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The newest Open Doors 2025 report reveals a striking shift in the global student landscape. While total international enrollment in the US grew modestly in 2024–25, the influx of new students has taken a noticeable hit. Fall 2025 saw a 17 percent drop in new international enrollments — the steepest decline in years — following a smaller 7 percent dip in the previous fall.

Visa uncertainties, shifting travel policies, and a more restrictive immigration climate have all played a part. Yet amid these challenges, India remains firmly at the top of the international student pyramid, sending more students to the US than any other country for the second year running.

India Retains No. 1 Position Despite Emerging Headwinds

The 2024–25 academic year saw 3,63,019 Indian students studying in the US — a 10 percent jump from 3,31,602 the previous year. Indians now constitute nearly one-third (30.8%) of all international students in the country.

This milestone comes even as institutions report that fresh enrollment from India has softened noticeably heading into fall 2025. Only 39 percent of US colleges saw stable or rising numbers from India, while the majority reported declines.

The report suggests that the downturn in India’s new enrollments is significant enough to influence the national trend — a sign of how large the Indian student presence has become.

China Reports Its Lowest Numbers in Years

China remains the second-largest source of international students, but its presence continues to shrink. With 2,65,919 students enrolled in 2024–25 — a 4 percent decline — China has reached its lowest US enrollment level in at least eight years.

Together, India and China still account for more than half of all international students in the US, but their trajectories have clearly diverged.

Visa Concerns and Travel Restrictions Remain the Biggest Roadblocks

According to the survey of over 825 US institutions:

  • 96 percent cited visa-related concerns as a major factor behind declining new enrollments in 2025.
  • 68 percent pointed to travel restrictions or logistical barriers.
  • Administrative policies under the Trump administration — including stricter visa scrutiny and enhanced social media screening — continue to cast uncertainty for prospective applicants.

Despite the headwinds, institutions overwhelmingly emphasise the academic and economic value international students bring. Over 81 percent highlighted the importance of global perspectives on campus, while 60 percent stressed their financial contributions.

New Enrollment Declines Hit Graduate Programs Hardest

The underlying details of the report show a split pattern:

  • New undergraduate enrollments grew by 5 percent in 2024–25.
  • New graduate enrollments, however, fell by 15 percent, pulling the overall numbers into negative territory.

This is particularly significant because Indian students have traditionally gravitated toward graduate-level STEM programs — sectors that remain in demand but now face higher barriers to entry.

STEM Continues to Dominate International Student Choices

More than 57 percent of all international students in the US pursued STEM fields in 2024–25. This sustained interest highlights the enduring appeal of American research ecosystems, tech-driven career opportunities, and post-study work pathways linked to STEM degrees.

International students, overall, made up 6.1 percent of the US higher education population — a strong indicator of the country’s continued pull despite policy turbulence.

What Fall 2025 Signals for the Coming Years

The fall 2025 “snapshot,” offering early insights into the 2025–26 academic cycle, shows a measurable tightening:

  • 17 percent decline in new international enrollments
  • More institutions reporting difficulty in attracting Indian students
  • Stabilising or rising enrollments from China and South Korea

The data suggests that the US remains a top global destination, but the path to entry is becoming more complex — especially for students from India.

The next year will depend heavily on visa reforms, diplomatic clarity, and how the US competes with emerging education hubs like Canada, the UK, and Australia, all of which have rolled out student-friendly policies.

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United Nations Conference

Mutirão at COP30: The Power of Many Moving as One

COP30 in Belém has delivered many announcements, but few captured the heart of the summit quite like the reflections shared by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell and Youth Climate Champion Marcele Oliveira.
They invoked mutirão, a deeply rooted Brazilian idea that communities accomplish their biggest challenges when they work together — shoulder to shoulder, each person contributing what they can.

Stiell and Oliveira emphasized that global climate negotiations are no different. The COP process is not powered by speeches alone; it thrives when countries, citizens, youth, scientists, Indigenous peoples, and governments all act in unison.
Their message was unmistakable: climate progress is a collective project, not a solo performance.

Why Mutirão Matters for the Climate Movement

Mutirão is more than cooperation — it represents shared responsibility, the belief that every person has a role and that collective effort achieves the impossible.

