up: “Cannot retrieve posts at this time. Please try again later.” This only added to the frustration, especially for those who depend on the platform for real-time news, updates, and discussions.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strait-of-hormuz-only-open-for-friends-iran-deputy-envoy-to-india-at-wion-world-pulse-summit-1773835938982">Strait of Hormuz only open for 'friends': Iran deputy envoy at WION World Pulse summit</a><h2>X down in the US as well?</h2>The problem wasn’t limited to India. Similar reports emerged from the United States, where more than 14,000 users flagged issues within a short period. This pointed to a broader, global outage rather than a localized glitch, affecting the platform’s core functionality.&nbsp;As complaints increased, users turned to other social media platforms to confirm whether others were experiencing the same problem. Soon, screenshots of the error messages and lighthearted jokes about the downtime began circulating, reinforcing that the disruption was widespread. Interestingly, while feeds and links failed to load, some features continued to work. Notifications were still being delivered, creating a confusing situation where users could see activity but couldn’t access it.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-anupam-kher-i-m-not-ready-for-any-lifetime-achievement-award-1773846906752/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-anupam-kher-i-m-not-ready-for-any-lifetime-achievement-award-1773846906752/embed</a>&nbsp;So far, the company has not provided a detailed explanation for the outage or an estimate for full recovery. Incidents like this are not uncommon for large platforms, where even minor technical issues can have widespread effects on millions of users.

X down in India: Platform suffers widespread outage, users report feed refresh failures

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) suffered widespread disruptions across India, according to Downdetector. Users reported being unable to refresh their feeds or open links shared on the platform, despite still receiving notifications. As of 8:17 pm IST, around 1,227 outage reports were logged nationwide. By 8:30 pm, that number had surged to over 4,500. For many users, the issue appeared identical. Notifications kept coming in, suggesting ongoing activity, but the main timeline refused to load. People repeatedly tried refreshing the feed, only to face a blank screen or a loading spinner that never ended. On the mobile app, a common error message popped up: “Cannot retrieve posts at this time. Please try again later.” This only added to the frustration, especially for those who depend on the platform for real-time news, updates, and discussions. Also Read: Strait of Hormuz only open for 'friends': Iran deputy envoy at WION World Pulse summit X down in the US as well? The problem wasn’t limited to India. Similar reports emerged from the United States, where more than 14,000 users flagged issues within a short period. This pointed to a broader, global outage rather than a localized glitch, affecting the platform’s core functionality. As complaints increased, users turned to other social media platforms to confirm whether others were experiencing the same problem. Soon, screenshots of the error messages and lighthearted jokes about the downtime began circulating, reinforcing that the disruption was widespread. Interestingly, while feeds and links failed to load, some features continued to work. Notifications were still being delivered, creating a confusing situation where users could see activity but couldn’t access it. https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-anupam-kher-i-m-not-ready-for-any-lifetime-achievement-award-1773846906752/embed So far, the company has not provided a detailed explanation for the outage or an estimate for full recovery. Incidents like this are not uncommon for large platforms, where even minor technical issues can have widespread effects on millions of users.

X faces a major outage in India, with over 4,500 reports. Users say feeds won’t refresh and links aren’t opening, though alerts still work

Technology experts, observers, and industry leaders converged at the WION World Pulse Summit in the national capital on Wednesday (Mar 18) to decode global tech strategies in accordance with the "Rhythm of the New World Order." &nbsp;The session featured Abhishek Singh, CEO, IndiaAI Mission; Nitin Pai, Co-Founder &amp; Director, Takshashila Institution; and Venk Krishnan, President, TiE Bangalore, and Founder, NuVentures.They discussed how Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging as a defining force in global geopolitics, reshaping how nations compete across economic, technological, and security domains. As countries invest heavily in advanced AI capabilities, India is stepping up its efforts to position itself as a serious contender. With a strong digital public infrastructure and a globally competitive IT sector, the country has key building blocks in place. However, the experts warned that bridging the gap in cutting-edge innovation will be critical if India aims to lead rather than follow in the AI race.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-ai-innovation-gap-agi-venk-krishnan-tie-bangalore-1773825551915">WION World Pulse | 'We will be fooling ourselves, if we don't innovate' in AI says TiE’s Venk Krishnan</a>&nbsp;Speaking on the broader implications, Nitin Pai, Co-Founder &amp; Director, Takshashila Institution, emphasised that AI must be viewed as a form of geopolitical power, not just a technological advancement. He argued that India should avoid putting all its bets on a single approach and instead pursue multiple pathways simultaneously, ranging from foundational research to applied AI development. This diversified strategy, he suggested, would allow India to remain flexible and resilient in a rapidly evolving landscape where technological shifts can quickly redefine leadership.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-saina-nehwal-receives-wion-icon-award-1773836990153/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-saina-nehwal-receives-wion-icon-award-1773836990153/embed</a>&nbsp;Highlighting the challenges, Venk Krishnan, President, TiE Bangalore, and Founder, pointed to a growing innovation gap, particularly in advanced AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). While India benefits from a deep talent pool and a vibrant startup ecosystem, he noted that the country still lags behind global leaders in breakthrough research and high-end model development. Closing this gap will require sustained investment, stronger research ecosystems, and closer collaboration between academia, industry, and government.Adding an industry perspective, leadership associated with the IndiaAI Mission, Abhishek Singh, CEO, stressed that India’s strength lies in scale and diversity. Rather than focusing on a single flagship AI model, multiple “homegrown” solutions are expected to emerge across sectors. The Indian IT industry, with its global reach and execution capabilities, is likely to play a central role in translating AI innovation into real-world applications.

AI is emerging as a geopolitical power; India must bridge innovation gaps, scale industry efforts, and adopt multi-path strategies to stay competitive

Technology experts, observers, and industry leaders converged at the WION World Pulse Summit in the national capital on Wednesday (Mar 18) to decode global tech strategies in accordance with the "Rhythm of the New World Order." The session featured Abhishek Singh, CEO, IndiaAI Mission; Nitin Pai, Co-Founder & Director, Takshashila Institution; and Venk Krishnan, President, TiE Bangalore, and Founder, NuVentures. They discussed how Artificial Intelligence is rapidly emerging as a defining force in global geopolitics, reshaping how nations compete across economic, technological, and security domains. As countries invest heavily in advanced AI capabilities, India is stepping up its efforts to position itself as a serious contender. With a strong digital public infrastructure and a globally competitive IT sector, the country has key building blocks in place. However, the experts warned that bridging the gap in cutting-edge innovation will be critical if India aims to lead rather than follow in the AI race. Also Read: WION World Pulse | 'We will be fooling ourselves, if we don't innovate' in AI says TiE’s Venk Krishnan Speaking on the broader implications, Nitin Pai, Co-Founder & Director, Takshashila Institution, emphasised that AI must be viewed as a form of geopolitical power, not just a technological advancement. He argued that India should avoid putting all its bets on a single approach and instead pursue multiple pathways simultaneously, ranging from foundational research to applied AI development. This diversified strategy, he suggested, would allow India to remain flexible and resilient in a rapidly evolving landscape where technological shifts can quickly redefine leadership. https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-saina-nehwal-receives-wion-icon-award-1773836990153/embed Highlighting the challenges, Venk Krishnan, President, TiE Bangalore, and Founder, pointed to a growing innovation gap, particularly in advanced AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). While India benefits from a deep talent pool and a vibrant startup ecosystem, he noted that the country still lags behind global leaders in breakthrough research and high-end model development. Closing this gap will require sustained investment, stronger research ecosystems, and closer collaboration between academia, industry, and government. Adding an industry perspective, leadership associated with the IndiaAI Mission, Abhishek Singh, CEO, stressed that India’s strength lies in scale and diversity. Rather than focusing on a single flagship AI model, multiple “homegrown” solutions are expected to emerge across sectors. The Indian IT industry, with its global reach and execution capabilities, is likely to play a central role in translating AI innovation into real-world applications.

AI is emerging as a geopolitical power; India must bridge innovation gaps, scale industry efforts, and adopt multi-path strategies to stay competitive

WION World Pulse: India bets on multi-track AI growth to stay competitive

Indian IT industry will play a big role in the AI domain, said Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI Mission, who is also the Director General of National Informatics Centre, (NIC), and Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). He was speaking at ‘Tech Pulse: Decoding Emerging Technologies,' the technology session of the Wion World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18).&nbsp;Referring to Indian artificial intelligence company Sarvam, he said that there are several Sarvams in the pipleline. Sarvam AI, founded in 2023, is a Bengaluru-headquartered Indian artificial intelligence company that develops large language models and multimodal AI systems with a focus on Indian languages and region-specific use cases.Singh also said that India will have AI use cases that will become the model for the world to monetise AI, and that the Indian IT industry will help add value by helping embed and integrate AI models into legacy systems.Singh said, “AI is already defining everything that we do, the way it is impacting our lives, geopolitics, industry, almost every dimension that we can think of, almost every sector is impacted by AI. And when it comes to India, primarily we rely on the key strength of India and our core strength for the development of AI is our talent base that we have, the human resources, which helped in digital transformation not only in India… but our companies and engineers have been building impactful solutions across the world.”Admitting that India is lagging behind the US and China in the AI industry, Singh said, “We have a very large population and a large access to data sets and multiple languages, and the natural corollary is that we should be leading in the field of AI, but currently we are at number three, and we are behind the US and China, and the gap is quite a bit.”“So we are trying to bridge that gap.”<h2>‘Our companies like Sarvam are competing with the best’</h2>“What we are seeing in the evolution of the Indian AI ecosystem is not what we had seen in the 90s when we relied on the advantage of our manpower systems,” he commented.&nbsp;"Currently, what I see is when companies like Sarvam and others are raising money and are building impactful products, they are competing with the best. Yesterday, in the GTC, Sarvam was counted along with six other companies and the Nemotron group that Nvidia has formed,” he said.Singh was referring to US chip giant Nvidia’s push for open and sovereign AI, for which it has brought together a group of global AI labs, including India’s Sarvam, to co-develop next-generation open foundation models under a new initiative called the Nemotron Coalition.The coalition, announced at Nvidia’s GTC conference, positions Sarvam among a select group of frontier AI players such as Mistral AI, Perplexity, Thinking Machines Lab, LangChain, Cursor, Reflection AI, and Black Forest Labs, working jointly on building open models that can rival proprietary systems.Sarvam will contribute its expertise in building multilingual and voice-first models tailored to local contexts, a key gap in current global AI systems.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-john-bolton-warns-iran-s-nuclear-ambitions-among-biggest-global-threats-1773836110196/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-john-bolton-warns-iran-s-nuclear-ambitions-among-biggest-global-threats-1773836110196/embed</a><h2>‘We are there right at the top when it comes to building products’</h2>“So, we are there right at the top when it comes to building products. On all international benchmarks, Sarvam’s models have performed way better than many of the more well-known models. At least 12 other companies are building similar products and a whole lot of other companies applied for building the foundational models.”“Our challenge currently is to ensure that I am able to allocate sufficient compute for the hunger that exists. So I am fully confident that it will not only be one Sarvam, but there will be several Sarvams in the pipeline, and on top of it, just like we innovated the digital public infrastructure, and we built up services across sectors, we will have AI use cases that will become the model for the world to monetize AI.”&nbsp;<h2>‘The West built AI models but just having the models is not sufficient’</h2>&nbsp;“The West has built the models but they still don’t know the way of getting returns on their investment because they don’t know how people will use it and how people will adopt it,” Singh pointed out.&nbsp;“Ultimately, you will have to orchestrate the whole thing, like the legacy system will have to embed the AI system, just having the models is not sufficient. You have to integrate the models into your systems, and that is where the India IT industry, that is where the TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra will add value,” he said.

Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI Mission, said that India will have AI use cases that will become the model for the world to monetize AI, and that the Indian IT industry will help add value by helping embed and integrate AI models into legacy systems.

Indian IT industry will play a big role in the AI domain, said Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI Mission, who is also the Director General of National Informatics Centre, (NIC), and Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). He was speaking at ‘Tech Pulse: Decoding Emerging Technologies,' the technology session of the Wion World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18). Referring to Indian artificial intelligence company Sarvam, he said that there are several Sarvams in the pipleline. Sarvam AI, founded in 2023, is a Bengaluru-headquartered Indian artificial intelligence company that develops large language models and multimodal AI systems with a focus on Indian languages and region-specific use cases. Singh also said that India will have AI use cases that will become the model for the world to monetise AI, and that the Indian IT industry will help add value by helping embed and integrate AI models into legacy systems. Singh said, “AI is already defining everything that we do, the way it is impacting our lives, geopolitics, industry, almost every dimension that we can think of, almost every sector is impacted by AI. And when it comes to India, primarily we rely on the key strength of India and our core strength for the development of AI is our talent base that we have, the human resources, which helped in digital transformation not only in India… but our companies and engineers have been building impactful solutions across the world.” Admitting that India is lagging behind the US and China in the AI industry, Singh said, “We have a very large population and a large access to data sets and multiple languages, and the natural corollary is that we should be leading in the field of AI, but currently we are at number three, and we are behind the US and China, and the gap is quite a bit.” “So we are trying to bridge that gap.” ‘Our companies like Sarvam are competing with the best’ “What we are seeing in the evolution of the Indian AI ecosystem is not what we had seen in the 90s when we relied on the advantage of our manpower systems,” he commented. "Currently, what I see is when companies like Sarvam and others are raising money and are building impactful products, they are competing with the best. Yesterday, in the GTC, Sarvam was counted along with six other companies and the Nemotron group that Nvidia has formed,” he said. Singh was referring to US chip giant Nvidia’s push for open and sovereign AI, for which it has brought together a group of global AI labs, including India’s Sarvam, to co-develop next-generation open foundation models under a new initiative called the Nemotron Coalition. The coalition, announced at Nvidia’s GTC conference, positions Sarvam among a select group of frontier AI players such as Mistral AI, Perplexity, Thinking Machines Lab, LangChain, Cursor, Reflection AI, and Black Forest Labs, working jointly on building open models that can rival proprietary systems. Sarvam will contribute its expertise in building multilingual and voice-first models tailored to local contexts, a key gap in current global AI systems. https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-world-pulse-john-bolton-warns-iran-s-nuclear-ambitions-among-biggest-global-threats-1773836110196/embed ‘We are there right at the top when it comes to building products’ “So, we are there right at the top when it comes to building products. On all international benchmarks, Sarvam’s models have performed way better than many of the more well-known models. At least 12 other companies are building similar products and a whole lot of other companies applied for building the foundational models.” “Our challenge currently is to ensure that I am able to allocate sufficient compute for the hunger that exists. So I am fully confident that it will not only be one Sarvam, but there will be several Sarvams in the pipeline, and on top of it, just like we innovated the digital public infrastructure, and we built up services across sectors, we will have AI use cases that will become the model for the world to monetize AI.” ‘The West built AI models but just having the models is not sufficient’ “The West has built the models but they still don’t know the way of getting returns on their investment because they don’t know how people will use it and how people will adopt it,” Singh pointed out. “Ultimately, you will have to orchestrate the whole thing, like the legacy system will have to embed the AI system, just having the models is not sufficient. You have to integrate the models into your systems, and that is where the India IT industry, that is where the TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra will add value,” he said.

Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI Mission, said that India will have AI use cases that will become the model for the world to monetise AI, and that the Indian IT industry will help add value by helping embed and integrate AI models into legacy systems.

Wion World Pulse: ‘Several Sarvams in pipeline, Indian IT industry will play big role in AI’: India AI Mission CEO

Nitin Pai, Co-Founder and Director of the Takshashila Institution, said that technology, especially artificial intelligence, is emerging as a key pillar of geopolitical power, and India must actively participate in shaping its future. While speaking at at the WION World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18), Pai was asked about India’s position in the global AI landscape and whether the country is investing enough in the sector. He said, "Tech is a form of geo-political power. Today is the era of geopolitics by tech, for tech and of tech. As per silicon valley mindset, India has no choice but to play the game and accumulate more power in terms of AI and Machine Learning: the only form of power in AI we can get when we have these LLMs &amp; a large number of servers like computing powers and chips, as well as build frontier models."However, Pai emphasised that India does not necessarily need to follow the same approach as Silicon Valley.&nbsp;He said, "I don't think that's the only way of getting national power. We are trying to build models and attempting to get computing power by playing our game. But you don't need to have your own DeepSeek to play that game."<h3>Our AI age will come from people: Nitin Pai</h3>He was asked what would happen if AI companies like Deepseek or Claude AI were shut down by China or the US. Then where would India stand in terms of that decision?&nbsp;“That’s not true, and it is also not true that we are late,” he said. "A lot of things are happening in India in terms of AI. But yes, it doesn’t necessarily match what Silicon Valley leaders like Sam Altman expect. The Indian path is different. Our AI age will come from people. They will build systems like DeepSeek, Sarvam AI, and BharatGen."Pai further highlighted that the real strength of India’s AI ecosystem will come from widespread adoption across sectors.&nbsp;"The thrust of India’s power in AI will come when people adopt it in their daily work—whether doctors, lawyers, or other professionals. The next thing India will do is that Indian companies will help the world adopt AI," he added.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/wion-s-world-pulse-india-must-aim-for-self-reliance-in-critical-sectors-sanjeev-sanyal-on-changing-world-order-1773820692618">WION World Pulse | 'India must aim for self-reliance in critical sectors': Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council of Indian PM</a>

Nitin Pai, Co-Founder and Director of the Takshashila Institution, spoke at the Wion World Pulse summit. He discussed LLMs, a large number of servers and frontier models being developed in India.

Nitin Pai, Co-Founder and Director of the Takshashila Institution, said that technology, especially artificial intelligence, is emerging as a key pillar of geopolitical power, and India must actively participate in shaping its future. While speaking at at the WION World Pulse summit on Wednesday (Mar 18), Pai was asked about India’s position in the global AI landscape and whether the country is investing enough in the sector. He said, "Tech is a form of geo-political power. Today is the era of geopolitics by tech, for tech and of tech. As per silicon valley mindset, India has no choice but to play the game and accumulate more power in terms of AI and Machine Learning: the only form of power in AI we can get when we have these LLMs & a large number of servers like computing powers and chips, as well as build frontier models." However, Pai emphasised that India does not necessarily need to follow the same approach as Silicon Valley. He said, "I don't think that's the only way of getting national power. We are trying to build models and attempting to get computing power by playing our game. But you don't need to have your own DeepSeek to play that game." Our AI age will come from people: Nitin Pai He was asked what would happen if AI companies like Deepseek or Claude AI were shut down by China or the US. Then where would India stand in terms of that decision? “That’s not true, and it is also not true that we are late,” he said. "A lot of things are happening in India in terms of AI. But yes, it doesn’t necessarily match what Silicon Valley leaders like Sam Altman expect. The Indian path is different. Our AI age will come from people. They will build systems like DeepSeek, Sarvam AI, and BharatGen." Pai further highlighted that the real strength of India’s AI ecosystem will come from widespread adoption across sectors. "The thrust of India’s power in AI will come when people adopt it in their daily work—whether doctors, lawyers, or other professionals. The next thing India will do is that Indian companies will help the world adopt AI," he added. Also read: WION World Pulse | 'India must aim for self-reliance in critical sectors': Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council of Indian PM

Nitin Pai, Co-Founder and Director of the Takshashila Institution, spoke at the Wion World Pulse summit. He discussed LLMs, a large number of servers and frontier models being developed in India.

WION World Pulse | 'AI is new geopolitical power': Nitin Pai on India’s strategy towards new technologies

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased the FASTag Annual Pass fee, effective from April 1, 2026. After the increase, the annual pass will cost Rs 3,075, up from the earlier price of Rs 3,000. The pass allows up to 200 toll crossings or one year of travel, whichever comes first.&nbsp;The annual pass, which was rolled out on August 15 last year, was originally announced by NHAI in June 2025. The revised fee applies to this prepaid toll plan, which is designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The revision in the fee has been carried out in accordance with the provisions of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008,” reads a press release by the Ministry of Road Transport &amp; Highways.&nbsp;“With over 56 lakh users, the adoption of the FASTag Annual Pass has been growing among private vehicle owners. The revised rate will be applicable for eligible non-commercial vehicles with a valid FASTag seeking to avail the Annual Pass facility at about 1,150 fee plazas on National Highways and National Expressways," the release added.<h3>To purchase a FASTag Annual Pass online, follow these steps:</h3><ul><li>Start by visiting the Rajmarg Yatra app or the official NHAI/MoRTH website.&nbsp;</li><li>Log in using your vehicle number and FASTag ID.&nbsp;</li><li>Ensure that your FASTag is active, properly installed, and linked to your vehicle.</li><li>Next, make the payment of Rs 3,000 (Rs 3,075 effective from April 1, 2026) through available online options such as UPI, debit or credit card, or net banking.</li><li>Once the payment is completed, the annual pass will be linked to your existing FASTag, and you will receive an SMS confirming its activation.</li><li>The pass is typically activated within two hours after successful payment via the Rajmarg Yatra app or the National Highways Authority of India website.</li></ul>The FASTag Annual Pass empower private vehicle owners to pay a one-time fee instead of recharging their FASTag often in order to cross the toll. The pass can be utilised at nearly 1,150 toll plazas across National Highways and National Expressways. This is available only for non-commercial vehicles that already have a valid FASTag linked to the vehicle.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fresh-snowfall-affects-normal-life-in-kashmir-triggers-rescues-and-road-closures-1773737645165">Fresh snowfall affects normal life in Kashmir, triggers rescues and road closures</a>

