Google AI breakthrough, Samsung TriFold launch, Nvidia chip investments, Apple AI leadership...

Google has claimed a decisive lead in artificial intelligence with the release of Gemini 3, a model that not only outperforms its competitors in benchmarks but also leverages Google’s integrated ecosystem—spanning proprietary TPU chips, cloud infrastructure, and vast proprietary datasets. Computer World highlights that this “vertical stack” approach gives Google a unique advantage, echoing Apple’s model of hardware-software integration. However, the analysis stresses that Google’s dominance still hinges on its advertising business, and the true test will be how AI transforms the future of digital marketing. OpenAI’s CEO has reportedly acknowledged Google’s progress, urging staff to “catch up fast,” while Nvidia congratulated Google but asserted its own technology remains ahead of the curve. Computer World

A joint analysis by MIT Technology Review and the Financial Times explores whether the AI boom is translating into real economic productivity. While AI coding tools are revolutionizing software development, 95% of corporate generative AI projects reportedly yield no measurable return. Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu remains skeptical about large-scale productivity gains, noting that most AI advances are not yet relevant to the biggest business sectors. Optimists argue that transformative effects may take years to materialize, following the historical lag seen with past technologies. The debate centers on whether AI will augment the workforce or primarily drive cost-cutting and job losses. MIT Technology Review

Apple has announced that its artificial intelligence chief, John Giannandrea, is stepping down after leading the company’s AI efforts since 2018. As reported by TechCrunch and The Information, Apple has recruited Amar Subramanya, a veteran with experience at both Google and Microsoft, to head key areas of its AI team. The move is seen as both a shake-up and a strategic alignment, underscoring Apple’s urgent push to compete in the generative AI arms race. TechCrunch The Information

OpenAI’s investment in Thrive Holdings—a management-focused offshoot of its own major investor, Thrive Capital—has drawn scrutiny from analysts tracking the increasingly circular nature of AI industry deals. The Register and TechCrunch note that while Thrive will use OpenAI’s technology across its businesses, questions linger about whether these investments generate substantive value or merely inflate valuations amid concerns of a potential AI bubble. The Register TechCrunch

Nvidia is investing $2 billion in Synopsys, a leader in semiconductor design tools, as covered by both The Register and TechCrunch. The move further solidifies Nvidia’s influence over the chip-design supply chain at a time when GPU-powered AI workloads are surging. Analysts warn that such deepening partnerships could entrench Nvidia’s market position, even as the industry debates the sustainability of current AI investment levels. The Register TechCrunch

After years of anticipation, Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy Z TriFold, a smartphone that unfolds into a 10-inch tablet. ZDNet, Tech Radar, and XDA Developers praise the TriFold’s engineering, which features a flagship-level camera system and a next-generation Snapdragon processor. The device’s innovative tri-folding mechanism marks a significant leap in mobile design, raising the bar for competitors in the flexible device market. Zdnet Tech Radar XDA Developers

The price of RAM has soared in recent weeks, with XDA Developers attributing the spike to the global surge in AI adoption and the consequent demand for hardware. This has forced vendors like Raspberry Pi to raise prices, highlighting the broader impact of AI-driven supply constraints on the consumer electronics sector. XDA Developers

Nvidia has published research on TiDAR, a hybrid decoding method that merges diffusion and traditional approaches to language model inference. Tom’s Hardware reports that early results show substantial throughput gains in AI token generation, though some limitations remain. This advance could enhance the speed and efficiency of large language models in production environments. Tom's Hardware

Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud have introduced a new tool enabling rapid, private connections between their cloud platforms. As described by The Verge, this service allows companies to mitigate outages by seamlessly shifting workloads between providers, addressing recent concerns over cloud reliability after high-profile service disruptions. The collaboration streamlines what was previously a complex, manual process, and similar integration with Microsoft Azure is planned for next year. The Verge

A Soyuz launch to the International Space Station has catastrophically damaged Russia’s only crewed launch pad, rendering the country temporarily unable to send astronauts to orbit for the first time in over six decades. Live Science and New Scientist detail the incident’s implications: repairs may take up to two years, raising questions about NASA’s continued support for the ISS and the future of international space collaboration. Live Science New Scientist