How Google Finally Leapfrogged Rivals With New Gemini Rollout

A significant decision regarding the potential breakup of Google's advertising technology monopoly is anticipated, as a judge has raised questions about the feasibility of such a move during recent court proceedings. This development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Google's dominance in the ad tech sector, with implications for its business operations and regulatory landscape.

OpenAI has announced that it will retire its GPT-4o model from the API platform on February 16, 2026. This decision follows a notification sent to API customers, allowing a three-month transition period for applications still utilizing GPT-4o. While the model will be removed from the API, it will continue to be available to individual users of ChatGPT across various subscription tiers. The company considers GPT-4o a legacy system with lower usage compared to the newer GPT-5.1 series.

Google's AI infrastructure chief has informed employees that the company must increase its capacity by a thousandfold over the next five years to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence. This ambitious goal reflects the company's commitment to scaling its AI capabilities significantly.

The judge overseeing the US Justice Department’s antitrust case regarding Google's advertising technology expressed concerns about the duration of a potential forced sale of the company's advertising exchange and the ability to identify suitable buyers.

A judge has questioned lawyers about the feasibility of breaking up Google during closing arguments aimed at addressing the company's dominance in online advertising. Judge Brinkema's ruling could significantly alter Google's business model as the tech giant strives to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities and integrate them into its product offerings.

Google is currently testing advertisements within its AI Mode, a feature designed to enhance user interactions by integrating advanced AI capabilities. This testing phase indicates a strategic move to monetize AI-driven services while improving user experience across its platforms.

Google has introduced a new feature in its Gemini app that allows users to inquire whether an image was generated by artificial intelligence, utilizing the SynthID tool. This development aims to enhance the detection of AI-generated images, although its effectiveness across all images remains uncertain.

Google has initiated a change that allows its AI to access users' private emails and attachments for training purposes, often without their consent. Users can opt out of this feature easily, but many may remain unaware of this new policy.