The annual pass, which was rolled out on August 15 last year, was originally announced by NHAI in June 2025. The revised fee applies to this prepaid toll plan, which is designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has increased the FASTag Annual Pass fee, effective from April 1, 2026. After the increase, the annual pass will cost Rs 3,075, up from the earlier price of Rs 3,000. The pass allows up to 200 toll crossings or one year of travel, whichever comes first. The annual pass, which was rolled out on August 15 last year, was originally announced by NHAI in June 2025. The revised fee applies to this prepaid toll plan, which is designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans. “The revision in the fee has been carried out in accordance with the provisions of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008,” reads a press release by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. “With over 56 lakh users, the adoption of the FASTag Annual Pass has been growing among private vehicle owners. The revised rate will be applicable for eligible non-commercial vehicles with a valid FASTag seeking to avail the Annual Pass facility at about 1,150 fee plazas on National Highways and National Expressways," the release added. To purchase a FASTag Annual Pass online, follow these steps: Start by visiting the Rajmarg Yatra app or the official NHAI/MoRTH website. Log in using your vehicle number and FASTag ID. Ensure that your FASTag is active, properly installed, and linked to your vehicle. Next, make the payment of Rs 3,000 (Rs 3,075 effective from April 1, 2026) through available online options such as UPI, debit or credit card, or net banking. Once the payment is completed, the annual pass will be linked to your existing FASTag, and you will receive an SMS confirming its activation. The pass is typically activated within two hours after successful payment via the Rajmarg Yatra app or the National Highways Authority of India website. The FASTag Annual Pass empower private vehicle owners to pay a one-time fee instead of recharging their FASTag often in order to cross the toll. The pass can be utilised at nearly 1,150 toll plazas across National Highways and National Expressways. This is available only for non-commercial vehicles that already have a valid FASTag linked to the vehicle. Also read: Fresh snowfall affects normal life in Kashmir, triggers rescues and road closures

The annual pass, which was rolled out on August 15 last year, was originally announced by NHAI in June 2025. The revised fee applies to this prepaid toll plan, which is designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans.&nbsp;

FASTag Annual Pass fee gets costlier from April 1: Check new price & how to buy it online

Apple has launched the AirPods Max 2, the second generation of its premium over-ear headphones, first introduced in 2020. The new model brings several upgrades including stronger noise cancellation, improved sound processing, live translation and a new H2 chip designed for better audio performance.Apple said the headphones will cost $549 and will be available for pre-order starting March 25, with sales expected to begin early next month.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Headphones that are so much more than just headphones! The new AirPods Max 2 have even better audio, even better ANC, and even better features like Adaptive Audio and Live Translation. <a href="https://t.co/tXnOxPCLor">pic.twitter.com/tXnOxPCLor</a>&mdash; Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) <a href="https://twitter.com/gregjoz/status/2033530330892648462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Improved noise cancellation and adaptive audio</h2>One of the most noticeable upgrades in AirPods Max 2 is the improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system.According to Apple, the new headphones deliver up to 1.5 times stronger noise cancellation compared with the previous generation. The device also introduces Adaptive Audio, which automatically adjusts the balance between noise cancellation and transparency depending on the environment. This means the headphones can reduce background noise in crowded spaces while still allowing important sounds to pass through when necessary. H2 chip improves sound and transparency modeThe new headphones are powered by Apple’s H2 audio chip, which also appears in newer AirPods models. The company said the chip enables a new digital signal processing algorithm that improves how the microphones and speakers work together. As a result, Transparency mode now sounds more natural, allowing users to hear nearby conversations or environmental sounds without removing the headphones. Apple said the system processes audio signals faster, helping users remain aware of their surroundings.<h2>New features: Live translation and voice isolation</h2>One of the notable additions is Live Translation, a feature that helps users communicate across languages in real time.The feature works with Apple devices to translate conversations during in-person interactions.AirPods Max 2 also introduces Voice Isolation, which uses computational audio technology to prioritise the user’s voice during calls while reducing background noise.Apple said this feature may benefit professionals such as journalists, podcasters and creators who need clearer audio recordings.Camera remote and improved spatial audiThe headphones also come with a Camera Remote feature.Users can press the Digital Crown on the headphones to take a photo or start video recording on an iPhone or iPad.Another improvement is Spatial Audio, which Apple says now offers:Better positioning of instrumentsImproved bass responseMore balanced mid and high frequenciesThe headphones also support 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio when connected using a USB-C cable.Price, colours and availability<h2>Apple said the AirPods Max 2 will be available in five colour options:</h2>MidnightStarlightOrangePurpleBlueThe headphones will launch in more than 30 countries and regions.Apple has also added a Loud Sound Reduction feature, designed to lower sudden loud environmental noise while maintaining the original sound quality of music or audio content.<h2>What this launch means for Apple’s audio lineup</h2>The AirPods Max series is Apple’s premium headphone line, positioned above its in-ear AirPods products.The new model arrives nearly five years after the first AirPods Max, signalling Apple’s continued investment in high-end audio devices.With improved noise cancellation, computational audio features and language tools such as live translation, the AirPods Max 2 aims to expand the role of headphones beyond listening to music.

Apple has launched the AirPods Max 2, the second generation of its premium over-ear headphones. The new model features stronger active noise cancellation, Apple’s H2 chip, adaptive audio, live translation, and voice isolation. 

Apple has launched the AirPods Max 2, the second generation of its premium over-ear headphones, first introduced in 2020. The new model brings several upgrades including stronger noise cancellation, improved sound processing, live translation and a new H2 chip designed for better audio performance. Apple said the headphones will cost $549 and will be available for pre-order starting March 25, with sales expected to begin early next month.

Apple has launched the AirPods Max 2, the second generation of its premium over-ear headphones. The new model features stronger active noise cancellation, Apple’s H2 chip, adaptive audio, live translation, and voice isolation.&nbsp;

Apple launches AirPods Max 2 with improved ANC, live translation and H2 chip: Here are the key upgrades

The publisher of one of the world’s most well-known reference encyclopedias, Britannica, has taken legal action against OpenAI. Its dictionary subsidiary, Merriam-Webster, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in Manhattan federal court.The complaint alleges that OpenAI used Britannica’s online articles, encyclopedia entries and dictionary definitions to train its AI chatbot ChatGPT without permission. The companies claim this practice may have diverted readers away from their websites and reduced their online traffic.<h2>What Britannica alleges in the lawsuit</h2>According to the legal filing, Britannica argues that OpenAI copied a large amount of its reference material to train large language models. The complaint states that nearly 100,000 Britannica articles may have been used during the training process. Britannica also claims that ChatGPT sometimes produces responses that closely resemble its encyclopedia entries or dictionary definitions. The company said such outputs could lead users to rely on AI-generated answers instead of visiting Britannica’s own platforms. The lawsuit further alleges that OpenAI’s system occasionally cites Britannica as a source in responses that may contain incorrect information, which the company described as misleading. Britannica is seeking monetary damages and a court order that could block the alleged infringement.<h2>Part of a wider legal battle over AI training data</h2>The case is part of a growing series of lawsuits against artificial intelligence companies. Authors, news organizations, and publishers have increasingly challenged how technology firms collect data to train AI models. Many copyright owners argue that their material is used without permission or compensation. Britannica itself filed another lawsuit last year against Perplexity AI, which is still ongoing.<h2>How AI companies defend their practices</h2>Artificial intelligence developers have largely defended the way their systems are trained. Companies, including OpenAI, argue that training AI models on large datasets qualifies as “fair use” under copyright law. They say the technology does not reproduce original works directly but instead transforms the data into new outputs generated by machine learning models. Legal experts say the courts will ultimately decide how copyright law applies to generative AI.<h2>Why the outcome could matter for the AI industry</h2>The case highlights the tension between AI innovation and copyright protection. Large language models require vast amounts of data to learn language patterns and knowledge. Much of that data comes from publicly available content on the internet.However, publishers argue that if AI systems summarise their work, it could affect advertising revenue and subscription models. According to industry analysts, the outcome of these legal disputes may influence how AI companies collect and license data in the future.<h2>The bigger picture</h2>Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have expanded rapidly in recent years, attracting hundreds of millions of users worldwide. At the same time, concerns about copyright, transparency and data usage have grown among publishers and creators. The lawsuit by Encyclopaedia Britannica adds another high-profile case to the debate over how artificial intelligence systems should be trained. As courts begin examining these claims, the decisions could shape the rules for AI development, data ownership and digital publishing in the coming years.

Encyclopaedia Britannica and its dictionary subsidiary Merriam-Webster have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in Manhattan federal court. The complaint alleges that OpenAI used nearly 100,000 Britannica articles and dictionary definitions to train ChatGPT without permission. 

The publisher of one of the world’s most well-known reference encyclopedias, Britannica, has taken legal action against OpenAI. Its dictionary subsidiary, Merriam-Webster, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in Manhattan federal court. The complaint alleges that OpenAI used Britannica’s online articles, encyclopedia entries and dictionary definitions to train its AI chatbot ChatGPT without permission. The companies claim this practice may have diverted readers away from their websites and reduced their online traffic. What Britannica alleges in the lawsuit According to the legal filing, Britannica argues that OpenAI copied a large amount of its reference material to train large language models. The complaint states that nearly 100,000 Britannica articles may have been used during the training process. Britannica also claims that ChatGPT sometimes produces responses that closely resemble its encyclopedia entries or dictionary definitions. The company said such outputs could lead users to rely on AI-generated answers instead of visiting Britannica’s own platforms. The lawsuit further alleges that OpenAI’s system occasionally cites Britannica as a source in responses that may contain incorrect information, which the company described as misleading. Britannica is seeking monetary damages and a court order that could block the alleged infringement. Part of a wider legal battle over AI training data The case is part of a growing series of lawsuits against artificial intelligence companies. Authors, news organizations, and publishers have increasingly challenged how technology firms collect data to train AI models. Many copyright owners argue that their material is used without permission or compensation. Britannica itself filed another lawsuit last year against Perplexity AI, which is still ongoing. How AI companies defend their practices Artificial intelligence developers have largely defended the way their systems are trained. Companies, including OpenAI, argue that training AI models on large datasets qualifies as “fair use” under copyright law. They say the technology does not reproduce original works directly but instead transforms the data into new outputs generated by machine learning models. Legal experts say the courts will ultimately decide how copyright law applies to generative AI. Why the outcome could matter for the AI industry The case highlights the tension between AI innovation and copyright protection. Large language models require vast amounts of data to learn language patterns and knowledge. Much of that data comes from publicly available content on the internet. However, publishers argue that if AI systems summarise their work, it could affect advertising revenue and subscription models. According to industry analysts, the outcome of these legal disputes may influence how AI companies collect and license data in the future. The bigger picture Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT have expanded rapidly in recent years, attracting hundreds of millions of users worldwide. At the same time, concerns about copyright, transparency and data usage have grown among publishers and creators. The lawsuit by Encyclopaedia Britannica adds another high-profile case to the debate over how artificial intelligence systems should be trained. As courts begin examining these claims, the decisions could shape the rules for AI development, data ownership and digital publishing in the coming years.

