From Allbirds to Newbird AI. Under what category should we file a shoe company pivoting to AI infrastructure .... www.engadget.com/ai/shoe-comp...

We are all after the same stories, and it’s customary to acknowledge previous reporting. That’s missing in @financialtimes.com story on AI companion dolls for the elderly in Korea, which is uncannily similar to our story from last year. I think our story is better. restofworld.org/2025/korea-a...

More than 100 people gathered in downtown San Francisco today outside the offices of #Anthropic, #OpenAI and #xAI to demand that they #PauseAI and #StopAI and stop the AI race.

I met with AI data labelers in Kenya who are organizing their colleagues to fight the brutal working conditions and horrible pay given to the workers at the "bottom of the AI supply chain." They believe the NDAs they've signed are unenforceable so are speaking out: www.404media.co/ai-is-africa...

In Colombia's parliamentary elections this weekend, voters can vote for an AI avatar, Gaitana, a stand-in for two Indigenous candidates, who say they will use AI platform for consensus from their communities on all legislative matters. restofworld.org/2026/ai-avat...

Over the past decade, India has launched schemes promising to harness digital technology to overcome social and political challenges. Yet they have only delivered new forms of dependent development and state capture. An excerpt from @dwaipayanbanerjee.bsky.social book restofworld.org/2026/dwaipay...

There are growing concerns around AI safety, yet whistleblowers are not protected in all countries. Mary Inman, who has represented Frances Haugen and Tyler Shultz, hopes that a digital safe will encourage more AI workers in any country to come forward. restofworld.org/2026/ai-whis...

An investigation found that Appen, which relies on gig workers across Africa to train AI systems, performed work for U.S. military agencies. Workers say they had little visibility into the end use https://restofworld.org/2026/gig-workers-us-military-appen/?utm_campaign=row-social

India is introducing some of the strictest laws on deepfakes, requiring creators and platforms to label all AI-generated content and to remove such content within hours when ordered to. "Good-faith" deepfakes are exempt, and this story shows how they also bring joy. restofworld.org/2026/ai-deep...

As the #IndiaAIImpactSummit continues, the most important divide may not be East-West or North-South but public-private. AI is shifting economic and, increasingly, political power away from governments. Who gets to govern them? restofworld.org/2026/ai-gove...

Excerpt from Silicon Elsewhere: Nairobi, Global China, and the Promise of Techno-Capital by Andrea Pollio on the crucial role of cheap Chinese phones. "Mobile phones are the unsung material commodities without which Kenya’s ambitious programs would have faltered.” restofworld.org/2026/china-k...

The AI boom is disproportionately benefiting male-led startups, with only 2% of VC funding going to women-led startups. Immigrant women fare even worse, as they face racism and sexism. This has consequences for how AI is shaped globally. restofworld.org/2026/immigra...

Ah gee, thanks guys! #superbowl #sanfrancisco

When is the ChatGPT moment for robotics? Ken Goldberg, a prof at UC Berkeley, and co-founder of two robotics firms, said robots are getting better at doing specific tasks – like sorting parcels and folding towels – and that we can get to general robots that can do everything. There is a data gap.

Read an excerpt from @yilingliu95.bsky.social new book! “To understand China today and where it’ll go tomorrow, we must learn to read the Chinese internet: what goes viral and what disappears just as swiftly, how it shapes and is shaped by the outside world ... .” restofworld.org/2026/wall-da...

For months, an Indian computer engineer trapped in a pig-butchering scam compound in Laos was secretly messaging @agreenberg.bsky.social and leaking him materials. This mini documentary is the incredible story of how he exposed the Chinese organized crime groups and, more importantly, escaped.

There is growing frustration and unease with the domination of U.S. tech, and more countries and startups are trying to find or build alternatives. restofworld.org/2026/big-tec...

Soon after the TikTok deal was done, Issam Hijazi saw a big uptick in users to his platform UpScrolled. That stream of disgruntled users fleeing TikTok over censorship fears turned into a flood this week, crashing UpScrolled’s servers. Read @restofworld.org interview restofworld.org/2026/upscrol...

India’s $280-billion tech sector is fueling extreme burnout, and grappling with a series of suicides among its stretched workers. As AI disruption mounts, is India a canary in the coal mine for global tech? Read our new feature on @restofworld.org by Parth MN restofworld.org/2026/india-t...

French lawmakers pass bill banning social media for under-15s. It will now go to the Senate, France's upper house, ahead of becoming law u.afp.com/SBz4

U.S. politicians and their family members are trading in stocks of foreign companies such as TSMC, Alibaba, Tencent and Infosys, while serving on committees with the power to oversee or influence policies affecting these firms. Hazel Gandhi reports @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2026/us-poli...

While the U.S. government refuses to regulate AI and is trying to prevent states from legislating AI, other countries - notably in Asia - are going ahead and doing just that. South Korea this week became the first country to adopt comprehensive legislation on AI safety.

A new report from LinkedIn on #AI and #jobs has the term "new-collar" roles. These require hybrid skills—technical fluency, manual capability, and continual adaptability. In the past two years, ~1.3 mln AI‑related jobs were created, including data annotators and AI engineers.

In his book “Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships,” James Muldoon explores why people build and use AI companions. Read an excerpt on a woman who built a deathbot of her mother @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2026/james-multon-love-machines-book-ai-companions

The Philippines is the most vulnerable to extreme weather events. Besides earthquakes, cyclones and floods are frequent and becoming more intense. Call center and AI data workers are being told to work through it all, on-site. Anita Zhang reports @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2026/philipp...

