AI News from February 18, 2026

Apple ramps up work on AI smart glasses, pendant, and camera-equipped AirPods powered by upgraded Siri with visual context capabilities.

Pittsburgh startup Efficient Computer secures $60M Series A for Electron E1 processor promising million-fold energy reduction for AI.

OpenAI partners with Paradigm on EVMbench benchmark testing AI agents' ability to detect, patch, and exploit blockchain vulnerabilities.

Netflix calls Seedance 2.0 a 'high-speed piracy engine' as it joins Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros in legal action against ByteDance.

OpenAI's $1.5M average stock compensation is highest of any tech startup in history as AI talent war intensifies with $830B valuation.

Google DeepMind announces strategic partnerships with India's Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and leading institutions, providing access to advanced AI tools including AlphaGenome, AI Co-scientist, and Earth AI to accelerate scientific discovery and education in India.

Google.org announces a $30 million AI for Science Impact Challenge, inviting nonprofits and research organizations to apply for funding to leverage AI for breakthrough scientific discoveries. The initiative aims to democratize access to advanced AI tools for scientific research globally.

At the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Google unveils a comprehensive $15 billion investment in India's digital infrastructure, alongside the AI for Government Innovation Challenge and expanded partnerships to accelerate AI adoption across government services and research.

Merck partners with Mayo Clinic to leverage AI, advanced analytics, and the Mayo Clinic Platform's genomic and clinical data for drug discovery and precision medicine. The collaboration initially targets inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, and multiple sclerosis.

Qualcomm announces a new Strategic AI Venture Fund with up to $150 million dedicated to supporting India's AI and deep tech startup ecosystem. The fund will target AI technologies across automotive, robotics, IoT, and mobile sectors through Qualcomm Ventures.

OpenAI announces strategic partnerships with six leading Indian universities including IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad, and AIIMS New Delhi to integrate ChatGPT Edu across campuses. The initiative aims to scale AI skills development and reach over 100,000 students and faculty members.

Google integrates Lyria 3, DeepMind's most advanced music generation model, into the Gemini app, enabling users to create 30-second music tracks from text descriptions or images. The feature includes automatic lyrics generation, Nano Banana cover art, and SynthID watermarking.

Microsoft announces plans to invest $50 billion by 2030 to bring AI infrastructure and training to countries across the Global South, addressing the growing AI divide.

Render secures funding to expand easy-to-use cloud infrastructure as AI-generated applications drive demand among 4.5 million developers.

Seattle-based Temporal secures Series D funding led by Andreessen Horowitz, doubling valuation as demand surges for durable AI execution platforms.

Google sets dates for I/O 2026 conference, promising latest AI breakthroughs and updates across Gemini, Android, Chrome, and Cloud products.