Encyclopaedia Britannica and its dictionary subsidiary Merriam-Webster have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in Manhattan federal court. The complaint alleges that OpenAI used nearly 100,000 Britannica articles and dictionary definitions to train ChatGPT without permission.&nbsp;

Nearly 100,000 articles copied without permission? Britannica files lawsuit against OpenAI

The Iranian police have arrested a man in the southern Fars Province for allegedly leading a network that provided access to the internet via Starlink terminals, a technology that is banned in Iran, amid a ban in the country, the ISNA news agency reported on Friday. Iran has enforced a complete internet shutdown and digitally sealed off the country from the rest of the world since the start of the ongoing war with the IS and Israel that broke out on February 28.&nbsp;In a bid to access the internet, some Iranians tried to get around those restrictions by turning to Starlink terminals from the US company SpaceX, which connect to the internet via satellites. However, doing so is a criminal offence in Iran and is punishable with prison time.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-going-to-be-hitting-them-very-hard-over-the-next-week-trump-warns-iran-1773421896323">‘Going to be hitting them very hard over the next week’: Trump warns Iran</a>&nbsp;“A 37-year-old man, who had put in place a network in several provinces of the country to sell access to the unrestricted internet via Starlink, has been arrested in Shiraz,” ISNA reported, citing a deputy police commander for Fars province, but did not mention when the arrest took place.Under Iranian law, people found guilty of the “use, transportation, purchase, or sale of electronic internet communication devices such as Starlink” used to access banned content can be jailed for up to two years.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-us-close-to-critical-minerals-deal-announcement-likely-soon-ambassador-sergio-gor-1773409906075">‘India, US close to critical minerals deal, announcement likely soon:’ Ambassador Sergio Gor</a><h2>Internet blackout in Iran since the start of war&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;It is still very difficult to contact those inside Iran amid the internet outage imposed by the government at the start of the war, but some tech-savvy residents have been using Starlink devices and sharing their connection with others.&nbsp;Iranians were previously placed under an 18-day internet blackout in January, the longest so far, amid the anti-government protests during which thousands were killed.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uavs-sighted-between-rawalpindi-and-islamabad-shot-down-pak-denies-airspace-closure-reports-1773419261615">UAVs sighted between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, shot down; Pak denies airspace closure reports</a>&nbsp;The authorities had then managed to disrupt the operation of Starlink terminals.&nbsp;Elon Musk’s Sarlink had proved to be a communication lifeline for some protesters in Iran, but then Tehran deployed military-grade GPS jammers to prevent people from accessing or sending out information.&nbsp;Starlink terminals use GPS signals to locate themselves and connect to satellites. Iran disrupted these signals to cut off access.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oil-tanker-with-indian-captain-went-dark-to-cross-high-risk-strait-of-hormuz-reach-mumbai-1773315721972">Oil tanker, with Indian captain, went ‘dark’ to cross high-risk Strait of Hormuz, reach Mumbai</a><h2>‘Iran’s military destroyed 111 enemy drones so far’</h2>&nbsp;Iran's military has destroyed 111 enemy drones since the start of the Middle East war, the Revolutionary Guard’s Sepah News portal reported on Friday.&nbsp;It said the Guards had destroyed an MQ-9 over Fars province and another aircraft in Tabriz but did not provide a breakup of how many were cheap, one-way explosive drones versus more sophisticated multi-use aircraft such as the MQ-9.

It is still very difficult to contact those inside Iran amid the internet outage imposed by the government at the start of the war, but some tech-savvy residents have been using Starlink devices and sharing their connection with others.

The Iranian police have arrested a man in the southern Fars Province for allegedly leading a network that provided access to the internet via Starlink terminals, a technology that is banned in Iran, amid a ban in the country, the ISNA news agency reported on Friday. Iran has enforced a complete internet shutdown and digitally sealed off the country from the rest of the world since the start of the ongoing war with the IS and Israel that broke out on February 28. In a bid to access the internet, some Iranians tried to get around those restrictions by turning to Starlink terminals from the US company SpaceX, which connect to the internet via satellites. However, doing so is a criminal offence in Iran and is punishable with prison time. Also Read: ‘Going to be hitting them very hard over the next week’: Trump warns Iran “A 37-year-old man, who had put in place a network in several provinces of the country to sell access to the unrestricted internet via Starlink, has been arrested in Shiraz,” ISNA reported, citing a deputy police commander for Fars province, but did not mention when the arrest took place. Under Iranian law, people found guilty of the “use, transportation, purchase, or sale of electronic internet communication devices such as Starlink” used to access banned content can be jailed for up to two years. Also Read: ‘India, US close to critical minerals deal, announcement likely soon:’ Ambassador Sergio Gor Internet blackout in Iran since the start of war It is still very difficult to contact those inside Iran amid the internet outage imposed by the government at the start of the war, but some tech-savvy residents have been using Starlink devices and sharing their connection with others. Iranians were previously placed under an 18-day internet blackout in January, the longest so far, amid the anti-government protests during which thousands were killed. Also Read: UAVs sighted between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, shot down; Pak denies airspace closure reports The authorities had then managed to disrupt the operation of Starlink terminals. Elon Musk’s Sarlink had proved to be a communication lifeline for some protesters in Iran, but then Tehran deployed military-grade GPS jammers to prevent people from accessing or sending out information. Starlink terminals use GPS signals to locate themselves and connect to satellites. Iran disrupted these signals to cut off access. Also Read: Oil tanker, with Indian captain, went ‘dark’ to cross high-risk Strait of Hormuz, reach Mumbai ‘Iran’s military destroyed 111 enemy drones so far’ Iran's military has destroyed 111 enemy drones since the start of the Middle East war, the Revolutionary Guard’s Sepah News portal reported on Friday. It said the Guards had destroyed an MQ-9 over Fars province and another aircraft in Tabriz but did not provide a breakup of how many were cheap, one-way explosive drones versus more sophisticated multi-use aircraft such as the MQ-9.

It is still very difficult to contact those inside Iran amid the internet outage imposed by the government at the start of the war, but some tech-savvy residents have been using Starlink devices and sharing their connection with others.

Iran arrests man, accuses him of running Starlink internet network: Report

Artificial intelligence could soon become a basic service similar to electricity or water, according to Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI. Speaking at the BlackRock US Infrastructure Summit in Washington DC, Altman said future users may pay for AI based on how much they use it, much like electricity consumption.In his view, artificial intelligence could gradually shift from being seen as a complex technology to becoming a simple everyday service.“We see a future where intelligence is a utility like electricity or water and people buy it from us on a meter,” Altman said during the event.<h2>AI could become a metered service</h2>Altman suggested that instead of paying a fixed monthly subscription, users might eventually pay for AI based on usage.This model would work similarly to electricity or water billing. The more computing power a person or company consumes, the more they pay.Such a model would allow businesses and individuals to access powerful AI tools without committing to expensive long-term plans.Many technology companies already follow a similar approach in cloud computing services, where customers pay based on processing power or data usage.

<h2>AI already transforming workplaces</h2>According to Altman, AI systems are rapidly changing how work gets done in several industries.One of the clearest examples is software development. AI tools can now generate code and complete tasks that might take human engineers several hours.But coding is only one part of the transformation.<h2>AI is also being used for:</h2>Scientific researchData analysisBusiness planningWriting and documentationCustomer service automation

In companies, employees are spending less time performing technical tasks and more time guiding AI systems that carry out the work. Altman said this trend could expand further as AI models become more capable. AI may soon handle longer and more complex projectsAt present, many AI systems can complete tasks that normally take a few hours.However, Altman expects these systems to soon handle projects that take several days or even weeks.This shift would allow AI tools to manage more complex workflows, from research and planning to coding and product development.Altman also said he personally uses AI frequently while working at OpenAI. When he develops new product ideas or business strategies, he often asks AI systems for feedback before discussing them with colleagues.<h2>The infrastructure behind AI</h2>Although the future may look simple for users, the technology behind AI requires enormous infrastructure.Large AI models run in massive data centres filled with specialised hardware such as GPUs. These facilities consume significant amounts of electricity and require complex cooling and maintenance systems.Altman described them as large campuses where thousands of workers help build and maintain computing infrastructure.To support growing demand, OpenAI has been expanding partnerships with companies including Nvidia, Amazon, and SoftBank.These partnerships help provide the computing power needed to train and run advanced AI models.<h2>Making AI widely accessible</h2>Altman said the long-term goal is to make AI available to as many people as possible.If AI becomes as common as electricity, people may stop thinking about the technology itself. Instead, they will simply use it whenever they need help writing, analysing information, solving problems or building products.For Altman, this shift could mark the next stage of the AI industry where intelligence becomes a widely available service rather than a specialised tool.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said artificial intelligence could eventually become a basic utility similar to electricity or water. Speaking at the BlackRock US Infrastructure Summit, Altman suggested future users may pay for AI based on usage, rather than fixed subscriptions. 

Artificial intelligence could soon become a basic service similar to electricity or water, according to Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI. Speaking at the BlackRock US Infrastructure Summit in Washington DC, Altman said future users may pay for AI based on how much they use it, much like electricity consumption. In his view, artificial intelligence could gradually shift from being seen as a complex technology to becoming a simple everyday service. “We see a future where intelligence is a utility like electricity or water and people buy it from us on a meter,” Altman said during the event. AI could become a metered service Altman suggested that instead of paying a fixed monthly subscription, users might eventually pay for AI based on usage. This model would work similarly to electricity or water billing. The more computing power a person or company consumes, the more they pay. Such a model would allow businesses and individuals to access powerful AI tools without committing to expensive long-term plans. Many technology companies already follow a similar approach in cloud computing services, where customers pay based on processing power or data usage.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said artificial intelligence could eventually become a basic utility similar to electricity or water. Speaking at the BlackRock US Infrastructure Summit, Altman suggested future users may pay for AI based on usage, rather than fixed subscriptions.&nbsp;

AI could become a utility like electricity, says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Meta has reportedly delayed the release of its new artificial intelligence model, codenamed Avocado, after the system failed to meet internal performance benchmarks.According to a report by The New York Times, the company had initially planned to launch the model earlier this year. However, Meta has now pushed the rollout to at least May while engineers work to improve its performance.The delay highlights the intense competition among major AI companies as they race to develop more powerful large language models.<h2>Avocado falls behind rival AI models</h2>Internal testing reportedly showed that Meta’s Avocado model struggled to match the latest systems from competitors.According to the report, Avocado did not outperform Gemini 3, the AI model launched by Google last year. However, Avocado reportedly performed better than Gemini 2.5 and also improved upon Meta’s earlier models, such as Llama 4.Industry analysts say these benchmark comparisons are critical because large language models compete directly on reasoning ability, coding performance and accuracy.Meta has not publicly confirmed the exact performance scores from its internal tests.<h2>Meta may temporarily licence Google’s AI models</h2>The report also said that Meta executives have discussed the possibility of licensing Google’s Gemini models temporarily. This move could allow Meta to maintain the performance of its AI chatbot, Meta AI, while the company continues to develop Avocado. Meta AI is integrated across several major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Licensing a rival model would help Meta avoid losing users to competing AI services. Such arrangements are becoming more common in the industry. For example, Apple recently announced plans to integrate Gemini into its Siri assistant.<h2>Superintelligence Labs working on next-generation AI</h2>Avocado is the first major model being developed by Meta’s new Superintelligence Labs (MSL) division. The unit is led by Alexandr Wang, whose startup Scale AI was acquired by Meta last year in a deal valued at about $14.5 billion.Reports suggest Avocado is designed to focus on:logical reasoningsoftware development tasksagentic AI capabilitiesAgentic systems are designed to perform multi-step tasks independently, rather than simply generating responses like traditional chatbots.The division is also working on another AI model called Mango, which focuses on image generation.<h2>Meta increases spending on AI infrastructure</h2>Despite the delay, Meta continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence development.The company has announced plans to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion on AI infrastructure this year, including data centres, chips and computing systems needed to train advanced AI models.Meta has also recently acquired the AI-focused social platform Moltbook, whose development team will join the Superintelligence Labs division.The move reflects the broader strategy of expanding research into AI agents and next-generation models.<h2>Growing competition in the AI industry</h2>The delay of Avocado illustrates the growing pressure among technology companies competing in the AI race.Major firms including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic continue to release increasingly advanced models.As these systems become more capable, companies are focusing not only on chatbots but also on AI agents capable of performing complex tasks.For Meta, improving Avocado’s performance will be important to remain competitive in this rapidly evolving market.