Stiell explained that climate action stalls when nations retreat into narrow interests but accelerates when everyone pulls together. Oliveira, speaking from the youth perspective, reinforced that the next generation depends on decisions made today — and young people are ready to be part of the work, not just observers.

In Belém, this spirit set the tone: collaboration isn’t symbolic, it’s strategic.
It is what will determine whether the world meets its adaptation and mitigation goals.

The Belém Health Action Plan: A Breakthrough for Climate and Public Health

Alongside this call for unity, ministers and global health leaders unveiled one of COP30’s most significant outcomes: the Belém Health Action Plan, the first-ever international climate adaptation framework designed specifically for the health sector.

The plan marks a major shift in international climate policy by recognizing something long overdue:
climate change is a health crisis.
Heatwaves, disease outbreaks, food instability, vector expansion, extreme weather, and air pollution are placing unprecedented pressure on health systems — and the most vulnerable communities pay the highest price.

What the Belém Health Action Plan Brings to the Table

1. A Global Adaptation Roadmap for Health Systems

Governments receive a structured guide on how to build climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure, supply chains, and emergency response systems.

2. Early Warning and Preparedness Mechanisms

The plan emphasizes forecasting and rapid response — giving countries tools to anticipate climate-linked health threats rather than react to them.

3. Protection for Vulnerable Communities

Priority is given to low-income regions, Indigenous peoples, rural populations, and those already facing chronic health inequities.

4. Capacity Building for Frontline Institutions

Training, technical support, and international partnerships aim to strengthen local hospitals, clinics, and health agencies.

5. Integration of Climate Data into Public Health Policy

The plan encourages countries to embed climate risk assessments directly into national health strategies.

This isn’t a general pledge — it’s a concrete framework built for implementation.

Mutirão + Health Adaptation: A New Direction for COP30

The two announcements — the call for mutirão and the introduction of the Belém Health Action Plan — complement each other.
The health plan provides a technical foundation; mutirão provides the social and political momentum.

Together, they send a message from Belém to the world:
Climate challenges cannot be solved in isolation. They require collective action across sectors, generations, and borders — the essence of mutirão.

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Google Photos

Google Photos has officially stepped far beyond its identity as a storage vault. With its latest update, the app becomes a thinking, responding, creating companion—capable of understanding your words, reimagining your images, and finding memories through conversation. This is not just an upgrade; it is a shift in what photo apps can be.

Natural-Language Editing: Speak Your Vision, See It Done

The cornerstone of this update is editing powered by simple natural language. Instead of wrestling with sliders or fiddling with complex menus, users can now type what they want: brighten the sky, open closed eyes, remove glare, replace sunglasses—Photos interprets the request and performs the transformation instantly.
It’s editing without barriers, designed for anyone who knows what they want even if they don’t know how to achieve it.

Nano Banana Arrives: Creativity Without Limits

Google’s playful yet powerful generative model, Nano Banana, is now directly embedded into the app.
With just a short prompt, you can restyle your images, create artistic reinterpretations, or generate entirely new visual concepts.
It’s a feature built for experimentation—professional users get creative options, while casual users unlock fun ways to remix their memories.

A Refined Editor Comes to iOS in the U.S.

iOS users receive an upgraded editor that rethinks interaction. Gesture-based controls make precision adjustments smoother, while voice-assisted editing brings hands-free creativity to the forefront. This redesign turns complex tasks into fluid motions and spoken prompts.

“Create With AI” Expands on Android

Android users in the U.S. and India gain access to a dedicated Create with AI hub.
This section features imaginative templates ready for personalisation—studio-style portraits, festive scenes, stylised cards, themed edits, and more.
The tool is designed to spark ideas, offering preset pathways for users who want something striking without starting from scratch.

Ask Photos Goes Global: Search Like You Talk

One of Google Photos’ most celebrated tools, Ask Photos, now reaches users in over 100 countries.
This conversational search lets you locate images using plain language—“pictures from last winter,” “tickets from the concert,” “me with my dog as a puppy.”
It also supports multiple languages, making the feature far more inclusive and intuitive.

The New Ask Button: A Chat Window for Your Memories

A new in-app Ask button ties the experience together. Instead of navigating tabs, filters, and menus, users can simply describe what they want.
Find photos, receive suggestions, revisit related moments, or explain the edits you’d like to see—Photos handles the rest.
It transforms the app into something closer to a personal visual assistant than a traditional photo gallery.

