Dubai taps U.S. startups to go over, under, and around its traffic

The city has signed major deals for tunnels, self-driving pods, and flying taxis — but whether unproven systems can ease real congestion remains an open question. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

Data centers are racing to space — and regulation can’t keep up

Experts warn the move could shift critical infrastructure beyond national laws — deepening digital dependence for much of the developing world. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

Gig workers in Africa have been helping the U.S. military. They had no idea

Data labelers for the company Appen say they have little insight about how their work is used. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

U.S. plans Peace Corps-style “Tech Corps” to counter China’s AI exports

Washington to send volunteers abroad to promote American AI models as Chinese open-weight models are proving popular. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

Can social media age verification really protect kids?

As countries start enforcing new age-limit laws, platforms like Roblox use facial technology — but critics warn of privacy leaks and surveillance. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

Family deepfakes help people celebrate and grieve in India

There is growing demand for recreating dead and absent family members for events using AI. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

AI sovereignty won’t come from renting Big Tech’s models

As leaders meet in New Delhi, the bigger AI question is: Who controls the stack? | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

AI is giving tech companies power that once belonged to governments

AI companies wield enormous economic, political, and cultural power globally, with states reluctant to regulate them, potentially leading to risks and greater inequity. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

Creators are cashing in on a “Facebook renaissance”

And Indonesian creators are leading the charge. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

China’s rare-earth dominance is hard for EV makers to escape

Western automakers are chasing rare earth-free motors but China’s cost advantage remains difficult to crack. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

Bhutan’s crypto experiment shows how hard digital money is in the real world

Nearly a year after launching a nationwide crypto payment system for tourists, merchants say hardly anyone is using it — raising questions about who the experiment really serves. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 1 month ago

Polymarket courts Chinese users despite strict online gambling ban

The crypto-based prediction platform is hiring Mandarin-speaking staff and adding Lunar New Year bets, even as it remains blocked in China. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

I let Alibaba’s AI agent plan my holiday. I ended up doing more work

For reassurance, experimentation, and low-pressure decisions, AI agents can feel helpful. For bigger choices, I still trust myself more. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Chinese boxing robots win fans in San Francisco

American companies are staging boxing matches with VR-controlled Chinese humanoids to enthusiastic fans. A researcher says it is just robot theater. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

OpenAI accuses DeepSeek of “free-riding” on American R&D

The ChatGPT maker says the Chinese firm may be distilling its models, underscoring rising tech tensions between Washington and Beijing. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

How cheap Chinese phones catapulted Kenya into the global digital economy

In his new book “Silicon Elsewhere: Nairobi, Global China, and the Promise of Techno-Capital,” writer Andrea Pollio charts the growth of Chinese investment and companies in the Kenyan capital. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Can India be a “third way” AI alternative to the U.S. and China?

The AI Impact Summit in India, the first in a developing country, proposes an option that focuses on public good and development. But can it deliver without capitulating to Big Tech? | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Google backs African push to reclaim AI language data

A new 21-language dataset gives African institutions ownership and control in a field long dominated by Big Tech. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Immigrant women founders face double hurdle in Silicon Valley

Persistent racism and sexism in the venture capital industry are denying immigrant women founders an opportunity to participate in the AI boom. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Morocco wants a third voice in the global AI race

Morocco’s Minister of Digital Transition on governing AI when the rules keep changing, building language models for Africa, and why regulation can coexist with innovation. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

AI is dominating the world’s memory chips. That could make phones more expensive

As chipmakers rush to serve AI data centers, consumer electronics are left in short supply. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Silicon Valley can’t import talent like before. So it’s exporting jobs

Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other U.S. tech giants are amping up India hiring. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

The great Chinese EV exodus

A consolidation among Chinese carmakers is flooding markets from Sao Paulo to Dubai | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Why Claude Cowork is a math problem Indian IT can’t solve

As agentic AI automates the man-day billing model, the $300 billion outsourcing industry faces a brutal pivot. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

China’s AI giants launch “red envelope” marketing blitz for Lunar New Year

Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu pledge millions and race to release new models before the holiday—fearing a new "DeepSeek shock" might steal the spotlight. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

$50 on war in Iran: How geopolitical bets have surged on Polymarket, in five charts

Online traders are betting millions on war, airstrikes, and political unrest. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

The volunteer Wikipedia army protecting against AI slop

The editors are both populating and fighting the world’s regional language AI engines. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

China prioritizes investments outside the U.S.

In 2025, China invested in manufacturing hubs and data centers in Asia, mining in Latin America, and energy projects in Africa and the Middle East. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

China is running the EV playbook on humanoid robots — and it’s working

Chinese companies control 90% of the humanoid robot market, dominating the technology that will reshape manufacturing and labor. The West is barely competing. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

To understand China, we need to understand the Chinese internet

In her new book “The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet,” journalist Yi-Ling Liu examines the country’s censorship, viral trends and growing global power. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Why won’t people buy these tiny electric cars?

Despite seeming ideal for crowded cities, these compact cars captured just $11 billion of the $800 billion global EV market. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Is India softening its stance towards Chinese tech?

After blacklisting hundreds of Chinese apps on national security grounds, New Delhi is reportedly in talks to partner with Alipay+. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Temu’s global rise runs into a regulatory wall

Raids, fines, and consumer backlash are challenging the ultracheap model that powered China’s fastest-growing e-commerce export. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

The world is trying to log off U.S. tech

Some global users are turning to services like Proton Mail and UpScrolled instead. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

What it takes to get an H-1B visa in Trump’s America

An immigration lawyer explains the behind-the-scenes challenges of getting the coveted U.S. visa in 2026. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

AI agent Moltbolt makes waves in China and Silicon Valley

Chinese hyperscalers are selling special server packages to attract early adopters eager to test the latest AI agent. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

AI health care is taking off in China, led by Jack Ma’s Ant Group

Ant’s health chatbot has become a top downloaded app in China as users seek personalized care they can’t get from the overburdened hospitals. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Beijing enlists AI to bring traditional Chinese medicine into the future

With backing from the Chinese government, TCM practitioners are integrating AI tools to reach new consumers at home and abroad. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

India’s electric bus push has a deadly blind spot

Fatal accidents are mounting as cities add buses faster than they can train drivers | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Meet UpScrolled, the anti-censorship TikTok alternative

The company's CEO says users are flooding the platform after the sale of TikTok in the U.S. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

When war destroys the internet economy

From Iran’s shutdown to Sudan’s civil war, conflict is making tech ecosystems go into survival mode — and pushing talent into exile. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Death of an Indian tech worker

A wave of suicides and widespread AI-fueled layoffs reveal a workforce under extreme pressure. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

While politicians shape U.S.-China relations, their families turn to the stock market

Politicians' spouses and children are buying and selling stocks in TSMC, Alibaba, and Tencent. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Is AI a bubble? Davos leaders say no

From fears of a bubble to layoffs to humanoid robots, here’s all you need to know about the big tech conversations in Switzerland. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Inside the digital caste system Iran is building

The regime is testing a two-tier internet where access becomes a vetted privilege. Its economic cost could be staggering. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

Six years, two presidents, and one app: TikTok’s U.S. saga explained

ByteDance says a group of investors led by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX will set up a U.S.-focused TikTok to avoid a federal ban. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

She built an AI bot of her mother to help her grieve

In his new book, “Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships,” writer James Muldoon profiles people who use AI companion bots to grieve and love. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago

What will tech jobs look like in 2026?

Here’s a roundup of research and predictions for tech workers amid the AI revolution. | Continue reading


@restofworld.org | 2 months ago