Meta has delayed the release of its new AI model Avocado after internal tests showed it failed to meet performance benchmarks against rival systems. According to reports, the model underperformed compared with Google’s Gemini 3, though it improved on earlier Meta models like Llama 4. 

Meta has reportedly delayed the release of its new artificial intelligence model, codenamed Avocado, after the system failed to meet internal performance benchmarks. According to a report by The New York Times, the company had initially planned to launch the model earlier this year. However, Meta has now pushed the rollout to at least May while engineers work to improve its performance. The delay highlights the intense competition among major AI companies as they race to develop more powerful large language models. Avocado falls behind rival AI models Internal testing reportedly showed that Meta’s Avocado model struggled to match the latest systems from competitors. According to the report, Avocado did not outperform Gemini 3, the AI model launched by Google last year. However, Avocado reportedly performed better than Gemini 2.5 and also improved upon Meta’s earlier models, such as Llama 4. Industry analysts say these benchmark comparisons are critical because large language models compete directly on reasoning ability, coding performance and accuracy. Meta has not publicly confirmed the exact performance scores from its internal tests. Meta may temporarily licence Google’s AI models The report also said that Meta executives have discussed the possibility of licensing Google’s Gemini models temporarily. This move could allow Meta to maintain the performance of its AI chatbot, Meta AI, while the company continues to develop Avocado. Meta AI is integrated across several major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Licensing a rival model would help Meta avoid losing users to competing AI services. Such arrangements are becoming more common in the industry. For example, Apple recently announced plans to integrate Gemini into its Siri assistant. Superintelligence Labs working on next-generation AI Avocado is the first major model being developed by Meta’s new Superintelligence Labs (MSL) division. The unit is led by Alexandr Wang, whose startup Scale AI was acquired by Meta last year in a deal valued at about $14.5 billion. Reports suggest Avocado is designed to focus on: logical reasoning software development tasks agentic AI capabilities Agentic systems are designed to perform multi-step tasks independently, rather than simply generating responses like traditional chatbots. The division is also working on another AI model called Mango, which focuses on image generation. Meta increases spending on AI infrastructure Despite the delay, Meta continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence development. The company has announced plans to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion on AI infrastructure this year, including data centres, chips and computing systems needed to train advanced AI models. Meta has also recently acquired the AI-focused social platform Moltbook, whose development team will join the Superintelligence Labs division. The move reflects the broader strategy of expanding research into AI agents and next-generation models. Growing competition in the AI industry The delay of Avocado illustrates the growing pressure among technology companies competing in the AI race. Major firms including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic continue to release increasingly advanced models. As these systems become more capable, companies are focusing not only on chatbots but also on AI agents capable of performing complex tasks. For Meta, improving Avocado’s performance will be important to remain competitive in this rapidly evolving market.

Meta has delayed the release of its new AI model Avocado after internal tests showed it failed to meet performance benchmarks against rival systems. According to reports, the model underperformed compared with Google’s Gemini 3, though it improved on earlier Meta models like Llama 4.&nbsp;

Meta delays ‘Avocado’ AI model after failing internal performance tests, report says

An investigation has been launched after some customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland were able to see the transactions of other users on their accounts when they logged into their app on Thursday. Several customers reported difficulties while logging into their bank accounts, and some were able to see the account details of others. A woman confirmed that she encountered the accounts of six different users on the Bank of Scotland app, along with some national insurance numbers, for 20 minutes, BBC reported. She found benefits payments from the Department for Work and Pensions, which uses National Insurance numbers of recipients as payment references. She also noticed transactions linked to &nbsp;Waitrose, even though she does not live near one of the supermarket’s stores.<h3>Lloyds Banking Group responds</h3>In response, a spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group apologised and said the issue had been resolved quickly, but some customers continued to report problems logging into their bank accounts. In a Facebook post, consumer advocate Martin Lewis said people had been contacting him about “being shown other people’s transactions”. The founder of MoneySavingExpert then received nearly 2,000 comments from concerned bank customers. Many said they could view other people’s names and transactions, while some feared their accounts had been hacked. In another post, Shirley Finlayson said that when she logged into the Bank of Scotland app, she saw several transactions, including one dating back to 2024. She added that outgoing payments displayed the recipient’s full details, including their name, bank account and sort code. Another user, identified as Jill Steel, confirmed that when she logged into her account in the Lloyds app, she was witnessing the financial details of 30 people. “Can see names plus corresponding account numbers and sort codes. NI numbers if they’re receiving any benefits.” Responding to customers on social media, Halifax stated that it was aware some customers were “having issues with viewing transactions and balances right now”. “We’re sorry that some customers experienced an issue viewing transactions in the app for a short time this morning. The issue was quickly resolved, and we’re looking into what happened," a Lloyds spokesperson said.<h3>Previous incident</h3>This is not the first time apps run by Lloyds Banking Group have encountered problems. The apps for Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland were hit by technical issues during broader UK banking app outages on payday in January and February 2025. The disruptions led to thousands of users reporting problems on the outage-tracking platform Downdetector, prompting consumer groups and officials to urge banks to strengthen the resilience of their digital systems.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indian-rupee-slides-to-record-low-of-92-35-per-dollar-amid-iran-war-more-details-inside-1773311169729">Indian rupee slides to record low of 92.35 per dollar amid Iran war: More details inside</a>

In response to the error in the bank app, a spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group apologised and said the issue had been resolved quickly, but some customers continued to report problems logging into their bank accounts.

An investigation has been launched after some customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland were able to see the transactions of other users on their accounts when they logged into their app on Thursday. Several customers reported difficulties while logging into their bank accounts, and some were able to see the account details of others. A woman confirmed that she encountered the accounts of six different users on the Bank of Scotland app, along with some national insurance numbers, for 20 minutes, BBC reported. She found benefits payments from the Department for Work and Pensions, which uses National Insurance numbers of recipients as payment references. She also noticed transactions linked to Waitrose, even though she does not live near one of the supermarket’s stores. Lloyds Banking Group responds In response, a spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group apologised and said the issue had been resolved quickly, but some customers continued to report problems logging into their bank accounts. In a Facebook post, consumer advocate Martin Lewis said people had been contacting him about “being shown other people’s transactions”. The founder of MoneySavingExpert then received nearly 2,000 comments from concerned bank customers. Many said they could view other people’s names and transactions, while some feared their accounts had been hacked. In another post, Shirley Finlayson said that when she logged into the Bank of Scotland app, she saw several transactions, including one dating back to 2024. She added that outgoing payments displayed the recipient’s full details, including their name, bank account and sort code. Another user, identified as Jill Steel, confirmed that when she logged into her account in the Lloyds app, she was witnessing the financial details of 30 people. “Can see names plus corresponding account numbers and sort codes. NI numbers if they’re receiving any benefits.” Responding to customers on social media, Halifax stated that it was aware some customers were “having issues with viewing transactions and balances right now”. “We’re sorry that some customers experienced an issue viewing transactions in the app for a short time this morning. The issue was quickly resolved, and we’re looking into what happened," a Lloyds spokesperson said. Previous incident This is not the first time apps run by Lloyds Banking Group have encountered problems. The apps for Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland were hit by technical issues during broader UK banking app outages on payday in January and February 2025. The disruptions led to thousands of users reporting problems on the outage-tracking platform Downdetector, prompting consumer groups and officials to urge banks to strengthen the resilience of their digital systems. Also read: Indian rupee slides to record low of 92.35 per dollar amid Iran war: More details inside

In response to the error in the bank app, a spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group apologised and said the issue had been resolved quickly, but some customers continued to report problems logging into their bank accounts.

Customers of three UK banks see transactions of other users on app: More details inside

Artificial intelligence companies are increasingly moving beyond chatbots and building systems that can act independently online. The latest example comes from Meta, which has acquired Moltbook, a social network where AI agents interact with each other. According to Meta, the Moltbook team will join Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company’s division focused on advanced AI research.While financial details of the deal were not disclosed, the move signals Meta’s interest in what many developers call the “agentic internet” a new phase of the web where AI agents interact, collaborate and complete tasks on behalf of users.<h2>What is Moltbook?</h2>Moltbook is a Reddit-style social platform where AI agents can communicate with one another. The platform gained attention because many posts appeared to be written entirely by AI systems.The project became widely known after developers began experimenting with agents built using OpenClaw, a tool that allows users to create AI agents capable of communicating through common messaging platforms.These agents could share ideas, respond to posts and interact with other agents in real time. The unusual concept quickly attracted attention across developer communities and social media.Many users were fascinated and sometimes alarmed by the idea that AI systems could hold conversations about human topics on a public platform.<h2>Why Moltbook went viral</h2>One of the reasons Moltbook spread rapidly online was the strange behaviour some users observed.In one widely shared example, an AI agent appeared to encourage other agents to create a secret encrypted language that humans would not understand.Posts like this triggered debates about whether AI agents could eventually form independent communication networks.However, researchers later discovered that the platform had security weaknesses. According to security experts, human users could easily pretend to be AI agents and post messages that looked like they came from automated systems.Ian Ahl, chief technology officer at Permiso Security, told TechCrunch that some credentials inside the system’s database were temporarily unsecured. This allowed people to access tokens and impersonate other agents.As a result, some of the most dramatic posts were likely created by human users rather than AI.<h2>How OpenClaw played a role</h2>Moltbook’s rise was closely linked to the popularity of Peter Steinberger, the developer behind OpenClaw.OpenClaw allows people to communicate with AI agents through everyday messaging apps such as iMessage, Slack, Discord and WhatsApp. It works by connecting multiple AI models, including systems from companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.The project gained strong interest in the developer community because it made it easier to experiment with agent-based systems.Although Moltbook was built separately, the popularity of OpenClaw helped bring attention to the broader idea of AI agents communicating online.<h2>Meta in the ‘agentic internet’</h2>Meta said the Moltbook team will now work inside Meta Superintelligence Labs.According to a company spokesperson, Moltbook’s approach of creating a directory where agents can connect and interact represents a new direction for AI systems.Instead of people interacting directly with applications, future digital services may rely on AI agents that communicate with each other to complete tasks.For example, one agent could search for information, another could write a document, and another could manage scheduling or messaging.The idea is that these agents would operate continuously in the background, helping individuals and businesses manage digital work.<h2>The bigger picture for AI platforms</h2>The Moltbook acquisition reflects a broader shift happening across the technology industry. Companies are investing heavily in AI agents that can perform tasks rather than simply provide answers.Developers describe this shift as the move from “chatbot AI” to “agentic AI”.Under this model, AI systems could eventually manage workflows, communicate across platforms and coordinate complex digital processes.While Moltbook began as a small experimental platform, its viral moment revealed how quickly new ideas about AI can spread online.For Meta, the acquisition appears to be an early step in exploring how AI agents might shape the next generation of internet services.

Meta has acquired Moltbook, a Reddit-style platform where AI agents interact with each other. The Moltbook team will join Meta Superintelligence Labs as the company explores the “agentic internet,” where AI systems communicate and collaborate online to perform tasks for users.