A Step Toward Interactive, Human-Centered Photo Management

This update signals a clear message: Google wants photo management to feel alive, personal, and limitless. By blending generative creativity, conversational search, and intuitive editing, Google Photos becomes a space where imagination can move as fast as memory.

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prompt flux malware

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified an experimental malware family known as PROMPTFLUX — a strain that doesn’t just execute malicious code, but rewrites itself using artificial intelligence.

Unlike traditional malware that depends on static commands or fixed scripts, PROMPTFLUX interacts directly with Google Gemini’s API to generate new behaviours on demand, effectively creating a shape-shifting digital predator capable of evading conventional detection methods.

A Glimpse into Adaptive Malware

PROMPTFLUX represents a major shift in how attackers use technology. Instead of pre-coded evasion routines, this malware dynamically queries AI models like Gemini for what GTIG calls “just-in-time obfuscation.” In simpler terms, it asks the AI to rewrite parts of its own code whenever needed — ensuring no two executions look alike.

This makes traditional, signature-based antivirus systems nearly powerless, as the malware continuously changes its fingerprint, adapting in real time to avoid detection.

How PROMPTFLUX Operates

The malware reportedly uses Gemini’s capabilities to generate new scripts or modify existing ones mid-operation. These scripts can alter function names, encrypt variables, or disguise malicious payloads — all without human intervention.

GTIG researchers observed that PROMPTFLUX’s architecture allows it to:

  • Request on-demand functions through AI queries
  • Generate obfuscated versions of itself in real time
  • Adapt its attack vectors based on environmental responses

While still in developmental stages with limited API access, the discovery underscores how AI can be weaponised in cybercrime ecosystems.

Google’s Containment and Response

Google has moved swiftly to disable the assets and API keys associated with the PROMPTFLUX operation. According to GTIG, there is no evidence of successful attacks or widespread compromise yet. However, the incident stands as a stark warning — attackers are now experimenting with semi-autonomous, AI-driven code.

The investigation revealed that the PROMPTFLUX samples found so far contain incomplete functions, hinting that hackers are still refining the approach. But even as a prototype, it highlights the growing intersection of machine learning and malicious automation.

A Growing Underground AI Market

Experts warn that PROMPTFLUX is just the beginning. A shadow economy of illicit AI tools is emerging, allowing less-skilled cybercriminals to leverage AI for advanced attacks. Underground forums are now offering AI-powered reconnaissance scripts, phishing generators, and payload enhancers.

State-linked groups from North Korea, Iran, and China have reportedly begun experimenting with similar techniques — using AI to streamline reconnaissance, automate social engineering, and even mimic human operators in digital intrusions.

Defenders Turn to AI Too

The cybersecurity battle is no longer human versus human — it’s AI versus AI. Defenders are now deploying machine learning frameworks like “Big Sleep” to identify anomalies, reverse-engineer adaptive code, and trace AI-generated obfuscation patterns.

Security teams are being urged to:

  • Prioritize behaviour-based detection over static signature scans
  • Monitor API usage patterns for suspicious model interactions
  • Secure developer credentials and automation pipelines against misuse
  • Invest in AI-driven defensive frameworks that can predict evasive tactics

The Future: Cybersecurity in the Age of Adaptive Intelligence

PROMPTFLUX marks the early stage of a new class of cyber threats — self-evolving malware. As AI becomes more integrated into both legitimate development and malicious innovation, defenders must evolve just as quickly.

The next generation of cybersecurity will depend not only on firewalls and encryption but on the ability to detect intent — to distinguish between machine creativity and machine deception.

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COP30

The 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) opened on 10 November in Belém, Brazil, carrying an air of urgency unlike any in recent years. With the world teetering between promises and planetary peril, the first day offered something rare—momentum and unity.

Brazil Sets the Stage for a New Climate Era

For the first time in several years, delegates wasted no time arguing over the agenda. Brazilian diplomacy, steady and strategic, secured agreement before the conference even began. This early consensus allowed technical discussions to start immediately—an encouraging sign for a summit expected to bridge the gap between pledges and tangible progress.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s address cut through political noise with clarity. Declaring COP30 as “the COP of Truth,” he made a bold appeal to fight misinformation and climate denialism. By introducing “Information Integrity” to the official COP Action Agenda—a first in UNFCCC history—Lula positioned truth itself as a climate priority. His message was clear: protecting facts is as vital as protecting forests.

