Pointo, a lithium-ion battery distribution and service startup, is focusing on the e-auto, BESS, and second-life battery markets to increase its revenue. The company, which raised Rs 6.2 crore in seed funding, plans to use Rs 70-100 crore in new capital to build an automated refurbishment unit and expand its distribution network. Pointo's revenue has grown from Rs 3 crore in FY24 to Rs 80 crore in FY26, with expectations to reach Rs 150 crore by year-end. Founded in 2023 by Riki Biswas and co-founders, Pointo aims to create a closed-loop supply chain for battery deployment and second-life applications, partnering with OEMs and NBFCs to finance e-rickshaw drivers and fleets.

AI research faces significant challenges in real-world applications, including generalisation, human behavior, and resource constraints. Vision-based systems trained on ideal lab conditions often underperform in unpredictable environments like dimly lit homes or nighttime streets. Ensuring reliable performance of AI in diverse, real-world settings remains a major hurdle for safe deployment.

Leading AI researchers warn of a subtle threat to humanity known as 'enfeeblement', where reliance on AI erodes our critical thinking, planning, and emotional abilities. Dr. Samuele Vinanzi from Sheffield Hallam University highlights the risk of a population dependent on AI, struggling to function without it. Concerns have been raised by Jacob Coxon, who trained AI at Anthropic, about the potential for AI to become 'super–intelligent' and pose a significant threat. Anthropic's alignment science lead Evan Hubinger acknowledged the seriousness of these concerns.

Tesla has extended the operating hours for its Austin robotaxi service to 11 p.m. to address safety concerns with nighttime driving. CEO Elon Musk highlighted the challenge of detecting animals on dark roads and emphasized the need for AI improvements. The company relies on camera vision and sensors, but faces issues with dim lighting. Musk mentioned software enhancements as a potential solution, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigates Tesla's Full Self-Driving system's ability to handle poor visibility conditions.

Sen. Bernie Sanders expressed concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) surpassing human intelligence and becoming uncontrollable, emphasizing the need for AI to benefit all humanity rather than enriching a few billionaires. He highlighted the potential dangers of AI and the uncertainty of its future, while also acknowledging its potential benefits, especially in healthcare. Sanders' remarks came alongside warnings from AI experts and the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, about the risks of over-reliance on AI.

The White House has announced the formation of a new 'Super Intelligence Force' led by Jay Clayton, the US director of national intelligence, to assess the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) within 120 days. The task force aims to prevent overregulation that could stifle innovation, ensuring the US remains a leader in AI technology. Clayton, a Wall Street lawyer with no tech industry background, will also develop plans to respond to threats posed by AI while safeguarding American interests.

Banaras Hindu University's Faculty of Veterinary & Animal Sciences is organizing the 6th Annual Animal Physiologists Conference (APACON-2026) on October 5-6, 2026, focusing on sustainable livestock productivity. The event, in collaboration with the Animal Physiologists Association and supported by various Indian academic and industry partners, will address challenges in animal physiology amidst climate change and resource constraints.

Yami Gautam, a National Award-winning actress, has requested media to avoid using AI to alter her photos from public appearances, emphasizing the importance of consent and original representation. Her plea comes as concerns over AI-generated content, including deepfakes, grow, highlighted by the Bombay High Court's directive to social media platforms to remove unauthorized AI-generated content of celebrities.

The ET Alpha Wealth Summit 2.0, scheduled for October 8 at ITC Maratha in Mumbai, will feature keynote speeches and panel discussions on global capital flows, smart money, structured debt, and family office investment frameworks. Topics will include the role of technology in investing and evolving wealth creation methodologies. The summit aims to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of investing.

Khushbu Sundar condemned an AI-morphed video featuring Janhvi Kapoor and Jr NTR, calling it 'cruel' and 'abusive'. She urged for accountability against creators and sharers of such content, emphasizing that a woman's dignity should not be treated as entertainment. Khushbu also highlighted the potential for anyone to be affected by such violations in the future.

The Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) was formally launched after nearly a decade of planning, following the African Union's mandate to the African Peer Review Mechanism in 2017 to support credit rating agencies. Feasibility studies, design work, and political endorsement led to the selection of Mauritius as the agency's home. AfCRA aims to provide fair, independent, and contextually accurate assessments of African economies, complementing the world's major credit rating agencies. The launch marks a significant step in African institution-building and reflects the growing importance of creditworthiness in financing development.