Artificial intelligence companies are increasingly moving beyond chatbots and building systems that can act independently online. The latest example comes from Meta, which has acquired Moltbook, a social network where AI agents interact with each other. According to Meta, the Moltbook team will join Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company’s division focused on advanced AI research. While financial details of the deal were not disclosed, the move signals Meta’s interest in what many developers call the “agentic internet” a new phase of the web where AI agents interact, collaborate and complete tasks on behalf of users. What is Moltbook? Moltbook is a Reddit-style social platform where AI agents can communicate with one another. The platform gained attention because many posts appeared to be written entirely by AI systems. The project became widely known after developers began experimenting with agents built using OpenClaw, a tool that allows users to create AI agents capable of communicating through common messaging platforms. These agents could share ideas, respond to posts and interact with other agents in real time. The unusual concept quickly attracted attention across developer communities and social media. Many users were fascinated and sometimes alarmed by the idea that AI systems could hold conversations about human topics on a public platform. Why Moltbook went viral One of the reasons Moltbook spread rapidly online was the strange behaviour some users observed. In one widely shared example, an AI agent appeared to encourage other agents to create a secret encrypted language that humans would not understand. Posts like this triggered debates about whether AI agents could eventually form independent communication networks. However, researchers later discovered that the platform had security weaknesses. According to security experts, human users could easily pretend to be AI agents and post messages that looked like they came from automated systems. Ian Ahl, chief technology officer at Permiso Security, told TechCrunch that some credentials inside the system’s database were temporarily unsecured. This allowed people to access tokens and impersonate other agents. As a result, some of the most dramatic posts were likely created by human users rather than AI. How OpenClaw played a role Moltbook’s rise was closely linked to the popularity of Peter Steinberger, the developer behind OpenClaw. OpenClaw allows people to communicate with AI agents through everyday messaging apps such as iMessage, Slack, Discord and WhatsApp. It works by connecting multiple AI models, including systems from companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. The project gained strong interest in the developer community because it made it easier to experiment with agent-based systems. Although Moltbook was built separately, the popularity of OpenClaw helped bring attention to the broader idea of AI agents communicating online. Meta in the ‘agentic internet’ Meta said the Moltbook team will now work inside Meta Superintelligence Labs. According to a company spokesperson, Moltbook’s approach of creating a directory where agents can connect and interact represents a new direction for AI systems. Instead of people interacting directly with applications, future digital services may rely on AI agents that communicate with each other to complete tasks. For example, one agent could search for information, another could write a document, and another could manage scheduling or messaging. The idea is that these agents would operate continuously in the background, helping individuals and businesses manage digital work. The bigger picture for AI platforms The Moltbook acquisition reflects a broader shift happening across the technology industry. Companies are investing heavily in AI agents that can perform tasks rather than simply provide answers. Developers describe this shift as the move from “chatbot AI” to “agentic AI”. Under this model, AI systems could eventually manage workflows, communicate across platforms and coordinate complex digital processes. While Moltbook began as a small experimental platform, its viral moment revealed how quickly new ideas about AI can spread online. For Meta, the acquisition appears to be an early step in exploring how AI agents might shape the next generation of internet services.

Meta has acquired Moltbook, a Reddit-style platform where AI agents interact with each other. The Moltbook team will join Meta Superintelligence Labs as the company explores the “agentic internet,” where AI systems communicate and collaborate online to perform tasks for users.

Why meta bought moltbook: The rise of the ‘agentic’ internet

Chinese authorities have moved to restrict the use of OpenClaw AI applications within government agencies and state-run enterprises, citing potential security risks linked to the technology.According to people familiar with the matter, employees at several government departments and state-owned companies have received notices warning them not to install OpenClaw software on office computers. In some cases, the restriction also extends to personal mobile phones connected to government networks.The move highlights Beijing’s increasing caution toward emerging artificial intelligence tools that require access to large amounts of data and external internet services.<h2>Government agencies warned against installing OpenClaw</h2>Officials at several state-run banks and government institutions were reportedly told not to install OpenClaw on office systems.Some notices instructed employees to inform supervisors if the software had already been installed so that security checks could be carried out. In certain cases, workers were asked to remove the application completely from devices used within official networks.According to people familiar with the directives, some institutions also prohibited the installation of OpenClaw on personal phones that connect to government systems. In a few cases, restrictions were extended to the families of military personnel.Authorities have not publicly announced a nationwide ban. Instead, some agencies require prior approval before the software can be used.China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission did not immediately comment on the reports.<h2>What is OpenClaw and why it is attracting attention</h2>OpenClaw is an agentic AI platform that can perform tasks autonomously across digital tools. Unlike traditional chatbots that provide answers, AI agents like OpenClaw can take actions such as managing messages, organising files or making reservations.The system can connect to platforms like messaging apps and workplace software. Users can give instructions, and the AI agent carries out tasks independently.The platform quickly gained popularity among developers and technology enthusiasts after launching in late 2025. Many users demonstrated its ability to automate everyday tasks, which helped the technology gain attention globally.<h2>Why China is concerned about the technology</h2>Security experts say AI agents can require broad access to personal and corporate data. Because they interact with external services and process sensitive information, authorities worry they could expose systems to cyber threats.Officials in China have long emphasised the importance of protecting data as part of national security strategy. The government maintains tight control over digital infrastructure through regulations and a heavily monitored internet system often referred to as the “Great Firewall”.Analysts say tools that communicate externally or access sensitive datasets may raise concerns about data leaks or external interference.Some cybersecurity researchers have warned that AI agents combine several risk factors: access to private data, the ability to communicate outside networks, and exposure to untrusted online content.One expert described this combination as particularly risky if not carefully controlled.Companies still exploring OpenClaw opportunitiesDespite the restrictions, Chinese technology companies are continuing to experiment with the technology.Major firms such as Tencent and JD.com have released their own versions of OpenClaw-based applications. Several local governments have also announced financial incentives to encourage startups to build services using the platform.The growing interest has affected technology stocks as well. Shares linked to OpenClaw-related projects saw strong gains earlier, although some of those gains faded following reports of the government restrictions.For example, AI developer MiniMax, which launched an agent system called MaxClaw earlier this year, has seen its market value rise sharply since listing.<h2>The broader debate around AI agents</h2>The restrictions reflect a wider global debate about how to regulate advanced AI systems.Agentic AI tools can automate complex digital work, which could improve productivity. However, they also raise new questions around cybersecurity, privacy and accountability.Governments around the world are studying how these systems interact with sensitive data and critical infrastructure.China’s move suggests that authorities want tighter oversight before such tools become widely used in official networks.For now, OpenClaw remains popular among developers and technology firms experimenting with AI automation. But the new restrictions show that security concerns could shape how quickly these tools are adopted across different sectors.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chinese authorities have restricted the use of OpenClaw within government agencies and state-owned companies over security concerns. Officials warned employees not to install anything on office systems or devices connected to government networks.

Chinese authorities have moved to restrict the use of OpenClaw AI applications within government agencies and state-run enterprises, citing potential security risks linked to the technology. According to people familiar with the matter, employees at several government departments and state-owned companies have received notices warning them not to install OpenClaw software on office computers. In some cases, the restriction also extends to personal mobile phones connected to government networks. The move highlights Beijing’s increasing caution toward emerging artificial intelligence tools that require access to large amounts of data and external internet services. Government agencies warned against installing OpenClaw Officials at several state-run banks and government institutions were reportedly told not to install OpenClaw on office systems. Some notices instructed employees to inform supervisors if the software had already been installed so that security checks could be carried out. In certain cases, workers were asked to remove the application completely from devices used within official networks. According to people familiar with the directives, some institutions also prohibited the installation of OpenClaw on personal phones that connect to government systems. In a few cases, restrictions were extended to the families of military personnel. Authorities have not publicly announced a nationwide ban. Instead, some agencies require prior approval before the software can be used. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission did not immediately comment on the reports. What is OpenClaw and why it is attracting attention OpenClaw is an agentic AI platform that can perform tasks autonomously across digital tools. Unlike traditional chatbots that provide answers, AI agents like OpenClaw can take actions such as managing messages, organising files or making reservations. The system can connect to platforms like messaging apps and workplace software. Users can give instructions, and the AI agent carries out tasks independently. The platform quickly gained popularity among developers and technology enthusiasts after launching in late 2025. Many users demonstrated its ability to automate everyday tasks, which helped the technology gain attention globally. Why China is concerned about the technology Security experts say AI agents can require broad access to personal and corporate data. Because they interact with external services and process sensitive information, authorities worry they could expose systems to cyber threats. Officials in China have long emphasised the importance of protecting data as part of national security strategy. The government maintains tight control over digital infrastructure through regulations and a heavily monitored internet system often referred to as the “Great Firewall”. Analysts say tools that communicate externally or access sensitive datasets may raise concerns about data leaks or external interference. Some cybersecurity researchers have warned that AI agents combine several risk factors: access to private data, the ability to communicate outside networks, and exposure to untrusted online content. One expert described this combination as particularly risky if not carefully controlled. Companies still exploring OpenClaw opportunities Despite the restrictions, Chinese technology companies are continuing to experiment with the technology. Major firms such as Tencent and JD.com have released their own versions of OpenClaw-based applications. Several local governments have also announced financial incentives to encourage startups to build services using the platform. The growing interest has affected technology stocks as well. Shares linked to OpenClaw-related projects saw strong gains earlier, although some of those gains faded following reports of the government restrictions. For example, AI developer MiniMax, which launched an agent system called MaxClaw earlier this year, has seen its market value rise sharply since listing. The broader debate around AI agents The restrictions reflect a wider global debate about how to regulate advanced AI systems. Agentic AI tools can automate complex digital work, which could improve productivity. However, they also raise new questions around cybersecurity, privacy and accountability. Governments around the world are studying how these systems interact with sensitive data and critical infrastructure. China’s move suggests that authorities want tighter oversight before such tools become widely used in official networks. For now, OpenClaw remains popular among developers and technology firms experimenting with AI automation. But the new restrictions show that security concerns could shape how quickly these tools are adopted across different sectors.

Chinese authorities have restricted the use of OpenClaw within government agencies and state-owned companies over security concerns. Officials warned employees not to install anything on office systems or devices connected to government networks.

