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18-year-old Hikaru Kuribayashi won the $100,000 top prize at the 2026 Regeneron ISEF. He beat 1,700 students by using origami patterns found in nature to build a simulation program. "That ladybug actually uses origami patterns to fold and expand its wings," he said. His work showed how nature inspires engineering.
A PIL filed before the Delhi High Court seeks new laws to restrict social media access for minors. The petition argues that addictive content harms children. The case, heard on July 29, 2026, claims current safeguards are weak. A new Bench will hear the matter again on August 5, 2026.
Polar, a startup founded by former Perplexity employee Kevin Jiang, launched an AI browser for knowledge workers after raising $5.7 million. Jiang said, "We're focused on where we think browser agents are actually valuable, which is knowledge work." The tool helps users automate tasks like research, marketing, and business operations.
Parliament is examining social media accountability as experts debate if platforms should face legal responsibility for illegal user posts. Nikhil Pahwa, Founder and Editor of MediaNama, said, "The problem is that these are actually unsolvable problems." Many experts feel current technology cannot perfectly detect every piece of harmful content.
Logitech will ship mice with replaceable batteries in Europe only to comply with new laws taking effect next year. Robin Piispanen said, "making longer-lasting mice should be a higher priority than allowing users to replace individual components." The company is following Nintendo by making these changes only where legally required.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg slammed OpenAI and Anthropic for centralising AI power. He said their controlled approach limits access and stifles innovation. Zuckerberg argued that current discourse is filled with doom and needs realism. Meanwhile, Anthropic said it does not want a ban on open-weight models, focusing on safety instead.
Moonshot AI secured a $35 billion valuation after raising a larger-than-anticipated $3.5 billion in a just-closed round of financing. The Beijing-based startup got more than the $1 billion to $2 billion it initially targeted. Many investors joined, including the National Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, as the company grew fast.
Nearly 59% of Indian industrial manufacturers believe AI will play a significant role in achieving strategic goals within five years. A PWC report showed this optimism exceeds global levels. Vinod Kumar Pathak said, “The need for human-machine interface raised the question of whether factories operating without workers are good.”
The Competition and Markets Authority said on Wednesday it is investigating Microsoft over whether it misled personal and family customers regarding Microsoft 365 subscription costs. The probe examines if users got clear information about Copilot pricing. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is reviewing the claims and remains committed to cooperation.