AI news · Thursday, July 16, 2026

Google must open its AI and Android to rivals by 2027

The European Union just forced a major change for Google, ordering the tech giant to provide rival AI assistants and search engines with the same system access currently reserved for its own Gemini AI. While Google has spent years resisting this kind of interoperability, the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is now calling the shots, granting competitors a level playing field on Android and in search results. Google has until July 2027 to comply with the Android requirements and January 2027 to share search data, giving the company a significant runway that Apple—which is still fighting the EU and withholding its own Siri AI—did not secure.

This regulatory pressure comes as Google continues to reshape its own ecosystem, rebranding NotebookLM as Gemini Notebook and deepening its integration into Search via a new 'AI Mode' that can now connect to third-party apps like Instacart and Canva. Meanwhile, the industry is grappling with the ballooning cost of the AI arms race, with major players facing investor skepticism even when beating earnings targets. Jamie Dimon noted that businesses are finally getting rational about 'tokenmaxxing'—the wasteful, excessive use of expensive AI models—adopting a more cost-conscious 'Costco' approach to resource management.

The race for AI dominance continues to trigger friction between top CEOs, with Sam Altman engaging in public spats with Elon Musk and taking shots at Anthropic’s marketing tactics. Musk has even mocked OpenAI’s deal with Apple, while security concerns persist, with regulators recently raising alarms over the dual-use nature of highly capable models like Anthropic’s Mythos, which JPMorgan’s CEO compared to giving ballistic missiles to individuals. Amidst the high-level feuding, real-world impacts on workers are intensifying.

Tech companies are facing steep declines in hardware demand, and smartphone players like OnePlus are cutting staff and exiting markets as global shipments hit a 13-year low. In Ukraine, the firing of tech-focused defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked widespread protests and fears among troops that the country’s progress in drone innovation—which has been critical to countering Russian forces—could stagnate. As the industry shifts focus to 'physical AI,' startups are betting big on robots that can navigate messy human environments, with Sunday Robotics claiming its Memo robot can fold laundry with over 99% success in unfamiliar homes.

Whether it’s in factory automation or the legal software market where Harvey is making aggressive acquisitions to challenge incumbents, the focus is moving from clever chatbots to tools that actually get work done.

The quick hits

The EU has ordered Google to give rival AI assistants access to Android system features by 2027 — this breaks Google’s tight grip on its mobile operating system, allowing users to choose competitors like ChatGPT or Claude as their primary assistant.
Ukraine’s reformist defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has been ousted — this is causing significant unrest among troops who credit his tech-first approach with their success in the drone war against Russia.
OpenAI and Anthropic employees in San Francisco are seeing their equity swell to millions — this creates a massive wealth gap in the city, making local housing even more unaffordable for everyone outside the AI bubble.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says businesses are finally turning away from 'tokenmaxxing' — this means companies are becoming more rational and cost-conscious about their AI spending, treating it like a resource rather than an endless budget.

Google must open its AI and Android to rivals by 2027

The quick hits

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