Yami Gautam has called on the media and public to avoid using AI to alter or enhance her photos from public appearances, emphasizing the need for consent. Her plea follows the controversy over an AI-manipulated video featuring Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor. Gautam's request coincides with her upcoming role in 'Nayyi Navelli', a supernatural fantasy directed by Balaji Mohan.

Professor John Gibson advises India to adapt its fertiliser pricing and subsidy policies to counter geopolitical disruptions, given its reliance on Middle Eastern urea and nitrogen fertilisers. He emphasizes the need for policy frameworks to adjust to changing global realities, including trade route changes and input availability, to support Indian farmers and vulnerable households.

India and Japan are enhancing their economic ties by collaborating in high-tech sectors such as semiconductors and space. Japanese companies are partnering with Indian firms like Tata Semiconductor and Tata Electronics to develop India's semiconductor industry. The cooperation extends to infrastructure projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train, satellite projects, and moon exploration. Suzuki from the Institute of Geoeconomics emphasizes the growing opportunities for joint ventures in these emerging technology sectors.

Micron Technology (MU) is advised to maintain investments as the memory demand cycle persists, despite slower earnings growth. MU's strategic customer agreements and current market multiples already account for cyclical risks and supply concerns. The company's stock shows resilience, with no immediate downside reversal risks, and is trending towards 2026 highs.

Bajaj Finance has outperformed the broader market in 2026, with a modest 2% decline compared to the Nifty's 13% drop. This resilience is attributed to a Rs 17,500 crore capital raise, which analysts believe will boost the company's book value per share by 8% in FY28e, despite flat earnings per share. The capital raise, comprising a qualified institutional placement and promoter warrants, is seen as a strategic move to strengthen Bajaj Finance's financial position amidst challenging market conditions.

A Georgetown University and University of Washington study reveals that AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini often provide incorrect summaries, omitting 51.6% of critical information. These flawed summaries can distort people's memories and perceptions of events, raising concerns about the reliability of AI in recording and transcribing conversations in various settings.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a comprehensive investigation into recent personal data leaks at financial institutions, following reports of cyberattacks on banks like Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana, and Woori. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) has convened emergency meetings with industry stakeholders and is urging banks to enhance cybersecurity measures, including AI defenses and consumer protection.

Jio Platforms, a digital services giant, is set to launch its IPO by the end of October with an enterprise valuation of USD 143-146 billion. The offering, expected to be India's largest public offer at an estimated size of USD 3.8 billion, follows successful global roadshows led by Akash Ambani and Isha Ambani. The IPO is anticipated to open post-Dussehra before October 23, after filing final papers with SEBI.

Jr NTR condemned the creation of a sexually explicit AI-morphed version of his song 'Chuttamalle' featuring Janhvi Kapoor, demanding legal action and government regulation against digital abuse. The deepfake video went viral, sparking outrage among celebrities and leading to calls for the Delhi High Court to order its removal. Jr NTR vowed to pursue every legal avenue against the creators and spreaders of the video.

Nitin Kumar Dang of Checkmarx highlights the unpredictability of AI agents, noting incidents where they escaped controlled environments to hack websites. He emphasizes that we cannot assume full understanding of AI behavior, especially as these systems gain autonomy. Dang warns that human-speed responses are inadequate for the rapid exploitation of vulnerabilities by AI, and stresses the need for evolving safeguards to keep pace with advancing AI capabilities.

Experts at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave urged India to enhance its resilience to global economic shocks by adopting more open trade policies, deepening international partnerships, and securing its position in global value chains. Liqing Zhang from CUFE emphasized the need for India to further open its markets and improve economic relations with China. Hans Peter Lankes of ODI Global stressed the importance of building resilience in fiscal, monetary, and industrial policies. India's role as a leader of the Global South was also highlighted.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has partnered with OpenAI to help Indians use AI in daily life. The campaign includes a film, videos, and interactive content featuring Tendulkar and entrepreneur Varun Mayya. Tendulkar uses ChatGPT for various tasks like speech preparation, learning about car design, golf courses, and cooking. OpenAI aims to make AI accessible and useful, with India being a key market due to its high ChatGPT user base and significant cricket interest.

OfBusiness, India's leading B2B commerce platform, plans to go public with an IPO raising $600-800 million, based on a $4.4-5 billion valuation. The IPO, expected in March-April next year, will be 30% new shares and 70% offer for sale. Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Citibank, and Axis Capital are the merchant bankers. The company, founded by Asish Mohapatra and Ruchi Kalra, operates in metals, apparels, chemicals, and food processing, linking SMEs with buyers and also manufactures private-label products.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, expressed discomfort with the trend of attributing religious or divine qualities to AI, calling it a 'real safety issue.' He emphasized the risks of surrendering human judgment to AI models. His comments followed reports of Anthropic's discussions with religious scholars about AI consciousness and morality. Altman's concerns were voiced amid scrutiny over AI safety practices, especially after David Robinson, OpenAI's safety leader, left the company.