Science Sounds the Alarm—But Offers Hope

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chair presented a stark forecast—humanity is on track to breach the 1.5°C threshold sooner than expected. Yet, science still offers hope. Immediate, coordinated action, experts argue, can reverse the trajectory before the century closes. The warning was less about despair and more about urgency—a call to move from climate conferences to climate commitments.

The World Outside the Halls: Innovation in Action

While negotiations unfolded indoors, global initiatives painted a broader picture of progress and possibility:

  • Updated NDC Synthesis Report: The UNFCCC announced that 112 countries now have active Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), up from 80 just a week earlier. This momentum could cut emissions by up to 12% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels—still insufficient, but a start.
  • Resilience Milestone: The Race to Resilience initiative revealed that 438 million people have become more climate-resilient through targeted projects and $4.2 billion in adaptation funding.
  • WMO Climate Report: The World Meteorological Organisation projected 2025 as one of the hottest years on record, warning of shrinking glaciers and record CO₂ levels.
  • AI for Agriculture: In a standout moment, Brazil and the UAE launched AgriLLM, an open-source AI model designed to aid farmers in adapting to climate shifts. Supported by the Gates Foundation, it exemplified how technology can turn data into survival tools.
  • Loss and Damage Fund: The newly operational fund began accepting applications, with an initial $250 million phase to support the most climate-vulnerable nations.

Finance and Fairness: The Core Debate

Yet, beneath the progress, tension simmered over one unyielding issue—money.
African negotiators and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) stressed that climate finance cannot remain voluntary charity. They argued it must be treated as a legal responsibility of developed nations.

With just $26 billion currently flowing annually—against a need exceeding $300 billion—adaptation funding remains the Achilles’ heel of climate policy. Health systems, infrastructure, and livelihoods hang in the balance.

Missing Voices and Complex Politics

Notably absent was the United States delegation, while political disagreements over Turkey’s NDC and future COP hosts (including a contested bid by Australia) highlighted the geopolitical friction shadowing climate diplomacy.

Still, the overall sentiment in Belém was cautiously optimistic. For once, process didn’t overshadow purpose.

Day 1 Takeaway

COP30’s opening day made one truth undeniable—science has spoken, technology is ready, and what remains is political will. The blend of unity, innovation, and realism that marked Day 1 may just define whether this summit becomes a turning point or another missed opportunity.

Lula’s message echoed through every hall: this must be the COP of Truth. Not the truth of speeches, but the truth of action.

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Amazon vs Perplexity

The growing tension between big tech and emerging AI startups reached a boiling point this week as Amazon sued Perplexity AI, accusing the startup of covertly accessing customer accounts and masking automated activity as human behavior. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, centers around Perplexity’s “Comet AI” shopping agent, which Amazon claims violated its platform’s policies and posed security risks to user data.

The Reason ?

Amazon’s complaint targets Perplexity’s Comet browser and its integrated AI shopping assistant, which can autonomously browse, compare, and place orders for users. According to Amazon, this feature not only mimicked human users but also bypassed restrictions, entering areas of the Amazon ecosystem that third-party bots are not permitted to access.

“Perplexity’s misconduct must end,” Amazon stated in its filing. “Its trespass involves code rather than a lockpick, but that makes it no less unlawful.” The retail giant said that Perplexity’s automation degraded the user experience, interfering with its personalized shopping system that Amazon has built and refined for decades.

Perplexity’s Defense: “Bullying by Big Tech”

In response, Perplexity accused Amazon of weaponizing its market dominance to stifle innovation in the AI space. The company said Amazon’s legal threats were a “broader attack on user choice and AI progress.”

“Bullying is when large corporations use legal threats and intimidation to block innovation and make life worse for people,” Perplexity wrote in a public blog post.

The startup maintained that its Comet AI agent operates transparently, emphasizing that user credentials are stored locally on users’ devices and never transmitted to Perplexity’s servers. It further argued that its technology aims to simplify online tasks—from product comparisons to completing transactions—without compromising privacy.

