Artificial Intelligence
Google Launches Gemini 3.1 Pro with Doubled Reasoning Power
Google has released Gemini 3.1 Pro, reporting more than double the reasoning performance of its previous flagship model on the ARC-AGI-2 benchmark, with strong gains in coding, multimodal understanding, and scientific tasks. Enterprise partners highlight improved reliability — and pricing remains unchanged. This positions Google as the dominant value-for-reasoning model in the enterprise market. MarketingProfs / AI Update
Apple Delays Siri AI Upgrades Again
Apple is reportedly pushing back long-awaited Siri overhaul due to reliability issues with in-app voice commands and privacy constraints. The delays raise doubts about Apple’s ability to keep up in the AI assistant race against Google and OpenAI. For consumers, it means waiting even longer for the smarter Siri promised at WWDC 2024. dentro.de / AI News February 2026
Chip Making
TSMC Expands AI Chip Capacity, Eyes Dresden Fab
TSMC is accelerating its advanced packaging capacity for AI chips and advancing investments in both the US and Europe, including a new semiconductor fab in Dresden, Germany. The move is part of a global strategy to reduce geopolitical concentration risk and meet surging demand for AI processors. Europe’s semiconductor ambitions get a tangible boost. NewsCase, Yahoo Finance, Taiwan News
Policy
EU AI Act: European Commission Sets 2026 Implementation Priorities
The European Commission has circulated an internal report outlining which secondary measures of the EU AI Act will be prioritized in 2026 and which will be deferred. Of particular interest are provisions for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models — like GPT and Gemini — where compliance timelines remain in flux. Companies operating in Europe need to closely track which obligations take effect by August 2026. European Commission
EU AI Act: High-Risk AI Deadline Looms in August 2026
Operators of high-risk AI systems must complete conformity assessments, finalize technical documentation, and register in the EU database by 2 August 2026. Fines for non-compliance can reach €10 million or 2% of annual turnover. The clock is ticking for any company deploying AI in healthcare, HR, education, or critical infrastructure within the EU. LegalNodes
Data Center
Data Center Construction Surges: $25.4B in European Projects 26–28
A new industry analysis estimates €25.4 billion in potential data center investments across Europe for the 2026–2028 period, spanning 83 new projects. In the US, massive campus-style facilities in Texas are topping 300 MW and 1.6 GW capacity. AI workloads are the primary driver, pushing developers to secure clean power sources as a strategic priority. e4company
Satellites
Starlink Hits 10 Million Subscribers
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service reached 10 million active subscribers in February 2026, up from 9 million in December 2025 — a remarkable acceleration. The constellation now counts over 9,422 satellites in low Earth orbit, representing 65% of all active satellites. Starlink’s growth is reshaping broadband competition globally, including in underserved areas of Europe and Africa. Broadband Breakfast
Rare Earth
Rare Earth Bottlenecks to Persist Through 2026 and Beyond
China’s export restrictions on seven rare earth elements — in place since April 2025 — continue to drive supply chain disruptions and price premiums globally. China controls 61% of global mining and 91% of refining capacity, and experts say ex-China alternatives will not be ready until 2027 at the earliest. The crunch hits magnet materials critical for EVs, defense systems, and AI hardware. S&P Global
Startup Milvus Designs Synthetic Rare Earth Substitutes
Milvus, a startup founded by organic chemistry researcher Assia Kasdi, is designing materials that chemically mimic rare earth metals — creating entirely new synthetic alternatives to reduce dependence on Chinese supply. The work aligns with the US Trump administration’s push for rare earth independence, combining federal grants, stockpiling strategies, and urban mining recovery programs.
Latitude Media
Fiber
US BEAD Program Triggers Peak Fiber Construction in 2026
The $42.45 billion US BEAD broadband program is now moving from planning to actual construction, with 2026 and 2027 set to be the peak build years. AT&T plans to add fiber to 1 million new locations annually, while Verizon expects to redirect up to $2 billion in tax savings into network expansion. Fiber broadband now passes over 60% of US households, on track to become the dominant delivery platform by 2028. Wray Castle
altafiber Reaches 70,000 Homes in Dayton with $200M Fiber Build
US operator altafiber has connected 70,000 residential and business addresses in the Dayton, Ohio region with its XGS-PON multi-gigabit fiber network, as part of a $200 million regional investment covering 2,300 miles of fiber routes. The deployment is a concrete example of how BEAD-era funding is translating into real infrastructure at the local level. Yahoo Finance
Finance
Software Selloff Disrupts M&A and IPO Pipelines
A broad selloff in software stocks is stalling deal-making and IPO activity in the tech sector, as market volatility makes it harder to price valuations reliably, according to US investment bankers. This comes despite a strong overall M&A pipeline driven by AI consolidation. Companies considering public listings in 2026 may be forced to wait for a more stable window.
🔗 Fonte: Reuters
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