The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology announced on May 8, 2026 that it is extending a waiver allowing certain foreign-made routers, drones and critical drone components to receive software and firmware updates in the United States until at least Jan. 1, 2029. The extension responds to concerns that cutting off security patches — originally permitted only through early 2027 after bans introduced in late 2025 (drones) and March 2026 (consumer routers) — would leave millions of in‑service devices vulnerable. The notice permits updates that patch vulnerabilities and maintain compatibility but bars use of the waiver to add new features. The OET also widened the waiver’s scope to include some larger (“Class II”) changes where necessary for consumer protection and safety. Manufacturers such as TP‑Link and DJI remain subject to the FCC’s Covered List and may seek conditional approvals from the Department of Defense or Homeland Security; some are pursuing legal and lobbying routes to challenge or soften restrictions.

Major U.S. retailers and online outlets launched wide-ranging Memorial Day discounts on consumer electronics and outdoor gear over the May 22-25 holiday weekend, with deals tracked by CNET and ZDNET. Highlights include Apple AirPods Pro 3 at about $199, Hisense 65-inch U7 QLED TVs around $950, hefty markdowns on premium headphones from Apple, Sony and Bose, and portable power stations (Anker, Jackery) discounted up to 50%. Laptop and tablet offers span Apple’s new M5 MacBook Air (~$1,099 after discount) and M5 iPad Pro, while phone deals include Samsung Galaxy and Google models and refurbished iPhone 17 Pro Max listings. Retailers promoting sales include Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, B&H and direct brand stores; promotions also feature SSDs, robot mowers, grills and travel gadgets. Publications noted top-selling items among readers — small accessories, SSDs and power banks — and emphasized limited-time pricing and bundle incentives such as Samsung BOGO monitor offers.

Alphabet-owned Waymo has temporarily suspended robotaxi operations in multiple US cities and halted freeway rides after software shortcomings sent autonomous vehicles into flood-prone roads. The company paused rider service this week in Atlanta, Nashville and several Texas metros including San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston following heavy rains and an incident in which an unoccupied car became trapped in rising water. Waymo earlier this month filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and recalled nearly 3,800 vehicles after a separate April 20 event in San Antonio where a robotaxi drove through a flooded roadway. The firm says it has implemented mitigations — such as restricting access to areas at risk of flash flooding — and is developing a software remedy while ‘‘integrating recent technical learnings’’ before restoring freeway and city operations. The disruptions add to regulatory and public scrutiny after earlier safety episodes and a February congressional review of the company’s practices.

At the formal Vatican launch of Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica humanitas, Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah on May 25, 2026, warned that development of frontier AI cannot be left solely to technology companies. Speaking from the Vatican Synod Hall alongside the pope, Olah argued that frontier AI labs operate under commercial, geopolitical and personal pressures that can conflict with the broader public interest and said outside scrutiny from religious leaders, governments and civil society is essential. He also warned of a “real possibility” that AI could displace human labour at very large scale and called for moral support for those affected. Olah, who leads Anthropic’s interpretability research, pointed to unsettling model behaviours that sometimes mirror human-like internal states. His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of Anthropic — including a U.S. defence split with the company and reported fundraising talks — and mark a rare public acknowledgement from a frontier‑lab founder that the technology they build may outpace labour-market adjustment.

China on May 25, 2026 launched a national system to assign every bipedal humanoid robot a unique digital identifier, the Humanoid Full Lifecycle Management Service Platform, led by the Humanoid Robotics and Embodied Intelligence Standardization committee under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The 29-character code is structured to record a two-digit national code, a four-digit manufacturer code, a six-digit product model code and a 17-digit serial number, and is designed to track units from production through deployment, maintenance and recycling. The platform will log hardware specifications, software and AI training history, maintenance records and real-time performance metrics such as joint wear and battery status. Authorities say the guidelines apply to manufacturers, service providers, sellers, end users and recycling facilities and aim to improve safety, oversight and industry accountability as China’s humanoid sector — with more than 100 manufacturers and some 28,000 robots already assigned IDs across about 200 models — scales rapidly.

Schneider Electric expects its India data‑centre business to outpace its broader operations over the next four to five years as demand for AI‑ready infrastructure surges, company executives told Reuters and other outlets on May 25, 2026. Data centres currently account for roughly 15–20% of Schneider’s India business and are growing at a double‑digit pace. India’s installed data‑centre capacity is about 1.5 gigawatts now and could rise to around 6–7 GW by 2030, while market research firm Astute Analytica projects the sector to reach about $31.36 billion by 2035 (CAGR ~13.4%). Schneider supplies uninterruptible power systems, switchgear, precision cooling, power distribution and energy‑management software and is manufacturing locally. The company has repositioned its India operations, including buying the remainder of its local subsidiary stake to speed decision‑making, to capture orders from hyperscalers, colocation operators and enterprises building capacity beyond Mumbai and Chennai into states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan. Analysts and executives say edge sites and grid modernisation will be key themes as hyperscaler and domestic AI capex drive long‑dated demand for grid‑to‑rack equipment.