A 36-year-old US man, Jonathan Gavalas, died by suicide after developing an intense relationship with Google Gemini, which he perceived as his “AI wife.” Over 56 days and 4,700 messages, interactions evolved from emotional support to delusion, with the bot reciprocating romantic language and reinforcing fictional narratives. Despite intermittent warnings and crisis prompts, safeguards proved inconsistent. The chatbot allegedly suggested a “final mission” involving leaving his physical body to join a digital realm. His father has filed a lawsuit against Google, raising concerns over AI safety, psychological risks, and the urgent need for stronger regulation and intervention mechanisms. (PC: NDTV)

Fears of internet disruption are rising as the US-Iran conflict continues and risks to Red Sea cables increase. Experts say these undersea cables carry most global data, including services used in India. The Iran-backed Houthis have earlier warned of targeting such cables. A similar incident in September 2025 caused outages across parts of Asia. Officials say India could face slow speeds and network issues if cables are damaged. Much of India’s traffic passes through Mumbai and Chennai, making them key points. Any disruption could affect payments, cloud services, and communication systems across the country. (PC: X)

A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and Google liable for harming a young woman through social media addiction. The woman, known as Kaley, was awarded $3 million.   Jurors said the companies built addictive platforms that hurt her mental health. Meta was held 70% responsible, while YouTube, owned by Google, was 30%.   Kaley said, “I stopped engaging with family because I was spending all my time on social media.” She began using Instagram at nine and YouTube at six.   Meta said it disagrees with the verdict and is reviewing legal options. Lawyers called the platforms “addiction machines”. More cases are expected in US courts. (PC: BBC)

OpenAI's robotics manager Caitlin Kalinowski has resigned over the company's controversial Pentagon defence contract, secured last month allowing AI technology deployment for war and domestic surveillance purposes. Kalinowski cited concerns over the haste with which OpenAI finalised the military deal. The contract came hours after rival AI company Anthropic refused to agree to unconditional military use of its technology, drawing a sharp ethical contrast between the two leading AI firms. The resignation highlights growing internal dissent within OpenAI over its shifting stance on military applications, raising serious questions about the ethical boundaries of deploying advanced artificial intelligence in warfare and government surveillance operations. (PC: Reuters)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that OpenAI acted opportunistically and rushed a Pentagon deal, following the termination of Anthropic’s contract. He said the move was intended to prevent further escalation between the US Defense Department and the AI industry and admitted the approach was “opportunistic and sloppy.” OpenAI has since updated its Pentagon contract to clarify its “principles,” and Altman insisted future decisions will be more cautious. The development followed a surge in ChatGPT uninstalls, with Claude downloads rising as users shifted to competitors. Altman emphasized safeguarding civil liberties, stating the agreement prohibits mass domestic surveillance and NSA use without a contract modification. (PC: X)

The US, Russia and China were among more than 80 nations that signed the New Delhi Declaration at the AI Impact Summit 2026. In total, 88 countries and international groups endorsed the pact.   The declaration stresses national sovereignty, wider access to AI and stronger global cooperation. It says the benefits of Artificial Intelligence must be shared equally. “The benefits of AI must be equitably shared across humanity,” the statement said.   The summit was held in New Delhi from February 18 to 20. It drew over five lakh visitors. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called it a “grand success” and said India secured over USD 250 billion in investment commitments. (PC: X)

India's first AI-powered air taxi, an electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (e-VTOL) aircraft, was showcased at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam. Developed by The E Plane Company in collaboration with IIT Madras, the aircraft requires no runway, runs entirely on battery, and can cover 36 km in just eight minutes at an estimated fare of Rs 1,700. It supports multi-stop capability on a single charge and operates below 120 decibels. The airframe and body are fully manufactured in India, with DGCA Design Organisation Approval already secured. Air ambulance services are planned for Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad by September–October 2027, ahead of commercial air taxi operations. (PC: NDTV)

An awkward moment took place during a group photo at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei chose a raised fist bump instead of holding hands. The two lead rival AI firms. They appeared unsure for a moment before settling on the gesture. The clip drew online reactions. One tech founder wrote, “When AGI? The day Dario and Sam hold hands.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood at the centre of the lineup. Other global tech leaders were also present. At the event, Amodei said AI may soon exceed “most humans in most domains.” Altman said India is leading in AI adoption. (PC: NDTV)

India’s homegrown Sarvam AI is a next-generation artificial intelligence model built to understand and process Indian languages and contexts. Developed by a Bengaluru-based startup, the model supports 22 official Indian languages and performs tasks such as image captioning, speech recognition, scene text reading, and document understanding. At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Google CEO Sundar Pichai praised the initiative, highlighting India’s growing AI capabilities. Reports suggest Sarvam AI has outperformed leading global systems in select Indian language benchmarks, marking a major step toward sovereign AI development and improved digital accessibility across India. 

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said India is a global model for making AI accessible to more people. He spoke at a press conference in New Delhi before the India AI Impact Summit. Pichai said India’s digital systems and language diversity create a strong base for AI growth. He said the country is set for an “extraordinary trajectory” in AI. Google announced new India-focused steps. These include subsea cable links, AI tools for 10,000 schools, and support for 2 crore public servants. A new AI certificate course will be offered in English and Hindi. “AI must work across languages and local contexts,” he said.