Google announced that its AI‑powered search feature, AI Mode, will soon display more in‑line links to the sources it draws information from. The update will place brief AI‑generated descriptions above a carousel of source links, helping users see where content originates. The change arrives as the European Commission investigates whether Google’s AI tools use publisher material without proper compensation. At the same time, Google is piloting new collaborations with publishers such as The Guardian, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press to explore AI‑driven audience engagement and real‑time news delivery. Read more →

Microsoft announced it has stopped providing Azure cloud storage and certain AI services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense after an internal investigation linked the unit’s use of its technology to the storage of surveillance data on Palestinian phone calls. The decision follows a Guardian report about Unit 8200’s use of Azure and reflects Microsoft’s long‑standing policy against facilitating mass civilian surveillance. The company said the review is ongoing, while employee activism and protests have intensified around Microsoft’s ties to Israel. Read more →