News reporting focused on AI and machine learning, covering the companies behind these technologies, their real-world applications, and the ethical concerns they raise. This includes areas like generative AI (large language models, text-to-image and video), speech tech, and predictive analytics.
Google announced during its Q2 2026 earnings call that its AI assistant Gemini now has over 950 million monthly active users, tripling from last year. The milestone puts Gemini in closer competition with OpenAI's ChatGPT, which reached 1 billion users in June. Google also highlighted growth in its AI-powered search mode, which crossed 1 billion users this quarter.
Alphabet raised its 2026 investment forecast to up to $205 billion as Google Cloud revenue surged 82% and the Gemini app hit 950 million monthly active users. CEO Sundar Pichai said the next generation of frontier AI models requires 'much larger base models,' and Google is training Gemini 4 to close the gap with rivals. The company also noted efficiency gains in AI Mode and a focus on improving coding capabilities.
Alphabet reported Q2 revenue of $119.8 billion, up 24% year-over-year, beating analyst estimates. The company raised its capital expenditure guidance to at least $180 billion, signaling accelerating AI spending. Google Cloud revenue surged 82% to $24.8 billion, driven by enterprise AI solutions. The Gemini app now has 950 million monthly active users and processes 22 billion API tokens per minute.
Google has released three new Gemini models: 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, and 3.5 Flash Cyber. The 3.6 Flash model offers improved coding and knowledge work with 17% fewer output tokens and lower costs. The 3.5 Flash-Lite is the fastest in the series at 350 tokens per second, designed for high-throughput agentic tasks. The 3.5 Flash Cyber model, available only to governments and trusted partners via CodeMender, focuses on finding and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Google also noted that Gemini 3.5 Pro is being tested with partners and that pre-training for Gemini 4 has begun.
Google DeepMind has introduced three new Gemini models: 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, and 3.5 Flash Cyber. The 3.6 Flash model offers improved coding and multimodal performance with 17% fewer output tokens and lower cost. The 3.5 Flash-Lite is the fastest in its series at 350 output tokens per second, designed for high-throughput agentic tasks. The 3.5 Flash Cyber, fine-tuned for cybersecurity, will be available exclusively to governments and trusted partners via the CodeMender agent.
Google released three new AI models on Tuesday, including its most powerful Gemini 3.6 Flash and a cybersecurity-focused Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber. The move aims to compete with rivals Anthropic and OpenAI, which have advanced in cybersecurity AI. A third model, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, targets agent management tasks.
Alibaba's Qwen-Audio-3.0-TTS-Plus has claimed the top spot on Artificial Analysis' Speech Arena leaderboard for provider voices, achieving an Elo score of 1,236. The model narrowly beats SpeechifyAI's Simba 3.2 (1,234) and other competitors like Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS and Sonic 3.5. Available in Flash and Plus versions, it supports 16 languages and offers natural language style control, though its speed lags behind rivals.
Alphabet is developing a new server chip internally called Frozen v2, expected in 2028, to make its Gemini AI models up to 10 times more efficient than current Google AI chips. The chip aims to address AI computing shortages and reduce reliance on Nvidia, boosting investor confidence ahead of earnings.
Google announced an update to Google Vids that lets users create custom digital avatars from a selfie and voice recording. The company also brought its multi-modal AI model Gemini Omni to the platform, enabling video creation from text prompts and reference images, along with step-by-step editing. The updates position Vids as a broader video creation tool within Google Workspace, competing with startups like HeyGen and Synthesia.
Google has rebranded its AI note-taking tool NotebookLM as Gemini Notebook, integrating it more deeply into its ecosystem. The company also announced that Google Search will now allow third-party app integrations, starting with Instacart, Canva, and YouTube Music in the US. The updates aim to expand the reach of Google's AI tools.
NVIDIA announced that its GPUs with Confidential Computing are now used for confidential inference in Apple's Private Cloud Compute (PCC) as Apple expands PCC beyond its own data centers to Google Cloud. The integration, unveiled at Apple's WWDC 2026, uses NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs to support server-side inference for Apple Foundation Models, built by Apple and Google using technologies behind the Gemini family of models. The hardware-based security layer ensures that no one, including system builders, can access user data during processing.
Google has released Gemini 3.5 Live Translate, a real-time audio translation model that supports over 70 languages. The model automatically detects languages, preserves the speaker's tone and pace, and translates continuously without waiting for sentence breaks. It is now available for developers, in Google Meet as a preview, and in the Google Translate app on Android and iOS.