Amazon’s Concerns: Data Security and Platform Integrity

Amazon’s central argument is that Perplexity’s system could compromise the security of customer accounts and disrupt the integrity of its e-commerce ecosystem. The company stressed that any third-party agent making purchases on behalf of users must do so openly and with the platform’s consent.

“Third-party apps making purchases for users should operate transparently and respect a business’s decision on participation,” Amazon said, adding that Perplexity’s automation “creates confusion and potential risks within the Amazon Store.”

Amazon is also developing its own suite of AI tools, including “Buy For Me”—an in-app feature for autonomous shopping—and “Rufus”, an AI assistant designed to enhance product discovery and cart management. Industry observers suggest Amazon views Comet AI as a competitive threat, especially in an era where AI agents are reshaping digital commerce.

A Larger Battle Over AI Autonomy

The lawsuit isn’t just about one startup—it’s part of a larger struggle over how AI agents should interact with the web. As more companies design autonomous systems capable of browsing, purchasing, and even decision-making, questions about transparency, consent, and control are gaining urgency.

Perplexity’s approach—enabling AI to act independently on behalf of users—sits at the heart of that controversy. Its defenders argue such autonomy represents the next stage of internet evolution, while critics fear it risks blurring accountability and inviting misuse of private data.

What’s Next for the Case

As of now, Perplexity has not issued an official statement regarding Amazon’s lawsuit beyond its earlier blog post. Legal experts suggest the case could set a precedent for how autonomous AI agents are regulated in e-commerce and beyond.

If the court sides with Amazon, it could restrict how AI tools interact with private online ecosystems, forcing startups to redesign their agentic models. On the other hand, a favorable ruling for Perplexity might open the floodgates for independent AI systems that perform actions across the web on users’ behalf—potentially reshaping the future of online interaction.

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Nvidia

Nvidia’s upward climb continues as the company once again captures investor confidence despite mounting competition in the artificial intelligence hardware space. Early Tuesday trading saw Nvidia shares inch up 0.7% to $192.86, coming off a strong 2.8% gain the previous day—bringing it close to its all-time high. The rally comes even as rival Qualcomm makes a high-profile entry into the AI chip market, a move that has stirred conversations across Silicon Valley and Wall Street alike.

Qualcomm’s New AI Ambition
Qualcomm’s announcement of its new AI200 chip, set to launch next year, and the upcoming AI250 model for 2027 signals a clear push to compete with established leaders like Nvidia and AMD. The company’s first major client, Humain—an AI venture backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund—underscores Qualcomm’s intention to stake its claim in the global AI race. Yet, analysts remain cautious about the long-term impact of this move, noting that Qualcomm’s specifications may not yet match the sophistication of Nvidia’s GPUs or even AMD’s offerings.

Analysts Split on Qualcomm’s Prospects
Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes observed that “Qualcomm’s products seem to fall short of Nvidia and AMD’s capabilities,” emphasizing that the company’s success will depend on whether it can attract clients beyond government-backed initiatives. This skepticism highlights a key challenge: establishing credibility in a space already dominated by players with established ecosystems and deep developer communities.

Why Nvidia Still Leads the Pack
Despite the buzz around Qualcomm’s entry, Nvidia continues to hold nearly 90% of the AI chip market—a dominance built on years of innovation and a robust software foundation. Nvidia’s CUDA platform remains a major advantage, enabling developers worldwide to optimize machine learning and AI models seamlessly. Analysts at BNP Paribas echoed this sentiment, noting that while Qualcomm has talented engineers, it still needs to develop a mature software and networking ecosystem before it can meaningfully compete with Nvidia’s established infrastructure.

Other Players in the Mix
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Broadcom are also navigating this evolving landscape. While AMD’s stock dipped 0.5% and Broadcom slipped 0.2% in premarket trading, both remain key players in the semiconductor industry. Broadcom, in particular, has expressed confidence in its future growth, expecting its hardware to play a larger role in AI systems—potentially at Nvidia’s expense in select applications.

Nvidia’s GTC 2025: A Defining Moment
All eyes are on Nvidia’s Global Technology Conference (GTC) taking place in Washington, D.C., this week. CEO Jensen Huang is set to deliver a keynote address expected to outline Nvidia’s next phase of innovation, partnerships, and AI hardware advancements. Investors are hoping for announcements that will reinforce Nvidia’s dominance and expand its role in shaping AI infrastructure worldwide.

