Google AI

Google has announced Project Suncatcher, a research initiative exploring the placement of machine learning compute infrastructure, including TPUs, on satellites in orbit to harness near-continuous solar power. The company says early tests will launch prototype satellites in partnership with SpaceX by early 2027. Commenters are debating the engineering and economic feasibility of space-based data centers, thermal challenges, launch costs, and whether the concept could realistically scale.

Cal Newport has published an essay arguing it is time to formally investigate the leading AI labs, such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind, over their rapid development of powerful systems. The piece is drawing attention on Hacker News, where readers are debating whether scrutiny of AI companies' safety practices and societal impact is overdue or already excessive.

Major AI providers including Google, OpenAI and Anthropic do not publish detailed energy-use figures for their models, treating the data as commercially sensitive. The Sustainable AI Group has now developed a method that lets customers compare the energy consumption of closed models without relying on company disclosures, addressing a growing gap in transparency around AI's environmental impact.

Google has unveiled Project Suncatcher, an initiative to move AI data centers into outer space, pairing it with plans to launch prototype satellites by early 2027. The idea is that solar-powered satellite constellations in orbit could supply near-unlimited solar energy for AI computing, sidestepping the land, water and power constraints that data centers face on Earth. Engineers say the biggest hurdles remain the harsh radiation environment, thermal management and launching enough hardware at scale.

Mozilla's head of Firefox says a major browser redesign is central to the company's strategy to win users back from Google Chrome. In an interview, he also discussed Mozilla's product priorities and voiced skepticism about current AI trends, arguing that browser choice matters as one company increasingly dominates the web.

Google is pushing back against Hollywood's wariness of new technology, arguing the entertainment industry should not fear technological change. The message, reported by The New York Times, comes as studios and creators weigh the impact of tools like artificial intelligence on filmmaking. The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between Silicon Valley and the entertainment world over jobs, copyright and creative control.

Google is preparing to deploy its AI chips in space, a move analysts are weighing for its potential impact on GOOGL stock. The plan points to Google expanding its artificial intelligence hardware ambitions beyond Earth-based data centers, raising questions about demand for its chips and what orbital computing could mean for the company's long-term growth.

Google is pressing Hollywood to overcome its fear of new technology, according to a New York Times report. The company's message to the film and television industry is that technological change, rather than being a threat, should be seen as an opportunity. The appeal comes as studios and creators remain wary of tools like artificial intelligence reshaping how content is made.

Memory chip maker Netlist has asked U.S. authorities to ban imports of Micron products used in AI computing systems built for Google and Nvidia, escalating a long-running patent dispute between the two companies. The request, if granted, could disrupt supply chains for high-bandwidth memory components central to the AI boom. The case draws attention to growing legal battles over intellectual property in the semiconductor industry.

Google has published a threat intelligence report looking at how vulnerability discovery and exploitation are changing in the AI era. The analysis, released through Google Cloud's Threat Intelligence blog, examines trends in how security flaws are found and weaponised as artificial intelligence reshapes the security landscape.

Google says artificial intelligence is changing both the speed and the character of vulnerability discovery in cybersecurity, allowing flaws in software to be identified and reported far faster than with traditional methods. According to SecurityWeek, the company argues this acceleration is altering the profile of bugs researchers and defenders encounter, with implications for how organisations patch and prioritise security work.

Two former Google employees have raised $11.3 million for a new fund that will invest in artificial intelligence startups. The stated focus is on AI companies building products that enterprise customers are willing to pay for, rather than experimental technology without a clear business case. The move reflects continued investor appetite for applied AI ventures with real commercial demand.

The chief executives of Anthropic, Google, and Meta have pledged to 'self police' the development of artificial intelligence, according to statements attributed to Donald Trump. The commitment suggests the leading AI companies would adopt voluntary safeguards rather than face binding regulation, though details of what the pledge involves and how it would be enforced remain unclear.

Google has revealed Project Suncatcher, a plan to run AI chips on satellites in space, a move that could reshape the future of computing by tapping solar power and orbital infrastructure for large-scale AI workloads. The announcement is drawing wide attention across tech communities, with commentators debating whether space-based data centres could genuinely transform how AI is computed and scaled globally.