From Kenya to South Asia, Meta’s Oversight Board often overturns takedowns where algorithms misread language or political context. But now, AI-generated content is flooding the system https://restofworld.org/2026/mmeta-oversight-board-challenges/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
Washington’s move to lift export controls could turn Vietnam from a chip assembly hub into a manufacturing partner — and a strategic alternative to China https://restofworld.org/2026/vietnam-us-chip-industry-china/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
As AI becomes critical to national economies, cloud infrastructure becomes a wartime target. Drone strikes on Amazon sites in the Gulf may force the industry to rethink where it builds https://restofworld.org/2026/iran-amazon-data-center-strikes/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
"If a candidate is obese or has asthma, the officer can refuse their visa."
An immigration lawyer on what the H-1B process actually looks like in 2026: https://restofworld.org/2026/get-h-1b-visa-trump-america/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
Read our story on the growing pushback to data centers worldwide:
restofworld.org/2025/ai-data...
In some of these countries, data centers are being set up in areas with inadequate reserves of water and power, forcing residents to contend with reduced supply as local governments prioritize data center investments.
There is growing resistance to the power and water use of data centers, not just in the U.S., but in countries including Chile, Brazil, Mexico and India.
Under the agreement, the companies will negotiate separate rate structures with utility companies and state governments. The companies also agreed to build or buy new power generation resources required for data centers, so that their demands don’t strain the energy grid.
The agreement, called the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, is aimed at quelling growing criticism that the massive consumption of power by data centers is driving up costs for homes and small businesses.
Read the pledge here:
www.whitehouse.gov/articles/202...
Big tech companies including Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Google and Microsoft have committed to cover the cost of all electricity generated to power their AI data centers in the U.S.
Seven in 10 social media images are now AI-generated. That surge is testing whether Meta’s Oversight Board can still function as the “supreme court” of content moderation https://restofworld.org/2026/mmeta-oversight-board-challenges/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
Silicon Valley draws on India’s talent and sells back its products — and a new book argues that this dynamic reflects a deeper failure of India’s sovereignty project https://restofworld.org/2026/dwaipayan-banerjee-india-technology-book/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
“I used a fake ID of Stalin and it got accepted”
More countries are pushing social media platforms to conduct age verifications, but the methods are far from foolproof
https://restofworld.org/2026/social-media-age-verification-tools/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
Gig workers in Africa helped train AI systems for a company that performed work for a secretive U.S. military unit. Many were never told their work could be used for military purposes https://restofworld.org/2026/gig-workers-us-military-appen/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
As geopolitical tensions rise, Polymarket volumes spike. Markets on U.S. military action in Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran have drawn millions
https://restofworld.org/2026/polymarket-online-betting-politics-war-charts/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
In a new book, Dwaipayan Banerjee argues decades of technocratic “solutions” have strengthened Big Tech while weakening real industrial autonomy https://restofworld.org/2026/dwaipayan-banerjee-india-technology-book/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
State aid explains only a fraction of BYD’s cost gap with Tesla; the real advantage is scale, lower overheads, and tighter control of the supply chain https://restofworld.org/2026/why-are-chinese-evs-cheaper-than-tesla/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
“To build something like this from the jungle, as outsiders who were never part of the political establishment, feels like a miracle.” https://restofworld.org/2026/ai-avatar-colombia-political-candidate/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
Dubai is becoming a test bed for experimental transport. After failed bets on Hyperloop and robotaxis, the city is again backing technologies that don’t yet operate at scale https://restofworld.org/2026/elon-musk-dubai-boring-company-robotaxi-regulation/?utm_campaign=row-social
As AI becomes critical to national economies, cloud infrastructure becomes a wartime target. Drone strikes on Amazon sites in the Gulf may force the industry to rethink where it builds https://restofworld.org/2026/iran-amazon-data-center-strikes/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
"We sent freedom of information requests to several US military units about the nature of Appen’s work. Most did not respond or said no relevant records were found. One sent back 720 pages of entirely blacked-out redactions."
India is among the world’s largest markets for generative #AI platforms. Several celebrities have sued YouTube and Google for hosting #deepfake videos. But in small towns, deepfakes are helping meet vital cultural needs.
scroll.in/article/1091...
🖊️Hanan Zaffar & Jyoti Thakur
Via @restofworld.org
“Mining bitcoin gives [Bhutan] a currency to purchase imports that it didn’t have before, so I understand why the political establishment in the country wants...digital payments...However, just because the central bank is pushing Bhutan society toward digital payments does not make it sensible.”
Oil has war contingency plans, but AI infrastructure doesn’t. As conflict shuts the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, the cables powering the Gulf’s AI boom are trapped between two choke points https://restofworld.org/2026/us-iran-war-gulf-ai-submarine-cables/?utm_campaign=row-social
Major companies including Intel, Qualcomm, and Samsung are already investing in factories, research centers, and training programs in Vietnam, positioning the country as a strategic alternative to China https://restofworld.org/2026/vietnam-us-chip-industry-china/?utm_campaign=row-social
A digital safe allows workers to speak up about concerns even in places without strong whistleblower protections, said Mary Inman, a founding board member of Psst https://restofworld.org/2026/ai-whistleblower-psst-mary-inman/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
The image shows a storefront with traditional decorative patterns. The business names "Textiles" and "Lotus Peak Enterprise" are displayed above the entrances, with windows showcasing various items. The architecture features colorful, intricate designs.
An individual stands in an art gallery surrounded by various framed paintings on the walls. There is a table with a set of colored pencils, a mug, and a singing bowl in the foreground. The environment is bright with a wooden floor.
People are interacting on a busy street in Bhutan. Two individuals wearing red robes are walking past, while others sit on steps, looking at a phone. Nearby, a person wearing a hooded jacket stands beside a parked car. The background shows shops and signs, including "Thimphu Central."
Bhutan became the first country to roll out nationwide crypto payments for tourists. Nearly a year later, merchants say hardly anyone is using it https://restofworld.org/2026/bhutan-bitcoin-tourism-payment-adoption-failure/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
Western automakers are chasing rare earth-free motors but China’s cost advantage remains difficult to crack https://restofworld.org/2026/chinas-rare-earth-dominance-is-hard-for-ev-makers-to-escape/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1772590860
Silicon Valley draws on India’s talent and sells back its products — and a new book argues that this dynamic reflects a deeper failure of India’s sovereignty project restofworld.org/2026/dwaipay...
Vietnam is building its first domestically owned semiconductor fabrication plant, aiming to start trial production by late 2027 and grow a local chip industry from scratch https://restofworld.org/2026/vietnam-us-chip-industry-china/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
