Google I/O 2026 opens on May 19 — and all signs point to the most AI-heavy event in the conference’s history. Gemini 4, agentic AI tools, Android XR smart glasses and the debut of Aluminum OS are all expected. Google has been unusually quiet in recent months. That silence ends in eight days. Published by gafam.ai — The European Eye on Big Tech & Artificial Intelligence.
The Pentagon has cleared Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services to deploy their AI inside classified military networks — for any lawful purpose, including warfighter decision-making. Anthropic, which demanded safety guardrails for warfare use, was excluded and declared a supply chain risk. This is the moment Big Tech chose the Pentagon over principle. Published by gafam.ai — The European Eye on Big Tech & Artificial Intelligence.
Apple spent just $4.3 billion on AI infrastructure in the first half of fiscal 2026 — while rivals commit hundreds of billions. Services revenue hit $31 billion, up 16%. And Tim Cook just promised a more personalised Siri this year. The contrarian AI bet is becoming harder to dismiss. Published by gafam.ai — The European Eye on Big Tech & Artificial Intelligence.
Google has shut down Project Mariner, its experimental AI browser agent. The technology isn’t dead — it’s been absorbed into Gemini Agent and AI Mode. This is Google consolidating, not retreating. And it raises serious questions about AI autonomy, trust and user control. Published by gafam.ai — The European Eye on Big Tech & Artificial Intelligence.
GAFAM and its peers are spending $725 billion on AI infrastructure in 2026 — a 77% increase year over year. At the same time, Amazon cut 16,000 jobs, Meta is cutting 8,000, and Microsoft offered voluntary retirement to 8,750 employees. The AI boom has a human cost. gafam.ai examines the trade-off.