Technology is no longer just an industry—it is infrastructure. We cover AI, digital platforms, innovation, and emerging technologies through the lens of power, labor, access, and society.
SSC News Desk Building an audience on YouTube used to be the hard part. Starting February 1, 2027, that changes. New creators will need twice as much evidence of scale before the platform starts sharing advertising revenue with them. YouTube announced this week that it is doubling the entry thresholds for its YouTube Partner Program. Beginning February…
The question isn’t whether AI caused the layoffs. It’s why “AI” became the answer companies reach for, whether or not it’s the whole truth. As of early August, tracking data puts 2026’s tech layoffs at 205,832 workers across 322 separate events. Of those, AI was specifically cited as a factor in 173 events, affecting roughly…
In May 2026, the UAE-India Business Council announced a strategic partnership targeting artificial intelligence infrastructure development and digital investment. The bilateral tech alliance aims to develop 8 exaflops of compute capacity alongside a 2 gigawatt data center buildout. Feasibility studies are scheduled to wrap up by mid-2026. The India-UAE Startup Corridor targets identifying 50 promising…
Saudi Arabia announced in May 2026 that it had launched Humain, a new artificial intelligence initiative under the Public Investment Fund. The project aims to develop 1.8 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2030 and 100 gigawatts of AI compute capacity by 2026. Total AI-related investment commitments from Saudi public and private entities exceed 20…
Pew Research Center found that 48 percent of American teens say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age, up from 32 percent in 2022, while only 14 percent say it negatively affects them personally. The survey, conducted with Ipsos among 1,391 teens and parents, produced a 34-point gap between what teenagers…
Reuters reviewed documents showing Samsung Electronics America is eliminating 739 positions in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, tied to the relocation of its headquarters to Texas, alongside cuts across its U.S. display, smartphone, and other consumer electronics operations. A separate layoff tracker recorded the same event in mid-July with a note that the company was offering…
The Oregonian first reported on July 20 that Intel has told employees in its Data Center and AI Group to expect a fresh round of job cuts, a move the company confirmed to Business Insider as part of a broader effort to become a more focused and efficient company. The detail that makes this worth…
Sweden’s Market Court ordered Google to pay PriceRunner roughly 14.3 billion kronor, about 1.5 billion dollars, in what AFP via France 24 described as the country’s largest competition-related award, after ruling that Google unlawfully favored its own price comparison service over rivals in search results. The conduct at issue is familiar and has been litigated…
Patreon announced layoffs affecting roughly 20% of its workforce this week, framed as restructuring for operational efficiency. The creator-focused platform that was built as an alternative to traditional media gatekeeping is now making the same institutional choice traditional gatekeepers have always made: cut operational costs to improve profitability metrics. The timing matters. Patreon was founded…
TechCrunch’s review of Tesla’s Q2 2026 disclosures surfaced a contradiction the company has spent years arguing didn’t exist. Robotaxi deployment was never just a regulatory problem, and Tesla’s own numbers now say so. Paid Robotaxi fleet miles fell to about 700,000 in Q2, down roughly 36% from 1.1 million in Q1, even as Tesla expanded…