--- title: "Consumer Tech News (Feb 16-20): Big Techs To Boost AI in India, EV Policy Shifts & More" description: "This week's tech news highlights significant developments in AI and EV policies. Major companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google are ramping up investments in AI, with Google announcing a $15 billion" type: "news" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/276539270.md" published_at: "2026-02-22T13:30:25.000Z" --- # Consumer Tech News (Feb 16-20): Big Techs To Boost AI in India, EV Policy Shifts & More > This week's tech news highlights significant developments in AI and EV policies. Major companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google are ramping up investments in AI, with Google announcing a $15 billion plan for AI development in India. Tesla is advancing its EV technology, while General Motors recalls SUVs due to transmission issues. Additionally, OpenAI is expanding its AI infrastructure in India, and Meta plans to invest $65 million in supportive state politicians. The landscape of consumer tech is rapidly evolving with these strategic moves from leading firms. New York Governor **Kathy Hochul** (D) has reportedly pulled a proposal to allow robotaxis to operate in other areas within the state outside of New York City. The U.S. State Department is reportedly developing an online portal to provide access to content banned by European and other governments. President **Donald Trump**‘s Department of Energy (DOE) has rescinded a rule that incentivized automakers to produce more EVs to comply with Fuel Economy norms. Defense Secretary **Pete Hegseth** is reportedly contemplating ending the Department of War's association with AI firm **Anthropic**. ## Broadline Retail, Smartphones & Entertainment **Amazon.com Inc.** (NASDAQ:AMZN) has reportedly discontinued its recently introduced warehouse robot, Blue Jay, and reassigned its staff to other robotics projects. **Alibaba Group Holding Ltd** (NYSE:BABA) launched its latest AI model, Qwen-3.5, intensifying the rivalry between China and the U.S. in the artificial intelligence arena. **Apple Inc.** (NASDAQ:AAPL) has announced its plans to launch a new integrated video podcast experience on its Apple Podcasts app this spring. **Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.’s** (NASDAQ:WBD) board is reportedly weighing a revised $30-a-share proposal from **Paramount Skydance** (NASDAQ:PSKY) to see if it could top its existing agreement with **Netflix Inc.** (NASDAQ:NFLX). ## Softwares & Semiconductors **Meta Platforms Inc.** (NASDAQ:META) reportedly plans to invest $65 million in 2026 to back state politicians who are supportive of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. **Meta’s** top AI executive pushed back against concerns about screen addiction, arguing that the company’s long-term AI vision is centered on empowering users — not trapping them online. **Meta** AI scientist **Yann LeCun** said that while large language models are “incredibly useful,” artificial intelligence still struggles with tasks humans find simple, like driving.  **Meta** ended the fourth quarter with over 3.5 billion daily active users across its apps, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads. **Meta** is reviving its previously shelved "Malibu 2" project, with plans to launch its debut smartwatch in 2026. The watch is anticipated to offer health tracking features and an integrated Meta AI assistant, The Information. **Meta** said that it halted the release of a chatbot product after internal testing revealed high failure rates in blocking harmful content involving minors. **Advanced Micro Devices** (NASDAQ:AMD) has reportedly agreed to guarantee a $300 million loan for cloud computing startup **Crusoe**. **Advanced Micro Devices** said it is expanding work with **Tata Consultancy Services** to roll out its newest AI data center design in India, a move aimed at taking share from **Nvidia** in a fast-scaling market. **Applovin Corp** (NASDAQ:APP) stock is getting a strong boost after the bell, following a post on social media that OpenAI held a capital raise call on Thursday and mentioned that the company has started working with AppLovin to monetize ChatGPT through ads. **Super Micro Computer Inc.** (NASDAQ:SMCI) said it is weighing options to build more of its systems in India as it expands its artificial intelligence business there. **Microsoft Corp.** (NASDAQ:MSFT) has condensed its commercial quantum timeline and now expects to integrate quantum computing technology directly into data center infrastructure by 2029.  **Microsoft** announced a major initiative to invest $50 billion by 2030 to accelerate the adoption and accessibility of artificial intelligence across the Global South.  **Alphabet Inc.'s** (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) **Google** has unveiled a $15 billion investment plan to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) development in India on Wednesday, with a major focus on strengthening digital infrastructure and connectivity. **Alphabet’s** self-driving unit said its robotaxis are never remotely driven in U.S. operations, pushing back on lawmakers’ concerns about safety and overseas support staff. **Nvidia Corp**. (NASDAQ:NVDA) is significantly expanding its presence in India through new partnerships and infrastructure commitments to accelerate the country's artificial intelligence (AI) capacity. ## Automobiles **General Motors Co.** (NYSE:GM) has issued a recall of multiple SUVs in its lineup due to a transmission issue that could cause the rear wheels to lock up. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted **Elon Musk**\-led **Tesla Inc.** (NASDAQ:TSLA) a waiver to use Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology to offer wireless EV charging on the upcoming Cybercab. **Tesla** has revealed the first production version of the Cybercab, which will be priced at $30,000. ## Artificial Intelligence (AI) **OpenAI** CEO **Sam Altman** said the world may be just years away from early superintelligence while urging democratic governance of artificial intelligence over concentrated control. **OpenAI** deepened its push in India with plans for one of the country’s largest AI infrastructure projects. **Microsoft** will receive 20% of **OpenAI's** total revenue until 2032 under a revised agreement. **Tesla** is ramping up efforts to strengthen its in-house AI chip design capabilities as part of its push to scale autonomous driving and robotics technology. **Tempus AI** (NASDAQ:TEM) unveiled its new HRD-RNA algorithm, an AI-driven tool designed to improve the detection of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in tumors. **Infosys Limited** (NYSE:INFY) unveiled a strategic partnership with **Anthropic**. This company announcement aims to enhance enterprise AI solutions across several industries, including telecommunications, financial services, and manufacturing. India's **Adani Group** will invest $100 billion in the development of renewable energy-powered, AI-ready data centers by 2035. **Peter Steinberger**, the creator of the AI assistant **OpenClaw**, has joined **OpenAI** to spearhead the development of next-generation personal AI agents. ### Related Stocks - [TSL.US - GraniteShares 1.25 Long TSLA Daily ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSL.US.md) - [GOOG.US - Alphabet - C](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOG.US.md) - [GM.US - General Motors](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GM.US.md) - [FBL.US - GraniteShares 2x Long META Daily ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/FBL.US.md) - [GOOGL.US - Alphabet](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOGL.US.md) - [MSFL.US - GraniteShares 2x Long MSFT Daily ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFL.US.md) - [MSFY.US - Kurv Yield Premium Strategy Microsoft MSFT ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSFY.US.md) - [TSLA.US - Tesla](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLA.US.md) - [GOOW.US - Roundhill GOOGL WeeklyPay ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GOOW.US.md) - [TSLG.US - Leverage Shares 2X Long TSLA Daily ETF](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLG.US.md) ## Related News & Research | Title | Description | URL | |-------|-------------|-----| | 地热——一场静悄悄的美国能源革命 | 美国正经历地热能革命，从布鲁克林高楼下的浅层系统到比尔·盖茨和谷歌押注的深层钻探，技术突破频现。AI 热潮引发的能源需求成为关键催化剂。能源部预测，增强型地热项目至 2050 年可为 6500 万家庭供电，一场重塑能源版图的变革正在发生。 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276529202.md) | | 谷歌高层回应 AI 泡沫质疑：这是工业革命，但速度快 10 倍、规模大 10 倍 | 谷歌 CEO 在印度 AI 峰会上透露谷歌云积压订单已翻倍至 2400 亿美元，以此证明高额资本开支的合理性。DeepMind CEO 预测实现通用人工智能至少仍需 5-10 年。谷歌高层一致认为，AI 将从根本上改变中小企业和科学研究的工 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276440500.md) | | 谷歌突然发布 Gemini 3.1 Pro：核心推理性能直接翻倍 | 谷歌发布了最新的大模型 Gemini 3.1 Pro，其推理性能较去年发布的 Gemini 3 Pro 翻倍。在 ARC-AGI-2 评测中，Gemini 3.1 Pro 得分 77.1%，显示出强大的推理能力。新模型支持多源数据综合和复杂 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276396515.md) | | 表面风光之下，OpenAI 的 “四大困境” | Benedict Evans 表示，缺乏技术护城河、用户粘性不足、平台战略缺乏飞轮效应，以及产品战略受制于实验室研发方向等问题，正威胁 OpenAI 长期竞争力。Evans 指出，真正的问题所在是 OpenAI 是否有能力让消费者、开发者和 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276525055.md) | | 期权热点｜上周五 GOOGL 涨 4%，部分看涨期权飙升 1026% | 美东时间 02 月 20 日，谷歌-A 期权总成交 738427 张，看涨期权占比 61%，看跌期权占比 38%。 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276561413.md) | --- > **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.