Geopolitical Undercurrents in AI Trade
Adding another layer to the story, President Donald Trump’s ongoing Asia trip and his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to include discussions on U.S. semiconductor exports to China. Any policy changes could significantly influence Nvidia’s international operations, particularly given China’s demand for high-performance AI chips.

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AI SEO

The world of search is changing faster than anyone imagined — and businesses are racing to keep up. As AI increasingly takes the lead in answering queries and shaping online visibility, a new survey led by digital strategist Ann Smarty shows that 85.7% of businesses are already investing or plan to invest in AI-focused SEO. The findings highlight a pivotal moment for digital marketing, where the rules of search visibility are being rewritten by artificial intelligence.

AI Is Redefining How People Find Information
Nearly nine out of ten businesses (87.8%) admit they’re worried about losing organic visibility as AI chatbots, voice assistants, and large language models become people’s go-to sources for information. With AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity delivering direct answers instead of directing traffic, the traditional click-through model that once powered online discovery is under pressure.

This evolution is forcing businesses to rethink their digital playbook. Instead of fighting to rank higher on search result pages, brands now aim to appear in AI-generated answers—even when that means no direct link or measurable referral traffic.

The New SEO Frontier: From Search to “AI Optimization”
While AI may be changing how people discover brands, most marketers still want to preserve the “SEO” identity. According to the survey, 49% prefer the term “SEO for AI”, while 41% favor “GEO” (Generative Engine Optimization)—reflecting a shift toward optimizing content for generative systems instead of traditional search algorithms.

Interestingly, this adaptation isn’t just about keywords or backlinks anymore. It’s about data quality, authority signals, and context-rich content that AI systems can confidently pull from when crafting responses. In other words, the new race isn’t just for clicks—it’s for representation in AI-driven narratives.

Budgets Are Growing as Priorities Shift
The survey also found that 61.2% of businesses plan to increase their SEO budgets in response to AI’s growing influence. This renewed investment shows that marketers aren’t backing away from SEO—they’re evolving it.

Brand visibility has overtaken traffic as the top goal for three out of four respondents (75.5%). In fact, only 14.3% of businesses prioritize being cited as a source, showing a broader pivot toward brand recall within AI-generated results rather than traditional referral-driven traffic. For many, the mindset has changed from “getting clicks” to “getting remembered.”

The Anxiety Behind the Numbers
Despite optimism around AI-driven innovation, the report also exposes a deep sense of uncertainty. The top concern among respondents was “not being able to get my business found online,” followed closely by the fear of losing organic search entirely and losing traffic attribution.

For marketers, these anxieties are not unfounded. The AI-powered search landscape is still unpredictable, and visibility often depends on opaque algorithms. Some businesses worry that without access to detailed analytics or ranking insights, understanding how to compete will become even harder.

A Reality Check: AI Traffic Isn’t There Yet
While the AI search boom is real, the data suggests it’s not yet a complete replacement for Google. Studies indicate that AI and LLM referrals convert far less effectively than organic search traffic. AI tools may deliver brand impressions, but they don’t yet drive users to take action or make purchases at the same rate.

That said, most experts agree that the long-term potential is immense. As AI-generated answers become more accurate and personalized, companies that adapt early will likely gain a significant advantage in how they’re represented in these emerging ecosystems.

About the Survey
The survey polled over 300 in-house marketers and business owners, primarily from medium to large enterprises. Nearly half represented ecommerce brands—industries most directly affected by visibility shifts and consumer discovery patterns in an AI-first internet.

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Google

When history looks back at the defining milestones in India’s technological evolution, October 14, 2025, will stand out as a date that changed the country’s digital destiny. At Bharat AI Shakti, an event preceding the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, Google announced an extraordinary initiative — the establishment of a $15 billion Artificial Intelligence hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Designed to be one of the world’s most advanced AI ecosystems, this hub signifies not just corporate investment but a shared vision for a digitally empowered future.

