Google launches a cheaper AI Plus plan in India, costing ~$2.21 per month for the first six months and ~$4.44 thereafter, to compete with ChatGPT Go (Ivan Mehta/TechCrunch)

Google has launched open-source Gemini CLI extensions for its Data Cloud services, enhancing the functionality of applications and data analysis directly from local development environments. This initiative follows the introduction of the Gemini CLI, an AI agent designed to streamline data interactions across various Google services like Cloud SQL, AlloyDB, and BigQuery.

A new initiative called the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), backed by prominent companies including OpenAI and Anthropic, aims to standardize AI agents and create an open, interoperable foundation for AI technologies. This effort seeks to address the complexities and fragmentation within the current AI ecosystem.

Starcloud, a startup backed by Nvidia, has successfully launched a satellite equipped with an Nvidia H100 chip, which is now operational and querying responses from Google's AI model, Gemma. This marks a significant milestone as it represents the first instance of training an AI model from space, showcasing the potential of orbital data centers in AI development.

ChatGPT has become the most downloaded app on the U.S. App Store in 2025, marking its first year at the top of this category. This achievement underscores the growing popularity and acceptance of AI-driven applications among users in the United States.

Oboe has successfully raised $16 million in funding from a16z to enhance its AI-powered course generation platform, allowing users to create unlimited courses for free. This significant investment marks a pivotal moment for the company as it seeks to expand its offerings in the educational technology sector.

Google has launched managed MCP servers designed to make its services, including Maps and BigQuery, ready for AI agents. This initiative aims to streamline integrations and enhance the usability of AI tools within its ecosystem.

Developer Mark Russo discovered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) within an AI dataset and reported it to the appropriate organizations. Despite his actions, he faced a prolonged account ban from Google, raising concerns about the company's response to such serious findings.

A recent report from OpenAI highlights a significant productivity gap, revealing that AI power users send six times more messages to ChatGPT than the median employee in their companies. This disparity is even more pronounced in specific roles, such as coding and data analysis, where top users engage 17 times more than their peers.