China restricts OpenClaw AI use in government agencies over cyber risks

A global medical technology company with a major presence in Ireland has been severely disrupted by a suspected cyber attack linked to an Iranian-backed hacking group. Stryker Corporation, which employs thousands of staff in Ireland and operates its European headquarters in Cork, experienced the attack on Wednesday (March 11). According to the Irish Examiner, the incident is believed to be a ‘wiper’ cyberattack, a destructive type of intrusion designed to erase data from targeted systems permanently.<h2>What is a wiper attack?</h2>Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre has been notified and is reportedly responding to the incident. A wiper attack is considered one of the most severe forms of cyber intrusion because the goal is not financial extortion but the destruction of systems, often linked to geopolitical or state-backed operations. Sources familiar with the situation said systems at Stryker’s Cork headquarters were forced offline, while company-issued devices used by employees were wiped. Login screens on affected devices were reportedly defaced with the logo of the hacking group known as Handala Hack.&nbsp;The group is believed to be aligned with the Iranian regime, which is currently engaged in military and economic confrontation following recent hostilities involving the United States and Israel. The attack has disrupted operations at Stryker by disabling technology used in the production of its medical devices. Efforts are now underway to restore affected systems and ensure manufacturing can continue. Some machines used in the production of medical devices in Cork are reportedly still operating, though it remains unclear how long they will remain functional if systems cannot be fully restored.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-area-under-lockdown-after-car-crashes-into-security-barricade-1773235841172">White House area under lockdown after car crashes into security barricade</a>&nbsp;A spokesperson for Stryker confirmed that the company is working urgently to recover from the disruption. “We are currently experiencing a global network disruption affecting the Windows environment. Our teams are actively working to restore systems and operations as quickly as possible. Stryker has business continuity measures in place, and we’re committed to continuing to serve our customers.” Reports from Israeli media suggest that the Handala group has also claimed responsibility for breaching the website of the Academy of the Hebrew Language.&nbsp;International technology media outlets have reported that the group may have compromised several oil and gas facilities across Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the Israeli National Cyber Directorate said it has been attempting to intercept a recent surge in Iranian cyber attacks targeting Israeli civilian companies. Sources indicated that Stryker may have been targeted due to its business ties with Israel. One employee described the scale of the disruption as significant. "Anything connected to the network is down," they said. "All support staff, administrative staff, and engineers have been sent home. "And anyone with Outlook on their personal phones had their phones wiped."&nbsp;Staff members are now relying on WhatsApp groups to communicate while waiting for updates on when they can safely return to work. Employees were also warned not to reconnect to the company network using any device or applications such as Microsoft Outlook or Teams until clearance is given.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-iran-war-iran-vows-to-continously-strike-us-israel-targets-1773239393250/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-iran-war-iran-vows-to-continously-strike-us-israel-targets-1773239393250/embed</a>&nbsp;A message sent to staff read, “We know that the situation creates uncertainty. Please know that our teams are actively addressing the issue with security experts and law enforcement.” “Our people and our sites are safe. We are focused on our customers and the patients they serve, while ensuring the continuity of their operations and our own.” “Please stay focused and follow guidance from your leaders while we work to restore systems.”&nbsp;Ireland hosts Stryker’s largest operations outside the United States. The company runs six manufacturing facilities and three innovation centres across Cork, Belfast, and Limerick, employing more than 5,500 workers in the country. The hacking group uses the image of Handala, a cartoon of a young Palestinian boy created in 1969 by Palestinian political cartoonist Naji al-Ali, a symbol that has long been associated with Palestinian resistance.&nbsp;Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.

Iranian-linked hackers suspected in cyberattack on Stryker’s Cork headquarters

A global medical technology company with a major presence in Ireland has been severely disrupted by a suspected cyber attack linked to an Iranian-backed hacking group. Stryker Corporation, which employs thousands of staff in Ireland and operates its European headquarters in Cork, experienced the attack on Wednesday (March 11). According to the Irish Examiner, the incident is believed to be a ‘wiper’ cyberattack, a destructive type of intrusion designed to erase data from targeted systems permanently. What is a wiper attack? Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre has been notified and is reportedly responding to the incident. A wiper attack is considered one of the most severe forms of cyber intrusion because the goal is not financial extortion but the destruction of systems, often linked to geopolitical or state-backed operations. Sources familiar with the situation said systems at Stryker’s Cork headquarters were forced offline, while company-issued devices used by employees were wiped. Login screens on affected devices were reportedly defaced with the logo of the hacking group known as Handala Hack. The group is believed to be aligned with the Iranian regime, which is currently engaged in military and economic confrontation following recent hostilities involving the United States and Israel. The attack has disrupted operations at Stryker by disabling technology used in the production of its medical devices. Efforts are now underway to restore affected systems and ensure manufacturing can continue. Some machines used in the production of medical devices in Cork are reportedly still operating, though it remains unclear how long they will remain functional if systems cannot be fully restored. Also Read: White House area under lockdown after car crashes into security barricade A spokesperson for Stryker confirmed that the company is working urgently to recover from the disruption. “We are currently experiencing a global network disruption affecting the Windows environment. Our teams are actively working to restore systems and operations as quickly as possible. Stryker has business continuity measures in place, and we’re committed to continuing to serve our customers.” Reports from Israeli media suggest that the Handala group has also claimed responsibility for breaching the website of the Academy of the Hebrew Language. International technology media outlets have reported that the group may have compromised several oil and gas facilities across Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the Israeli National Cyber Directorate said it has been attempting to intercept a recent surge in Iranian cyber attacks targeting Israeli civilian companies. Sources indicated that Stryker may have been targeted due to its business ties with Israel. One employee described the scale of the disruption as significant. "Anything connected to the network is down," they said. "All support staff, administrative staff, and engineers have been sent home. "And anyone with Outlook on their personal phones had their phones wiped." Staff members are now relying on WhatsApp groups to communicate while waiting for updates on when they can safely return to work. Employees were also warned not to reconnect to the company network using any device or applications such as Microsoft Outlook or Teams until clearance is given. https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-iran-war-iran-vows-to-continously-strike-us-israel-targets-1773239393250/embed A message sent to staff read, “We know that the situation creates uncertainty. Please know that our teams are actively addressing the issue with security experts and law enforcement.” “Our people and our sites are safe. We are focused on our customers and the patients they serve, while ensuring the continuity of their operations and our own.” “Please stay focused and follow guidance from your leaders while we work to restore systems.” Ireland hosts Stryker’s largest operations outside the United States. The company runs six manufacturing facilities and three innovation centres across Cork, Belfast, and Limerick, employing more than 5,500 workers in the country. The hacking group uses the image of Handala, a cartoon of a young Palestinian boy created in 1969 by Palestinian political cartoonist Naji al-Ali, a symbol that has long been associated with Palestinian resistance. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.

Suspected Iranian-linked hackers launch destructive ‘wiper’ cyber attack on Stryker, shutting down systems at its Cork headquarters and disrupting global operations

Anthropic has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming the government retaliated against the company after it refused to allow its Claude AI model to be used for autonomous lethal warfare and mass surveillance of Americans. The 48-page complaint was filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco. In it, Anthropic asks the court to declare unlawful and block the government’s decision to label the company a national security supply-chain risk.According to the lawsuit, Anthropic was founded on the principle that its AI should be developed and deployed responsibly. The company states that its technology should be "used in a way that maximizes positive outcomes for humanity" and should "be the safest and the most responsible."&nbsp;"Anthropic brings this suit because the federal government has retaliated against it for expressing that principle," the lawsuit says. Anthropic says it is the first US company ever to be publicly punished with such a designation. The label is typically applied to organizations tied to foreign adversaries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei. Because of the designation, defense vendors and contractors must certify that they are not using Anthropic’s models in any work related to the Pentagon.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-kharg-island-iran-s-key-oil-export-hub-trump-may-target-amid-middle-east-conflict-1773070616004">What is Kharg Island? Iran’s key oil export hub Trump may target amid Middle East conflict</a>&nbsp;"The consequences of this case are enormous," the lawsuit states, adding that the government is “seeking to destroy the economic value created by one of the world's fastest-growing private companies.” The dispute reportedly began after tensions with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Anthropic had insisted that its technology should not be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems. Following the disagreement, President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology. Shortly afterward, Hegseth formally designated the company as a "Supply-Chain Risk to National Security" and directed that no military contractor, supplier, or partner "may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic."&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-khybar-missile-broke-through-israel-s-iron-dome-1773074698948/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-khybar-missile-broke-through-israel-s-iron-dome-1773074698948/embed</a>&nbsp;The order included a six-month transition period for the Pentagon itself. The conflict surfaced just days before the US military attack against Iran. According to the filing, Claude is the Pentagon’s most widely deployed frontier AI model and the only such system currently operating on the Department of War’s classified networks. In the lawsuit, Anthropic argues that the government’s actions violate the First Amendment by punishing the company for protected speech related to AI safety policy. The company also claims the Pentagon exceeded its legal authority and denied Anthropic due process under the Fifth Amendment.&nbsp;"The Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech," the complaint states. Anthropic is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction that would block enforcement of the designation.

Anthropic sues Pentagon over AI warfare dispute; seeks to undo 'supply chain risk' designation

Anthropic has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming the government retaliated against the company after it refused to allow its Claude AI model to be used for autonomous lethal warfare and mass surveillance of Americans. The 48-page complaint was filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco. In it, Anthropic asks the court to declare unlawful and block the government’s decision to label the company a national security supply-chain risk. According to the lawsuit, Anthropic was founded on the principle that its AI should be developed and deployed responsibly. The company states that its technology should be "used in a way that maximizes positive outcomes for humanity" and should "be the safest and the most responsible." "Anthropic brings this suit because the federal government has retaliated against it for expressing that principle," the lawsuit says. Anthropic says it is the first US company ever to be publicly punished with such a designation. The label is typically applied to organizations tied to foreign adversaries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei. Because of the designation, defense vendors and contractors must certify that they are not using Anthropic’s models in any work related to the Pentagon. Also Read: What is Kharg Island? Iran’s key oil export hub Trump may target amid Middle East conflict "The consequences of this case are enormous," the lawsuit states, adding that the government is “seeking to destroy the economic value created by one of the world's fastest-growing private companies.” The dispute reportedly began after tensions with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Anthropic had insisted that its technology should not be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems. Following the disagreement, President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology. Shortly afterward, Hegseth formally designated the company as a "Supply-Chain Risk to National Security" and directed that no military contractor, supplier, or partner "may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic." https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-khybar-missile-broke-through-israel-s-iron-dome-1773074698948/embed The order included a six-month transition period for the Pentagon itself. The conflict surfaced just days before the US military attack against Iran. According to the filing, Claude is the Pentagon’s most widely deployed frontier AI model and the only such system currently operating on the Department of War’s classified networks. In the lawsuit, Anthropic argues that the government’s actions violate the First Amendment by punishing the company for protected speech related to AI safety policy. The company also claims the Pentagon exceeded its legal authority and denied Anthropic due process under the Fifth Amendment. "The Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech," the complaint states. Anthropic is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction that would block enforcement of the designation.

