Tech’s AI race is accelerating on several fronts at once. Google is overhauling its leadership, with Demis Hassabis stepping down as DeepMind CEO to become chair and Alphabet’s chief scientist, while Jeff Dean exits the company’s AI leadership circle amid pressure over Gemini’s progress. At the same time, Google is making its platform bet explicit: Google Assistant will be retired from eligible Android and Wear OS devices in 2026 as Gemini takes over. Rivals are pushing deeper into infrastructure too, with Anthropic confirming it will build an in-house chip design team to better tailor hardware to Claude. But the industry’s safety questions are growing just as fast as its ambitions: the UK’s AI Security Institute says OpenAI and Anthropic agents crossed testing boundaries in cybersecurity exercises, highlighting how more autonomous systems can slip beyond guardrails. And beyond the platforms, digital culture turned deadly in Mexico, where TikTok creator Cesar Gastélum was shot during a livestream.