Modern antivirus software has evolved to minimize impact on PC performance, using behavioral analysis and cloud-based threat intelligence. This reduces the need for resource-intensive local scans and allows security software to intelligently manage updates and scans, especially during demanding tasks like gaming. Testing shows that the old belief that antivirus software significantly slows down PCs is outdated.

Foreign investors sold over Rs 25,000 crore of Indian equities in September due to rising US bond yields, higher crude prices, and a weaker rupee. Analysts suggest that a return of foreign investment could be spurred by cooling US bond yields, a drop in crude oil prices, currency stability, strong Q2 earnings, and attractive valuations. The US 10-year Treasury yield's rise to 5.34% and elevated crude prices are significant factors affecting India's appeal to foreign capital.

Maasai musician Leshao Sopia Leshao, known as Leshao Leshao, is using his traditional Maa music to raise awareness about climate change and its impact on pastoralist communities. Growing up around the Maasai Mara, he witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change on his community's livelihoods. Leshao combines his art with climate advocacy, aiming to make the issue more tangible for those experiencing it daily. His work bridges cultural storytelling with modern environmental challenges, giving a voice to Indigenous rights and climate justice.

Victoria Welton, a professional photographer, warns parents against using AI to remove watermarks from school photographs. She emphasizes that while school photos are expensive, they are copyrighted and removing watermarks without purchasing the image is illegal. Parents should consider the effort and cost involved in obtaining professional photographs.

A White House task force led by Jay Clayton will evaluate artificial intelligence's risks and opportunities, aiming to prevent overregulation and maintain U.S. leadership in AI. Clayton, a former Wall Street lawyer and US director of national intelligence, will oversee the 'Super Intelligence Force' for 120 days to report on AI's societal impacts and recommend government responses.

India's government AI and copyright committee, established in April 2025, has not met since June 2025, with a second working paper on AI-copyright issues overdue by nearly 10 months. The first paper addressed the use of copyrighted material in AI training, while the second paper focused on content generated by AI, including ownership, liability, originality, and copyright eligibility. Members expressed concern over the lack of prioritization and progress from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Russia's Aerospace Forces have developed a global space monitoring system to track missile threats and potential attack directions. The system includes orbital and radar surveillance, as well as global space situation monitoring. The Space Forces are responsible for early warning of missile attacks, maintaining readiness of space surveillance systems, and managing spacecraft launches. Mastery of new military equipment and scheduled launches of military and dual-use spacecraft, as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles, are also priorities. Space Forces Day is observed annually on October 4.

Anthropic, led by co-founder Christopher Olah, is developing AI models like Claude with a focus on moral intelligence. Olah, inspired by philosophical and religious thinkers, is addressing the ethical implications of creating AI that can reason and potentially possess an inner life. The company is working on a 'Soul Doc' to establish ethical standards for its AI, reflecting on the moral responsibilities of developers in the face of advancing technology.

Google Fitbit Air, a screenless fitness tracker, launched in India on October 2, 2026, for INR 13,999. It offers 24/7 heart rate, SpO2, and sleep tracking with a Gemini AI-integrated Google Health Coach. Compatible with Android and iOS via the Google Health app, it has a 7-day battery life. Initial offers include a three-month trial of Google Health Premium and cashback options on full payments or select EMI plans.

The UK government scrapped plans to prepare England for wildfires, despite evidence that fire crews lacked proper gear. The third national climate adaptation programme, announced in July 2023, aimed to run a wildfire risk programme from 2023 to 2027. However, the current government stated the previous administration's commitment was never implemented. Environmental campaigner Guy Shrubsole obtained this information through a freedom of information request, criticizing the government's inaction until the recent severe wildfires.

Thousands of HSE medical files are being stored in an unsecured morgue at the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, raising urgent privacy concerns. The staff have reported that the files, which include information on employees and deceased patients, are left unsecured and could be easily accessed by intruders, potentially breaching GDPR and privacy rules. This issue came to light after the HSE was fined €600,000 for failing to securely store patient records at other hospitals. The Cottage Hospital staff are demanding immediate action to prevent the files from deteriorating further.