A Vision Beyond Infrastructure

More than a technological project, the Visakhapatnam AI hub represents a transformative leap toward integrating India’s potential with global innovation. The hub will host state-of-the-art AI infrastructure, data centers, renewable energy facilities, and an expanded fiber-optic network — all in one integrated ecosystem. This ambitious blueprint echoes India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, emphasizing the use of technology to foster sustainable economic growth, innovation, and inclusive progress.

Economic and Strategic Impact

Google’s investment is not only monumental for India but also significant for the United States. According to a detailed analysis by Access Partnership, the project is expected to add nearly $15 billion to the U.S. GDP within five years, through the export of AI services, cloud technologies, and engineering expertise. The initiative, therefore, transcends geography — serving as an economic bridge that strengthens bilateral ties between India and the U.S. while setting a precedent for global cooperation in artificial intelligence.

The Leaders Behind the Leap

The announcement brought together some of India’s most influential figures, reflecting the national importance of the project. The event saw the presence of Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw (Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT), Smt Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance Minister), Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu (Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh), Shri Nara Lokesh (Minister for IT, Electronics & Communications, Andhra Pradesh), and Thomas Kurian (CEO, Google Cloud). Their collaboration underscored the fusion of government vision and private innovation — a partnership that has long been awaited in India’s digital transformation journey.

A Hub for Innovation, Learning, and Employment

The AI hub is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, nurturing a new wave of AI professionals, engineers, and data scientists. Beyond employment, it will serve as a research and development nucleus, driving advancements in automation, cloud intelligence, healthcare technology, and digital governance. Startups, universities, and young innovators are anticipated to find new pathways of collaboration within this ecosystem — making Visakhapatnam not just a tech city but a hub of creative intelligence.

A Shared Global Purpose

At its core, this initiative signifies something larger than technology — it is a movement toward responsible AI. Google’s focus on ethical AI practices, energy-efficient infrastructure, and inclusion of local talent demonstrates that technological advancement can align with sustainability and human values. The Visakhapatnam hub aims to set global standards for how innovation can coexist with accountability and equitable growth.

The Road Ahead

As construction begins, the next five years will be crucial in shaping the hub’s real impact. The initiative will likely inspire other multinational companies to view India not just as a market, but as a partner in global AI advancement. For India, this development is more than a commercial investment — it’s a testament to its growing stature as a technological superpower that balances progress with purpose.

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Perplexity AI

Perplexity has expanded access to its AI browser Comet, making it available to all users at no cost. Alongside this move, the company introduced Comet Plus, a new subscription tier priced at $5 per month. Pro and Max subscribers will receive Comet Plus for free, making the offering more inclusive while building on its initial premium launch.

The announcement marks a major shift for Perplexity, positioning Comet as a strong contender in the rapidly heating AI browser market.

From Exclusive to Open Access

When Comet was first unveiled in July, it was available exclusively to Perplexity Max subscribers at a steep price of $200 per month. The limited launch drew immense interest, with CEO Aravind Srinivas revealing that an initial waitlist of 460,000 users ballooned into millions eager to try the browser.

Now, with the free release, Perplexity is opening the doors wide, aiming to compete with upcoming AI-powered platforms.

Comet Plus: News and Publishers on Board

The new Comet Plus tier is designed to transform the browser into a central hub for news and curated information. It has already attracted a lineup of prestigious media partners, including:

  • CNN
  • Condé Nast
  • The Washington Post
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Fortune
  • Le Monde
  • Le Figaro

With this roster, Perplexity is positioning Comet Plus as a direct alternative to Apple News, but powered by AI’s ability to personalize, summarize, and deliver context-rich content.

Background Assistant: A Step Beyond Browsing

Alongside Comet Plus, Perplexity introduced a feature called Background Assistant. This tool allows Comet to work on tasks across multiple apps while the user is away—searching, summarizing, and even drafting emails autonomously.

This makes Comet more than just an AI-enhanced browser; it becomes a productivity companion capable of handling complex workflows without constant user input.

The Race for AI Browsers Heats Up

The launch comes at a time when competition in the AI browser market is accelerating. Just days ago, Opera introduced Neon, an AI browser that can run code and perform automated tasks. Meanwhile, OpenAI is expected to unveil its own browser soon, further raising the stakes in this fast-evolving space.

Perplexity’s move to democratize Comet while offering an affordable premium option may give it a first-mover advantage in winning mainstream adoption.

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