OpenAI said it will run “truly relevant, high-quality ads” on ChatGPT, starting with the US. Despite stressing user privacy, OpenAI has ambitious revenue targets. Subscriptions make up a majority of its revenue, but even with anticipated subscriber growth and price increases, it faces a shortfall.

This week, Microsoft unveiled a “community-first AI infrastructure” plan. It said it will “pay our way to ensure our data centres don’t increase your electricity prices,” minimize water use, create jobs, forgo tax breaks and invest in AI training.

Because Wikipedia content is openly licensed for anyone to reuse for free, its servers are currently being hammered by AI scrapers. This enterprise deal gives the companies access to a high speed feed, a privilege they pay for. That’s all. No AI content in Wikipedia. techcrunch.com/2026/01/15/w...

Taiwan's semiconductor industry’s power demand is forecast to grow eightfold by 2028. A rapid expansion of wind energy to power this demand is upending the livelihoods of farmers, fishers and rural communities, reports Hsiuwen Liu for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2026/taiwan-...

The U.S., China, and a handful of tech companies are jostling to control the development of AI. Countries are having to choose between the U.S. and China, creating new geopolitical tensions. Read an excerpt from Nick Srnicek's book Silicon Empires in @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2026/silicon...

There’s a lot of talk about physical AI at #CES and how transformational it will be. We’re beginning to see it at scale in defence, hospitality, healthcare because there is a growing business case, and the technology is now ready. But a vital gap remains: people’s attitudes towards physical AI.

What AI bubble? In his keynote at #CES yesterday, Jensen Huang said 2025 was an "incredible" year. Sure, for the company that hit more than $5 trillion in market cap. This year, is all about physical AI, he said, and two robots hobbled on to the stage.

Disconcerting to see so many Waymos stranded in the streets, adding to the traffic chaos during the hourslong power outage in San Francisco. They were disoriented by no traffic lights? Honking at them seemed to get some to move. The service was eventually suspended.

Data center deals hit a record of more than $61 bln this year. At the same time, local pushback is growing, from Chile to Brazil to India, and even lawmakers are questioning if the massive subsidies and drain on resources are worth it. Read @restofworld.org coverage restofworld.org/2025/ai-data...

Indian tutors are offering cheap, personalized classes in basic AI skills over WhatsApp and Facebook groups. They are making AI "less intimidating and more practical" for small businesses and freelancers, report Tauseef Ahmad and Sajid Raina for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/indian-...

It isn't just in Europe that Shein is facing scrutiny. Lawmakers across Latin America are pushing “anti-Shein” bills to protect local industry, joining global efforts to rein in ultrafast fashion, reports David Feliba for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/anti-sh...

The fast-money pandemic era helped build billion-dollar startups around the world — then brought many down just as quickly. Tiger Global helped usher in that era of fast money. Will the AI boom be a repeat? Read @issielapowsky.bsky.social feature in @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/tiger-g...

The demand for AI and a push for data sovereignty mean that data centers are being built in some very hot spots that need massive investments in cooling systems. @hazelgandhi.bsky.social mapped the hot spots on @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/data-ce...

Entry-level hiring at big tech companies has dropped by more than 50% over the last three years. Young tech workers who thought engineering degrees would guarantee them jobs are facing an AI-fueled jobpocalypse, Yashraj Sharma reports for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/enginee...

Elections in India's Bihar showed how easily AI-generated voice clones and deepfake videos could spread misinformation and target voters. The technology appeared to favor bigger political parties, report Saurabh Sharma and Raihana Maqbool for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/ai-indi...

Kenya’s unemployment crisis has allowed Chinese AI companies to tap into a workforce of young people willing to label thousands of videos for around $6 a day, report @tarykuh.bsky.social and Tessie Waithira for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/kenya-c...

How much did Starlink benefit from the close relationship between Musk and Trump? When Musk served in Trump’s administration, Starlink was activated or approved in at least 13 countries. Read @restofworld.org new investigation. restofworld.org/2025/musk-starlink-trump-doge

DeepSeek’s R2 is on its way, likely intensifying the AI rivalry between the U.S. and China. Expect a lot more "fear, uncertainty and doubt" and agenda-driven ‘analysis’ of Chinese models and their alleged risks, @pstasiatech.bsky.social writes in @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/deepsee...

India’s best engineers are no longer focused just on the U.S., opting instead for emerging opportunities at home and in other countries, as the lure of the U.S. fades, writes Mehran Gul for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/india-t...

Genuine Chinese supermarkets and restaurants weren’t always available to residents in Nuevo Planco in Mexico City. But with the arrival of big Chinese tech companies and workers in the last decade, that has changed. @dandiba.bsky.social reports @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/chinese...

As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new data centers, particularly from Amazon, its filthiest neighbourhood must keep its major coal plants running, making people sick. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

The UAE’s new research lab in Silicon Valley - with offers of better pay and more compute to lure researchers from top U.S. universities and major tech firms - is part of the country’s attempt to become a global AI powerhouse: @violazhou.bsky.social @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/what-th...

It used to be that if you didn’t know how to do something, you wouldn’t do it. Now AI will do it for you. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

ChatGPT is huge in India. Some startups are building AI tools for less common languages, hoping local relevance will help them compete, report Tauseef Ahmad and Sajid Raina @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/chatgpt...

Chinese EV giant BYD has sold millions of cars and conquered global markets, but it hasn’t supercharged China’s soft power. Can BYD do for China what Ford did for the U.S., Mercedes for Germany, and Ferrari for Italy? @ghoshworld.bsky.social writes @restofworld.org   restofworld.org/2025/byd-chi...