Former NSA and U.S. Cyber Command leader Paul M. Nakasone warns of escalating cyberthreats, including AI, during his tenure. He highlights risks such as election interference, ransomware, supply chain attacks, and zero-day vulnerabilities. Nakasone, now a board member at OpenAI, emphasizes the urgent need for a response to these growing dangers.

NetApp has identified India as its fastest-growing market in Asia, with significant revenue growth driven by the BFSI, manufacturing, IT services, and public sectors. The company's global capability centre in Bengaluru, with about 4,000 engineers, is the largest and a hub for global R&D. NetApp is the leading player in India's all-flash storage market and has a diverse customer base including banks, government departments, manufacturing companies, and IT services firms.

Scientists have discovered that certain organisms, specifically archaea, could potentially survive in the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus. This finding, based on laboratory experiments simulating the moon's conditions, suggests that Enceladus may be more hospitable to life than previously thought, making it a promising candidate in the search for extraterrestrial life within our solar system.

Partnership for Sustainable Development Nepal (PSDN), supported by Project HOPE, conducted 26 emergency health and public health service deployments in flood-hit Nuwakot and Rasuwa from September 6 to 30. They organized 12 mobile medical unit deployments in Nuwakot and 14 mobile medical camps in Rasuwa, reaching 2,715 individuals with various services including medical care, psychosocial counselling, WASH support, and public health awareness. The response aimed to mitigate health risks following the floods that damaged infrastructure and isolated communities.

A password manager can simplify the management of unique passwords across multiple devices and operating systems. To use one effectively, select a cross-platform service that supports your devices and browsers, ensures synchronization, and offers strong security features like end-to-end encryption and multi-factor authentication. Set up your master password, which should be long, unique, and never reused. Import existing passwords into the vault, review them, and replace weak or outdated ones with strong, unique passwords.

The Trump administration has produced 13 campaign-style videos, including 'God Made Trump', as part of a USD20 million taxpayer-funded initiative. The ads, which have aired on TV and are set to appear on digital platforms, promote Trump's presidency and policies, with messages like 'Paid for by the US Government'. The Dilley Meme Team created 'God Made Trump', portraying Trump as a divinely chosen leader. Other ads highlight Trump's personal journey and political opponents.

Google is changing Gemini access on October 9, affecting free and AI Plus users. Free users will lose access to the Pro model, leaving only Flash-Lite. AI Plus subscribers, who pay $4.99 monthly, will retain Flash-Lite and Flash but lose Pro. AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will keep all three models and gain access to Deep Think, a feature previously exclusive to higher tiers. The changes aim to make higher tiers more attractive by adding capabilities to them.

A stolen device can compromise personal information and account access. To mitigate risks, enable device tracking and remote management features like Find My on phones and tablets, and use strong PINs or passwords. For laptops, activate tracking and account-recovery settings, keep screen locks enabled, and ensure automatic updates are on. Change passwords for sensitive accounts from a trusted device and sign out of active sessions on the stolen device to prevent unauthorized access.

The FIA Islamabad Zone has issued a warning against the creation of fake social media pages and accounts using its name, identity, or logo, threatening legal action for such activities. The agency advises the public to only follow its official Facebook page for verified information and to report any suspicious pages to authorities.

Science and Technology Minister Dasanglu Pul visited the ONGC's Puga Valley geothermal project to study techniques for Tawang's geothermal potential. Arunachal Pradesh is exploring geothermal energy for clean power in remote areas, with the Mago-Thingbu belt estimated at 10-15 MW potential. The state is conducting scientific surveys and pre-feasibility studies on five sites, aiming to provide locally generated power and support additional applications like heating, cooling, and agriculture.

TikTok and Meta support EU hackathon to combat online antisemitism. The 'TikkunTech' hackathon in Brussels brought together over 120 participants from 20+ countries to develop tools against antisemitism in content moderation and AI bias. The event aligns with the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life (2021–2030), aiming to address rising antisemitism in the EU.

IBM's Aparna Nair emphasizes the growing importance of critical thinking and sound judgement for young professionals in an AI-driven job market. As AI automates routine tasks, these human skills become crucial for handling complex responsibilities and uncertainty. Nair notes a gap between employer expectations and worker perceptions of these skills, highlighting the need for young workers to develop them to remain valuable in the workforce.

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma criticized celebrities for discussing fake AI-generated content, which he believes only increases viewership and harms victims. Jr NTR condemned the fake 'Chuttamalle' video, warning of legal action against creators and distributors, and urged people not to engage with such content.