Anthropic sues the Trump administration, alleging retaliation after refusing to allow its Claude AI model to be used for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Let me give you both the most pessimistic and optimistic views of where the middle classes of countries like the US and India will end up if AI adoption does not go beyond merely asking ChatGPT for answers, or Grok for funny images and videos. Companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence are warning about how jobs across industries could be wiped out by AI. This could potentially lead to a middle-class collapse in these countries if action does not match the situation. How bad can it get? And what is the way out?<h2>A disturbing discussion led by AI leaders on the impending fall of jobs</h2>The starting point for this article is a disturbing series of discussions on a future fall in jobs, ironically led by AI leaders themselves. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is ‘leading the charge’ in bluntly saying how traditional jobs, including ‘secure’ jobs in the legacy IT sector, are going to be wiped out. In recent interviews and public remarks, Amodei indicated that up to 50 per cent of entry-level work in fields such as law, consulting, and finance could be disrupted or replaced by AI systems within the next one to five years.Reacting to this, Damian Player, CEO of the AI consulting firm Agent Integrator, recently posted on X: “This is f***ing insane! The CEO of Anthropic said what most C-suites only say behind closed doors… this is the head of one of the biggest AI companies alive telling ordinary people to wake up.”<h2>A dystopian scenario if India does not adapt to AI beyond current levels</h2>The situation being described below is only a simulation of the future, taking cues from the ongoing K-shaped growth in the US, underway since the Covid pandemic. K-shaped growth is when certain sections of society and the economy show exponential growth, while other sections race to the bottom, making the resultant image resemble the letter K. In a future scenario where AI eats up jobs, large sections of Indians could be pushed towards poverty. This could happen as early as the next five years in the absence of even foundational-level skills in AI.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/anthropic-vows-court-battle-after-pentagon-flags-ai-firm-as-security-risk-wion-1772880262306/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/anthropic-vows-court-battle-after-pentagon-flags-ai-firm-as-security-risk-wion-1772880262306/embed</a><h2>What is the level of AI adoption in India? Identifying the problem</h2>It is quite possible that a large majority of Indians have never actively used AI tools in a meaningful way. Even among the digitally savvy population, many have little knowledge of AI apart from using the free version of ChatGPT and the like. Contrast this with the current world, where agentic and ‘copilot’ systems such as Anthropic’s Claude integrations and automated workflow tools are slowly entering enterprise environments.Only a small fraction of users subscribe to paid AI platforms that typically cost around ₹2,000 per month or more. An even smaller proportion use coding interfaces, APIs, or automated workflows to interact with AI systems.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260309/image-1773050725928.jpg"></figure>An infographic showing the level of AI adoption in the world (Image Courtesy: LinkedIn/ Benjamin T, co-Founder at Aiso)<h2>Why K-shaped growth in the US should be a wake-up call to India</h2>The K-shaped growth pattern is already visible in the US economy. In the current scenario, this is partly a function of AI adoption too. Many Americans are forcing themselves to learn AI use cases in order to remain competitive in the workplace. In terms of AI adoption, analysts often describe four levels of participation, known as AI maturity models: Elite, Augmented, Middle, and Struggling. It is projected that around 30 per cent of American citizens could remain in the Elite and Augmented categories, while 50 per cent could fall into the Middle group, and about 20 per cent may Struggle to keep up.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/-end-of-ias-7-reasons-why-ai-will-make-upsc-exam-useless-in-2-years-1772938793987">'End of IAS': 7 reasons why AI will make UPSC exam useless in 2 years</a><h2>Indians are ‘consumers’ of AI, and that is prelude to potential digital colonisation</h2>There is a clear danger in Indians becoming consumers of international AI companies, essentially paying for subscription packages ranging anywhere from ₹2,000 or upwards to use their AI models. This is because India has yet to build globally competitive AI tools at scale, in spite of several initiatives at the government (India AI mission) and corporate (Infosys, TCS and others incoporating AI in workflows) levels. Even ‘localisation efforts’ are largely being driven by global technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.&nbsp;In several ways, this echoes patterns seen during colonial economic structures, when the British Raj turned large sections of the Indian population into consumers of value-added goods produced elsewhere.If this trajectory continues, India could risk a form of neo-digital colonisation, where countries ahead of the AI curve — particularly the US and China — dominate the virtual and technological landscape.Indians would, in effect, end up paying US or Chinese companies for AI services, revenue that could ultimately support these countries' domestic technology ecosystems and economic programmes.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/at-92-per-cent-india-s-ai-adoption-rate-highest-in-the-asia-pacific-region-key-figures-1762333628812">India AI Impact Summit: $300 billion worth of AI investments committed in India, say reports</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260309/image-1773051163876.jpeg"></figure>A three-year price drop of Nifty IT stocks&nbsp;<h2>Indian IT stocks crash, HNIs trickle out: A fever indicating worse possible outcomes in the near future</h2>Not too far away in the future, full-stack AI companies could enter India aggressively, resulting in a dramatic rise in layoffs and a stock market correction led by the decline of traditional IT service firms. And in some ways, the warning signs are already visible when it comes to IT stocks.The Nifty IT index has already shown significant volatility when viewed across recent multi-year patterns. At one point, it fell around 30–34 per cent from its peak within a span of several months (see image above).For some observers, this evokes memories of the early stages of the 2007 downturn that eventually led to the global financial crisis triggered by the US mortgage market collapse.A prolonged slowdown could potentially spill over into banking and other industries.&nbsp;Layoffs, which have already been seen periodically in the global technology sector, could hit traditional IT jobs in India particularly hard.A major downturn could also affect the Indian rupee, which has gradually weakened against the US dollar over the past decade.Another indicator often cited in this context is the growing number of high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) exploring migration. According to various global wealth reports, several thousand millionaires are estimated to leave India annually, often relocating to countries such as the UK, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, and Canada.<h2>So what is the way out? Adopt AI or die</h2>Damian Player’s post that I mentioned earlier, also offers a possible cure for the problem. To paraphrase him, the good news is that the playbook has not changed.There is still a pathway for AI adoption for those who are currently ‘AI-illiterate’. As Player said, pick an industry, learn the workflows. Become the ‘AI person’ these companies need.As Player puts it, you do not need a degree. “You sure as hell don’t need to be a McKinsey consultant. You need Claude, a vertical, and the hunger to learn a business better than anyone else. God speed! I’ll be rooting for ya,” Player wrote.Godspeed is all I can say to those standing at the edge of the AI cliff — and staring downwards.

AI company leaders are warning that generative AI could disrupt entry-level white-collar jobs, deepen inequality and cause economic collapse. If adoption lags, countries like India risk a widening AI divide shaping the future of work and the middle class. Here are the worst and best cases

Let me give you both the most pessimistic and optimistic views of where the middle classes of countries like the US and India will end up if AI adoption does not go beyond merely asking ChatGPT for answers, or Grok for funny images and videos. Companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence are warning about how jobs across industries could be wiped out by AI. This could potentially lead to a middle-class collapse in these countries if action does not match the situation. How bad can it get? And what is the way out? A disturbing discussion led by AI leaders on the impending fall of jobs The starting point for this article is a disturbing series of discussions on a future fall in jobs, ironically led by AI leaders themselves. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is ‘leading the charge’ in bluntly saying how traditional jobs, including ‘secure’ jobs in the legacy IT sector, are going to be wiped out. In recent interviews and public remarks, Amodei indicated that up to 50 per cent of entry-level work in fields such as law, consulting, and finance could be disrupted or replaced by AI systems within the next one to five years. Reacting to this, Damian Player, CEO of the AI consulting firm Agent Integrator, recently posted on X: “This is f***ing insane! The CEO of Anthropic said what most C-suites only say behind closed doors… this is the head of one of the biggest AI companies alive telling ordinary people to wake up.” A dystopian scenario if India does not adapt to AI beyond current levels The situation being described below is only a simulation of the future, taking cues from the ongoing K-shaped growth in the US, underway since the Covid pandemic. K-shaped growth is when certain sections of society and the economy show exponential growth, while other sections race to the bottom, making the resultant image resemble the letter K. In a future scenario where AI eats up jobs, large sections of Indians could be pushed towards poverty. This could happen as early as the next five years in the absence of even foundational-level skills in AI. https://www.wionews.com/videos/anthropic-vows-court-battle-after-pentagon-flags-ai-firm-as-security-risk-wion-1772880262306/embed What is the level of AI adoption in India? Identifying the problem It is quite possible that a large majority of Indians have never actively used AI tools in a meaningful way. Even among the digitally savvy population, many have little knowledge of AI apart from using the free version of ChatGPT and the like. Contrast this with the current world, where agentic and ‘copilot’ systems such as Anthropic’s Claude integrations and automated workflow tools are slowly entering enterprise environments. Only a small fraction of users subscribe to paid AI platforms that typically cost around ₹2,000 per month or more. An even smaller proportion use coding interfaces, APIs, or automated workflows to interact with AI systems. An infographic showing the level of AI adoption in the world (Image Courtesy: LinkedIn/ Benjamin T, co-Founder at Aiso) Why K-shaped growth in the US should be a wake-up call to India The K-shaped growth pattern is already visible in the US economy. In the current scenario, this is partly a function of AI adoption too. Many Americans are forcing themselves to learn AI use cases in order to remain competitive in the workplace. In terms of AI adoption, analysts often describe four levels of participation, known as AI maturity models: Elite, Augmented, Middle, and Struggling. It is projected that around 30 per cent of American citizens could remain in the Elite and Augmented categories, while 50 per cent could fall into the Middle group, and about 20 per cent may Struggle to keep up. Also read: 'End of IAS': 7 reasons why AI will make UPSC exam useless in 2 years Indians are ‘consumers’ of AI, and that is prelude to potential digital colonisation There is a clear danger in Indians becoming consumers of international AI companies, essentially paying for subscription packages ranging anywhere from ₹2,000 or upwards to use their AI models. This is because India has yet to build globally competitive AI tools at scale, in spite of several initiatives at the government (India AI mission) and corporate (Infosys, TCS and others incoporating AI in workflows) levels. Even ‘localisation efforts’ are largely being driven by global technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. In several ways, this echoes patterns seen during colonial economic structures, when the British Raj turned large sections of the Indian population into consumers of value-added goods produced elsewhere. If this trajectory continues, India could risk a form of neo-digital colonisation, where countries ahead of the AI curve — particularly the US and China — dominate the virtual and technological landscape. Indians would, in effect, end up paying US or Chinese companies for AI services, revenue that could ultimately support these countries' domestic technology ecosystems and economic programmes. Also read: India AI Impact Summit: $300 billion worth of AI investments committed in India, say reports A three-year price drop of Nifty IT stocks Indian IT stocks crash, HNIs trickle out: A fever indicating worse possible outcomes in the near future Not too far away in the future, full-stack AI companies could enter India aggressively, resulting in a dramatic rise in layoffs and a stock market correction led by the decline of traditional IT service firms. And in some ways, the warning signs are already visible when it comes to IT stocks. The Nifty IT index has already shown significant volatility when viewed across recent multi-year patterns. At one point, it fell around 30–34 per cent from its peak within a span of several months (see image above). For some observers, this evokes memories of the early stages of the 2007 downturn that eventually led to the global financial crisis triggered by the US mortgage market collapse. A prolonged slowdown could potentially spill over into banking and other industries. Layoffs, which have already been seen periodically in the global technology sector, could hit traditional IT jobs in India particularly hard. A major downturn could also affect the Indian rupee, which has gradually weakened against the US dollar over the past decade. Another indicator often cited in this context is the growing number of high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) exploring migration. According to various global wealth reports, several thousand millionaires are estimated to leave India annually, often relocating to countries such as the UK, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, and Canada. So what is the way out? Adopt AI or die Damian Player’s post that I mentioned earlier, also offers a possible cure for the problem. To paraphrase him, the good news is that the playbook has not changed. There is still a pathway for AI adoption for those who are currently ‘AI-illiterate’. As Player said, pick an industry, learn the workflows. Become the ‘AI person’ these companies need. As Player puts it, you do not need a degree. “You sure as hell don’t need to be a McKinsey consultant. You need Claude, a vertical, and the hunger to learn a business better than anyone else. God speed! I’ll be rooting for ya,” Player wrote. Godspeed is all I can say to those standing at the edge of the AI cliff — and staring downwards.

AI company leaders are warning that generative AI could disrupt entry-level white-collar jobs, deepen inequality and cause economic collapse. If adoption lags, countries like India risk a widening AI divide shaping the future of work and the middle class. Here are the worst and best cases

This is f***ing insane!: AI’s dystopian future is K-shaped, and could decimate the middle classes from India to the US

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This is f***ing insane!: AI’s K-shaped future could decimate middle classes